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This month's fall convocation will feature an incredible lineup of graduands who have achieved academic excellence and who are poised to make significant contributions to their communities with entrepreneurial and innovative ideas. Among them is Katie Webber, a PhD graduand from the Faculty of Nursing, whose career as a paediatric oncology nurse has been defined by her dedication to improving health-care experiences for families. 

Webber started her career as a paediatric oncology nurse at the Alberta Children’s Hospital, but her life — both personal and professional — has been intertwined with cancer care ever since childhood, with her younger sister’s diagnosis.

“When I was five years old, my sister was diagnosed with leukemia,” Webber says. “I grew up with that background experience in my family, and so, when it came time to decide what I was going to do, paediatric oncology felt like the right fit for me.”

This childhood experience ignited a lifelong passion in Webber for supporting families through the cancer experience. And it was her commitment to continued learning and growth throughout her nine years in the field that inspired her to pursue graduate studies at the ����ɫ��.

Webber’s return to academia marked a transformative chapter in her career. 

“I felt inspired by the energy at the ����ɫ��, and I loved getting to be a student again,” says Webber. “The opportunity to be a part of the community at the ����ɫ�� exceeded my expectations.” 

One person who played a pivotal role in shaping Webber’s academic path was her mentor and supervisor, Dr. Nancy Moules, BN’95, MN’97, PhD’00, professor and associate dean (research) at the Faculty of Nursing. 

“She opened so many doors for me,” Webber says. With Moules’ encouragement and mentorship, Webber not only completed her master’s course work, but was inspired to fast-track into the PhD program.

“Katie is a highly attuned, sensitive and intelligent person,” says Moules. “She has an exceptional ability to read people, which makes her an outstanding nurse, researcher and teacher.”

Webber’s authenticity and compassion stand out in her approach to both nursing and teaching. According to Moules, she “listens behind her eyes,” discerning with tact and insight — qualities that have been instrumental in shaping her professional and academic success.

Nurturing relationships

Webber's PhD research focused on the intricate dynamics between nurses and parents in paediatric oncology, highlighting the importance of these connections in influencing a family's cancer experience. She examined the emotional and psychological dimensions of care, revealing how meaningful interactions between nurses and parents can deeply affect how families navigate the fears and challenges of treatment and caregiving.

In her thesis, Webber included this quote from a parent: “Nurse-parent relationships can be lifesaving. They can really make the difference parent's experience of having a child with cancer.”

Webber says that sentiment extends to all areas of health care. 

Throughout her studies, Webber balanced the demands of being a parent alongside her academic pursuits, which she says added new layers of understanding to her research. 

“Becoming a mother changed how I understand the dynamics of caring for a sick child, especially how families balance the needs of all their children,” Webber says. “I have so much admiration for families who navigate cancer because it’s incredibly difficult to balance everything.”

Webber’s deep commitment to paediatric oncology nursing and her research earned her significant recognition, but her gratitude remains with UCalgary. “I’m so thankful for the support that I received from the Faculty of Nursing, especially from Dr. Moules. Her belief in me was the encouragement that I needed,” says Webber. “I think the ����ɫ�� is an exceptional institution that’s driving a lot of important research and I’m so grateful to have been a part of that.”

New-found passions

During her PhD, while balancing parenthood, Webber took a hiatus from clinical practice and discovered a new passion for teaching. "I found it so rewarding to be part of the beginning of so many students' journeys, teaching future nurses about the deep fulfilment of caring for patients and their families, while adeptly navigating the complexities of the health-care system,” she says.

And teaching has become a source of inspiration for her. Sharing her clinical experience and research in the classroom has been meaningful, but seeing new students share their dreams and enthusiasm for nursing has made the experience even more fulfilling. 

"Katie is a born teacher,” says Moules. “She engages, encourages and leads by example. I see education and research in her future — I see her creating a unique philosophy of teaching that incorporates interpretation at the heart of it.” 

Looking to the future

Webber would like her research to continue impacting the field. “What I really hope comes out of my research is just how much relationships in health care make a difference to a care experience,” she says. “We don’t give enough attention to the meaningfulness of quality relationships in health-care contexts, but they can really make or break an experience for patients and their families.”