Fang Yan is from the College of Nursing and Health Sciences and is one of the 12 winners of the Vice-Chancellor’s Award for Doctoral Thesis Excellence for 2023. Fang was supervised by Professor Lily Xiao from Flinders University.
Fang’s thesis Construction and Application of a Hybrid Self-management Model for Community-dwelling Older People with Urinary Incontinence and aimed to co-design a hybrid self-management program through consultations with older people with Urinary incontinence (UI), the primary care health professionals and experts based on their demands and suggestions and test the effectiveness of it through a quasi-experimental study design in primary care setting.
We invited Fang to share insights into the PhD journey and what winning this award means.
What does winning this award mean?
It is fantastic to receive such positive feedback that my hard work and long hours have paid off. I express great gratitude that my work is recognized by the community.
Tell us about your research
My PhD project aimed to co-design a hybrid self-management intervention model though consultations with older people with UI and the primary care health professionals based on their demands and suggest and evaluate the effect of the hybrid self-management intervention model for community-dwelling older people with UI.
We demonstrated that the hybrid self-management intervention model has the advantages of convenience and flexibility, comprehensive content coverage better quality control, and it can improve self-efficacy, UI related knowledge and attitude, and reduce the severity of UI, thus enhance their quality of life for community-dwelling older people with UI.
Tell us about yourself
I applied for the Cotutelle PhD program at Flinders University in 2022, and was supervised by two principal supervisors, Professor Lily Xiao (Flinders University) and Professor Siyuan Tang (Central South University in China). In addition, I have completed my PhD final thesis review and was awarded as the Doctor of Philosophy on 27th of July in 2023 as planned. I am back in China, and currently, I work in Xiangya Nursing School in Central South University as an associated professor.
What led you to undertake a PhD? What inspired or motivated you?
I chose to undertake a PhD on UI care mainly because of my grandma who has dementia combined with UI. Like my grandma did as usual, most older adults perceive UI as a part of normal aging and conceal UI for shame. The support and resources provided by the community staff are insufficient, thus leading to negative motivation for self-management behaviour change. Thus, I have determined to conduct my proposed PhD study in order to improve the quality of life for this elderly population.
What was the topic of your PhD and why is it important to you?
Findings on associated factors of UI and care service needs will inform policy, resource and practice development to support community-dwelling older people with UI in China. In addition, the nurse-led evidence-based hybrid UI self-management program tested in the study will inform stakeholders of the effective approach that improves severity of UI and quality of life for community-dwelling older people in China.
Tell us about your PhD journey
My PhD journey started in September 2019 when I was recruited at Xiangya Nursing School, Central South University. Because of a large collaborative project, I successfully applied for the Cotutelle PhD program at Flinders University in 2022 and was supervised by two principal supervisors, Professor Lily Xiao (Flinders University) and Professor Siyuan Tang (Central South University).
At beginning, I completed all my PhD courses and conducted my PhD project in China before June in 2022, and then I spent my happy and meaningful time in Flinders University, when I finished my draft thesis and revised it again and again through continual encouragement and comments from my supervisor Prof. Lily. At last, I completed my PhD final thesis review and was awarded as the Doctor of Philosophy on 27th of July in 2023 as planned in Flinders University.
What has been one of the most enjoyable parts of the journey?
Living in Adelaide and studying in Flinders University must be the most enjoyable part of my PhD journey. During this time, I have completed my thesis and I have improved my ability in nursing research especially in intervention study, review methodologies and qualitative study; meanwhile, I have broadened my horizon and understood the culture of Australia and Flinders University through communications with nursing researchers.
What has been one of the hardest parts of the journey?
Data collection especially the offline self-management intervention with the community-dwelling older people with UI during the outbreak of COVID-19 would be the hardest part of the journey. I wish to express my sincere appreciation to all those including the leaders, primary health professionals in community, student volunteers and older people referral other participants, because they have offered me invaluable help during my PhD study.
What’s a highlight of your student life at Flinders?
As a research-intensive university with internationally renowned researchers and professors, FU provided excellent opportunities and support for my PhD program and enable me to achieve the aims of my research.
What are your future goals and plans? / Where do you see your career heading in the future?
Currently, I work in Central South University as an academic member and a researcher in China. As an academic member, I will share my internationally acquired knowledge with students and develop future researchers for my country. As a researcher, I will use my research production to help older people achieve a higher quality of life. In addition, I will always hold the spirit of lifelong learning and never give up learning from others. Especially, I hope to promote more cooperation between Flinders University and Central South University.
Where are you now?
I am back in China, and I am an associated professor in Xiangya Nursing School in Central South University now.
What advice would you give to current or prospective PhD students?
First of all, apply to everything you’re interested in, don’t take rejection personally and don’t let it discourage you. Make friends with those who can support you and look out for each other’s best interests. In addition, build a healthy relationship with your supervisors because you’ll want to keep in contact with them in the future and maybe even collaborate at some point.