The research program at the Marguerite-d'Youville Chair seeks to develop, evaluate and transfer knowledge on humanistic nursing for people in vulnerable situations and their caregivers. These humanistic interventions, built in collaboration with these individuals, their caregivers and nurses, seek to put theory into practice. A humanistic intervention is based on respect for each individual’s unique needs, adapted to his or her life journey and founded in respect and compassion.

The research program is organized as three distinct components that are not mutually exclusive:

1. The development and evaluation of coaching and support interventions for people in vulnerable situations and their caregivers

   This component consists of projects focused on the development and evaluation of new nursing interventions to coach and support the elderly, people with neurocognitive disorders and their caregivers through the adoption of a humanistic perspective.

   The Chair currently has three studies underway in this component: 

   • Making This Journey Together: an action-research study focused on the development and evaluation of a bimodal (face-to-face and Web-based) coaching and support intervention for the caregivers of people living with Alzheimer's disease or a related early-onset disorder (< 65 years of age);
   • Devenir aidant ça s'apprend: a pilot project to evaluate the long-lasting and delayed impacts of this Web-based training and support program for caregivers of an elderly person with a newly diagnosed case of Alzheimer's disease or a related disorder; 
   • MeSSAGES: a pilot project to evaluate the delayed and long-lasting impacts of this online psychoeducational program on stress management, given to caregivers of elderly persons who have experienced a loss of autonomy and are living at home.

2. Development and evaluation of interventions to raise nurses' awareness of humanistic care

   This component includes studies focused on the development and evaluation of educational and reflective practice interventions or strategies designed to raise nurses’ awareness of humanistic care. The purpose of these interventions or strategies is to ensure that nurses demonstrate humanistic care and that they develop, maintain or improve their knowledge, know-how, interpersonal skills and self-awareness concerning such humanistic care.

   This component includes the following study, currently in progress: 

   • L'humain au quotidien: An action-research study designed to develop and evaluate – in partnership and through reflective practice – innovative, personalized and unique interventions and strategies that will support the delivery of humanistic care to persons aged 75 years and older and their caregivers at critical points in the continuum of care and services. The goal is to optimize transitions of care.

3. The transfer, use and promotion of knowledge on humanistic care

   This area of focus concerns the dissemination, use and promotion of the results of studies conducted by the Chair and their appropriation by various groups, in particular nurses and other health professionals, educators, administrators, researchers, decision-makers and the general public.

   Four studies are currently underway in this component: 

   • La création d’environnements propices à des interventions humanistes : une participation concertée;
   • Projects to implement, Devenir aidant ça s'apprend and MeSSAGES; and 
   • The COEURious G@me project, a new way of learning through serious game.

To facilitate the transfer of knowledge generated by the research and support nurses’ professional development, a dedicated space has been created at the Chair, called “MY Space”.