Dr Stella Stevens is a Senior Lecturer in the Faculty of Health Science, University of Tasmania. Prior to this she was with Griffith University lecturing and researching in health services management and public health. Her health service experience comes from working with clinicians in implementing clinical improvement and change projects as head of the Royal Brisbane and District Health Service Strategic Research and Development Unit in the 1990s.
see below for more information about Stella
Career Summary
-Member Queensland Health Patient Safety Project Advisory Group
-Reviewer for Information Systems Journal
-Reviewer for Australian Health Review
-Reviewer for Rural and Remote Health
-Editorial Board of Australian Journal of Primary Health Interchange
-Member Princess Alexandra Hospital Patient Safety Committee
-Australian College of Health Service Executives Queensland Chapter Continuing Development Committee
-Member Royal Brisbane Hospital Expert Team for Evaluating Work Group Improvements and Innovations
Member Evaluation Committee for Queensland Health School Based Nurses Project
-Member Queensland Health Public Health Research Committee
-Member organising Committee for Queensland Health Public Health Services Symposium (lead to the establishment of the Queensland State Public Health Partnership)
-Successful tender for Queensland Health Leadership Development Program with James Cook University (value $1.6m)
-Awarded Royal Brisbane Hospital Annual Symposium Prize for Excellence in Organisational Development
-Convenor Australian College of Health Service Executives Health Futures Special Interest Group
-Keynote Speaker 4th Biennial Australian Rural and Remote Health Scientific Conference “Cultures in Caring” 1998
more about Dr Stella Stevens
Stella is particularly interested in clinician leadership, health systems and policy, the socio-economic determinants of health and the role of multidisciplinary approaches to addressing current and emerging health issues. Qualitative research is her preferred methodology but she works with quantitative researchers in joint projects exploring these issues.
Her teaching philosophy is based around the idea that learning is an active process, that it is most effective when material and tasks are perceived as relevant to issues learners are trying to address both academically and in their workplaces. Enhancing the first year experience and student retention are some of the projects she has been involved with during her career. She has also successfully designed and taught on a number of innovative courses using differing teaching methodologies involving industry and research. Her teaching evaluations by students are consistently high.
UNITS TAUGHT
CAM 520 Context of Clinical Practice in the Australian Health System
CAM 521 Clinical Supervision & Leadership, Theory, Process & Practice
CAM 522 EHealth for Clinical Supervisors
Research Interests
The main focus is on clinical leaders and ways in which they implement change to improve quality and safety in health care. She is currently working with Dr Allison Mudge at the Royal Brisbane Hospital in evaluating clinician use of a multidisciplinary communication tool for sharing patient information. Health service workforce is the other primary interest, particularly investigating resource requirements, retention of clinical staff, communication within teams, and stress in the workplace.
Some of her current and recent research higher degree supervision projects include:
-Study of group cohesion communication strategies of clinical leaders as a factor in clinical network decision making and performance in Queensland Health with Professor Mike Ward frm The University of Queensland, and Professors Michael Powell and Liz Fulop from Griffith University and the CSIRO E-Health Research Centre.
-The study of epidemiological health data comparing affluent suburbs with less affluent suburbs in Ontario to determine associations with socio-eoonomic disadvantage.
-Health service integration case study of acute and community services in a Queensland District Health Service.
-Study of multi-disciplinary clinical team performance in Canadian operating theatres.
-Study in changing work practices when clinicians use telemedicine to deliver a health service.
-Development of PDA software for use in drug administration by clinicians with Dr Ian Scott from the Princess Alexandra Hospital, Professor Rodney Topor and Associate Professor Lisa Von Hellens from Griffith School of Computing and Information Technology.
-Knowledge management in health services, rehabilitation ward case study with a Queensland District Health Service.
-Implementation of information technology in GP settings, the barriers and facilitators.
Teaching
Stella teaches in the area of health service management and public health. Courses taught include: Health Policy and Planning, Project Management, Communication for Health Professionals, Community Health and Disease, Health Determinants and Strategic Approaches, Social and Environmental Determinants of Health, Management Concepts. She has taught at The University of Liverpool (UK), The University of Queensland, Griffith University and now at The University of Tasmania.
Selected Publications:- Stevens, S, 2002, 'Nursing Workforce Retention: Challenging a Bullying Culture. ', Health Affairs, 21(5), pgs. 189-193
- Stevens, S., Scott, I., VonHellens, L., & Iselin, G., 2004, 'Closing the loop: the role of clinical leaders in integrating research and evidence. ', Australian Health Review, 27(1), pgs. 56-64
- Allen, C., & Stevens, S. , 2007, 'Health service integration: a case study in change management.', Australian Health Review, 31(2), pgs. 267-275
- Vecchio, N., & Stevens, S., 2007, 'Predicting professional resources in home care services: the ONI Survey. ', Australian Health Review, 31(3), pgs. 401-410
- Vecchio, N., & Stevens, S. , 2008, 'Caring for people with a mental disability at home: Australian carers' perceptions of service provision. ', Community Mental Health Journal, 44(2), pgs. 125-134
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