Ms Shanna Fealy

Shanna has over 10 years’ experience as a Registered Nurse and Midwife. Completing a Bachelor of Nursing Degree at the University of Western Sydney in 2001. Shanna embarked on a career predominately in cardiac nursing working at the Prince of Wales Hospital in Sydney before taking the opportunity to Nurse abroad in various health facilities in the United Kingdom. Shanna began a career in midwifery in 2005 completing a Graduate Diploma in Midwifery through the Port Macquarie Base Hospital and Charles Sturt University. Shanna became interested in a career in nursing and midwifery education upon completion of her Master of Midwifery studies in 2008 at the University of Newcastle. She accepted various casual academic and clinical teaching appointments before becoming a permanent member of the teaching staff in June 2014.

Throughout this time Shanna has maintained clinical currency as a registered midwife/nurse at the Port Macquarie Base Hospital. Shanna has been involved with the Bachelor of Midwifery program at University of Newcastle Port Macquarie Campus as a lecturer since June 2013. Shanna was actively involved in the development of a new Bachelor of Midwifery curriculum that was accredited in December 2015 and is now actively developing course content for this program.

Shanna is an early career researcher and current PhD candidate with the University of Newcastle. Shanna’s research interests surround improving maternal and infant health. She is currently investigating antenatal weighing and gestational weight gain through her PhD work. As a member of the School of Medicine and Public Health and Hunter Medical Research Institute HMRI, Shanna has been able to establish research networks to progress research in the Mid North Coast Local Health District. Shanna is also involved with research teams currently researching, writing articles and grants for various research projects in the areas of maternal nutrition, perinatal mental health, teaching and learning innovations and translational research.

Shanna's main research interest and Phd focus is investigating antenatal weighing and gestational weight gain. Excessive gestational weight gain is independently associated with both short and long term adverse maternal and infant health outcomes. Weighing pregnant women during antenatal care episodes as an intervention to reduce excessive gestational weight gain particularly in the management of obese pregnant women is currently being recommended however the evidence base for this intervention has not been established. A systematic review and meta -analysis has been undertaken to determine the evidence base for weighing as a stand-alone intervention to reduce excessive gestational weight gain and is being currently being reviewed for publication.

Shanna is additionally a co chief investigator on a midwifery research project that has established a postnatal maternity outpatient clinic at the Port Macquarie Base Hospital. This was made possible by being awarded a

$15 000 Mid North Coast Local Health District Quality and Innovation Grant in 2015.

She is also the Chief Investigator of a postnatal psychosocial education smart phone application project that has attracted 17 000 in grant funding.