Associate Professor Kim Foster
Associate Professor Mental Health Nursing
RN RPN, PhD Griffith MA Deakin BN UNE DipAppSc Sydney, FACMHN MRCNA
Kim is a registered nurse with particular expertise and interest in mental health nurse education, curriculum development, and research. She joined Sydney Nursing School in late 2008 and is currently the Coordinator of Mental Health Nursing programs. Kim also holds an Adjunct Associate Professor appointment with James Cook University.
Prior to her current position at University of Sydney, Kim was Senior Lecturer and Deputy Head of School in the School of Nursing, Midwifery and Nutrition at James Cook University, where she developed one of the first mental health majors in pre-registration nursing in Queensland. With nearly 20 years of tertiary education experience in regional and metropolitan settings, Kim has taught in Australia, Hong Kong and Fiji. She has consulted extensively to AusAID on the development of the first mental health nursing postgraduate program in Fiji, and to the World Health Organization on Psychosocial Health via the Pacific Open Learning Health Net.
Kim’s primary areas of research are children and families where parents have a mental illness, family/carers of people with mental illness, and the interface between physical and mental health. For her doctoral work, she investigated the experiences of adult children of parents with serious mental illness.
Areas of expertise
Kim’s predominant areas of teaching include mental health/psychiatric nursing; interpersonal communication in healthcare, psychosocial health, and research methodology.
Kim has three main areas of research interest: children, young people and families where parents have a mental illness; family/carers of people with mental illness; and physical health and mental health. She uses mixed methods research and has expertise and interest in qualitative methodologies, particularly narrative inquiry and phenomenology.
Current research
At present, Kim is leading or working collaboratively on the following projects:
- Emotional intelligence in pre-registration nurses
- Multisite evaluation of the ON FIRE Children of Parents with Mental Illness Peer Support Program
- Emotional intelligence strategies to prepare healthcare students for clinical practice
- Physical health and wellbeing in young people with mental illness taking psychotropic medication
Recent publications (past 5 years)
Reupert A, Cuff R, Drost L, Foster K, van Doesum K & van Santvoort F (accepted 2012). Intervention programs for children whose parents have a mental illness: a review. Medical Journal of Australia (Special Edition).
Ogilvie B, McCloughen A, Curtis K & Foster K (accepted 2012). The experience of surviving life-threatening injury: a qualitative synthesis. International Nursing Review.
Brunero S, Jeon Y-H & Foster K (accepted 2011). Mental health education programs for generalist health professionals: an integrative review. International Journal of Mental Health Nursing.
West R, Stewart L, Foster K & Usher K (accepted 2011). Through a critical lens: Indigenist research and the Dadirri method. Qualitative Health Research.
McCloughen A, Foster K, Huws-Thomas M & Delgado C (accepted 2011). Physical health and wellbeing of emerging and young adults with mental disorder: an integrative review of international literature. International Journal of Mental Health Nursing.
West C, Usher K, Foster K & Stewart L (accepted 2011). The meaning of resilience to persons living with chronic pain: an interpretive qualitative inquiry. Journal of Clinical Nursing.
West C, Usher K, Foster K & Buettner P (accepted 2011). Psychometric Testing of the Family Impact of Pain Scale in a sample of Australian families in which a member experiences chronic pain. Nurse Researcher.
West C, Stewart L, Foster K & Usher K (2012). Accidental insider: living the Phd study. Collegian, http://dx.doi.org./10.1016/j.colegn.2012.03.005
West C, Stewart L, Foster K & Usher K (2012). The meaning of resilience to persons living with chronic pain: an interpretive qualitative inquiry. Journal of Clinical Nursing. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2702.2011.04005.x
Wiseman T, Foster K & Curtis K (2012). Mental health following traumatic physical injury: an integrative literature review. Injury, doi:10.1016/j.injury.2012.02.015
Foster K & McKenzie H (2012). Educational approaches and activities to enhance emotional intelligence. In J Hurley & P Linsley (Eds). Emotional intelligence in health and social care: a guide for improving human relationships. Radcliffe.
Foster K, O'Brien L & Korhonen T (2012). Developing resilient children and families where parents have mental illness: a family-focused approach. International Journal of Mental Health Nursing, 21(1), 3-11.
Tollefson J, Usher K & Foster K (2011). Relationships in pain: the experience of relationships to people living with chronic pain in rural areas. International Journal of Nursing Practice, 17, 478-485.
Usher K, Foster K & Stewart L (2011). Reflective practice for the graduate nurse. In E Chang & J Daly (Eds). Transitions in nursing: preparing for professional practice (3rd ed). Elsevier, Sydney.
Park T, Usher K & Foster K (2011). Description of a healthy lifestyle intervention for people with schizophrenia taking second generation antipsychotics, International Journal of Mental Health Nursing, 20(6), 428-437.
McCloughen A & Foster K (2011). Weight gain associated with psychotropic medications: an integrative review. International Journal of Mental Health Nursing, 20(3), 202-222.
Foster K (2011). 'I wanted to learn how to heal my heart': family carer experiences of receiving an emotional support service in the Well Ways program. International Journal of Mental Health Nursing, 20(1), 56-62.
Reupert A, Foster K, Maybery D, Eddy K & Fudge E (2011). "Keeping Families and Children in Mind": An evaluation of a web-based workforce resource. Child and Family Social Work, 16(2), 192-200.
West C, Usher K & Foster K (2011). Family resilience: towards a new model of chronic pain management. Collegian, 18(1), 3-10.
Foster K (2010). 'You’d think this roller coaster was never going to stop': the experience of being the adult child of a parent with serious mental illness. Journal of Clinical Nursing, 19, 3143-3151.
West R, Usher K & Foster K (2010). Increased numbers of Australian Indigenous nurses would make a significant contribution to 'closing the gap' in Indigenous health: what is getting in the way? Contemporary Nurse, 36(1-2), (Special Issue: Workforce & Workplaces), 121-130.
Usher K, Foster K & Bullock S (2009) Psychopharmacology for Health Professionals. Sydney: Elsevier.
Nurjannah I, FitzGerald M & Foster K (2009). Patients' experiences of absconding from a psychiatric setting in Indonesia. International Journal of Mental Health Nursing, 18, 326-335.
Foster K, Usher K, Gadai S & Taukei R (2009). 'There is no health without mental health': implementing the first mental health nursing program in Fiji. Contemporary Nurse, 32(1-2), 179-186.
Usher K, Foster K & Luck L (2009). The patient as person. In R Elder, K Evans & D Nizette (eds), Psychiatric and Mental Health Nursing (2nd edn). Sydney: Elsevier, pp408-428.
Usher K, Foster K & Luck L (2009) Psychopharmacology. In R Elder, K Evans & D Nizette (eds), Psychiatric and Mental Health Nursing (2nd edn), Sydney: Elsevier, pp457-472.
Happell B, Cowin L, Roper C, Foster K & McMaster R (2008) Introducing Mental Health Nursing: a consumer-oriented approach. Crows Nest: Allen & Unwin.
Usher K, Foster K & Stewart L (2008). Reflective practice for the graduate nurse. In E Chang & J Daly, Transitions in nursing: preparing for professional practice. Sydney: Elsevier, pp275-289.
Foster K, Usher K, Luck L, Harvey N & Lindsay D (2008). Learning from experience: an evaluation of an external nursing course in regional Australia. Innovations in Education and Teaching International, 45(2), 155-167.
Foster K, Usher K, Baker J, Gadai S & Ali S (2008). Mental health workers' attitudes toward mental illness in Fiji. Australian Journal of Advanced Nursing, 25(3), 72-79.
Usher K, Foster K & Gadai S (2007) A case for psychotropic prescribing by nurses: Fiji. WHO/ICN Atlas: Nurses in Mental Health 2007 (pp46). Geneva: WHO.
Other publications (past 5 years)
Foster K (2008) Children and adolescents whose parents have a serious mental illness. Connections (RCNA newsletter), 1(11), 8.
Foster K (2008) Book review: Finding my way: a teen’s guide to living with a parent who has experienced trauma. International Journal of Mental Health Nursing, 17(2), 149.
Foster K (2008). Book review: I’m not alone: a teen’s guide to living with a parent who has a mental illness. International Journal of Mental Health Nursing, 17(2), 148-9.
Recent presentations (past 5 years)
Invited papers/presentations
Foster K (2011) Invited Keynote. It's not straighty-180: putting emotional intelligence into practice. 9th Annual Conference of the Consultation-Liaison Special Interest Group, ACMHN, August, Sydney
Foster K (2010) Invited Keynote. Connecting with care: quickstepping with risk and resilience. 16th Annual Hunter Mental Health Conference, May, Hunter Region NSW
Foster, K. (2009) Invited speaker. The case for including families in care. Psychosocial Interventions Symposium, September, Northern Sydney Central Coast, Macquarie Hospital
Foster K (2008) Invited speaker. Children and adolescents whose parents have mental illness. 18th World Congress of the International Association for Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Allied Professions, April/May, Istanbul Turkey
Foster K (2008) Invited international keynote speaker. II – National Psychiatric Nursing conference, April, Istanbul Turkey
Foster K (2007) Invited Australian representative. Mental Health Nursing Regulation. World Health Organization (videoconferenced) worldwide launch of Atlas: Nurses in Mental Health 2007, September, Cairns
Foster K (2007) Invited paper. Living with uncertainty: Being a young person in a family with parental mental illness. Adolescent and Young People’s Health Research Forum, University of Western Sydney, Sydney
Foster K (2007) Invited guest speaker. Spirals of healing – building solutions with families. Leo Livengood Memorial Forum, Mental Illness Fellowship North Queensland, Schizophrenia Awareness Week, Townsville
Conference presentations and posters (past 5 years)
McCloughen A, Foster K, Delgado C & Huws-Thomas M (2011) What is Known About the Physical Health and Wellbeing of Emerging Adults with Mental Illness? Paper presented at the 37th Australian College of Mental Health Nurses International Conference, Gold Coast
Foster K, Lewis M, Marshall A & Lewis P (2011) Crossing the great 'divide': comprehensive health assessment for generalist and mental health registered nurses. Paper presented at the 37th Australian College of Mental Health Nurses International Conference, Gold Coast
Park T, Usher K & Foster K (2011) Results of a randomised control trial to test the effectiveness of a nurse led intervention on weight gain for people with serious mental illness. Paper presented at the 37th Australian College of Mental Health Nurses International Conference, Gold Coast
Foster K, McCloughen A, Fois R & Michalewska L (2011) Emotional intelligence strategies to prepare healthcare students for practice: an inter-professional project. Poster presented at the Sydney Teaching Colloquium, University of Sydney, Sydney
Foster K (2010) Working in borderland spaces: performing a dual analysis in a narrative inquiry. Paper presented at the 11th Advances in Qualitative Methods Conference, Vancouver, Canada
Foster K (2010) Crossing boundaries – transformational stories of adult children of parents with serious mental illness. Paper presented at the16th Qualitative Health Research Conference, Vancouver, Canada
Fitzgerald M, Alexander A, Hope B, Murray L, Burke D, Wu L, Takiari L, Foster K & Nicholls D (2010) Let’s lay down the oars for awhile and cast the net: collaboratively building our practice. Paper presented at the 36th Australian College of Mental Health Nurses International Conference, Hobart
Delgado C & Foster K (2010) Finding common ground: teaching mental health assessment to registered nurses in clinical postgraduate nursing programs. Paper presented at the 36th Australian College of Mental Health Nurses International Conference, Hobart
McCloughen A & Foster K (2010) Psychotropic-induced weight gain in an image-obsessed world: Working with young people to prevent double stigma. Paper presented at the 36th Australian College of Mental Health Nurses International Conference, Hobart
Fitzgerald M, Green A, Murray L, Foster K & Nicholls D (2010) Turning dreams into reality: collaboratively developing mental health nursing practice. Paper presented at the 36th Australian College of Mental Health Nurses International Conference, Hobart
Foster K (2010) The importance of specialized mental health nurses in mental health services. Paper presented on behalf of ACMHN at The Mental Health Units Conference, Sydney
Foster K, O'Brien L & Korhonen T (2009) Nurses' roles in providing early intervention and prevention for children of parents with mental illness (COPMI) and their families. Paper presented at the World Children of Parents with a Mental Illness Conference, Adelaide
Foster K & O'Brien L (2009) Ei=qr2? Caring for ourselves – using emotional intelligence in mental health nursing research. Paper presented at the 35th Australian College of Mental Health Nurses International Conference, Sydney
Eddy K & Foster K (2009) Why not care? Working towards effective practices with children and families who experience mental illness. Paper presented at the 35th Australian College of Mental Health Nurses International Conference, Sydney
Park T, Usher K, Foster K & Buettner P (2009) Caring for physical health: developing a nurse-led healthy lifestyle program for people with schizophrenia. Paper presented at the 35th Australian College of Mental Health Nurses International Conference, Sydney
McGarry D, Cashin A, Foster K, Martin E & Newman C (2009) Building videoconferencing communities of professional practice: extending the exploration of success. Paper presented at the 35th Australian College of Mental Health Nurses International Conference, Sydney
Foster K (2008) And the moral/s of the story is … ?: Illuminating family/carers experiences through narrative analysis. Paper presented at the NSW Branch Conference, Australian College of Mental Health Nurses, Gosford
Foster K, Gadai S & Usher K (2008) Implementing the first mental health nursing program in Fiji. Poster presented at the 14th South Pacific Nurses Forum, Suva Fiji
Foster K (2008) 'It’s a roller coaster ride': COPMI caring for life. Paper presented at the Children and Families Where a Parent has a Mental Illness (COPMI) Research Seminar-Meeting, Melbourne
Foster K (2008). 'I wanted to learn how to heal my heart': experiences of receiving a specialist support service in the Well Ways program. Paper presented at the 9th Tropical Symposium, North Queensland Branch of the Australian College of Mental Health Nurses, Port Douglas
Foster K (2008). 'Where are all the children now?': experiences of adult children of parents with serious mental illness. Paper presented at the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists Congress, Melbourne
Foster K (2007) Striving to connect: listening to adult children of parents with serious mental illness. Paper presented at the World Psychiatric Association International Congress, Melbourne
West C, Usher K, Foster K & Jackson D (2007) The Black Dog has many homes: Chronic pain, depression and the impact on the family. Paper presented at the 33rd Australian College of Mental Health Nurses International Conference, Cairns
Nurjannah I, FitzGerald M & Foster K (2007) Patients' experiences of absconding from a psychiatric setting in Indonesia. Paper presented at the 33rd Australian College of Mental Health Nurses International Conference, Cairns
McCauley-Elsom K, Foster K, Marks P & Hancox K (2007) The credentialed mental health nurse and pregnancy counselling. Paper presented at the 33rd Australian College of Mental Health Nurses International Conference, Cairns
Foster K & Gadai S (2007) Waves across the Pacific – developing and implementing the first mental health nursing program in Fiji. Paper presented at the 33rd Australian College of Mental Health Nurses International Conference, Cairns
Foster K (2006) Transformational stories: Learning from adult children of parents with serious mental illness. Paper presented at the 32nd Australian and New Zealand College of Mental Health Nurses International Conference, Alice Springs. Awarded the Inaugural Annual Research Award, ACMHN
Park T & Foster K (2006) Sharing our knowledge – bringing mental health nursing into generalist postgraduate nursing education. Paper presented at the 32nd Australian and New Zealand College of Mental Health Nurses International Conference, Alice Springs
Foster K (2006) Towards new understandings – lessons learned from the experiences of adult children of parents with serious mental illness. Paper presented at the 16th TheMHS National Conference, Townsville
Foster K, McAllister M, & O'Brien L (2006) Making the personal, political: using autoethnography as a method in mental health nursing research. Paper presented at the 7th International Interdisciplinary Conference Advances in Qualitative Methods, Gold Coast
Awards (past 5 years)
Research Award (2011) for the best research paper presentation, with A. McCloughen & C. Delgado. Awarded at the Australian College of Mental Health Nurses (ACMHN) 37th Annual International Conference, Gold Coast, October
Winston Churchill Memorial Trust Fellowship (2011) 'To investigate programs for building resilience in children and families where parents have mental illness: Canada, US, Netherlands'
Australian Learning and Teaching Council (ALTC) Citation for Outstanding Contributions to Student Learning (2008). Team nomination with K Usher, J Tollefson & L Stewart “For the sustained development and implementation of effective curricula which promotes student learning in nursing education in regional, remote and Pacific locations”
Faculty of Medicine, Health and Molecular Sciences Citation for Outstanding Contributions to Student Learning (JCU) (2008). Team nomination with K Usher, J Tollefson & L Stewart “For the sustained development and implementation of effective curricula which promotes student learning in nursing education in regional, remote and Pacific locations”
Research Award (2006) for the best research paper presentation, awarded by the Research Board of the Australian and New Zealand College of Mental Health Nurses (ANZCMHN) at the ANZCMHN 32nd Annual International Conference, Alice Springs, October
Areas of teaching and research supervision
Current research students
Park T Prevention of weight gain with second generation antipsychotics: a nurse-led intervention (external associate supervisor) Phd in progress, JCU
Sando J ‘Analysis of how health practitioners in Far North Queensland manage people who are victims of Irukandji Syndrome’ (external associate supervisor) Phd in progress, JCU
West C ‘A collective mixed methods case study on chronic pain and family resilience’ (external associate supervisor) PhD in progress, JCU
Completed research students
Nurjannah I (2008) ‘Absconding from a psychiatric setting in Indonesia: a case study’ (Co-supervisor) Master’s by Research, JCU
Pettiford N (2002) ‘Care of the Human Spirit: A Nursing Perspective’ (Principal Supervisor) Master’s minor thesis, ACU
Tollefson J (2009) ‘The lived experience of chronic persistent pain in participants living in rural North Queensland’ (Co-supervisor) PhD, JCU
Areas of teaching
Kim’s current areas of teaching are in Mental Health/Psychiatric Nursing, Interpersonal Relations in Clinical Environments, and Qualitative Research. She also mentors students in Reading Topics and Practice Development Projects in the post-registration master’s programs. Kim supervises a number of higher-degree research student projects.
Community work
Kim is a Fellow of the Australian College of Mental Health Nurses, and an active member of the College. In 2007 she was the Scientific Chair and member of the Organising Committee for the 33rd International Mental Health Nursing conference in Cairns. Kim is also a member of the National Children of Parents with Mental Illness (COPMI) Reference Group, and the National COPMI Initiative Workforce Development Consultation Group. She is a previous Director of the Board of the Australian Infant, Child, Adolescent and Family Mental Health Association (AICAFMHA).
Kim is active in peer-reviewing for a number of international and national nursing journals, including Journal of Clinical Nursing, Journal of Psychiatric and Mental Health Nursing, International Journal of Mental Health Nursing, Nursing Inquiry, and Collegian.