Nursing and Human Sciences

Biographical Details:

Worked for many years in the area of psychotherapy in adult and adolescent mental health services. Has been involved in programme development at postgraduate level, lectured in a range of mental health nursing and psychotherapy programmes and provided clinical supervision to post-graduate students and qualified psychotherapy practitioners.Has presented at a number of international conferences and has Chaired the Scientific Committee for a national psychotherapy conference.Since 2004 worked as lecturer in DCU, and since 2012 peer reviewer for Grounded Theory Review.

Qualifications include: PhD Suicidology MSc Psychotherapy MSc Organisational Consultation & Management RMN, Dip. Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, Registered Family Therapist & Supervisor.
Affiliations include: Visiting Lecturer / Professor, Webster University, Geneva, Switzerland; Ethics Research Committee - Clanwilliam Institute, Dublin; Research Subcommittee, FTAI; External Lecturer, Psychotherapy Training Programme UCD / MMH.

Research Interests:

Completed and current research projects include: 2003 Clinicians Perspectives on Performance Management; 2003/2004 Psychotherapy Waiting List Interventions; 2003/2004 Clinical Supervision in Nursing; 2004/2005 Lecturer's Perceptions on Student Academic Writing Skills; 2006-2009 Providing Meaningful Care: Learning from the Experiences of young men to inform Mental Health care; 2009-2012 Evaluation of PISA (Psychosocial/ psychoeducational Intervention for people with Recurrent Suicide Attempts; 2007-2008 Evaluation of TeenLine Ireland Helpline; 2008-2010 Identifying and Responding to the needs of people working in the homeless sector in Dublin in relation to sudden death of clients. Since embarking on completing my PhD studies in 2010 in the area of suicidology I have been keen to develop research in that area. In addition to taking on the PI position on the Homeless Agency and PISA Projects I have been involved in identifying a number of related suicide projects with stakeholders in this area including service user groups and service providers.

Collaborations include: Yvonne Bergmans (St. Michael's Hospital, Toronto; PISA project); Maeve Kenny & Odhran McCarthy (St. Vincent's Hospital, Fairview & Mater Hospital; PISA project); HSE mental health services (HSE Wexford, Waterfored, Tipperary; PISA Project);Prof. Paul Links (University of Ontario, Canada; PISA project & cosupervision of DCU PhD Candidate); Counselling & Psychology Dept. Webster University, Geneva, Switzerland (Visiting Professor & student exchange); Prof. John Cutcliffe (University of Maine; collaboration regarding postdoctoral research and career development & Invited Visiting Professor 2010)

Selected Peer Reviewed Journals

• Gordon, E., Cutcliffe, JR., & Stevenson, C. 2011. RE-Vitalizing Worthiness: A Theory of Transcending Suicidality among Young Men in Ireland. Grounded Theory Review. 10(2),, pp. 21-44.
• Gordon, E. 2010. Discourses on Suicide: Considerations for Therapeutic Practice. Special Issue on Suicide, Journal of Family Therapy Association of Ireland. 12(2),, pp15-15.
• Gordon, E., Stevenson, C., & OConnor, C. 2009. Reaching Out to Distressed Young People in Ireland: Evulation of TeenLine Irelane Support Helpline for Teenagers. The Irish Psychologist. 35(11),, pp311-315.

Selected Chapters

• Casey, B. & Gordon, E. 2010. Interpreting and Responding to Expressions of Mental Pain: The Inner and Outer Dialogues of the Mental Health Nurse. Nursing Issues: Psychiatric Nursing, Geriatric Nursing and Nursing Burnout.
• Gordon, E., & Stevenson, C. 2009. The Context of Assessment: Connecting Assessment & Intervention. Psychiatric and Mental Health Nursing: The Craft of Caring
• Stevenson, C., & Gordon, E. 2009. Family Support: Growing the Family Support Network. Psychiatric and Mental Health Nursing: The Craft of Caring

• Gordon, E, Performance Management, In: TCD School of Nursing & Midwifery Scientific Committee ed.Annual Research Conference, - , Trinity College Dublin
• Gordon, E. & Murphy, M., A Psychotherapy Waiting List Audit & Intervention: Lessons Learned & Future Challenges, In: PSI Scientific Committee ed.Psychological Society of Ireland Annual Conference, - , Derry, NI
• Gordon, E. & Higgins, A., A Postmodern Philosophic Stance for Mental Health Nursing, IPONS International Annual Conference, - ,
• Gordon, E. Proudfoot, D. & Casey, B., Lecturers' Perspectives on the Academic Standard of the Written Work of Nursing Students in Ireland, In: TCD School of Nursing & Midwifery Scientific Committee ed.Annual Research Conference, - , Trinity College Dublin
• Gordon, E., Stevenson, C., Jordan, J., McKenna, H. Keeney, S. & Cutcliffe, J., Reaching Those Who do not Reach Outto Us: Engaging Suicidal Men in Research, In: RCN Scientific Committee ed.Royal College of Nursing Annual Conference, - , UK
• Gordon, E. & Stevenson, C., Working with the Suicidal Person: How the Multiple Meanings of Suicidality Inform Professional Practice, In: Horatio Scientific Committee ed.HORATIO International Nursing Conference, - , Malta
• Gordon, E. & Jordan, J., Convening & Engaging Suicidal Young Men in Research: Philosophical, Methodological & Ethical Issues, In: IAS Scientific Committee ed.International Association of Suicidology Annual Conference, - , Ireland
• Kenny, M. & Gordon, E., The Aftermath of Suicide: Impact on the Practitioner, In: PSI Scientific Committee ed.Psychological Society of Ireland (PSI) Annual Conference, 11-NOV-11 - 13-NOV-11, Galway, Ireland
• Gordon, E. & O' Reilly, A., PISA - An Intervention for people with Repeated Suicide Attempts, In: PSI Scientific Committee ed.Psychological Society of Ireland, 11-NOV-11 - 13-NOV-11, Galway Ireland
• O' Reilly, A. Moore, G. Gordon, E. et al., PISA - A Psychological / Psychosocial Intervention for People with Repeated Suicide Attempts, In: TCD School of Nursing & Midwifery Scientific Committee ed.Annual Research Conference, 09-NOV-11 - 10-NOV-11, Dublin
• Gordon, E., Stevenson, C. & Cutcliffe, J., Re-Vitalizing Worthiness: A theory of Transcending Suicidality among Young Men, National Suicide Conference - What's the point?, 18-JUN-10 - 18-JUN-10, Dublin
• Gordon, E. & Stevenson, C., Young Men and Suicide: Preliminary Findings and Challenges in Suicide Research, In: MHNL Scientific Committee ed.International Conference on Mental Health Nursing and the Law, 01-JUN-09 - 04-JUN-09, New York