• Diana McMillan
  • Professor

    College of Nursing
    Helen Glass Centre for Nursing
    Room 467 - 89 Curry Place
    University of Manitoba
    Winnipeg, Manitoba R3T 2N2
    Canada

    Phone: 204-474-7295
    Fax: 204-474-7682
    Email: diana.mcmillan@umanitoba.ca

Cross appointments

Does not hold any cross appointments.

Research achievements

Research summary

In my role as clinical chair at the Health Sciences Centre, I aim to fuel evidence-informed practice learning and research initiatives, building synergies between academic and clinical partners to enhance patient-centered care, while supporting outstanding student research training experiences.

Based on a multidisciplinary team approach, and using both quantitative and qualitative methodologies, my research is focused within the adult acute care context, integrating sleep health promotion, pain management, stress and coping, mobilization, patient education and engagement.

The second area of investigation is focused on the development and assessment of care delivery systems bridging acute and community settings, with one current study underway on an impact evaluation of the Manitoba Tele Stroke Program, an innovative delivery model enhancing access to rapid hyper acute stroke assessment and care in rural regions of Manitoba.

  • Keywords

    • Acute care
    • Care delivery system development and evaluation
    • Pain
    • Sleep health promotion
    • Stress and coping
  • Research groups

    Research affiliate, Manitoba Centre for Nursing and Health Research (MCNHR)

    Clinical chair, Clinical Chair Program, Health Sciences Centre, Winnipeg

Teaching philosophy

I have been extremely fortunate to have worked with so many wonderful students over the years, whether as course leader, advisor, or committee member.

Using a coaching and empowerment model, I mentor with an aim to understand and support the learner's needs and goals, offering questions and examples that will help them to think critically about the topic at hand, linking the known to the novel, and celebrating diverse perspectives.

I believe learners have as much to teach me as I do them and that the journey of scholarship and education is one best shared.

Empowering learners through scaffolded support, patience and gentle guidance, and curiosity, whether this relates to coursework, thesis advisement, funding applications, research, or knowledge translation initiatives, can create space for rich and shared learning, skill building and professional growth.

Biography

Dr. Diana McMillan is a registered nurse and professor in the College of Nursing, Rady Faculty of Health Sciences at the University of Manitoba. She is also clinical chair, research, for the Health Sciences Centre.

She earned her bachelor of nursing science and honours in psychology at Queen’s University, a master of nursing science at the University of Manitoba, her doctorate in nursing science at the University of Washington (Seattle), in sleep and pain, and was a post-doctoral fellow at the Mayo Clinic studying sleep in patients with advanced cancer.

Building on her clinical experiences as a staff nurse in adult medicine and adult surgery at the Vancouver General Hospital and later the Victoria General Hospital in Winnipeg, she has maintained a passion for advancing patient care through her research.

She has an active research program in clinical nursing and multidisciplinary research spanning from sleep health promotion to patient engagement and education to health care delivery system development and assessment.

Dr. McMillan has over 50 publications in journals and textbooks, has presented locally, nationally and internationally on the topic of sleep, and is frequently interviewed on CBC, CTV and CJOB.

Education

  • PhD in Nursing Science from the University of Washington (2001)

  • Master of Nursing from the University of Manitoba (1995)

  • Bachelor of Nursing Science from Queen’s University (1986)

  • Bachelor of Arts (Honours) in Psychology from Queen’s University (1986)

Awards

2022:

  • Academic Health Sciences Leadership Program Certificate

2020-2025:

  • Clinical Chair, Health Sciences Centre Award. (Granted by the Health Sciences Centre Foundation, providing $400,000 over a five-year period)

2010:

  • Faculty of Nursing Dean's Award for Teaching Excellence

2006:

  • Dr. John Wade Research Award, Manitoba Institute for Patient Safety. (Co-Recipient, receiving $3,000)

2005:

  • Award of Excellence in Graduate Nursing Education, University of Manitoba

2001:

  • Sigma Theta Tau International Rising Star in Research and Scholarship, University of Washington School of Nursing
  • Post-doctoral Research Fellowship in Quality of Life Research at Mayo Clinic Cancer Center and Manitoba Nursing Research Institute, Faculty of Nursing, University of Manitoba
  • Hester McLaws Nursing Scholarship Award, University of Washington School of Nursing

1995:

  • Kappa Kappa Gamma Foundation of Canada Scholarship Award for Doctoral Research (a national award providing $5,000)
  • Simons Foundation Doctoral Scholarship, University of British Columbia (Declined in favor of pursuing a Ph.D. at the University of Washington)

1991:

  • Canadian Nurses Foundation Masters Scholarship (a scholarship of $3,000)

1990:

  • University of Manitoba Graduate Fellowship (awarding $8,000)

DR. DIANA MCMILLAN In the news

Contact us

College of Nursing
Helen Glass Centre for Nursing
89 Curry Place
University of Manitoba (Fort Garry Campus) 
Winnipeg, MB R3T 2N2 Canada

204-474-7452
204-474-7682