A/Prof. Anthony ( Tony ) O'Brien

Biography

Associate Professor Anthony (Tony) O'Brien joined the University of Newcastle as Senior Clinical Lead Research - Associate Professor Clinical Nursing, Centre for Practice Opportunity and Development - (CPOD) in September 2011. This is a joint appointment with Hunter New England Local Health District. Tony is a mental health nurse with clinical experience in community case management and acute intake and assessment. Since his 1979 hospital registration as a psychiatric/mental health nurse and 1981 registration as a general nurse he has been employed in the UK, New Zealand and Singapore, in either a faculty practice role, or as a Registered Nurse.

Tony has previously worked in a therapeutic community for the Richmond Fellowship with young adults and the Maudsley Hospital (UK) ‘ward within a house’ concept. His clinical experience is extensive across mental health nursing, aged care and in general nursing. In clinical practice Tony has held recent roles as an Registered Nurse Peninsula Health CLIPS team, Honorary Mental Health Nurse (University Hospital, Singapore), RN8 (NCAHS) and Clinical Nurse Consultant (Mayne Health).

As an academic Tony has held positions as lecturer, Senior Lecturer, Head of Department, Assistant Professor, Associate Professor/Campus Head, and Associate Professor clinical research. He has been employed at the University of Newcastle (x 2), UNE (Armidale), Massey (NZ), Southern Cross University, the National University of Singapore (NUS) and Monash University. Tony has been part of the University experience of nursing in Australia since its inception.

Tony’s Bachelor of Arts was obtained at Macquarie University with majors in education and politics (1989) - his Masters of educational studies was obtained at the University Newcastle (1993). His Master’s research dissertation focused on 'measuring graduate attitudes to educational preparation for mental health nursing'. Tony’s Doctoral research (2001) is titled, ‘The Development of Mental Health in Koori Adolescents: Stories and Memories from their Youth.

Previous appointments

• 2009 - 2011 Head of Peninsula Campus, Monash School of Nursing Midwifery, faculty of Medicine, School of Nursing and Midwifery, Monash University
• 2006 - 2008 Assistant Professor Program Co-ordinator, School of Nursing and Midwifery, National University of Singapore (NUS)
• 2003 - 2006 Head of Department - Regional Program coordinator, School of Nursing and Midwifery, Southern Cross University
• 1998 - 2001 Senior Lecturer, Health (School), Massey University
• 1994 - 1997 Director of Clinical and Research Unit Manning Base Hospital, Health (School), University of New England

Qualifications

• PhD, University of New England, 2001
• Master of Educational Studies, University of Newcastle, 1994
• Bachelor of Arts, Macquarie University, 1989

Research

Research keywords

• Clinical Indicators
• Culture
• Curriculum Development
• Ethnography and Grounded Theory
• Indigenous Mental Health
• MIxed methods
• Mental Health Nursing
• Nursing practice
• Survey research

Research expertise

Tony's research expertise include youth culture and culture, Indigenous mental health, best practice in mental health nursing, quality of nursing care, standards and clinical indicators. He has strong interest in educational research, curriculum development and end of life care, families and mental health.

Collaboration

The primary research collaboration is between Hunter New England Health Local Health District (HNELHD), the University of Newcastle and the Priority Research Centre, Health and Behaviour. This collaboration involves The University of Newcastle and Hunter New England Area Health Service in a Centre for Practice Opportunity and Development (CPOD) initiative. CPOD involves facilitating, establishing and building clinical research nursing and midwifery cultures in the Local Health District.

Tony is interested in supervising PhD students in the following areas:

Mental Health Nursing:

• Best practice and interventions
• Therapeutic communities and third spaces
• Indigenous mental health and youth identity
• Serious mental illness and disorder
• Community mental health nursing

Culture and nursing

• Ethnography of nursing practice
• Indigenous nurses/Indigenous mental health
• Research and clinical practice
• Practice development

Curriculum development and educational research - evaluation

• Mental health
• Nursing
• Project development

Palliative Care/end of life care, families and mental health

• Indigenous Palliative care models
• Family experiences in palliative care
• Culture and palliative care
• Mental Health and Palliative care

Languages

• English

Fields of Research

Centres and Groups

Centre

• PRC - Priority Research Centre for Health Behaviour

Teaching

Teaching keywords

• Communication
• Mental Health Nursing
• Research skills