Professor Agnes Higgins

Agnes is a professor in mental health nursing within the School of Nursing and Midwifery where she teaches and supervises across undergraduate and postgraduate programmes and leads a team of lecturers and researchers in developing quality evidence to inform mental health education, practice and policy decisions. She is a registered mental health nurse, general nurse and nurse tutor with over thirty five years' clinical and education experience in the areas of mental health, palliative/hospice care and general nursing. She holds a PhD from Trinity, a Master's in Education and Management from Dublin City University, and a primary degree in Nursing Studies from University College Dublin. She was elected Fellow within College in 2014 and Elected Fellow (Ad Eundem) Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland in 2016. She is a member of many national and international organisations and groups related to mental health, including expert panel member of Horatio, member of the Grounded Theory Institute, and Member of European Network of Training, Education and Research in Mental Health. In 2002 she was awarded the Provost award for teaching excellence. As a leader of multidisciplinary and multi-institutional bids with internationally recognised partners and in line with a key priority of government and national/international mental health policy, her research programme focuses on building a body of work that promotes mental health recovery, drives mental health service reform and improves mental health practice. The central theme underpinning her research is on increasing understanding of service users' and family members' experience of mental health service provision and the development of psychosocial strategies that promote recovery and social inclusion. As an educator, Agnes has a sustained record for quality and innovative teaching and has led the development of a number of courses and modules at undergraduate and postgraduate level. She led the development of mental health nurses' education in Ireland from a hospital certificate to a recognised academic discipline and as an outcome of her research she has pioneered, at national and EU level, the development of online courses and learning resources in the area of recovery and mental health. Her contribution to teaching also includes the supervision of many PhD and masters students to successful completion. In addition to being a national and international leader in mental health nursing, research and education, she is considered a champion in the area of mental health service user/patient involvement. She has been involved in the development of a number of organisations that have given a critical voice to people who use the mental health services and is a past chairperson of the board of Mental Health Reform, Ireland's leading national patient coalition campaigning to transform mental health supports and services in Ireland. She is currently on the board of Kyrie farm. As a leader in the field, she has a sustained and distinguished record of publishing peer reviewed publications in the top quartile of impact factored journals in the field. To-date, she has published 75 papers in peer-reviewed, high-impact journals, 2 books, 13 book chapters, 34 reports for national bodies, 3 best practice guides for practitioners. Since joining the academic environment at Trinity, Agnes has held key academic leadership positions, including: Head of School (2011-2014), Head of Discipline Mental Health Nursing (2006-2011), Director of Postgraduate Programmes and Director of Academic and Professional Affairs (2000-2003) and Course Co-ordinator (2000-2003). She continues to contribute to the academic community through her involvement in a number of school, faculty and college committees within Trinity and her involvement as examiner, reviewer, editorial board member and member of national and international committees and organisations.

  Childhood and mental health   Clinical learning environment in nursing   Gender and Mental Health   Gender issues, gender studies   Mental health nursing   Mental health promotion   Nursing Education   Psychiatry   Sexuality and sexual health   Therapeutic relationships and communication