Dr. Jennifer Skelly is the Director of the Continence Program at St. Joseph’s Centre for Ambulatory Health Services where she has a busy clinical practise. She is an Associate Professor in the School of Nursing, McMaster University with teaching, research and administrative responsibilities.
Dr. Skelly focuses on conservative methods of managing urinary and fecal incontinence as an alternative to medication and surgery. She works collaboratively with family physicians, urologists and gynaecologists in helping to restore continence. She has devoted most of her research in the area of incontinence looking at conservative management, education of health care providers and clients. She is considered a pioneer in bringing the Nurse Continence Advisor role to Canada. She established the NCA distance education certificate program through McMaster University School of Nursing in 1997. As a result there are now more than 150 NCA’s practising through out Canada. Dr. Skelly chaired the RNAO BPG panel on Continence Care which produced the Prompted Voiding and Constipation Guidelines. She has been a member of the RNAO evaluation group since the inception of the best practice guidelines project. She is dedicated to improving continence care in Ontario at all levels of care.