DrVanessa Watkins
Casual Research Fellow
Faculty of Health/School of Nursing & Midwifery
Orcid identifier0000-0003-0600-8364 (opens in a new tab)
- Casual Research FellowFaculty of Health/School of Nursing & Midwifery
- Melbourne Burwood Campus, 221 Burwood Highway, Burwood, Victoria 3125
BIO
My research aims to improve the quality, safety and experience of healthcare. My research focus is to embed best practice for decision-making during childbearing using shared (informed) decision-making and inter-professional collaboration, underpinned by principles of equity, epistemic justice and respect. As a clinician, I draw upon extensive experience as a nurse and midwife, working in multiple clinical and professional leadership roles to support expert clinical practice, to build the future healthcare workforce and to inform policy. My research goal is to continue to promote health and wellbeing through person-centred healthcare based upon equity and respect.
DEAKIN UNIVERSITY CURRENT APPOINTMENT
- Casual Research FellowDeakin University, School of Nursing and Midwifery
ACADEMIC POSITIONS
- Research FellowDeakin University, School of Nursing and Midwifery, Geelong, Australia2021 - present
- Research FellowDeakin University, School of Psychology, Geelong, Australia2021 - 2022
- Research OfficerJames Cook University, Centre for Nursing and Midwifery Research, Townsville, Australia2020 - 2020
- Midwifery Research FellowCurtin University, Curtin School of Nursing, Faculty of Health Sciences, Perth, Western Australia, Australia12 Jan 2026 - present
NON-ACADEMIC POSITIONS
- Deputy Director of Nursing and Midwifery / Senior Midwifery AdvisorWestern Health, Executive Director of Nursing, Melbourne, Australia2017 - 2019
- Clinical Midwife ConsultantEastern Health, Melbourne, Australia2009 - 2017
- Project OfficerAustralian Government, National Evidence-Based Antenatal Care Guidelines, Canberra, Australia2011 - 2012
DEGREES
- Bachelor of Science (Honours) MidwiferyDe Montfort University, Leicester, United Kingdom2000 - 2001
- Registered NurseSuffolk and Great Yarmouth College of Nursing and Midwifery, Ipswich, United Kingdom1991 - 1994
- PhDDeakin University, Geelong, Australia2020
FIELDS OF RESEARCH
- Midwifery
- Nursing
- Health services and systems
- Implementation science and evaluation
AREA/FACULTY
- Faculty of Health