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Dr. Robyn Aitken |
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Academic Leader (Central Australia)
Contact
Ph: 08 8951 4739
Email:
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 Brief Biography
Robyn is a nurse academic with over 20 years experience in clinical nursing, nurse education in the hospital setting and nurse education in the higher education sector. She has led undergraduate and postgraduate curriculum development locally and internationally. Although she is new to the Northern Territory and remote health, Robyn’s previous work in developing and implementing a Master’s program for Nurse Practitioners and promoting access to education for rural Victorian nurses has translated well to the ‘Top End’ and Central Australia. Robyn frequently consults to WHO and the Directorate of Nursing in Indonesia where she was the team leader for a World Bank human resource development project. This has given her significant understanding of delivering health care in resource poor settings and the links between poverty and health in marginalized and once-colonized indigenous populations. Robyn’s PhD examines the contextual and historical factors that influence cross-cultural knowledge transfer.
Education
- PhD University of Melbourne (Australia): Internationalizing nursing education in Central Java, Indonesia: a postcolonial ethnography
- Master of Educational Studies, Monash University (Australia)
- Bachelor of Educational Studies, Monash University (Australia)
- Post-basic Certificate in Anaesthesia & Recovery Room Nursing, Austin Hospital, Heidelberg, Australia
- Certificate Registered General Nurse, Austin Hospital Heidelberg, Australia
Teaching areas
Robyn teaches in the areas of emergency practice, critical thinking and decision making in nursing, and teaching and learning.
Research Interests
Robyn has a particular interest in, and understanding of the relationship between theory and practice, the transfer of education into universities, global competencies, and international migration – all of which are the subject of her PhD.
Robyn is also experienced in conducting evaluation research and research to inform policy.
Industry / community / professional activities / interests and affiliations
Consultancies
WHO short term consultant basic emergency nursing course development and implementation (USD$7,500): Jakarta, Indonesia. 2005: This consultancy commenced immediately after the Tsunami disaster. Robyn provided advice for integrating immediate responses in Aceh into the long term development plans for nursing and midwifery education in Indonesia.
WHO short term consultant basic emergency nursing course evaluation ($USD2,500).: Jakarta, Indonesia, November 2005. Brief: to assist with and evaluate the implementation of the Pilot program and made recommendations for “roll-out” across Indonesia and other SEARO countries.
Ministry of Health, Pusdiknakes (Pre-service Health Education division) Consultancy ($USD750): Jakarta, Indonesia November, 2005: Focus group meetings at two Nursing and two Midwifery Diploma III academies to investigate the potential for implementing activities contained within the National Strategic Action Plan for improving the clinical component of Nursing and Midwifery DIII education.
WHO short term consultant pre-service nursing and midwifery education (USD10,000): Jakarta, Indonesia, 2004: Six week consultancy to provide technical input and leadership to Pusdiknakes (pre-service education division of Ministry of Health) to develop a strategic action plan for improving the clinical component of pre-service nursing and midwifery education.
Team Leader Central Java Sister School Program(USD $515,000): Central Java, Indonesia. Central Java Ministry of Health, Australian International Health Institute (AIHI),The University of Melbourne, and ACU National Sister School Program, July 2002-December, 2003. This was a World Bank funded capacity building project to improve the health of the Indonesian people through improving human resources in Health Education in Central Java Province.
Competitive Research Grants
Manias E, Dunning T & Aitken R “Graduate Nurses’ Decision Making for Medication Management in the Acute Care Context”. Nurses Board of Victoria Minor Grant (2002).Amount: $5,000. Commenced March 2002.
Aitken, R.L., Faulkner, R., Bucknall, T. and Parker, J. “Aspects of Nursing: The types of skills and knowledge required to meet the changing needs of the labour force involved in nursing.” (2001). Commissioned Research Project, National Review of Nursing Education Amount: $35,000. Completed 2001.
Aitken R.L, Manias E, Peerson A, Parker J & Wong K “Agency Nursing in Metropolitan Melbourne” Nurses Board of Victoria Major Grant. (2000). Amount: $19,650. Completed 2002.
Publications (selected)
Book chapters
- Aitken R.L & Brown, D. (in press). ‘Pre-Service Clinical Practice Education for Nursing and Midwifery’, in: Hennessey, D. Clinical Performance Development and Management System in Indonesia (CPDMS) From Assessment to National Policy and further. New Delhi: WHO, SEARO.
Refereed papers
- Aitken R. 2006. "Exporting Nurses: A Global Incentive for Local Change". Harvard Health Policy Review. 7(1): 133-142.
- Manias, E., Aitken, R. & Dunning, T. 2005. "Graduate nurses’ use of protocols in managing patients’ medications in the acute care context." Journal of Clinical Nursing 14 (8):935-944.
- Manias, E, & Aitken, R. 2005. "Clinical teachers in specialty practice settings: perceptions of their role within postgraduate nursing programs." Learning in Health and Social Care. 4 (2): 67-77.
- Manias E., Aitken R., Peerson A., Parker J. & Wong K. 2003. "Agency nursing work: perceptions and experiences of agency nurses". International Journal of Nursing Studies. 40, 269-279.
Commissioned Reports
- Aitken, R.L., Faulkner, R., Bucknall, T. and Parker, J. (2002) Aspects of Nursing Education: The types of skills and knowledge required to meet the changing needs of the labour force involved in nursing. Commissioned Research Project, In: National Review of Nursing Education 2002: Literature Reviews, Commonwealth of Australia P 403-488 first published in 2001 on-line at: www.dest.gov.au/highered/programmes/nursing
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