Anna Garnett, PhD

Associate Professor

Contact Information

@AnnaGarnett6
Google Scholar

Education

BA, BScN, MSc, PhD (McMaster)

Graduate Program Supervision

Nursing MScN | PhD
Health and Rehabilitation Sciences MSc
Health Information Sciences MSc | PhD

Research In Profile

Professor Anna Garnett’s program of research is organized around three interconnected areas: the health and wellbeing of individuals across the life course, health services, and digital health. With an emphasis on older adults living with chronic or life-limiting conditions and their care partners, her life course research attends to the physical, social, and relational dimensions of aging and caregiving. Her health services research accounts for structural factors that shape access to services and health outcomes, seeking to inform actionable strategies that improve the uptake and reach of supports for medically complex adults and their families. Across her research program, she deploys digital approaches to advance care delivery and foster the health and wellbeing of these populations and their informal support networks, drawing on methodological expertise spanning quantitative and qualitative approaches.

Featured Publications and Projects

Articles in Peer-Reviewed Journals

Garnett, A., Yurkiv, H., Connelly, D., Booth, R., & Donelle, L. (2026). A qualitative study on the perceived utility of web-based videoconferencing for social connectedness among older adults living in long-term care. JMIR Aging. https://dx.doi.org/10.2196/73213
Garnett, A., Sangrar, R., Oleynikov, C., Gerstle, D., & Connelly, D. (2026). Structural marginalization of older adults within health care: A concept analysis. BMC Geriatrics,26, 113. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12877-025-06572-7
Van Berkum, A., Oudshoorn, A., & Garnett, A. (2025). A systems approach to homelessness prevention for older adults. The Gerontologist, gnaf087, https://doi.org/10.1093/geront/gnaf087.
Floriancic, N., Garnett, A., & Donelle, L. (2024). Chronic disease management in a nurse practitioner led clinic: An interpretive description. SAGE Open Nursing, 10, 1-10. https://doi.org/10.1177/23779608241299292
Garnett, A., Pollock, H., Prentice, K., Floriancic, N., Donelle, L., Hand, C., Babenko-Mould, Y., Oudshoorn, A., & Forchuk, C. (2024). Health provider experiences in supporting social connectedness between families and older adults living in long-term care homes. SAGE Open Nursing. https:/doi.org/10.1177/23779608241239314
Garnett, A., Hui, L., Oleynikov, C., & Boamah, S. (2023). Compassion fatigue in health providers: A scoping review. BMC Health Services Research, 23, 1336. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12913-023-10356-3
Garnett, A., Yurkiv, H., Booth, R., Connelly, D., & Donelle, L. (2023). Virtual presence for social connectedness in long-term care: A protocol for a qualitative multi-methods study. JMIR Research Protocols, 12, e50137. https://doi.org/10.2196/50137
Garnett, A., Sangrar, R., Harvey, K., Weldrick, R., Hatzifilalithis, S., Kalu, M., Dunford, E. C., Patocs, A., & Kajaks, T. (2023). Silos to synergy: Experiences of an interdisciplinary trainee network. Journal of the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning, 23(3), 21-38. doi:10.14434/josotl.v23i3.34013
Garnett, A., Pollock, H., Floriancic, N., Prentice, K., Donelle, L., Hand, C., Babenko-Mould, Y., Oudshoorn, A., & Forchuk, C. (2023). Social connectedness between family caregivers and older adults living in long-term care in the context of COVID-19. Canadian Journal on Aging. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0714980823000351
Knipping, D., Garnett, A., & Jiang, B. (2023). Access use of services by caregivers of older adults: A scoping review of cultural and linguistic diversity. Journal of Applied Gerontology, 42(7), 1672-1686. https://doi.org/10.1177/07334648231158490
Garnett, A., Prentice, K., Booth, R., Donelle, L., Orange, J. B., & Webster, F. (2023). Social isolation in community-dwelling older adults during COVID-19: Understanding the role of resilience. Inquiry, 60, 1-12. https://doi.org/10.117/00469580221148880
Connelly, D., Garnett, A., Snobelen, N., Guitar, N. A., Flores Sandoval, C., Sinha, S., Claver, J., Pearson, D., Smith Carrier, T. (2022). Resilience among the Ontario Registered Practical Nurse workforce in long-term care homes during COVID-19: A grounded theory study. Journal of Advanced Nursing, 78, 4221-4235. https://doi.org/10.1111/jan.15453
Garnett, A., Connelly, D. M., Yous, M., Hung, L., Snobelen, N., Hay, M., Furlan-Craievich, C., Snelgrove, S., Babcock, M., Ripley, J., Hamilton, P., Sturdy-Smith, C., & O’Connell, M. (2022). Nurse-led virtual delivery of PIECES in Canadian long-term care homes to support the care of older adults experiencing behavioural expressions during COVID-19: A qualitative descriptive study. JMIR Nursing, 5(1), e42731. http://dx.doi.org/10.2196/42731
Garnett, A., Northwood, M., Ting, J., & Sangrar, R. (2022). Mobile health interventions to support caregivers of older adults: An equity-focused systematic review. JMIR Aging, 5(3), e33085. http://dx.doi.org/10.2196/33085

Visit Google Scholar for a comprehensive list of publications.

Current Grants and Research Projects

Co-Principal Investigators: A. Garnett & M. Savundranayagam. Co-Applicants/Collaborators: McCormick Dementia Services. (2025-2026). Supporting family caregivers with McCormick Mobile. Petro-Canada CareMakers Foundation. $150,000.00
Principal Investigator: A. Garnett. Co-investigators: J. Elliott, V. Smye, L. Donelle, L. Comer. (2024-2025). Understanding the impact of a nurse practitioner led virtual transitional care model on older adults and their families. WSS CIHR Grants $23,864.00
Principal Investigator: D. Connelly. Co-investigators: N. Guitar, K. Prentice, A. Garnett, T. Smith-Carrier, V. Smye, D. Pearson, W. Sun, J. Calver, S. McKay, E. King, & S. Ali (2022-2025). An analysis of an Educational Bridging Program targeting growth in the nursing workforce within Ontario home and community care and long-term care home settings. WeRPN: Registered Practical Nurses of Ontario. $1,489,207.00.
Co-Principal Investigators: A. Garnett, M. Savundranayagam. Co-investigtors: K. Johnson, B. Clark, S. Garcia, T. Machacek, A. McInnis (2022-2023). Pilot Test of a Novel Multidisciplinary Approach to Caregiver Education. McCormick Care Foundation. $100,000.00.
Principal Investigator: A. Garnett. Co-investigators: R. Booth, D. M. Connelly, L. Donelle (2022-2024). Implementing virtual presence technology for social connectedness in long-term care homes in a post-COVID world: The way forwards. SSHRC IDG. $64,279.00.
Principal Investigator: D. Connelly. Co-investigators: A. Garnett, L. Hung. Co-applicants/collaborators: H. Martin, S. Snelgrove, S.M. Salatino, N. L. Snobelen, M.L. Yous, R. Maunder, L. Schindel Martin, E. Nason, K. Le Clair. (2021-2023). COVID-19: Implementation of virtual P.I.E.C.E.STM for resident care planning with family to build and sustain team collaboration and resilience for the workforce in long-term care. CIHR-CFHI Implementation Science Teams: Strengthening Pandemic Preparedness in Long-term Care. $150,000.

Graduate Student Projects

Understanding resilience among palliative care providers.

Beavers, Avery (2025-Present).

Media representations of older adults with dementia in Canadian news media.

Abeywickrama, Kavishka (2024-Present). MSc, Health and Rehabilitation Sciences

Barriers to physical activity among older adult South Asian populations in Canada: An analysis of the Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging.

Sivapragasam, Keithan (2023-Present). MSc, Faculty of Information and Media Studies

Perceptions of public health users in sub-Saharan Africa: Impact on use of public health services

Eale, Kris (2022-Present). PhD, Faculty of Information and Media Studies

Chronic disease management in a nurse practitioner led clinic: An interpretive description study.

Floriancic, Natalie (2021). MSc, Nursing

Health care providers perceptions of supporting caregivers of stroke survivors’ access to health and social services: A secondary analysis.

Pollock, Hannah (2021). MSc, Nursing

Developing therapeutic relationships in the community setting with clients experiencing marginalization.

Knipping, Danielle (2024). MSc, Nursing

Visit Scholarship@Western for the repository's list of completed student theses and dissertations.

Graduate Student Opportunities

If you are interested in pursuing MSc or PhD studies with professor Garnett, please send a description of your research interests, outlining their alignment with professor Garnett’s program of research as well as a sample of your writing and recent transcripts to agarnet6@uwo.ca.