9th Conference of The Australian College of Nurse Practitioners 1st - 4th September 2014 | SMC Conference & Function Centre, Sydney

Professor Sandy Middleton

Professor Sandy Middleton is Director of the Nursing Research Institute a joint initiative between St Vincent’s Health Australia and Australian Catholic University, and located at St Vincent’s Hospital Sydney.  Professor Middleton has been successful in obtaining funding as a chief investigator on 55 grants attracting funding of over $11M.  Her areas of research interests include implementation research, stroke, and nurse practitioner research.

Ms Margo Asimus

In 2004 Margo became the first Nurse Practitioner authorised in NSW in the specialty of wound management. Her role involves providing an advanced wound management service in community care, aged care and rehabilitation services within the Hunter region. Her achievements as a clinical leader have been recognised locally, nationally & internationally. Margo is the president of AWMA NSW and Vice President of AWMA National. Her commitment to “growing woundies” is evident and she enjoys sharing her enthusiasm and love of this specialty. 

Professor Glenn Gardner

Glenn Gardner is Professor of Nursing at Queensland University of Technology. She has an extensive clinical and research background in acute care nursing and is recognized internationally for her research into advanced practice nursing and the practice and health service role of the nurse practitioner. Glenn has been lead investigator on several nurse practitioner landmark studies and her research has informed legislation and national standards for nurse practitioner authorization, practice and education. Her current research activity includes a national study of emergency nurse practitioners, delineating advanced practice nursing, and development of specialist NP competencies. Glenn is supervising several nurse practitioner PhD students involved in cutting edge clinical and role development research. In 2013 Glenn was appointed Honorary Fellow of the Australian College of Nurse Practitioners

Mrs Grainne Lowe

Grainne is a nurse practioner specialising in emergency nursing and has been working in this role since 2004. She has previously worked for many years as an RN in a variety of areas including primary care, aged care and general med/surg nursing prior to settling into the ED specialty. Grainne is also a lecturer with the Monash University School of Nursing and has recently completed her PhD, with her area of interest exploring integration of th NP role. Prior to this she has published papers on the NP role, and presented on the topic at many conferences. Her specific research ares of interest are nursing scope of practice generally, and more specifically NP scope of practice issues, together with nurse policy, leadfership and organisational change.

Mrs Jane O'Connell

One of the first authorised Nurse Practitioners in Australia in 2000, Mrs. Jane O’Connell, has over 30 years experience in Emergency Nursing. Jane is a hospital trained RN who completed her training in 1974. She completed her first post graduate certificate in emergency nursing in 1976. Jane has extensive post graduate experience in emergency nursing and graduated with a Masters Degree in clinical nursing in 1994. Shortly afterwards she was employed in one of the nurse practitioner roles in the NSW Health pilot project in the utilisation of Nurse Practitioners in the health system. Jane has developed two emergency nurse practitioner roles in NSW public hospital Emergency Departments. She moved to Brisbane in 2010 and has been involved in research projects investigating the practice of nurse practitioners. She is currently completing her doctoral thesis investigating the practice profile and practice parameters of Emergency Nurse Practitioners.

Ms Lesley Salem

Lesley is a descendant of the Wonarua Nation in NSW. She is currently working in Private Practice as a generalist and chronic disease Nurse Practitioner (NP). Lesley’s nursing is dedicated to improving the health of those with chronic disease and continuously agitating the state and federal government over nurses and patient rights. She enjoys mentoring and believes strongly in sharing knowledge. Always through her work is a strong dedication to the health and wellbeing of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island people, those with socioeconomic disadvantage, and her peers.

Miss Kylie Tastula

Kylie has worked within the field of neurosciences for the last 15 years both within Australia and internationally. She has worked in neurosciences intensive care units, general trauma intensive care and the ward environment, and has completed a masters degree in Clinical Practice majoring in Neurosciences.  Kylie is currently the neurosciences CNC at Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, a role that has a focus on the quick assessment of neuroscience patients with an emphasis on acute stroke patients.