Dr. Janet Purvis is an Assistant Professor at the Rankin School of Nursing. Dr. Purvis completed a diploma in nursing from the Halifax Infirmary in 1986, a BSc. Bio from St Mary’s University in 1991, an MN from Dalhousie University in 2007, and a PhD in Education from St Francis Xavier University in 2023. Dr. Purvis has over 21 years of clinical practice experience in med/surg acute care, long-term care, and home care, providing direct care to patients/clients. She was a national policy/practice consultant for eight years with VON Canada before coming to the Rankin School of Nursing in 2016. 

Dr. Purvis is a critical qualitative researcher, using Critical theory (Foucault; Brookfield) and Poststructural Feminist theory (Weedon; English) to understand the impact of the sociocultural norms and values that position nursing within healthcare and examine sources of power and control and question assumptions that impact nurses’ agency and subject nursing knowledge. The principles of constructivism underpin her research and teaching. She aims to help students become critical thinkers. Hence, they are prepared to question hegemonic assumptions within the broader contexts of nursing and healthcare as they go forward into their nursing careers.  

Dr. Purvis has taught NURS 206, NURS 207, NURS 232, NURS 306, NURS 307, and NURS 332.

Research Interests

• Nurses' continuing professional development, 
• Learning at work, 
• Development of professional identity, 
• Positioning nursing knowledge, 
• Home and community nursing.