Wednesday, September 2. 2009
Dean's Report August 2009
Professor Hal Swerissen
The University is strongly committed to growth in response to the Federal Government's aim to expand the number of young people with a degree by 30% over the next 15 years. Our program of curriculum change, clinical school networks and the introduction
of the La Trobe Rural Health School is a key part of the La Trobe's growth strategy, but in the end the Faculty's success is based on the commitment of the staff. In particular, I would like to thank all staff who assisted with open day activities this year. We had a great response and I look forward to it translating to greater student demand in 2010!
Out and About
- Reappointed as Director of Alfred Health for a further three year
term. - Attended launch of health reform in Canberra by Prime Minister.
- The regional strategy for La Trobe was launched in Albury Wodonga and Shepparton.
- Attended the National Health Workforce Taskforce clinical training funding reference group meeting in Sydney.
- Participated in the National Health and Medical Research Partnerships Research panel in Canberra.
- Attended the Innovative Research Universities Australia Senior Management Forum.
- Participated in the development of the National Primary Care Strategy as a member of the Minister for Health's External Reference Group.
- Published an opinion article in The Age on health reform.
Staff Publications
Bragge, A. & Fenner, P. (2009) The Emergence of the 'Interactive Square' as an Approach to Art Therapy with Children on the Autistic Spectrum. International Journal of Art Therapy 14 (1).
Liamputtong, P. (2009) Qualitative data analysis: Conceptual and practical considerations. Australian Journal of Health Promotion,
20 (2), 133-139.
Carey, L.B., Rumbold, B., Cohen, J. (2009) Health Care Chaplaincy and Euthanasia in Australia (Feature article), Scottish Journal of Healthcare Chaplaincy, Vol. 12, No. 1, p. 1-9.
Williamson Dianne, Best Practice Article on the website of www.latrobe.edu.au/careers/staff/staff-profiles/DWilliamson.html
A non-residential alternative to off campus writers' retreats for academics Authors: Virginia Dickson-Swift, Erica L. James, Sandra Kippen; Lyn Talbot; Glenda Verrinder; Bernadette Ward. www.informaworld.com/smpp/content~db=all?content=10.1080/03098770903026156
McLachlan H, Forster D. The safety of home birth: is the evidence good enough? CMAJ. Accepted for publication 9 July 2009.
(Invited commentary) IF = 7.5.
McLachlan HL, Gold L, Forster DA, et al. Women's views of postnatal care in the context of the increasing pressure on postnatal beds in Australia. Women Birth, 2009. May 22 (E-pub ahead of print). IF = 0.9.
Forster D, McLachlan H. Women's views and experiences of breast feeding:
positive, negative, or just good for the baby? In press, Midwifery. Accepted 24 April 2008. IF =1.04.
Staff Presentations
Carey, L.B. (2009) 'Chaplaincy, Pastoral and Spiritual Care Research': Integrating spirituality in the practice of health care', Seminar Paper presented at the 3rd Australian Conference on Spirituality and Health,
13-15 July, Elder Hall, University of Adelaide, South Australia.
Carey, L.B. (2009) 'The Sacralisation of Identity Interfaith Spiritual Care Paradigm': Integrating spirituality in the practice of health care', Key Note Address presented at the 3rd Australian Conference on Spirituality
and Health, 13-15 July, Elder Hall, University of Adelaide, South Australia.
Jon Willis has been invited to the 17th Ministerial Rural Health Forum
7/8/09 - he will be speaking on "Indigenous Health Issues and Rural
Victoria.
Prof Warburton chaired an international symposium on age friendly communities at the International Assoc of Geriatrics and Gerontology Conference in Paris, July; she also was invited to present at a symposium at Shandong University in Jinan, China in July on Productive Ageing.
Dr Eileen Petrie presented a paper at an International Community Health Nursing Research conference in Adelaide this month. The conference theme "Health in Transition - Researching the Future" focussed on the future of nursing, leadership roles of nurses and nurse-led policy development.
Lael Ridgway also presented to the international 'Health In Transition: Researching for the Future' conference. The talk was entitled "Use of information technology in primary health care: the views and experiences of nurses working in the Maternal and Child Health (MCH) Service".
Dr Eileen Petrie and Ms Judith Moore, Upper Hume Primary Care Partnership presented a paper at the National Rural health conference held in Perth in May. The presentation reflected the benefits and outcomes of forming an alliance between La Trobe University undergraduate nursing students and community agencies in the development of health promotion.
Dr Helen McLachlan recently presented three papers at the Perinatal Society of Australia and New Zealand Conference.
Research - Funding and Grant Success
Staff in Podiatry and the MRC were recently awarded a competitive, external research grant. Podiatrists Registration Board of Victoria Research Funding Scheme: $85,000,
Investigators: Landorf KB, Raspovic A, Bird AR, Menz HB, Miller J, Tenant J, Spring A., Project Title: : Offloading modalities for
healing and preventing diabetic neuropathic foot ulceration: a multi-centred, evidence-based project. This was a joint application and the last three investigators are from Austin Health and Northern Health.
Podiatry has recently finalised Memorandum's of Understanding with the University of Salford and the University of Southampton in England. These have primarily been set up to further research links and to investigate teaching staff swaps between the universities.
The large rural aged care workforce research project funded by DHS
is well under way at the John Richards Initiative with 5 research staff.
New ARC Linkage grant 2009-11, Obst, White, Warburton, Spencer, Responding to the rural skills crisis: Developing and implementing an empirical model of incentives to attract retired/semi-retired professionals as volunteers in rural areas. This model will be implemented in rural sites across Queensland and Victoria.
Two new PhD scholarships have been awarded at the John Richards Initiative (one funded by regional DHS) and both students will start on 1 September.
The Centre for Health Communication and Participation has been awarded nationally competitive grant funding from the Department
of Health and Ageing for Cochrane Collaboration activities in Australia for three years.
Pearson Education Videos
The Division of Nursing and Midwifery was approached by publishers, Pearson Education to develop nursing skills videos as a companion to their text, Fundamentals of Nursing, Australian Edition. Three skills DVDs have been produced and are currently being used as a resource for a year one nursing unit. We are currently developing another five DVDs.
Accreditation News
The Australian Physiotherapy Council has advised that full accreditation of the La Trobe Bachelor of Physiotherapy programs at Bundoora and Bendigo had been extended to 2012. The
Accreditation Panel report commended the School on many aspects of the accreditation submission and the quality of the physiotherapy program.
Social Work accreditation visit week of 17 August.
Awards
Congratulations to Robert Townsend, Social Work, Bendigo who has just had passed his PhD.
Anne Holland, Associate Professor of Physiotherapy at Alfred Health,
was recently awarded a Jack Brockhoff Foundation Churchill Fellowship. The fellowship will enable Anne to investigate new ways to deliver pulmonary rehabilitation to Australians with chronic lung disease using broadband technology. She will travel to Norway, Spain, Scotland, Canada and the USA to visit world leaders in the provision of remote pulmonary rehabilitation via the internet. Anne's project aims to address the shortage of pulmonary rehabilitation programs in regional and rural areas of Australia and to improve access to this essential service using new technologies. The Winston Churchill Memorial Trust Fellowships were presented at Government House by Governor de Kretser on 31st July.
Professor David de Kretser, Governor of Victoria, presenting award to Anne Holland.
Photo by Tegan Ringin.
Julie Bernhardt leads the Very Early Rehabilitation Research Program, a key aim of which is to determine the efficacy, cost effectiveness and mechanisms of very early (<24 hours) and intensive exercise for people following stroke. The National Heart Foundation Career Development Awards are highly competitive. Julie was delighted to receive an award, "to be named as the top ranked fellow for Victoria was incredibly exciting, particularly given that my research field is in the less prominent area of stroke".
Professor de Kretser presented Julie with the award at ceremony held at the National Heart Foundation head office in Melbourne. "Professor
de Kretser is an enthusiastic medical scientist and having him present the award and show interest in my research was a real thrill" Julie said.
Telmo Languiller, Parliamentary Secretary (left), and Professor David de Kretser, Governor of Victoria (right) with Julie Bernhardt.
Submission of Curriculum for Approval
The Division of Nursing and Midwifery has submitted four curriculum proposals to the Nurses Board of Victoria for approval, i.e. :
- The Bachelor of Nursing (Graduate Entry)
- The Bachelor of Nursing (Division 2 Conversion)
- The Bachelor of Nursing (Post-Registration)
- Master of Nursing (Nurse Practitioner)
Staff Changes
Professor Rhonda Nay is taking over as Director of the Australian Institute for Primary Care for the next 12 months. This role is in addition to Rhonda's leadership of ACEBAC and the Institute for Social Participation. Rhonda is replacing Assoc. Professor Peter Foreman, Associate Dean, International & Future Students in the Faculty.
Lorna Luke is ending a long career with the Australian Institute for Primary Care and La Trobe University. Her contribution over the years has been enormous and her absence will be deeply felt.
Shane O'Meara has been appointed to the position of Business
Manager within AIPC.
Mr Kevin Anslow, Admin Officer, Div of Nursing & Midwifery, Bundoora.
Ms Michelle Kuipers, Admin Officer, Alfred Clinical School.
Ms Joanna Lee, Research Assistant, Div of Nursing & Midifery, Bundoora.
Ms Sally Squire, Lecturer in Nursing, Albury-Wodonga. Professor Susan McDonald has been elected Co-Chair
International Confederation of Midwives Education Standing
Committee.
Student Achievements
Nicholas Gaynor, Masters of Nursing (Nurse Practitioner) was recently endorsed by the Nurses Board of Victoria as a Mental Health Nurse Practitioner.
Rebecca Sedgman who completed her Masters of Nursing
(Nurse Practitioner) in June has been advised by the Nurses Board of Victoria that she has been endorsed as an Emergency Nurse Practitioner. Rebecca is the 50th nurse to be endorsed in Victoria!
Anne Booms a Masters of Nursing (Nurse Practitioner) student, will be presenting a paper entitled: "Breaking the Silence... Autism and Palliative Care: A case Study" at the 5th Australian College of Nurse Practitioners Conference.
There were six presentations by midwifery Masters students at the Perinatal Society of Australia and New Zealand Conference. One of the students received the new investigator award for the best poster in midwifery.
Other Divisional News
The Division of Nursing & Midwifery hosted an Inaugural Nurse Educator
Workshop for sessional staff on 27 August 2009.
Alternate Format
- Dean's Report August 2009 (PDF 2.13MB)