Professor Gerry Farrell

Associate Dean, Head of Division, Professor of Nursing

GS317
Ph: +61 3 9479 5868
Fx: +61 3 9479 5842
Email: g.farrell@latrobe.edu.au

Qualifications

RN, DN (Uni. of Lond.), Cert Ed (Garnett Coll., Lond.), MSc (Uni. of Surrey), PhD (UTAS).

Current Research Interests

Staff relationships in the work place.
Good staff relations are integral for workers' and the organisation's mental and financial health. Yet, among one of the largest groups of human service workers, nurses, there is an almost complete lack of attention to workplace relationships. The studies that have been conducted are in the main theoretical accounts and based on anecdotes or very small samples. Findings from my own studies indicate that nurses are more concerned about poor staff cohesion than patient aggression. Lack of colleague support was a major stress factor for many respondents.

Other research interests include: Management of aggression; The use of on-line learning to teach clinical communication skills; Issues in and around mental health care; Psychological aspects of care.

Selected publications

Farrell, G.A., Bobrowski, C. & Bobrowski, P. (2006) Scoping Workplace Aggression in Nursing (SWAN): Results from an Australian study. Journal of Advanced Nursing. In Press.

Farrell, G.A. & Cubit, K. (2005) Nurses Under Threat: A Comparison of content of 28 Aggression Management Programs. International Journal of Mental Health Nursing. 14, 44-53.

Farrell, G.A. & Bobrowski, C. (2004) Personality Disorders. In R. Elder., K.Evans., & D. Nizette. (Eds.) Psychiatric and Mental Health Nursing. Sydney, Elsevier Mosby.

Campbell, A., Walker, J. & Farrell, G.A. (2003) Confirmatory factor analysis of the GHQ-12: Can I see that again? Australian and New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry, 37: 475-483.

Farrell, G.A. (2003) Horizontal Violence: Infection at work. Hospital & Healthcare. Oct, 12-13

Roberts, K. & Farrell, G.A. (2003) Expectations and perceptions of graduates' performance at the start and at the end of their graduate year. Collegian, 10, 2: 13-18.

Farrell, G.A. (2002) Guest Editorial - Leading Opinions, The challenges facing clinical education in nursing. Collegian, Vol 9, 2: 6.

Handley, C. Farrell, G.A., Josephs, A., Hanke, A.& Hazelton,M. (2001). The Tasmanian Children's Project: The Needs of Children with a Parent/Carer with a Mental Illness. Australian and New Zealand Journal of Mental Health Nursing. 10, 221-228.

Hazelton, M. and Farrell, G.A. (1998) Evaluating the Outcomes of Mental Health Care: An Introduction. Sydney, Australian and New Zealand College of Mental Health Nurses Inc.

Farrell, G.A. (1997) Getting Up to Speed with Evidence-Based Practice. Sydney, Australian and New Zealand College of Mental Health Nurses Inc.

Farrell, G. A. and Gray, C. (1992) Aggression: A Nurses' Guide to Therapeutic Management. London, Scutari Press/Harcourt Brace.