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Biography

Dr. Louise Bennett is a Lecturer in the Department of Nursing and Healthcare and course leader of the BSc (Hons) in Applied Healthcare (add on program) and Cert in Pre-admission Nursing program. She has a research background in epilepsy healthcare, and a clinical background in perioperative nursing. 

Louise trained as a general nurse at St James’s Hospital, Dublin and qualified in 1996. She has a wide range of clinical experience and has held a number of clinical positions in acute general settings both nationally and internationally. She specialised in perioperative nursing at St James’s Hospital, Dublin, where she was awarded a distinction in a postgraduate Diploma in Perioperative Nursing at Trinity College Dublin (TCD) in 2000.  She continued her studies by undertaking a MSc in Nursing at TCD (2010), and a post graduate Diploma in Clinical Science Education at TCD (2011). In 2012 she was awarded a distinction in the Nurse-Midwife Prescribing program at the Royal College of Surgeons (RCSI), Dublin.    

Whilst undertaking her PhD at Waterford Institute of Technology she took up a full time position in 2014 as a Lecturer in the Department of Nursing and Healthcare at WIT. She was awarded a PhD by research from WIT in 2019 with a thesis entitled ‘Empowerment in Epilepsy Services: A ‘Soft Systems’ Study Referenced to Critical Social Theory and a Specialist Service in Ireland. Supervisors: Dr. Michael Bergin (Head of the Department of Applied Arts, School of Humanities, WIT) and Professor John S.G. Wells (Head of School of Health Sciences, WIT).

Dr Bennett is Registered Nurse Tutor (RNT) with the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Ireland. She teaches across a range of nursing and healthcare modules both at undergraduate and postgraduate level and these include: Technical Roles in Applied Health Care; Fundamentals of Care; Pre-admission Nursing;  Research Methods; and Ethical and Legal issues in healthcare.  She also engages with the Multiple Intelligence Teaching Approach (MITA) that is promoted within the Department. 

Research interests:

Dr. Bennett’s research interests lie in the area of empowerment, epilepsy health care and service delivery. Her thesis adopted a three phase mixed methods design to promote data triangulation to explore and analyse the epilepsy service as a system with reference to dimensions of empowerment using Critical Social Theory. This study has contributed to knowledge and state of the art through: publication of three papers in peer reviewed journals in the field of epilepsy; and oral presentations at a number of conferences.

Research Methods:

Specialising in Critical Social Theory, Systems theory, Soft Systems Methodology, frameworks approach, quantitative and qualitative data analysis and the use of SPSS and NVivo software.

She is also involved in a funded HSE project: An Exploration of Mental Health Care Provision for People with Epilepsy using Experience Based Co-Design.

Research funding:

Health Service Executive: Research Grant - €50000

Current and Previous positions

Lecturer & Course Leader, Waterford Institute of Technology (2014-Present).

Researcher & Doctoral Student, Waterford Institute of Technology (2012-2014).

Registered General Nurse (Theatre Department), Wexford General Hospital (2003-2012).

Registered General Nurse (Theatre Department), Our Lady of Lourdes, Crumlin, Dublin (2002-2003).

Registered General Nurse (Theatre Department), Mater Private Hospital, Dublin (2001-2002).

Registered General Nurse (Theatre Department), Strathfield Private Hospital, Sydney, Australia (2000- 2001).                   

Registered General Nurse (Theatre Department), St James’s Hospital, Dublin (1998-2000)

Registered General Nurse (ICU and A&E Department), Ryde Hospital, Sydney, Australia (1997-1998).

Registered General Nurse (Surgical Ward), St James’s Hospital, Dublin (1996-1997).

Journal Publications:

Bennett L., Bergin M., Wells J.S.G (2020) Exploring user empowerment and service improvement within an Irish epilepsy service using Checkland’s ‘Soft-Systems’ approach. Journal of Nursing Management, 1-11.

 

Bennett L., Bergin M., Wells J.S.G (2020) Exploring Dimensions of Empowerment from the Patients’ Perspective in One Specialist Epilepsy Service in Ireland. Journal of Patient Experience 1-8.

 

Bennett L., Bergin M., Wells J.S.G (2016a) The potential of critical social theory as an educational framework for people with epilepsy.  Epilepsy & Behavior 43:80-87.

 

Bennett L., Bergin M., Wells J.S.G (2016b) The social space of empowerment within epilepsy services: The map is not the terrain’. Epilepsy & Behavior 56: 139-148.

 

Bennett L., Bergin M., Wells J.S.G (2015) Epilepsy services in Ireland: A survey of people with epilepsy in relation to satisfaction, preferences and information provision. Epilepsy Research 113:11-18.

 

Bennett L. and O Gorman C.  (2014) ‘Review: The impact of the economic crisis and austerity on the nursing and midwifery professions in the Republic of Ireland – 'boom', 'bust' and retrenchment’, Journal of Research in Nursing, 19(7-8) pp. 578-579.

Conference Proceedings:

 

Bergin M., McCarthy M., Bennett L & Wells JSG. (2017) People with Epilepsy and Irish Mental Health Care Provision, 25th International Conference on Health Promoting Hospitals and Health Services, Vienna, Austria, 12-14th April.

 

Bennett L., Bergin M., Wells J.S.G. (2016) Empowerment within Irish epilepsy services: An exploratory analysis. Oral presentation. 17th Annual interdisciplinary research conference, Trinity College Dublin, Ireland.

 

Bennett L., Bergin M., Wells J.S.G. (2015) Epilepsy services in Ireland: ‘A survey of people with epilepsy in relation to satisfaction, preferences and information provision’. 5th Annual Research Day. Connect, Innovate, Inspire. Waterford Institute of Technology, Waterford, Ireland. Oral presentation.

 

Bennett L, Bergin M, Wells J.S.G. (2014) Patients’ perspectives of epilepsy services: A survey of patient satisfaction, preferences and information provision in people with epilepsy. 33rd Annual International Nursing & Midwifery Research Conference, RCSI Dublin, Ireland. Oral presentation.

 

Bennett L., Bergin M., Wells J.S.G. (2014) The potential of Friere’s Critical Social Theory as an approach for the study of education and people with epilepsy. 14th Annual interdisciplinary research conference, Trinity College Dublin, Ireland. Oral presentation.

 

Bennett L., Bergin M., Wells J.S.G. (2013) The potential of Critical Social Theory as a philosophical framework for the study of empowerment and epilepsy care. 13thAnnual interdisciplinary research conference, Trinity College, Dublin, Ireland. Oral presentation

 

Bennett L., Bergin M., Wells J.S.G. (2013) Empowerment in Irish epilepsy services: A Systems study. 4th Annual Research Day Waterford Institute of Technology, Waterford, Ireland. Poster presentation.

Journal Publications:

Bennett L., Bergin M., Wells J.S.G (2020) Exploring user empowerment and service improvement within an Irish epilepsy service using Checkland’s ‘Soft-Systems’ approach. Journal of Nursing Management, 1-11.

 

Bennett L., Bergin M., Wells J.S.G (2020) Exploring Dimensions of Empowerment from the Patients’ Perspective in One Specialist Epilepsy Service in Ireland. Journal of Patient Experience 1-8.

 

Bennett L., Bergin M., Wells J.S.G (2016a) The potential of critical social theory as an educational framework for people with epilepsy.  Epilepsy & Behavior 43:80-87.

 

Bennett L., Bergin M., Wells J.S.G (2016b) The social space of empowerment within epilepsy services: The map is not the terrain’. Epilepsy & Behavior 56: 139-148.

 

Bennett L., Bergin M., Wells J.S.G (2015) Epilepsy services in Ireland: A survey of people with epilepsy in relation to satisfaction, preferences and information provision. Epilepsy Research 113:11-18.

 

Bennett L. and O Gorman C.  (2014) ‘Review: The impact of the economic crisis and austerity on the nursing and midwifery professions in the Republic of Ireland – 'boom', 'bust' and retrenchment’, Journal of Research in Nursing, 19(7-8) pp. 578-579.

Conference Proceedings:

 

Bergin M., McCarthy M., Bennett L & Wells JSG. (2017) People with Epilepsy and Irish Mental Health Care Provision, 25th International Conference on Health Promoting Hospitals and Health Services, Vienna, Austria, 12-14th April.

 

Bennett L., Bergin M., Wells J.S.G. (2016) Empowerment within Irish epilepsy services: An exploratory analysis. Oral presentation. 17th Annual interdisciplinary research conference, Trinity College Dublin, Ireland.

 

Bennett L., Bergin M., Wells J.S.G. (2015) Epilepsy services in Ireland: ‘A survey of people with epilepsy in relation to satisfaction, preferences and information provision’. 5th Annual Research Day. Connect, Innovate, Inspire. Waterford Institute of Technology, Waterford, Ireland. Oral presentation.

 

Bennett L, Bergin M, Wells J.S.G. (2014) Patients’ perspectives of epilepsy services: A survey of patient satisfaction, preferences and information provision in people with epilepsy. 33rd Annual International Nursing & Midwifery Research Conference, RCSI Dublin, Ireland. Oral presentation.

 

Bennett L., Bergin M., Wells J.S.G. (2014) The potential of Friere’s Critical Social Theory as an approach for the study of education and people with epilepsy. 14th Annual interdisciplinary research conference, Trinity College Dublin, Ireland. Oral presentation.

 

Bennett L., Bergin M., Wells J.S.G. (2013) The potential of Critical Social Theory as a philosophical framework for the study of empowerment and epilepsy care. 13thAnnual interdisciplinary research conference, Trinity College, Dublin, Ireland. Oral presentation

 

Bennett L., Bergin M., Wells J.S.G. (2013) Empowerment in Irish epilepsy services: A Systems study. 4th Annual Research Day Waterford Institute of Technology, Waterford, Ireland. Poster presentation.