Presented by:
Elsie Mari - Nurse Practitioner, Central Coast Local Health District Elsie is a Nurse Practitioner with clinical experience in gerontology, chronic disease management and palliative care. She has extensive experience in community-based healthcare settings. She provides support and leadership to nursing staff practising in these areas. She is a strong advocate for education and facilitating clinicians to develop their own knowledge and skills. Elsie has worked in aged care and palliative care in North Carolina, USA and Australia. She has a post-graduate certificate in palliative care and a Master of Nursing (Nurse Practitioner) with chronic disease, aged and palliative care meta-specialties. Currently, she is pursuing a Doctor of Philosophy degree, and her research aims to evaluate the effectiveness and impact of hospital avoidance interventions in Residential Aged Care settings. In the middle of the Covid pandemic, Elsie won the Central Coast Local Health District nurse of the year award and was one of four finalists in the prestigious New South Wales Health Nurse of The Year. Dr Ruth Wei - Senior Lecturer, Murdoch University Dr Ruth Wei has 30 years’ experience in nursing practice, education and research in Australia and China and has expertise in cross-cultural care and quality improvement in nursing. She has worked as a registered nurse in China and a scheduled medicine registered nurse (rural and isolated practice) in Australia, and in a broad range of settings from intensive care units, emergency department, surgical wards to community settings in both countries. Currently, she is a senior lecturer in the Discipline of Nursing at Murdoch University, teaching and supervising undergraduate and postgraduate students on a variety of topics. One of her special research interests is about palliative care, end-of-life care, and death education. She is the principal investigator exploring the expectations, experiences, and perceptions of palliative care and Advance Care Planning in Chinese migrants living in Australia. Sam Miller - Education Coordinator, Alfred Health In her current role as Nursing Education Coordinator, Sam is responsible for managing the preregistration student portfolio for a large metropolitan public health service in Melbourne. Sam is passionate about ensuring clinical placements are enjoyable for students and preceptors, and that placement experience complements theoretical learning while preparing the student for the nursing workforce. Sam completed her Bachelor of Nursing with Honours in Scotland in 2006 and has added several post graduate qualifications with a focus across clinical nursing, clinical education & higher education for nurses. Sam emigrated from the UK to Melbourne in 2014 to increase work & lifestyle opportunities. Sam completed her Master of Advanced Nursing Practice at The University of Melbourne in 2021 undertaking a minor thesis titled Management of Behaviour of Concern incidents in an Adult ICU Setting. When not working Sam loves spending time travelling with her husband & 3 daughters. Girly Figerado - Nurse Unit Manager, Eastern Health Girly commenced her nursing career in India and worked in Northern Ireland before joining the Australian nursing workforce in 2008. She holds postgraduate qualifications in Training and Assessment, cancer and palliative care and institutional nursing education and administration. Girly has experience in various clinical specialities including perioperative, emergency, haematological and oncology nursing and has held roles as a clinical nurse specialist, clinical and university-based educator and nursing unit manager. She is currently the NUM of a Day Oncology and Medical Infusion Unit in Victoria.