Global Utilities

La Trobe University
Division of Nursing & Midwifery
Associate Professor Amanda Kenny

Associate Professor Amanda Kenny

Director, Faculty of Health Sciences, Bendigo

Room 3.02, Health Building
Ph: 5444 7545
Fx: 5444 7977
Email: a.kenny@latrobe.edu.au

Teaching Responsibilities:

  • Health Assessment
  • Aged Care
  • Acute Care
  • Information Literacy
  • Health Care Management
  • Palliative care

Research Interests:

  • Rural Health including service delivery, health policy and rural workforce
  • Women's Health
  • Nursing Education  

Doctoral thesis: 

Kenny, A (2003) Place, People and Politics: Victoria's Rural Hospitals

Editorial appointment:

Assistant Editor (Southern Hemisphere) Journal of Clinical Nursing (United Kingdom)  

International appointment:

Member of Scientific Committee Nurse Education Tomorrow major international conference (United Kingdom)

Honorary appointments:

Senior Research Fellow. Collaborative Health Education and Research Centre (CHERC) Bendigo Health.

Board member Bendigo Community Health Centre

Research grants:

(2008) Mental Health Curriculum Development in Undergraduate Degrees Department of Health and Ageing $49958

 (2007) Department of Human Services, Service & Workforce Planning Expanding organisational capacity: a model for strengthening rural nursing undergraduate clinical experience $48141.32

(2007) Department of Human Services, Nurse Policy Branch Strengthening Mature Age Students Access into Undergraduate Nursing Education  $48900.00

(2006) Uniting Church of Australia Peer education for young people with dual diagnosis with Susan Kidd $7000.00

 (2005) Development of an Undergraduate Degree with a Mental Health Major Department of Human Services $149916

(2005) Mona Menzies Grant Nurses Board of Victoria with Dr Ann Allenby. An investigation of a rural psychosocial model of care.  $50,000

(2005) Faculty of Health Sciences Faculty Research Grant with Dr Julie Ellis. An investigation into psychosocial care practices in rural aged care nursing $6,600

(2004) Windermere Foundation Special Grant with Professor Ruth Endacott, Associate Professor Mari Botti, Dr Rosemary Watts. Psychosocial support of patients with cancer in rural areas. $7,000

(2000) Department of Human Services Victoria, Hospital Outpatient and Emergency Services in Rural Victoria with Professor Stephen Duckett. $50,000

Current consultancies:

Alpine Health Urgent Care Service Evaluation

Alpine Health Nurse Practitioner Service Plan Development

Nova House Residential Drug and Alcohol Service Evaluation Bendigo Community Health

Research supervision:

Current students:

Ms Melanie Bish (with Professor Rhonda Nay) candidate Doctor of Philosophy Nursing Leadership in rural hospitals

Ms Susan Kidd (with Dr Jon Willis) candidate Doctor of Philosophy Community mental health in rural and regional  areas

Mr Craig Phillips (University of South Australia with Professor Adrian Esterman and Dr Colleen Smith) candidate Doctor of Philosophy Employment choice and transition to practice

Ms Lesley Osenieks candidate Doctor of Philosophy (with Professor Margot Schofield) Clinicians experience of managing adolescents with eating disorders

Ms Kaye Knight candidate Master of Nursing (Research) (with Professor Ruth Endacott) Rural nurses and telephone triage.

Ms Katrina Nankervis candidate Master of Nursing Science (with Ms Melanie Bish) Enhanced scope of practice of Division Two nurses in rural hospitals

Ms Fiona Faulks candidate Master of Nursing Science (with Professor Sue McDonald) Rural and regional midwifery care

Ms Tracy Kidd candidate Master of Nursing (with Dr Terri Meehan Andrews) Rural nurses management of clients in the emergency department.

Ms Sandy Connors candidate Bachelor of Nursing (Honours) (with Dr Terri Meehan Andrews) Young rural women’s perceptions of health

Completed students:

Ms Susan Kidd (Master of Nursing Science) Health professional and consumer advocate perceptions of consumer participation in programs treating people diagnosed with eating disorders.

Mr Tim Lenten (Master of Nursing Science) Master of Nursing Science Rural nurses perceptions of clinical supervision.

Ms Melanie Bish (Master of Nursing) Women’s self perception post breast reconstruction

Ms Sarah Connell Bachelor of Nursing Science (Honours) Older people’s perceptions of sexuality in rural areas

Ms Melanie Jarvis  Bachelor of Nursing Science (Honours) Paediatric Pain Assessment by rural nurses

Ms Jennifer Tuena Bachelor of Nursing Science (Honours) Rural nurses role in the delivery of palliative care

Ms Sari Williams  Bachelor of Nursing Science (Honours) Endometriosis: From symptoms to diagnosis.

Ms Alana Byron  Bachelor of Nursing Science (Honours) Generalist rural nurses caring for patients with mental health related problems.

Recent Publications:

Nankervis K., Kenny A & Bish M (in press) Enhancing scope of practice for the second level nurse. A change process to meet growing demand for health services Contemporary Nurse

Kenny A., Endacott R., Botti M., Watts R. (2007) Emotional toil : providing psychosocial care to patients with cancer in the rural setting Journal of Advanced Nursing 30, 5, 1073-1079 

Kidd S., Kenny A. & Endacott R. (2007) Consumer advocate and clinician perceptions of consumer participation in two rural mental health services International Journal of Mental Health Nursing., 16, 214-222

Botti M., Endacott R., Watts R., Cairns J., Lewis K. & Kenny A (2006) Barriers in providing psychosocial support for patients with cancer, Cancer Nursing., 29 (4) 309-316

Kenny A., Kidd S., Jarvis,M., Tuena, J. & Robertson, A (2006) Falling through the cracks: Supporting young people with dual diagnosis in rural and regional Victoria, Australian Journal of Primary Health 12,3 12-19

Kenny A. (2005) Interaction in cyberspace : An online focus group, Journal of Advanced Nursing., 49, 4, 414-422

Kenny A., and Duckett S. (2005) An online study of enrolled nurse conversion, Journal of Advanced Nursing., 49, 4, 423-431

Kenny A., Carter L., Martin S., and Williams S. (2004) Why four years when three will do? Enhanced knowledge for rural practice, Nursing Inquiry., 11, 108-116

Kenny A. (2004) Medical dominance and power : A rural perspective, Health Sociology Review., 13, 2, 158-165

Kenny A., and Duckett S. (2004), A question of place: medical power in rural Australia. Social Science and Medicine, 58,6 1059-1073

Kenny A., and Duckett S. (2003) Educating for rural nursing practice. Journal of Advanced Nursing, 44, 6 613-622

Kenny A. (2002) Online learning: enhancing nurse education, Journal of Advanced Nursing., 38, 2 127-135

Kenny A., and Kendall S.,(2001) Serving two masters: quality teaching and learning versus economic rationalism, Nurse Education Today., 21, 648-655

Kenny A. (2000) Untangling the Web ... barriers and benefits for nurse education ... an Australian perspective, Nurse Education Today., 20, 5, 381-388

Duckett S., and Kenny A.(2000) Hospital outpatient and emergency services in rural Victoria, Australian Health Review., 23, 4, 115-125

Kenny A.(1998) Self directed learning ...an appropriate model for nursing education? AEJNE., 4, 1

Recent conference presentations:

3rd Annual Rural Health Conference Student fellowships: the key to preparing nursing students to meet the challenges of chronic disease May 1 2008

Invited key speaker at MIDAC Conference Melbourne Paid clinical models as a workforce strategy for midwifery February 8 2008

Designing nursing curricula to meet the needs of a diverse and changing student group International Nurse Educators Conference 2007 : New Visions for Nursing Education November 14th – 16th November 2007 Hong Kong Polytechnic University Hong Kong

Strengthening health service and university linkages: an innovative approach to curriculum design. International Nurse Educators Conference  : New Visions for Nursing Education November 14th – 16th November  2007 Hong Kong Polytechnic University Hong Kong

Clinical Placement Innovation Projects Symposium.  Department of Human Services Melbourne Expanding organisational capacity: a model for strengthening rural nursing undergraduate clinical experience October 16 2007

Research Week University of South Australia Visiting Scholar September 2007

NET International participative conference healthcare education. September 4th-6th 2007 Cambridge, United Kingdom – Chair of three day theme session

International Nurse Educators Conference 2007 : New Visions for Nursing Education Hong Kong Polytechnic University Australian representative on two symposium panels as part of keynote address.

Supporting enrolled nurse conversion – the impact of a compulsory bridging program NET International participative conference healthcare education. September 4th-6th 2007 Cambridge, United Kingdom

Invited key speaker at 9th National Breast Care Nurses Conference Melbourne Convention Centre - Supporting rural nurses: A model of clinical supervision February 7 2007

Supporting rural nurses: an innovative approach to education Nurse Education Tomorrow Conference 5-7th September 2006 Durham, United Kingdom (Core address)

Place, People and Politics : Rural hospitals in Australia 11th Qualitative Health Research Conference, Utrecht, The Netherlands. May 11-13 2005

Major reports:

Expanding organisational capacity: a model for strengthening rural nursing undergraduate clinical experience, Department of Human Services Melbourne

Strengthening Mature Age Students Access into Undergraduate Nursing Education, Department of Human Services Melbourne

An investigation of a rural psychosocial model of care, Nurses Board of Victoria

Duckett, S & Kenny, A Hospital Outpatient and Emergency Services in Rural Victoria, Department of Human Services Melbourne

Major Awards:

2004 Association of Commonwealth Universities (United Kingdom) Dr Anastasios Christodoula International Award.

2003 Public Health Association of Australia (Vic Branch) Travel Award.

2002 Excellence in Teaching Award (Undergraduate Teaching) La Trobe University