
  • Staff
  • Students
  • Library
Flinders University Logo Flinders University Logo
  • Study

    Study areas

    • Business
    • Computer science and information technology
    • Creative arts and media
    • Criminology
    • Defence and national security
    • Education
    • Engineering
    • Environment
    • Health
    • Humanities and social sciences
    • Innovation and enterprise
    • International relations and political science
    • Languages and culture
    • Law
    • Medicine
    • Nursing and midwifery
    • Psychology
    • Science
    • Social work
    • Sport

    I am...

    • a high school student
    • a non-school leaver
    • a future honours student
    • a future postgraduate student
    • a future research student
    • a future online student
    • a future Indigenous student
    • an international student
    • a parent
    • a school counsellor/teacher
    Explore
    Admission pathways
    Apply
    Contact us
  • Study

    Study areas

    • Business
    • Creative arts
    • Education
    • Engineering
    • Environment
    • Government
    • Health sciences
    • Humanities
    • Information technology
    • Law
    • Medicine
    • Nursing
    • Psychology
    • Public health
    • Science
    • Social sciences
    • Social work

    International websites

    • China
    • Vietnam
    Explore Flinders
    Apply
    Contact us
  • Research

    Research areas

    • Engineering and technology
    • Health and medical
    • People and society
    • Science, environment and natural resources
    • Emerging research - Defence

    Fearless Research

    • Research Changing Lives

    I am...

    • a potential collaborator
    • a researcher
    • a potential research student
    • a current research student
    Research impact
    Institutes and centres
    Partner with us
    Participate
  • Research

    Research areas

    • Engineering and technology
    • Health and medical
    • People and society
    • Science, environment and natural resources
    • Emerging research - Defence

    Fearless Research

    • Research Changing Lives

    I am...

    • a potential collaborator
    • a researcher
    • a potential research student
    • a current research student
    Research impact
    Institutes and centres
    Partner with us
    Participate
  • Engage

    I want to...

    • Engage with us
    • Connect with students
    • Locate a clinic
    • Book a campus venue
    • Find a tender
    • Give to Flinders
    • Work at Flinders
    • Participate in a research study
    • See what's on
    • Shop Flinders merchandise
    • Register as a contractor

    Related links

    • Flinders New Venture Institute
    • Alumni
    • Health2Go
    • Flinders University Museum of Art
    • Flinders One Sport and Fitness
    Business and government
    Community
    Culture
    International
  • Alumni

    I want to...

    • Join an Alumni network
    • Establish an Alumni network
    • Share a memory
    • Access career services
    • Order a transcript
    • Give to Flinders
    • Update my details
    • Find a classmate
    • Shop Flinders merchandise
    Our alumni
    Benefits and services
    Get involved
    Stay connected
  • Giving

    Donate today

    • Donate online
    • Donate by mail
    • Giving online FAQs (PDF)
    • Staff Workplace Giving Program
    • Contact us

    Ways to give

    • Give in celebration or in memory
    • Leave a gift in your Will
    • Giving from overseas
    • Give a cultural gift
    • Get involved

    Donate to
    Why give
    Our donors
  • About

    The 2025 agenda

    • Vision and mission
    • Our strategic plan
    • Our values and ethos
    • Flinders Village
    • Festival Plaza
    • Health and Medical Research Building

    Governance and leadership

    • University Council
    • Chancellor
    • Vice-Chancellor

    Our organisation

    • Colleges
    • Library
    • Professional services
    • Staff directory

    Campus and locations

    • Sustainability at Flinders
    • Bedford Park
    • Tonsley
    • Victoria Square
    • Flinders in the NT
    Fast facts
    History
    Structure
    Contact us
  • Staff
  • Students
  • Library
  • You have no saved courses.

    Continue to explore your course options.

     
    Explore our courses

    Your saved courses

    {{{courseName}}}
    mail_outline
    delete
    View all saved courses
  • Quick links 
    • Current students
    • Staff
    • Library
    • Flinders dashboard (Okta)
    • Ask Flinders
    • Flinders Learning Online (FLO)
    • Parking
    • Campus map: Bedford Park
    • Staff directory
    • Jobs at Flinders
    • Shop Flinders merchandise

 

Journey of a PhD sleep researcher

Nicole Grivell's research is making a good night's sleep and its benefits a reality

↓

Craving a good night's shut eye?

Sleep is one of the three pillars of health along with diet and exercise, says Flinders PhD researcher Nicole Grivell, who has dedicated her research degree to changing the way sleep health is managed in our communities.

Working alongside the National Centre for Sleep Health Services Research, Nicole is exploring the role that primary care nurses can play within sleep health care and understanding the barriers and facilitators that exist for nurses providing care.

“I have been a primary care nurse for many years and have been involved in the development and provision of models of care that were not sustainable for a number of reasons,” she says.

“Cessation of these programs can have a devastating effect on patients. I now want to contribute to knowledge that can improve the success of nurse-delivered models of sleep health care.

“This will hopefully enhance continuity of care for patients and promote retention and upskilling of nurses.”

Her PhD aims to make a broad difference in sleep health.

“I’ve had the freedom to pursue something I think I can make a difference in, in a way that suits me. I’m hoping that by combining my clinical knowledge with research I can have an impact on a wider scale,” Nicole says.

An advocate for the role of primary care nurses within the health care system, Nicole has worked for many years as a primary care nurse as part of a successful clinical career.

With a young family, she wanted a career with more flexibility and took a position as a research assistant at Flinders University in a different field to primary care.

With plans to eventually teach nursing students, she completed an Honours degree while working part-time and raising two young children. She later progressed to a PhD, taking on a full-time load while both her children were at school.

“I thought I was too old to study again, but I just needed to find the right fit – something that I’m interested in, takes advantage of my skills, and a workload that suits my lifestyle,” Nicole says.  

Beginning her PhD at Flinders in 2020, Nicole finds her research – investigating how sleep disorders insomnia and obstructive sleep apnoea can be managed by general practice nurses – fascinating and motivating.

An inaugural recipient of the Nick Antic Sleep Research PhD Scholarship, she is also a Higher Degree by Research (HDR) student representative for Medicine and Public Health at Flinders and enjoys supporting her peers.

"Doing a PhD has challenged my thinking and assumptions. It pushes me and it has changed the way I think and how I solve problems,” Nicole says.

“It’s been an amazing process. I’m getting paid to learn and there’s not too many situations where that happens.”

Nicole credits the support and encouragement she’s received from her supervisors and her research team with helping her understand how her clinical nursing experience can be applied to inform research. 

“My supervisor challenges my thinking and points me in the right direction, while still allowing me to make the decisions about my PhD,” she says.

“I have been very fortunate to have the opportunity to choose my own PhD topic, inspired by my clinical and contextual knowledge of primary health care but informed by his vast knowledge and expertise in sleep health care, to make it a PhD that I believe will make an impact.” 

Nicole is excited about where her research could take her.

“After completing my PhD I’m hoping to use an implementation science approach to translate the findings into new models of nurse-delivered sleep health care. I’m hooked! I initially got into HDR study thinking about a teaching career, but research is exciting and addictive and now I want to do both!”

Study a PhD in Clinical Translation

fearless

Discover more Fearless Research stories ➜

Flinders University Logo

Sturt Rd, Bedford Park
South Australia 5042

South Australia | Northern Territory
Global | Online

Information for

  • Future students
  • Alumni
  • Media
  • Business and community
  • Current students
  • Staff
  • External contractors

Directories

  • Contact us
  • Campus and locations
  • Staff directory
  • Colleges
  • Library
  • Research Institutes and Centres

Follow Flinders

Facebook - Flinders University Twitter - Flinders University YouTube - Flinders University Instagram - Flinders University LinkedIn - Flinders University

Brand SA logo Innovative Research University logo Indigenous communities

Website feedback

Disclaimer

Accessibility

Privacy

CRICOS Provider: 00114A      TEQSA Provider ID: PRV12097      TEQSA category: Australian University

Last Updated: 07 Dec 2022
Fearless Logo

This website uses cookies

Flinders University uses cookies to ensure website functionality, personalisation, and for a variety of purposes described in the website privacy statement. For details about these cookies and how to set your cookie preferences, refer to our website privacy statement.

You consent to the use of our cookies if you proceed.

Accept and continue