Assoc ProfessorBarbara Coughlan

My role as Associate Professor in UCD is steered and enriched by my extensive research, teaching and leadership experience gained within or associated with 3rd level education, the Irish Healthcare System, and national and international colleagues. I am a registered Nurse and Midwife with the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Ireland (NMBI) and a Chartered Member of the Psychological Society of Ireland (Ps.S.I) in Health Psychology. Psychological well-being situated within a biopsychosocial model of health, motivates and directs my research and teaching.

The focus of my research includes maternal and infant health; bereavement following pregnancy loss and perinatal death; professional self-care; coping with and adjusting to chronic illness. I have collaborated on several funded and non-funded research projects, leading to publications and conference presentations related to my interests and expertise. I have over 150 publications, 53 in peer reviewed journals scopus h- index 17 ( Field Weighted Criterion Impact, 1.36), I have presented widely in person and as a co -author at both national and international conferences. 

The focus of my teaching is primarily within the discipline of psychology as it relates to Nursing and Midwifery practice with the linkages between my teaching and research clearly evident in the areas related to health psychology, maternal and infant health. I have also made a significant contribution in the School to the teaching of research methodology and ethics and have co-ordinated and contributed significantly on both undergraduate and post graduate programmes. To date, I have supervised 15 Research Graduates with backgrounds in nursing, midwifery and psychology (8 PhD and 7 MSc Research Degrees).

I was a member of the National Hepatitis C Data Base Steering Committee from 2006 to 2017 and the Health Services Executive (HSE) Bereavement Care Standards Development Group 2014-2016. I have been a member of the HSE Staff Training and Support Work-stream for the Implementation of the HSE National Bereavement Care Standards 2017-2018 and most recently the HSE National Bereavement Care Standards Oversight Group.

I am an Honorary Lecturer in the National Maternity Hospital in Dublin and I was the UCD Chair (2013 to 2017) of the Joint Research Network (JRN) between the National Maternity Hospital and University College Dublin.  The JRN Philosophy of "Midwives, Nurses, Academics and Students Working Together in a Community of Practice and Research" is an important driver in my academic role here in UCD.