I have had the privilege of living in several states across Australia, including New South Wales, Victoria, and Queensland. As a mother of three children, aged 28, 22, and 16, my nursing career began in 1991 at Deakin University in Warrnambool, Victoria, and continued at the Australian Catholic University in Queensland in 1993. For almost two decades, I worked as a registered nurse in general practice with a focus on immunisations, wound care, chronic disease, children and young persons' wellbeing, Indigenous health and wellbeing, and general health promotion. During this time, I had the opportunity to work with a local university as a facilitator for nursing student placements, which sparked my interest in education and teaching.

In 2016, after gaining a wealth of experience and educational qualifications, I decided to change careers and transitioned into community services. As a therapeutic youth worker in residential care, I had the opportunity to work closely with young people and make a difference in their lives. I then moved into the Foster Care sector and worked as a caseworker, managing the day-to-day tasks for children in the permanency support program. My interests in legal areas, health and wellbeing, led me to collaborate with multi-disciplinary professionals for a holistic approach from a trauma-informed framework. I especially enjoyed working with the leaving care cohort of 15-18 year olds, supporting them in developing their independence and finding their voice so they can lead fulfilling lives. In 2019, I was made PSP Caseworker Team Leader and led a team of caseworkers in the Permanency Support Program until May 2022.

I am passionate about supporting, supervising, educating, and mentoring teams to sustain children in care collaboratively, which is why I have joined the CQUniversity team. I look forward to sharing my knowledge and skills in a supportive and collaborative environment.