Jones, Phyllis E.

Phyllis Edith Jones was born September 16, 1924 in Barrie, Ontario, the daughter of Reverend Colston Graham Jones and Edith L. Shand. Following graduation from high school in Barrie in 1942, she enrolled in the University of Toronto in 1944 and was granted a diploma in General Nursing and Public Health Nursing, Part 1 in 1946. Four years later she graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing. Following her graduation in 1950, she worked for the Victorian Order of Nurses in Toronto (1947-1953 and 1957-1963) and the Metropolitan Health Committee in Vancouver (1953-1957). In 1963 she was appointed Assistant Professor in the Faculty of Nursing at the University and Toronto. Over the next six years, she completed her Master of Science in Health Administration (1969) and was promoted to Associate Professor. Her thesis topic was The family physician and the public health nurse – an investigation of one method of collaboration. She was appointed full Professor in 1972 and six years later became Dean of the Faculty, a position she held until 1988. When she retired in 1990 she was appointed Professor Emeritus. In 1993 she was given an Honorary Doctorate in Nursing Science from the University of Turku, Finland. She died in Owen Sound May 7, 2007.

During her academic career, Professor Jones established herself as an expert in the field of community health nursing. She published over 50 articles alone or in collaboration with other experts in the field and presented numerous papers at conferences and organizations, as well as to smaller groups of students and colleagues within the Faculty of Nursing. In the 1980s she was a consultant to the University of Turku in Finland in establishing a Master’s degree programme in nursing. As a result the University of Turku and the University of Toronto signed an agreement for exchange of staff and students and for collaboration in nursing research. In 1993, the University of Turku awarded her with an Honorary Doctorate in Nursing Science.

As an educator, Prof. Jones taught two graduate courses relating to nursing leadership and Community Health nursing, as well as undergraduate courses. In the 1980s she was involved in developing and delivering continuing education workshops relating to nursing diagnosis at the University and in cities in central Ontario. Much of the information for these workshops resulted from several National Health Research Project grants received in the late 1970s and 1980s in which she was the principal investigator. In other scholarly work, Prof. Jones often acted as reviewer of proposed publications and research grants.

As an administrator, Prof. Jones is chiefly remembered for her nine years as Dean of the Faculty of Nursing. But throughout her 27 years with the University she participated actively on committees within the Faculty, as well as University committees such as the Personnel Policy Board, the Research Board, Committee on Accommodation and Facilities, to name just a few. Throughout her career, she was also involved in external nursing and community health related organizations. From the mid 1970’s until her retirement, Prof. Jones was a member of the Board of Directors, Victorian Order of Nurses Metro Toronto (1971-1988), member of the Metropolitan Toronto District Health Council (1981-82), the North American Nursing Diagnosis Association, Ontario Nurses’ Association, and served on numerous search committee for nursing staff at Toronto area teaching hospitals.