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  • Professor Terri Downer

    Professor Terri Downer

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Professor Terri Downer

Associate Dean (Midwifery)

Staff Member Details
Email: t.downer@ecu.edu.au

Professor Terri Downer is Associate Dean, Midwifery within the School of Nursing and Midwifery. In this leadership role, she provides strategic direction for midwifery education, advancing excellence in midwifery practice and education across both the University and the broader health sector.

Background

  • 2026 - Present:  Professor and Associate Dean of Midwifery - Edith Cowan University, WA
  • 2026 - Present: Adjunct Professor - University of the Sunshine Coast, QLD
  • 2021 - 2026: Associate Professor /Discipline Lead Midwifery - University of the Sunshine Coast, QLD
  • 2019 - 2021: Senior Lecturer in Nursing - University of the Sunshine Coast, QLD
  • 2010 - 2019: Lecturer in Nursing and Midwifery - University of the Sunshine Coast, QLD

Professional Associations

  • Australian College of Midwives (ACM)
  • Higher Education Research and Development Society of Australasia (HERDSA)
  • Senior Fellow: The Higher Education Academy (SFHEA)

Awards and Recognition

  • 2024: School of Health, Innovative and Transformative Curriculum: Innovation in curriculum co-design with industry partners, consumers, First Nations people and current midwifery professionals to ensure academic rigor aligned with the care women prefer and the practical demands of the healthcare sector.
  • 2023: School of Health, Outstanding Early Career Researcher - Nomination
  • 2020/21: Australian College of Nursing (ACN) Leadership Scholarship – Awarded $1100
  • 2019: Senior Fellowship of Higher Education Academy – Awarded - (SFHEA)
  • 2015: Advancing the Blended Learning Environment - ABLE - Awarded $2000
  • 2015: Learning and Teaching Initiative for Blended Learning – Awarded $2000

Research Areas and Interests

  • Scholarship of Learning and Teaching
  • Simulation and visualisation
  • Qualitative midwifery research
  • Midwifery workforce

Qualifications

  • Master of Education (Leadership & Management), Queensland University of Technology, 2022.
  • Doctor of Philosphy, University of the Sunshine Coast, 2019.
  • PostGraduate Certificate of Nursing Science, James Cook University, 2009.
  • Master of Advanced Practice (Community & Primary Health Care, Griffith University, 2007.

Research Outputs

2024

Journal Articles

  • McNeill, L., Jefford, E., Gray, M., Bloxsome, D., Downer, T., Johnson-Cash, J., Ebert, L. (2024). A survey of students’ experiences of returning to midwifery studies after maternity leave: A pilot survey. Nurse Education in Practice, 79(2024), article number 104073. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nepr.2024.104073.

2023

Journal Articles

  • Bahri, H., Madrane, M., Downer, T., Gray, M., Ahabrach, H., El Mlili, N. (2023). Using action learning research for the development and implementation of an ePortfolio in nursing clinical placements. Action Learning: research and practice, 20(1), 5-16. https://doi.org/10.1080/14767333.2022.2151411.
  • Gray, M., McNeil, L., Downer, T., Bloxsome, D., Jefford, E. (2023). An analysis of legislation and policies that guide maternity leave decision making in Australian midwifery students. Australian Health Review, 47(6), 652-666. https://doi.org/10.1071/AH23099.
  • Gray, M., Downer, T., Hanson, J., Hartz, D., Gao, Y., Andersen, P. (2023). The impact of three-dimensional visualisation on midwifery student’s application of knowledge of the third stage of labour to practice: Qualitative findings of a pilot randomised controlled trial. Women and Birth, 36(1), e36-e43. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.wombi.2022.04.009.

2022

Journal Articles

  • Gray, M., Downer, T., Hartz, D., Hanson, J., Andersen, P., Gao, Y. (2022). The impact of three-dimensional visualisation on midwifery student learning, compared with traditional education for teaching the third stage of labour: A pilot randomised controlled trial. Nurse Education Today, 108(Jan 2022), Article number 105184. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nedt.2021.105184.

2021

Journal Articles

  • Gray, M., Downer, T. (2021). Midwives’ perspectives of the challenges in mentoring students: A qualitative survey. Collegian: The Australian Journal of Nursing Practice, Scholarship and Research, 28(1), 135-142. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.colegn.2020.05.004.
  • Downer, T., Gray, M., Capper, T. (2021). Online learning and teaching approaches used in midwifery programs: A scoping review. Nurse Education Today, 103(August 2021), Article number 104980. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nedt.2021.104980.

2020

Journal Articles

  • Downer, T., Gray, M., Anderson, P. (2020). Three-Dimensional Technology: Evaluating the use of visualization in midwifery education. Clinical Simulation in Nursing, 39(February 2020), 27-32. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecns.2019.10.008.

2019

Journal Articles

  • Gray, M., Downer, T., Capper, T. (2019). Australian midwifery student’s perceptions of the benefits and challenges associated with completing a portfolio of evidence for initial registration: paper based and ePortfolios. Nurse Education in Practice, 39(August 2019), 37-44. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nepr.2019.07.003.
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