Doctor Nicole Sharp

Adjunct Fellow,
Dean's Unit, School of Health Sciences

Biography
Contact
Publications
Projects
Supervision
Teaching
Media

Biography

Dr Nicole Sharp is an Adjunct Fellow in the School of Health Sciences and Translational Health Research Institute, and a registered occupational therapist. Nicole’s primary research focuses on exploring the lived experience of people with disability and mental illness through qualitative methodologies, with an emphasis on co-design approaches. Dr Sharp’s PhD, awarded in 2019, was a narrative inquiry titled "Making my own path": Journeys of emerging adults with cerebral palsy. Her current research interests include experiences of people with disability, families/carers and service providers around the National Disability Insurance Scheme, and industry funded projects exploring the experiences of young people with disability during the transition from school. Nicole has supervised nine occupational therapy honours students to completion and is supervising two current honours students and two PhD Candidates. Nicole has over seventeen years’ experience in the disability, higher education and research sectors, having worked in service provision, teaching, research specific and strategic roles. Nicole is also Director of Believe and Become Pty Ltd, a private occupational therapy clinic, and sits on Boards and Expert Panels of community services and mental health organisations in South-Western Sydney.

This information has been contributed by Doctor Sharp.

Qualifications

PhD University of Wollongong
BAAPPSc (Hons) University of Western Sydney

Professional Memberships

Occupational Therapy Australia (2021 - 2021)

Interests

Disability
Mental Health
Occupational Therapy Pedagogy and Practice
Qualitative Methodologies
Social Justice

Organisational Unit (School / Division)

Dean's Unit, School of Health Sciences

Contact

Email:	N.Sharp@westernsydney.edu.au
Phone:
Mobile:
Location:

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Teaching

Previous Teaching Areas

400169 Occupation and Mental Health, 2020
400169 Occupation and Mental Health, 2021
401123 Occupational Justice, 2020

Publications

Chapters in Books

Sharp, N., Bye, R. and Cusick, A. (2018), 'Narrative analysis', Handbook of Research Methods in Health Social Sciences, Springer 9789811052507.

Journal Articles

Honan, I., Sharp, N., McIntyre, S., Smithers-Sheedy, H., Balde, I., Quinn, K., Morgan, M., Rothery, S., Butchers, T. and Laugeson, E. (2023), 'Program evaluation of an adapted PEERS? social skills program in young adults with autism spectrum disorder and/or mild intellectual impairment and social skills difficulties', Journal of Evaluation in Clinical Practice, vol 29, no 1 , pp 126 - 135.
Mogensen, L., Drake, G., McDonald, J. and Sharp, N. (2023), '[In Press] Young people with intellectual disability speak out about life after school : "I want to do more in life than just... be a disability person"', Journal of Intellectual and Developmental Disability, .
Afsharnejad, B., Milbourn, B., Brown, C., Clifford, R., Foley, K., Logan, A., Lund, S., Machingura, T., McAuliffe, T., Mozolic-Staunton, B., Sharp, N., Hayden-Evans, M., Young, E., Black, M., Zimmermann, F., Kacic, V., Bolte, S. and Girdler, S. (2023), 'Understanding the utility of "Talk-to-Me" an online suicide prevention program for Australian university students', Suicide and Life-Threatening Behavior, vol 53, no 5 , pp 725 - 738.
Ostojic, K., Sharp, N., Paget, S. and Morrow, A. (2022), 'Lived experiences of pain in children and young people with cerebral palsy', Developmental Medicine and Child Neurology, vol 64, no 3 , pp 364 - 371.
Ison, N., McIntyre, S., Rothery, S., Smithers-Sheedy, H., Goldsmith, S., Parsonage, S. and Foy, L. (2010), ''Just like you' : a disability awareness programme for children that enhanced knowledge, attitudes and acceptance : pilot study findings', Developmental Neurorehabilitation, vol 13, no 5 , pp 360 - 368.
Sharp, N. (2009), 'Having their say: email interviews for research data collection with people who have verbal communication impairment', International Journal of Social Research Methodology, vol 12, no 2 , pp 161 - 172.

Conference Papers

Sharp, N., Bye, R. and Cusick, A. (2019), 'Narrative inquiry and narrative analysis : practical application of techniques for occupational therapy research', Occupational Therapy Australia. National Conference and Exhibition, Sydney, N.S.W..
Sharp, N., Bye, R., Liu, K. and Bahsoun, F. (2019), 'Experiences of emerging adults with disability in relation to the National Disability Insurance Scheme : perceptions of emerging adults and their families/carers', Occupational Therapy Australia. National Conference and Exhibition, Sydney, N.S.W..
Sharp, N., Cusick, A., Bye, R. and Novak, I. (2019), 'Making my own path : journeys of emerging adults with cerebral palsy', Occupational Therapy Australia. National Conference and Exhibition, Sydney, N.S.W..
Sharp, N., McBride, E., Bye, R. and Liu, K. (2019), 'Experiences and perceptions of families/carers of emerging adults with disability in relation to the National Disability Insurance Scheme and implications for occupational therapists', Occupational Therapy Australia. National Conference and Exhibition, Sydney, N.S.W..
Sharp, N., Casey, M., Bye, R. and Liu, K. (2019), 'Huge potential-huge gaps : service provider perspectives of emerging adults' experiences relating to the National Disability Insurance Scheme and implications for occupational therapists', Occupational Therapy Australia. National Conference and Exhibition, Sydney, N.S.W..
Sharp, N., Cusick, A. and Griffin, C. (2017), 'Perceptions of adulthood by 18-25 years old emerging adults in Australian metropolitan and rural settings', Occupational Therapy Australia. National Conference and Exhibition, Perth, W.A..
Sharp, N., Cusick, A. and Power, T. (2017), '"Irrelevant and unproductive" : what emerging adults with cerebral palsy think of standardised participation measures', Occupational Therapy Australia. National Conference and Exhibition, Perth, W.A..
Ison, N., Cusick, A. and Bye, R. (2014), 'Techniques to tell the real story : narrative inquiry in health services research', Health Services Research, London, U.K..
Ison, N. (2014), 'Narrative inquiry : useful techniques for understanding the stories of people with cerebral', Australasian Academy of Cerebral Palsy and Developmental Medicine. Conference, Hunter Valley, N.S.W..
Ison, N., Cusick, A., Bye, R. and Novak, I. (2014), 'Stories of 18- to 25-year-olds with cerebral palsy : four different plans for emerging adulthood', Australasian Academy of Cerebral Palsy and Developmental Medicine. Conference, Hunter Valley, N.S.W..
Ison, N. and Cusick, A. (2014), 'Experiences of emerging adults with cerebral palsy in tertiary education and employment : lessons from research and the field', Australasian Academy of Cerebral Palsy and Developmental Medicine. Conference, Hunter Valley, N.S.W..
Ison, N., Cusick, A., Novak, I. and Bye, R. (2009), 'Emerging adults with cerebral palsy : their stories from their perspective', International Cerebral Palsy Conference, Sydney, N.S.W..
Ison, N., McIntyre, S., Rothery, S., Smithers-Sheedy, H. and Foy, L. (2009), '''Just like you'', a disability awareness programme for children : pilot study findings', International Cerebral Palsy Conference, Sydney, N.S.W..
McIntyre, S., Newland, J., Ison, N., Salmon, J. and Pearce, C. (2009), 'Community-based rehabilitation in Fiji : evaluation of the competency, assessment, and local solutions (CAL) programme', International Cerebral Palsy Conference, Sydney, N.S.W..

Other Publications

2022, ''Thrown Out Into the World': Transition to Post Schooling for Autistic Young People', Report

Nicole's primary research interests include qualitative research around the life experiences of people with disability and mental illness, and mixed methods program evaluation. She is particularly interested in experiences during important life transitions including the transition to adulthood and the transition to parenthood. Nicole completed her PhD in 2019, titled "Making my own path": Journeys of emerging adults with cerebral palsy. This was a large qualitative narrative inquiry exploring stories of emerging adults, themes across those stories, and the connections between experiences and developmental and disability frameworks.

Nicole has previously published in the areas of acquired brain injury, specifically experiences of adolescents returning to school post severe ABI, and evaluation of disability awareness education programs. She has utilised innovative approaches to qualitative data collection and analysis, and has published in methodology journals and research methods texts. Nicole is passionate about co-design in research.

Nicole's current research is focusing on the experiences of people with disability, families and carers, and disability service providers transitioning into the National Disability Insurance Scheme, the lived experience of transitioning from school to post-school pathways for people with intellectual disability and autistic young people, and best practice support for vulnerable mothers.