Rhonda Wilson
Lecturer Mental Health Nursing, Faculty of The Professions, School of Health
Qualifications
RN Credentialed MHn BNSc MNurs(hons) PhD(Candidate)
Contact
| Email: | rhonda.wilson@une.edu.au |
| Room: | Pat O'Shane Building (C13) 214 |
| Phone: | 02 6773 3952 (or +61 2 6773 3952 overseas) |
| Fax: | 02 6773 3666 |
Rhonda is a mental health nurse: clinician, academic and researcher. Rhonda has particular interest and experience in the mental health and drug and alcohol care of people in rural and regional communities. Rhonda is an active member of the Australian College of Mental Health Nurses, and is a current member of the College’s Research Committee. She is also a member of the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists’ Faculty of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry expert reference group for addressing the needs of siblings of children with chronic illness. Rhonda is a member of the School of Health’s Nursing Course Team and serves as a member of the UNE’s Human Research Ethics Committee. Rhonda has a keen interest in community service and is co leading a 12 month fundraising campaign to address the humanitarian needs of traditional widows in the rural Karimba District of Kenya, Africa. At the conclusion of this campaign, Rhonda will co-lead a small team from rural Australia to Kenya to present the funds raised and conduct some volunteer humanitarian health clinics for these women and their families.
Affiliations
Member, Australian College of Mental Health Nurses (ACMHN)
National Research Committee Member ACMHN
Northern NSW Chapter Committee Member ACMHN
Member, Royal College of Nursing Australia (RCNA)
Member, International Early Psychosis Association
Areas of Teaching
- Equipping the next generation of registered nurses to meet the health demands of a 1:5 prevalence of clinical mental health problems in Australia.
- Motivating nurses to integrate physical and mental health care in any health care setting.
- Strengthening mental health curriculum development in pre-registration education for nurses in collaboration with consumers, carers, and clinicians.
Clinical interests:
- The mental health of young rural people.
- Rural families.
- Rural mental health service delivery.
Research interests
Research projects:
Wilson, R. L. 2011-2012. Billabong Clubhouse, Tamworth NSW. A description of the establishment, development & success of a mental health recovery non-government organization in regional NSW. Invited and funded consultancy, in progress.
Wilson, R.L., Isaac, W.G., Paliadelis, P. & Stupens, I. 2011-2012. Nurse-led policy to practice: Integrating physical and mental health care to reduce metabolic syndrome (MetS) risk amongst mental health consumers. Collaboration with Hunter New England Health, in progress.
Research interests:
- Emergent mental health problems of young rural people
- Early psychosis
- Mental health care in southern African
- Metabolic Syndrome
Publications
Wilson, R.L. 1998. Quality assurance audit. Sunraysia Private Nursing Home, Mildura, Victoria. A qualitative needs analysis. Unpublished report to The Aegis Care Group Pty Ltd, Melbourne Victoria.
Wilson, R.L. 1999. Health patterns of the Aboriginal population with the Mildura demography – a report commissioned by Sunraysia Community Health Services Inc., Mildura, Victoria. 3500, and presented to Human Services (Victoria) for publication. 13 pp.
Wilson, R.L. 2002. Goondiwindi Town and Waggamba Shire: community demographics and needs for delivery of health and care services. Blue Care South West Region. Toowoomba Queensland. 41 pp.
Wilson, R.L. June 2003. A Generation X perspective of nursing employment options. Nursing Review June 2003.
Wilson, R.L. February 2004. Getting Support: establishing drug and alcohol services in small communities. Nursing Review February 2004.
Wilson, R.L. 2007. Outback and out of whack: The experience of early episode psychosis in Northern New South Wales, Australia. Rural and Remote Health 7: 1-6.
Parmenter, G., Paliadelis, P. Wilson, R.L. 2008-2009. A scoping study to explore the capacity of general practice nurses to improve the prevention and management of childhood obesity. Qualitative research project. School of Health University of New England. Findings reported in national conference 2009.
Lea, J., Sanderson, H., McCormack, C., Cruickshank, M. & Wilson, R.L. 2008-2009. An evaluation of the clinical education model within UNE’s undergraduate nursing curriculum. Qualitative research project. School of Health University of New England. Findings reported in a national conference 2009.
Wilson, R.L. 2008. Early Psychosis Project. Hunter New England Health. Final Report. Internal Report NSW Health. 46 pages.
Boyd, C.P., Hayes, L., Wilson, R.L, Bearsley-Smith, C. 2008. Harnessing the social capital of rural communities for youth mental health: An asset-based community development framework. The Australian Journal of Rural Health. 16:189-193.
Wilson, R.L. 2008. At the end of my string: The experience of parents caring for a young person with emergent psychosis. 34th Annual International Australian College of Mental Health Nurses, The Sebel & Citigate Albert Park Hotel Melbourne, International Journal of Mental Health Nursing.
Paliadelis, P. 2009. Developing Clinical Judgement: A Case Scenario Approach. Cengate, Melbourne. Wilson, R.L. Contributor.
Wilson, R.L., Cruickshank, M & Lea, J (under review) Experiences of families who help young rural men with emergent mental health problems in a rural community in New South Wales, Australia.
Peer reviewed and invited presentations
Wilson, R.L. & Bartik, W. 2007. Early psychosis national guidelines: Implications for practice. Conference presentation. Focus on psychosis forum May 2007, University of New England Armidale NSW.
Wilson, R.L. May 2007. Barriers to early identification of early psychosis among young rural males. Conference Presentation. Rural Health Research Colloquium, Tamworth NSW 15-19 May 2007
Wilson, R.L. July 2007. Out back and out-of-whack: Nurses a frontline opportunity for the early identification of early psychosis in rural communities. Conference paper Royal College of Nursing Australia national conference. Sofitel Wentworth Sydney July 2007.
Wilson, R.L. 2007. What is the latest in early psychosis research & what are the implications for CAMHS clinical practice? (or beyond the boundaries of intake, assess, treat, review, discharge). Workshop presentation. Child Adolescent Mental Health Conference. Hunter New England Health. Newcastle, 12 November 2007.
Wilson, R.L. November 2007. Invited seminar to the Addictions Research Unit, Medical Research Council, South Africa, based in Tygerberg. The entire unit attended, including their Director Prof Charles Parry. Seminar titled Co morbid mental health and drug issues in rural Australia.
Wilson, R.L. November 2007. Site visit and workshop – Hesketh King Rehabilitation Centre. Elderberg, South Africa. Techniques in rehabilitation in relation to addictions and also mental health recovery.
Wilson, R.L. December 2007. Seminar provided to the departments of Anatomy, Human Genetics and Molecular Biology and Department of Psychiatry, Division of Health, Stellenbosch University, South Africa. Seminar: Youth mental health issues in rural Australia.
Wilson, R.L. December 2007. Visit to a Community Centre in Tygerberg, South Africa. This centre performs a number of functions including addictions withdrawal and recovery, training, counselling and childcare for abandoned children. This centre primarily attracted a coloured population. I was able to tour the facility, and speak to about 30 residents in the centre recovering from drug addiction, especially ‘Tik’ – methamphetamine. I was invited to conduct a demonstration of group motivational therapy intervention with this group.
Wilson, R. L. October 2008. At the end of my string: The experience of parents caring for a young person with emergent psychosis. 34th Annual International Australian College of Mental Health Nurses, The Sebel & Citigate Albert Park Hotel Melbourne, International Journal of Mental Health Nursing.
Wilson, R.L. December 2008. Presentation of findings of qualitative research Barriers to early identification and treatment of psychosis amongst young rural men. Invited presentation to Hunter New England Health Mental Health teams in Northern region, NSW Health.
Wilson, R.L. February 2009. Presentation to Counselling Higher Degree Research Residential School. Findings and Finishing. School of Health, University of New England.
Stewart, C & Wilson, R.L. 2009. Virtual clinical judgment development in an undergraduate nursing course utilizing Sakai wiki tools and purpose built tools. Sakai Conference June 2009 Boston USA.
Wilson, R.L. 2009.The problems of life: Families helping young rural men with emergent mental health problems. 35th International Conference of Australian College of Mental Health Nurses. Sydney October 2009.
Wilson, R.L. 2009. Help-seeking through a narrative lens: The mothers’ story of help seeking within rural families of young men with emergent mental health problems. International Narrative Inquiry Conference, Armidale, NSW. July 2009.
Wilson, R.L. 2010. 36th Mental Health case-based simulation and virtual learning environments (VLE) in mental health pre-registration nursing. International Conference of Australian College of Mental Health Nurses. The Grand Chancellery, Hobart, Tasmania. October 2010.
Wilson, R.L. & Isaac, W.G. March 2011. The physical health of mental health consumers. A pilot nurse-led program to reduce metabolic syndrome in a rural community. Hunter Chapter, Australian College Mental Health Nurses Conference. Noah’s on the Beach, Newcastle. NSW. August, 2011.
Wilson, R.L. & Isaac, W.G. October, 2011. The physical health of mental health consumers. A pilot nurse-led program to reduce metabolic syndrome in a rural community International conference of the Federation for World Mental Health Congress, Cape Town International Convention Centre, Cape Town, South Africa.
Wilson, R.L. October, 2011. The emergent mental health problems of young rural men. International conference of the Federation for World Mental Health Congress, Cape Town International Convention Centre, Cape Town, South Africa.
Successful Scholarships and Grants:
- 2011 ($10,000) Billabong Clubhouse, Tamworth NSW. Consultancy evaluation of mental health recovery programs of Billabong Clubhouse.
- 2008 ($1000) Scholarship. Australian College of Mental Health Nurses.
- 2008 ($3000) Faculty of the Professions, University of New England Internal Research Grant. Wilson, R. L., Maple, M, & Bartik, W. Mapping the social and geographical networks/strategies utilised by rural and remote families during emerging mental health problems of young adults.
- 2007-2011 ($200,000) Philanthropic Grant. Non-Government Organization program support.
- 2006-2008 ($25,000) NSW Rural and Remote Institute of Teaching and Rural Research Scholarship. CETI, NSW Health.
- 2006 ($2,500) Volunteer Small Grant, Commonwealth
- 2005 ($5,000) Australian Drug and Alcohol Council. Conference Scholarship – Rural Health Alliance Conference, Alice Springs.
- 2004 ($15,000) Myers Foundation. Non-Government Organization program support
- 2004 ($12,000)Volunteer Small Grant, Commonwealth. Comprising 3 separate successful submissions.
- 2004-2006 ($250,000) Drug Arm Consultancy. Establishment funding for rural drug and alcohol service.
- 1999-2000 ($6000) Community health promotion initiative (Vicfit Walk and Talk). This program aimed to improve general physical and mental health within the community.