Project Team
Lead:
Professor Tracy Levett-Jones
PhD, RN, MEd & Work, BN, DipAppSc Nursing.
Tracy is the Deputy Head of School (Teaching and Learning) in The School of Nursing and Midwifery at The University of Newcastle. Tracy has expertise in qualitative and quantitative methodologies and her research interests include clinical education, information and communicating technology, patient safety, clinical reasoning, simulation and interprofessional education. Tracy's doctoral research explored the clinical learning experiences of students in Australia and the United Kingdom. She has a broad clinical background and prior to her academic career worked as a women's health nurse, nurse educator and nurse manager. Over the last four years Tracy has been awarded over $900,000 in teaching and learning and research grants. Tracy has authored numerous books and book chapters as well as more than forty journal articles; and she is a member of the editorial committee for the Nurse Education Today journal. She is currently supervising eight PhD and two Masters Candidates. Tracy's teaching and learning is informed by a commitment to provide educational experiences that motivate students to become competent nurses who have a positive impact on patient care.
Tracy's methodological expertise includes: Qualitative and quantitative approaches, mixed methods, evaluation studies, cases studies, cross sectional surveys, Delphi technique, and quasi-experimental designs.
Research Profile
Awards
| 2010 | Pearson/Australia Nurse Teacher Society Educator of the Year Award |
| 2010 | Australian Learning and Teaching Council Award for Teaching Excellence. |
| 2008 | Vice-Chancellor's Award for Teaching Excellence and Learning Support. |
| 2008 | Australian Learning and Teaching Council Citation for Outstanding Contributions to Student Learning. |
| 2008 | University of Newcastle, Faculty of Health Indigenous Collaboration Award. |
| 2007 | NSW Minister for Education and Training & Australian College of Educators (ACE) NSW Branch - Quality Teaching Award. |
| 2007 | University of Newcastle Vice-Chancellors' Citation for Outstanding Contributions to Student Learning. |
| 2004 | University of Newcastle, Faculty of Health Award for Exceptional Leadership, Teaching and Administration on the Central Coast. |
Carol Arthur
BN, Dip Applied Sc, RN, ICU Cert, post graduate Masters Philosophy (Nursing) research candidate.
Carol is an academic in the School of Nursing and Midwifery at the University of Newcastle. Her research interests include curriculum integration of simulation activities, promoting clinical reasoning in nursing students and competency assessment. Carol has over 20 years experience in undergraduate nurse education, including classroom and online teaching, clinical skills laboratories, curriculum and case study design, clinical simulation and clinical competence assessment. She has also extensive clinical experience in acute medical/surgical, intensive care, coronary care and recovery room nursing. She has worked in both the public and private health care sectors, and has administrative experience to the level of nurse in charge of intensive care areas in a major Sydney teaching hospital.
Research Profile
Awards
| 2010 | Best research post abstract submitted to SimTecT Health Conference , September, 2010. |
Ms Samantha Ashby
Ms Samantha Ashby is a Lecturer in occupational therapy. She worked as an occupational therapist since 1987. She has worked in a range of health settings and occupational rehabilitation settings for 14 years in the UK and Australia. She completed her Masters RHD at the University of Sydney in 1999 "The impact of chronic low back pain on people's lives". She began her career in academia at the UK at Coventry University from 1997-2003. Since returning to academia in 2007, she has commenced her PhD study "The theoretical knowledge used and valued by occupational therapists in mental health practice: Influences and applications" and has published 5 papers in peer-reviewed journals and given 8 conference presentations.
Ms Ashby has published widely on the impact of chronic low back pain on occupational engagement and participation Her current research interests are in the nexus between theoretical knowledge in practice and the curriculum. She is also researching the development of professional identity and professional resilience in occupational therapy students and practitioners. She is currently working with two research teams on topics including health professional interventions for weight management, and student assessment.
Ms Ashby has a strong interest in student learning, and is currently on the research team for an Australian Learning and Teaching Council grant to investigate the effectiveness of electronic assessment and feedback mechanisms for evaluating health students' practical skills. She is an invited reviewer for three international journals in the field of occupational therapy and rehabilitation. Ms Ashby also presents workshops for professional organisations on the Model of Human Occupation, Kaw Model and the Canadian Model of Occupational Performance and Engagement. She has presented workshops on these topics in NSW, and Queensland for a range of professional organisations. In 2011, she represented the University of Newcastle in an ALTC funded project which aimed to engage emerging OT academic leaders in a community of practice designed to build capacity in curriculum development and renewal.
Dr Helen Bellchambers
RN, Grad Cert (Geront), RM, BN, MNurs, PhD, member AIPPEN (Australasian Interprofessional Practice and Education Network).
Helen is a Senior Lecturer in the School of Nursing and Midwifery at the University of Newcastle and holds the roles of First Year Experience Coordinator and course coordinator. Her career as a Registered Nurse spans more than 30 years across diverse clinical, education and research settings throughout Australia and overseas. As a clinician and later a Lecturer/Research Academic she has been able to pursue a career in nursing research and teaching as well as complete two research higher degrees. Both degrees related to nurses' medication practices. However it was following the completion of her PhD study which was supported by a scholarship from the Commonwealth Department of Health and Ageing that she returned to promote practice development in residential aged care. Her primary research interests are care of the older person and quality use of medicines by nurses. She is currently a member of a research team conducting a project titled Encouraging Best Practice in Residential Aged Care: Nutrition and Hydration.
Research Profile
Associate Professor Fiona Blinkhorn
BDS, MDS, PhD, A/Professor Oral Health.
Fiona obtained her BDS in 1981 and an MDS as a result of research investigating the dental needs of the elderly living at home. She worked in the Public Dental Service and the University of Manchester in England specialising in Paediatric Dentistry and Teaching. She obtained her PhD investigating dental trauma in children. She was Founder and Head of School for the Greater Manchester School for Professions Complementary to Dentistry in the UK, a school she established to train Dental Therapists and Hygienists. Fiona is currently the Program Convenor for the Graduate Diploma in Dental Therapy at the University of Newcastle, NSW. She has published widely in the areas of public health, paediatric dentistry and health services research.
Fiona's methodological expertise: Quantitative research.
Research Profile
Lynette Bowen
RN, Dip. Teaching (Nursing), NCAE, B.Ed (Nursing), UNE, M. Nursing, UTS, PhD Candidate.
Lyn has been employed as lecturer and the B. Nursing Site Coordinator for the Port Macquarie campus of the University of Newcastle since January 2004. Lyn's current research interests focuses on the experience of registered nurses who mentor undergraduate nursing students in a rural context. Prior to her academic appointment Lyn was employed by the North Coast Area Health Service as the Nurse Educator for Port Macquarie Base Hospital. She has also worked as a Clinical Nurse Consultant in infection control.
Research Profile
Awards
| 2009 | Faculty Teaching and Learning Excellence Award - In recognition and appreciation of outstanding performance and contribution to the Faculty of Health and the University of Newcastle |
Dr Caragh Brosnan
BA (Hons), PhD, PG Cert. (Teaching & Learning in Higher Education)
Caragh is a Lecturer in Health Sociology in the School of Humanities and Social Science, University of Newcastle, and an affiliated member of the Medical Education Unit for the Newcastle-UNE Joint Medical Program. Her research focuses on the sociology of health professions, particularly on the construction of legitimate knowledge and professional values in health professional education. Her PhD (2008) comprised a sociological analysis of debates over the form and content of medical curricula in the UK, and compared students’ and faculty members’ experiences and perspectives at two medical schools with contrasting curricula. Caragh has previously held positions in the School of Medicine at Keele University, UK, and in the Centre for Biomedicine & Society at King’s College London/Brunel University. At Newcastle she teaches within the discipline of Sociology & Anthropology and into the Bachelor of Nursing. Caragh’s work has been published in both sociology and health professional education journals, and with Bryan Turner she edited the Handbook of the Sociology of Medical Education (Routledge, 2009). Her current research examines the social factors influencing the curricula of complementary and alternative medicine degree programs.
Research methodological expertise: Qualitative research
Research Profile
Dr Leanne Brown
PhD, BHSc (N&D), Grad Cert Sports Nutr, Grad Cert Paed N&D.
Leanne is a Lecturer in Nutrition & Dietetics at the University Department of Rural Health Northern NSW based in Tamworth. Dr Brown has been the recipient of a number of teaching awards including a Vice Chancellor's Citation in 2008 and an ALTC Citation in 2009. In 2009 she completed her doctorate studies investigating best practice dietetic services in rural areas. Dr Brown teaches in to the Bachelor of Nutrition & Dietetics program through distance coursework in Sports Nutrition NUDI4270, Anthropometrics in HLSC4020 and Nutrition 1 HLSC1200. She is responsible for student placements across the URDH area and has participated in the Inter-professional Learning Modules at the UDRH since 2003.
Research methodological expertise: Mixed methods and qualitative.
Research Profile
Awards
| 2009 | ALTC Citation for Outstanding Contributions to Student Learning |
| 2008 | Vice Chancellor's Citation for Outstanding Contributions to Student Learning |
Dr Jennifer Dempsey
Dr Nurs, RN, RPN, MNurs. Studies, GradDip(Nursing), Senior Lecturer, Director of Clinical Education, The University of Newcastle.
Jennifer's research interests are related to clinical and professional practice that focuses on patient safety and practice change. She was awarded a research grant from the Nurses and Midwives Board (NSW) to examine nurses' work and from Northern Sydney Central Coast Health Service, to investigate clinical observations during blood transfusions. Jennifer has authored two books, numerous chapters, and peer reviewed journal publications and presented at a range of refereed international conferences. She also reviews for two high impact peer reviewed nursing journals. Jennifer has extensive clinical experience in the acute care setting, representing nursing on a range of consultative committees such as the NSW Health Reference Group for the development of the “electronic patient record”. In educational practice, her interest relates to reflective practice and teaching strategies and she is a member of an ALTC project investigating clinical reasoning. Jennifer is a member of the National Network of Clinical Coordinators.
Research Profile
Awards
| 2009 | Quality Teaching Award (Hunter Branch) - For outstanding dedication and passion in the pursuit of academic and professional excellence, and the drive for change and improvement. |
Shane Dempsey
Bio comming soon
Research Profile
Kate Dundas
Bio comming soon
Ms Lyn Ebert
PhD candidate, MPhil, Grad dip VET, NN, RM, RN.
Lyn has been a practicing midwife for 20 years and lecturing into the postgraduate midwifery program at the University of Newcastle for the past 10 years. She recently accepted the position of program convenor for the newly introduced Bachelor of Midwifery program at the University of Newcastle. She is interested in interprofessional education between midwifery and medical students to enhance the student learning experience and interprofessional collegiality within the clinical environment.
Lyn completed her Masters of Philosophy-Midwifery in 2008, looking at the interactions between midwives, and women who smoked during pregnancy. She found it is often difficult for midwives to maintain a woman-centred model of interaction with competing organisational and department of health requirements. Findings from her Masters of Philosophy, 'Midwives' interactions with women who smoke in pregnancy' led her to undertake a Doctor of Philosophy, which she commenced in 2009. Lyn is currently a full time PhD student, exploring the midwifery concept and maternity care philosophy woman-centred care within the maternity care encounters involving socially disadvantaged women. Her PhD examines socially disadvantaged women's, registered midwives' and student midwives' experiences maternity care encounters. Her professional interest is the education of health professionals in providing woman-centred care for socially disadvantaged women within the maternity contexts of Australia.
Research Profile
Dr Suzanne Evans
Bio comming soon
Lyn Francis
BN MHM LLM LLB GCertPTT PhD candidate.
Lyn is a lecturer in School of Nursing and Midwifery at the University of Newcastle. She has also been employed on a casual basis in the School of Law since 2006 and has coordinated Health Law, for final year law students, as well as teaching criminal law, foundations in law, media law and providing law lectures to nurses. Lyn's research interests include women and domestic violence, nurses and violence, the law and nurses and swearing and the law and nurses. She is conducting a PhD current project that explores the social supports/support services and decisions to leave or change with women who have experienced domestic violence. Lyn is currently on the Faculty of Health Board. She has worked at CCEB in the DVA Preventative Care Trial, as a NUM in community health, audiometry, midwifery, project management of health and law grant funding and also as a lawyer in the NGO sector, private sector and government sector. Research interests - women and domestic violence, nurses and violence, the law and nurses and swearing and the law and nurses.
Research Profile
Dr Conor Gilligan
PhD, BBiomedSci (Hons).
Conor is a lecturer in the Discipline of Health Behaviour Sciences, part of a team who teach behavioural sciences and public health to undergraduate and postgraduate students in the Faculty of Health and Faculty of Arts and Education. The Discipline's overall aim is to increase student's knowledge and awareness of the essential role of public health in our community.
Conor's teaching involves co-ordinating and teaching into public health and personal development courses that are part of the PDHPE Education program, as well as teaching interactional skills to Medicine and Pharmacy students. Conor is also involved with training actors as simulated patients, and conducting evaluation and curriculum re-design to improve communication skills education in health fields. This work has been conducted as part of three recent grants in diverse areas including improving the teaching of sensitive issues such as sexuality, and patient-centred counselling for medical students from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds, exploring the needs of students from culturally diverse backgrounds learning communication skills in the Pharmacy program, and evaluating the current approach to communication skills training in that program. Conor is also a lead investigator on an Australian Learning and Teaching Council grant which aims to prepare students for inter-professional clinical practice through inter-professional education for quality use of medications.
Conor's public health research has involved training multidisciplinary healthcare teams to deliver appropriate health interventions to Indigenous women, exploring the health during pregnancy of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women in Far North Queensland, and exploring smoking and other health risks among local Aboriginal communities. Conor's current research work is includes an exploration of adolescent alcohol consumption and the role of parents in predicting, or protecting adolescents from risky alcohol use.
Research Profile
Kirsti Haracz
PhD candidate, MSc, BAppSc.
Kirsti is a lecturer in occupational therapy in the School of Health Sciences. Kirsti's research interests include occupation and mental health, obesity and lifestyle, professional practice education, gender and health professional education and reflection. Kirsti is currently undertaking a PhD exploring how women who live with schizophrenia perceive and perform activities to manage their weight. Kirsti worked as an occupational therapist in a range of clinical settings prior to her academic career. Her preferred area of practice is mental health and she has worked in both inpatient and community and forensic mental health settings.
Research methodological expertise: Qualitative, case study and grounded theory, some survey research.
Research Profile
Dr Margaret Harris
PhD, BHSc, GradDipHSocSc.
Margaret is currently a lecturer at the University of Newcastle where she co-ordinates undergraduate Bachelor of Nursing courses and supervises research higher degree students. Margaret has taught across a wide range of undergraduate and post graduate programs in the Faculty of Health, since 1995. Margaret was the program convenor for post graduate course work and research degrees in Health Promotion from 2002 - 2006. She has extensive experience with international students and has taught post graduate Health Promotion to Masters of Nursing students in Hong Kong.
Margaret's PhD research (Community Medicine and Clinical Epidemiology, 1999) explored participation in screening for colorectal cancer for first degree relatives of people with colorectal cancer. Margaret was awarded a Fulbright Post Doctoral Award in 2002 to further explore cancer screening behaviours as well as other awards during her PhD candidature. She has been an investigator on many research grants and has many publications. Topics have included a range of issues related to healthy ageing and the health of other vulnerable groups. Her most research recent grant was received as part of her role as a member of the University of Newcastle's Priority Research Centre for Gender Health and Ageing and was from the Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care (March 2008).
Margaret's current research investigates the health and health related behaviours of sex workers in a regional city in Australia. This study has involved a survey and grounded theory through in-depth interviews. The results of this work fill an important gap in existing knowledge and have been applied to produce health promotion information for sex workers. Margaret has a strong interest in this area, including sexually transmitted infections, and currently supervises a PhD student investigating the impact of parents' death due to AIDS among children in Thailand. Like most of Margaret's research, her current research involves a multidisciplinary approach. Margaret is committed to the philosophy of multidisciplinary, collaborative research. She also has a particular interest in international collaboration.
Margaret's methodological expertise includes: both quantitative and qualitative methods including grounded theory and a randomised controlled trials.
Research Profile
Awards
| 2002 | Fulbright Post Doctoral Award. |
Professor Mike Hazelton
RN BA MA PhD FACMHN is Head of the School of Nursing and Midwifery and Professor of Mental Health Nursing at the University of Newcastle and Hunter New England Health.
Mike has worked in different parts of Australia, including Western Australia and Tasmania, and has had extensive experience developing and implementing nursing programs in countries such as Singapore and Malaysia. Professor Hazelton has previously held the positions of Head of Nursing at the University of Tasmania, and Head of Nursing and Midwifery at Curtin University of Technology, in Western Australia. He was recently appointed Honorary Director of the Halla /Newcastle Centre for Problem Based Learning, Cheju Halla College, Repulic of Korea and was Visiting Professor in the School of Healthcare, University of Leeds between May and September 2010.
Professor Hazelton's clinical work as Professor of Mental Health Nursing has included involvement in various types of cognitive behaviour therapy. For instance, he has participated in the delivery of dialectical behaviour therapy (DBT) for borderline personality disorder, in the Centre for Psychotherapy (James Fletcher Hospital), Hunter New England Area Health Service since 2005 (except 2010 when on study leave). In this capacity he has been involved in the skills groups, individual therapy and therapist support group components of DBT. He was also involved in a program providing group-based cognitive behaviour therapy (CBT) for depression to clients referred by local general practitioners in the Newcastle/Hunter region in 2006-9, and as an accredited mental health first aid trainer has taught mental health first aid to students, university staff and community members since 2009. Many of Professor Hazelton's research publications and presentations reflect his ongoing commitment to clinical work and nursing education.
Professor Hazelton has a research background in both qualitative and quantitative methods, has published widely on mental health and mental health nursing and has undertaken consultancies for various governments, both Commonwealth and State in Australia. Professor Hazelton is a past Editor of the International Journal of Mental Health Nursing and is currently a member of the editorial boards of the International Journal of Mental Health Nursing, The Australian and New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry, Nursing and Health Sciences and Mental Health and Substance Use: Dual Diagnosis. To date he has supervised 10 PhD students to successful completion; been the recipient of a number of awards for mental health nursing research; and in 2003 was made a Life Member of the Australian College of Mental Health Nurses, the highest honour awarded by that professional organisation.
Mike's methodological expertise includes: discourse analysis, critical ethnography, participatory action research, qualitative descriptive research, mixed methods research, randomised control trials, qualitative and quantitative observational research.
Research Profile
Associate Professor Pamela van der Riet
BN, Dip Applied Sc, RN, ICU Cert, post graduate Masters Philosophy (Nursing) research candidate.
Pamela is a Senior Lecturer in the School of Nursing and Midwifery and Deputy Head of School. Pamela is an experienced complementary & alternative medicine (CAM) researcher, having conducted numerous studies on the topic over many years. For her Master of Education she completed a dissertation exploring nursing students' experience of CAM. Pamela's doctoral studies investigated cancer patient's experiences of massage, meditation and visualization. She has also published 2 education programs on CAM including a multi-media teaching and learning package on massage designed for the palliative care workers. Pamela was the chief investigator for 3 university internal research grants and one external research grant on CAM. The external grant awarded in 1996 was a RHSET Grant (Rural Health Support Education and Training) involving Therapeutic Massage: An Educational Program for Rural and Remote Workers in the Palliative Care Field.
Associate Professor van der Riet is a reviewer for 2 international research journals in the field of CAM and has contributed to 2 national research projects designed to upgrade undergraduate studies in the field of palliative and cancer care. As part of her SSP in 2009 Pamela has established research links with a nursing college and health-care facility at Lampang, northern Thailand where she is working on 3 research projects investigating CAM in rehabilitation for stroke and head injury patients. In June 2009 Dr van der Riet organized and led a 2-week cultural study tour to Northern Thailand with 11 undergraduate students from the Faculty of Health, The University of Newcastle. The study tour introduced students to the role of CAM in health care in Thailand. The study program was planned as an adjunct to an elective course entitled Complementary Therapies in Healthcare that was developed by Dr van der Riet and taught for the first time in Semester 1, 2009. Pamela van der Riet's qualitative research and publications output have primarily been in the field of palliative care and CAM. Her most recent area of research interest in is meditation and the effects on student learning.
Research Profile
Noelene Hickey
Danny Hills
RN, BN, Grad Cert Mgt, MN Hons, Grad Cert Tert Teach, Lecturer – Rural Mental Health Education.
Danny is a Registered Nurse and has worked as a clinician, educator and manager in rural and metropolitan community and hospital settings over the last 25 years, in mental health and in clinical governance. He has been working part-time as a Lecturer with the NSW Centre for Rural and Remote Mental Health since 2006 and is currently undertaking PhD studies at Monash University. His primary research interests are in health workforce development and workplace aggression.
Dannys's methodological expertise includes: Primarily quantitative, including descriptive statistics, factor analysis and regression methods.
Dr Kerry Hoffman
PhD, RN, MN, Grad.Dip. Ed, Dip. HlthSc (Nursing), BSc, Lecturer, University of Newcastle.
Kerry has experience in critical care nursing and clinical education. She investigated clinical decision-making in her Masters and PhD. Kerry has also completed a study examining critical thinking and clinical decision-making in new graduate nurses. This study was funded by a Nurses and Midwives Board grant. Kerry has authored three peer reviewed journal publications and two refereed international conferences papers on clinical decision-making. In 2005 Kerry along with Dr Jennifer Dempsey, was awarded a research grant from the Northern Sydney Central Coast Health Service, to investigate clinical observations during blood transfusions. Kerry is currently leading a small teaching a learning project implementing computerised decision support frameworks.
Research Profile
Dr Sharyn Hunter
PhD, RN, BSc (Hons), Grad Cert Advanced Practice Aged Care and Tertiary Teaching, Lecturer, Student Academic Conduct Officer, The University of Newcastle.
Sharyn has expertise in qualitative and survey methodologies. Her research interests include the role and function of registered nurses and the development of critical reasoning and judgement in undergraduate nursing students. She has authored one peer reviewed journal publication and nine conference papers including one international. Sharyn has been an invited speaker for the NSW Nurse's Association Annual Conference and a number of Aged Care Services Annual Conferences. She was awarded a research scholarship for her PhD from the University of Newcastle.
Research Profile
Awards
| 2010 | Australian Learning and Teaching Council Citation for Outstanding Contributions to Student Learning. Sharon has been awarded for redesigning a course on nursing older people that incorporates sustainable strategies which challenge nursing students' attitudes and prepares them for professional practice |
| 2009 | Vice Chancellors' Citation for Outstanding Contributions to Student Learning |
Dr Sarah Jeong
PhD, RN., MN, BN, Grad. Dip. Adv. Prac., Lecturer, Master of Nursing Advanced Practice Program Convenor, International Student Liaison Officer, The University of Newcastle.
Sarah's research includes clinical teaching and learning, aged care, tertiary teaching and internationalisation of nursing. She has been involved in the development of nursing curricula applying the concept and principles of problem based learning in Australia and Korea. She has research experience in both quantitative and qualitative methods. Her expertise in data collection and analysis through observation and interview is highly respected. She is a reviewer for three international nursing journals. Sarah has authored four peer reviewed journal publications, one refereed conference publication and 11 conference papers. Sarah was awarded an Early Career Researcher Grant and a research scholarship for her PhD from the University of Newcastle.
Research Profile
Awards
| 2009 | Vice-Chancellor's Citation for Outstanding Contributions to Student Learning for: Enhancing the learning experiences of international Bachelor of Nursing (BN) students. |
| 2009 | Faculty of Health Excellence in International Collaborations Award |
Associate Professor Ashley Kable
RN, Dip Teach Nurs Ed, G Dip Health Serv Man, PhD, MRCNA. Deputy Head of School (Research) School of Nursing and Midwifery, senior lecturer and researcher in health services research at the University of Newcastle.
Ashley has experience in quantitative and qualitative research methods and has conducted and supervised intervention studies, patient and workforce surveys, and focus groups and expert panels for the purpose of validating study instruments. She has been involved in multidisciplinary research groups and research topics have included: adverse events in surgical admissions, using statistical modelling to identify predictors for adverse events, patient surveys of post discharge complications and delivery of health services, designing/conducting/evaluating interventions to reduce adverse events in health care, sharps including needlestick injuries in nurses, occupational rehabilitation of nurses, and resistance to care in health care.
She has been lecturing in Masters programs in the schools of Medicine and Public Health and Nursing and Midwifery for ten years, and is supervising research higher degree candidates studies on a range of acute care, education and safety related topics including: patient initiated violence, human simulation and information and communication technology, professional interaction and patient experiences, workplace bullying, evaluation of patient outcomes following intervention programs, and occupational health and safety of health care workers. She has more than 20 years clinical experience in operating theatre nursing.
Research interests: Patient safety, quality of care, outcomes of acute care including adverse events and complications, patient experiences of health services and occupational health and safety and nursing workforce issues.
Ashley's methodological expertise includes: Experience in quantitative and qualitative research methods and she has conducted and supervised intervention studies, patient and workforce surveys, and focus groups and expert panels for the purpose of validating study instruments.
Research Profile
Awards
| 2008 | Career Enhancement Fellowship for Academic Women by the University of Newcastle. |
| 2003 | RACS/General Surgeons of Australia Prize for Best Free Paper 2003: Spigelman AD, Gibberd R, Kable A. What Happens to Patients after Discharge? Australian and New Zealand Journal of Surgery. 2003; 73 (Suppl. A42) [E3]. |
| 2002 | Peter Reizenstein Prize 2002, for the best paper published in the International Journal for Quality in Health Care in 2002: Kable AK, Gibberd RW, Spigelman AD. Adverse Events in Surgical Patients in Australia. International Journal for Quality in Health Care. 2002; 14 (4):269-276. [C1] . |
Professor Brian Kelly
B Med, phD, FRANZCP, FAChPM, is Professor of Psychiatry, School of Medicine and Public Health and was previously Director of the NSW Centre for Rural and Remote Mental Health.
Brian is Chair of the Admissions Committee for the Joint Medical Program. He has a longstanding previous involvement in development and implementation of curricula in medical education, previously in Queensland (1993- 2002), and more recently at the University of Newcastle and Joint Medical Program. He has also undertaken a number of roles at a State and National level in health professional education, developing and evaluating programs for continuing education of rural health practitioners and community education in mental health (2005-2010).
Brian's methodological expertise includes: Clinical and epidemiologic research, using chiefly quantitative methods.
Research Profile
Awards
| 2009 | Annual National Drug and Alcohol Awards, Winner |
| Excellence in Research: Awarded to Amanda Baker, Frances Kay-Lambkin, David Kavanagh, Brian Kelly and Vaughan Carr. |
Raelene Kenny
RN, MN, Grad Dip. Nursing (Critical Care), Grad Cert Ed (Adult & Org Learning), Grad Cert TerTeach, PhD candidate, Lecturer, The University of Newcastle.
Raelene is an early career researcher from the Port Macquarie campus of the University. Her clinical background in intensive care nursing, critical care clinical education and education management has developed across regional, rural and metropolitan settings.
Raelene's years of clinical experience in a highly technological environment have influenced her research interests that focus on the use of information communication technology in education and clinical practice. She has experience in quantitative and qualitative research methods and is a PhD candidate currently exploring the information communication technology skills of undergraduate nursing students and their perceptions of its relevance to practice.
Research Profile
Samuel Lapkin
BN (Hons First Class), PhD Candidate, early career researcher, The University of Newcastle, member AIPPEN (Australasian Interprofessional Practice and Education Network).
Samuel is involved in an ALTC project led by Professor Tracy Levett-Jones and has conducted a systematic review examining the effectiveness of using human patient simulation manikins in the teaching of clinical reasoning skills to undergraduate nursing students. He is currently working as a research assistant and is conducting a systematic review examining the effectiveness of pedagogical approaches used for teaching medication safety to nursing students; and a cost-utility analysis of medium and high fidelity human patient simulation manikins using multi-attribute utility theory.
Lorna MacLellan
RN, MN, MNP, SCM, GradCert CritCare, Grad Cert PTTeaching.
Lorna is Convenor of the Master of Nursing (Nurse Practitioner) Program in the School of Nursing & Midwifery, at the University of Newcastle, Australia. Lorna's major research interest is the transition between registered nurse and nurse practitioner practice and she currently conducting a critical ethnography of the transition of registered nurses to nurse practitioners in Australia as her PhD study. Lorna trained in Scotland and has had many diverse positions over a long clinical nursing career both in Scotland and Australia. Lorna's clinical expertise is in wound management where she has had several senior roles both in acute care and the community and still maintains research interests with wound management colleagues. Having been involved with the nurse practitioner (NP) role for almost ten years Lorna was a participant in the ACT NP trial in 2001, was appointed as Principal Advisor to the Chief Nursing Officer of NSW in 2003 and finally was appointed convenor of the MN (NP) Program in 2005. The MN (NP) Program is one of the largest in Australia with over 200 graduates to date.
Research Profile
Awards
| 2009 | Hunter New England Health Quality and Safety Award for Pressure Ulcer Prevention Project (Executive Committee Member). |
| 2009 | Clinical Excellence Commission Award for Improvement in Patient Safety for Pressure Ulcer Prevention Project (Executive Committee Member). |
| 2007 | Carrick Citation for Excellence in Teaching and Learning. |
| 2007 | The University of Newcastle Vice Chancellor's Citation for Excellence in Teaching and Learning. |
| 2003 | Comfeel Literary Award - awarded to the Best Original Clinical Research published in “Primary Intention” (Peer reviewed journal of the Australian Wound Management Association). |
Jane Maguire
PhD, BNurs(Hons), BA (English and Classical Literature), Grad Cert In Child and Adolescent Health RN, Senior Lecturer, School of Nursing and Midwifery.
Jane has over 25 years of clinical experience with both paediatric and adult patients in both acute care and community facilities. She is an Early Career Researcher and the Program Convenor for the Bachelor of Nursing Honours Program in the School of Nursing and Midwifery. Jane has research experience in quantitative and qualitative methodologies. Her most recent research has raised her International profile as a member of the International Stroke Genetics Consortium. This research is part of the UoN PRC Brain and Mental Health and the Australian Stroke Genetics Collaboration, and is a population based genetic association study investigating the genetic epidemiology of stroke. Jane is particularly interested in ischemic stroke risk and stroke patient functional outcomes, and has published in this area. She is also interested in adverse events following acute stroke, specifically haemorrhagic transformation following tPA therapy. Jane has presented her research at the European Stroke Conference, The World Cardiology Conference, the International Stroke Genetics Consortium workshops, Malaysian Joint Medical Conference and the Stroke Society of Australasia's Annual Scientific Meetings. Jane is a reviewer for the Journal of Stroke and Cerebrovascular Disease and American Heart Foundation's Stroke journal. She was one of three investigators awarded a Category 5 Research grant from the Nurses and Midwives Board (NSW) to investigate the role of a care coordinator nurse at Gosford Hospital. Jane has had several other successful research grants total funding $112 000.
Other Research interests: Childhood immunisation follow up programs and innovative educational models to promote nursing research capacity in the clinical setting.
Jane's methodological expertise includes: surveys, RCTs, meta-analysis and case-control genetic association studies. Her research skills include grantsmanship, narrative and systematic literature reviews, use of critical appraisal tools of evidence, writing for publication and survey development. Jane's biostatistical experience includes management of large datasets, meta analysis of genetic studies, gene-environment interaction analysis, association analysis using multiple logistic regression, and provision of clinical datasets for genome wide association studies.
Research Profile
Awards
| 2010 | Hunter Medical Research Institute Pulse Education Prize |
| 2009-2007 | Australian Postgraduate Award |
David Newby
BPharm GradDipEpi Ph.
Dr David Newby is Associate Professor in Clinical Pharmacology, in the School of Medicine and Public Health. He teaches clinical pharmacology into the Joint Medical Program of the University, as well as to other disciplines including Physiotherapy. He was a foundation academic in the Master of Pharmacy Program and teaches pharmacoepidemiology and pharmacoeconomics into that Program. Dr Newby is a co-author of a new textbook on Pharmacology, and co-authored Australia's first textbook on Pharmacy Practice. He has also designed and delivered international courses on pharmacoeconomics for the World Health Organisation.
Research methodological expertise: Qualitative methods (focus groups and interviews); questionnaire design.
Research Profile
Awards
| 2009 | ALTC Citation for outstanding contribution to student learning |
| 2007 | Vice Chancellors Citation for outstanding contribution to student learning |
Danielle Noble
RN, Grad Cert in Linguistics, Med in Adult Education, M Nursing, BN.
Nursing for nearly 20 years, in many various roles, starting as an Enrolled Nurse with (four) 4 years of experience in aged care. She then became a Registered Nurse where she worked on a ENT/Vascular ward, in that time she then became the Clinical Nurse Educator for the Division of Surgery for five (5) years. The role in education lead her to work for the university, which has given her the opportunity to make a positive impact on the student nurses by equipping them with the knowledge they require to care for their patients and their loved ones.
Danielle's research interest is the nursing students and identification of the nursing language and their acquisition of this over their progression through the BN. Communicating effectively with other Health Care Professionals is invaluable.
Research Profile
Carol Norton
RN, CM, BHSc(Nursing), MMid, Lecturer, The University of Newcastle.
Carol has worked for many years as a registered nurse, mainly in the following areas: Paediatrics, Accident & Emergency, ICU and Cardiac nursing. Over a twenty year period, Carol worked in all the areas of acute care nursing, generally with paediatrics, babies and all areas of Women's Health. Carol also worked as a midwife for 15 years, mainly in the Delivery Suite and the Community Midwives program at a major area health service. Carol then worked as a Research Project Officer for the Public Health Unit on the Central Coast; also as a Research Officer for the Research Unit under Associate Professor Martin Veysey. Carol is presently working as a fulltime Lecturer for the School of Nursing and Midwifery, Faculty of Health teaching mainly undergraduate nursing students, and occasionally midwifery post-graduate students for the University of Newcastle. Carol also teaches International students who are enrolled in second year of the Nursing program; these students are Registered nurses in their own country, and commence a two-year Bachelor of Nursing program at the Callaghan campus for the University of Newcastle. Carol is currently involved in a major ALTC Project, researching with a team of academics for the School of Nursing and Midwifery. Carol is also presently involved in her third research project that is based on ongoing experiences of International students who come to the University of Newcastle and are enrolled in the Bachelor of Nursing program for the Port Macquarie campus, the Callaghan campus and the Ourimbah campus.
Research Profile
Dr Suzanne Outram
BA (Psychology, Sociology), RN, PhD
Sue is the Lead, Discipline of Health Behaviour Sciences, School of Medicine and Public Health, Faculty of Health. In this role she co-ordinates a team of full time, part time and conjoint academics who teach behavioural and social sciences, health promotion and public health to undergraduate and postgraduate students in the Faculty of Health and Faculty of Arts and Education and beyond. Sue has worked in the tertiary sector in the education of health professionals for over 20 years and has developed, coordinated and taught innovative curriculum in a wide variety of subjects for undergraduate and postgraduate students of nursing, medicine, allied health, as well as teacher education students. She has led multidisciplinary teams in developing interdisciplinary curricula in public health and clinical communication skills. She currently coordinates the interactional skills curriculum (includes medical communication, counselling, behaviour change) in the 5 years of the medical program.
Sue is committed to improving the quality of health professional education and four recent teaching and learning grants have allowed her to work on issues as diverse as improving the teaching of sensitive issues such as sexuality and patient-centred counselling for medical students from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds; implementing peer evaluation of teaching in problem based learning; enabling academics to teach more effectively about social disadvantage and minority groups; and using inter-professional education to achieve quality use of medicines.
Research Profile
Awards
| 2008 | Faculty of Health and the Vice-Chancellor's Award for Excellence in Teaching and Learning. |
Lorinda Palmer
BSc, Dip Ed, RN, Grad. Dip (Nurs), MN.
Lorinda has been employed as a full time lecturer in the School of Nursing and Midwifery since 1995. Prior to this, she worked in Cardiology and General Medicine at The John Hunter Hospital, and prior to that in the Renal Unit at Prince Henry Hospital. Before that, she was a high school science and mathematics teacher in a number of secondary school in New South Wales and Queensland.
Lorinda's research for her Masters degree was on the topic of nurses and CPR decision-making. Issues related to ethical decision-making at the end-of-life, advance case planning and decisions about withdrawing and withholding treatment are one of her main areas of teaching and research. Other research involvements have included working on the team that produced the Professional Boundaries Guidelines for the NSW Nurses and Midwives Board and a project examining the work of nurses working in general practices. She has also supervised a number of Honours and coursework Masters students and one research Masters student.
She has a long standing interest in pedagogy, and is currently enrolled in a PhD to examine the longitudinal development of ethical reasoning among undergraduate nursing students, and to develop teaching tools and resources that foster the development of critical thinking and ethical reasoning. She received an Australian College of Educators Teacher Recognition Award in 2009.
Research Profile
Awards
| Quality Teaching Award (Hunter Branch) - For her dedication and involvement to online students enrolled in the Bachelor of Nursing at Newcastle University |
Jacqueline Pich
RN BN (Hons I), BSc.
Jacqui Pich is a dual University Medal recipient, for her undergraduate studies in the Bachelor of Nursing degree and Nursing Honours at the University of Newcastle, NSW Australia. She received First Class Honours for her work on the experiences of triage nurses with patient-related workplace violence. Jacqui is a PhD candidate and her chosen topic is The Vent Study: Violence in the Emergency Department and Triage. Jacqui has previously been employed as a research assistant in the School of Nursing and Midwifery on the “Resistance to Care project” and worked on ethics application for a project on violence in the ED at a local hospital. Jacqui also lectures and tutors into the undergraduate nursing program. In 2009 Jacqui presented at three conferences, 2 local and 1 international and will be presenting at an International conference on Violence in healthcare in Amsterdam in October. Jacqui has had 2 papers published in peer-reviewed journals and is a reviewer for the Japan Journal of Nursing Science.
Research Profile
Awards
| 2008 | University Medal (Faculty of Health) - BNursing (Honours I) |
| 2007 | University Medal (Faculty of Health) - BNursing |
Victoria Pitt
DipAppSc (Nursing), GDip (Pal Care), GCertPTT, MN (Research), PhD candidate.
Victoria teaches into the Bachelor of Nursing Program. She has a particular interest in the progression and retention issues associated with nursing students. She has a Master of Nursing in research and is currently undertaking a PhD full time exploring factors that impact student's clinical and academic progression. She is also involved in research projects exploring critical thinking skills of students and the experience of international students.
Victoria's methodological expertise includes: Grounded Theory and correlational descriptive analysis.
Research Profile
Dr Tracy Robinson
PhD (Psychology) and BA (Hons).
Tracy is the Program Leader (Education) at the Centre for Rural and Remote Mental Health in School of Medicine & Public Health. Her research includes child and adolescent mental health (depression prevention in adolescents and health education research. Tracy also has experience with Indigenous social and emotional well being with Aboriginal communities in western NSW).
Jan Roche
RN, BHSc (Nursing), ICU cert, TNCC, M candidate.
Jan's background is critical care, injury, trauma management; this included setting up the Trauma Research Unit in Newcastle. A keen interest in the concept of linking theory to practice has led to a natural progression to study learning, memory and critical thinking. Jan is involved in a quasi experimental study as part of an ALTC project. Jan is an academic mentor and clinical assessor at the University of Newcastle.
Research Profile
Dr Rachel Rossiter
D.HSc, M.N (NP), M.Counselling, B.Counselling, B.Hlth Sc, is a clinician-academic.
Rachel currently convenes post-graduate programs in mental health nursing. Rachel has had extensive clinical experience working with people with chronic physical and mental health disorders in a range of clinical settings and is currently authorised to practice as a nurse practitioner in mental health and psychotherapy. She maintains active involvement in clinical practice as a dialectical behaviour therapist, and provides clinical supervision and consultancy to clinicians and rural mental health services. Rachel's research experience includes qualitative research projects focusing on workforce development and improving services provided to people with borderline personality disorder. She is currently developing the curriculum for a Master of Mental Health Nursing (Nurse Practitioner program). Rachel is a fellow of the Australian College of Mental Health Nurses, a member of the research committee for the College and a peer reviewer for the Mental Health Nurse Credentialing program. Research interests: Mental health workforce development, Clinical supervision, Dialectical behaviour therapy, Evaluating the effectiveness of on-line post-graduate academic programs, Psychosocial needs of patients with physical illnesses.
Research Profile
Awards
| 2006 | Co-winner, runner-up Australian & New Zealand College Mental Health Nurses research award |
| 2005 | Co-winner WA Nurses Memorial Research Award |
Professor Susan Ryan
PhD, MSc, BAppSc, Professor Occupational Therapy - Deputy Head of School of Health Sciences
Graduating from The University of Sydney / Cumberland College, Susan has worked in India, England, Ireland and now Australia. She has also graduated from Columbia University, New York for her Master's degree and The University of east London for her doctoral degree. Her academic interests started with her Master's study in comparing the clinical reasoning of novice and experienced occupational therapists. This led to publications and textbooks but it also led to exploring adult learning theories - reflection - student experiences through narratives and several aspects of qualitative research. Susan has always been a member of The Education for Practice Institute at Charles Sturt University and they have recently made her an Adjunct Professor. Her latest set of research studies focuses on Generation Y students.
Research Profile
Awards
| 2009 | The Australian Centre for Teaching & Learning Excellence [Nominated by students] |
Associate Professor Jenny Schneider
Bio comming soon
Research Profile
Peter Sinclair
RN, BN, Renal Cert, MPhil candidate .
Peter is a lecturer at the University of Newcastle and the inaugural chair of the Nephrology Educator's Network, the education subgroup of the Renal Society of Australasia. He has worked in various nephrology departments throughout the United Kingdom and Australia. His research interests lie in the areas of interdialytic weight gain and the utility of e-learning to improve confidence, knowledge and skills relating to specialist renal nursing practice. He is the current lead in two projects developing prototype virtual dialysis applications that will be evaluated within e-learning applications to determine their role and benefits in specialist renal workforce training and education.
Research Profile
Awards
| 2010 | Schoch, M., Black, K., & Sinclair, P.M. (2010). The development of an e-learning buttonhole cannulation to improve vascular access related outcomes. The Renal Society of Australasia Conference. 6(S1) s40.(Winner best abstract award) |
| 2010 | Adams, K., Salna, P., Thornton, L., Cairney, K., Dobbs, P., Sinclair, P.M. (2010). Sustaining the Nephrology Nursing Workforce Poster presented at the HNEAHS Quality Exposition and Scientific Program, Sydney, New South Wales (Winner Category 6 - Building the Health Workforce) |
| 2010 | Sinclair, P.M., Blackman, I., Schoch, M. & Black, K. (2010). Using e-learning to increase the preparedness and confidence of nurses to perform buttonhole cannulation. Poster presented at the 39th International EDTNA/ERCA Conference, Dublin, Ireland. (Third Place, Certificate of Merit) |
Dr Virginia Skinner
RN, RM, BHSc, MNH, PhD.
Virginia has been working in the School of Nursing and Midwifery since May 2010 and is presently convening the Bachelor of Midwifery Programme which commenced 2011 and the Graduate Diploma of Midwifery. Virginia has worked as a registered nurse for 23 years and has worked predominantly as a midwife for the past 21 years. She spent the early part of her career working in surgical and oncology. Over the years she has worked in aged care and in more recent years has worked as a community nurse. As a midwife she has worked in all areas of maternity including birthing suite, special care nursery and postnatal areas. Clinically she continues to work as a casual midwife at a local private hospital and as a uro-dynamic nurse for Associate Professor Richard Reid, a urodynamic surgeon. Virginia has worked as a Research Project Officer for Associate Professor Martin Veysey for the previous five years on two studies, one assessing cardiovascular health in an elderly population and the other assessing the relationship between bitter taste, folate intake and the development of bowel polyps. Virginia's Masters in Nursing with Honours was a qualitative study, focusing on continuity of care for mothers by community midwives and her PhD was a quantitative study, in which she developed a tool to assess stress and burnout in Australian nurses and midwives and the tool is currently being used internationally to assess other populations.
Associate Professor Tony Smith
PhD, MSc, BSc, DipAppSci (Medication Radiography), Deputy Director, University Department of Rural Health - Northern NSW.
Tony is a radiographer with over 30 years clinical and academic experience. Until 2003 he was based in the School of Health Sciences at the University of Newcastle. He then relocated to Tamworth with the University Department of Rural Health, where he is currently Deputy Director. In that capacity, Tony is a Director of the Australian Rural Health Education Network (ARHEN) and chairs the Rural Interprofessional Education Network (RIPEN).
Tony's research interests are in allied health workforce, especially new models of interprofessional practice in the medical radiation workforce. He has a close association with the Australian Institute of Radiography, chairing the Rural and Remote Practitioners Advisory Panel (RRPAP) and the Advanced Practitioners Advisory Panel (APAP). He is also Associate Editor (International of the UK based journal, Radiography.
Research methodological expertise: Experience in both quantitative and qualitative research designs, Cross-sectional survey design and administration.
Research Profile
Awards
| 2009 | Nicholas Outtersider Memorial Medallion for services to the profession, Australian Institute of Radiography |
Dr Teresa Stone
PhD, RN, RMN, BA M Health Management, Cert Tertiary Teaching.
Teresa is the Bachelor of Nursing Programme Convenor and senior lecturer at the University of Newcastle Australia. Teri has qualifications in general and mental health nursing, a BA in psychology and masters in health management. Her research interests include verbal aggression, education, clinical supervision, and mental health. Teri has worked in a variety of settings, in London, Hong Kong and Australia as both a clinician and manager. She has a major interest in mental health, a field she has worked in for over fifteen years and has also worked as a remote area nurse in Aboriginal communities and retains a strong interest in Indigenous health.
Research Profile
Awards
| 2009 | NSW Minister for Education and Training & Australian College of Educators (ACE) NSW Branch - Quality Teaching Award |
| 2007 | Stone, T.E. & Hazelton, M. International Australian College of Mental Health Nurses Conference, 2007 Research Award |
| 2006 | Stone, T. E. & Davis, S. Hunter Mental Health Branch best paper, Hunter Branch of the Australian and New Zealand College of Mental Health Nurses, Newcastle |
| 2002 | Baxter Health Award for the Hunter Health Management Development Programme |
Yolanda Surjan
BMedRadTech (RT), Grad. Cert. Health Promotion, Masters Health Science (Education), PhD Candidate.
Yolanda is a Radiation Therapy Lecturer specialising in the field of radiation therapy at The University of Newcastle. Her PhD research is primarily investigating the potential for the use of brachytherapy treatment schemes for the management of equine ocular squamous cell carcinoma. The research seeks to provide the veterinary sphere with radiation therapy and radiation safety knowledge and expertise through the design and provision of education packages.
Research Profile
Awards
| Australian Learning and Teaching Council Award for Teaching Excellence | |
| NSW Minister for Education Quality Teaching Award | |
| University of Newcastle Vice-Chancellors' Citation for Outstanding Contributions to Student Learning |
Associate Professor Martin Veysey
MBBS, MD, MRCP (UK), FRACP, GCertPTT
Martin is the Director of the Central Coast Teaching & Research Unit. He is involved in medical education across the whole spectrum, from the year 1 undergraduate program at the University of Newcastle to peer assessment of overseas trained specialists as the Area of Need Lead and member of the Adult Medicine OTP Committee of the Royal Australasian College of Physicians. Martin has direct clinical supervision of interns, RMOs and both basic and advanced trainee registrars. He is a member of the local Clinical Training Committee which oversees the clinical training of all PGY1, 2 and 3 doctors both local and IMGs. As director of the Teaching & Research Unit at Gosford, Martin been involved in Interprofessional learning and research. He has have helped establish the simulated learning environment of the Central Coast and is currently a trainer with the Between the Flags "Detect" Program.
Martin's methodological expertise includes: Quantitative biomedical research.
Research Profile