Nicole is an energetic, enthusiastic and passionate leader, and academic. Nicole is a Registered Nurse and has worked in the aged care industry for more than 25 years, 15 of which was as the Director of Care Services of a 112-bed facility.

Nicole was instrumental in the development of a comprehensive COVID-19 Outbreak Management Plan in 2020 for the aged care facility she was managing. The basis of this plan was then adopted by the organisation she worked for and implemented in a number of facilities.

Nicole’s innovative and award-winning program ‘Pen Pals’ was recognised when the facility was awarded a Better Practice Award for Innovation in 2011 by the then Aged Care Standards and Accreditation Agency. Nicole was invited to present this program at the 2012 Sydney Better Practice Conference, with the presentation titled “Pick up a pen, pick up a friend”.

Nicole was invited to be a panel speaker at the Aged Care Association Australia National Congress in 2009 on “Making Aged Care an Employer of Choice”, after receiving a High commendation as an Employer of Choice.

Lifelong learning is something that Nicole embraces, with multiple qualifications, from certificate level through to master’s degrees.

Nicole has worked for Charles Sturt University as a sessional marker for the school of Nursing for several years and is now employed in a full-time teaching and research position.