Karen Francis

Nursing

Professor Karen Francis

DipHlthScNsg; BHlthScNsg; GradCertUniTeach/Learn; MHlthScPHC; Med (Distance&Rural Ed); PhD

Professor of Nursing
Wagga Wagga
Building 3

Professor Francis is a registered nurse (NMW0001099984), academic and researcher with extensive experience in teaching, curriculum development, research, internalisation, strategic planning and team development. She has held a number of seniors appointments including Interim Dean College of Nursing and Midwifery Charles Darwin University, Professor and Head School of Nursing and Associate Dean Sydney Campus University of Tasmania Sydney; Professor of Nursing James Cook University; Professor of Nursing and clinical Chair Australian catholic University and St John of God Health Care; Professor of Nursing and Head School of Nursing, Midwifery and Indigenous health Charles Sturt University, Inaugural Professor Rural Nursing Monash University and Head and Head School of Nursing and Midwifery Charles Sturt University.

Karen is nationally and internationally recognised for her contribution to the development of rural nursing as a specialist discipline. She is a fellow of the Australian College of Nursing (ACN) and was chair of the Faculty of Rural Nursing and Midwifery for three years. She held the position of President of Australian Rural Nurses and Midwives (the predecessor organisation) for a period of 7 years, a contribution that was recognised in 2008 when she received the President’s award for outstanding service and made a fellow of the RCNA for her contribution. Professor Francis is also a fellow of the Joanna Briggs Institute and holds a Clinical Professorship with the Joanna Briggs Institute

Professor Francis has qualifications in teaching at the Master’s level and also holds a Graduate certificate in University Teaching and Learning. She has many years teaching experience in the University sector nationally and internationally at both undergraduate and postgraduate levels. While her teaching has been primarily in nursing and midwifery preservice and graduate studies she also has taught into a range of diverse professional courses at undergraduate and postgraduate levels including medical imaging, nutrition and dietetics, nuclear medicine, medicine, psychology, physiotherapy, paramedicine, policing and teacher education.

Professor Francis utilises a broad range of teaching modalities that include face-to-face, distance education, online and flexible delivery. She has subject expertise in primary health care and holds a Master’s degree in this field.

Professor Francis has actively sought to evolve educational nursing curricular. She was instrumental in the development of innovative new models of pre-service nursing and midwifery curriculum including graduate entry pre-service and double degree undergraduate programs at several Universities including Monash, University of Tasmania, and Charles Sturt University.  Ensuring that curriculum is contemporary, clinically useful and underpinned by best practice has and continues to be a priority for Professor Francis. To ensure that professional education aligns with service and regulator needs Professor Francis has a long history of supporting industry based joint appointments, establishing clinical schools, and supporting initiatives that reduce the divide between education and practice. Professor Francis has held Nursing Regulatory appointments in Victoria. These experiences have raised her understanding of professional regulation that has subsequently informed course development, course reporting and AHPRA accreditation.

Professor Francis has led teams and developed, marketed and implemented award (undergraduate and postgraduate) and non-award programs internationally most notably in Malaysia, Thailand and Papua New Guinea.

Professor Francis research interests include primary health care, rural health, gender health, health workforce specifically the largest group namely the nursing and midwifery workforce and evidence informed practice.  In her role as professor of Nursing Research and Graduate Studies she is involved in supporting staff to develop research capacity. Professor Francis is an experienced primary Higher Degree Research Supervisor. Many of her HDR students have been domestic students however she has also supervised several international students from Canada, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Thailand, Malaysia, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Iran, Singapore, Indonesia and Hong Kong. In 2019 she and three research supervision colleagues were awarded the James Cook University Advisory Panel of the Year.

Karen is an experienced higher degree research supervisor and as such is frequently involved in PhD and professional doctorate examination nationally and internationally.

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In a previous role at Charles Darwin University, she instigated the establishment of a Joanna Briggs Institute Collaborating Centre. Similarly, while employed by Monash University she facilitated the establishment of a Joanna Briggs Institute Collaborating Centre for Chronic Disease Management in partnership with the Monash Graduate Medical School, the Monash Department of Rural Health and Indigenous Studies, Latrobe Regional Hospital and Latrobe Community Health Services. This Centre aimed to promote the use of evidence-based practice and engage in primary research targeting chronic disease management. Karen was the inaugural Director of this centre.