Dr Sonia Allen - Researcher Profile

Biography

Sonia Allen
RN, RM, PhD, MACS, Grad Dip Hlth Sc (Community),
BHSM, GCPHE, FCHSE, CHE, AFAIM, MRCN
Sonia has a distinguished career in clinical nursing, management and education. Her
publications and public speaking are both Nationally and Internationally acclaimed.
Sonia joined Monash (Gippsland) in 2004 as a PhD Candidate and has progressed
further studies since completion of her thesis ‘End-of-life and Palliative Care within a
Multipurpose Service’ in 2008. Following co authorship of a book chapter, research
grant collaborations and supervision of a PhD candidate, the University of Tasmania
conferred an Honary Associate position with the Universities Department of Rural
Health. Sonia’s passions on life’s continuum have traversed from being a District
Midwife, through governance and resource allocation to issues
associated/concerning Older Persons and government policy. She provided
submissions to the ‘Caring for Older Australians, Advanced Care Planning and the
National evaluation of the Aged Care Innovative Pool Dementia Pilot. Sonia was
Chair of Mackay District Health Council for six years, having input into Federal
Government Senate Inquiries. Being a current Director of the Royal Freemasons is
amongst her many voluntary roles for improving health and advocating for older
persons, isolated and rural communities inclusive of indigenous persons. Sonia is a
lecturer and TAFE Liaison Officer for the School of Nursing & Midwifery at Monash
University Gippsland.

Qualifications

DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY

Institution: Monash University

Year awarded: 2008

CERTIFICATE IV - WORKPLACE ASSESSMENT & TRAINING

Institution: Gippsland TAFE - Central Institute of TAFE

Year awarded: 2008

MASTERS OF AGED CARE SERVICES

Institution: Charles Sturt University

Year awarded: 1999

BACHELOR OF HEALTH SERVICES MANAGEMENT

Institution: Charles Sturt University

Year awarded: 1996

GRAD DIPLOMA OF HEALTH SCIENCES (COMMUNITY HEALTH)

Institution: Monash University

Year awarded: 1992

STATE CERTIFIED MIDWIFE

Institution: St John's Hospital -Bradford District

Year awarded: 1968

HOSPITAL CERTIFICATE (HONORS)

Institution: Bradford Royal Infirmary

Year awarded: 1965

STATE REGISTERED NURSE

Institution: Bradford Royal Infirmary

Year awarded: 1965

Publications

Journal Articles

Smythe, T., Allen, S., 2011, Nurses' experiences assessing the spirituality of terminally ill patients in acute clinical practice, International journal of palliative nursing [P], vol 17, issue 7, Mark Allen Publishing Ltd, United Kingdom, pp. 337-343.

Allen, S., 2009, Collaborating to improve health outcomes for older people, Australian Nursing Journal [P], vol 17, issue 5, Australian Nursing Federation, Australia, p. 47.

Allen, S., 2009, Life and ageism, Australian Journal of Rural Health [P], vol 17, issue 2, Wiley Blackwell Publishing Asia, Australia, p. 112.

Allen, S., Chapman, Y.B., O'Connor, M.M., Francis, K.L., 2008, Discourses associated with nursing aged people who are dying in the Australian context: a review of the literature, International Nursing Review, vol 55, issue 3, Wiley-Blackwell Publishing Ltd., United Kingdom, Switzerland, pp. 349-354.

Allen, S., Chapman, Y.B., Francis, K.L., O'Connor, M.M., 2008, Examining the methods used for a critical ethnographic enquiry, Contemporary Nurse, vol 29, issue 2, EContent Management Pty Ltd, Australia, pp. 227-237.

Allen, S., O'Connor, M.M., Chapman, Y.B., Francis, K.L., 2008, Funding regimes and the implications for delivering quality palliative care nursing within residential aged care units in Australia., Rural and Remote Health, vol 8, issue 3, Australian Rural Health Education Network, Australia, pp. 1-7.

Allen, S., Francis, K.L., O'Connor, M.M., Chapman, Y.B., 2008, Gaining human ethics approval: a strategy for refining research studies., Monash Bioethics Review, vol 27, issue 3, Monash University, Centre for Human Bioethics, Clayton Vic Australia, pp. 54-60.

Allen, S., Chapman, Y.B., Francis, K.L., O'Connor, M.M., 2008, Supporting nurses to make ethically sound decisions when nursing aged care residents at the end-of-life: using the DECIDE model, Singapore Nursing Journal, vol 35, issue 2, Singapore Nurses' Association, Singapore, pp. 4-11.

Allen, S., Chapman, Y.B., O'Connor, M.M., Francis, K.L., 2008, The evolution of palliative care and the relevance to residential aged care: understanding the past to inform the future, Collegian, vol 15, issue 4, Elsevier, Australia, pp. 165-171.

Allen, S., O'Connor, M.M., Chapman, Y.B., Francis, K.L., 2008, The implications of policy on delivering a palliative approach in residential aged care: rhetoric or reality?, Contemporary Nurse, vol 29, issue 2, EContent Management Pty Ltd, Australia, pp. 174-183.

Allen, S., Francis, K.L., Chapman, Y.B., O'Connor, M.M., 2007, Multipurpose services and palliative care: emerging funding challenges and possible solutions, Asia Pacific Journal of Health Management, vol 2, issue 3, Ausralian College of Health Service Executives, Australia, pp. 51-55.

Allen, S., Chapman, Y.B., O'Connor, M.M., Francis, K.L., 2007, The importance of language for nursing: does it convey commonality of meaning and is it important to do so, Australian Journal of Advanced Nursing, vol 24, issue 4, Australian Nursing Federation, Melbourne Australia, pp. 47-51.

Allen, S., Francis, K.L., O'Connor, M.M., 2004, Research an exciting journey and a career statement: a means to an end, putting rurality on the nursing research agenda, Australian Journal of Rural Health, vol 12, Blackwell Publishing Asia, Australia, pp. 279-280.

Conference Proceedings

Allen, S., Somers, G.T., Nestel, D.F., 2009, Valuing aged people: A collaborative program, Australasian Journal on Ageing: Translation & Transformation - Connecting what we know and what we do - Abstracts for 42nd National Conference of the Australian Association of Gerontology, November 25-27, 2009, Wiley-Blackwell Publishing Asia, Australia, p. 41.

Allen, S., Chapman, Y.B., Francis, K.L., O'Connor, M.M., 2007, Partnerships: Providing an economic alternative to improve quality of life for residents of multipurpose service/centres, Abstracts and Conference Proceedings 6th National Conference of Emerging Researchers in Ageing "Defining Future Directions", 20/11/2007, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, Australia, pp. 36-52.

Allen, S., 2006, A multi-purpose service centre perspective - meeting both community needs, The Australian Rural Nurses and Midwives National Conference: Moving with the Times, Contemporary Issues in Rural Nursing Practice, 25 October 2006 to 27 October 2006, Australian Rural Nurses and Midwives, Canberra ACT Australia, p. 12.

Allen, S., 2006, Ethnography: a companion for nurses engendering care to residents in residential aged care facilities, Proceedings of The 5th National Conference for Emerging Researchers in Ageing, 21 November 2006, Centre for Education and Research on Ageing, University of Sydney, Sydney NSW Australia, p. 38.

Allen, S., 2006, Funding: is it a factor in the delivery of quality care?, Inaugural Conference Incorporating the 1st Annual General Meeting - Strength in Working Together, 8 September 2006 to 9 September 2006, Palliative Care Nurses Australia, Melbourne Vic Australia, p. 23.