In 1969, Janet Beaton graduated with a Bachelor of Nursing from the University of Manitoba. She later pursued a Master’s degree, majoring in maternal/infant nursing and, in 1986, received a PhD in the same major at a time when attaining these higher level nursing degrees was uncommon. Beaton held various roles in the Faculty of Nursing at the University of Manitoba throughout her career including Dean of Nursing from 1992 to 1998 and Dean Emerita in 2000. She demonstrated exemplary leadership at a time when nursing education was undergoing significant changes as the province transitioned from nursing diploma education located in hospitals to baccalaureate education in universities and colleges.

In 1984, Beaton was a Scholar-in-Residence, Rockefeller Foundation, Bellagio, Italy, an extremely competitive, prestigious honour and as a result, co-authored a highly regarded book titled Life-Death Decisions in Health Care. Beaton was well published throughout her career. One notable paper was entitled, “Toward a new view of nursing science: Implications for nursing research,” co-authored with M.B. Tinkle. This seminal article was considered a major breakthrough in the philosophy of nursing science and was on the graduate reading list for most Master’s and PhD programs in North America. Beaton was also a pioneer in international development work in nursing.

In 1989, she secured funding that enabled faculty at the U of M to work with faculty members at the West China University of Medical Sciences to develop an undergraduate program in nursing. It was a training ground for other faculty members who became engaged in international development activities. The legacy of Beaton’s work in this area is that the Faculty of Nursing at the University of Manitoba is recognized today both nationally and internationally for its excellence in international development programs.