Rate My Professor Irene Ikafa

Dr. Irene Ikafa is a Lecturer in the School of Health at the University of New England, having joined the institution in July 2016. Prior to this, she served for eight years in the School of Health Professions at Murdoch University and accumulated 25 years of clinical experience in mental health nursing across Western Australia and Zambia. Her extensive professional background encompasses diverse roles including registered mental health nurse, registered nurse, clinical nurse, nurse manager, deputy director of nursing, clinical teacher, and staff development nurse. Ikafa possesses a PhD from Murdoch University (2015), an MSc and BSc from Curtin University, and holds registrations as RN and RMHN. Her doctoral research examined the resettlement experiences of African migrants in Australia and evaluated current support services.

Ikafa's research specializations include mental health promotion, migration and acculturation, nurse education, grief and loss, clinical confidence and competence in mental health nursing, clinical experiences of undergraduate nurses, and therapeutic relationships. She contributes to teaching in subjects such as culture and health, contemporary nursing theories, health promotion, mental health, mental health legislations, mental health promotion, and therapeutic communication. Notable publications comprise the book chapter 'Migrant Contributions to Australian Society' (2021) in Migration Practice as Creative Practice: An Interdisciplinary Exploration of Migration; 'Resettlement experiences of African migrants in Australia and how they affect mental health' (Mental Health Practice, 2021, with L. Perry); 'The role of faith and family in coping with stress among African migrants in Australia' (Social Work and Social Sciences Review, 2018, with D. Hack-Polay); 'Empowering migrants during the resettlement process: applying Peplau’s theory of interpersonal relations' (Mental Health Practice, 2020, with C. A. Holmes); and 'African migrants and stress coping strategies in Australia: Implications for social work' (International Social Work, 2020, with D. Hack-Polay, J. Walker, and A. B. Mahmoud). She has been nominated twice for the Vice Chancellor’s Excellence in Teaching Award at Murdoch University (2009, 2010) and received the Best Nurse All Round Award from Lusaka School of Nursing, Zambia (1990). Currently, she serves on the University of New England Human Research Ethics Committee (since 2024) and the School of Health Research Committee (since 2018).