Rate My Professor Frances Doran

Dr. Frances Doran is a Senior Lecturer in the School of Health and Human Sciences within the Faculty of Health at Southern Cross University, Lismore, New South Wales. She holds a Bachelor of Social Science (BSocSc) and a Master of Social Science (MSocSc) from the University of Newcastle, a Graduate Certificate in Higher Education (GradCert(HE)) from Griffith University, and a PhD from Southern Cross University, with her doctoral thesis titled "An exploratory study of physical activity and lifestyle change during pregnancy" completed in 2010. Frances has a background in social sciences, public health, nursing, and health promotion. She has worked predominately in the higher education sector and has simultaneously maintained a strong connection with community-based women’s services through research and management roles. Her research has encompassed gestational diabetes, women’s access to health care including abortion, evaluative research on community-based models of women’s health, and partnerships between community-based women’s health services, Aboriginal health centres, and the university.

Dr. Doran’s research interests include domestic violence, access to health services, gestational diabetes, women’s health, cultural safety, human development, and allied health. Key publications feature "Barriers and facilitators of access to first-trimester abortion services in Australia: Findings from a national telephone survey" (2015), "Student nurses’ knowledge and attitudes towards domestic violence: Results of a national survey" (Journal of Clinical Nursing, 2017), "Exploring cultural safety with nurse academics: Research findings suggest time to 'step up'" (Contemporary Nurse, 2019), "A cross-sectional study of domestic violence instruction in nursing and midwifery programs: Out of step with community and student expectations" (Nurse Education Today, 2020), and "The influence of an educational intervention on nursing students’ cultural safety knowledge and capability: A pre-/post-test study" (BMC Nursing, 2022). Additional works include "Teaching in Circle with student nurses contributes to cultural safety learning" (2022), "Trauma-Informed Yoga for Positive Mental Health: A qualitative exploration" (2023), and "A Journey Into School Lunchbox Decision-Making" (2025). Her professional and personal commitments to feminism, social justice, and health drive her contributions, which support UN Sustainable Development Goals. ORCID: 0000-0001-7587-0201.