Lynn Musto, PhD, RN, RPN

Associate Professor of Nursing

Lynn Musto, PhD, Nursing, is an Associate Professor in the School of Nursing at Trinity Western University. Lynn is the Coordinator for the Mental Health course in the undergraduate program and teaches Healthcare Ethics in the graduate program. She has 23 years of clinical experience working in acute and tertiary mental health settings with adolescents and adults. Lynn’s scholarship focus is on Healthcare Professionals’ moral agency, moral distress, and maintaining ethical practice.  Her research examines the intersection of organizational structures and individual practice in mental health care. The overarching aim of her research is to foster a mental health care delivery system in which actions align with the stated values of respect, competence, patient centeredness, and compassionate treatment at all levels.

  • PhD in Nursing (University of British Columbia)
  • Master of Science in Nursing (University of Victoria)
  • Bachelor of Science in Nursin (University of Victoria)
  • Child & Adolescent Psychiatric Nursing Certificate (Douglas College) 
  • Diploma of General Nursing (Douglas College)
  • Diploma of General Nursing (Douglas College)

Expertise

Psychiatric Mental Health Nursing, Moral Distress, Healthcare Ethics, Grounded Theory

Research Projects

  • Guidelines for Healthcare Providers’ Application of Patient-Centered Measurement Data in Practice ($147.974.28). Wolff, A. (PI), Co-Investigators: Astle, B., Dixon, Edwards, L., D., Gibson, D., Hejazi, S., Howard, F., Jones, B., Liva, S., Musto, L., Neptune, A., Noonan, V., Oelke, N., Reimer-Kirkham, S., Stoll, K., Vedam, S., (2019 – 2021)
  • Building resiliency in Health Care Managers ($5,000) – Theron, M. (PI), Musto, L. (Co-I). Co-applicants - Sandhu, K. Collaborators: Mackay, J., Carlson, J. (2016 – 2018)
  • Risking Vulnerability: Enacting moral agency in the is/ought gap (Doctoral research, 2014 - 2017)
  • Doing the best I can do: Moral distress in adolescent mental health nursing (Master’s Thesis, 2008 – 2010)

Awards & Honors

  • CIHR Doctoral Research Award, 3-Year Term
  • Graduate Fellowship, University of British Columbia , 4 years
  • Fredrick and Agnes Eatock Memorial Award Fellowship
  • Faculty of Applied Science Graduate Award, University of British Columbia

Recent Publications

Selected Publications

  • Musto, L.C., Schreiber, R.S. & Rodney, P.A. (2021). Risking vulnerability: Enacting moral agency in the Is/ought gap. Journal of Advanced Nursing. DOI: 101111/jan.14776
  • Musto, L. & Carlson, J. (2021). The Emotional Impact of Working in Health Care.  In A. Frain, S. Murphy and J. Frain (Eds.), The ABCs of Clinical Resilience. Wiley
  • Musto, L. C. & Rodney, P.A. (2018). What we know about moral distress.  In C. Ulrich & C. Grady, Moral distress in the health professions.  Springer
  • Jenkins, E. & Musto, L. (2018). Anxiety and Obsessive – Compulsive Disorders. In W. Austin & M.A. Boyd (Eds.), Psyciatric & Mental Health Nusing for Canadian Practice. 4th ed.
  • Musto, L. C. & Rodney, P.A. (2016).  Moving from conceptual ambiguity to knowledgeable action: using a critical realist approach to studying moral distress.  Nursing Philosophy, DOI: 10.1111/nup.12104
  • Musto, L., Rodney, P. and Vanderheide, R. (2015).  Toward Interventions in Moral Distress: Navigating the Reciprocity of Structure and Agency. Nursing Ethics, 22(1), 91-102.
  • Rodney, P., Kadyschuk, S., Liaschenko, J., Brown, H., Musto, L. and Snyder, N. (2013).  Moral Agency: Relational connections and support. In Storch, J., Starzomski, R., & Rodney, P. (Eds.). Toward a moral horizon: Nursing ethics for leadership and practice  (2nd ed.). Toronto: Pearson Education Canada.
  • Musto, L. & Schreiber, R. (2012).  Doing the best I can do: Moral Distress in Adolescent Mental Health Nursing.  Issues in Mental Health Nursing, 33, 137-144.

Affiliations & Memberships

  • NNPBC – RN Council (2019)
  • BCNNP – Education Program Review Committee, RPN Panel
  • Canadian Bioethics Society

  • N312 Nursing Care and Mental Health (Undergraduate)
  • N313 Clinical Practice: Mental Health (Undergraduate)
  • N351 Nursing Care and Mental Health (Undergraduate)
  • N633 Nursing Ethics (Graduate)
  • N124 Communication & Health Teaching (Undergraduate)