Sonya Grypma, PhD

Sonya’s research interests include transnational nursing history, particularly the intersection of Canadian, American and Chinese nursing networks developed through philanthropic, missionary and nursing organizations prior to the 1948 development of the World Health Organization.

Awards & Honors

2009       Lillian Sholtis Brunner Fellow            University of Pennsylvania

2006       Barbara Brodie Fellow                       University of Virginia          

2005-07  SSHRC Post-Doctoral Fellow            University of British Columbia

2005       Christie Dissertation Award               American Ass’n History Nursing

2003-05  Izaak Walton Killam Scholar              University of Alberta

Recent Publications

Books

Grypma, S. (2021). Nursing Shifts in Sichuan:  Canadian Missions and Wartime China, 1937-1951 (Vancouver: University of British Columbia Press).

Grypma, S. [Chinese transl. by Xinzhong Zhang & Yuan Wang; proofread by Xiaogang Weng & Na Wu] (2015).  Healing Henan:  Canadian Nurses at the North China Mission, 1888-1947.  (Henan, PR China: Henan People’s Publish House)(加）盖艾帕玛 （Grypma, S.）著； 张新中，王玉安译；翁孝刚，吴娜审校. 《行医河南： 华北使团加拿大护士在1888-1947》【M】. 郑州：河南人民出版社， 2015.

Fleischmann, E., Grypma, S, & Marten, M. Okkenhaug, I., (Eds). (2013) Transnational and Historical Perspectives on Global Health, Welfare and Humanitarianism. (Norway: Portal Folag) 250 pages

Grypma, S. (2012).  China Interrupted:  Japanese Internment and the Reshaping of a Missionary Community (Waterloo: Wilfrid Laurier University Press). 305 pages

Grypma, S. (2008). Healing Henan:  Canadian Nurses at the North China Mission, 1888-1947 (Vancouver: University of British Columbia Press). 292 pages

SELECTED Book Chapters

Grypma, S. (2019). Chapter 3: The development of nursing in Canada. In P. Potter, A. Perry, B. Astle, & W. Duggleby (Eds.) Canadian Fundamentals of Nursing Practice (6^th ed.). (Toronto: Mosby). 35-47

Grypma, S., Zhen, C. & Jiang, Y. [Chinese transl] (2017).  The development of modern nursing in China. In Mary Bullock, Bridie Andrews & Lincoln Chen (Eds.), Medical Transitions in 20^th Century China. (Beijing: Commercial Press). 

Grypma, S. & Zhen, C. (2014).  The development of modern nursing in China. In Mary Bullock & Bridie Andrews (Eds.), Medical Transitions in 20^th Century China. (Bloomington, IN: Indiana University Press). 297-317

Fleischmann, E., Grypma, S., & Marten, M. & Okkenhaug (2013).  Introduction.  In Okkenhaug, I., Fleischmann, E., Grypma, S., & Martens, M. (Eds). Transnational and Historical Perspectives on Global Health, Welfare and Humanitarianism.  (Norway:  Portal Folag).

Grypma, S. (2013).  Pushing boundaries:  Transnational approaches to global health history.  In Okkenhaug, I., Fleischmann, E., Grypma, S., & Martens, M. (Eds). Transnational and Historical Perspectives on Global Health, Welfare and Humanitarianism.  (Norway:  Portal Folag).

SELECTED Articles

Cook, S., Grypma, S. (2020). Accepted in Bella Bella. A historical exemplar of a missionary nursing education, in British Columbia from 1921-1925.   Quality Advancement in Nursing Education| Avancees en formation infirmiere. https://qane-afi.casn.ca/journal/vol6/iss2/10/

Epp, D., Grypma, S., & Astle, B. (2019).  Living well with type I diabetes for 40 years or more: A qualitative study.  Canadian Journal of Nursing Research.

Reimer-Kirkham, S., Sharma, S., Grypma, S., Pesut, B., Sawatzky, R., Wolfs, D. (2017). The elephant on the table:  Religious and ethnic diversity in home health services.  Journal of Religion & Health.  DOI: 10.1007/s10943-017-0489-7 (20 pages)

Lu, J., Cao, Y., Bu, L., Shen, L., & Grypma, S. (2017). The emergence of nursing in Shandong, China.  Chinese Journal of Medical Ethics. 《齐鲁现代护理探源及几点思考》

Lu, J., Grypma, S, Cao, Y., Bu, L., Shen, L., & Davidson, P. (2017). Historical-informed nursing: A transnational case study in China. Nursing Inquiry. Doi: 10.1111/nin.12205

Grypma, S. (2017) Historically-informed nursing: The untapped potential of history in nursing education.  Quality Advancement in Nursing Education| Avancees en formation infirmiere, 3(1) Article 5 http://qane-afi.casn.ca/journal/vol3/iss1/2/

Grypma, S. (2017).  Book review: Sujani Reddy: Nursing and Empire: Gendered Labor and Migration from India to the United States. Journal of the History of Medicine and Allied Sciences. DOI 10.1093/jhmas/jrw054 

Grypma, S. (2017). Book review:  Sister Soldiers of the Great War:  The Nurses of the Canadian Army Medical Corps.  Pacific Historical Review, 86(2), 326-328

Harder, M., Astle, B., Grypma, S., & Voyageur, E. (2016). Discerning Success of Indigenous Health Students in Community-based Programs.  Quality Advancement in Nursing Education, 2(2),

Pijl-Zieber, E., Grypma, S., & Barton, S. (2014). Baccalaureate nursing education: has it delivered?  A retrospective critique and a call to action.  Canadian Journal of Nursing Leadership (2), 27-34

Suzuki, M. & Grypma, S. (2014).  In Retrospect:  Change a life – One child at a time.  Journal of Christian Nursing, 31(2), 58

Jablonski, L., & Grypma, S. (2013).  In Retrospect:  Nursing at altitude:  Propelling the profession forward. Journal of Christian Nursing, 30(4), 250

Wolfs, D., & Grypma, S. (2013).  In Retrospect:  Selflessness in nursing:  A win-win-win situation.  Journal of Christian Nursing, 30(3), 184

Vandenberg, H. & Grypma, S. (2013).  In Retrospect: Being Countercultural: Lessons from History.  Journal of Christian Nursing, 30(2), 119

Reimer-Kirkham, S., Grypma, S., & Terblanche, L. (2013).  Religion and ethics in pluralistic healthcare contexts. (invited)  Journal of Christian Nursing Online Extra E1-E6.

Wytenbroek, L. & Grypma, S. (2013).  In Retrospect:  The challenge of international nursing, then & now. JCN, 30(1), 56

Grypma, S., Wolfs, D. & Reimer-Kirkham, S. (2012).  Returning home:  Historical influences on home health care in Canada. Home Healthcare Nurse, 30(8), 453-460

Grypma, S. & Wu, N. (2012). China confidential:  Methodological and ethical challenges in global nursing historiography.   Nursing History Review, 20. 162-183

SELECTED Keynote & Plenary Presentations

Grypma, S. (February 2018).  Calgary, AB:  Nursing Education in Canada:  Past as Prologue:  A (Scandalously Brief) History of Nursing Education’s Future. Invited Keynote Speaker.  Western Northern Region of the Canadian Association for Schools of Nursing.   

Grypma, S., Li, L. (November, 2017).  Richmond, BC:  Nursing in China: Past, Present & Future.  Nurse Networking Café, TWU Richmond (with Chinese nurse guests from Henan People’s Provincial Hospital). 

Grypma, S. (September 2017).  Beijing, China:  Early PUMC Nursing Education: Transnational Influences and Impact:  Invited Keynote speaker. 2017 Peking Union Medical College School of Nursing International Nursing Education Symposium

Grypma, S. (September 2017).  Jinan, China:  Qilu and Canadian Missionary Nurses, 1927-1945.  Invited speaker. Qilu Hospital, Shandong University School of Nursing and School of Medicine.

Reimer-Kirkham, S., Musto, L., Schutt, K., & Grypma, S. (November 2016).  Langley, BC. Panel:  Medical Assistance in Dying: Opening the Dialogue.  TWU Nurse Networking Café.

Grypma, S. (September, 2016).  Beijing, China:  Early development of nursing in China, 1884-1949. 2016 Peking Union Medical College International Nursing Academic Forum (Keynote) [in English w/ translation in Chinese]

Grypma, S. (September, 2016).  Zhengzhou, China: Nursing Education in Canada and China.  Henan Provincial Hospital – Trinity Western University Nursing Exchange.

Grypma, S. (September, 2014).  Los Negrales, Madrid, Spain:  Where have we come from?  Why history of nursing matters. Nurses Christian Fellowship International Ninth European Regional Quadrennial Conference (Plenary)

Grypma, S. (January, 2014).  San Bernardino, CA:  Preaching to patients? Critical and historical perspectives on medical missionaries.  The Ethics of Witness in Health Care. 6^th Annual Faith, Health and Wholeness Conference.  Center for Spiritual Life and Wholeness, Loma Linda University (Plenary)

Grypma, S. (November, 2013).  Vancouver, BC:  China interrupted:  Japanese internment and the reshaping of a Canadian missionary community.  Nursing History Symposium:  New Contributions to the History of Nursing and Health Care.  UBC Consortium for Historical Inquiry in Nursing and Health Care (Plenary)

Grypma, S. (October, 2013).  Chilliwack, BC:  Nursing, history and historical amnesia:  A case for crossing disciplinary boundaries. University of the Fraser Valley Faculty of Health Speaker Series (Keynote)