Vanessa Sparke
- vanessa.sparke1@jcu.edu.au
- Principal Research Fellow, Rural and Remote Care Workforce
- The Cairns Institute
Projects
4
Publications
17
Awards
0
Contact Details
Senior Lecturer
- 0742321531
- vanessa.sparke1@jcu.edu.au
-
Nguma-Bada Campus
McGregor Road
Smithfield, QLD, 4878
Biography
Vanessa is a Senior Lecturer in the discipline of Nursing and Midwifery, and Course Coordinator of the Graduate Certificate of Infection Control at James Cook University (JCU).
Vanessa is an experienced Infection Prevention and Control (IP&C) professional with a specific interest in rural and remote areas. Vanessa's PhD thesis studied improving infection prevention and control in a rural hospital in the Solomon Islands using a Participatory Action Research approach. Vanessa has worked as an IP&C clinical nurse in both large metropolitan hospitals and rural and remote areas of Australia. Vanessa’s other professional interests include critical care nursing, public health, and disaster preparedness and recovery and has travelled to Vietnam to teach disaster preparedness to communities living on the Mekong Delta (AusAID funded), and to the Solomon Islands to assess IP&C practices in a rural hospital (WHO funded). Vanessa is an active member of the Australasian College for Infection Prevention and Control (ACIPC) LMI Special Interest Group and Education & Professional Development Committee, and a founding member of the Collaborative for Advancement of Infection Prevention and Control - a collaborative between Griffith University, University of the Sunshine Coast and JCU.
Research
Research Interests
Infection prevention and control Disaster preparedness and resilience Rural and remote health
Projects
Teaching
Research Advisor Accreditation
Advisor Type
Secondary
Output
Sparke, Vanessa Leonie (2022) Improving infection control at Atoifi Adventist Hospital, Solomon Islands: a participatory action research approach. [Thesis] [DOI]
Mason, Matt; Wakefield, Jacinta; Sparke, Vanessa; Basseal, Jocelyne M.; Zimmerman, Peta Anne (2025) 'Religious influences on infection prevention and control practices in healthcare settings: A scoping review'. Infection, Disease & Health, 30 (3):234-247. [DOI]
Chen, Yingyan; Tower, Marion; Zimmerman, Peta-Anne; Layh, Janice; Sparke, Vanessa; Prichard, Roslyn; Mason, Matthew; Lin, Francis Fengzhi (2024) 'Perceptions and attitudes toward COVID-19 vaccination among health professional students in Australia: a qualitative study'. Journal of Public Health Policy, 45 :283-298. [DOI]
Oswald, Anna; Mason, Matt; Sparke, Vanessa; Zimmerman, Peta-Anne (2024) 'Healthcare workers’ willingness to respond to duty during infectious disease outbreaks in low- and middle-income countries in the Western Pacific Region: a pilot study in Papua New Guinea'. Papua New Guinea Medical Journal, 64 . [DOI]
Adams, Festus; Zimmerman, Peta-anne; Sparke, Vanessa; Mason, Matthew (2023) 'Towards a framework for a collaborative support model to assist infection prevention and control programmes in low- and middle-income countries: a scoping review'. International Journal of Infection Control, 19 . [DOI]
Condon, Kathleena; Zimmerman, Peta-Anne; Mason, Matt; Sparke, Vanessa (2023) 'Audit of essential infection prevention and control content provided within undergraduate/postgraduate public health programs across Australian and New Zealand universities'. Infection, Disease & Health, 28 (2):75-80. [DOI]
Journal Publication
ResearchOnline@JCU
Chen, Yingyan; Prichard, Roslyn; Mason, Matt; Tower, Marion; Zimmerman, Peta-Anne; Sparke, Vanessa; Layh, Janice; Mehdi, Ahmed M.; Lin, Francis Fengzhi (2023) 'Barriers and facilitators to COVID-19 vaccine uptake among Australian health professional students during the pandemic: a nationwide study'. Journal of Public Health Policy, 44 :400-414. [DOI]
Sparke, Vanessa L.; Maclaren, David; Esau, Dorothy; West, Caryn (2022) 'Exploring infection prevention and control knowledge and beliefs in the Solomon Islands using Photovoice'. PLOS Global Public Health, 2 (11). [DOI]
Murray, Eleanor J.; Mason, Matt; Sparke, Vanessa; Zimmerman, Peta-Anne P. (2021) 'Factors influencing health care workers' willingness to respond to duty during infectious disease outbreaks and bioterrorist events: an integrative review'. Prehospital and Disaster Medicine, 36 (3):321-337. [DOI]
Grimes, Andrea; Sparke, Vanessa; Rouen, Christopher; West, Caryn (2020) 'Preparedness and resilience of student nurses in Northern Queensland Australia for disasters'. International Journal of Disaster Risk Reduction, 48 . [DOI]
Sparke, Vanessa L.; Diau, Jason; MacLaren, David; West, Caryn (2020) 'Solutions to infection prevention and control challenges in developing countries, do they exist? An integrative review'. International Journal of Infection Control, 16 (1). [DOI]
Signal infection surveillance - trial to assess suitability in a small Western Australian hospital
2010
Sparke, Vanessa (2010) 'Signal infection surveillance - trial to assess suitability in a small Western Australian hospital'. Healthcare Infection, 15 (3):93-96. [DOI]
Journal Publication
ResearchOnline@JCU
Hays, Richard B.; Barker, Ruth N.; Cairns, Alice; Sparke, Vanessa L.; Stewart, Ruth N.; Varela, Sharon; Collins, Bonnie E.; Maloney, Catherine; Omond, Rodney; Sen Gupta, Tarun; Chalmers, Sarah; Chong, Hwee Sin; McKenna, Kylie; Forrest, Kristie; West, Erica; Matthews, Jennie; Ballard, Rosalie; Sabatino, Gabrielle; Turvey, Jodie; Symons, Jo; Quabba, Andrew; Brown, Jodi (2024) 'The Murtupuni Statement on rural generalist professional practice in Australia' Rural and Remote Health, 24 (4) . [DOI]
Sparke, Vanessa L.; MacLaren, David; Mills, Jane; Asugeni , Rowena; Moutoa , Kenny; West, Caryn (2017) 'Improving infection prevention and control practices in a culturally, linguistically and spiritually diverse environment' Australian Nursing and Midwifery Journal, 24 (8) :42-42.
Journal Contribution
ResearchOnline@JCU
Carrucan, Janine; Smyth, Wendy; Abernethy, Gail; Mason, Matthew; Sparke, Vanessa; Hayes, Megan; Shields, Linda (2014) 'Patients' perceptions of hospital-acquired infections in two facilities in North Queensland, Australia: a pilot study' Annals of the Australasian College of Tropical Medicine, 15 (3) :55-56.
Geia, Lynore; Budden, Lea; Felton-Busch, Catrina; Baldwin, Adele; Sparke, Vanessa; Callope, Elizabeth; Ives, Karen; Boucher, Robyn; Johns, Kelly; Hinch, Joanne (2014) Are you remotely interested...? Remote Health Conference Connectedness, confidence, competence, celebration: 4C'ing the future for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander nursing and midwifery students Mt Isa, Queensland, Australia, .
Callope, Elizabeth; Felton-Busch, Catrina; Geia, Lynore; Budden, Lea M.; Baldwin, Adele; Sparke, Vanessa (2014) AYRI 2014: 7th Biennial Are You Remotely Interested Conference U-Connect: a tool for engaging and supporting Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students at university Mount Isa, QLD, Australia, .