Rate My Professor Anna Robins

Anna Robins is a Lecturer in Midwifery in the School of Nursing and Midwifery at the University of the Sunshine Coast, where she joined in 2019. She holds a Master of Midwifery from the University of the Sunshine Coast, a Graduate Diploma in Nursing (Perioperative) from Australian Catholic University, and an Advanced Diploma in Nursing from Avondale College. With over 30 years of experience in nursing and more than 15 years in midwifery, her clinical career encompasses roles in public and private sectors across Sydney, Northern New South Wales, and the Sunshine Coast. She has worked in diverse models of care, including continuity-of-care, supporting women through pregnancy, birth, and the postpartum period. As an International Board-Certified Lactation Consultant, she enhances her contributions to maternal and newborn health. Anna teaches in both Nursing and Midwifery programs, delivering courses such as HLT131 Practice Principles for Midwifery, HLT132 Introduction to Midwifery Practice, HLT312 Midwifery Internship, and MID705 Integration into the Midwifery Profession, fostering authentic learning experiences that prepare students for real-world healthcare challenges.

Her research specializations include weight stigma in maternity care, midwifery education, and breastfeeding. As a PhD candidate at the University of Queensland, she employs a mixed-methods research design aimed at increasing empathy in midwives and reducing weight stigma. Key publications feature co-authorship in 'Factors associated with spontaneous vaginal birth in contemporary midwifery practice: An observational study' (Women and Birth, 2024) with Lauren Kearney and others, 'Maternity care providers' attitudes and beliefs toward weight stigma: A cross-sectional survey' (2025), and first-author 'Navigating weight stigma: An integrative review of midwives' knowledge, attitudes and beliefs about caring for larger bodied women' (2025). She presented 'Knowledge, attitudes and beliefs of midwives when providing care to women with obesity' at the Queensland Perinatal Consortium Conference (2025), receiving the Best Oral Presentation award for Early Career Researcher. Anna was awarded Associate Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (AFHEA) status in 2022 for her commitment to the scholarship of learning and teaching. A member of the Australian College of Midwives, she continues to influence midwifery practice and education through her clinical expertise and scholarly contributions.