Dr. Jennifer Stephens

Jennifer is a Canadian immigrant, having moved in 2007 from Portland, Oregon. She spent her first career working as a professional historian and took on a second career as a nurse over 20 years ago. She has worked as a bedside RN in a wide variety of settings, from an AIDS hospice to residential hospice to ICU and acute hospital experiences. For years she has worked in oncology with a deep specialization in critical care oncology and autologous stem cell transplantation.

Passionate about teaching nursing and oncology, Jennifer entered doctoral studies at the University of British Columbia in the fast-track program and was supervised by Dr. Sally Thorne. She did a qualitative dissertation using interpretive description to study the experience of identity as described by adult haematology oncology patients. This work was supported by numerous grants including from the Canadian Institute of Health Research (CIHR), the Canadian Nurses Foundation (CNF), Vancouver Coastal Health Authority (VCHA), and UBC (4-Year Fellowship). After graduating from UBC in 2018, Jennifer has published several articles specific to nursing history and oncology nursing education, as well as gaining valuable teaching experience through Athabasca University, UBC and the British Columbia Institute of Technology (BCIT).

Jennifer joined the Faculty of Health Disciplines as an assistant professor in 2019 and was quickly put into leadership positions (BN Program Director 2020-2021 and Associate Dean Undergraduate Programs 2021 to present). She deeply enjoys working with the AU students, and serves on several AU committees including the AU Graduate Faculty Council (GFC) Academic Planning, Policy, and Standards Committee (APPSC). She is based on Vancouver Island, BC.

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Research interests

• Oncology (specifically haematological cancers in adults) and psychosocial oncology
• Oncology nursing practice
• History of nursing
• History of oncology and of oncology nursing
• Qualitative research (specifically interpretive description and phenomenology)
• Patient experience (identity, personality, personhood, self/being/Being)
• Nursing theory (epistemology and ontology)
• Climate change impacts on nursing and health care (including environmental concerns for nursing care)
• Palliative and hospice care including Medical Assistance in Dying (MAID)

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Educational credentials

• Ph.D. (Nursing) University of British Columbia
• M.A. (History) Portland State University
• BSN (Nursing) Washington State University
• ADN (Nursing) Portland Community College
• BA (History/Anthropology) University of Colorado

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Professional affiliations

• Certified Canadian Nurse Educator (CCNE)
• Oncology Certified Nurse (OCN)
• Professional Practice Committee - Canadian Association of Oncology Nurses
• Public Relations Committee -- Canadian Association of Nurses for the Environment
• Website Committee, Archives Committee -- British Columbia History of Nursing Society

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