Susan Sommerfeldt, PhD, MN, BScN, RN

Contact

Faculty of Nursing
Email
ss13@ualberta.ca

Overview

Area of Study / Keywords

heathcare teams interprofessionalism arts-based research


About

My research and teaching is centred in exploring healthcare teams, how they function and what that means to patients. 

My interest in interprofessionalism emerged in my Masters of Nursing work highlighting inter-disciplinary approaches to Developmental Coordination Disorder in children. Doctoral research explored interprofessionalism and relational work in inter-disciplinary healthcare teams. Utilizing arts-informed methodology, I explored team relationships using applied theatre methods, specifically Boal’s Theatre of the Oppressed.

My current research includes a research creation project that produced a mini-documentary about healthcare workplaces during the COVID-19 pandemic (SSHRC funded). Two ongoing research projects include using arts-based research exploring HIV stigma in school-age children in Uganda (CIHR funded) and exploring intergenerational trauma and community solutions using Theatre for Living in northern Uganda (SSHRC funded). Using mindfulness in a healthcare organization is currently in the analysis stage (SSHRC funded). 

Other research experience includes a research project that established interprofessional clinical learning units in Edmonton area healthcare facilities. I was involved with Dr. Judy Mill’s project investigating HIV diagnosis and care of Canadian Aboriginal youth and Dr. Beverley O’Brien’s research program involving implementing midwifery services in Alberta and an institutional ethnographic approach in describing rural and remote birth choices available to Alberta families.

I have presented lectures and workshops internationally in Germany, China, UK, USA, Brasil, Australia, and Thailand.


I have provided guest lectures about art-based research in health research and community health nursing.  


Publications

Reducing HIV-related stigma in school children in Northern Uganda: Study protocol for an arts-based population health intervention and stepped-wedge cluster-randomized controlled trial.

Author(s): Joshua B. Mendelsohn; Bonnie Fournier; Stephanie Caron-Roy; Geoffrey Maina; Gillian Strudwick; Santo Ojok; Hyun June Lim; Marcos Sanches; Carmen H. Logie; Susan Sommerfeldt; Candace Nykiforuk; Jean Harrowing; Francis Akena Adyanga; Jussy Okello Hakiigaba; Olenka Bilash.
Publication Date: 12/1/2022
Publication: Trials.
Volume: 2022
Issue: 23
DOI: 10.1186/s13063-022-06643-9
External Link: https://trialsjournal.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s13063-022-06643-9

Profound Effect: Documenting healthcare work during the COVID-19 Pandemic [video - 30 minute mini-documentary]

Author(s): Sommerfeldt, S., McKinstry, K., Sommerfeldt, M.
Publication Date: 9/20/2022
Publication: University of Alberta Library - Aviary platform
External Link: https://ualberta.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1778/collection_resources/75275/file/167028

Performative understandings: Exploring interprofessional teams supporting older adults maintaining health at home.

Author(s): Sommerfeldt, S., Caine, V., Compton, R.
Publication Date: 9/1/2022
Publication: Journal of Interprofessional Education and Practice
Volume: 28
DOI: 10.1016/j.xjep.2022.100520
External Link: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.xjep.2022.100520

The Mangle of Interprofessional Practice

Author(s): Sommerfeldt, S.
Publication Date: 2015
Publication: Global Qualitative Nursing Research
Volume: 2
Page Numbers: doi: 10.1177/2333393614565186
External Link: http://gqn.sagepub.com/content/2/2333393614565186.short

Considering performativity as methodology and phenomena

Author(s): Sommerfeldt S, Caine V, Molzahn A
Publication Date: 2014
Publication: Forum Qualitative Sozialforschung/Forum: Qualitative Social Research
Volume: 15
Issue: 2
Page Numbers: Article 11
External Link: http://www.qualitative-research.net/index.php/fqs/article/view/2108/3670

Articulating nursing in an interprofessional world

Author(s): Sommerfeldt S
Publication Date: 2013
Publication: Nurse Education in Practice
Volume: 16
Page Numbers: 523-529

“AIDS is something scary”: Canadian Aboriginal Youth and HIV Testing

Author(s): Mill JE, Wong T, Archibald C, Sommerfeldt S, Worthington C, Jackson R, Prentice T, Myers T
Publication Date: 2011
Publication: Pimatisiwin: A Journal of Aboriginal and Indigenous Community Health
Volume: 9
Issue: 2
Page Numbers: 277-299
External Link: http://www.pimatisiwin.com/uploads/jan_20112/02MillWongArchibald.pdf