Dr Wendy Abigail
Full Academic Status
College of Nursing and Health Sciences
Dr Wendy Abigail is a RN, Senior Lecturer within the College of Nursing and Health Sciences at Flinders University with full academic status. Her skills and expertise are directly relevant to women’s health research as well as grey nomad research projects due to her strong history of work in these areas.
Women’s health (including sexual and reproductive health [SRH], breast cancer, women’s empowerment) is her area of research focus with expertise in mixed methods research including quantitative methods (trend analysis and descriptive methods) qualitative research and case study methodology. Additionally, she has a strong research interest in gey nomad research, with a focus on diabetes heatlh. Dr Abigail leads, has led or is Associate Chief Investigator for research grants with outputs including peer-reviewed journal articles, national and international conference presentations including being an invited speaker, as well as non-peer reviewed publications and media engagements locally and internationally. Dr Abigail is recognised nationally and internationally by clinicians, practitioners and researchers for her work and collaborations in the fields of women’s health and in the field of scholarship in teaching and learning.
- PhD Flinders University, Adelaide
- Bachelor of Nursing (Hons First Class) Flinders University
- GradCertEd (HigherED), Flinders University
- GradCertHealth (Diabetes Management & Education) Flinders University
- Family Planning SA Certificate
- Bachelor of Nursing, Flinders University
- Hamilton Base Hospital Victoria General Nurse Training
2017 Irene Bell Community Award, International Women's Day, 8th March
2014 Flinders University Faculty Scholar - Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences.
2013 Australian Women's Health Nurses Association, Excellence Award for outstanding contributions to womens health nursing.
2012 Ruth Gibson Memorial Award, National Council of Women SA
2012 Finalist in the national HESTA 'Innovations in Nursing' Award Flinders indaily Fertility education for women over 30 recognised (pdf)
2011 Recognition as a 'Women as agents of change in our community', Government House, Adelaide Queen's Birthday Reception, June 14th
2010 Faculty of Health Sciences Research Committee Publication Award
2008 Academic Internship Flinders University Award (Dec)
2007 2010 Recipient of Australian Post-Graduate Award (APA)
2006 Recipient of the Deane Southgate Award at Noarlunga Health Services
2006 Chancellor's Letter of Commendation for high academic achievement (Chancellor's Letter of Commendation is normally awarded to a student whose academic performance in a year of study in an undergraduate or postgraduate course (excepting higher degrees by research) has been judged to be outstanding. A student must have achieved a Grade Point Average of no less than 6.25, on a scale of 7.0.)
2006 Golden Key International Society Award in recognition of being in the top 15% of students at Flinders University
2006 Letter of congratulations in recognition of excellence in academic achievement, Dr Andrew Southcott MP, Federal Member for Boothby SA.
Post graduate student supervision.
Research topic areas include women's fertility managment, termination of pregnancy, Grey nomad diabetes health, Diabetes health, Complementary and ALternative Medicine use in Indonesia, use of creative teaching strategies, learning analytics.
Community engagement includes, women's health committees, network forums both state based and nationally.
Postgraduate students supervision experience (Honours, Masters, PhD) :
- Rural Aged Women’s Access to Healthcare System in Bangladesh: Restructuring Communication Pattern of Grassroots Level Health Services to Bring Connected Caring system
- Supportive care needs for women with breast cancer in Indonesia
- Life Post Bariatric Surgery: What do people with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) in Kuwait experience?
- An exploration of how undergraduate nursing students cope with stress during clinical placement
- Knowledge, attitude and perceived barriers for nurses and midwives in providing health education on four identified risk factors for non-communicable diseases
- New procedure of Percutaneous Valve replacements
- Knowledge, attitudes an use of emergency contraception among third year university undergraduate midwifery students
- Undergraduate nursing students’ approaches to learning in problem-based leaning context in Indonesia
- Patients knowledge and attitudes towards complementary therapies for adult patients with cancer in Indonesia
- What are the attitudes and values of a non-Indigenous Registered Nurse and or Registered Midwifes in terms of cultural competence of Australian Indigenous nursing care
Research methodologies
Scholarship in learning and teaching
National Council of Women Australia, National Coordinator of Health and Wellness 2022-2025
National Council of Women SA, Vice-President (2017 - 2018) Executive Council Member (2011 - 2018 )
National Council of Women SA, State Advisor for Ageing (2017 - 2018 ), State Health Adviser (2009 - 2016), State Health and Wellbeing Advisor 2022-2023
National Council of Women ACT, member 2019-current
Australian Women's Health Network, SA Board Member (2012 -2019)
Australian Women's Heath Nurses Association SA, Chair (2006 -2018), member (2018 - current)
Abortion Providers Executive Committee (1992 - 2017)
SHine SA (2009 - 2018) - Education Reference Group, Research Advisory Committee
Children by Choice (2010 - 2018)
Coalition for Women's Rights (2007 - )
International Consortium Medical Abortion (ICMA) (2009 - )
Australian Nurse Teachers Society (ANTS) (2012 - 2016)
Ministerial appointment for the development of Best Practice Guidelines for Termination of Pregnancy in South Australia 2007
- Contraception
- Counselling
- Nursing
- South Australia
- Women
2017 Invited session chair 15th World Congress on Public Health, 3-6 Melbourne
2014 - 2017 Invited speaker on research methods and evidence based paractice at various universities in East Java, Indonesia
2015 Invited session chair 8th INternational COnferenrenc of Education, Research & Innovation, Spain.
2013 Invited Plenary speaker, Airlangga University, Indonesia ' Women as Change agents in Nursing & Midwifery'
2012: Invited speaker Universti Sans Malaysia (USM), Kota Baru, 'Concepts in Research Practice & Teaching' Seminar (3 presentations EBP, Use of creative teaching strategies, Translating research to practice)
2012: Invited speaker Boromarajonani College of Nursing, Nakhonratchasima Thailand, 'Concepts in Research and Practice' presentation to second year nursing students, Presentation nurse educators to 2 day workshop ( Translating research to practice, using creative teaching strategies).
2012 - current: Flinders University Establishment Grant
Purpose: to explore the issues of rural and regional women's access to sexual and reproductive health care
Project title: Issues for rural and regional women seeking a termination of pregnancy: views of health care professionals
Project Leader: Wendy Abigail
2011 -2012: Flinders University Knowledge Exchange Grant (Round 2).
Purpose: to provide funding for projects that benefit the Southern Adelaide region and support and further the transfer of knowledge between Flinders University and the community,
Project title: 'Sexual and reproductive health promotion for women, including those aged over 30 years',
Project Leader: Wendy Abigail,
Project partners: Southern Women's, SHineSA (Southern team), Flinders Medical Centre, Noarlunga Health Service.
Research Pulse (September 2011) (pdf) p.6
Partnering with our Southern Adelaide Community - p.22
Sturt Rd, Bedford Park
South Australia 5042
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