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Associate Professor Murray Fisher

RN, PhD Sydney MHPEd UNSW BHSc(Nursing) UTS DipAppSc(Nursing) CCES IT Cert, MRCNA
Associate Professor

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

Telephone +61 2 9351 0587
Fax +61 434 352 625

Biographical details

I have been nursing since 1985 and most of my clinical experience is in adult intensive care and coronary care nursing. I have 17 years nursing education experience, holding positions within the hospital sector and the university sector. In 1991 I completed a Bachelor of Nursing degree with an intensive care major (UTS) and completed an Intensive Therapy Nursing Certificate at St Vincent's Hospital, Sydney. I have since completed a Master of Health Personnel Education (UNSW) and a PhD (Sydney), for which my thesis was titled 'Masculinities and Men in Nursing: an exploratory study and life history study'. For the past 12 years, I have worked in the Faculty of Nursing and Midwifery, where I have coordinated and taught in units of study at the undergraduate and postgraduate levels. I served a two-year term as the Associate Dean (Academic) and also held the inaugural position of Director of Pre-registration Programs.


Over the past 10 years I have published 16 peer-reviewed journal articles and given over 30 conference presentations on a variety of professional and nursing related topics.

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Research interests

The social construction of gender and the impact on men's health

Health outcomes of chronic illness

Clinical nursing

Readiness for self-directed learning

Areas of expertise
Scale development and multivariate analyses such as exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis, multiple regression and SEM

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Teaching and supervision

Current research students
Doctor of Philosophy

  • Jennie King, 'The development and evaluation of a hypoglycaemia action plan for adults with type 1 diabetes and their significant other’.
  • Michaela Kelleher, 'Clinical assessment and the haemodialysis procedure’.
  • Jo Dunn, ‘Suicidal masculinities: A Life History Project’. Recipient of a Vice-Chancellor’s Research Scholarship. Primary Supervisor: Professor Ian Kerridge (VELiM)
Bachelor of Nursing (Honours)
  • Denise Haylen, The lived experience of women with LAM. Commenced: 2008
Completed research students
  • Jung-Ran (Theresa) Kim, 'ICU nurses' attitudes and knowledge towards organ donation and transplantation in Korea'. PhD awarded 2006.
  • Jo Dunn, Dying to be a man: Towards an understanding of the relationship between masculinity and male suicidal behaviour. Completed: 2008, 95 First Class Honours and University Medal
Areas of teaching
I teach and coordinate units of study in the area of nursing research and research utilisation in nursing practice (NURS6008 & CLIN3002). I also teach Masculinities and Men's Health in units of study such as NURS5001 Social Context of Health and ASSN3002 & NURS3002 Health Illness and Care.

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Current projects

  • Understanding the relationship of masculinity and male obesity
  • Sex differences in trauma presentation at a major tertiary trauma centre in NSW, Australia
  • The efficacy of a psychosocial educational package in improving outcomes for families with congenital adrenal hyperplasia
  • Women's experiences and behaviour modification following an acute cardiac event
  • Men's experiences of nursing: a life history project

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Selected grants

2005

  • The development of a hypoglycaemia action plan for adults with type 1 diabetes and their significant other.; Elliott D, King J, Fisher M; Endocrine Nurses Society of Australia/Nursing Research Grant.
  • The life experiences and risk behaviour modification of women recovering from an acute cardiac event: A life history project; Fisher M, Elliott D, Marshall A; University of Sydney/Research & Development.

2003

  • Competency standards for critical care nurses: determining construct validity; Kendrick T, Fisher M, Marshall A; NSW Nurses Registration Board/Category 5 Scholarship.
  • Competency standards for critical care nurses: determining construct validity; Marshall A, Kendrick T, Fisher M; Australian College of Critical Care Nurses/Research Grant.
  • An exploration of the experience of men in nursing; Fisher M; Royal College of Nursing (RCNA)/Research Grant.
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Selected publications

Download citations: PDF RTF Endnote

Book Chapters

  • Fisher, M., Schneider, Z. (2013). Analysing data in quantitative research. In Z Schneider, D Whitehead, G LoBiondo-Wood and J Haber (Eds.), Nursing and Midwifery Research: methods and appraisal for evidence-based practice, (pp. 237-262). Sydney: Mosby.
  • Schneider, Z., Fisher, M. (2013). Sampling data in quantitative research. In Z Schneider, D Whitehead, G LoBiondo-Wood and J Haber (Eds.), Nursing and Midwifery Research: methods and appraisal for evidence-based practice, (pp. 184-199). Sydney: Mosby.
  • Fisher, M., Chilko, N. (2012). Gender and Obesity. In Louise A. Baur, Stephen M. Twigg, Roger S.Magnusson (Eds.), A Modern Epidemic: Expert Perspectives on Obesity and Diabetes, (pp. 107-119). Sydney, Australia: Sydney University Press.
  • Fisher, M., Schneider, Z. (2007). Analysing data in quantitative research. In Zevia Schneider, Dean Whitehead, Doug Elliott, Geri LoBiondo-Wood & Judith Haber (Eds.), Nursing & Midwifery Research: Methods and Appraisal for Evidence-Based Practice, (pp. 226-247). Marrickville, NSW: Mosby Elsevier.

Journals

  • Fisher, M., River, J. (2012). Men's health policy in Australia. Australian Nursing Journal, 20(5), 46-47.
  • Fisher, M. (2012). Nurse-led weight loss intervention for morbidly obese men. Australian Nursing Journal, 20(5), 52-53.
  • Mitchell, R., Curtis, K., Fisher, M. (2012). Understanding Trauma as a Men's Health Issue: Sex Differences in Traumatic Injury Presentations at a Level 1 Trauma Center in Australia. Journal of Trauma Nursing, 19(2), 80-88.
  • Abraham, R., Fisher, M., Kamath, A., Izzati, T., Nabila, S., Atikah, N. (2011). Exploring first-year undergraduate medical students' self-directed learning readiness to physiology. Advances in Physiology Education, 35(4), 393-395.
  • McKenzie, H., Hardy, J., Fisher, M., Lewis, M., Kingston, J. (2011). Extending Experiental Learning: Showcasing a Nursing 'Clinical Home' Model. Synergy, (31), 19-23.
  • Fisher, M. (2011). Sex differences in gender characteristics of Australian nurses and male engineers: A comparative cross-sectional survey. Contemporary Nurse: health care across the lifespan, 39(1), 36-50.
  • Fisher, M., Marshall, A., Mitchell, M. (2011). Testing differences in proportions. Australian Critical Care, 24(2), 133-138.
  • Gallagher, R., Marshall, A., Fisher, M. (2010). Symptoms and treatment-seeking responses in women experiencing acute coronary syndrome for the first time. Heart and Lung: the journal of acute and critical care, 39(6), 477-484.
  • Fisher, M., King, J. (2010). The self-directed learning readiness scale for nursing education revisited: A confirmatory factor analysis. Nurse Education Today, 30(1), 44-48.
  • Fisher, M. (2009). ''Being a Chameleon'': labour processes of male nurses performing bodywork. Journal of Advanced Nursing, 65(12), 2668-2677.
  • Haylen, D., Fisher, M., Lawler, J. (2009). Living with Lymphangioleiomyomatosis (LAM): a literature review. Transplant Nurses Journal, 18(3), 20-25.
  • Fisher, M., Marshall, A. (2009). Understanding descriptive statistics. Australian Critical Care, 22, 93-97.
  • King, J., Mitchelhill, I., Fisher, M. (2008). Development of the congenital adrenal hyperplasia knowledge assessment questionnaire (CAHKAQ). Journal of Clinical Nursing, 17(13), 1689-1696.
  • Gallagher, R., Marshall, A., Fisher, M., Elliott, D. (2008). On my own: Experiences of recovery from acute coronary syndrome for women living alone. Heart and Lung: the journal of acute and critical care, 37(6), 417-424.
  • Marshall, A., Fisher, M., Brammer, J., Eustace, P., Grech, C., Jones, B., Kelly, M. (2007). Assessing psychometric properties of scales: a case study. Journal of Advanced Nursing, 59(4), 398-406.
  • Kim, J., Fisher, M., Elliott, D. (2006). Attitudes of intensive care nurses towards brain death and organ transplantation: instrument developing and testing. Journal of Advanced Nursing, 53(5), 571-582.
  • Kim, J., Fisher, M., Elliott, D. (2006). Knowledge levels of Korean intensive care nurses towards brain death and organ transplantation. Journal of Clinical Nursing, 15(5), 574-580.
  • Kim, J., Fisher, M., Elliott, D. (2006). Undergraduate nursing students' knowledge and attitudes towards organ donation in Korea: Implications for education. Nurse Education Today, 26(6), 465-474.
  • Fisher, M., Marshall, A., Kendrick, T. (2005). Competency standards for critical care nurses: do they measure up? Australian Journal of Advanced Nursing, 22(4), 32-39.
  • Marshall, A., Fisher, M. (2005). Guest Editorial: Assessing clinical practice using the ACCCN Competency Standards: A valid tool? Australian Critical Care, 18(4), 136-137.
  • Fisher, M., Brown, L., King, J. (2002). Perceptions and expectations of nursing: Changes in first year nursing student attitudes. Focus on Health Professional Education: a multi-disciplinary journal, 4(3), 21-32.
  • Fisher, M., Hawkshaw, B., Norris, D., Camac, K. (2001). A comparison of medication errors between two storage sites. Contemporary Nurse: health care across the lifespan, 11(1), 55-59.
  • Fisher, M., King, J., Tague, G. (2001). Development of a self-directed learning readiness scale for nursing education. Nurse Education Today, 21, 516-525.
  • Shea, A., Fisher, M., Turner, C. (2001). Lecture note taking workshops for students from non-English speaking backgrounds. An evaluative study. Focus on Health Professional Education: a multi-disciplinary journal, 3, 10-19.

Conferences

  • Fisher, M., Marshall, A., Gallagher, R., Elliott, D., Waite, M. (2006). Protest Femininity and Women's Experiences of Recovery from an Acute Coronary Syndrome: A Life History Project. Heart Foundation Conference and Scientific Meeting, Not published: Not Published.
  • King, J., White, K., Fisher, M. (2006). The experience and impact of severe hypoglycaemia for adults with type 1 diabetes and their significant other: Data collection stage. University of Sydney College of Health Sciences Health Research Conference 2006: From Cell to Society 5.
  • Fisher, M. (2002). A sociology of men in nursing: a gender relations approach. 28th Meeting of the American Assembly for Men in Nursing: Is Diversity Nursing''s Future?, Nashville, Tennessee: American Assembly for Men in Nursing.
  • Brown, L., Fisher, M., King, J. (2002). Changes in first year nursing student perceptions and expectations of nursing. 10th National Nurse Education Conference, Townsville, QLD: Australian Nurse Teachers'' Society.
  • Fisher, M., Connell, R. (2002). Masculinities and men in nursing. College of Health Sciences Research Conference: From Cell to Society 3, Sydney: University of Sydney.
  • King, J., Brown, L., Fisher, M. (2002). The impact of the Bachelor of Nursing Program on students? perceptions of nursing. College of Health Sciences Research Conference: From Cell to Society 3, Sydney: University of Sydney.
  • King, J., Fisher, M. (2002). The use of postal surveys as a tool for diabetes research. Australian Diabetes Society and the Australian Diabetes Educators Association Annual Scientific Meeting, Adelaide: Ads/Adea.
  • Fisher, M., Wall, M. (2001). 'The singer or the song' The reliability of the clinical performance indicator: A competency based assessment tool. Stories from the Field 2, : World Scientific Publishing.
  • Fisher, M., King, J. (2001). Survey response rate: When is enough, enough?. Stories from the Field 2 Conference, : Ads & Adea.

Reference Works

  • Newman, S., Fisher, M. (2007). Working with male patients. In Michael Flood, Judith Kegan Gardiner, Bob Pease, Keith Pringle (Eds.), International encyclopedia of men and masculinities. (pp. 643-644). Oxon: Routledge imprint of Taylor & Francis.

Other

  • Fisher, M., Hawley, R. (2002), Defining men's health: the gender relations approach.

2013

  • Fisher, M., Schneider, Z. (2013). Analysing data in quantitative research. In Z Schneider, D Whitehead, G LoBiondo-Wood and J Haber (Eds.), Nursing and Midwifery Research: methods and appraisal for evidence-based practice, (pp. 237-262). Sydney: Mosby.
  • Schneider, Z., Fisher, M. (2013). Sampling data in quantitative research. In Z Schneider, D Whitehead, G LoBiondo-Wood and J Haber (Eds.), Nursing and Midwifery Research: methods and appraisal for evidence-based practice, (pp. 184-199). Sydney: Mosby.

2012

  • Fisher, M., Chilko, N. (2012). Gender and Obesity. In Louise A. Baur, Stephen M. Twigg, Roger S.Magnusson (Eds.), A Modern Epidemic: Expert Perspectives on Obesity and Diabetes, (pp. 107-119). Sydney, Australia: Sydney University Press.
  • Fisher, M., River, J. (2012). Men's health policy in Australia. Australian Nursing Journal, 20(5), 46-47.
  • Fisher, M. (2012). Nurse-led weight loss intervention for morbidly obese men. Australian Nursing Journal, 20(5), 52-53.
  • Mitchell, R., Curtis, K., Fisher, M. (2012). Understanding Trauma as a Men's Health Issue: Sex Differences in Traumatic Injury Presentations at a Level 1 Trauma Center in Australia. Journal of Trauma Nursing, 19(2), 80-88.

2011

  • Abraham, R., Fisher, M., Kamath, A., Izzati, T., Nabila, S., Atikah, N. (2011). Exploring first-year undergraduate medical students' self-directed learning readiness to physiology. Advances in Physiology Education, 35(4), 393-395.
  • McKenzie, H., Hardy, J., Fisher, M., Lewis, M., Kingston, J. (2011). Extending Experiental Learning: Showcasing a Nursing 'Clinical Home' Model. Synergy, (31), 19-23.
  • Fisher, M. (2011). Sex differences in gender characteristics of Australian nurses and male engineers: A comparative cross-sectional survey. Contemporary Nurse: health care across the lifespan, 39(1), 36-50.
  • Fisher, M., Marshall, A., Mitchell, M. (2011). Testing differences in proportions. Australian Critical Care, 24(2), 133-138.

2010

  • Gallagher, R., Marshall, A., Fisher, M. (2010). Symptoms and treatment-seeking responses in women experiencing acute coronary syndrome for the first time. Heart and Lung: the journal of acute and critical care, 39(6), 477-484.
  • Fisher, M., King, J. (2010). The self-directed learning readiness scale for nursing education revisited: A confirmatory factor analysis. Nurse Education Today, 30(1), 44-48.

2009

  • Fisher, M. (2009). ''Being a Chameleon'': labour processes of male nurses performing bodywork. Journal of Advanced Nursing, 65(12), 2668-2677.
  • Haylen, D., Fisher, M., Lawler, J. (2009). Living with Lymphangioleiomyomatosis (LAM): a literature review. Transplant Nurses Journal, 18(3), 20-25.
  • Fisher, M., Marshall, A. (2009). Understanding descriptive statistics. Australian Critical Care, 22, 93-97.

2008

  • King, J., Mitchelhill, I., Fisher, M. (2008). Development of the congenital adrenal hyperplasia knowledge assessment questionnaire (CAHKAQ). Journal of Clinical Nursing, 17(13), 1689-1696.
  • Gallagher, R., Marshall, A., Fisher, M., Elliott, D. (2008). On my own: Experiences of recovery from acute coronary syndrome for women living alone. Heart and Lung: the journal of acute and critical care, 37(6), 417-424.

2007

  • Fisher, M., Schneider, Z. (2007). Analysing data in quantitative research. In Zevia Schneider, Dean Whitehead, Doug Elliott, Geri LoBiondo-Wood & Judith Haber (Eds.), Nursing & Midwifery Research: Methods and Appraisal for Evidence-Based Practice, (pp. 226-247). Marrickville, NSW: Mosby Elsevier.
  • Marshall, A., Fisher, M., Brammer, J., Eustace, P., Grech, C., Jones, B., Kelly, M. (2007). Assessing psychometric properties of scales: a case study. Journal of Advanced Nursing, 59(4), 398-406.
  • Newman, S., Fisher, M. (2007). Working with male patients. In Michael Flood, Judith Kegan Gardiner, Bob Pease, Keith Pringle (Eds.), International encyclopedia of men and masculinities. (pp. 643-644). Oxon: Routledge imprint of Taylor & Francis.

2006

  • Kim, J., Fisher, M., Elliott, D. (2006). Attitudes of intensive care nurses towards brain death and organ transplantation: instrument developing and testing. Journal of Advanced Nursing, 53(5), 571-582.
  • Kim, J., Fisher, M., Elliott, D. (2006). Knowledge levels of Korean intensive care nurses towards brain death and organ transplantation. Journal of Clinical Nursing, 15(5), 574-580.
  • Fisher, M., Marshall, A., Gallagher, R., Elliott, D., Waite, M. (2006). Protest Femininity and Women's Experiences of Recovery from an Acute Coronary Syndrome: A Life History Project. Heart Foundation Conference and Scientific Meeting, Not published: Not Published.
  • King, J., White, K., Fisher, M. (2006). The experience and impact of severe hypoglycaemia for adults with type 1 diabetes and their significant other: Data collection stage. University of Sydney College of Health Sciences Health Research Conference 2006: From Cell to Society 5.
  • Kim, J., Fisher, M., Elliott, D. (2006). Undergraduate nursing students' knowledge and attitudes towards organ donation in Korea: Implications for education. Nurse Education Today, 26(6), 465-474.

2005

  • Fisher, M., Marshall, A., Kendrick, T. (2005). Competency standards for critical care nurses: do they measure up? Australian Journal of Advanced Nursing, 22(4), 32-39.
  • Marshall, A., Fisher, M. (2005). Guest Editorial: Assessing clinical practice using the ACCCN Competency Standards: A valid tool? Australian Critical Care, 18(4), 136-137.

2002

  • Fisher, M. (2002). A sociology of men in nursing: a gender relations approach. 28th Meeting of the American Assembly for Men in Nursing: Is Diversity Nursing''s Future?, Nashville, Tennessee: American Assembly for Men in Nursing.
  • Brown, L., Fisher, M., King, J. (2002). Changes in first year nursing student perceptions and expectations of nursing. 10th National Nurse Education Conference, Townsville, QLD: Australian Nurse Teachers'' Society.
  • Fisher, M., Hawley, R. (2002), Defining men's health: the gender relations approach.
  • Fisher, M., Connell, R. (2002). Masculinities and men in nursing. College of Health Sciences Research Conference: From Cell to Society 3, Sydney: University of Sydney.
  • Fisher, M., Brown, L., King, J. (2002). Perceptions and expectations of nursing: Changes in first year nursing student attitudes. Focus on Health Professional Education: a multi-disciplinary journal, 4(3), 21-32.
  • King, J., Brown, L., Fisher, M. (2002). The impact of the Bachelor of Nursing Program on students? perceptions of nursing. College of Health Sciences Research Conference: From Cell to Society 3, Sydney: University of Sydney.
  • King, J., Fisher, M. (2002). The use of postal surveys as a tool for diabetes research. Australian Diabetes Society and the Australian Diabetes Educators Association Annual Scientific Meeting, Adelaide: Ads/Adea.

2001

  • Fisher, M., Wall, M. (2001). 'The singer or the song' The reliability of the clinical performance indicator: A competency based assessment tool. Stories from the Field 2, : World Scientific Publishing.
  • Fisher, M., Hawkshaw, B., Norris, D., Camac, K. (2001). A comparison of medication errors between two storage sites. Contemporary Nurse: health care across the lifespan, 11(1), 55-59.
  • Fisher, M., King, J., Tague, G. (2001). Development of a self-directed learning readiness scale for nursing education. Nurse Education Today, 21, 516-525.
  • Shea, A., Fisher, M., Turner, C. (2001). Lecture note taking workshops for students from non-English speaking backgrounds. An evaluative study. Focus on Health Professional Education: a multi-disciplinary journal, 3, 10-19.
  • Fisher, M., King, J. (2001). Survey response rate: When is enough, enough?. Stories from the Field 2 Conference, : Ads & Adea.
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PhD and master's project opportunities

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