Qualifications

• Doctor of Philosophy, Monash University 
• Graduate Certificate in Health Professional Education 
• Master of Clinical Midwifery 
• Graduate Diploma of Midwifery 
• Bachelor of Nursing 
• Sexual and Reproductive Health Certificate 
• Renal Nursing Certificate 

Areas of interest

• Quality and safety in maternity care 
• Midwifery telephone triage, telehealth 
• Maternal, neonatal and infant health outcomes 
• Perinatal and infant mental health 
• Midwifery and nursing workforce education 
• Evaluation of health and community programs 
• Gendered violence and prevention initiatives 
• Regional and rural health and wellbeing 

Areas of expertise

Carolyn has expertise in mixed‑methods research, applied health service evaluation, and education‑focused research in nursing and midwifery. Her doctoral and post‑doctoral work has examined midwifery decision‑making and telephone triage, alongside broader research into workforce capability, confidence and preparedness in maternity care. She has significant experience leading curriculum development and accreditation processes and embedding research‑informed practice into tertiary health education. 

Grants

• Evaluation of the PREP program. GCASA Community Grants Hub, Information, Linkages and Capacity Building – Individual capacity building 2024–25 ($354,000) 
• Evaluation of the Broadening Horizons Program. Latrobe and Baw Baw Local Learning and Employment Network [LLEN] ($140,000)  
• Our Equal Local Government: A Project for Preventing Gendered Violence and Sexual Harassment. Gippsland Women’s Health & WorkSafe Victoria ($50,000) 
• Evaluation of Early Years Specialist Family Violence Advisor Capacity Building program. Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), Latrobe Health Assembly ($25,000)  
• The Latrobe Health Assembly Community Programs Evaluation: Adolescence Building Connections Program. Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), Latrobe Health Assembly ($143,866)  
• Graduate midwives’ confidence providing intrapartum care – a pilot study. Federation University – School of Health Seed Grant ($4,947)  

Current

• PhD student, Federation University, ‘Exploring the support provided to registered nurses in their role as preceptors for new graduate nurses in their transition year: A mixed methods study’, supervisor. 
• PhD student, Federation University, ‘Healthcare interactions in the emergency department – perspectives of women experiencing menstrual symptoms and healthcare practitioners. A mixed methods study’, supervisor. 
• PhD student, Federation University, ‘Holding On While Letting Go: A Grounded Theory Study of Resource Loss and Resilience Among Displaced Rural Mothers in the NICU’, supervisor. 
• PhD student, Federation University, ‘Rural/regional midwives skill retainment for management of low frequency obstetric emergencies’, supervisor. 
• Master’s student, Federation University, ‘Professional Identity Formation Among Australian Perinatal Mental Health Clinicians’, supervisor. 

Past

• PhD student, Federation University, ‘Hospital in the Home for older rural Australians: An intersectional mixed methods study’, supervisor. 
• Master’s student, Federation University, ‘Understanding the learning needs of mental health nurses working in an Australian inpatient perinatal mental health unit caring for infants admitted with their primary carer’, supervisor. 
• Master’s student, Federation University, ‘Matrescence: First-Time Postpartum Mothers’ Experiences of Victorian Maternal and Child Health Nurses Support’, supervisor. 
• Master’s student, Federation University, ‘A qualitative study investigating parent’s experience of social connectedness during an infant massage education group’, supervisor. 
• Master’s student, Federation University, ‘Experiences of midwives providing perinatal care in rural and remote communities in Timor Leste: A qualitative study’, supervisor. 
• Master’s student, Federation University, ‘Regional women’s emotional wellbeing and midwifery led continuity of care’, supervisor. 

Carolyn teaches across undergraduate and postgraduate programs in midwifery and nursing education, with particular focus on maternal and infant health, perinatal and infant mental health, neonatal care, clinical skills and simulation, research methods in health, evidence-based practice and its application, and work‑integrated learning and clinical placement education. She has led curriculum development and accreditation for midwifery and nursing programs and is actively involved in peer review of learning and teaching. 

Professional association memberships

• Australian College of Midwives 
• International Quality Maternal and Newborn Care (QMNC) Research Alliance 
• Trans-Tasman Midwifery Education Consortium 
• Australian Nursing and Midwifery Federation 
• Generation Victoria (GenV) Pregnancy Working Group 
• Midwifery Academics Victoria