Angela C. Wolff, PhD, RN

Developed program of research in education, professional practice, and leadership, with a focus on:

• Practice change to implement patient-reported outcome and patient-reported experience measures.
• Retention by mitigating negative collegial behaviours, embracing diversity, fostering quality work environment where providers work and students learn, and developing leaders
• Recruitment by building capacity for students in health system, preparing newly graduated nurses for practice, creating effective programs for students transitioning to professional roles

Research

Qualitative, quantitative, mixed methods, survey design and questionnaire development, Delphi process, logic model, hierarchal linear modelling, factor analysis, structural equation modeling, psychometric assessment and instrument validation, knowledge synthesis and systematic review, knowledge translation (integrated and end-of-grant), and implementation science

Research interests

Leadership development, empowerment, burnout, retention/turnover and recruitment, generational differences, organizational behaviour/culture, diversity, health services research, work/practice environments, practice change, interpersonal conflict, interprofessional practice, negative workplace behaviour (e.g., bullying, ostracism, incivility) respect in workplace, new graduate nurse, specialty focus of practice, student placement capacity, nurses' work values, learning environment, education competency assessment tool.

Selected Current and Completed Research

• Novel Methods for Equitable People-Centred Health Measurement (2022-2024) | Principal Investigator: R Sawatzky & L Cuthbertson (knowledge user) | Role: Co-Investigator | Funder: CIHR | $761,176
• Journey mapping patient-reported data for older adult patients with cancer (2022-2023) | Principal Investigator: J Kwon | Role: Co-Investigator | Funder: Canadian Frailty Network Springboard Grant | $50,000
• Seeing the person behind the numbers: Personas to support the use of patient-reported outcome measures (2022-2023) | Principal Investigator: J Kwon | Role: Co-Investigator | Funder: Human and Social Development Internal Grant, University of Victoria | $5,000
• Journey mapping patient-reported outcome measures in radiation therapy cancer patients to improve quality of care (2022-2023) | Principal Investigator: J Kwon | Role: Co-Investigator | Funder: Human and Social Development Internal Grant, University of Victoria | $10,000
• COVID-19 Evidence Network to support Decision-making (COVID-END) (2021-2022) | Principal Investigator: J Lavis | Role: Co-Investigator | Funder: CIHR | $385,000 renewal 
• Developing Clinical Decision Tools and Hosting Educational Events to Disseminate an Evidence-based Guideline for the Sustained Use of Patient-Centered Measurement Data in Mental Health (2021 to 2022) | Principal Investigator: A Wolff | Role: Principal Investigator | Funder: Michael Smith Foundation for Health Research | $15,000
• Guidelines for Healthcare Providers’ Application of Patient-Centred Measurement (PCM) Data in Practice (2019 to 2021) | Principal Investigators: A Wolff | Role: Principal Investigator | Funder: BC Supporting Patient Oriented Research | $147,975
• Supporting Quality of Life Assessments of Frail Older Adults and their Family Caregivers (2018 to 2020) | Principal Investigators: R Sawatzky & K Schick-Makaroff | Role: Co-Investigator | Funder: Canadian Frailty Network, Catalyst Grant Competition | $99,937
• EMPOWER: Enabling and Motivating Productive Organizations, Wellness, Engagement, and Resilience (Phase 1) (2016-2017) | Principal Investigator: A Day | Role: Organizational Partner | Funder: SSHRC & CIHR Partnership Grant, Healthy & Productive Work Initiative | $148,260
• Understanding the Factors the Promote Long-term Retention of RNs in Critical Care and Emergency Departments (2014-2016) | Principal Investigators: K Scarborough & M VanOsch | Role: Mentor | Funder:  Fraser Health Authority, Seed Grant | $5,000
• Positive and Negative Behaviours in the Workplace (2013-2015) | Principal Investigator: J Almost | Role: Principal Knowledge User | Funder: CIHR Scoping Review | $50,000
• PLACES - Placements for Learners: Assessing Capacity and Effectiveness of Clinical Sites (2012-2015) | Principal Investigators: L Currie, A Wolff, G Mickelson | Funder: MSFHR, BC Nursing Research Initiative | $240,100
• New Graduate Nurse Retention: A National Study of Factors Influencing New Graduate Nurses' Job and Career Transition in the First Two Years of Practice (2012 to 2015) | Principal Investigator: H Laschinger, B Foster, G Cummings & M Leiter | Role: Knowledge User | Funder: CIHR, Partnerships for Health System Improvement | $350,000
• ESPN – Enhancing Student Placements in Nursing by Understanding the Barriers and Facilitators (2011-2013) | Principal Investigator: A Wolff | Funder: Fraser Health Authority, Strategic Imperatives Grant | $10,000

Awards & Honors

• Teaching Release Award, Trinity Western University, Office of Research (2020)
• Centenary Medal of Distinction, University of British Columbia School of Nursing (2019)
• Excellence in Research, College of Registered Nurses of British Columbia (2014)
• Alumni Award of Distinction, University of British Columbia School of Nursing (2013)
• Research Salary Award, Fraser Health Authority (2012)
• Award for Leadership in Advancing Inter-professional Education and Professional Development, University of British Columbia College of Health Disciplines (2011)
• Outstanding Dissertation Award, University of British Columbia (2009)
• Doctoral Award, Michael Smith Foundation for Health Research (2005)
• Doctoral Fellowship, Social Sciences and Health Research Council of Canada (2003)

Recent Publications

• Kwon, J., Moynihan, M., Lau, F., Wolff, A.C., Torrejon, M., Irlbacher, G., Hung. L., Lambert, L., & Sawatzky, R. (2023). Seeing the person before the numbers: Personas to understand patients’ life stories when using patient-reported outcome measures in practice settings. International Journal of Medical Informatics, 172, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijmedinf.2023.105016
• Howard, A. F., Lynch, K., Thorne, S., Porcino, A., Lambert, L., De Vera, M. A., Wolff, A.C., Hedges, P., Beck, S.M., Torrejón, M., Kelly, M.T., & McKenzie, M. (2022). Occupational and financial setbacks in caregivers of people with colorectal cancer: Considerations for caregiver-reported outcomes. Current Oncology, 29(11), 8180-8196. https://doi.org/10.3390/curroncol29110646
• Howard, A.F., Torrejon, M., Lynch, K., Beck, S., Thorne, S., Lambert, L., Porcino, A., De Vera, M., Davies, J.M., Avery, J., Wolff, A., McDonald, M., Lee, J.K., Hedges, P., Kelly, M.T., & McKenzie, M. (2022). To Share or not to share: Communication of caregiver-reported outcomes when a patient has colorectal cancer. Journal of Patient-Reported Outcomes, 6(13), 1-9, https://doi.org/10.1186/s41687-022-00418-1
• Schick-Makaroff, K., Sawatzky, R., Cuthbertson, L., Öhlén, J., Beemer, A., Duquette, D., Karimi-Dehkordi, M., Stajduhar, K., Suryaprakash, N., Terblanche, L., Wolff, A.C., Cohen, S.R. (2021). Knowledge translation resources to support the use of quality of life assessment tools for the care of older adults living at home and their family caregivers. Quality of Life Research 31(6), 1727-1747. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11136-021-03011-z
• Wolff, A.C. & Team. (2021, Sept 7). Incorporating patient-reported outcome and experience measures in practice: A focus on healthcare providers [Evidence Brief]. https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.20733154, available at https://www.healthyqol.com/resource-guide
• Spence Laschinger, H. K., Wong, C., Read, E., Cummings, G., Leiter, M., Macphee, M., ... & Wolff, A. (2019). Predictors of new graduate nurses’ health over the first 4 years of practice. Nursing Open, 6(2), 245-259, https://doi.org/10.1002/nop2.231
• Van Osch, M., Scarborough, K., Crowe, S., Wolff, A.C., & Kirkham, S. (2018). Understanding the Factors that Promote Long-term Retention of RNs in Specialty Areas of Practice. Journal of Clinical Nursing, 27(5-6), 1209-1215. https://doi.org/10.1111/jocn.14167
• Regan, S, Wong, C., Laschinger, H.K., Cummings, G. Leiter, M, Macphee, M., Rheaume, A., Ritchie, J.A., Wolff, A.C., et al. (2017). Starting out: Qualitative perspectives of new graduate nurses and nurse leaders on transition to practice. Journal of Nursing Management, 25(4), 246–255. https://doi.org/10.1111/jonm.12456
• Baumbusch, J., Shaw, M., Leblanc, M., Kjorven, M., Kwon, J., Blackburn, L., Lawrie, B., Shamatutu, M., Wolff, A.C. (2017). Workplace continuing education for nurses caring for hospitalized older people. International Journal of Older People Nursing, 12(4), 1748-3743. https://doi.org/10.1111/opn.12161
• Laschinger, H.K.S., Cummings, G. Leiter, M, Wong, C., Macphee, M., Ritchie, J., Wolff, A.C., Regan, S., et al. (2016). Starting out: A time-lagged study of new graduate nurses’ transition to practice. International Journal of Nursing Studies, 57, 82-95, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijnurstu.2016.01.005
• Almost, J., Wolff, A.C., Stewart-Pyne, A., McCormick, L.G., Strachan, D., D’Souza, C. (2016). Managing and mitigating conflict in healthcare teams: An integrative review.  Journal of Advanced Nursing, 72, 7, 1490-1505, https://doi.org/10.1111/jan.12903

Presentations / Workshops 

• Wolff, A.C. (workshop lead), Stover, A.M., Austin, E., Absolom, K., Santana, M., Ahmed, S., & Bartlett, S. (2022, October 19, ½ day). Workshop Title: Designing training and education to facilitate sustained provider adoption of patient-reported outcomes in routine practice. International Society for Quality of Life Research (29th Annual Conference). Prague, Czech Republic
• Wolff, A., Oelke, N., Astle, B., Gibson, D., Edwards, L., Butcher, C., Neptune, A., Urbina-Beggs, M., Reimer-Kirkham, S., Musto, L., Noonan, V., Gidda, R., McKintuck, D., Jones, B., & Hodge, K. (2022, Oct 19–22). Implementation of Individual-level Patient-Reported Outcome and Experience Measures (PROMs, PREMs) Across Diverse Clinical Settings: A Resource Guide to Foster Successes, Mitigate Barriers, and Anticipate the Needs of Healthcare Providers. Accepted for oral presentation at the International Society for Quality of Life Research, Prague, Czech Republic.
• Kwon, J.-Y., Moynihan, M., Lau, F., Wolff, A., Torrejon, M., Yee, A., Irlbacher, G., Hung, L., Lambert, L., & Sawatzky. (2022, Oct 19–22). Seeing the person behind the numbers: Personas to develop empathy and support the use of patient-reported outcome measures. Accepted for brief oral presentation at the International Society for Quality of Life Research, Prague, Czech Republic.
• Wolff, A.C., Edwards, L., Gibson, D., & Boyd, H. (2022, Jun). Designing pre-registration curricula to routinise the incorporation of patient-reported outcomes in healthcare professional practice. Oral presentation for the Patient Reported Outcome Measures (PROMs) Research Conference, United Kingdom.
• Wolff, A.C. (2021, Jul) Supporting Clinicians to Modify their Everyday Practice to Integrate Patient-Reported Outcome Measures. Poster presented (with audio recording) at PROMs Down Under, Australia.
• Wolff, A.C. (2021, Jul) Healthcare Providers' Experience of Incorporating the Voice of Patients: How to Conduct a Mixed Method Systematic Review of Non-experimental Research Using Nvivo. Poster presented (with audio recording) at PROMs Down Under, Australia.
• Edwards, L., Wolff, A.C., Dresselhuis, A., & Moseley, J. (2021, Jun). Embedding Patient-Report Outcome Measures in the Curriculum: Lessons Learned from Student Physiotherapy Education based on a Mixed Methods Study. Oral presentation at the Patient Reported Outcome Measures (PROMs) Research Conference, Sheffield, United Kingdom.
• Wolff, A.C., Dresselhuis, A., Hejazi, S., Dixon, D., Gibson, A., Astle, B., Liva, S., Howard, F. (Oct 2020). Healthcare providers’ implementation of patient-report outcome and experience measures in clinical practice: A mixed method systematic review using an implementation science framework [Poster presentation]. International Conference for International Society of Quality of Life, virtual.
• Wolff, A.C., & Currie, L. (Feb 2019). (Re)conceptualizing capacity issues in clinical placement: Emerging insights. Paper presented at the Canadian Association of Schools of Nursing (CASN) Annual Conference, Edmonton, AB.
• Wolff, A.C. (2019). Being Prosponsive: What it Means to Forsee and Take Action About Co-Worker Mistreatment in the Workplace. Paper presented at BC Health Leaders Conference, Vancouver, BC.

Affiliations & Memberships

• Member, International Society of Quality of Life and Special Interest Group, Clinical Practice and others
• Registered Nurse (RN), British Columbia College of Nurses and Midwives (BCCNM), Canada
• Member, Nurses and Nurse Practitioners of British Columbia, Canada
• Certified Health Executive (CHE), Canadian College of Health Leaders, Canada
• Member, Canadian Association of Schools of Nursing, Canada
• Affiliated Researcher, Fraser Health Authority, British Columbia, Canada
• Member, Sigma Theta Tau International, Xi Eta Chapter, British Columbia, Canada