Cheryl Nekolaichuk

About

Dr. Cheryl Nekolaichuk obtained her Master’s (1990) and Doctorate (1995) in Counselling Psychology at the University of Alberta. She completed her doctoral internship in psychosocial oncology at the Cross Cancer Institute (1994) and an NCIC Postdoctoral Terry Fox Fellowship in Palliative Care in the Division of Palliative Care Medicine at the U of A (1999).

Throughout her career in psychosocial oncology and palliative care, Dr. Nekolaichuk has held various clinical appointments at the Cross Cancer Institute and the Grey Nuns Community Hospital in Edmonton, Alberta. In 2014, she was awarded the Neil MacDonald Lectureship, in recognition of her significant contributions to palliative care research. She was promoted to full professorship in the Division of Palliative Care Medicine in the Department of Oncology in 2015.  

After more than twenty-five years in academia, Dr. Nekolaichuk retired in 2022. She was awarded the Pettifor Lifetime Achievement Award from the Psychologists’ Association of Alberta in 2024, in recognition of her outstanding career achievements and contributions to the field of psychology.

Dr. Nekolaichuk’s publications relate to supporting patients and families through end of life transitions, including the development of a cancer pain classification system, patient-centered symptom assessment, and the experience of hope and arts-based interventions in palliative care.

She is a Professor Emerita in the Division of Palliative Care Medicine, Department of Oncology, University of Alberta.

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Research

Hope in Life-Threatening and End of Life Contexts

Duggleby, W., Lee, H. J., Nekolaichuk, C. & Fitzpatrick-Lewis-D. (2021). Systematic review of factors associated with hope in family carers of persons living with chronic illness. Journal of Advanced Nursing, 77: 3343-3360. doi: 10.1111/jan.14858

Duggleby, W., Cooper, D., Nekolaichuk, C., Cottrell, L., Swindle, J. & Barkway, K. (2016). The psychosocial experiences of older palliative patients while participating in a Living with Hope program. Palliative and Supportive Care, 14: 672-679.

Nekolaichuk, C. L. (2015). Hope in end-of-life care. In: E. Bruera, I. Higginson, C. F. von Gunten & T. Morita. Textbook of palliative medicine and supportive care (2nd ed.) (pp.743-749). Boca Raton, FL: CRC Press, Taylor & Francis.

Duggleby, W., Thomas, J., Struthers Montford, K., Thomas, R., Nekolaichuk, C., Ghosh, S., Cumming, C. & Tonkin, K. (2015). Transitions of male partners of women with breast cancer: Hope, guilt and quality of life. Oncology Nursing Forum, 42(2): 134-141. doi:10.1188/15.ONF.134-141.

Olsman, E., Duggleby, W., Nekolaichuk, C., Willems, D., Gagnon, J., Kruizinga, R., & Leget, C. (2014). Improving communication on hope in palliative care. A qualitative study of palliative care professionals’ metaphors of hope: grip, source, tune, and vision. Journal of Pain and Symptom Management, 48(5): 831-838. DOI:10.1016/j.jpainsymman.2014.02.008

Duggleby, W., Schroeder, D., & Nekolaichuk, C. (2013). Hope and connection: The experience of family caregivers of persons with dementia living in a long term care facility. BMC Geriatrics, 13:112.  DOI: 10.1186/1471-2318-13-112

Duggleby, W., Hicks, D., Nekolaichuk, C., Holtslander, L., Williams, A., Chambers, T. & Eby, J. (2012). Hope, older adults and chronic illness: A metasynthesis of qualitative research. Journal of Advanced Nursing, 68(6): 1211-1223. DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2648.2011.05919.x.

Nekolaichuk, C. L. (2005). Diversity or divisiveness? A critical analysis of hope. In: J. Cutcliffe & H. McKenna (Eds.). The essential concepts of nursing (pp. 179-212). London: Elsevier.

Edmonton Classification System for Cancer Pain

Belayneh, M., Fainsinger, R., Nekolaichuk, C. Muller, V., Bouchard, S., Downar, J., Galloway, L., Ghosh, S., Hawley, P., Herx, L., Kmet, A. & Lawlor, P. (2023). Edmonton Classification System for Cancer Pain: Comparison of pain classification features and pain intensity across diverse palliative care settings in Canada. Journal of Palliative Medicine, 26:366-375. DOI: 10.1089/jpm.2022.0187

Fainsinger, R., Nekolaichuk, C., Fainsinger, L., Muller, V., Fainsinger, L., Amigo, P., Brisebois, A., Burton-Macleod, S., Ghosh, S., Gilbert, R., Tarumi, Y., Thai, V., & Wolch, G. (2017). What is stable pain control? A prospective longitudinal study to assess the clinical value of a personalized pain goal. Palliative Medicine. DOI: 10.1177/0269216317701891

Fainsinger, R., Nekolaichuk, C. & Muller, V. (2014). Assessing and classifying cancer pain: Can we develop an internationally accepted common language? Journal of Palliative Care, 30(4): 279-283.

Nekolaichuk, C., Fainsinger, R., Aass, N., Hjermstad, M., Knudsen, A. K., Klepstad, P., Currow, D., & Kaasa, S. (2013). The Edmonton Classification System for Cancer Pain: A comparison of pain classification features and pain intensity across diverse palliative care settings in eight countries. Journal of Palliative Medicine, 16(5):516-523.  DOI: 10.1089/jpm.2012.0390

Fainsinger, R., Nekolaichuk, C., Lawlor, P., Hagen, N., Bercovitch, M., Fisch, M., Galloway, L., Kaye, G., Landman, W., Spruyt, O., Zhukovsky, D., Bruera, E., Hanson, J. (2010). An international multicentre validation study of a pain classification system for cancer patients. European Journal of Cancer, 46, 2896-2904.

Fainsinger, R., Fairchild, A., Nekolaichuk, C. Lawlor, P., Lowe, S. & Hanson, J. (2009). Is pain intensity a predictor of the complexity of cancer pain management? Journal of Clinical Oncology, 27(4), 585-590.

Fainsinger, R., & Nekolaichuk, C. (2008). A “TNM” classification system for cancer pain: The Edmonton Classification System for Cancer Pain (ECS-CP). Supportive Care in Cancer, 16, 547-555.

Fainsinger, R., & Nekolaichuk, C. (2008). Cancer pain assessment – Can we predict the need for specialist input? European Journal of Cancer, 44, 1072-1077.

Nekolaichuk, C. L., Fainsinger, R. L., & Lawlor, P. (2005). A validation study of a pain classification system for advanced cancer patients using content experts: The Edmonton classification system for cancer pain. Palliative Medicine, 19, 466-476.

Fainsinger, R., Nekolaichuk, C., Lawlor, P., Neumann, C., Hanson, J., & Vigano, A. (2005). A multicentre validation study of the Revised Edmonton Staging System for classifying cancer pain in advanced cancer patients. Journal of Pain & Symptom Management, 29(3), 224-237.

Fainsinger, R. L., & Nekolaichuk, C. L. (2005). A “TNM” system for evaluating and treating cancer pain: The Edmonton classification system. Oncology Exchange, 4(5), 14-17. 

Lowe, S., Nekolaichuk, C., Fainsinger, R., & Lawlor, P. (2008). Should the rate of opioid dose escalation be included as a feature in a cancer pain classification system? Journal of Pain and Symptom Management, 35(1), 51-57.

Symptom Assessment in Palliative and End-of-Life Care

Tricou, C., Ruer, M., Nekolaichuk, C. Sigurdardottir, K., Perceau-Chambard, E., Bruera, E. & Filbet, M. (2019). Transcultural validation of the French version of the modified Edmonton Symptom Assessment Scale: The ESAS12-F. Journal of Palliative Medicine, 22(12):1553-1560.  doi: 10.1089/jpm.2018.0578. Epub 2019 Jul 9.

Lowe, S., Nekolaichuk, C., Ghosh, S., Fainsinger, L., Quan, H., & Fainsinger, R. (2019). Clinical characteristics of patients having single versus multiple patient encounters within a palliative care program. BMJ Supportive & Palliative Care, 9(3); 291-299. Published Online First: 04 February 2016. doi: 10.1136/bmjspcare-2015-000985. Epub 2016 Feb 4.

Nekolaichuk, C., Huot, A., Gratton, V., Bush, S. H., Tarumi, Y., & Watanabe, S. (2017). Development of a French version of the Edmonton Symptom Assessment System-Revised: A pilot study of palliative care patients’ experiences. Journal of Palliative Medicine, 20(9): 966-976.

Voeuk, A., Nekolaichuk, C., Fainsinger, R., & Huot, A. (2017). Continuous palliative sedation for existential distress? A survey of Canadian palliative care physicians’ views. Journal of Palliative Care, 32(1): 26-33.

Buttenschoen, D., Stephan, J., Watanabe, S., & Nekolaichuk, C. (2014) Health care providers’ use and knowledge of the Edmonton Symptom Assessment System (ESAS): Is there a need to improve information and training? Supportive Care in Cancer, 22:201-208. DOI: 10.1007/s00520-013-1955-8 [role as senior author & supervisor of palliative care medicine fellow]

Watanabe, S., Nekolaichuk, C., & Beaumont, C (2012). The Edmonton Symptom Assessment System: A proposed tool for distress screening. Psycho-Oncology, 21: 977-985.

Watanabe, S., Nekolaichuk, C., Beaumont, C., Johnson, L., Myers, J. & Strasser, F. (2011). A multicentre study comparing two numerical versions of the Edmonton Symptom Assessment System in palliative care patients. Journal of Pain and Symptom Management, 41(2): 456-468.

Watanabe, S., Nekolaichuk, C., Beaumont, C., & Mawani, A. (2009). The Edmonton Symptom Assessment System – What do patients think? Supportive Care in Cancer, 17(6), 675-683.

Nekolaichuk, C., Watanabe, S., & Beaumont, C. (2008). The Edmonton Symptom Assessment System: A 15-year retrospective review of validation studies (1991-2006). Palliative Medicine, 22(2), 111-122.

Research Methods, Measurement and Evaluation in Vulnerable Populations

Aoun, S. M., Slatyer, S., Deas, K., & Nekolaichuk, C. (2017). Family caregiver participation in palliative care research: Challenging the myth. Journal of Pain and Symptom Management, 53(5): 851-861.

Hui, D., Bansal, S., Strasser, F., Morita, T., Caraceni, A., Davis, M., Cherny, N., Kaasa, S., Currow, D., Abernethy, A., Nekolaichuk, C., Bruera, E. (2015). Indicators of integration of oncology and palliative care programs: An international consensus, Annals of Oncology, 26: 1953-1959. DOI:10.1093/annonc/mdv269.

Javaheri, P. A., Nekolaichuk, C., Haennel, R., Parliament, M., & McNeely, M. Feasibility of a pedometer-based walking program for breast and head and neck cancer survivors undergoing radiation therapy (2015). Physiotherapy Canada, 67(2): 205-213 (Special Issue: Oncology).

Aoun, S. & Nekolaichuk, C. (2014). Improving the evidence base in palliative care to inform practice and policy: Thinking outside the box. Journal of Pain and Symptom Management, 48(6): 1222-1235. DOI:10.1016/j.jpainsymman.2014.01.007 [*authors contributed equally as first author]

Leonard, M. & Nekolaichuk, C., Meagher, D., Barnes, C., Gaudreau, J.D., Watanabe, S., Agar, M., Bush, S.H., & Lawlor, P. (2014). Practical assessment of delirium in palliative care. Journal of Pain and Symptom Management, 48(2); 176-190.

Vignaroli, E., Bennett, M. I., Nekolaichuk, C., De Lima, L., Wenk, R., Ripamonti, C. & Bruera, E. (2012). Strategic pain management: The identification and development of the IAHPC opioid essential prescription package. Journal of Palliative Medicine, 15(2): 186-191. DOI: 10.1089/jpm.2011.0296.

Schleinich, M., Warren, S., Nekolaichuk, C., Kaasa, T., & Watanabe, S. (2008). Palliative Care Rehabilitation Survey: A pilot study of patients’ priorities for rehabilitation goals. Palliative Medicine, 22, 822-830.

Biondo, T., Nekolaichuk, C., Stiles, C., Fainsinger, R., & Hagen, N. (2008). Applying the Delphi process to palliative care tool development: Lessons learned. Supportive Care in Cancer, 16, 935-942.

Hagen, N., Stiles, C., Nekolaichuk, C., Biondo, P., Carlson, L. E., Fischer, K., & Fainsinger, R. (2008). The Alberta Breakthrough Pain Assessment Tool for cancer patients: A validation study using a Delphi process and patient think-aloud interviews. Journal of Pain and Symptom Management, 35(2), 136-152.

 Psychosocial Issues in Oncology

Collins, A., Ayre, S., Brulotte, T., Crowe, K., & Nekolaichuk C. (2021). A retrospective thematic analysis of patient, family, and staff creative art tiles developed on a tertiary palliative care unit. Am J Hosp Palliat Medicine, 38(3): 253-259.. doi: 10.1177/1049909120935833. (first published online June 29, 2020)

Nekolaichuk, C. (2018, published online Jan 28, 2019). Living in the space between: Integrating art therapy techniques in palliative care. Canadian Art Therapy Association Journal, 31(2): 84-93. https://doi.org/10.1080/08322473.2018.1522571

Nekolaichuk, C., Turner, J., Collie, K., Cumming, C., & Stevenson, A. (2013). Cancer patients’ experiences of the early phase of individual counseling in an outpatient psycho-oncology setting. Qualitative Health Research, 23: 592-604. DOI: 10.1177/1049732312470567

Nekolaichuk, C. Dignity therapy for patients who are terminally ill (2011). Lancet Oncology, 12: 712-713.

Nekolaichuk, C., Cumming, C., Turner, J., Yushchyshyn, A. & Sela, R. (2011). Referral patterns and psychosocial distress in cancer patients accessing a psycho-oncology counseling service. Psycho-Oncology, 20: 326-332.

Sela, R., Watanabe, S., & Nekolaichuk, C. (2005). Sleep disturbances in palliative cancer patients attending a pain and symptom control clinic. Palliative & Supportive Care, 3, 23-31.

Collins A., Ayre S., Brulotte T., Crowe K., Nekolaichuk C.

American Journal of Hospice & Palliative Medicine. 2021 March; 38 (3):266-275 10.1177/1049909120935833

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Duggleby W., Lee H.J., Nekolaichuk C., Fitzpatrick-Lewis D.

JOURNAL OF ADVANCED NURSING. 2021 January; 10.1111/jan.14858

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Pesut B., Duggleby W., Warner G., Bruce P., Ghosh S., Holroyd-Leduc J., Nekolaichuk C., Parmar J.

BMC Palliative Care. 2020 December; 19 (1) 10.1186/s12904-020-00666-2

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Duggleby W., Pesut B., Warner G., Ruiz K.J., Nekolaichuk C., Ghosh S., Hallström L., Fassbender K., Swindle J., Holroyd-Leduc J., Jackman D., Woytkiw T.

American Journal of Hospice & Palliative Medicine. 2020 October; 38 (8):963-971 10.1177/1049909120965945

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Duggleby W., Pesut B., Warner G., Nekolaichuk C., Hallstrom L.K., Elliott B., Swindle J., Ghosh S.

Rural and Remote Health. 2020 October; 20 (4):6112 10.22605/RRH6112

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Palliative Medicine. 2020 October;

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Duggleby W., O'Rourke H., Swindle J., Peacock S., McAiney C., Baxter P., Thompson G., Dubé V., Nekolaichuk C., Ghosh S., Holroyd-Leduc J.

BMC Geriatrics. 2020 August; 20 (1) 10.1186/s12877-020-01690-w