Dr Rhian Cramer

Position: Program Coordinator - Graduate Diploma of Midwifery
Discipline: Midwifery
Location: Mt Helen Campus, Room H106
Phone: (03) 5327 9260
Email: r.cramer@federation.edu.au

Qualifications

  • Graduate Certificate Education (Tertiary Education) – Federation University – 2021
  • Doctor of Philosophy – La Trobe University – 2019
  • International Board Certified Lactation Consultant – International Board of Lactation Consultant Examiners® – 2014 and 2019
  • Masters of Midwifery Science – La Trobe University – 2010
  • Bachelor of Nursing / Bachelor of Midwifery – La Trobe University – 2005

Teaching

Programs

  • Graduate Diploma of Midwifery
  • Master of Health (Child and family health nursing)
  • Master of Health (Neonatal care)
  • Master of Health (Perinatal and infant mental health)

Courses

  • Introduction to infant feeding (HEALN6104)
  • Advanced human lactation (HEALN6106)
  • Woman centred midwifery care (MIDGD6201)
  • Midwifery as a profession (MIDGD6202)
  • Midwifery care for women with complex needs (MIDGD6203)
  • Care of the neonate with increased needs (MIDGD6204)
  • Research methods for evidence based practice (MIDGD6205)
  • Midwifery partnerships with First Nations Families (MIDGD6207)

Biography

Dr Rhian Cramer is a registered nurse, midwife, childbirth educator and lactation consultant with experience practicing in a range of metropolitan, regional and rural healthcare settings in Australia.

Rhian has been working with Federation University Australia since 2015 and is currently the Program Coordinator of the Graduate Diploma of Midwifery. She has also collaborated with midwifery academics from multiple universities on a range of projects through Midwifery Academics Victoria (MIDAC) and the Trans-Tasman Midwifery Education Consortium (TTMEC).

Dr Cramer completed her PhD with the Supporting breastfeeding in Local Communities (SILC) trial, which investigated the impact of two community-based support interventions on breastfeeding rates in Victoria. Rhian’s research focus is on the education of midwifery students, community education on normal birth and breastfeeding, and the potential positive health impact of breastfeeding and breast milk for women, babies and families in Australia and globally. Rhian is an early career researcher and has experience in qualitative and quantitative research methods.

Areas of expertise

Rhian has predominantly worked as a midwife and lactation consultant with experience supporting women and families throughout the continuum of childbearing. Her specific research interest lies in supporting normal physiological processes of pregnancy, labour and breastfeeding through education and support of women, families, communities and health professionals.

Research interests

  • Breastfeeding
  • Women's experiences of pregnancy, childbirth and parenthood
  • Matrescence (the transition to motherhood)
  • Education of women, families and communities related to the continuum of childbearing
  • Education of midwifery students

Supervision

Present doctoral students

Marufa Hasin (Federation University) - "Gestational Diabetes Mellitus: Risk of Developing Type 2 Diabetes among migrant women in Australia." - Associate Supervisor

Publications

Book chapters

Cramer, R., Coombs, N., Lyons, J. & Kim, J.A. (2021). Chapter 11: Foundations of Nursing Practice, in Cruickshank, M., Arnott, N. & Paliadelis, P. (eds) The Road to Nursing (2nd. Ed.), Cambridge University Press.

Cramer, R., Coombs, N., Lyons, J. & Kim, J.A. (2018). Chapter 11: Foundations of Nursing Practice, in Cruickshank, M., Arnott, N. & Paliadelis, P. (eds) The Road to Nursing, Cambridge University Press.

Refereed journal articles

Nagle, C., McDonald, S., Morrow, J., Kruger, G., Cramer, R., Couch, S., . . . Heartfield, M. (2019). Informing the development midwifery standards for practice: A literature review for policy development. Midwifery, 76, 8-20. doi:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.midw.2019.05.007

Cramer, R.L., McLachlan, H.L., Shafiei, T., Amir, L.H., Cullinane, M., Small, R., & Forster, D.A. (2019). Maternal and child health nurses’ experiences of implementing two community-based breastfeeding interventions in Victoria, Australia: A mixed methods process evaluation. Australian Journal of Child and Family Health Nursing. 16(1):4-14

Nagle, C., Heartfield, M., Mcdonald, S., Morrow, J., Kruger, G., Bryce, J., … Hartney, N. (2017). A necessary practice parameter: Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia Midwife standards for practice. Women and Birth, 30, 10–11. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.wombi.2017.08.028

Cramer, R.L., McLachlan, H.L., Shafiei, T., Amir, L.H., Cullinane, M., Small, R., & Forster, D.A. (2017). Implementation and evaluation of community-based drop-in centres for breastfeeding support in Victoria, Australia. International Breastfeeding Journal, 12:46. doi:10.1186/s13006-017-0136-7

Ridgway, L., Cramer, R., McLachlan, H.L., Forster, D.A., Cullinane, M., Shafiei, T., & Amir, L.H. (2016). Breastfeeding Support in the Early Postpartum: Content of Home Visits in the SILC Trial. Birth, 43(4), 303-312. doi:10.1111/birt.12241

McLachlan, H.L.; Forster, D.A.; Amir, L.H.; Cullinane, M.; Shafiei, T.; Watson, L.F.; Ridgway, L.; Cramer, R.L.; & Small, R (2015). Supporting breastfeeding In Local Communities (SILC) in Victoria, Australia: a cluster randomised controlled trial. BMJ Open 2016;6:2 e008292 doi:10.1136/bmjopen-2015-008292

Cramer R, McLachlan H, Forster D, Shafiei T, Amir L, Small R, Cullinane M (2015) Women's experiences of breastfeeding support: Results from the Supporting breastfeeding In Local Communities (SILC) trial. Journal of Paediatrics and Child Health 51(s1): 50

Rayner, JA., McLachlan, H.L., Forster, D.A., & Cramer, R.L. (2009) Australian women's use of complementary and alternative medicines to enhance fertility: exploring the experiences of women and practitioners. BMC Complementary and Alternative Medicine, 9:52 http://www.biomedcentral.com/1472-6882/9/52

Refereed conference proceedings

Anolak, H., Dillon, F., Mazur, J. and Cramer, R. (September 2022). Building Australian midwives’ connection with Ukrainian refugee women (workshop): Explore the culture and customs of Ukraine to better understand how midwives can work with Ukrainian refugee women in a culturally respectful and safe manner. In the proceedings of the Australian College of Midwives (ACM) national conference, Cairns.

Cramer, R. & Anolak, H. (September 2022). Celebrating midwives: Unmasking the heroes of the COVID-19 pandemic. In the proceedings of the Australian College of Midwives (ACM) national conference, Cairns.

Cramer, R., Mumford, S., Tremayne, A., Bayes, S., Kruger, G., Achterbosch, L. & Nicki Hartney (September, 2022). The MIDAC CoCE Portal: connecting pregnant women with midwifery students in Victoria, Australia. In the proceedings of the Australian College of Midwives (ACM) national conference, Cairns.

Cramer, R.L., McLachlan, H.L., Forster, D.A., Shafiei, T., Amir, L., Small, R., & Cullinane, M. (April, 2017). Implementation and evaluation of two community-based breastfeeding support interventions in Victoria, Australia. In proceedings of 15th World Congress of Public Health, Melbourne.

McLachlan, H.L., Cullinane, M., Forster, D.A., Shafiei, T., Amir, L., Small, R., Cramer, R.L., & Ridgway, L. (August, 2014). Supporting breastfeeding In Local Communities (SILC): A cluster randomised controlled trial. In proceedings of the Australian Breastfeeding Association ‘Liquid Gold’ Golden Jubilee National Conference, Melbourne.

McLachlan, H.L., Forster, D.A., Amir, L., Cullinane, M., Shafiei, T., Cramer, R.L., Ridgway, L., & Small, R. (March, 2014). SILC: Supporting breastfeeding In Local Communities. In proceedings of the Maternal and Child Health Victoria annual conference, Melbourne.

Cramer, R.L., McLachlan, H.L., Forster, D.A., Shafiei, T., Amir, L., Small, R., & Cullinane, M. (April, 2015). Women's experiences of breastfeeding support: Results from the Supporting breastfeeding In Local Communities (SILC) trial. In proceedings of Perinatal Society of Australia and New Zealand (PSANZ) 19th annual scientific congress.

Cramer, R.L., McLachlan, H.L., Forster, D.A., Shafiei, T., Amir, L., Small, R., & Cullinane, M. (March, 2015). Women's experiences of breastfeeding support: Results from the Supporting breastfeeding In Local Communities (SILC) trial. In proceedings of the Lactation Consultants of Australia and New Zealand (LCANZ) “More than Milk” conference.

Cramer, R.L., McLachlan, H.L., Forster, D.A., Shafiei, T., Amir, L., Small, R., & Cullinane, M. (November 2014). Implementing the 'Supporting breastfeeding In Local Communities' (SILC) cluster randomised trial: Exploring the views and experiences of Maternal and Child Health nurses and coordinators. In proceedings of the Maternal, Infant and Child Nutrition and Nurture (MAINN) ‘Relational, Bio-cultural and Spatial Perspectives’ conference.

Rayner J, Walsh R, McLachlan H, Forster D. (2008). Why do women combine the use of Assisted Reproductive Technologies (ART) and Complementary and Alternative Medicines (CAM) to enhance fertility? Journal of Paediatrics and Child Health. 44(s1): A17 In proceedings of the Perinatal Society of Australia and New Zealand (PSANZ) 12th annual scientific congress.

Associations

  • Australian Nursing and Midwifery Federation (ANMF)
  • Australian College of Midwives (ACM)
  • Lactation Consultants of Australia and New Zealand (LCANZ)
  • Perinatal Society of Australia and New Zealand (PSANZ)
  • Australian Breastfeeding Association (ABA)
  • Maternity Choices Australia