Dr Raelene Ward

Dr Raelene Ward
NameDr Raelene Ward
Email Addressraelene.ward@unisq.edu.au
Job TitleSouthern Queensland and Northern New South Wales Hub Knowledge Broker
QualificationsBNurs USQ, MHlth USQ, PhD USQ
DepartmentFuture Drought Fund Hub (Research)
AffiliationsSchool of Psychology and Wellbeing
School of Education
School of Mathematics, Physics and Computing
School of Nursing and Midwifery
ORCIDhttps://orcid.org/0000-0002-6248-7921
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Biography

I am a proud Kunja woman and a traditional owner of Cunnamulla and surrounding areas. I am qualified Registered Nurse both hospital and university-trained, holds a master's and PhD in Aboriginal Suicide. Employed at the University of Southern Queensland (UniSQ) for 16 years. Seconded from her substantive role as a Senior Academic nurse lecturer to the Knowledge Broker First Nations Engagement Lead for the Southern Queensland and Northern New South Wales (SQNNSW) Drought Resilience Adoption and Innovation Hub. Emphasis on amplifying the voices, perspectives, needs, and aspirations of First Nations peoples QLD and NSW. Raelene's work and relationships are extensive and deeply connected. Over the last year and a half, she has continuously given back to many communities and collaborators, with her research rooted in a grassroots level, being Aboriginal-led and community-driven. She represents her people and community on various levels, serving as the First Nations Director on the One Basin CRC, a member of the Murray Darling Basin Outlook First Nations Leadership Group for the Murray Darling Basin Authority (MDBA), Chairperson for Goolburri Aboriginal Health Advancement, and an Aboriginal member on the Darling Downs Hospital Health Service HREC. Additionally, she has recently been appointed as a member of the Research Advisory Committee for the Australian Farm Institute.

Employment

PositionOrganisationFromTo
Knowledge Broker First Nations EngagementUniSQ2022
Senior Lecturer (Nursing)UniSQ20202022
Associate Professor - College for Indigenous Studies, Education & ResearchUniSQ20192020
Senior Lecturer (Nursing)UniSQ20142019
Indigenous Project Coordinator (Nursing, Biomedical Institue of SciencesQUT20162017
Indigenous Nurse Research Fellow (CRRAH)UniSQ20102014

Expertise

First Nations Engagement

Research related projects in First Nations water (Basin communities) rights, policy across Basin communities.

Cultural Safety

Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Serivces

Research related projects with First Nations focus, drought, Caring for Country, Climate Change

Aboriginal suicide and social and emotional wellbeing

First Nations health & Wellbeing

Capacity Building

Teaching

None in my current role

Fields of Research

  • 450409. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health services
  • 450415. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander nursing
  • 450418. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander remote health
  • 450420. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander social, emotional, cultural and spiritual wellbeing

Professional Membership

Professional MembershipYear
Australian Farmers Institute – Aboriginal member Research Advisory Committee
Murray Darling Basin Authority - Outlook First Nations Leadership Group
One Basin CRC - First Nations Director
Chairperson - Goolburri Aboriginal Health Advancement
Darling Downs Hospital Health Service HREC - Aboriginal member
BNurs
USQ
1997
MHlth
USQ
2010
PhD
USQ
2019

Supervision Interests

Aboriginal Suicide

Community Engagement

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health and Wellbeing

Cultural Safety

Capacity Building

Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Services

Current Supervisions

Research TitleSupervisor TypeLevel of StudyCommenced
Protective associations between indicators of cultural connectedness against suicidality for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander young people at individual and community levelsAssociate SupervisorDoctoral2019
Associate SupervisorDoctoral2020
DEVELOPMENT OF A CULTURALLY SAFE TOOL TO ENHANCE GENERAL PRACTICE-BASED GOAL SETTING FOR ABORIGINAL AND TORRES STRAIT ISLANDER PATIENTS EXPERIENCING CHRONIC DISEASEAssociate SupervisorDoctoral2023
ABORIGINAL TRADITIONAL BUSH REMEDIES INCORPORATED INTO BIOACTIVE HYDROGEL FILMS AS A POTENTIAL TREATMENT FOR CHRONIC WOUNDS.Associate SupervisorDoctoral2021
Whaddup Toowoomba! Exploring Regional Youth Group Engagement and Social and Emotional Wellbeing of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander YouthAssociate SupervisorDoctoral2019
Making the NSW Child Protection System More Culturally Appropriate: Investigating the Impact of the Current NSW Child Protection System for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander FamiliesAssociate SupervisorDoctoral2019

Completed Supervisions

Research TitleSupervisor TypeLevel of StudyCompleted
FROM WHERE I STAND - WHAT DO SERVICE PROVIDERS IN ST GEORGE SAY ARE INFLUENCES FOR INDIGENOUS YOUTH SUICIDE IN THEIR COMMUNITY?Associate SupervisorMasters2021

Assessing cultural safety in general practice consultations for Indigenous patients: protocol for a mixed methods sequential embedded design study

Brumpton, Kay, Ward, Raelene, Evans, Rebecca, Neill, Henry, Woodall, Hannah, McArthur, Lawrie and Sen Gupta, Tarun. 2023. "Assessing cultural safety in general practice consultations for Indigenous patients: protocol for a mixed methods sequential embedded design study." BMC Medical Education. 23 (1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12909-023-04249-6

Embedding Authentic First Nations Content within Biomedical Science Curriculum

Myer, Sarah, Fossey, Uncle Wayne, Ward, Raelene and Whiteside, Eliza J.. 2022. "Embedding Authentic First Nations Content within Biomedical Science Curriculum." Australian Conference on Science and Mathematics Education (2022). Perth, Australia Sydney, Australia.

The research higher degree journey for Aboriginal students

Best, Odette, Ward, Raelene, Johnston, Elizabeth and Easton, Caitlin. 2020. "The research higher degree journey for Aboriginal students." Trimmer, Karen, Hoven, Deborah and Keskitalo, Pigga (ed.) Indigenous postgraduate education: intercultural perspectives. Charlotte, United States. Information Age Publishing. pp. 179-189

Suicide prevention: exploring Aboriginal understandings of suicides from a social and emotional wellbeing framework

Ward, Raelene Marie. 2019. Suicide prevention: exploring Aboriginal understandings of suicides from a social and emotional wellbeing framework. PhD Thesis Doctor of Philosophy. University of Southern Queensland. https://doi.org/10.26192/fabw-ct74

Retention of Indigenous pre-service teachers enrolled in an Australian regional university

Trimmer, Karen, Ward, Raelene and Wondunna-Foley, Linda. 2018. "Retention of Indigenous pre-service teachers enrolled in an Australian regional university." Teaching and Teacher Education. 76 (Special Issue), pp. 58-67. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tate.2018.08.006

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander emergency department utilisation in south-east Queensland

King, Helena, Ward, Raelene, King, Alexander B, Rahman, Muntasirur and Kondalsamy-Chennakesavan, Srinivas. 2019. "Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander emergency department utilisation in south-east Queensland ." King, H. (ed.) 15th National Rural Health Conference . Hobart, Australia 24 - 27 Mar 2019 15th National Rural Health Conference Proceedings .

Community controlled health services: what they are and how they work

Ward, Raelene, Fredericks, Bronwyn and Best, Odette. 2014. "Community controlled health services: what they are and how they work." Best, Odette and Fredericks, Bronwyn (ed.) Yatdjuligin: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander nursing and midwifery care. Australia. Cambridge University Press. pp. 87-100

Building bridges: learning from the experts: building bridges to implement successful life promotion and suicide prevention expertise across Aboriginal communities

Ward, Raelene. 2009. Building bridges: learning from the experts: building bridges to implement successful life promotion and suicide prevention expertise across Aboriginal communities. Cairns, Australia. Australian Government Department of Health and Ageing.

Racism, discrimination and health services to aboriginal people in South West Queensland

Ward, Raelene and Gorman, Don. 2010. "Racism, discrimination and health services to aboriginal people in South West Queensland." Aboriginal and Islander Health Worker Journal. 34 (6), pp. 3-5.

Developing suicide prevention expertise with Aboriginal communities

Gorman, Don and Ward, Raelene. 2008. "Developing suicide prevention expertise with Aboriginal communities." Mental Health Nursing – A Broad Canvas: The Art of Mental Health Nursing in the Age of Technology and Science (2008). Melbourne, Australia 06 - 10 Oct 2008 Canberra, Australia. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1447-0349.2008.00563.x