Associate Professor Kim Foster
Honorary
Associate Professor Mental Health Nursing
M02C - 88 Mallett Street - Building C
The University of Sydney
| Telephone | +61 2 9351 0860 |
| Fax | +61 2 9351 0679 |
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Biographical details
I am a registered nurse with particular expertise and interest in mental health nurse education, curriculum development, and research. I joined Sydney Nursing School in late 2008 and am currently the Coordinator of Mental Health Nursing programs. I also hold an Adjunct Associate Professor appointment with James Cook University.
Prior to my current position at University of Sydney, I was Senior Lecturer and Deputy Head of School in the School of Nursing, Midwifery and Nutrition at James Cook University, where I 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, I have taught in Australia, Hong Kong and Fiji. I have 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.
My 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 my doctoral work, I investigated the experiences of adult children of parents with serious mental illness.
Research interests
Areas of expertise
My predominant areas of teaching include mental health/psychiatric nursing; interpersonal communication in healthcare, psychosocial health, and research methodology.
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. I use mixed methods research and have expertise and interest in qualitative methodologies, particularly narrative inquiry and phenomenology.
Teaching and 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
My current areas of teaching are in Mental Health/Psychiatric Nursing, Interpersonal Relations in Clinical Environments, and Qualitative Research. I also mentor students in Reading Topics and Practice Development Projects in the post-registration master’s programs. I supervise a number of higher-degree research student projects.
Current projects
At present, I am 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
Associations
Community work
I am 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. I am also a member of the National Children of Parents with Mental Illness (COPMI) Reference Group, and the National COPMI Initiative Workforce Development Consultation Group. I am a previous Director of the Board of the Australian Infant, Child, Adolescent and Family Mental Health Association (AICAFMHA).
I am 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.
Awards and honours
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
Selected grants
2010
- RES: Evaluation of the 'OnFire' Children of Parents with Mental Illness Program (The Schizophrenia Fellowship of NSW Inc); Foster K, Brown A, Ramjan R, Turnbull A; Schizophrenia Fellowship of New South Wales inc/Research Contact.
Selected publications
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