Prof Welma Lubbe NuMIQ Research Focus Area
North-West University
QUALIFICATIONS: Prof Welma Lubbe graduated in BSoc Sc (Nursing) from the University of the Free State in 1996. Thereafter she obtained her BCur (honours) in Midwifery and Neonatal Nursing Science (Cum Laude) in 2000 and her Nursing Education Diploma (Cum Laude) in 2003, both from the University of Stellenbosch. In 2004 Prof Lubbe obtained a M Tech in Nursing from the Tshwane University of Technology (previously Technicon Pretoria) and in 2010 she obtained a PhD in Nursing from the North-West University.
RESEARCH CAREER PATH: Prof Welma Lubbe is a professor in Nursing and Midwifery, at the North-West University and currently appointed as the Research Directors of NuMIQ.
Prof Lubbe was able to obtain a total of more than R2M funding over the period 2012-2021 for which she was the primary investigator for all the projects and R50,000 in student support during 2011. She received NRF-Thuthuka grants for three consecutive years (2013-2015) to the value of R843,000 and R80,000 in 2014 from Institutional Strategic funds for early career research development, as well as a current research grant (R6,000,000 over three years) from the South African Medical Research Council. She is also partner in international research projects.
Based on her work in the field of neurodevelopmental supportive care of the preterm infant, Prof Lubbe is recognised as a leader in this field in South Africa. She was recently invited as the neonatal program coordinator for the LENMED hospital group, and acted as academic advisor for the neonatal community of practice of the LIFE Healthcare group. During 2019 she was invited as expert onto the Messages for Mothers (M4M) group which is a coalition of organisations including Perinatal Mental Health Project, Embrace, GrowGreat and SidebySide. M4M provided messaging content to (among other platforms) the SA MRC and NDOH for the South African Framework and Guidelines for Maternal and Neonatal Care during a Crisis: COVID-19 response. In 2017, she was the SA country survey leader for a 36-country international study on compliance with Neonatal Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiative.
Prof Lubbe served on the board for the Neonatal Nurses Association of South Africa: education portfolio, since 2011 and she is the founder and owner of Little Steps, which is a parenting support organisation for parents with premature infants and this organisation is a well-known brand, both nationally and on an international level. Prof Lubbe is the president of the South African Neonatal, Infant and Toddler Support Association (SANITSA) since 2004. SANITSA was ‘born’ to provide a multi-disciplinary support platform for healthcare professionals working in this field of practice. During April 2016 Dr Lubbe was inaugurated as a fellow into the Academy of Nursing of South Africa for her contribution to the nursing/midwifery profession.
Internationally, Prof Lubbe is serving her third term as South African representative on the Council of International Neonatal Nurses since 2010. She has been invited as the first member from Africa to serve on the Graven’s Developmental Care Consensus panel, since 2014 and is also the first member from outside Europe to be invited as member of the Separation and Closeness Experiences in the Neonatal Environment (SCENE) research group, since 2014. Prof Lubbe has been serving on the International Advisory Board of the Journal of Neonatal Nursing, since 2009. During 2009 and 2010 Prof Lubbe was the chairperson for the steering committee for Maternal and Child Health Nurse Leadership Academy, presented as an affiliated project between the North-West University, Johnson & Johnson corporate and Sigma Theta Tau International. During 2008 prof Lubbe was invited to represent South Africa as neonatal clinical advisor at Draeger Medical in Germany and she was invited to the Royal Kingdom of Saudi Arabia: King Fahad Hospital, Rihad as visiting lecturer to present multi-disciplinary training on neurodevelopmental supportive care of the preterm infant and support with the implementation thereof in their neonatal intensive care units.
SUPERVISORY EXPERIENCE (since 2009): Prof Lubbe supervised fifteen (15) master’s students since 2013, three (3) PhD students and one post-doctoral fellow. Supervision include NWU and other South African university students.
PUBLICATION LIST: Prof Lubbe is involved in the research units, NuMIQ as well as CEN. She supervised post-graduate students in both units and also published in collaboration with them. She published over 70 publications in international and South African peer reviewed journals and her h-index is 14.
Her publications were cited more than 86 times (ResearchGate, December 2020). During the COVID-19 pandemic she was first author on the article: Lubbe, W., et al. Breastfeeding during the COVID-19 pandemic – a literature review for clinical practice. Int Breastfeed J 15, 82 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1186/s13006-020-00319-3 (IF 3.08) accessed 2180 times during the first three weeks after publication. In 2019 she received the ‘Best research presentation’ award for ‘STARFISH project – Capacity building in the community’ at the 4th Building Children’s Nursing for Africa Conference, Cape Town (16-18 April 2019) which invited participants from 11 countries.
In addition, she presented 29 national and 16 international conference posters and papers. Her research program is focussed on the implementation of neurodevelopmental supportive care of the newborn, and preterm infant and she is involved with this implementation in both public hospitals neonatal intensive care units in the private sector.
Peer reviewed –article title (accredited journals ONLY)
ACCEPTED: Rothberg, AD, Smith, J, Lubbe, W. Evidence for an active Cushing Reflex in a preterm neonate with Hyaline Membrane Disease. Journal of Medical Case Reports (1.30). Oct 2021.
2021: W Lubbe. Global Perspectives of Developmental Care–South Africa: Neurodevelopmental supportive care in a rainbow nation. Developmental Observer 14 (2)
2021: O Jumoke Ajanaku, W Lubbe. Applying transformational leadership in nursing through the lens of Kouzes and Posner leadership practices. Gender & Behaviour 19 (2)
2021: Maree, CM, Lubbe, W, Barlow, H, Davidge, R, Prullage GS, Scheepers, M, van Heerden C. 2020. South African neonatal nurse specialization – is professional licensing justifiable? Journal of Neonatal Nursing (0.954). 27:2, 69-76. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jnn.2020.08.004 (IF 0.954)
2020: Botha, E, Helminen, M, Kaunonen, M, Lubbe, W, Joronen, K. The effects of an infant calming intervention on mothers’ parenting self-efficacy and satisfaction during the postpartum period: A randomized controlled trial. Journal of Perinatal and Neonatal Nursing (0.937). June 2020.
2020 Nyaloko, MJ, Lubbe, W, Minnie, CS. Perceptions of mothers and community members regarding breastfeeding in public spaces of urban area in Gauteng Province, South Africa. The Open Public Health Journal. October. DOI: 10.2174/187494450201301????, 2020, 13, 03-00. IF (0.14).
2020: Lubbe, W, Botha, E, Niela-Vilen, H, Reimers, P. 2020. Breastfeeding during the COVID-19 pandemic – a literature review for clinical practice. International Breastfeeding Journal. 15, 82. https://doi.org/10.1186/s13006-020-00319-3 (IF 2.12)
2020: Browne, J.V., Jaeger, C.B. & Kenner, C. Executive summary: standards, competencies, and recommended best practices for infant- and family-centered developmental care in the intensive care unit. J Perinatol 40, 5–10 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41372-020-0767-1 (IF 2.072)
2020: Lubbe, W, Ten Ham-Baloyi, W, Smith, K. 2020. The integrative literature review as a research method: a new approach. Journal of Neonatal Nursing, 6 July (online) https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jnn.2020.04.006 (IF 0.954)
2020: Botha, E, Helminen, M, Kaunonen, M, Lubbe, W, Joronen, K. 2020. Mothers’ parenting self-efficacy, satisfaction and perceptions of their infants during the immediate postpartum period. Midwifery 88. 102760. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.midw.2020.102760 (IF 2.453)
2020: Lubbe, W, Botha, C. 2020. The dimensions of reflective practice: a teacher educator’s and a nurse educator’s perspectives. Reflective Practice: International and Multidisciplinary Perspectives, 21:3, 287-300. Published online: 12 Mar. https://doi.org/10.1080/14623943.2020.1738369
2019: Lubbe, W, Oosthuizen, C, Dolman, R, Covic, N. 2019. Stakeholder Attitudes towards Donating and Utilizing Donated Human Breastmilk. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. 16(10). ISSN 1660-4601. DOI: 10.3390/ijerph16101838
2019: Maastrup R, Haiek LN, The Neo‐BFHI Survey Group. 2019. Compliance with the “Baby‐friendly Hospital Initiative for Neonatal Wards” in 36 countries. Maternal and Child Nutrition. Apr;15(2):e12690. ISSN: 17408695. DOI: 10.1111/mcn.12690. Epub 2018 Oct 12
2018: Lubbe, W. 2018. Clinicians Guide for Cue-based Transition to Oral Feeding in Preterm Infants: An Easy-to-use Clinical Guide. Journal of Evaluation in Clinical Practice. February, 24(1):80-88. doi: 10.1111/jep.12721
2017: Rheeder, A, Lubbe, W, Van der Walt SJC, Pretorius, R. 2017. Compliance with best practice guidelines for neurodevelopmental supportive care in South Africa – a situational analysis. Journal of Perinatal and Neonatal Nursing, November, DOI: 10.1097/JPN.0000000000000275
2017: Lubbe, W, ten Ham-Baloyi, W. 2017. When is the use of pacifiers justifiable in the baby-friendly hospital initiative context? A clinician’s guide. BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth, April, 17:130. ISSN: 14712393. DOI: 10.1186/s12884-017-1306-8
2017: Cordewener, D, Lubbe, W. 2017. Professional nurses’ perception of skills required for preterm infant assessment. Journal of Perinatal and Neonatal Nursing. July/September, 31(3): 256-262. ISSN: 8932190. DOI: 10.1097/JPN.0000000000000240