
qualifications: RN, MPH&TM;, PhD
position: Senior Lecturer
department: Nursing and Midwifery
Vanessa is an experienced Infection Prevention and Control (IP&C) professional with a specific interest in rural and remote areas. Vanessa's PhD thesis studied improving infection prevention and control in a rural hospital in the Solomon Islands using a Participatory Action Research approach. Vanessa has worked as an IP&C clinical nurse in both large metropolitan hospitals and rural and remote areas of Australia. Vanessa’s other professional interests include critical care nursing, public health, and disaster preparedness and recovery and has travelled to Vietnam to teach disaster preparedness to communities living on the Mekong Delta (AusAID funded), and to the Solomon Islands to assess IP&C practices in a rural hospital (WHO funded). Vanessa is an active member of the Australasian College for Infection Prevention and Control (ACIPC) LMI Special Interest Group and Education & Professional Development Committee, and a founding member of the Collaborative for Advancement of Infection Prevention and Control - a collaborative between Griffith University, University of the Sunshine Coast and JCU.
Commentary 6 November 2024
Public access defibrillation across Crete, Greece
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Very high altitude and frailty syndrome in rural communities in Peru
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Rural Café: Discovering Rural Medicine: Experiences, Challenges and Future Opportunities Reflections from the EURIPA Rural Exchange, 18:15–19:15 CEST (16:15 GMT), 1 October 2026, Cartagena, Spain + Online
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15th EURIPA Rural Health Forum, 1–3 October 2026, Cartagena, Spain
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2026 Indigenous Wellbeing Conference, 12–13 October 2026, Ngambri and Ngunnawal Country (Canberra), Australia
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Transforming Community, Regional, and Rural Healthcare, 12 & 13 October 2026, Mayo Civic Center - Rochester, MN, USA
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RMA26 – Rural Medicine Australia Conference, 21–24 October 2026, Tarndanya (Adelaide), Australia
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2026 Aeromed Conference, 28–30 October 2026, Darwin, Australia
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Rural Mental Health Conference 2026, 4–6 November 2026, Gold Coast, Australia
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16th National Rural & Remote Allied Health Conference (SARRAH), 9–11 November 2026, Coffs Harbour, Australia
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Rural GP Association Scotland (RGPAS) Annual Conference 2026, 20–22 November 2026, Inverness
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IAHA Indigenous Allied Health Australia National Conference, 30 November–2 December 2026, Boorloo (Perth), Australia
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BC Rural Health Conference, 28–30 May 2027, Victoria, BC, Canada
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5th International Indigenous Health and Wellbeing Conference, 8–10 June 2027, Larrakia Country, Garramilla (Darwin), Australia
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Regional, Rural and Remote Emergency Medicine Conference 2027 (ACEM RRR EM27), 18–20 July 2027, Lutruwita/Tasmania, Australia
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