Dr. Therese Leufer
ACADEMIC QUALIFICATIONS:
EdD., MA HEd., PG Dip.HEd., PG Cert (Imp.Sci), BSc (Hons), RGN, Registered Nurse Tutor, FHEA - Fellow AdvanceHE, U.K.
PROFESSIONAL QUALIFICATIONS:
Certified Evidence-based Practice Mentor (ASU, USA).
Registered Nurse Tutor (NMBI)
ENB 148 Neuromedical and Neurosurgical Nursing Certificate.
ENB N42 Neurological Intensive Care Nursing Certificate.
ENB 998 Teaching and Assessing in Clinical Practice Certificate.
ENB 934 Nursing Patients with HIV/AIDS Related Conditions.
Dr Therese Leufer is an Assistant Professor at the School of Nursing, Psychotherapy and Community Health in Dublin City University. She has worked in nurse education for over 25 years both in the United Kingdom and Ireland. Prior to moving into education, she specialised in neurosurgical intensive care nursing and worked in several leading tertiary referral centers the greater London area.
She completed a BSc (Hons) in Health Studies at London South Bank University followed by a Post Graduate Diploma and an MA in Higher Education through the University of Greenwich, London. She is a Practitioner/ Fellow of the Higher Education Academy, FHEA (U.K.) and a certified mentor in Evidence-based Practice from Arizona State University (USA). She was awarded a Doctorate in Education (EdD) from the University of Bristol (UK) with a thesis entitled ‘Tackling Evidence-based Practice in Nursing Education’.
She has considerable experience in programme management coupled with a sustained commitment to teaching excellence. She has developed and delivered dedicated Evidence-based Practice (EBP) modules at master’s level for over 20years. A key research focus is evaluating EBP teaching initiatives to support and develop EBP capability among nurses. As a Registered Nurse Tutor with the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Ireland (NMBI) she has played a strategic role within DCU developing and leading both undergraduate and post-graduate nursing programmes to successful accreditation in the pursuit of high-quality evidence-informed care.
Research Interests
My key research interest is Evidence-based
Practice (EBP). Two projects (unfunded) currently underway with PNU Faculty are as follows:
1. Building capability for evidence-based practice among Saudi nurses. This study sets out to examining how best to embed EBP at curricular level to enable successful implementation in practice including evaluating the outcomes of specifically tailored teaching, learning and assessment strategies employed.
2. Establishing evidence-based practice competency levels among Saudi nurses. This study sets out to determine EBP competency levels among Masters level students preparing for Clinical Nurses Specialist/Advanced Practice roles in Nursing.
Additional areas of interest
include:
Innovative approaches to
teaching and learning that support the development of Clinical Nurse Specialist/ Advanced Nurse Practitioner competency level at post-graduate level.
Link between academic
achievement and attendance at lectures /Factors influencing student attendance.
Medication management in
nursing.
Level of preparedness
for practice among undergraduate nursing students
Teaching Interests
My teaching interests centre around developing practice for qualified nurses. A key areas of focus is Evidence-based Practice. I have developed and delivered Evidence-based Practice (EBP) modules at Masters level to nursing students on both the MSc in Nursing: Advanced Practice (DCU@PNU, Saudia Arabia) and the MSc in Nursing/ Healthcare Practice in DCU for a number of years. I am keen to promote EBP implementation in practice. Another key are of interest is dermatology where I led the successful accreditation of the first Graduate Certificate in Dermatology for Nurses in this jurisdiction.
I was shortlisted for the DCU Presidents Award for Teaching Excellence in 2019 for innovative approaches to teaching and learning adopted to promote minor surgical skills capability among qualified nurses. This work was collaborative and involved experts from clinical nursing practice. I also hold the role of External Examiner to the MSc in Nursing programme at UCC.
I have played key roles in leading and driving teaching and learning initiatives to support advanced nursing practice within DCU. They include curriculum development of the MSc in Nursing: Advanced Practice programme and Graduate Certificate in Dermatology. I have developed strong links with registered advanced nurse practitioner colleagues in practice in recent years. This collaboration has resulted in successful accreditation of a number of stand alone modules at masters level in DCU for nurses and healthcare practitioners and which directly support professional nursing practice.
Examples of which include:
- Module NS5077 Chronic Skin Conditions – this module targets healthcare practitioners with a special interest in dermatology enabling them to consolidate their professional competencies and diagnostic skills. It focuses on the care and management of clients living with chronic skin conditions both in primary and secondary care settings. The module is a Stand Alone, Level 9, 10 credit module delivered in partnership with expert clinicians from Beaumont Hospital, with contributions from dermatology experts based nationally and the U.K.
- Module NS5057 Surgical skills for Healthcare practitioners - this module also holds Nursing and Midwifery Board (NMBI) Minor Award approval which sets out to equip healthcare practitioners to expand and support practice for undertaking minor surgical procedures. The module is a Stand Alone, Level 9, 10 credit module delivered in partnership with expert clinicians from both Beaumont Hospital.
- Module NS5102 Dermatology treatments and therapies - this recently accredited module focuses on both topical and systemic medical treatments and therapies of dermatological conditions including skin cancer, eczema, psoriasis; Biologic treatment; pharmacokinetics of chosen treatments and monitoring indications and approaches warranted.
- NS5077 Chronic Skin Conditions module which offers Nurses/Midwives with a Special Interest in Dermatology the opportunity to consolidate their professional competencies, diagnostic skills and examine the best available evidence to support treatment of commonly occurring chronic dermatological conditions such as acne, eczema and psoriasis, hair and nail disorders. The module focuses on managing the delivery of appropriate dermatology care in acute and community-based settings and promoting health and self-help for patients with skin conditions.