Rate My Professor Karen-Ann Clarke

Dr Karen-Ann Clarke serves as Senior Lecturer in Nursing (Mental Health) and Program Coordinator for the Bachelor of Nursing Science and Bachelor of Nursing Science (Graduate Entry) in the School of Health at the University of the Sunshine Coast. Holding a PhD from the University of the Sunshine Coast, a Master of Mental Health Nursing and Graduate Diploma in Psychological Studies from the University of Southern Queensland, and registered as a nurse, she brings over 15 years of experience in tertiary education alongside clinical expertise in inpatient and community mental health settings. Her research employs qualitative methodologies to explore gender and power dynamics, including the intersectionality of intimate partner violence and mental health among women in emergency departments, development of mental health applications for individuals at risk of restraint and seclusion, and connections between midwifery practice and mental wellbeing. Clarke teaches courses in mental health, health law, and ethics, and supervises higher degree by research students on projects such as the development of professional wisdom in undergraduate nursing students, the role of birthing circles in supporting midwifery practice, formation of professional identity among novice nurses and graduates, and provision of trauma-informed care to women experiencing early pregnancy loss from emergency department clinicians' perspectives.

Specializing in women’s mental health, electroconvulsive therapy, immersive mental health simulations for undergraduate training, trauma-informed pedagogy, stigma reduction toward people with mental illness, person-centred recovery models, and feminist research approaches, Clarke has produced influential publications that advance mental health nursing education and practice. Notable works include 'Borderline Personality Disorder: To diagnose or not to diagnose? That is the question.' (2020, with K. Campbell et al.), 'I had no other option: Women, electroconvulsive therapy, and informed consent' (2018, with M. Barnes and D. Ross), 'Navigating challenges and opportunities: Nursing student’s views on generative AI in higher education' (2024, with A. Summers et al.), 'Student nurses’ experience using a serious game to learn environmental hazard and safety assessment' (2021, with S. Volejnikova-Wenger and P. Andersen), and 'Implementation of a major in mental health nursing in Australian universities' (2011, with B. Happell and L. Moxham). These contributions underscore her role in shaping discourse on acute mental health interventions, stigma, and educational innovations in nursing.