Danielle Gardner is a Registered Nurse with a clinical background of over 25 years having worked across a variety of settings including both adults and paediatrics, public and private sectors, in a mix of clinical, management, education, consultancy and leadership roles. She holds post graduate qualifications in adult and paediatric nursing, teaching and learning, and a Master of Public Health. As an academic at the University of Technology Sydney, Danielle fosters a strong interest in clinical simulation exploring techniques that support the confidence, professionalism and adaptive learning capacity of nursing students. As part of her research work, Danielle is exploring the use of GenAI and digital technologies and how we can incorporate these into teaching and learning strategies to develop novel, dynamic approaches that improve the learners experience in the simulated environment, with a particular focus on developing the “soft skills” of nursing students such as communication, critical thinking, prioritisation, empathy, and time management.

Elissa is an early career academic with clinical backgrounds in both physiotherapy and nursing. She began working in research at Federation University Australia in 2020 and has since contributed to a range of projects and peer-reviewed publications across nursing, allied health, and education. Elissa completed her PhD in 2024, with a focus on falls prevention, and continues to lead and collaborate on projects exploring nursing education, digital health, and patient safety. She currently lectures in nursing at Federation University, where she is actively involved in curriculum development, academic integrity initiatives, and the supervision of student research. Elissa has a particular interest in mixed methods research and has published in the areas of mental health, electronic medical record education and patient safety.

With an esteemed 25-year nursing career Amy’s expertise spans acute care, community and primary health as a Credentialled Diabetes Educator, national projects, volunteering and health professional education. Amy's notable achievements include being honoured as the Australian Diabetes Educators Association (ADEA) Victorian Diabetes Educator of the Year in 2018 and an inaugural Australian College of Nursing Bullwinkel scholar in 2024. In her role as a nursing academic at Federation University Australia, Amy focuses on nursing professionalism, leadership, transition, and person-centred chronic disease care. She contributes nationally with the Australian College of Nursing Leadership Faculty and leads mentoring initiatives within the ADEA. She is actively engaged in interprofessional education and is currently completing her PhD in nursing leadership. These endeavours reflect her commitment and passion to shaping and inspiring the future of nursing.

Barbara is a Registered Nurse with over 12 years of university teaching experience, specialising in bioscience, pharmacology and pathophysiology. Passionate about constructivist teaching, she designs creative activities—puzzles, role plays, VR simulations—to suit diverse learning styles and encourage peer teaching. Her goal is to create a nurturing, engaging environment where students feel confident to learn and ask questions. Barbara's research focuses on using VR simulation in nurse education for anatomy, physiology and complex skills.