Digital Commons Network^™

Perceptions Of Ischaemic Heart Disease Risk Among Indian Migrants In Australia: A Qualitative Study, Kunwar Kaur, Ma'en Zaid Abu-Qamar, Amineh Rashidi, Nilufeur Mckay, Rosemary Saunders

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Background: Ischaemic heart disease (IHD) is a global health issue, with people of Indian origin facing earlier onset and more severe cases, leading to higher mortality at younger ages compared to Western countries. Indian migrants maintain similar risks post-migration. Managing modifiable risk factors and improving risk knowledge and health-seeking behaviours are essential, but research on IHD risk perceptions among Indian migrants is limited. Aim: This study explores how first-generation Indian migrants perceive their IHD risk and the factors influencing these perceptions. Methods: As a component of a mixed- method study, a qualitative descriptive study design was employed to examine study …

Immediate Skin-To-Skin Contact At Very Preterm Birth And Effect On Infant Socio-Emotional Stress Response And Mother–Infant Cortisol Co-Regulation: Secondary Outcomes From The Randomised Clinical Immediate Parent-Infant Skin-To-Skin Study (Ipistoss), Karoline Lode-Kolz, Siri Lillieskold, Hanne Brit Hetland, Eleonora Mascheroni, Stina Klemming, Hanne Pike, Agnes Linner, Nils J. Bergman, Bjorn Westrup, Ulrika Ådén, Evalotte Morelius, Rosario Montirosso, Wibke Jonas, Siren Rettedal

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Objective To explore the effects of immediate parent–infant skin-to-skin contact (iSSC) at very preterm birth on maternal–infant behavioural responses and hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal (HPA) axis reactivity to age-appropriate socio-emotional stress at 4months corrected age. Design Two secondary outcomes from a multicentre randomised controlled trial with two non-blinded parallel groups. Setting Three Scandinavian neonatal intensive care units, level 2 and level 3. Participants 91 infants born at gestational age 28+0to 32+6 from April 2018 to June 2021. Singletons and twins with a second caregiver present were included, regardless of mode of birth. Higher-order births, infants with congenital infections and major malformations were excluded. …

Humanitarian Hospitality: A Framework For Ethical Encounters In Crisis Tourism, Georges El Hajal, Rodney Westerlaken, Erwin Losekoot

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

This paper introduces humanitarian hospitality as a conceptual framework for understanding relational ethics and care practices in crisis-affected tourism. While volunteer tourism, disaster recovery travel, and solidarity-based travel bring individuals into crisis-affected destinations, the hospitality that unfolds in these non-commercial encounters remains under-theorised. Drawing on philosophical perspectives and exploratory qualitative insights from 145 Red Cross and Red Crescent volunteers and aid workers, the study examines how emotional labour, ethical care, and informal hosting are enacted in contexts of conflict and displacement. The findings both parallel and complicate conventional host–guest dynamics, highlighting the ethical and emotional complexities of providing care under …

Personal Resources Among Pre-Service Teachers: An Examination Of Links With Subjective Vitality And Occupational Commitment, Helena Granziera, Rebecca J. Collie, Caroline Mansfield

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

The retention of pre-service teachers presents persistent and significant challenges for education and society alike. An emerging body of research suggests that the cultivation of personal resources may serve as a means to foster PSTs wellbeing, which is integral to fostering positive experiences within teacher education. We sought to examine this potential association in a sample of 664 Australian teachers by investigating the associations between five personal resources - adaptability, workplace buoyancy, psychological detachment, optimism, and social self-efficacy - and two teaching-related outcomes: subjective vitality at work and occupational commitment. Using structural equation modelling, analysis of data collected from PSTs …

Back-On-Track: Protocol For Randomised Controlled Feasibility Trial Of Behavioural Activation In Farmers With Mood Problems, Alison Kennedy, Richard Gray, Martin Jones, Anna Greene, Lauren Mitchell, Meera Senthuren, Suzy Malseed, Feby Savira, Kelly Barnes, Kate Gunn, Susan Brumby

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

The mental health of people living in farming communities has been identified as an important public health issue. Cumulative exposure to a range of situational factors contributes to heightened risk of poor mental health and suicide. Access to evidence-based psychological treatments is limited by the availability of skilled mental health professionals. The aim of this trial—co-designed by members of the farming community—is to establish the feasibility of conducting randomised controlled, trial-testing, peer-worker-delivered Behavioural Activation in the farming community. We will undertake a single-blind, parallel group, randomised controlled feasibility trial in rural Australia. People living in farming communities aged over 15 …

Harmonizing Neuropsychological Test Data Across Prospective Studies, Rosita Shishegar, James D. Doecke, Yen Ying Lim, Pierrick Bourgeat, Vincent Dore, Bhargav Tallapragada, Simon M. Laws, Tenielle Porter, Samantha Burnham, Azadeh Feizpour, Ashley Gillman, Michael Weiner, Jason Hassenstab, Christopher C. Rowe, Victor L. Villemagne, Colin L. Masters, Jurgen Fripp, Hamid Sohrabi, Paul Maruff

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Introduction: Alzheimer's disease (AD) research relies on large datasets and advanced statistical models. However, individual population studies often lack sufficient sample size for conclusive results. Harmonizing cognitive test data across studies can address this gap, despite differences in testing protocols. This study harmonizes cognitive data from three major AD cohorts to support robust clinical–pathological modelling. Methods: Information from the Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative (N = 1446); Australian Imaging, Biomarkers and Lifestyle (N = 1764); and Open Access Series of Imaging Studies-3 (N = 440) were integrated, including cognitive scores, demographics, genetics, and clinical and neuroimaging data. Neuropsychological tests relevant to …

Overtourism In Bali And Lombok: A Governance And Community Perspective On Challenges And Strategies For Sustainable Development, Rudy Pramono, Juliana Juliana, Meitolo Hulu, Arifin Djakasaputra, Ferry Jie

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

The rapid expansion of tourism in Bali and Lombok has precipitated a state of overtourism, critically challenging their ecological and socio-cultural carrying capacities. This study, conducted between 2023 and 2024, employs a qualitative case study approach to investigate the manifestations of overtourism and the efficacy of prevailing mitigation strategies. Data were collected through 32 in-depth interviews, four focus group discussions, and extensive field observations across key destinations in both islands. The findings reveal that overtourism is not merely a function of high visitor numbers but a symptom of systemic governance failure. Key manifestations include acute environmental degradation, the commodification of …

Evaluating The Efficacy Of Aerobic Exercise As Therapy For Depression And Anxiety In Women With Pcos: A Systematic Review, Lorna Evelyn Mansell, Caitlin Fox-Harding, Robert U. Newton, Pedro Lopez Da Cruz, Sara Bayes, Favil Singh

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Objective This systematic review aims to evaluate the effectiveness of exercise interventions in alleviating depression and anxiety symptoms in women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). Data sources PubMed, CINAHL, Cochrane Library, SportDiscus, EMBASE and Web of Science databases were searched from their inception to July 2025. Eligibility criteria for selecting studies Randomised controlled trials were eligible if they examined the effects of exercise lasting ≥4 weeks on validated measures of depression and/or anxiety in women aged 18–45 with PCOS diagnosed using the Rotterdam criteria. Publications not written in English were excluded. Data extraction and synthesis Two reviewers independently extracted data …

Student Perspectives On Learning With Teaching-Research Methods In Initial Teacher Education, Paulo Marinho, Carlinda Leite, Fátima Sousa-Pereira

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

This article explores the perceptions of student teachers enrolled in an initial teacher education programme who attended a curricular unit organised around research-based teaching strategies. Data were gathered from reflective class diaries produced during one semester and analysed through qualitative content analysis. The findings suggest that, from the participants’ perspective, the curricular unit supported investigative autonomy, critical reflection and argumentation, links between theory and school-based observations, and perceived preparation for the future teaching profession. At the same time, the diaries highlighted time pressure and workload as important constraints. Highlighting student teachers’ voices on how a research-based unit was experienced during …

The Role Of Coursework In Promoting Doctoral Candidates’ Research Competence: A Case Study Of Professional Doctorates In Education, Fred Y. Mgata, Luqman Hakeem, Justo M. Lemesaya, Zhiyong Zhu, Huan Song, Jimmy E. Kihwele

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

Doctorate programs with coursework aim to develop research-competent graduates who can contribute knowledge and work outside academia. This study explored the influence of coursework on doctoral candidates' development of research competence. The study employed a qualitative case study approach within the Professional Doctorate in Education programs at a Chinese university. The researchers interviewed 13 doctoral candidates, reviewed 10 course syllabi, and conducted a thematic analysis of the data. The findings revealed that coursework contributes to candidates' knowledge base, research direction, skills, and critical thinking. Instructors and peers promote candidates' research competence through instruction, mentoring, collaborative research projects, and peer feedback. …

Research-Based Learning For Pre-Service Teachers’ Meta-Reflexivity: Insights From English Language Teacher Education In Türkiye, İrem Çomoğlu, Eda Ceylan, Eda Akgün-Özpolat, Kenan Dikilitaş

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

Drawing on Cramer et al.’s (2023) framework for meta-reflexive teacher education, we conducted a case study to examine how research-based learning (RbL) helps pre-service teachers (PSTs) develop meta-reflexivity. The data was collected in an undergraduate course in Türkiye where 81 PSTs engaged in RbL through developing, explaining, and exploring their pedagogical puzzles (PPs). Analysis of data from written reflections and class recordings generated themes indicating that PSTs began to adopt a meta-reflexive stance through a set of research and reflection practices involved in their puzzle exploration processes. The study suggests that RbL may be a promising approach for fostering PSTs’ …

Developing A Socio-Ecological Thriving Resilience Model For Student Teachers In Myanmar, A Crises-Affected Context, Shwe Ye Phyo, Erika Kopp

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

The teacher education journey of student teachers in Myanmar has become more challenging due to the combined effects of COVID-19 and political unrest. Preparing resilient teachers in such contexts requires an understanding of the challenges student teachers face and the strategies they employ. Through focus group interviews with 12 final-year student teachers, the study explored their challenges and strategies during their teacher education journey. Using constructivist grounded theory, data were analysed, and a Socio-Ecological Thriving Resilience Model was proposed. Student teachers overcame both professional and personal challenges through the active use of their own resources and contextual ones. This demonstrates …

Initial Teacher Education For Inclusion: Does Practicum Bring Pre-Service Teachers Closer To An Inclusive Approach?, Constanza Herrera-Seda, Constanza Cárdenas Alarcón, Carlos Vanegas-Ortega

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

Practicum is considered an essential element of initial teacher education for inclusive education. In this article, we explore its contribution to the pre-service teachers' adoption of an inclusive approach. We conducted a qualitative, multicase study of three primary teacher education programmes in Chile. Through episodic interviews, we produced data from 18 pre-service teachers. The main results showed that practicum causes various emotions, cognitions, and actions that interact with the adoption of an inclusive approach. Overwhelming pre-service teachers’ emotions related to exclusion can undermine their self-efficacy, leading them to avoid an inclusive approach. Also, the practicum tends to reproduce deficit- …

Pre-Service Teachers’ Self-Perceptions Of Relationship Skills For Future Work In Schools, Melissa Newberry, Elizabeth B. Hinchcliff, Chelsea Cole, Michael Richardson

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

This study focuses on the perceptions pre-service teachers hold about their own abilities to form relationships with four stakeholders of schools: students, parents, teachers and administrators. Survey data from 257 students enrolled in teacher preparation programs in a mid-sized, private university in the Western US were collected, including their beliefs about relationship skills, experience with children/youth, and conceptions of relationship formation as practicing teachers. Results indicate high confidence in relationship skills, yet few ideas on how to translate those into action when it comes to forming professional relationships. These findings suggest that pre-service teachers may be underprepared regarding the relational …

Investigating The Changes In Attitudes Towards Science Among Pre-Service Elementary Teachers Enrolled In A Science Methods Course Using A New Version Of The Test Of Science Related Attitudes, Christopher S. Long, Becky Sinclair

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

This article examines the changes in student attitudes towards science among pre-service elementary teachers (PSETs), who were enrolled in a science methods course at a large public university in Texas, USA. A new version of the Test of Science Related Attitudes (TOSRA) called TOSRA-3 was used to measure six dimensions of attitudes towards science. TOSRA-3 was created in an effort to create a more economical, 35 items versus 70 items, version of the original TOSRA. TOSRA-3 was found to be valid and reliable for use with PSETs. Factor analysis suggests a six scale structure with a Cronbach’s Alpha for each …

'Raissing’ Teacher Practice: A Case Study Of A Living Model Of Professional Learning In Mentoring Pre-Service Teachers, Joanne Yoo, Pauline Kohlhoff, Cathryn Moore, Susan Rowley

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

Mentoring is essential for equipping beginner teachers with the skills to navigate the complexities of the classroom. It is paramount to any teacher education program, particularly in relation to learning the practical skills of teaching during placement. This current research presents a case study of a living model of professional learning undertaken within a practicum setting. It introduces a ‘RAISS’ model of professional learning in mentoring, which incorporates relevant, agile, impactful, sustainable and scalable activities that maximise learning for all stakeholders. This case study sheds insight into two pilot deliveries of a mentoring program that can be adopted by other …

Postgraduate Secondary Teacher Training Programs: A Global Scoping Review, Susan Ledger, Claire Bates, Jordan Smith, Elena Prieto, David Roy, Wayne Cotton

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

: Initial teacher education (ITE) programs are shaped by diverse political, cultural, and policy contexts, resulting in varied approaches to preparing secondary teachers. This study presents a global scoping review of postgraduate ITE (PG-ITE) programs across 58 countries, examining four key characteristics: program duration, entry requirements, curriculum, and practicum structure. Findings reveal substantial variation across all dimensions, reflecting differing national priorities and workforce pressures. While common structural features are evident, program design is shaped by underlying policy logics and assumptions about teacher preparation. By systematically mapping these patterns, this study provides a comparative contribution to the field and offers insights …

Teachers’ Greater Perceived Knowledge Of Trauma Linked With More Favourable Attitudes And Less Burnout, Belinda Cicco, Donnah L. Anderson

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

Teachers are required to meet the needs of trauma-affected students. While training improves teachers’ knowledge of trauma-informed care, it is not systematically implemented, risking teacher burnout and student progress. This cross-sectional survey investigated teachers’ perceived knowledge and attitudes regarding teaching students affected by trauma and three aspects of burnout (personal, work-related, and student-related). Australian primary and secondary teachers (N = 542) were recruited via social media and snowball sampling. Mediation analyses showed significant indirect paths, whereby greater perceived knowledge was associated with more favourable attitudes, which in turn was associated with less work-related, student-related, and personal burnout. Younger teacher age …

(In)Visible Diverse Gender And Sexual Identities Of Pre-Service Teachers: Disclosure, Emotional Labour And Safety Work Within Initial Teacher Education(In)Visible Diverse Gender And Sexual Identities Of Pre-Service Teachers: Disclosure, Emotional Labour And Safety Work Within Initial Teacher Education, Saul A. Karnovsky, Matthew J. Phillips, Breeanna Melville

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

Australia is currently facing a significant teacher attrition crisis, with early career educators increasingly leaving the profession due to burnout, demoralisation, and adverse working conditions. This issue is exacerbated for teachers of diverse genders and sexualities (DGS), who encounter heightened levels of discrimination, exclusion, and mental health challenges within educational institutions. Despite broader societal progress, Australian schools and universities remain sites of persistent queerphobia, contributing to unsafe and unsupportive environments for DGS individuals. This article focuses on pre-service teachers (PSTs) enrolled in initial teacher education (ITE) programs. The study addresses an important gap in the literature by exploring how emotional …

An Examination Of The Cognitive Levels And Content Dimensions In Activities Developed By Pre-Service Mathematics Teachers Within The Math Taxonomy Framework, Ayşe Tuğçe Bodur, Mevhibe Kobak Demi̇r

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

The purpose of this study is to analyze the questions included in three-dimensional modeling activities developed by pre-service mathematics teachers in terms of the cognitive levels and mathematical content dimensions of the MATH taxonomy. This analysis aims to reveal which mathematical processes and skills the pre-service teachers prioritize in their instructional materials. Adopting a case study design, one of the qualitative research methods, this research examined activities developed by 26 secondary pre-service mathematics teachers, selected through convenience sampling, for teaching three-dimensional geometric shapes. Descriptive analysis was used to evaluate a total of 122 activity questions. Regarding content dimensions, it …

Reciprocal Translanguaging In Peer Interaction: An Interactional Analysis Of Grammatical Co-Construction Among Indonesian Efl Learners, Erwin Ashari, Berlin Sibarani, Masitowarni Siregar

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

This study examines how reciprocal translanguaging operates in small-group peer interaction to support the co-construction of English grammatical understanding among Indonesian EFL learners. Conceptualized as a structured interactional process in which participants draw on their full linguistic repertoires to build grammatical meaning across turns, reciprocal translanguaging is analyzed through five excerpts of naturally occurring peer discussion focusing on observable moves of questioning, repair, metalinguistic elaboration, and confirmation among three fifth-semester university students at Universitas Riau Kepulauan, Indonesia. Drawing on qualitative interactional discourse analysis of recorded online peer discussions, the study examines how participants flexibly deploy Indonesian and English resources to …

Digital Provision, Educators’ Attitudes And Use In Early Learning Settings: Ready To Implement The Eylf V2.0?, Lennie Barblett, Maria Enriquez Watt, Patricia R. Collins, Fiona Boylan, Pauline Roberts, Leesa Costello

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

An update of the Early Years Learning Framework V2.0 emphasises the thoughtful, balanced and purposeful integration of digital technology in facilitating positive outcomes for children’s learning, development and wellbeing. In addition, educators are asked to support families with eSafety, yet it is unclear how educators are poised to respond to these changes. Within a post-positivist frame, 123 Australian early learning educators described their workplace digital provision, digital knowledge, skills, confidence and attitudes through a national online survey. Findings show that educators were confident about their own personal digital use, however their attitudes varied towards the use of digital technologies with …

Efficacy And Effectiveness Of Melatonin For The Management Of Musculoskeletal Pain: A Systematic Review And Meta-Analysis Of Placebo And Active Controlled Trials, Kangchao Wu, Ting Him Ho, Paula R. Beckenkamp, Michelle Hall, Hanzhi Zhang, James Puterflam, Karin Due Bruun, Jianhua Lin, Christopher Gordon, Ron Grunstein, Manuela L. Ferreira, Paulo Ferreira

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Melatonin may provide benefits for managing musculoskeletal (MSK) pain, and this review evaluated its efficacy and effectiveness on pain intensity and sleep quality. We searched 6 databases from inception to April 2025 and included randomized controlled trials in people with chronic or postoperative MSK pain reporting pain or sleep outcomes. Comparators included placebo or active controls (eg, analgesics). Random-effects meta-analyses were performed using mean differences with 95% confidence intervals. Subgroup analyses were conducted by comparator type. Sensitivity analyses included only low-risk studies. Certainty of evidence was assessed using GRADE. Twenty-three studies (2028 participants) were included. For people with chronic MSK …

Antecedents Of Emergency Services’ Street Level Bureaucrats’ (Slbs) Delivery Of Public Value: An Exploratory Study, Yvonne Brunetto, Ben Farr-Wharton, Aglae Hernandez Grande, Fleur Sharafizad, Matthew Richman

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Street Level Organisations (SLOs) determine the Psychosocial Safety Climate (PSC) in their workplaces and we examine pathways from SLBs’ PSC and Public Service Motivation (PSM) to discretionary power, work stress, wellbeing and the subsequent delivery of public value. The structural equation modelling results from 195 Australian police, fire, ambulance, and emergency services workers indicate that PSC had a more significant role in explaining SLBs’ delivery of public value compared with PSM. The implication is that SLOs’ management must ensure psychosocially safe and supportive workplaces conducive to building SLBs’ wellbeing, because that is the pathway for delivering public value.

Co-Designing Impact: Student-Led Prevention Messaging For The Primary Prevention Of Violence Against Women, Narelle Lemon, Lisa Holmes, Christina C. Gray, Jason Goopy

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Executive Summary:

Violence against women remains one of Western Australia's most serious and persistent social problems, and young adults aged 18–24 represent a pivotal demographic for primary prevention — the work of stopping violence before it starts. The Co-Designing Impact project, funded by the Department of Communities' Family and Domestic Violence Primary Prevention Grants Program 2024/2026 and delivered in partnership between Yourtoolkit.com and Edith Cowan University (ECU), engaged university students aged 18–24 in a six-session co-design program. Participants learned about the drivers of violence against women and the principles of primary prevention, then co-designed social media messaging intended to shift …

A Group Motivational Intervention To Support Motivation For Physical Activity Among Adults In Residential Treatment For Substance Use Disorders: A Series Of N-Of-1 Studies, Sascha Thal, Nikos Ntoumanis, Stephen Bright, Bronwyn Myers, Dominika Kwasnicka, Peter Verboon, James Clarke, Eleanor Quested

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Objective: Physical activity (PA) may offer health benefits for individuals undergoing substance use disorder (SUD) treatment, yet relapse, comorbidities, and motivational challenges often hinder PA maintenance. This study assessed the impact of a motivational intervention aimed at increasing PA motivation and maintenance in a residential SUD treatment setting. Methods and Measures: This non-concurrent multiple-baseline N-of-1 study consisted of a six-week baseline and a ten-week intervention period. The study was conducted with 17 participants from a male-only residential SUD treatment facility in Perth, Australia. Seven participants provided sufficient data for statistical analysis. Participants received ten weekly sessions of a motivational face-to-face …

Embodied Tales Of Older Women And Their Relationship With Movement And Their Younger, Present And Future Selves, Valeria Varea, Robyne Garrett, Alfonso García-Monge, Gustavo González-Calvo

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Ageing has been often seen as negative in Western cultures. Older bodies are frequently associated with decline, loss, dependency, illness and increasing incompetence. Significantly, this ‘decline model’ of ageing tends to ignore the diverse lived experiences of older adults. This paper draws on the theoretical concepts of embodiment and affect to explore the embodied experiences of a group of 17 older women, focussing on their relationship with movement and with their younger, present and future selves. We used a narrative analysis approach and creative nonfiction to represent the data. The findings are presented in composite narratives in the form of …

Unlocking Students’ Creative Confidence Through Design Thinking Practices: A Parallel Mediation Of Collaboration And Diversity, And Creativity, Faisal Iddris, Agyapong, Emmanuel Mensah Kparl, Philip Opoku Mensah

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Despite the consensus in the literature that design thinking practices spark innovation, research has yet to examine the creative confidence outcomes of design thinking practices. Integrating the Resource-Based Theory and the Componential Theory of Creativity, we hypothesised a parallel mediation model in which design thinking practices are associated with creative confidence via collaboration and diversity, and creativity. Based on a sample of 419 tertiary students in a Ghanaian University, it was found that design thinking facilitates students’ creative confidence. Also, collaboration and diversity partially mediate the relationship between design thinking and creative confidence. The study also found support for the …

Hope As Affect: Engaging With Crisis And Collapse Through Collaborative Performance Making, Bronte Frances

Theses : Honours

The project is interested in how hope can operate as an affective, embodied force within collaborative performance-making processes. In this specific context it was to see how, where and why the concept of hope was possible in the collaborative making of a new and original full length theatre work that was addressing themes of crisis and collapse. Invoking key theorists – Joanna Macy and Chris Johnstone (2022), Donna Haraway (2016), Kathleen Stewart (2007), Jonathan Lear (2006), and Rebecca Solnit (2016) – the research investigated how hope can be consistently enacted. Centred on investigating hope as affect experienced in the present …

The Development And Pilot Evaluation Of An Out-Of-Hospital Immersive Birthing Simulation Training Application For Paramedics And Ambulance Officers Using Virtual-Reality Technology, Michella Hill

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

Out-of-hospital births (OOHBs) are births which occur outside a hospital setting. This includes planned home births attended by midwives, or unplanned OOHBs where the intention was to birth in a hospital or maternity centre, however, occurs in an unintended location. Prehospital clinicians, inclusive of registered paramedics and volunteer ambulance officers (VAOs) infrequently attend OOHBs, as most births occur in maternity wards as anticipated. OOHBs comprises < 1% of emergency ambulance requests and requires specialised skills for prehospital clinicians to competently manage birthing and potential complications. As exposure to birthing is so rare, these specialised skills and knowledge are underutilised and subject to rapid decay. Compounding the problem, obstetrics is infrequently taught across undergraduate education, in-service training, or within individual clinician’s continuing professional development. Placements shadowing midwives are scarce due to nursing and medical students receiving priority. Previous research regarding OOHBs is limited, nonetheless suggests prehospital clinicians are underprepared to manage an OOHB, which has serious patient safety implications. The present research sought to explore prehospital clinicians’ preparedness and confidence in managing OOHBs. It also investigates whether a digital training solution such as virtual reality (VR) simulation may reduce the theory-practice gap and assist in competency retention.

Publication one provides a comprehensive methodology outline which is applied to Study One; a scoping review of prehospital clinician and birth parent experiences with OOHBs. Risk factors, complications and interventions provided by prehospital clinicians, as …