Health Education and Workforce
Dr Antoinette Cotton
Dr Antoinette Cotton 
Dr Antoinette Cotton is Senior Lecturer and the Academic Course Advisor for the Bachelor of Nursing (Honours), and Bachelor of Nursing (Advanced) programs in the School of Nursing and Midwifery, Western Sydney University. She has extensive experience in participating and leading curriculum development at program and unit level, and at undergraduate, honours and postgraduate level. She is a registered nurse and registered midwife and has had a wide variety of clinical experience. She is a nurse academic experienced in qualitative, quantitative and mixed methods. She has supervised and co-supervised BN (Honours) students to completion and is currently co-supervising Master of Nursing (Honours), Master of Research and PhD candidates, and undertaking the role of principal supervisor for a doctoral candidate. She has a background in research, scholarship and publishing in the areas that include critical reflective practices, clinical supervision, health research in cyberspace, palliative care, workforce issues, women’s health, aged care and health issues related to vulnerable populations.
Antoinette's main research interests and expertise includes:
- Ethical Leadership
- Clinical Leadership
- Mentorship
- Clinical supervision
- Aged Care
- Women’s Health
- Cancer screening
- Disability Community
- Palliative Care
- Ethical and methodological issues in Online Research
- Education and workforce
- Curriculum design for undergraduate, honours and postgraduate programs
- Educational preparation for professional practice
- Critical reflective practices for the professions
- Experiences of students in nursing programs
Antoinette's main methodological expertise includes:
- Qualitative Research Methods
- Mixed Methods Designs
- Co-design Methodologies
- Translational Research
Currently supervising (PhD), (MHons), (BNHons)
- 2 PhD
- 1 MHons
- 1 MRES
Students to completion (PhD), (MHons), (BNHons)
- 1 PhD
- 4 MRES
- 2 BNHons
- 4 BAppsSc(Hons)
Contact details
Phone: +61 2 6985 9501
Associate Professor Bronwyn Everett
Associate Professor Bronwyn Everett
Associate Professor Bronwyn Everett is a registered nurse and academic in the School of Nursing and Midwifery, Western Sydney University and has over 30 years’ experience in teaching undergraduate and postgraduate students, including research methods and evidenced based practice. She is the Director, School Research and Nursing Discipline Lead and engages in interdisciplinary research collaborations (including co-supervision of HDR students) with colleagues from medicine, allied health, and the social sciences. She works with nurse clinicians to undertake systematic reviews and research projects with a focus on strategic priorities in healthcare settings, some of which have received local and national recognition.
Associate Professor Everett has made significant contributions in the field of nursing research in patient safety and quality, educational research (including preparedness for graduate practice), and self-management in people with chronic disease. She has a particular interest in research related to people from culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) backgrounds and people with low levels of health literacy. Her research background includes quantitative methods (including RCT and cluster RCT designs), qualitative methodologies and mixed methods designs. She has experience as a member (and Deputy Chair) of a Human Research Ethics Committee.
Bronwyn's main research interests and expertise includes:
- Cardiovascular and chronic diseases
- Health literacy
- Self-management
- Behaviour change
- Motivational interviewing
- Experiences of undergraduate students, including retention and academic success
- Nursing workforce and organisational culture
Bronwyn's main methodological expertise includes:
- Quantitative methods including randomised controlled trial
- Qualitative methods including qualitative descriptive designs
- Mixed methods designs
Currently supervising (PhD), (MHons), (BNHons)
- 8 PhD
- 1 MHons
- 1 BNHons
Students to completion (PhD), (MHons), (BNHons)
- 3 PhD
- 1 MHons
- 4 BNHons
Contact details
Phone: +61 2 9685 9034
Email: b.everett@westernsydney.edu.au
Twitter: @bron_everett
Dr Paul Glew
Dr Paul Glew
Dr Paul Glew has a Bachelor of Nursing, Diploma of Teaching, Bachelor of Education, Graduate Certificate in TESOL, Graduate Certificate in Clinical Science (Intensive Care Nursing), Master of Arts in Applied Linguistics (TESOL), Master of Nursing, and a Doctor of Education degree.
Paul's main research interests and expertise includes:
- Clinical communication in nursing education and healthcare
- Academic literacy and English second language assessment, teaching and learning
- Literacy and language program design in education and nursing
Paul's main methodological expertise includes:
- Qualitative and mixed methods research
Students to completion (PhD), (MHons), (BNHons)
- 3 BNHons
- 1 PhD
Contact details
Phone: +61 2 4570 1163
Email: p.glew@westernsydney.edu.au
Dr Leanne Hunt
Dr Leanne Hunt
Dr Leanne Hunt is a Senior Lecturer in Nursing and Deputy Director, Clinical Education (Nursing), in the School of Nursing and Midwifery at the Western Sydney University. Leanne began nursing in 1992 as an RN progressing to CNC (trauma) and NUM 1. Leanne worked in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in Paediatric cardiothoracic intensive care for 2 years. Leanne has 11 years of education and research experience and is the current chair of the Critical Care Research in Collaboration & Evidence Translation (CCRICET) research group. Leanne is an affiliate member of the Centre for Applied Nursing Research (CANR), Centre for Oral Health Outcomes & Research Translation (COHORT) and the Ingham Institute of Applied Medical Research. Leanne is a qualitative and mixed methods researcher focusing on critical care practice/patient outcomes, workforce development and clinical practice experience. Leanne’s work is collaborative and multidisciplinary and has impacts on critical care patients, families, student nurses, the future nursing workforce and the profession of nursing.
Leanne's main research interests and expertise includes:
- Critical care
- Workforce development
- Undergraduate clinical placement
Leanne's main methodolgical expertise includes:
- Qualitative
- Mixed methods
Currently supervising (PhD), (MHons), (BNHons)
- 2 PhD
Students to completion (PhD), (MHons), (BNHons)
- 1 BNHons
Contact details
Phone: +61 2 4570 1676
Email: l.hunt@westernsydney.edu.au
Dr Diana Jefferies
Dr Diana Jefferies
Dr Diana Jefferies is a lecturer in the school of Nursing and Midwifery at Western Sydney University. She has twenty-five years' experience in acute clinical nursing specialising in mental health and HIV Nursing. She has academic qualifications in Arts Based research methods such as historical analysis and literary criticism. Her current research program integrates her nursing and arts-based background to examine descriptions of mental health issues in historical and literary contexts.
Diana's main research interests and expertise includes:
- The Lived Experience of Illness
- Mental Health
- Patient Centred Care
- Medical and Health Humanities
- Womens Health
Diana's main methodological expertise includes:
- Qualitative Research - Narrative Arts based research methods especially historical and literary analysis
Currently supervising (PhD), (MHons), (BNHons)
- 1 BN (Hons)
- 1 MRes
Students to completion (PhD), (MHons), (BNHons)
- 1 PhD
- 1 BNHons
Contact details
Phone: +61 2 9685 930
Mobile: +61 409 125 256
Email: d.jefferies@westernsydney.edu.au
Twitter: @DianaJefferies7
Associate Professor Lauretta Luck
Associate Professor Lauretta Luck
Associate Professor Lauretta Luck is the Director of the Centre for Nursing and Midwifery Research, a conjoint position of the SoNM, WSU and Nepean Blue Mountains Local Health District. Lauretta supports and mentors Nurse Clinicians undertaking research focused on improving patient care and outcomes and nursing evidence based practice. Lauretta has many years teaching in the tertiary sector both at Undergraduate and Postgraduate levels and has experience in numerous governance and leadership roles. Lauretta was the recipient of a Women’s fellowship grant (WSU) (2018) exploring violence towards nurses from the Nurse Managers’ perspective. In 2019, in collaboration with the NBMLHD Safety Culture Coordinators (Nurse Educators), she attracted NaMO and Louisa Hope funding to implement resilience and mindfulness workshops for nurses to provide strategies to respond to the problem of violence. Lauretta supervises undergraduate and postgraduate research students including Bachelor of Nursing (Hons), Master of Research and PhD students and mentors Bachelor of Nursing (Advanced) students. Lauretta’s research skills include case study design, mixed methods research and qualitative designs. Her areas of research include violence towards nurses, nursing workforce issues and nursing education. She has published in, and reviews, national and international journals and has presented a national and international conferences.
Lauretta's main research interests and expertise includes:
- Violence towards nurses
- Nursing education
- Nursing workforce
Lauretta's main methodological expertise includes:
- Qualitative research
- Case study
- Mixed methods
Currently supervising (PhD), (MHons), (BNHons)
- 5 PhD
- 1 MRes
Students to completion (PhD), (MHons), (BNHons)
- 2 PhD
- 3 BNHons
Contact details
Phone: +61 2 4734 3181
Dr Fiona McDermid
Dr Fiona McDermid
Dr Fiona McDermid is a lecturer in the School of Nursing and Midwifery. Dr Fiona McDermid completed her PhD in 2017 on the transition of clinical nurses to academia under a framework of liminality. Following on from her doctoral work, Fiona is further exploring the concepts of resilience and transition within workforce and communities. She is currently involved in a project centered on emergency departments highlighting the concept of resilience and retention and was successful in obtaining an Early Career Research grant for this study. She is also involved in the Women's Health stream of research and is currently undertaking work on women's experiences of menopause. She has published and presented research both nationally and internationally.
Fiona's main research interests and expertise includes:
- Women's Health
- Emergency Workforce Resilience
Fiona's main methodological expertise includes:
- Qualitative studies and analysis
Currently supervising (PhD), (MHons), (BNHons)
- 2 BNHons
- 1 PhD
Students to completion (PhD), (MHons), (BNHons)
- Nil
Contact details
Mobile: +61 408 675 169
Email: f.mcdermid@wsternsydney.edu.au
Twitter: @fiona_McDermid
Dr Tiffany Northall
Dr Tiffany Northall 
Tiffany Northall completed the Bachelor of Nursing, Master of Nursing with distinction and her PhD at Western Sydney University. She also completed a Graduate Certificate in Nursing Education. Tiffany has been a lecturer at Western Sydney University in undergraduate and post graduate nursing. Throughout her nursing career she worked in a variety of positions including primary health care, palliative care, emergency department and was a clinical nurse specialist in discharge planning. Tiffany’s research focuses on the care of older people in hospital, nursing homes and in the community with a specific interest in transfers of care. She also has an interest in the transition, retention and success of enrolled nurses who enter the Bachelor of Nursing degree. Tiffany has applied a variety of research methodologies including phenomenology and mixed methods.
Tiffany's main research interests and expertise includes:
- Aged Care
- Undergraduate nursing student retention
- Success Health professionals decision making
- Critical reflective practices for the professions
Tiffany's main methodological expertise includes:
- Phenomenology Qualitative Methods
Currently supervising (PhD), (MHons), (BNHons)
- 1 PhD
- 1 MRES
Students to completion (PhD), (MHons), (BNHons)2 BNHons
- 1 BNHons
Contact details
Phone: +61 2 4620 3368
Email: t.northall@westernsydney.edu.au
Twitter: @TiffanyNorthall
Professor Kath Peters
Professor Kath Peters
Professor Kath Peters RN BN (Hons) PhD is an academic in the School of Nursing and Midwifery at Western Sydney University. Kath has extensive clinical nursing and research experience with a strong background in health research and qualitative methodologies. Kath is actively engaged in research and regularly disseminates research outcomes in peer reviewed journals and at national and international conferences.
Kath's main research interests and expertise includes:
- Nursing Workforce
- Women's and Family Health
- Vulnerable Populations
Kath's main methodological expertise includes:
- Qualitative Research
- Feminist Research
Students to completion (PhD), (MHons), (BNHons)
- 8 PhD
- 8 BN (Hons)
Contact details
Phone: +61 2 4620 3567
Associate Professor Lucie Ramjan
Associate Professor Lucie Ramjan
Lucie Ramjan is an Associate Professor and Director of Academic Workforce (Parramatta) in the School of Nursing and Midwifery at Western Sydney University. She is also a core member of the Translational Health Research Institute (THRI), Young & Resilient Research Centre and an affiliate member of the Centre for Oral Health Outcomes & Research Translation (COHORT) and the Ingham Institute of Applied Medical Research.
Lucie graduated with a Bachelor of Nursing (Honours – 1st Class) in 2003 and was awarded a PhD in 2007. Lucie is a qualitative and mixed methods researcher who is committed to education and workforce research, research with adolescents and young people and mental health research, particularly in the area of eating disorders. Her research scholarship is characterised by interdisciplinary and international collaborations culminating in research outputs and funding success. Most notably Lucie is proud to have secured research funding as first CI on a competitive grant from The Ian Potter Foundation Ltd to develop and pilot test a mentorship program for people with anorexia nervosa. This followed further Research Development Strategic Initiative Funding through Western Sydney University to extend and pilot to people with any type of eating disorder.
Lucie was also invited to contribute to a White Paper on eating disorders and obesity which also secured funding. Lucie is currently supervising 8 research higher degree students and has supervised 12 students to completion [5 PhD; 1 MN(Hons); 1 MPhil; 5 BN(Hons)]. Lucie’s teaching excellence is evidenced by the receipt of two prestigious teaching awards. In 2011, Lucie received the College of Health & Science Learning and Teaching Award and in 2012 Lucie received an Office for Learning & Teaching (OLT) National Citation for Outstanding Contribution to Student Learning. Lucie continues to teach in both the undergraduate and postgraduate programs within the School of Nursing and Midwifery at Western Sydney University.
Other professional activities: Lucie is the Vice-President (WSU) of the Xi Omicron at-Large Chapter of Sigma and the Chair of the Adolescent & Young People Faculty of the Australian College of Nursing. She was previously the Associate Editor for Contemporary Nurse and is now a current Associate Editor for Nursing Open.
Prior to employment at Western Sydney University, Lucie was a clinician working with adolescents at The Children’s Hospital at Westmead (Royal Alexandra Hospital for Children) in roles as a Registered Nurse and Clinical Nurse Specialist.
Lucie's main research interests and expertise includes:
- Adolescent and Young People's Health
- Eating Disorders
- Education and Workforce
Lucie's main methodological expertise includes:
- Qualitative Research Methods
Currently supervising (PhD), (MHons), (BNHons)
- 8 PhD
- 1 MPhil
Students to completion (PhD), (MHons), (BNHons)
- 5 PhD
- 1 MPhil
- 1 MHons
- 5 BNHons
- 2014 - Chandra Poudel (Master of Nursing (Honours) (Co-supervisor) - Career Intention of Nursing Students in Nepal: The CARINA Study
- 2016 - Rasmieh Al-Amer (PhD) (Co-supervisor) - Depression and Self-care In Jordanian Adults with Diabetes: The POISE study
- 2016 - Christine Walker (BN (Hons) 1st Class) (Co-supervisor) - Unleashing the iPad’s potential: The lived experience of undergraduate nursing students when using the iPad for tertiary education
- 2016 - Graham Sean Gough (BN (Hons) 1st Class) (Primary Supervisor) - Men in Nursing: Predictors and antecedents of retention in the first year undergraduate nursing program: The RETAIN Study
- 2016 - Ghada El-Ayoubi (BN (Hons) 2nd Class, Div. 1) (Co-supervisor) - Beyond Hand Hygiene: Investigating Multi-resistant Organism Colonisation in the Intensive Care Unit: The BIOTIC Study
- 2016 - Liz Flannery (BN (Hons) 1st Class) (Primary Supervisor) - End-of-Life Decisions in the Intensive Care Unit – Exploring the experiences of doctors and nurses
- 2019 - Ibrahim Alananzeh (PhD) (Co-supervisor) - The unmet supportive care needs of Arab people affected by cancer (The SNAP study)
- 2019 - Scott Brunero (PhD) (Co-supervisor) - A constructivist grounded theory of generalist health professionals and their mental health work
- 2020 - Jacqueline Rojo (BN (Hons) 1st Class) (Co-supervisor) - CONerns During Clinical PlacemenT: The CONDUCT Project
- 2021 - Gursharan Singh (PhD) (Co-supervisor) - Access and referral to palliative care for individuals with chronic heart failure
- 2022 - Maricris Algoso (PhD) (Co-supervisor) - The value of undergraduate Assistant in Nursing (AIN) employment in the aged care setting: Developing transferable skills and increasing workforce readiness
- 2022 - Rebekah Carter (MPhil) (Co-supervisor) - Feed-forward: Using annotated exemplars to promote student engagement and satisfaction
Contact details
Phone: +61 2 9685 9032
Email: l.ramjan@westernsyney.edu.au
Twitter: @LucieRamjan
Associate Professor Athena Sheehan
(Midwifery Supervisor)
Associate Professor Athena Sheehan
Athena Sheehan is a Associate Professor in the School of Nursing and Midwifery at Western Sydney University.
Qualifications: RN, BN, RM, MN, PhD
Athena is an Associate Professor in the School of Nursing and Midwifery at Western Sydney University. Athena has over 40 years of experience first as a nurse and then as a midwife working in the roles of clinician, researcher, and educator. Athena teaches into the Bachelor of Midwifery and Graduate Diploma of Midwifery programs, and supervises HDR students. Athena has held positions in governance including previously being the Director of Academic Programs for Midwifery at WSU. She has been a member of the Australian College of Midwives for over 20 years. Her research has primarily focused on midwifery, but also includes transdisciplinary research with colleagues in the fields of nursing and socio-functional linguistics. Athena has made major original and innovative contributions to the field of infant feeding and maternal health and has been recognised both nationally and internationally for her research in this area. Her research interests also include midwifery education and workforce and most recently she has been the lead researcher on the SWIMMS project, a funded project that introduced a midwifery mentoring program for B Mid students into the clinical area. She is also currently the lead researcher on the funded Bachelor of Midwifery Multiple Mini Interviews study. Athena’s research has been presented at International and National conferences where she has been an invited and keynote speaker. She publishes regularly in highly ranked nursing, midwifery, and multidisciplinary journals, and her work is regularly cited. With colleagues she has been successful in receiving 2 ARC linkage grants, she has also been successful in receiving research funding through university grants. As an educator, clinician, and researcher, she is passionate about quality outcomes that result in the provision of excellent care for childbearing women and their families.Athena's main research interests and expertise includes:
- Midwifery
- Breastfeeding
- Midwifery education
- Women's experiences of midwifery care
- Midwifery workforce
- Homebirth
- Breech birth
- Mentoring
- Models of care
- Antenatal education
Athena's main methodological expertise includes:
Athena has experience with a wide variety of qualitative and quantitative methodologies. This includes:
- Grounded theory
- Discourse analysis
- Qualitative descriptive analysis
- Metasynthesis
- Quasi-experimental design
- Mixed methods
- Experimental design
Currently supervising (PhD), (MHons), (BNHons)
- 1 BN(Hons)
- 1 M(Hons)
- 5 PhD
Students to completion (PhD), (MHons), (BNHons)
- 1 BM(Hons) (First Class)
- 1 M(Hons)
- 5 PhD
Contact details
Phone: +61 2 9685 9068
Professor Yenna Salamonson
Professor Yenna Salamonson 
Dr. Yenna Salamonson has committed over 25 years of her academic career to creating a positive learning experience for nursing students, and at the same time, worked in the clinical setting as a Clinical Nurse Specialist, in Intensive Care, High Dependency and Coronary Care units. Yenna's program of research focuses on evaluating and improving the quality of teaching and learning to build nursing workforce capacity towards better healthcare outcomes. In addition, her scope of research extends to patient safety in acute care, cardiovascular nursing and organisational culture.
Yenna has expertise in survey construction, psychometric assessment and mixed methods designs. She also has experience in multivariate statistical techniques including Structural Equation Modelling. She has undertaken several educational projects to improve the academic performance of nursing students for whom English is an additional language, and has authored more than 140 peer-reviewed papers and numerous conference proceedings. She has been a recipient of a number of teaching awards at the university and national levels.Yenna's main research expertise includes:
- Academic success and supporting first year nursing student experience
- Patient Safety in acute care
- Critical care and cardiovascular nursing
- Nursing workforce and organisational culture
Yenna's main methodological expertise includes:
- Survey construction
- Psychometric assessment
- Mixed methods designs
Students to completion (PhD), (MHons), (BNHons)
Yenna has supervised 17 research students to completion.
- 6 PhD
- 1 Masters
- 10 BNHons
Currently supervising (PhD), (MHons), (BNHons)
- 7 PhD
- 3 BNHons
Contact details
Phone: +61 2 4620 3322
Associate Professor Virginia Stulz
Associate Professor Virginia Stulz 
Associate Professor Virginia Stulz is currently working in a conjoint position between Nepean Blue Mountains Local Health District and Western Sydney University. Virginia is currently Chief Investigator on one major research project in five Local Health Districts of NSW that improves birth options for women. She recently worked in NSW across four Local Health Districts on a major research project in an effort to improve and explore student midwives’ experiences. She mentors and supports midwives in the local health district with their research projects. She collaborates with other university academics across Australia and New Zealand as a member of the Trans Tasman Midwifery Education Committee (TTMEC) and is currently the Chair for the TTMEC. She is currently leading one national research project with this consortium that explores characteristics of support within new graduate programmes within Australia and has recently completed and published another study that focused on midwives’ experiences during COVID-19. In collaboration with other researchers, she has published 25 peer-reviewed journal articles over the past five years in areas of complementary therapies, midwifery education, factors affecting birth practices, gender-based violence and women’s health. Virginia is currently supervising six higher degree research students as a primary supervisor and co-supervising two students.
Virginia's main research interests and expertise includes:
- Midwifery education, factors affecting birth practices, gender-based violence and women’s health
- Mixed methodologies
Virginia's methodological expertise includes:
- Qualitative methods
Currently supervising (PhD), (MHons), (BNHons)
- 4 PhD
- 1 MRES
- 1 BNHons
Students to completion (PhD), (MHons), (BNHons)
- 1 MR
- 2 PhD (Co-Supervisor)
- 1 BNHons (Co-Supervisor)
Contact details
Phone: +61 (0)408 427 612
Email: v.skinner@westernsydney.edu.au
Twitter: @Virgini51194997
Dr Christine Taylor
Dr Christine Taylor
Dr Christine Taylor is a Senior Lecturer in the School of Nursing and Midwifery, WSU, and Deputy Director of The New South Wales Centre for Evidence Based Health Care that supports nurses in systematic reviews and implementation reports. Christine is a supervisor of PhD and Honours’ students and has published in child and family health and nurse education. Christine is also an experienced educator, having spent around 25 years in higher education in a variety of roles, including senior governance positions. Christine's clinical experience extends over 30 years. The first half of her clinical career was spent in adult care and covered a variety of fields, such as medical, surgical, psychiatric, and aged care. The second half of her clinical career was with neonates, infants, and children, and included high dependency and critical care units and specialist medical units.
Christine's main research interests and expertise includes:
- Child and family health education
Christine's main methodological expertise includes:
- Systematic reviews
Currently supervising (PhD), (MHons), (BNHons)
- 1 PhD
Students to completion (PhD), (MHons), (BNHons)
- 7 BNHons
- 1 PhD
Contact details
Phone: +61 2 409128880 or +61 2 9685 9029
Email: ch.taylor@westernsydney.edu.au
Twitter: @christaylorwsu
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