ProfJennifer Fenwick

Professor Fenwick’s career as a midwifery clinician, academic and researcher has spanned over 40 years. She initially built a reputation as a national and international researcher in areas such as women’s experiences of mothering in the nursery, women’s expectations for labour and birth (including fear of childbirth), and women’s experiences of caesarean section and vaginal birth after caesarean section. This work subsequently focused Jennifer’s interest in women’s emotional wellbeing during pregnancy, birth and the early transition to motherhood, and the impact and role of relationships, language and models of care. Her research work has also included the dimension of ‘space’ and ‘place’ and how design impacts on communication. In addition, Jennifer leads an international collaboration referred to as the WHELM study (Work Health and Emotional Lives of Midwives). This work sits within the ‘Transforming Maternity Care Collaborative’ which brings together four key arms of midwifery research and scholarship; Practice Translation, Workforce, Health Promotion, and Education and fosters engagement with a range of key stakeholders including consumers, researchers, economists, educators, clinicians and health services from across the globe. In 2018 and 2019 Jennifer was named Australia’s lead researcher in Pregnancy and Childbirth.

Today Professor Fenwick’s focus is very much about translating the evidence into practice.
In her past joint appointment role as Clinical Chair at Gold Coast University Hospital and Griffith University, and more recently as a Midwife Unit Manager and Clinical Midwife Consultant within NSW Health, Jennifer has strategically worked to assist health services develop research, clinical leadership, and practice development capability (translation). Her work aligns with the state and national agenda around continuity of midwifery care (caseload midwifery) and she has been influential in improving quality, access and equity of maternity services within the public health sector.

Jennifer has worked in the maternity service reform space for many years and is deeply committed to the development of primary maternity services and the provision of care that meets the individual needs of women, families and the community.