Scholarship Information
Dr. Vera Elizabeth Dewar Graduate Nursing Scholarship
Faculty of Nursing
Criteria:
Awarded to a graduate of the UPEI Faculty of Nursing who is pursuing a Masters or Doctoral degree in Nursing. Preference shall be given to PhD Nursing candidates.
Awarded to a graduate of the UPEI Faculty of Nursing who is pursuing a Masters or Doctoral degree in Nursing. Preference shall be given to PhD Nursing candidates.
Background:
This graduate nursing scholarship was established by Dr. Vera Elizabeth Dewar at the University of Prince Edward Island. Vera Dewar (or Miss Dewar, as she is affectionately known to many former students and colleagues), was raised on the family farm in Brudenell. After high school, Vera was too young to enter the nursing program, so she taught Grade 1 - 10 in a one-room school for a couple of years. Then she enrolled at the PEI Hospital School of Nursing, graduating in 1956 and, two years later, she obtained her Diploma in Teaching and Supervision in Schools of Nursing from Dalhousie University. In 1967, Vera obtained her Bachelor of Nursing degree from Dalhousie University. Miss Dewar's impressive career in nursing education on the Island spans more than four decades. She has held positions from clinical instructor to Assistant Director of Administration at the PEI School of Nursing, a post she held until its closure in 1994. Miss Dewar truly loved her career. For her, nursing was not just a job - it was her life. Over the years, Vera has exemplified leadership in nursing education to hundreds of students and countless nursing colleagues. Vera's expectations of excellence have made a significant impact on nursing education and nursing practice in Prince Edward Island and the many parts of the world where our graduates have lived and worked. Her leadership role also extends to that of mentorship. Over her many years of involvement in nursing education, Vera has encouraged and supported numerous graduates and colleagues; always challenging them to strive for excellence in nursing education and nursing practice. In addition to her professional career, however, Vera has dedicated much of her adult life to cultural preservation on PEI. In honor of her mother, who had a great love for culture and genealogy, Vera spent many hours with friends working to compile the manuscript for the book called Perthshire to Three Rivers, which includes the names of more than 14,000 descendants of the Brudenell River area. Miss Dewar's wisdom and tenacity to advance nursing education will be her legacy to the profession. She was one of the pioneers who advocated for university-level education for nurses, and her efforts contributed to the opening of the UPEI School of Nursing in 1992. This was a coup for Prince Edward Island, which holds the distinction of becoming the first province in Canada to set the baccalaureate degree as the entry-level requirement for practice. Ironically, the launch of this professional standard meant premature closure for Miss Dewar's career itself. Miss Dewar has received numerous awards that represent her lifetime of giving to nursing education in this country. She received the Rotary Club of Hillsborough vocational service award, the Association of Nurses of Prince Edward Island outstanding achievement award for her contribution to the health and well-being of the public and the enhancement of the nursing profession, and the Atlantic Region Canadian Association Schools of Nursing's honorary lifetime membership award. These awards, and others, are testaments to the esteem in which Miss Dewar has been held during her many years in nursing education. To this day, Miss Dewar is called on for advice, to speak to students and faculty, and to attend nursing meetings where she continues to advocate for a graduate program in nursing on Prince Edward Island. It has been said of Vera, "A true leader does not set out to be a leader, but becomes one by the quality of her actions and the integrity of her intent. " Miss Dewar received the degree of Doctor of Laws honoris causa from the University of Prince Edward Island in 2003. (Biography from excerpts of the Convocation Citation in 2003 and remarks made at the reception held at UPEI in Miss Dewar's honour).
This graduate nursing scholarship was established by Dr. Vera Elizabeth Dewar at the University of Prince Edward Island. Vera Dewar (or Miss Dewar, as she is affectionately known to many former students and colleagues), was raised on the family farm in Brudenell. After high school, Vera was too young to enter the nursing program, so she taught Grade 1 - 10 in a one-room school for a couple of years. Then she enrolled at the PEI Hospital School of Nursing, graduating in 1956 and, two years later, she obtained her Diploma in Teaching and Supervision in Schools of Nursing from Dalhousie University. In 1967, Vera obtained her Bachelor of Nursing degree from Dalhousie University. Miss Dewar's impressive career in nursing education on the Island spans more than four decades. She has held positions from clinical instructor to Assistant Director of Administration at the PEI School of Nursing, a post she held until its closure in 1994. Miss Dewar truly loved her career. For her, nursing was not just a job - it was her life. Over the years, Vera has exemplified leadership in nursing education to hundreds of students and countless nursing colleagues. Vera's expectations of excellence have made a significant impact on nursing education and nursing practice in Prince Edward Island and the many parts of the world where our graduates have lived and worked. Her leadership role also extends to that of mentorship. Over her many years of involvement in nursing education, Vera has encouraged and supported numerous graduates and colleagues; always challenging them to strive for excellence in nursing education and nursing practice. In addition to her professional career, however, Vera has dedicated much of her adult life to cultural preservation on PEI. In honor of her mother, who had a great love for culture and genealogy, Vera spent many hours with friends working to compile the manuscript for the book called Perthshire to Three Rivers, which includes the names of more than 14,000 descendants of the Brudenell River area. Miss Dewar's wisdom and tenacity to advance nursing education will be her legacy to the profession. She was one of the pioneers who advocated for university-level education for nurses, and her efforts contributed to the opening of the UPEI School of Nursing in 1992. This was a coup for Prince Edward Island, which holds the distinction of becoming the first province in Canada to set the baccalaureate degree as the entry-level requirement for practice. Ironically, the launch of this professional standard meant premature closure for Miss Dewar's career itself. Miss Dewar has received numerous awards that represent her lifetime of giving to nursing education in this country. She received the Rotary Club of Hillsborough vocational service award, the Association of Nurses of Prince Edward Island outstanding achievement award for her contribution to the health and well-being of the public and the enhancement of the nursing profession, and the Atlantic Region Canadian Association Schools of Nursing's honorary lifetime membership award. These awards, and others, are testaments to the esteem in which Miss Dewar has been held during her many years in nursing education. To this day, Miss Dewar is called on for advice, to speak to students and faculty, and to attend nursing meetings where she continues to advocate for a graduate program in nursing on Prince Edward Island. It has been said of Vera, "A true leader does not set out to be a leader, but becomes one by the quality of her actions and the integrity of her intent. " Miss Dewar received the degree of Doctor of Laws honoris causa from the University of Prince Edward Island in 2003. (Biography from excerpts of the Convocation Citation in 2003 and remarks made at the reception held at UPEI in Miss Dewar's honour).
