BYU nursing professor honored for life of service

PROVO — Lynn Callister has spent a lifetime listening.

She's listened to women in Guatemala, Jordan, Finland and Russia as they talk about childbirth.

Women in Ecuador shared stories of giving birth in the slums, while Finnish women who have access to every modern convenience frequently chose an unmedicated route.

"All the rituals and behaviors that surround childbirth in different parts of the world are very interesting," Callister said. "I think the commonality for me is that women are strong and amazing, and that they are able to accomplish more than they even thought possible."

Callister — a professor of nursing at BYU and recipient of the first College of Nursing professorship — has spent the past 23 years studying women's health and sharing that knowledge with students around the globe.

That dedication made her a perfect candidate for the professorship, said College of Nursing Dean Beth Cole.

"The university benefits from her international vision for the profession," Cole said. "Her close relationships with nurses across the world have been the stepping stones for international learning experiences for many students."

BYU's College of Nursing, which held its first classes in 1952, now has 337 undergraduate students and 30 graduate students, Callister said.

Cole said BYU wanted to offer a professorship for several years and was finally able to thanks to money received through the Mary Ellen Edmunds' Endowment for the Healer's Art, which was established in 2004.

Callister said she is honored by the professorship, which allows her $5,000 for research, travel and continued mentoring.

"(I want students) to get a sense for what it means to listen to people's voices," she said. "(To) learn about their lives, gain respect for their cultural beliefs ... and to really, really think about how can we make a difference."

And although she is modest as she talks about her work, a 45-page resume confirms Callister is dedicated to making that difference.

She has studied and taught in Russia as a Fulbright Scholar, spoken to the United Nations on pre-conception education as an alternative to abortion and currently serves on the March of Dimes National Bioethics Counsel.

She's been honored as a Fellow by the American Academy of Nursing, and been presented with the Distinguished Service Award from the Association of Women's Health, Obstetric and Neonatal Nursing.

Callister has authored and co-authored hundreds of articles discussing topics from global birth rate trends to HIV in women and children, to poverty and women's health.

But Callister doesn't do any of it for the accolades.

She does it because she's a nurse. And nursing means healing and caring for people. It means listening.

She frequently reflects back on the hundreds of mothers she's met who will never be honored for their selfless sacrifices.

"It's those kind of women whose voices we don't really hear," she said. "In my research, that's what I've wanted to do — give them voice."

e-mail: sisraelsen@desnews.com