A/Prof. Anthony ( Tony ) O'Brien

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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. 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. Tony’s Bachelor of Arts was obtained at Macquarie University with majors in education and politics (1989) - his Masters of educational studies was from 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 Coordinator, 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 New Zealand

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

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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 includes quantitative and qualitative research methods including ethnography, survey research and mixed methods..

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.

PhD students supervision in the following areas:

Mental Health Nursing:

Clinical practice research

Culture and nursing

Curriculum development and educational research - evaluation

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

Languages

• English

Fields of Research

Code	Description	Percentage
111005	Mental Health Nursing	50
130209	Medicine, Nursing And Health Curriculum And Pedagogy	30
111099	Nursing Not Elsewhere Classified	20

Centres and Groups

Centre

• PRC - Priority Research Centre for Health Behaviour

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Administrative

Administrative expertise

School of Nursing and Midwifery head of department and campus - clinical lead research - student progress - research higher degree completion - higher education funding - student support services - academic programs development administration and evaluation - online program development and teaching

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Teaching

Teaching keywords

• Communication
• Mental Health Nursing
• Research skills

Teaching expertise

Mental health nursing - research methods - medical and surgical nursing - therapeutic communication - assessment