Ageing and Aged Care

Dr Rita Chang

Dr. Chang is an accomplished researcher and clinician with more than 20 years of experience in the field of aged care and dementia. She completed her PhD from the University of Sydney in 2009 and has held various leadership positions within nursing schools, where she has excelled in teaching and research. Dr. Chang has received numerous awards for her contributions to teaching, including the Vice-Chancellor's Award for Outstanding Contribution to Teaching and Learning in 2010, 2011, and 2012, as well as the Award for Excellence in Job Management of the Year as Head of School in 2010. She has also been recognized for her research, receiving the Vice-Chancellor's Award for Excellence in Research Supervision in 2022.

Dr. Chang has established and maintained partnerships with national and international institutions, collaborating on interdisciplinary research and supervising higher research degree students. She has secured funding from industry partnerships and government tenders for clinical research on feeding difficulties, dementia and driving, and delirium care, as well as a WHO iSupport project. Additionally, Dr. Chang serves on the Grants Committee of the Australian Association of Gerontology (AAG) Research Trust since 2021, Board of Directors, of Multicultural Communities Council of Illawarra (MCCI), founding President of Taiwanese Scholar Australia Association (TSAA), nursing home accreditation advisor, member of the committee of dementia and age-friendly city promotion, member of the committee of long-term care development panel and accreditation appraiser of residential aged care facility, by government invitation, to the Department of Health and Aging.

Rita's main research interests and expertise includes:

Dr. Chang's research interests include carer support in the aged and dementia care, cross-cultural dementia care, dementia education for health professionals and carers, and other forms of dementia care, as well as workforce development in a variety of aged care settings, including community, residential, and hospital. She is well-versed in the effects of increased cultural, linguistic, and religious diversity in consumers and the workforce on care models, communication, and care quality in aged and dementia care. Her most recent study focused on the knowledge translation of healthcare practitioners who work with the seniors and their families.

Rita's main methodological expertise includes:

• Qualitative studies (phenomenological study, focus group interview, Observational studies)
• Quantitative studies (cross-sectional study, randomised controlled trial, non-randomised or quasi-experimental trials, longitudinal study)

Currently supervising (PhD), (MHons), (BNHons)

• 5 PhD (Co supervisor)
• 1 PhD

Students to completion (PhD), (MHons), (BNHons)

• 3 PhD
• 1 MPhil

2021 Benjamin Mu-Hsing Ho (PhD) (Primary supervisor)-Strategies to Improve the Knowledge and Clinical Skills for Recognition and Management of Delirium of Critical Care Nurses
2023 Zhenyu ZHANG (PhD) (Co-supervisor)-A Machine-Understandable Ontology for Representing the Domain Knowledge Specific to Non-Pharmacological Treatment of Behavioural and Psychological Symptoms of Dementia
2023 Alera Bowden (PhD) (Co-supervisor)-Exploring the impact of ageing simulation education on acute care nurses' older people
2014 Yun Yan Chen (MPhil) (Primary supervisor)-Effectiveness of Reminiscence therapy for people living with dementia in nursing home setting

Contact details

Phone: +61 2 9685 9034
Mobile:  +61 450 162 006

Email: r.chang2@westernsydney.edu.au

Twitter:   @RitaCha78298491

Dr Antoinette Cotton

Dr Antoinette Cotton is Senior Lecturer and the Academic Course Advisor for the Bachelor of Nursing (Honours), and Bachelor of Nursing (Advanced) programs in the School of Nursing and Midwifery, Western Sydney University. She has extensive experience in participating and leading curriculum development at program and unit level, and at undergraduate, honours and postgraduate level. She is a registered nurse and registered midwife and has had a wide variety of clinical experience. She is a nurse academic experienced in qualitative, quantitative and mixed methods. She has supervised and co-supervised BN (Honours) students to completion and is currently co-supervising Master of Nursing (Honours), Master of Research and PhD candidates, and undertaking the role of principal supervisor for a doctoral candidate. She has a background in research, scholarship and publishing in the areas that include critical reflective practices, clinical supervision, health research in cyberspace, palliative care, workforce issues, women’s health, aged care and health issues related to vulnerable populations.

Antoinette's main research interests and expertise includes:

• Ethical Leadership
• Clinical Leadership
• Mentorship
• Clinical supervision
• Aged Care
• Women’s Health
• Cancer screening
• Disability Community
• Palliative Care
• Ethical and methodological issues in Online Research
• Education and workforce
• Curriculum design for undergraduate, honours and postgraduate programs
• Educational preparation for professional practice
• Critical reflective practices for the professions
• Experiences of students in nursing programs

Antoinette's main methodological expertise includes:

• Qualitative Research Methods
• Mixed Methods Designs
• Co-design Methodologies
• Translational Research

Currently supervising (PhD), (MHons), (BNHons)

• 2 PhD
• 1 MHons
• 1 MRES

Students to completion (PhD), (MHons), (BNHons)

• 1 PhD
• 4 MRES
• 2 BNHons
• 4 BAppsSc(Hons)

Contact details

Phone: +61 2 6985 9501

Email: a.cotton@westernsydney.edu.au

Professor Jane Frost

Professor Jane Frost is a Professor of Nursing. She is a Principal fellow of the Higher Education Academy and certified Lego® Serious Play® facilitator. Jane received an AAUT citation in 2021 for her work in nurse education. She is an experienced educator, clinician, and academic, and a TEDx Speaker. In 2017, Jane was the first person in Australian to be conferred as a Doctor of Nurse Practitioner. Jane has had an extensive clinical career and is passionate about education and work integrated learning. Jane enjoys teaching and employs innovative techniques to prepare students for the realities of clinical practice. To create authentic learning experiences, and enhance epistemic fluency, Jane uses simulation techniques such as Mask-Ed™, HoloLens (mixed reality headsets), 360-degree video, AI and virtual reality. Jane is internationally recognized for her work using technology in nurse and interprofessional education.

Janes's main research interests and expertise includes:

• Learning and Teaching
• Simulation
• Technology-enhanced learning and caring
• Aged care
• Dementia
• VR
• Extended reality
• Interprofessional education

Janes's main methodological expertise includes:

• Qualitative
• Mixed Methods
• Phenomenology

Currently supervising (PhD), (MHons), (BNHons)

• 5 PhD

Students to completion (PhD), (MHons), (BNHons)

• 1 PhD

1. 2019 Louise Nicholson (Professional Doctorate of Nurse Practitioner(research)) (primary supervisor) Barriers and enablers for the Australian oncology nurse practitioner to engage in research in and on practice: A descriptive phenomenological study.

Contact details

Phone: +61 2 4620 3322

Email: j.frost3@westernsydney.edu.au

Twitter: @JaneFrostWSU

Dr Leanne Hunt

Dr Leanne Hunt is a Senior Lecturer in Nursing and Deputy Director, Clinical Education (Nursing), in the School of Nursing and Midwifery at the Western Sydney University. Leanne began nursing in 1992 as an RN progressing to CNC (trauma) and NUM 1. Leanne worked in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in Paediatric cardiothoracic intensive care for 2 years. Leanne has 11 years of education and research experience and is the current chair of the Critical Care Research in Collaboration & Evidence Translation (CCRICET) research group. Leanne is an affiliate member of the Centre for Applied Nursing Research (CANR), Centre for Oral Health Outcomes & Research Translation (COHORT) and the Ingham Institute of Applied Medical Research. Leanne is a qualitative and mixed methods researcher focusing on critical care practice/patient outcomes, workforce development and clinical practice experience. Leanne’s work is collaborative and multidisciplinary and has impacts on critical care patients, families, student nurses, the future nursing workforce and the profession of nursing.

Leanne's main research interests and expertise includes:

• Critical care
• Workforce development
• Undergraduate clinical placement

Leanne's main methodolgical expertise includes:

• Qualitative
• Mixed methods

Currently supervising (PhD), (MHons), (BNHons)

• 2 PhD

Students to completion (PhD), (MHons), (BNHons)

• 1 BNHons

Contact details

Phone: +61 2 4570 1676

Email: l.hunt@westernsydney.edu.au

Dr Stephen McNally

Stephen is proud to say that he has gained a vast amount of experience in academia over the last 30 years and currently holds a senior leadership position in the School of Nursing and Midwifery. Stephen gained his PhD in 2007, titled “Triage Education: From Experience to Practice Standards”. He continues to remain actively engaged in research, publishing in peer reviewed journals and presenting at national and international conferences. During his tenure he has retained his clinical expertise in all areas of critical care, particularly emergency.  Stephen continues to successfully supervise Higher Research Degree students and Stephen would welcome the opportunity to discuss research interests and a plan with any potential higher degree research students.Stephen possesses extensive clinical, teaching and research experience with background in Qualitative/quantitative research, mixed methods design and systematic reviews.

Stephen's main research interests and expertise includes:

• Critical care
• Patient safety
• Nurse education
• Men's health (developing area of interest)

Stephen's main methodological expertise includes:

• Quantitative research
• Quantitative research
• Mixed methods design
• Systematic Reviews

Currently supervising (PhD), (MHons), (BNHons)

• 1 BNHons
• 1 MRes
• 1 PhD

Students to completion (PhD), (MHons), (BNHons)

• 6 BNHons
• 1 MRes

Contact details

Phone: +61 2 9685 9508

Email: s.mcnally@westernsydney.edu.au

Twitter:  @smcnally33

Dr Tiffany Northall

Tiffany Northall completed the Bachelor of Nursing, Master of Nursing with distinction and her PhD at Western Sydney University. She also completed a Graduate Certificate in Nursing Education. Tiffany has been a lecturer at Western Sydney University in undergraduate and post graduate nursing. Throughout her nursing career she worked in a variety of positions including primary health care, palliative care, emergency department and was a clinical nurse specialist in discharge planning. Tiffany’s research focuses on the care of older people in hospital, nursing homes and in the community with a specific interest in transfers of care. She also has an interest in the transition, retention and success of enrolled nurses who enter the Bachelor of Nursing degree. Tiffany has applied a variety of research methodologies including phenomenology and mixed methods.

Tiffany's main research interests and expertise includes:

• Aged Care
• Undergraduate nursing student retention
• Success Health professionals decision making
• Critical reflective practices for the professions

Tiffany's main methodological expertise includes:

• Phenomenology Qualitative Methods

Currently supervising (PhD), (MHons), (BNHons)

• 1 PhD
• 1 MRES

Students to completion (PhD), (MHons), (BNHons)2 BNHons

• 1 BNHons

Contact details

Phone: +61 2 4620 3368

Email: t.northall@westernsydney.edu.au

Twitter:  @TiffanyNorthall

Dr Shyama Ratnayake

Shyama Ratnayake is a registered nurse and an Associate Lecturer in the School of Nursing and Midwifery. She has over 10 years of experience in teaching in tertiary institutions in Australia. Shyama has been employed at WSU since 2010 and has over 5 years of university teaching experience.

Shyama currently coordinates an undergraduate first year clinical unit and is the Deputy First Year Experience Coordinator.

Her research areas include aged care, nutrition, curriculum development and nursing education. She has contributed to a text book dedicated to caring for older people. She has extensive clinical, research and teaching experience in aged care. Her MAppSc work determined the effect of cooking methods and post-processing storage temperatures of polished and unpolished rice.  Her PhD work explored the experiences of undergraduate nursing students regarding the nutrition of older people within the current curriculum practices used by the Australian undergraduate nursing degree.

Shyama's main research expertise includes:

• Aged care
• Nutrition
• Curriculum development
• Nursing education

Shyama's main methodological expertise includes:

• Mixed methods designs
• Qualitative designs
• Survey construction

Students to completion (PhD), (MHons), (BNHons)

• Nil

Currently supervising (PhD), (MHons), (BNHons)

• Nil

Contact details

Phone: +61 2 9685 9568

Email: S.Ratnayake@westernsydney.edu.au