Lindsay Smith

I am employed in the School of Nursing University of Tasmania, Australia teaching Strengths-Based and Family Nursing in the Bachelor of Nursing program. My teaching, research and areas of expertise are child and family health, Strength-Based Nursing & Family Nursing.
My passion is to understand how family strengths can be applied through family nursing across the lifespan. My research focus has been to explore how family nursing can encourage family engagement in healthcare through family strengths conversation using the Australian Family Strengths Nursing Assessment guide. This nursing tool, I first published in 2007, is recommended in the Children’s Health, Queensland Hospital and Health Service 2014, Child and Youth Health Practice Manual. The IFNA news item further highlights outcomes from this work https://internationalfamilynursing.org/2018/09/20/supporting-translational-science-for-strong-and-healthy-families-in-australia/.
I began my nursing career in 1984 supporting families across the lifespan and have received two major academic teaching awards – most recently a Vice-Chancellor’s citation for outstanding contribution to student learning. I was awarded Doctor of Philosophy (Social Sciences) in 2011 through the Quality of Life and Social Justice Research Centre, Australian Catholic University. I strive to successfully translate Australian research findings to healthcare practice guidelines & government policy through local, national and international collaboration.
I am pleased to have been one of the Founding IFNA Members in 2009-10 and in 2019 one of the Australian & New Zealand IFNA Chapter founding members. Since IFNA’s formation, the alignment I naturally have with the IFNA Core Values, Mission and Vision has created a synergy that I had not experienced previously in my nursing career. I am thankful to past IFNA leaders who encouraged me to be an active IFNA member and I commit to assisting Family Nurses around the world to equally experience the benefits of active IFNA membership.