Archives West Finding Aid

Barbara Conway Gaines began her educational career in 1955 upon entering MacMurray College in Jacksonville, Il..She ultimately received a B.A. in Psychology there in 1961. Meanwhile she also studied for a nursing diploma at the Chicago Wesley Memorial Hospital (CWMH) School of Nursing, Chicago, Il. and got that in 1960.

Gaines' first job was as a staff nurse at MacMurray Coll.; then as both staff and Instructor at CWMH (1961-64).She then went back to school for her Masters in Medical-Surgical Nursing at University of Washington (1965). She then joined the faculty of University of Oregon School of Nursing as Instructor in Medical-Surgical Nursing (1965-67). She was heavily involved in the Curriculum Committee since 1965. At that point she took a leave of absence to work for the Oregon Regional Medical Program as Asst. Dir. of the Continuing Education program (1967-68). She returned to the SON as Assistant Professor of Medical-Surgical Nursing (1969-70) and then continued her own studies at Portland State University (1971-72) and the University of Oregon and got her doctorate in Education (Ed.D. 1974). She meanwhile had been promoted to rank of Associate Professor at UO SON (1973). Her rise through OHSU SON ranks continued. She was Director of New Program Development (1977-78) for which she was given the Outstanding Graduate Faculty Member Award (1978). She became Associate Dean of Academic Affairs (1980), and Director (1981). She continued also in teaching Adult Health and Illness (1986) and Community Healthcare Systems (1987). She was later made Director of INternational Affairs for the SON (1998).

Among her many memberships are those in Sigma Theta Tau (International Nursing Honors Society); Psi Chi (Psychology national honor society); American Nursing Aossociation; National League of Nursing; Oregon Nursing Association; American Association of University Professors; and the Western Society for Research in Nursing.