MIFam

Mother Infant Family Network (MIFam)


Associate Professor Elaine Burns
(Midwifery Supervisor)

Associate Professor Elaine BurnsImage Elain Burns

Elaine Burns is an Associate Professor of Midwifery and Director of Higher Degree Research and Honours, in the School of Nursing and Midwifery. Elaine is an experienced midwifery clinician, educator and researcher. Her research is focussed on breastfeeding, midwifery practice/education and the experience of maternity care. In the topic area of breastfeeding Elaine is ranked number 6 in the SciVal list of Top 500 researchers in the Asia/Pacific. Elaine’s work is multidisciplinary and collaborative and is recognised nationally and internationally with a robust publication track record of more than 40 peer reviewed publications, and 60 conference and seminar presentations, including as invited speaker. Elaine has been awarded multiple research grants to further investigate barriers to breastfeeding and models of maternity care. Her work has been cited in broadcast and print media including more than 50,000 readers in articles written for The Conversation. Elaine is passionate about improving support during pregnancy, birth and the early transition to mothering.

Elaine's main research interests and expertise includes:

  • Midwifery
  • Breastfeeding
  • Postnatal Care
  • Pregnancy Care
  • Birth
  • Women's experiences of Maternity Care
  • Migrant and refugee women's experiences
  • Peer support
  • Oral health
  • Homebirth
  • Models of care
  • Young parents
  • Education

Elaine's main methodological expertise includes:

Elaine has conducted large scale national surveys for the collection of both quantitative and qualitative data and has experience in managing large ARC funded projects including qualitative and mixed method studies. Qualitative methodologies include discourse analysis, ethnography, phenomenology.

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

  • 3 BNHons
  • 3 MRes
  • 3 PhD

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

  • 1 BNHons
  • 2 MPhil
  • 1 MRes
  • 4 PhD
  1. 2021 MPhil Jenni Doust (Primary Supervisor)
  2. 2021 MRES Louise Duursma (Primary Supervisor)
  3. 2021 PhD Hazel Keedle (Co-supervisor)
  4. 2019 PhD Shu Fei Yang (Co-Supervisor)
  5. 2018 PhD Jeni Stevens (Co-Supervisor)
  6. 2018 PhD Titaree Phanwichatkul (Co-Supervisor)
  7. 2017 MPhil Hazel Keedle (Co-Supervisor)
  8. 2017 BN Honours Class 1 Heather Sassine (Co-Supervisor)

Contact details

Phone: +61 2 9685 9818

Email: e.burns@westernsydney.edu.au

Twitter:  @elainebdmidwife

Professor Hannah Dahlen
(Midwifery Supervisor)

Professor Hannah Dahlen Professor Hannah Dahlen

Professor Hannah Dahlen Hannah Dahlen AM is a Professor of Midwifery, Associate Dean Research and Higher Degree Research and Midwifery Discipline Lead in the School of Nursing and Midwifery at Western Sydney University.

Qualifications: RN, RM, BN (Hons 1st class), MCommN, PhD, Grad Cert Midwifery (pharmacology), FACM Hannah Dahlen is the Professor of Midwifery, Associate Dean Research and Higher Degree Research and Midwifery Discipline Lead of Midwifery and in the School of Nursing and Midwifery, Western Sydney University. She has been a midwife for 30 years.

Hannah has over 200 published journal articles and book chapters and has strong national and international research partnerships. She has received more than 20 grants since 2000, including being a CI on three NHMRC grants and an ARC Linkage grant. She has spoken at over 100 national and international conferences in the past 5 years and given invited keynote addresses at most of these.Hannah is regularly interviewed in the media and sought out for expert comment.

In 2019 Hannah was awarded a Member (AM) of the Order of Australia (General Division) in the Queen’s Birthday Honours list for her significant services to midwifery, nursing and medical education and research. In November 2012 Hannah was named in the Sydney Morning Herald’s list of 100 “people who change our city for the better” and named as one of the leading “science and knowledge thinkers” for 2012.

Hannah's main research interests and expertise includes:

  • Midwifery
  • Normal birth
  • Birth interventions
  • Media
  • Water Birth
  • Perineal trauma
  • Incontinence
  • Epigenetics
  • Oral Health
  • Health Policy
  • Acupuncture
  • Homebirth
  • Birth Centres
  • Fear
  • Risk
  • Birth trauma
  • Human rights in childbirth
  • Models of care
  • Vaginal examination
  • Maternal death
  • Maternal complications
  • Perinatal outcomes
  • Young parents
  • Obesity
  • CALD women's outcomes
  • Birth positions
  • Birth experiences

Hannah's main methodological expertise includes:

Hannah has experience with both quantitative and qualitative methodologies. She has undertaken systematic reviews (meta-analysis and meta-synthesis) , randomised controlled trials, prospective cohort studies, retrospective cohort studies, population based studies, surveys, grounded theory, narrative analysis, phenomenology, ethnography, thematic analysis, content analysis (qual and quant), and mixed methods.

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

  • 2 BNHons
  • 2 MRES
  • 9 PhD

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

  • 6 BN(Hons)
  • 5 M(Hons)
  • 13 PhD

Hannah has had 6 Honours completions, all First Class Honours. Two of her Honours students received the University Medal in 2011 and 2016. In total Hannah has had 24 Honours/HDR completions since 2009.

  1. 2009 - Jeni Stevens (BN Honours 1st Class) (Primary Supervisor) - Midwives’ and Doulas’ Perspectives of the Role of the Doula in Australia: A qualitative study
  2. 2010 - Heather Pearce (BN Honours 1st Class) (Co-supervisor) – Pregnancy related low back and pelvic girdle pain: Listening to Australian women
  3. 2011 - Holly Priddis (BN Honours 1st class and UWS University Medal) (Primary Supervisor) - Facilitating physiological birth positioning in two different birth settings: An ethnographic exploration into facilitators and inhibitors
  4. 2016- Hannah Olley (BN Honours 1st Class) (Co-supervisor) . Facilitating closeness between babies with congenital abnormalities
  5. 2017- Heather Sassine (BN Honours 1st Class) (Primary Supervisor) – The needs and experiences of women who choose homebirth in Australia: a national survey
  6. 2017- Jo Hunter (BN Hons). (1st Class) (Primary Supervisor) The experiences of privately practising midwives in Australia who have been reported to the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency: A qualitative study
  7. 2012 - Felicity Copeland(Masters Hons) (Co-supervisor)Midwives interpretation of childbirth through photo elicitation
  8. 2012 - Susan Harvey (Masters Hons - Award for best thesis 2014) (Co-supervisor) – Judgement, hope and identity: Stories of health care mothering in the perinatal period from women receiving opioid treatment
  9. 2014 - Suha Hussein (Masters Honours – Award for best thesis 2014) (Co-supervisor) - The barriers and facilitators of introducing evidence-based practices around the use of episiotomy in Jordan.
  10. 2015 - Hazel Keedle (Masters Honours) (Primary Supervisor) - Women’s reasons for and experiences of having a homebirth following a previous caesarean section.
  11. 2018 Leonie Hewitt- (Masters Research- High Distinction) (Primary Supervisor). What attributes do Australian midwifery leaders identify as being essential to effectively manage a Midwifery Group Practice (MGP)?
  12. 2013 - Christine Catling (PhD) (Co-supervisor) - The influences on women who choose a publicly funded homebirth
  13. 2014 - Debra Betts (PhD) (Co-supervisor) – Acupuncture treatment in threatened miscarriage: A mixed methods study.
  14. 2015 - Melanie Jackson (PhD) (Primary Supervisor) - Birthing Outside the System.
  15. 2015 - Holly Priddis (PhD) (Primary Supervisor) – An evaluation of Health Services for women who have experienced severe perineal trauma: A mixed methods study.
  16. 2015 - Mike Amour (PhD) (Co-supervisor) - The effectiveness of acupuncture in the treatment of primary dysmenorrhea: A mixed methods study
  17. 2015 – Kate Levett (PhD) (Co-supervisor) - The Complete Birth Study: Effectiveness of a complex antenatal education program incorporating complementary medicine techniques for pain relief in labour and birth for first time mothers: A mixed methods study
  18. 2018 - Jeni Stevens (PhD) (Primary Supervisor). Facilitators, barriers and implications of immediate skin-to-skin contact after caesarean section: An ethnographic study
  19. 2018 Alison Teate (PhD) (Primary Supervisor). From Worry to hope: An ethnography of midwife-woman interactions in the antenatal appointment.
  20. 2019 Lindsay Cole (PhD) (Co-supervisor) – Discourse Analysis on giving birth in South Australia: An ethnomethodological approach
  21. 2017 Simone Ormsby (PhD) (Co-supervisor) - Evaluation of the effectiveness of acupuncture treatment for antenatal and postnatal depression
  22. 2021 Suha Hussein (PhD) (Co-supervisor) –Jordanian women’s perceptions od episiotomy and other birth interventions” an intergenerational qualitative study
  23. 2021 Elizabeth Rigg (PhD) (Primary Supervisor) – The role of unregulated birth workers in Australia from the perspective of birth workers and women
  24. 2021 Hazel Keedle (PhD) (Primary Supervisor) – The experiences of women planning a VBAC in Australia

Contact details

Phone: +61 2 9685 9118

Email: h.dahlen@westernsydney.edu.au

Twitter: @Hannahdahlen

Dr Rakime Elmir
(Midwifery Supervisor)

Dr Rakime ElmirRakime Elmir

Dr Rakime Elmir is a lecturer in both the nursing and midwifery directorates. Her passion is midwifery and believes in providing women the 'choice' to make informed decisions. Rakime completed her PhD in 2012 focusing on women's experiences of severe postpartum haemorrhage and emergency hysterectomy. Since completing her doctoral work, she has extended her research interests around father's experiences of traumatic birth and midwives experiences of obstetric emergencies.

Rakime's main research interests and expertise includes:

  • Qualitative research
  • Birth trauma
  • High risk / complications in pregnancy and birth
  • Father's birth
  • Postnatal experiences
  • Women's health

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

  • Nil

Contact details

Phone: +61 2 4620 3372

Email: r.elmir@westernsydney.edu.au

Dr Jann Foster

Dr Jann FosterImage of Dr Jann Foster

Dr Jann Foster main research expertise includes:

  • Neonatal
  • Infant and paediatric nursing and reflective practice: Including pain management of neonates, infants and children
  • Nutrition and feeding of neonates and infants including gastrointestinal disorders
  • Respiratory management of neonates and infants
  • The use of technology in the neonatal intensive care setting

Jann's main methodological expertise includes:

  • Historical research
  • Descriptive qualitative research
  • Randomised controlled trials
  • Surveys
  • Quantitative comparative studies
  • Systematic reviews

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

  • 1 BNHons

Contact details

Phone: +61 2 4620 3667

Email: j.foster@westernsydney.edu.au

Professor Donna Hartz
(Midwifery Supervisor)

Professor Donna Hartz

Professor Donna Hartz

Professor Donna Hartz has a unique breadth of midwifery clinical, teaching, practice development, management, clinical governance, and research experience during her career. Donna has been a member of the leadership teams redesigning and evaluating the Royal Hospital for Women (Randwick) Caseload Midwifery Model, the Ryde Free Standing Midwifery Birth Service, the NSW Aboriginal Maternity Care Workers Demonstration Project (First Nation workforce development) and the Australian College of Midwives National Midwifery Guidelines for Consultation and Referral.

Donna's main research interests and expertise includes:

  • Midwifery models of care
  • Birthing on Country
  • Aboriginal maternal and baby health​ and wellbeing
  • Midwifery
  • Midwifery Workforce Pathways
  • Clinical Governance
  • Child Protection

Donna's main methodological expertise includes:

  • Randomised Controlled Trails
  • Mixed Methods
  • Cohort studies
  • Community Participatory Action Research
  • Survey design
  • Indigenous​ methodologies

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

  • 1 BMid Hons
  • 2 MPhil
  • 1 PhD

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

  • 1 BMed Hons
  • 2 PhD
  1. PhD 2022, CDU Co-supervisor​ – An analysis of Inpatient patient suicide in Australia using The Human Factors Analysis and Classification System.
  2. PhD 2020, USyd (Primary Supervisor & Aux Supervisor - Rightfully giving effect to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people’s knowledge and cultures of ways of being, knowing and doing in public health policies.
  3. BMed Honours 2006, USyd (Primary Supervisor) – The association between Postnatal Depression and Perineal trauma.

Contact details

Mobile:  +61 414 469 335

Email: d.hartz@westernsydney.edu.au

Twitter:  @DonnaLHartz

Dr Diana Jefferies

Diana Jefferies

Dr Diana Jefferies

Dr Diana Jefferies is a lecturer in the school of Nursing and Midwifery at Western Sydney University. She has twenty-five years' experience in acute clinical nursing specialising in mental health and HIV Nursing. She has academic qualifications in Arts Based research methods such as historical analysis and literary criticism. Her current research program integrates her nursing and arts-based background to examine descriptions of mental health issues in historical and literary contexts.

Diana's main research interests and expertise includes:

  • The Lived Experience of Illness
  • Mental Health
  • Patient Centred Care
  • Medical and Health Humanities
  • Womens Health

Diana's main methodological expertise includes:

  • Qualitative Research - Narrative Arts based research methods especially historical and literary analysis

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

  • 1 BN (Hons)
  • 1 MRes

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

  • 1 PhD
  • 1 BNHons

Contact details

Phone: +61 2 9685 930
Mobile:  +61 409 125 256

Email: d.jefferies@westernsydney.edu.au

Twitter:  @DianaJefferies7

Dr Hazel Keedle
(Midwifery Supervisor)

Image Hazel Keedle

Dr Hazel Keedle

Dr Hazel Keedle is a Senior lecturer of midwifery at Western Sydney University, Australia. Hazel has worked in midwifery group practices, an aboriginal medical service, a variety of hospital settings and as a privately practising midwife in both city and regional locations. Hazel’s passion for vaginal birth after caesarean (VBAC) followed her own experience of having a VBAC with her daughter in 2008 and since then has published research on women's experience of having a VBAC at home and on her PhD work exploring women’s experiences of planning a VBAC in Australia. Hazel has a developing publication track record as an early career researcher, with 12 peer reviewed publications and was awarded the ACM NSW Pat Brodie research scholarship to develop a smartphone application in her PhD research. Hazel is currently the lead researcher on Australia's largest survey on women's experiences of maternity care, the Birth Experience Study. Hazel is passionate about improving support for women during pregnancy, birth, and the early transition to mothering.

Hazel's main research interests and expertise includes:

  • Vaginal birth after caesarean (VBAC)
  • Birth experience
  • Birth trauma
  • Interprofessional education
  • Child and family health nursing
  • Implementation science (scale-up of effective community-based interventions)
  • Social and service innovation (particularly integrated community service systems)

Hazel's main methodological expertise includes:

  • Mixed method studies and analysis
  • Thematic and content analysis

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

  • 1 MRES (Co-supervisor)
  • 2 PhD (Co-supervisor)

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

  • Nil

Contact details

Phone: +61 2 8738 9387
Mobile:  +61 418 436 600

Email: h.keedle@westernsydney.edu.au

Twitter:  @hazelkeedl

Distinguished Professor Lynn Kemp

Image D/Pro Lynn Kemp

Distinguished Professor Lynn Kemp

Distinguished Professor Lynn Kemp is Director of the Translational Research and Social Innovation group in the School of Nursing and Midwifery Western Sydney University. Lynn has developed a significant program of community-based child health research that includes world and Australian-first intervention studies such as the Maternal Early Childhood Sustained Home-visiting (MECSH) study, the first randomised trial of sustained nurse home visiting that is embedded in universal health services, and the subsequent right@home randomised trial of sustained nurse home visiting. She is now leading an international program of translational research, studying the implementation of these effective interventions at population scale world-wide in Australia, England, South Korea and the USA.

Lynn's main research interests and expertise includes:

  • Child and family health nursing Implementation science (scale-up of effective community-based interventions) Social and service innovation (particularly integrated community service systems)

Lynn's main methodological expertise includes:

  • Design and conduct of pragmatic randomized trials
  • Quantitative studies and analysis
  • Qualitative studies and analysis
  • Mixed method studies and analysis

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

  • 5 PhD

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

  • 15 PhD

Contact details

Phone: +61 2 8738 9387
Mobile:  +61 418 436 600

Email: lynn.kemp@westernsydney.edu.au

Twitter:  @LynnKempWSU

Associate Professor Olayide Ogunsiji

Dr Olaydie Ogunsiji Image

Associate Professor Olayide Ogunsiji

Associate Professor Olayide Ogunsiji is a Registered Nurse and Senior Lecturer at the School of Nursing and Midwifery, Western Sydney University. Her research focuses on women’s health with specific focus on violence against women, migrant and refugee women’s health and health of people of African descent. Her research topics are female genital mutilation, intimate partner violence, breast and cervical cancer screening and parenting practices. Dr Ogunsiji conducts her research in partnership with industry partners, community organisations and local, national and international collaborators. She supervises Bachelor of Nursing (Honours) and Higher Degree Research students. Dr Ogunsiji has featured in ABC Radio interviews, published in high impact journals and presented in conferences. Dr Ogunsiji is a multi-award winner. She was a finalist at the 2020 Western Sydney University Research Impact Competition, was the 2020 Blacktown Woman of the Year at the New South Wales Women of the Year Award and won the Dorothy Garrigus Adams 2021 Award for Excellence in Service at the Sigma Theta Tau International Honour Society International Awards..

Olayides's main research interests and expertise includes:

  • Women's and Family Health
  • Migrant and Refugee Women's Health
  • African Women's Health
  • Intimate Partner Violence
  • Breast and Cervical Cancer Screening Practices

Olayides's main methodological expertise includes:

  • Qualitative Research
  • Naturalistic Inquiry
  • Hermeneutic Phenomenology

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

  • 1 PhD
  • 3 MRes
  • 2 BNHons

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

  • 1 PhD
  • 2 BNHons
  1. 2021-Suha Hussein (PhD) (Co-supervisor): Experiences of episiotomy for Jordanian women
  2. 2018-Jacqueline Pangas (BN Honours 1st Class) ( Co-supervisor): Experiences of refugee women and families accessing health services in pregnancy and afterbirth: A meta-synthesis.
  3. 2012- Patricia Ayerakwa (BN Honours) (Co-supervisor): The role of media in West African mothers' food choices for young children.

Contact details

Phone: +61 2 4570 1897

Email: o.ogunsiji@westernsydney.edu.au

Twitter:  @OlayideOgunsiji

Dr Kazem Razaghi

Dr Kazem RazaghiImage Dr Kazem Razaghi

Dr. Kazem Razaghi is a Registered Nurse and Lecturer, with an extensive academic and research background. In 2010, he successfully completed his PhD in Social and Behavioral Sciences in Health at The University of Sydney. Additionally, he possesses a master's degree in Health Promotion. Dr. Razaghi's research is focused on exploring the mental health, well-being, and overall quality of life among young individuals including those placed in out-of-home care, as well as their families. He also holds postgraduate certification in Drug and Alcohol studies, reflecting his keen interest in research within this field. He has actively contributed to various research grants, encompassing a wide range of topics, including Substance Abuse. Kazem's research endeavors are characterized by their multidisciplinary and collaborative nature. One of his most recent projects involved collaboration with an international university and resulted in a publication in the year 2022. He has presented his research findings at conferences and seminars and has successfully published his work in peer-reviewed journals. He has been supervising Higher Degree Research students.

Kazem's main research interests and expertise includes:

  • Substance Abuse
  • Young people's health and well-being, including those in out-of-home care
  • Mental health and well-being
  • Behavioural change
  • Social determinants of health
  • Clinical Leadership
  • Clinical supervision
  • Men's Health
  • Education and workforce
  • Curriculum design for undergraduate and postgraduate programs
  • Experiences of students in nursing program

Kazem's main methodological expertise includes:

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

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

  • 3 BNHons
  • 1 PhD

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

  • 1 BNHons (Medical Sciences)
  1. 2013 Victoria Buckley, (BN Honours 1st Class) (The University of Sydney) - secondary supervisor

Contact details

Phone: +61 2 9685 9447

Mobile:  +61 404 912 115

https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7142-0836

Email: k.razaghi@westernsydney.edu.au

Professor Virginia Schmied
(Midwifery Supervisor)

Professor Virginia Schmied Pro Virginia Schmied

Professor Virginia Schmied is Professor of Midwifery in the Nursing and Midwifery, Western Sydney University and is the Health and Well-being Theme Champion at the university. Virginia holds a Visiting Professorship at University of Central Lancashire (UK). In her role she collaborates with other senior academics at WSU to build capacity in maternal and child health research.

Professor Schmied has a strong national and international reputation in the discipline of midwifery, and in the field of maternal and child health. She researches and supervises higher degree students in topics addressing the social and emotional health and well-being of women and men in the transition to parenthood, breastfeeding and young child feeding; perinatal mental health, particularly in vulnerable communities and researching improvements in service delivery and professional practice. She is particularly interested in how relationship-based care leads to improved health outcomes for women, children and families.

Professor Schmied has held national competitive grants from ARC and NHMRC and she has conducted consultancy work including leading the development of the national framework for universal health and development services to children and families the Australian Government. She has published over 200 refereed journal articles, book chapters and published reports and regularly presents (including as a key note speaker) at national and international conferences. Her research has been translated to policy and practice, for example through the development of health policy, models of care, teaching resources for consumers and health professionals.

In 2016 she was awarded the Vice Chancellor’s award for Excellence in High Degree Research Supervision and Training and in 2018 she led a team that was awarded the Vice Chancellor’s excellence in Learning and Teaching award for innovations in perinatal multidisciplinary learning and teaching.

Virginia's main research interests and expertise includes:

  • Midwifery
  • Maternal and child health; transition to parenthood
  • Breastfeeding and young child feeding
  • Perinatal mental health
  • Vulnerable communities improvements in service delivery and professional practice

Virginia's main methodological expertise includes:

  • Qualitative research ethnography
  • Action research
  • Participatory research
  • Discourse analysis
  • Mixed methods

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

  • 1 BNHons
  • 1 MHons
  • 7 PhD

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

  • 5 BN(Hons)
  • 8 M(Hons)
  • 48 PhD
  1. 2021 - Jen Hocking (PhD) - How Do Lactation Consultants Support Women To Breastfeed?
  2. 2021 - Hazel Keedle (PhD) -  What Are The Experiences Of Women Planning A VBAC From 36 Weeks Gestation To Birth In Two Australian Hospitals With Different VBAC Rates.
  3. Madeleine Simpson (PhD) - Understanding The Development Of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Following Childbirth And It's Impact On Women Who Access Residential And Day Parenting Services In NSW.
  4. Suha Hussein (PhD) - Jordanian Women's Perceptions Of Episiotomy And Other Birth Interventions: An Intergenerational Qualitative Study.
  5. Philippa Mann (Conroy) - (PhD) - Co-Bedding Of Twins In The Neonatal Period? A Mixed Methods Study Exploring Variations In Practice And Perceptions In The Hospital And Home Setting.
  6. Bridgit Philip (PhD) - Understanding Perinatal Mental Health In Indian-Born Immigrant Women And Men: A Mixed Methods Study.
  7. Louise Everitt - (PhD) - Perinatal Interprofessional Psychosocial Education for Maternity Clinicians.
  8. Hannah Skelton - (PhD) - Positioning of extremely premature infants.

Contact details

Phone: +61 2 9685 9505

Mobile:  +61 430 242 140

Email: v.schmied@westernsydney.edu.au

Twitter: @vschmie1

Associate Professor Athena Sheehan
(Midwifery Supervisor)

Associate Professor Athena SheehanAssociate Professor Athena Sheenan

Athena Sheehan is a Associate Professor in the School of Nursing and Midwifery at Western Sydney University.

Qualifications: RN, BN, RM, MN, PhD

Athena is an Associate Professor in the School of Nursing and Midwifery at Western Sydney University. Athena has over 40 years of experience first as a nurse and then as a midwife working in the roles of clinician, researcher, and educator. Athena teaches into the Bachelor of Midwifery and Graduate Diploma of Midwifery programs, and supervises HDR students. Athena has held positions in governance including previously being the Director of Academic Programs for Midwifery at WSU.  She has been a member of the Australian College of Midwives for over 20 years. Her research has primarily focused on midwifery, but also includes transdisciplinary research with colleagues in the fields of nursing and socio-functional linguistics. Athena has made major original and innovative contributions to the field of infant feeding and maternal health and has been recognised both nationally and internationally for her research in this area. Her research interests also include midwifery education and workforce and most recently she has been the lead researcher on the SWIMMS project, a funded project that introduced a midwifery mentoring program for B Mid students into the clinical area. She is also currently the lead researcher on the funded Bachelor of Midwifery Multiple Mini Interviews study. Athena’s research has been presented at International and National conferences where she has been an invited and keynote speaker. She publishes regularly in highly ranked nursing, midwifery, and multidisciplinary journals, and her work is regularly cited. With colleagues she has been successful in receiving 2 ARC linkage grants, she has also been successful in receiving research funding through university grants. As an educator, clinician, and researcher, she is passionate about quality outcomes that result in the provision of excellent care for childbearing women and their families.

Athena's main research interests and expertise includes:

  • Midwifery
  • Breastfeeding
  • Midwifery education
  • Women's experiences of midwifery care
  • Midwifery workforce
  • Homebirth
  • Breech birth
  • Mentoring
  • Models of care
  • Antenatal education

Athena's main methodological expertise includes:

Athena has experience with a wide variety of qualitative and quantitative methodologies. This includes:

  • Grounded theory
  • Discourse analysis
  • Qualitative descriptive analysis
  • Metasynthesis
  • Quasi-experimental design
  • Mixed methods
  • Experimental design

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

  • 1 BN(Hons)
  • 1 M(Hons)
  • 5 PhD

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

  • 1 BM(Hons) (First Class)
  • 1 M(Hons)
  • 5 PhD

Contact details

Phone: +61 2 9685 9068

Email: a.sheehan@westernsydney.edu.au