College of Healthcare Sciences

Lisa Shaw

Doctor of Philosophy (Health)
lisa.shaw@jcu.edu.au

Stephen Yu

Senior Lecturer, Nursing and Midwifery
stephen.yu@jcu.edu.au

Karen Smith

Lecturer, Nursing and Midwifery
karen.smith6@jcu.edu.au

Chae Rose

Lecturer, Psychology
chae.rose@jcu.edu.au

Helen Petsky

Head, Nursing and Midwifery
helen.petsky@jcu.edu.au

Lucy Bird

Postdoctoral Research Fellow
lucy.bird@jcu.edu.au

Alyssia Merrick

Doctor of Philosophy (Health)
alyssia.merrick@jcu.edu.au

Sandra Dash

Lecturer
sandra.dash@jcu.edu.au

Preparing ‘healthcare scientists’ for placement: Developing a pre-placement training workshop to enhance graduate readiness in science-based allied health disciplines.

Amanda Krause - Psychology

Textbook affordability project: Psychology resource library

Amanda Krause - Psychology

Development of a virtual wellness hub: A student well-being initiative for online learners

Tracey Ahern - Nursing & Midwifery

03 Feb 2025 - 31 Dec 2025

JCU 2024 Learning and Teaching Grant (Medium)

NARDHC Digital Health Microcredential Development

Tracey Ahern - Nursing & Midwifery

01 May 2022 - 01 Oct 2022

Funded by the Australian Government Department of Education; Northern Australian Regional Digital Health Collaborative (NARDHC), this project involved curriculum writing and online development of a digital health course for the rural and remote workforce.

Exploring Student Perspectives on Generative artificial intelligence Integration in Education

Liza van Eijk - Psychology

The Impact of Daily Physical Activity and Sleep on Resting Heart Rate and Resting Heart Rate Variability in Individuals with High and Low Stress Load

Zoltan Sarnyai - Psychology

01 Jun 2026 - 01 Jun 2027

It is known that regular physical activity decreases resting heart rate (RHR) and increases resting heart rate variability (HRV), while chronic stress increases RHR and decreases resting HRV. Although it is recommended that stressed individuals exercise to reduce their stress burden, it is unclear if they benefit from exercise to the same extent as those who do not experience stress overload. A current gap in the literature is the lack of studies investigating cardiac autonomic nervous system (ANS) functioning in individuals with different chronic stress loads. The current project aims to investigate the differences in long-term ANS responses to daily physical activity in people experiencing high versus low chronic stress. We hypothesize that individuals who experience chronic stress exhibit a blunted autonomic response (less decrease in RHR and less increase in resting HRV) to daily exercise due to an inability to regulate parasympathetic activation effectively. Therefore, in this regard they won’t benefit from regular exercise as much as those who don’t experience chronic stress, owing to their decreased autonomic nervous system (ANS) reactivity. In order to test this hypothesis, we would like to benefit from the TILES2018 dataset.

Student Perspectives on GenAI Integration in Higher Education

Stephen Yu - Nursing & Midwifery 3

04 Aug 2025

Students are increasingly using GenAI, but institutional practices and educator approaches to GenAI integration remain varied and sometimes restrictive. Understanding how students navigate these tensions is critical to informing effective and ethical educational practices. This project investigates CHS students’ perspectives on the integration of GenAI into their education. Specifically, it will explore: 1. Student GenAI use in learning: This includes their usage patterns, challenges faced, and their views on current institutional policies and practices. 2. Educator GenAI use in teaching: This covers student perceptions of GenAI-generated educational materials, its role in assessments, and their views on how GenAI should be effectively integrated into teaching and learning practices.

Exploring gratitude practice for final-year undergraduate nursing students during clinical placement

Stephen Yu - Nursing & Midwifery 3

Given the ongoing challenges experienced by final-year nursing students, there is a clear need for effective, sustainable interventions that promote mental well-being. Gratitude practice represents a promising yet underexplored strategy in nursing education. By exploring nursing students’ reflective engagement with gratitude practice during their final clinical placement, this study seeks to strengthen reflective capability, professional resilience and the integration of gratitude-based interventions within nursing curricula and clinical education frameworks, consistent with the NMBA standards for reflective practice. This project aims to explore the potential of gratitude practice as a tool for supporting the final-year nursing students undertaking clinical placements. Questions: 1. Does gratitude practice help support nursing students in their final clinical placement? 2. How do nursing students perceive the use of gratitude practice as a strategy to support their clinical placement?

How is Community Connectedness Built and Sustained in Rural Health Settings? Insights from Healthcare providers

Stephen Yu - Nursing & Midwifery 3

This study aims to explore how health professionals conceptualise connectedness and investigate the process in which connectedness is built and sustained. Based on the studies cited above, community connectedness may have a mutual benefit. For health professionals, it improves mental wellbeing, social integration, and retention within rural systems. For communities, connectedness may support continuity of care and reduce fragmented care. This bilateral relationship highlights the need for further exploring the concept and investigating the factors that contribute to connectedness or disconnectedness, particularly due to the lack of a consistent definition.

Professionally Psyched: A Podcast to build professional identity, career clarity, and belongingness

Connar McShane - Psychology

01 Jan 2025 - 31 Dec 2025

JCU Learning & Teaching Innovation Grant