Lois McKellar
lois mckellar

Prof Lois McKellar PhD, B.Nurs (Hons), B.Mid, Grad.Cert.Int.Stud, RM,RN

Professor

  L.McKellar@napier.ac.uk

  

Biography

I have been a midwife and nurse for many years, and I am passionate about the well-being and mental health of women, children and their families. In 2019, I was awarded the South Australian Nursing and Midwifery Excellence Award for excellence in Midwifery practice. I was appointed Professor of Women’s Health at Edinburgh Napier University in 2022, having formally been the Associate Professor of Midwifery and Midwifery Program Director at the University of South Australia.
I am committed to the continuing development of midwifery practice through adaptive leadership, reflective practice and hard work driven by deeply held values. My approach draws on educational, professional and personal experiences from across my life to work positively with students, staff and stakeholders from diverse backgrounds. I am dedicated to excellence in education and research and equipping students for practice in the 21st century and beyond. In 2021, I received the HE Award Senior Fellow and in 2016 was awarded a Citation for Outstanding Contributions to Student Learning from the Australian Office of Teaching and Learning.
I have a strong interested in research which is translational and informs practice and education. My PhD explored issues around postnatal midwifery care, specifically the study focused on developing evidence based strategies to improve practice by working with both clinicians and consumers. I am an advocate for improving the well-being of women and the development of healthy and resilient families through co-design research, workshops, publications and presenting at conferences. I am a primary supervisor for PhD and Master level students.
I also completed the South Australian Governors Leadership Foundation program and was awarded the Dennis Mutton Leadership award for a team project for leadership beyond self. I am married to Duncan (psychiatrist) and have three lovely daughters and one gorgeous grandson.

School

Research Areas

Esteem

Advisory panels and expert committees or witness

  • Expert midwifery educator reviewer
  • Consultant: ICM and WHO India

 

Conference Organising Activity

  • Co-chair, Scientific Review Committee, Trans-Tasman Midwifery Education Conference,

 

Fellowships and Awards

  • HE Award Senior Fellow
  • South Australian Nursing and Midwifery Excellence Award for Excellence in Practice
  • Citation for outstanding contribution to student learning. Australian Office for Learning and Teaching
  • Dennis Mutton Group Medal. The Leaders Institute of South Australia
  • Fellow of the Governors Leadership Foundation, Leaders Institute of South Australia

 

Public/Community Engagement

  • Transforming Maternity Care Collaborative-Program Lead: Midwifery Education
  • Chair Trans-Tasman Midwifery Education Consortium
  • Australian NGO 2H, Safe Arrivals program advisory member

 

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Date


35 results

Exploring routine hospital antenatal care consultations — An ethnographic study

Journal Article
Wright, D., Pincombe, J., & McKellar, L. (2018)
Exploring routine hospital antenatal care consultations — An ethnographic study. Women and Birth, 31(3), e162-e169. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.wombi.2017.09.010
Background Listening to women as part of their antenatal care has been recognized as valuable in understanding the woman’s needs. Conversations as part of routine antenatal in...

It’s more than just luck: A qualitative exploration of breastfeeding in rural Australia

Journal Article
McKellar, L., Fleet, J., & Dove, S. (2018)
It’s more than just luck: A qualitative exploration of breastfeeding in rural Australia. Women and Birth, 31(3), 177-183. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.wombi.2017.09.005
Problem Despite significant public health benefits, breastfeeding for six months continues to be challenging for women. Background In the Mid North of South Australia, health...

‘It's your body, but…’ Mixed messages in childbirth education: Findings from a hospital ethnography

Journal Article
Newnham, E., McKellar, L., & Pincombe, J. (2017)
‘It's your body, but…’ Mixed messages in childbirth education: Findings from a hospital ethnography. Midwifery, 55, 53-59. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.midw.2017.09.003
Objective to investigate the personal, social, cultural and institutional influences on women making decisions about using epidural analgesia in labour. In this article we dis...

Validation of the Australian Midwifery Standards Assessment Tool (AMSAT): A tool to assess midwifery competence

Journal Article
Sweet, L., Bazargan, M., McKellar, L., Gray, J., & Henderson, A. (2018)
Validation of the Australian Midwifery Standards Assessment Tool (AMSAT): A tool to assess midwifery competence. Women and Birth, 31(1), 59-68. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.wombi.2017.06.017
Background There is no current validated clinical assessment tool to measure the attainment of midwifery student competence in the midwifery practice setting. The lack of a va...

‘Determined to breastfeed’: A case study of exclusive breastfeeding using interpretative phenomenological analysis

Journal Article
Charlick, S. J., Fielder, A., Pincombe, J., & McKellar, L. (2017)
‘Determined to breastfeed’: A case study of exclusive breastfeeding using interpretative phenomenological analysis. Women and Birth, 30(4), 325-331. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.wombi.2017.01.002
Background Given the significant benefits of breastfeeding, the World Health Organization (WHO) recommend exclusive breastfeeding for six months. Despite numerous strategies a...

Paradox of the institution: findings from a hospital labour ward ethnography

Journal Article
Newnham, E. C., McKellar, L. V., & Pincombe, J. I. (2017)
Paradox of the institution: findings from a hospital labour ward ethnography. BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth, 17(1), Article 2. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12884-016-1193-4
Background Interest in the influence of culture on birth practices is on the rise, and with it comes a sense of urgency to implement practices that aid the normalisation and h...

Making Sense of Participant Experiences: Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis in Midwifery Research

Journal Article
Charlick, S. J., Pincombe, J., McKellar, L., & Fielder, A. (2016)
Making Sense of Participant Experiences: Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis in Midwifery Research. International Journal of Doctoral Studies, 11, 205-216. https://doi.org/10.28945/3486
Selecting the most appropriate methodology for research as a doctoral student is one of the most important yet difficult decisions. Not only should the methodology suit the re...

Influences on vaginal birth after caesarean section: A qualitative study of Taiwanese women

Journal Article
Chen, M., McKellar, L., & Pincombe, J. (2017)
Influences on vaginal birth after caesarean section: A qualitative study of Taiwanese women. Women and Birth, 30(2), e132-e139. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.wombi.2016.10.009
Background Vaginal birth is a safe mode of birth for most women who have had a prior caesarean with a transverse incision. Despite the evidence, most Taiwanese women who have ...

A review of the literature to inform a best-practice clinical supervision model for midwifery students in Australia

Journal Article
McKellar, L., & Graham, K. (2017)
A review of the literature to inform a best-practice clinical supervision model for midwifery students in Australia. Nurse Education in Practice, 24, 92-98. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nepr.2016.05.002
Effective clinical supervision in midwifery programs leading to registration is essential to ensure that students can provide safe and competent woman centred care by the comp...

Critical Medical Anthropology in Midwifery Research: A Framework for Ethnographic Analysis

Journal Article
Newnham, E. C., Pincombe, J. I., & McKellar, L. V. (2016)
Critical Medical Anthropology in Midwifery Research: A Framework for Ethnographic Analysis. Global Qualitative Nursing Research, 3, https://doi.org/10.1177/2333393616675029
In this article, we discuss the use of critical medical anthropology (CMA) as a theoretical framework for research in the maternity care setting. With reference to the doctora...