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Biography

Jennifer is a Lecturer in Mental Health Nursing in the Department of Nursing and Health Care at WIT. She has lecturing experience at undergraduate and postgraduate level in the areas of nursing and health care. She is the Course Leader for the Postgraduate Diploma in Nursing programme at WIT. She holds a professional qualification in mental health and has clinical experience in a range of areas in the mental health setting including acute, community, rehabilitation and care of the older adult. She has gained extensive research experience through her work on EU funded research, participation in HSE national project work and engagement in current doctoral research. Her research interests include mental health, workforce planning, skill mix, policy, work related stress and employment.

Jennifer has lecturing experience at undergraduate and postgraduate level in the areas of nursing and health care. She is particularly interested in innovative teaching and learning methodologies and is the Course Leader for the Postgraduate Diploma in Nursing programme; an innovative programme that challenges traditional approaches to postgraduate nurse education and adopts an enquiry and practice based learning approach.

Jennifer has extensive research experience and is currently completing doctoral research in the area of workforce planning in the mental health services in Ireland and the UK. She previously worked as a researcher on the successful EU Leonardo da Vinci funded 'Reducing Occupational Stress in Employment (ROSE)' project. She has engaged in national project work for the HSE, including work as part of the National Undergraduate Nursing and Midwifery Programme Review, where she was invited to act as the National Lead for Mental Health on the Workforce Planning Working Group. She has presented papers at national and international conferences and has published work in peer reviewed academic journals.

PUBLICATIONS

Peer Reviewed Papers

Denny, M. Wells, JSG. & Cunningham, J. (2011) Assessing psychosocial work related stress amongst five European countries: Implications for workforce development. The Journal of Mental Health Training, Education and Practice 6 (2) 93-103.

Ridge, M., Wells, JSG., Denny, M., Cunningham, J. & Chalder, T. (2011) Developing a web-based stress management intervention for occupational support workers. Journal of Mental Health 20 (2) 185-197.

Wells, JSG. Denny, M. & Cunningham, J. (2011) Europe and optimising mental health in the workplace – A comparative exploration of contextual stressors in the rehabilitation sector in five European countries. Journal of Mental Health 20 (2), 165-173.

Peer Reviewed Conference Papers

Wells, JSG., Denny, M., Cunningham, J., & Widger, L. (2011) Reducing stress within the rehabilitative work setting – A report on the ROSE project. The Future of Education 16th - 17th June, Florence, Italy.

Wells, JSG., Denny, M. & Cunningham, J. (2010) Reducing stress within the rehabilitative work setting – A report on the ROSE project. 1st International Scientific Conference: Building Capacity and Capability in Nursing. Slovenia: The Nurses and Midwifes Society of Maribor, pp.63-69.

Widger, L., Sheppard, J., Wells, JSG., Denny, M. & Cunningham, J. (2010) Reducing Occupational Stress in Employment. International Conference of Education, Research & Innovation 15th – 17th November, Madrid, Spain.

Denny, M. Cunningham, J. & Ridge, M. (2010). ROSE the Journey. Royal College of Physicians, Dublin.

Wells, JSG, Denny, M. & Cunningham, J. - Reducing stress within the rehabilitative work setting – A report on the ROSE project. Building Capacity and Capability. Slovenia: Maribor

Wells, JSG., Denny, M. & Cunningham, J. (2010) The ROSE Project. Switzerland: University of Fribourg.

Ridge, M. Chalder , T. Wells JSG., Denny, M. & Cunningham, J. (2010) Occupational stress for employees (ROSE): The design of a web-based stress management intervention for support workers in the mental healthcare sector. 31st Conference of the Stress and Anxiety Research Society (STAR) 4th-6th August Galway: National University of Ireland,.

Wells, JSG., Denny, M., Cunningham, J., Sheppard, R. Edwards. & Widger, L. (2010) Reducing Occupational Stress in Employment. 28th International Conference of Nursing and Midwifery RCN: Dublin.

Wells, JSG., Denny, M., Cunningham, J., Sheppard, R. Edwards. & Widger, L. (2010) Reducing Occupational Stress in Employment. 28th International Conference of Nursing and Midwifery International Conference on Health Promoting Hospitals and Health Services Manchester.

Wells, JSG., Denny, M., Cunningham, J., Sheppard, R. Edwards. & Widger, L. (2010) Reducing Occupational Stress in Employment. Research Day 2010 Celebration of Research, Innovation & Creativity, 17th May 2010 Waterford Institute of Technology.

Wells, JSG., Cunningham, J. & Heffernan, D. (2008) Employers’ views on disability policy and  mental health problems in the workplace. 9th Annual Interdisciplinary Research Conference 5th, 6th & 7th November- Transforming Healthcare through Research, Education & Technology Trinity College, University of Dublin. 

Wells, JSG., Cunningham, J. &  Heffernan, D. (2008) Promoting Mental Health in the Workplace. 16th International Conference on Health Promoting Hospitals and Health Services (HPH): Hospital and health services in the health society: Quo vadis, HPH? Berlin, Germany.

Cunningham, J., Wells, JSG. & Heffernan, D (2008) Employers’ views on disability policy and the employment of people with enduring mental health problems. 1st Annual Practice Research Conference 17th January Building the Bridge-       Transforming Education to Meet Clinical Needs Waterford Institute of Technology and the NMPD HSE South.

Cunningham, J., Wells, JSG. & Heffernan, D  (2007) An analysis of employers’ views on disability policy and the employment of people with enduring mental health problems. 8th Annual Interdisciplinary Research Conference 7th, 8th & 9th Nov - Transforming Healthcare Through Research, Education and Technology Trinity College University of Dublin.    

Cunningham, J., Wells, JSG. & Heffernan, D. (2007) Employers’ views on disability policy and the employment of people with enduring mental health problems. Irish Social Policy Association Postgraduate Conference University College Dublin.                                    

Symposia

Denny, M., Cunningham, J. & Ridge, M. (2010) Creating a multi-modal self-help learning environment. International Association for the Scientific Study of Intellectual Disabilities Rome, Italy.

Workshops

Wells, JSG, Denny, M, Cunningham, J. & Ridge, M (2010) Perspective of the Staff: Expectations and Change. European Association of Service Providers for People with Disabilities. What About Me? Including the Most Excluded: Improving the Quality of Life of People with Profound Disabilities, June 3rd- 4th 2010 Helsinki, Finland.

Waterford Institute of Technology, Department of Nursing & Health Care: Lecturer in Mental Health Nursing

Carlow/Kilkenny/South Tipperary Mental Health Services: Registered Psychiatric Nurse

Waterford Institute of Technology, Department of Nursing & Health Care: Professional Learning Facilitator, WIT/HSE(S) Postgraduate Nursing Programmes

Waterford Institute of Technology, Department of Nursing: Researcher on EU Leonardo da Vinci funded project - Reducing Occupational Stress in Employment (ROSE)

Waterford Institute of Technology, Department of Nursing: Research Assistant