Professor Bev McNamara

Beverley has 16 years research experience, principally in end-of-life studies, ageing, and the provision of equitable health and social care. Although principally a qualitative researcher, her work also includes public health research and she employs a broad range of multi-method strategies. Her book Fragile Lives: Death, Dying and Care (2001) drew on an extensive three year qualitative study with dying people, their families and their professional carers and continues to be used as a text in multidisciplinary fields in a number of countries. Planned research projects include a healthy ageing intervention for independent living socially isolated older people and use of emergency services by vulnerable groups of people, including those at the end-of-life.

Post graduate supervision has included projects on: social capital and women’s exercise on Christmas Island; menopause in Malaysian women; the medical and legal contestation of multiple chemical sensitivity; family governance and intellectual disability; Generation Y graduates in the health industry; the health of babies and mothers from non-English speaking backgrounds; and the perception of race and its resultant influence on the well-being of Aboriginal children. Currently Beverley supervises projects related to exercise and postnatal women; peer support for people with mental illness; the role of occupational therapy in palliative care; occupational therapy in acute hospital settings; staff perspectives on caring for people with cancer in residential aged care facilities; and the meaning of home in independent living facilities.

 Recent Research Activity

• Approaching the end of life with cancer in residential aged care facilities. Funded by Cancer and Palliative Care Research and Evaluation Unit ($17,586).

• Determining critical points in the potential palliative care pathway in the last year of life, Funded by National Health & Medical Research Council Health Services Research Program ($344 000).

• A model of current and potential palliative care constituency: Measuring met and unmet needs, National Health & Medical Research Council Strategic Research Grant in Palliative Care ($145 210).

• A matter of trust: The social, legal and ethical context of participating in genetic research. Funded by The University of Western Australia Research Grant ($25 000).

Teaching Summary

Areas of teaching experience include: first year social science units; medical anthropology; health sociology; research design and research methods; honours and post-graduate coordination.

Teaching career achievements and awards include:

• 2009 Australian Learning and Teaching Council – UWA nomination in the Programs That Enhance Learning: First Year Experience (team member)
• 2008 Faculty of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences, The University of Western Australia Excellence in Individual Teaching
• 2008 Faculty of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences, UWA Excellence in Supervision (Research)
• 2007 Australian Learning and Teaching Council – UWA nomination in the Social Sciences (and Education) Awards for Teaching Excellence
• 2006 Carrick Awards for Australian University Teaching:  Citation for Outstanding Contribution to Student Learning
• 2002 Australian Awards for University Teaching Institutional Award – Innovative and Practical Approach to the Provision of Educational Services to the Local and or Regional Community (team leader)
• 2000  Excellence in Teaching - Unit Award – Anthropology 101 awarded best unit at UWA
• 1999 Excellence in Teaching – Faculty Award - Commendation

 Teaching and learning developments include:

• Coordination of university-wide regional programs in teaching
• Faculty-based Introductory Research and Information Skills (IRIS) online unit
• Faculty Student Employment Readiness Project
• Faculty managed peer review of teaching program
• Faculty sessional teaching staff guidelines
• University-wide Academic Conduct Essentials (ACE) online unit

2020

• Zeng, G., D. Chung, and B. McNamara. 2020. "Organisational contexts and practice developments in mental health peer provision in Western Australia." Journal of Health Organization and Management 34 (5): 569-585.

2019

• Keesing, S., L. Rosenwax, and B. McNamara. 2019. "A call to action: The need for improved service coordination during early survivorship for women with breast cancer and partners." Women and Health 59 (4): 406-419.

2018

• Lee, E. A. L., A. Same, B. McNamara, and L. Rosenwax. 2018. "An Accessible and Affordable Transport Intervention for Older People Living in the Community." Home Health Care Management And Practice 30 (2): 54-60.
• Keesing, S., L. Rosenwax, and B. McNamara. 2018. "The implications of women's activity limitations and role disruptions during breast cancer survivorship." Womens Health (Lond) 14 (xx): 1-11.
• Keesing, S., L. Rosenwax, and B. McNamara.. "Identifying the contribution of occupational therapy in meeting the needs of women survivors of breast cancer." British Journal of Occupational Therapy xx (xx). Inpress.
• McNamara, B., A. Same, L. Rosenwax, and B. Kelly. 2018. "Palliative care for people with schizophrenia: A qualitative study of an under-serviced group in need." BMC Palliative Care 17 (1)

2017

• Breen, L. J., S. M. Aoun, B. Rumbold, B. McNamara, D. A. Howting, and V. Mancini. 2017. "Building Community Capacity in Bereavement Support: Lessons Learnt From Bereaved Caregivers." American Journal of Hospice and Palliative Medicine 34 (3): 275-281.
• Milbourn, B., B. McNamara, and A. Buchanan. 2017. "A qualitative study of occupational well-being for people with severe mental illness." Scandinavian Journal of Occupational Therapy 24 (4): 269-280.

2016

• Saligheh, M., B. McNamara, and R. Rooney. 2016. "Perceived barriers and enablers of physical activity in postpartum women: A qualitative approach." BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth 16
• Rosenwax, L., K. Spilsbury, B. A. McNamara, and J. B. Semmens. 2016. "A retrospective population based cohort study of access to specialist palliative care in the last year of life: who is still missing out a decade on?." BMC Palliat Care 15 (1)
• Same, A., E. A. L. Lee, B. McNamara, and L. Rosenwax. 2016. "The Value of a Gardening Service for the Frail Elderly and People With a Disability Living in the Community." Home Health Care Management And Practice 28 (4): 256-261.
• McNamara, B., L. Rosenwax, E. Lee, and A. Same. 2016. "Evaluation of a healthy ageing intervention for frail older people living in the community." Australasian Journal on Ageing 35 (1): 30-35.
• Netto, J. A., P. Yeung, E. Cocks, and B. Mcnamara. 2016. "Facilitators and barriers to employment for people with mental illness: A qualitative study." Journal of Vocational Rehabilitation 44 (1): 61-72.
• Britton, L., L. Rosenwax, and B. Mcnamara. 2016. "Occupational therapy in Australian acute hospitals: A modified practice." Australian Occupational Therapy Journal 63 (4): 257-265.
• Keesing, S., L. Rosenwax, and B. McNamara. 2016. "A dyadic approach to understanding the impact of breast cancer on relationships between partners during early survivorship." BMC Women's Health 16 (1): 57-57.

2015

• Britton, L., L. Rosenwax, and B. Mcnamara. 2015. "Occupational therapy practice in acute physical hospital settings: Evidence from a scoping review." Australian Occupational Therapy Journal 62 (6): 370-377.
• Keesing, S., B. McNamara, and L. Rosenwax. 2015. "Cancer survivors' experiences of using survivorship care plans: a systematic review of qualitative studies." Journal of Cancer Survivorship 9 (2): 260-268.
• Aoun, S. M., L. J. Breen, D. Howting, B. Rumbold, B. McNamara, and D. Hegney. 2015. "Who needs bereavement support? A population based survey of bereavement risk and support need." PLoS ONE 10 (3)
• Milbourn, B., B. A. McNamara, and A. J. Buchanan. 2015. "Respecting recovery: Research relationships with people with mental illness." Qualitative Research Journal 15 (3): 256-267.
• Rosenwax, L., K. Spilsbury, G. Arendts, B. McNamara, and J. Semmens. 2015. "Community-based palliative care is associated with reduced emergency department use by people with dementia in their last year of life: A retrospective cohort study." Palliative Medicine 29 (8): 727-736.
• Milbourn, B., B. McNamara, and A. Buchanan. 2015. "The lived experience of everyday activity for individuals with severe mental illness." Health Sociology Review 24 (3): 270-282.

2014

• Saligheh, M., R. M. Rooney, B. McNamara, and R. T. Kane. 2014. "The relationship between postnatal depression, sociodemographic factors, levels of partner support, and levels of physical activity." Frontiers in Psychology 5
• Milbourn, B. T., B. A. McNamara, and A. J. Buchanan. 2014. "Do the everyday experiences of people with severe mental illness who are 'hard to engage' reflect a journey of personal recovery?." Journal of Mental Health 23 (5): 241-245.
• Davidson, J. W., B. McNamara, L. Rosenwax, A. Lange, S. Jenkins, and G. Lewin. 2014. "Evaluating the potential of group singing to enhance the well-being of older people." Australasian Journal on Ageing 33 (2): 99-104.
• Milbourn, B. T., B. A. McNamara, and A. J. Buchanan. 2014. "Understanding the episodic everyday of disrupted lives: Scoping the occupational therapy literature." Canadian Journal of Occupational Therapy 81 (3): 144-153.
• NETTO, J., E. COCKS, and B. MCNAMARA. 2014. "Vocational aspirations and experiences of people with mental illness." The British Journal of Occupational Therapy 77 (8 suppl): 39-39.

2013

• Walker, E., and B. Mcnamara. 2013. "Relocating to retirement living: An occupational perspective on successful transitions." Australian Occupational Therapy Journal 60 (6): 445-453.
• McNamara, B. A., L. K. Rosenwax, K. Murray, and D. C. Currow. 2013. "Early Admission to Community-Based Palliative Care Reduces Use of Emergency Departments in the Ninety Days before Death." Journal of Palliative Medicine 16 (7): 774-779.
• Molster, C., A. Potts, B. McNamara, L. Youngs, S. Maxwell, H. Dawkins, and P. O'Leary. 2013. "Informing public health policy through deliberative public engagement: perceived impact on participants and citizen-government relations." Genetic Testing and Molecular Biomarkers 17 (9): 713-718.

2012

• Von Katterfeld, B., J. Li, B. McNamara, and A. T. Langridge. 2012. "Perinatal complications and cesarean delivery among foreign-born and Australian-born women in Western Australia, 1998-2006." International Journal of Gynaecology and Obstetrics 116 (2): 153-157.
• von Katterfeld, B., J. Li, B. McNamara, and A. T. Langridge. 2012. "Maternal and neonatal outcomes associated with gestational diabetes in women from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds in Western Australia." Diabetic Medicine 29 (3): 372-377.

2011

• Allen, J., and B. Mcnamara. 2011. "Reconsidering the value of consent in biobank research." Bioethics 25 (3): 155-166.
• Rosenwax, L. K., B. A. McNamara, K. Murray, R. J. McCabe, S. M. Aoun, and D. C. Currow. 2011. "Hospital and emergency department use in the last year of life: a baseline for future modifications to end-of -life care." Medical Journal of Australia 194 (11): 570-573.
• Von Katterfeld, B., J. Li, B. McNamara, and A. T. Langridge. 2011. "Obstetric profiles of foreign-born women in Western Australia using data linkage, 1998-2006." Australian and New Zealand Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology 51: 225-232.
• Keesing, S., L. Rosenwax, and B. McNamara. 2011. "'Doubly deprived': a post-death qualitative study of primary carers of people who died in Western Australia." Health and Social Care in the Community 19 (6): 636-644.

2010

• McNamara, B., and L. Rosenwax. 2010. "Which carers of family members at the end of life need more support from health services and why?." Social Science and Medicine 70: 1035-1041.
• Dye, D. E., L. Youngs, B. McNamara, J. Goldblatt, and P. O'Leary. 2010. "The disclosure of genetic information: A human research ethics perspective." Journal of Bioethical Inquiry 7 (1): 103-109.

2009

• Rosenwax, L., B. McNamara, and R. Zilkens. 2009. "A population-based retrospective cohort study comparing care for Western Australians with and without Alzheimer's disease in the last year of life." Health and Social Care in the Community 17 (1): 36-44.

2008

• McNamara, B., and A. Petersen. 2008. "Framing consent: The politics of 'engagement' in an Australian biobank project." In Biobanks: Governance in Comparative Perspective, 194-209

2007

• McNamara, B., and L. Rosenwax. 2007. "Factors Affecting Place of Death in Western Australia." Health & Place 13: 356-367.
• McNamara, B., and L. Rosenwax. 2007. "Specialist Palliative Care Use for People Dying of Cancer in Western Australia." Cancer Forum 31 (1): 18-22.

2006

• McNamara, B., L. K. Rosenwax, and C. D. J. Holman. 2006. "A method for defining and estimating the palliative care population." Journal of Pain and Symptom Management 32 (1): 5-12.
• Rosenwax, L. K., and B. A. McNamara. 2006. "Who receives palliative care in Western Australia and who misses out." Palliative Medicine 20 (4): 439-445.

2005

• Rosenwax, L. K., B. McNamara, A. M. Blackmore, and C. D. J. Holman. 2005. "Estimating the size of a potential palliative care population." Palliative Medicine 19 (7): 556-562.
• McNamara, B. 2005. "A good enough death." In The Sociology and Politics of Health: A Reader, 244-257

2004

• McNamara, B. 2004. "Good enough death: Autonomy and choice in Australian palliative care."

2003

• Durey, A., B. McNamara, and A. Larson. 2003. "Towards a health career for rural and remote students: cultural and structural barriers influencing choices." Australian Journal of Rural Health 11 (3): 145-150.

1997

• McNamara, B., K. Martin, C. Waddell, and K. Yuen. 1997. "Palliative care in a multicultural society: Perceptions of health care professionals." Palliative Medicine 11 (5): 359-367.

1996

• McNamara, B. 1996. "Nursing concerns in hospice care organisations." Cancer Forum 20 (1): 19-30.

1995

• McNamara, B., C. Waddell, and M. Colvin. 1995. "Threats to the good death: the cultural context of stress and coping among hospice nurses." Sociology of Health & Illness 17 (2): 222-241.

1994

• McNamara, B., C. Waddell, and M. Colvin. 1994. "The institutionalization of the good death." Social Science and Medicine 39 (11): 1501-1508.