Michelle Lobchuk, RN, PhD

Research affiliations

  • Researcher-in-Residence (nil-salaried appointment), Grace Hospital / College of Nursing, Rady Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Manitoba
  • Research affiliate, Manitoba Centre for Nursing and Health Research (MCHNR)
  • Research affiliate, University of Manitoba, Centre on Aging

Research groups

  • Society of Nurse Scientists, Innovators, Entrepreneurs & Leaders (SONSIEL), Nurse Scientist Member
  • The Vanier Institute of the Family – Family Research Consortium

Research summary

Dr. Michelle Lobchuk’s research looks at empathic communication and related theory-based interventions in promoting effective, sensitive dialogue by professional and family caregivers, multidisciplinary health care teams, patients, and their families. Her keen interest is to widely disseminate her In Your Shoes (IYS) empathic communication intervention across disciplines. Together with a technology development partner and business technology students, she is advancing the creation of products that promote easy uptake of compelling learning experiences in empathic communication.

Biography

Dr. Lobchuk has held a National Cancer Institute of Canada, Canadian Cancer Society Research Scientist Award and recently, a Research Manitoba Chair in Caregiver Communication. She is passionate about promoting sensitive, communication competence in caregivers (both professional and family). With funds from the Canada Foundation for Innovation and other partners, she has built a 943 square foot home-like design communication laboratory (aka CAre Lab) at Grace Hospital where she conducts interdisciplinary communication studies with state-of-the-art Mac computers, cameras, and audio-recording devices along with sophisticated video analysis software. She is currently transforming her n empathy-related video-feedback intervention, called In Your Shoes (IYS) into a Web Browser Training Portal and a Mobile Application for clinicians to conveniently learn how to engage in empathic dialogue with clients. She also wants to scale-up the uptake of the IYS intervention by multidisciplinary health care teams to enhance team empathy. She teaches currently at the undergraduate and graduate level on Evidence Informed Practice, and supervises graduate and doctoral students in their thesis/dissertation projects. Dr. Lobchuk is jointly working on an innovative multidisciplinary, intergenerational Introduction to Family Caregiving across the Lifespan course to promote family caregiving as a scientifically-based discipline.

Education

  • Interdisciplinary PhD, University of Manitoba (2001)
  • Master of Nursing, University of Manitoba (1995)
  • Bachelor of Nursing, University of Manitoba (1992)

Awards

Awards include, but are not limited to, the following:

  • Manitoba Health Research Council Research Chair in Caregiver Communication (2011-2016)
  • College of Registered Nurses of Manitoba 2010 Excellence in Professional Nursing Award (2010)
  • CANO/Pfizer Excellence in Nursing Research Award,
    Canadian Association of Nurses in Oncology (2009)
  • Winnipeg RH Foundation Award for Outstanding Contributions to Scholarship and Research in Health Sciences Category (2009)
  • Award for Excellence in Graduate Nursing Education, Graduate Nurses Association, Faculty of Nursing (2007)
  • Outstanding New Investigator Award, Canadian Association for Nursing Research (2006)
  • National Cancer Institute of Canada (NCIC), Canadian Cancer Society (CCS) CCS (2004-2010)
  • Excellence in Graduate Nursing Education, Graduate Nurses Association, Faculty of Nursing, University of Manitoba (2003)

ORCID profile

Visit Michelle Lobchuk's ORCID profile for a complete listing.

Michelle Lobchuk's profile