Guardian of the Discipline
In Memoriam

Contributor: Faith A. Tissot RN, CCRN, MSN-Ed
PhD student at Texas Women’s University

December 9, 1919 – January 23, 2012

Distinguished nursing colleagues and scholars describe Dr. Benoliel as “a giant nurse pioneer and mentor in palliative care who gave nurses who care for the dying a voice.” Dr. Benoliel’s budding nursing career began when she served in the United States Army Nurse Corps from 1934-1946. She was stationed in New Guinea and areas in the Philippines. An early familiarity with death arrived at an early age when Dr. Benoliel’s sister tragically died of a cerebral brain hemorrhage during her third trimester of pregnancy in 1956. When the decision was made to end life support for her sister, Dr. Benoliel took note of the “conspiracy of silence” among healthcare staff, which included avoiding connection or communication with Dr. Benoliel’s family witnessing her sister’s death. Dr. Benoliel’s professional calling to conduct research about death and dying patterns was developed during her experiences serving during World War 2, nursing soldiers with malaria, dengue fever, and typhus during a collaborative research project with sociologists. She discovered the culture of death and dying within healthcare organizations was similar to the one she and her family had experienced with her sister. Discovering the avoidance tactics employed by both nurses and physicians led to the recognition of the importance of nurses becoming more in touch with and cognizant of their awareness of death and the emotions attached to death and dying. This life-altering experience propelled Dr. Benoliel to change the experience for patients and their families, sharing a similar experience to hers through research, nursing course content creation, dissemination of knowledge, nursing education, and shifting the cultural climate within healthcare organizations surrounding death and dying. Dr. Benoliel is credited for altering death and dying experiences for nurses, patients, and their loved ones to include feeling seen and valued and death and dying to be transformed from isolating to beautiful (Jeanne Quint Benoliel papers, Barbara Bates Center for the Study of the History of Nursing, School of Nursing, University of Pennsylvania; Ferrell, 2012; Hinds, 2012).

Oncology patient’s emotions were recognized and validated by Dr. Benoliel in her published papers and practice. She addressed fears, insecurities regarding the future, and individual mortality. Her knowingness and passion for compassionate care for oncology patients led to her formation of an Oncology Transition Services program. It is valid to assert that Dr. Benoliel is the mother of the compassionate oncology and hospice care we currently practice ( Hinds, 2012).

Dr. Benoliel held various nursing positions in Oregon and California, including staff nurse, surgical nursing instructor, and director of education (Jeanne Quint Benoliel papers, Barbara Bates Center for the Study of the History of Nursing, School of Nursing, University of Pennsylvania).

Dr. Benoliel joined the faculty of the University of California in the 1960s. In the 1970s, she joined the faculty of the University of Washington in the capacity of School of Nursing Associate Professor. She was a professor and department chair, a member of the PhD planning committee program in Nursing Science, and she acquired funding to research dying patterns within hospitals (1973-77) (Jeanne Quint Benoliel papers, Barbara Bates Center for the Study of the History of Nursing, School of Nursing, University of Pennsylvania).

Dr. Benoliel began her formal research program in 1961 with the discovery of fear women encountered with uncertainty, death, and dying associated with breast cancer post-mastectomy. Her research focused on oncology nursing and advancing nursing knowledge of nursing an individual during bereavement, prevention of cancer courses intended for advanced nurse practitioners and physician assistants, examination of the psychological impact of death, dying, and terminal illness on patient’s mental health, oncology management evaluation, spousal bereavement research, stressors of oncology nursing on nursing students as well as promotion and importance of breast self-examination, which at the time of research publication (1987-90) was geared to promote early detection (Jeanne Quint Benoliel papers, Barbara Bates Center for the Study of the History of Nursing, School of Nursing, University of Pennsylvania; Ferrell, 2012).

Dr. Benoliel is also recognized as a social activist who promoted advocacy and social justice. She worked with the Black Panthers to feed impoverished children. She led efforts in San Francisco in the 1960s to organize a Peace March. She was a visionary for social justice, feminism, and its movements to challenge and dismantle inequality (Ferrell, 2012).

Dr. Benoliel’s professional activity within nursing organizations includes but is not limited to developing an infrastructure within the American Nurses Association Governing Council (1975-77) where nurse investigators could collaborate to offer programs and share research information.  An advocate and leader in nursing research for death and dying prompted her to chair the International Working Group on Death, Dying, and Bereavement (IWG DDB). The mission of the IWG DDB was to educate and promote research within the patient population to comfort dying patients and their caretakers and create new nursing knowledge. American Nurses Association, Council of Nurse Researchers, Commission on Nursing Research. American Nurses’ Foundation (1970-71) Research advisory committee chair. American Cancer Society (1966-70) nursing education subcommittee. California Nurses’ Association (1966), Foundation of Thanatology (1969-75). International Work Group on Death, Dying and Bereavement (1976-89) chair. Oncology Nursing Society (1979-80) Distinguished Nursing Award, various oncology nursing publications, and ethics task force committee member (Jeanne Quint Benoliel papers, Barbara Bates Center for the Study of the History of Nursing, School of Nursing, University of Pennsylvania).

Professional accolades accorded Dr. Benoliel include various publications disseminating her research findings on death and dying, the Professional Achievement Award from UCLA Alumni Association, election to the American Academy of Nursing (1974), award pf the Doctor of Science degree from the University of Pennsylvania (1983) for contributions to the field of Thanatology (study of death, dying and its processes) and award of the Doctor of Human Letters degree from the University of San Diego, California (1987), as well as the American Journal of Nursing Book of the Year Award (1988) (Jeanne Quint Benoliel papers, Barbara Bates Center for the Study of the History of Nursing, School of Nursing, University of Pennsylvania).

References

Jeanne Quint Benoliel papers, Barbara Bates Center for the Study of the History of Nursing, School of Nursing, University of Pennsylvania. https://www.nursing.upenn.edu/live/files/1819-pu-n-mc-122-jeanne-quint-benoliel-papers

Ferrell, B. (2012). Tribute to Jeanne Quint Benoliel, DNSc, RN, FAAN. Journal of Hospice & Palliative Nursing, 14(4), 245-246. https://journals.lww.com/jhpn/citation/2012/06000/tribute_to_jeanne_quint_benoliel,_dnsc,_rn,_faan.1.aspx

Hinds, P. S. (2012). A forever legacy from the ;legendary Jeanne Quint Benoliel, PhD, RN, FAAN. Cancer Nursing, 35(3), 165-166. https://journals.lww.com/cancernursingonline/fulltext/2012/05000/A_Forever_Legacy_From_the_Legendary_Jeanne_Quint.1.aspx?casa_token=FE7Kq7R7sOoAAAAA:TRB4ZYzATw1bo5Ly-aqi0G5DvT81OleuAeJca3g9X78xaE-aI6EXApOJfkYYuEe_cSjAZkxukcuqgftkhn4Pde4

About Faith Tissot

ORCH-iD: 0009-0005-2595-5895

I first became a nurse when I graduated from high school. As a newly minted LPN, I began my journey towards becoming an RN. I graduated from Nassau Community College, Garden City, New York, and Molloy College in Rockville Centre, New York, 2004 with a Dual Degree in BSN, MSN-Ed program. My clinical background in nursing includes various nursing specialties, such as medical-surgical nursing, Hemodialysis, PACU, and Surgical Intensive Care. I discovered my passion is cardiac critical care, which inspired me to earn my CCRN certification. I am pursuing a Doctorate in Philosophy of Nursing Science at the Nelda Stark School of Nursing at Texas Women’s University, Houston, Texas. Having a personal history within the foster care system, I plan to focus my research study on the incidence of inflammatory disease in adult survivors of childhood maltreatment.