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Mr John Grootjans

RN, PhD MSc(Social Ecology) UWS BAppSc(Advanced Nursing) Cumb GradDip(Adult Education Nursing) SCAE
Senior Lecturer

M02A - 88 Mallett Street - Building A
The University of Sydney

Telephone +61 2 9351 0524

Biographical details

I spent 10 years as a generalist nurse before moving to the Northern Territory where I stayed for 12 years, working in an intercultural exchange with Indigenous people at the Batchelor Institute and later at Yoorang Garang where I taught primary health care to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students. During this time I undertook my PhD on the topic of intercultural education.


In 2001 I began to manage the project Sustainability and Health with the aim of preparing public health workers to take part in sustainable health practices. It resulted in a published book called Sustainability and Health: Supporting Global ecological integrity in public health. I have extended my work in the Sustainability and Health field through research which examines the role that service providers play in contributing to achieving ecological integrity for communities of older people. This work has led to four peer-reviewed publications and two conference presentations. I am currently a co-researcher for the study which examines the feasibility of an ecological health promotion approach for communities of older people in collaboration with the two partner organisations. This research has led to two publications and two seed grants which have supported the development of this innovation.

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Research interests

Areas of expertise

  • Action Research
  • Indigenous Education
  • Sustainability and Health
  • Primary Health Care

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Teaching and supervision

Sustainability and Health, Primary Health Care, Action Research, Indigenous Health

Current research students
Judith Anderson, Leanne Hamilton and Marion Kickett
Completed research students
Supervised two PhD students to completion, David MacClaren and Boontip Siritarungsri

Areas of teaching
Community Nursing, Primary Health Care, Health Promotion, Clinical Assessment

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Current projects

The feasibility of an ecological health promotion approach as applied to communities of older people

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Selected publications

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Books

  • Grootjans, J., Fisher, J., McAuliffe, A. (2011). Manual Ba Treinu Na'in: Isin Di'ak Nian Iha Vila Ho Aldeia Sira Iha Timor-Leste. Sydney.
  • Brown, V., Grootjans, J., Ritchie, J., Townsend, M., Verrinder, G. (2005). Sustainability and health : supporting global ecological integrity in public health. Crows Nest, N.S.W.: Allen and Unwin.
  • Grootjans, J., Fisher, J., McAuliffe, A. (2002). A train-the-trainer manual for village healthcare workers in East Timor. Australia: Sydney Nursing Research Centre, Faculty of Nursing, University of Sydney.

Edited Books

  • Brown, V., Grootjans, J., Ritchie, J., Townsend, M., Verrinder, G. (2005). Sustainability and Health: Supporting global ecological integrity in public health. London: Allen and Unwin.

Book Chapters

  • Molloy, L., Grootjans, J. (2012). Let's Learn Together, Let's Work Together. In Kathleen Markey, Patricia White and Larry O'Connor (Eds.), Let's Learn Together, Let's Work Together: Challenges and Solutions for Transcultural Health and Social Care, (pp. 25-42). Newcastle upon Tyne: Cambridge Scholars Publishing.
  • Grootjans, J. (2010). White Skin Black Masks: A Personal Narrative on Benevolent Racism. In Valerie A. Brown, John A. Harris, Jacqueline Y. Russell (Eds.), Tackling Wicked Problems: Through the Transdisciplinary Imagination, (pp. 225-233). United Kingdom: Earthscan.
  • Grootjans, J., Townsend, M. (2005). Grounding: Co-ordinating contexts for sustainability and health. In Valerie A. Brown, John Grootjans, Jan Ritchie, Mardie (Eds.), Sustainability and Health: Supporting global ecological integrity in public health, (pp. 81-130). London: Allen and Unwin.
  • Grootjans, J., Townsend, M., Butler, C., Heyworth, J. (2005). Listening: Co-ordinating ideas on sustainability and health. In Valerie A. Brown, John Grootjans, Jan Ritchie, Mardie (Eds.), Sustainability and Health: Supporting global ecological integrity in public health, (pp. 39-79). London: Allen and Unwin.
  • Brown, V., Ritchie, J., Grootjans, J., Rohan, B. (2005). Living: Public Health and the future of life on the planet. In Valerie A. Brown, John Grootjans, Jan Ritchie, Mardie (Eds.), Sustainability and Health: Supporting global ecological integrity in public health, (pp. 1-38). London: Allen and Unwin.
  • Brown, V., Grootjans, J., Ritchie, J., Jordan, H. (2005). Scoping: Designing and monitoring sustainability and health programs. In Valerie A. Brown, John Grootjans, Jan Ritchie, Mardie (Eds.), Sustainability and Health: Supporting global ecological integrity in public health, (pp. 163-198). London: Allen and Unwin.

Journals

  • Harris, N., Grootjans, J. (2012). The application of ecological thinking to better understand the needs of communities of older people. Australasian Journal on Ageing, 31(1), 17-21.
  • Saini, B., Shah, S., Kearey, P., Bosnic-Anticevich, S., Grootjans, J., Armour, C. (2011). An interprofessional learning module on asthma health promotion. American Journal of Pharmaceutical Education, 75(2), 30-1-30-10.
  • Anderson, J., Bonner, A., Grootjans, J. (2011). Collaboration: developing integration in multi-purpose services in rural New South Wales, Australia. Rural and Remote Health, 11(4), 1-7.
  • Harris, N., Grootjans, J., Wenham, K. (2008). Ecological Aging: The Settings Approach in Aged Living and Care Accommodation. EcoHealth, 5, 196-204.
  • Harris, N., Grootjans, J., Wenham, K. (2007). Resident identified issues shaping wellbeing in retirement and aged living and care facilities. Geriaction, 25(4), 5-13.
  • Grootjans, J., Hunt, H., Cresswell, S., Robinson, T. (2006). Exploration of Self Identified Education Needs of Alcohol and Other Drug Workers. Australian Journal of Rural Health, 14(2), 62-65.
  • Harris, N., Grootjans, J. (2006). The potential role of ecological health promotion in progressing healthy ageing. Ageing International: information bulletin of the International Federation on Ageing, 31(4), 276-282.
  • Grootjans, J. (2003). Education for Sustainability and Health: A Practical Example. Environmental Health (Online Edition), 3(2), 95-101.
  • McAuliffe, A., Grootjans, J., Fisher, J. (2002). Hastens slowly: a needs analysis for nurse and village health worker education in East Timor. International Nursing Review, 49(1), 47-53.
  • Grootjans, J., Brown, V., Ritchie, J., Verrinder, G. (2002). Sustainable Development: A Cornerstone of Public Health Promoting Ecological Sustainable Development and Health in Public Health Education in Australia. Environmental Health (Online Edition), 2(1), 71-76.

Conferences

  • Anderson, J., Grootjans, J., Bonner, A. (2009). The impact of rhetoric and reality on community anticipation of risk in the development of multi-purpose services: a grounded theory study. 10th National Rural Health Conference 2009, Australia: National Rural Health Alliance.
  • Grootjans, J., Harris, N. (2007). Describing principles of a health promoting setting as applied to communities of older people. Asia-Pacific EcoHealth'07 Conference, Melbourne: Organising Committee for the Asia-Pacific EcoHealth Conference 2007, Melbourne.
  • Grootjans, J., Harris, N. (2007). Developing an ecological framework for measuring wellbeing for communities of older people. Asia-Pacific EcoHealth'07 Conference, Melbourne: Organising Committee for the Asia-Pacific EcoHealth Conference 2007, Melbourne.
  • Harris, N., Grootjans, J. (2006). Healthy and Active Ageing: Residential Aged Care as a Health Promoting Setting for the Ageing Population. Health and Medical Research Conference of Queensland, Australia: Queensland Health.
  • Harris, N., Grootjans, J. (2005). Valuing Ecological Health Promotion in Aged Care. 38th Annual Conference of the Australian Association of Gerontology, Gold Coast: Australian Association of Gerontology (AAG).

2012

  • Molloy, L., Grootjans, J. (2012). Let's Learn Together, Let's Work Together. In Kathleen Markey, Patricia White and Larry O'Connor (Eds.), Let's Learn Together, Let's Work Together: Challenges and Solutions for Transcultural Health and Social Care, (pp. 25-42). Newcastle upon Tyne: Cambridge Scholars Publishing.
  • Harris, N., Grootjans, J. (2012). The application of ecological thinking to better understand the needs of communities of older people. Australasian Journal on Ageing, 31(1), 17-21.

2011

  • Saini, B., Shah, S., Kearey, P., Bosnic-Anticevich, S., Grootjans, J., Armour, C. (2011). An interprofessional learning module on asthma health promotion. American Journal of Pharmaceutical Education, 75(2), 30-1-30-10.
  • Anderson, J., Bonner, A., Grootjans, J. (2011). Collaboration: developing integration in multi-purpose services in rural New South Wales, Australia. Rural and Remote Health, 11(4), 1-7.
  • Grootjans, J., Fisher, J., McAuliffe, A. (2011). Manual Ba Treinu Na'in: Isin Di'ak Nian Iha Vila Ho Aldeia Sira Iha Timor-Leste. Sydney.

2010

  • Grootjans, J. (2010). White Skin Black Masks: A Personal Narrative on Benevolent Racism. In Valerie A. Brown, John A. Harris, Jacqueline Y. Russell (Eds.), Tackling Wicked Problems: Through the Transdisciplinary Imagination, (pp. 225-233). United Kingdom: Earthscan.

2009

  • Anderson, J., Grootjans, J., Bonner, A. (2009). The impact of rhetoric and reality on community anticipation of risk in the development of multi-purpose services: a grounded theory study. 10th National Rural Health Conference 2009, Australia: National Rural Health Alliance.

2008

  • Harris, N., Grootjans, J., Wenham, K. (2008). Ecological Aging: The Settings Approach in Aged Living and Care Accommodation. EcoHealth, 5, 196-204.

2007

  • Grootjans, J., Harris, N. (2007). Describing principles of a health promoting setting as applied to communities of older people. Asia-Pacific EcoHealth'07 Conference, Melbourne: Organising Committee for the Asia-Pacific EcoHealth Conference 2007, Melbourne.
  • Grootjans, J., Harris, N. (2007). Developing an ecological framework for measuring wellbeing for communities of older people. Asia-Pacific EcoHealth'07 Conference, Melbourne: Organising Committee for the Asia-Pacific EcoHealth Conference 2007, Melbourne.
  • Harris, N., Grootjans, J., Wenham, K. (2007). Resident identified issues shaping wellbeing in retirement and aged living and care facilities. Geriaction, 25(4), 5-13.

2006

  • Grootjans, J., Hunt, H., Cresswell, S., Robinson, T. (2006). Exploration of Self Identified Education Needs of Alcohol and Other Drug Workers. Australian Journal of Rural Health, 14(2), 62-65.
  • Harris, N., Grootjans, J. (2006). Healthy and Active Ageing: Residential Aged Care as a Health Promoting Setting for the Ageing Population. Health and Medical Research Conference of Queensland, Australia: Queensland Health.
  • Harris, N., Grootjans, J. (2006). The potential role of ecological health promotion in progressing healthy ageing. Ageing International: information bulletin of the International Federation on Ageing, 31(4), 276-282.

2005

  • Grootjans, J., Townsend, M. (2005). Grounding: Co-ordinating contexts for sustainability and health. In Valerie A. Brown, John Grootjans, Jan Ritchie, Mardie (Eds.), Sustainability and Health: Supporting global ecological integrity in public health, (pp. 81-130). London: Allen and Unwin.
  • Grootjans, J., Townsend, M., Butler, C., Heyworth, J. (2005). Listening: Co-ordinating ideas on sustainability and health. In Valerie A. Brown, John Grootjans, Jan Ritchie, Mardie (Eds.), Sustainability and Health: Supporting global ecological integrity in public health, (pp. 39-79). London: Allen and Unwin.
  • Brown, V., Ritchie, J., Grootjans, J., Rohan, B. (2005). Living: Public Health and the future of life on the planet. In Valerie A. Brown, John Grootjans, Jan Ritchie, Mardie (Eds.), Sustainability and Health: Supporting global ecological integrity in public health, (pp. 1-38). London: Allen and Unwin.
  • Brown, V., Grootjans, J., Ritchie, J., Jordan, H. (2005). Scoping: Designing and monitoring sustainability and health programs. In Valerie A. Brown, John Grootjans, Jan Ritchie, Mardie (Eds.), Sustainability and Health: Supporting global ecological integrity in public health, (pp. 163-198). London: Allen and Unwin.
  • Brown, V., Grootjans, J., Ritchie, J., Townsend, M., Verrinder, G. (2005). Sustainability and health : supporting global ecological integrity in public health. Crows Nest, N.S.W.: Allen and Unwin.
  • Brown, V., Grootjans, J., Ritchie, J., Townsend, M., Verrinder, G. (2005). Sustainability and Health: Supporting global ecological integrity in public health. London: Allen and Unwin.
  • Harris, N., Grootjans, J. (2005). Valuing Ecological Health Promotion in Aged Care. 38th Annual Conference of the Australian Association of Gerontology, Gold Coast: Australian Association of Gerontology (AAG).

2003

  • Grootjans, J. (2003). Education for Sustainability and Health: A Practical Example. Environmental Health (Online Edition), 3(2), 95-101.

2002

  • Grootjans, J., Fisher, J., McAuliffe, A. (2002). A train-the-trainer manual for village healthcare workers in East Timor. Australia: Sydney Nursing Research Centre, Faculty of Nursing, University of Sydney.
  • McAuliffe, A., Grootjans, J., Fisher, J. (2002). Hastens slowly: a needs analysis for nurse and village health worker education in East Timor. International Nursing Review, 49(1), 47-53.
  • Grootjans, J., Brown, V., Ritchie, J., Verrinder, G. (2002). Sustainable Development: A Cornerstone of Public Health Promoting Ecological Sustainable Development and Health in Public Health Education in Australia. Environmental Health (Online Edition), 2(1), 71-76.
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