Western Sydney U - Nursing & Midwifery

02/09/2026

♻️ Give pre-loved items a new home at the WSU Clothes & Resources Swap!

Bring up to 10 clothing items, toys, books or household items to swap. Nothing to bring? No worries, there’s plenty for everyone. This free community event welcomes all.

Enjoy an art swap, plant-based lunch, mending workshops, weaving, creative activities and live music.

📅 Thursday 1 October 2026
🕛 12 pm to 4 pm
📍 Building EEa, Janice Reid Pavilion, Parramatta South Campus

Connect with your community and support sustainability through sharing and reuse.

Register via Humanitix: https://events.humanitix.com/swap-paramatta-south-campus

28/08/2026

Interested in taking your nursing or midwifery studies further?

Learn more about the Bachelor of Nursing (Honours) and Bachelor of Midwifery (Honours) at one of our upcoming virtual information workshops.

The workshops will cover the Honours program structure, application process, how to formulate a research question and how to find suitable supervisors.

Choose from:

• Wednesday 30 September 2026, 1.00 pm to 2.00 pm
• Wednesday 7 October 2026, 6.00 pm to 7.00 pm

The Director of Higher Research Degree and Honours will also be available to answer your questions.

Register now: https://uws.zoom.us/meeting/register/KJZq35t-To-JBAZZ8nyi7g #/registration

28/08/2026

Professor Nathan Wilson, representing Western, at the International Association for Disability and Oral Health Congress, held at Trinity College Dublin. Colleagues in the picture are formal partners of the WSU-led MRFF oral health project from Ghent University, the University of Sydney, and Trinity College Dublin.

27/08/2026

SAFE-WAIT Team Awarded $500,000 NSW Health Translational Research Grant
The SAFE-WAIT project team has been awarded $500,000 through the NSW Health Translational Research Grants Scheme (TRGS) Round 9 to support an innovative program of research aimed at improving the early recognition and management of sepsis in Emergency Department waiting rooms.

The project builds on the foundational work of Associate Professor Amith Shetty, whose commitment to innovation in emergency care helped establish the SAFE-WAIT program and the collaborative partnerships that underpin this initiative.
The project brings together a multidisciplinary partnership of researchers, clinicians, consumers, and health service partners committed to improving outcomes for patients at risk of sepsis. The investigator team includes Dr Gladis Kabil, Dr Pramod Chandru, Dr Audrey Wang, Associate Professor Michelle Moscova and Associate Professor Amith Shetty, working collaboratively with partners across Western Sydney Local Health District, Nepean Blue Mountains Local Health District, eHealth NSW, NSW Ministry of Health, and Western Sydney University.

The SAFE-WAIT project will evaluate a real-time artificial intelligence (AI) tool designed to support the earlier identification of patients at risk of sepsis across five hospitals. The study will assess the tool's impact on patient outcomes, staff experiences, and health service costs, with the potential to inform future models of care and strengthen patient safety. The program builds upon the successful pilot rolled out by the team in Westmead in 2024.

The team gratefully acknowledges the support of NSW Health through the Translational Research Grants Scheme, which enables researchers, clinicians, and health services to work together to translate evidence into meaningful improvements in patient care.

This funding recognises the strength of collaboration between researchers, clinicians, consumers, and healthcare organisations, and highlights the value of partnership in addressing complex healthcare challenges. It reflects the collective efforts of all contributors and a shared commitment to improving the timely recognition and management of sepsis within emergency care settings.
Congratulations to the SAFE-WAIT team and partner organisations on this significant achievement. We look forward to seeing the impact of this work in advancing evidence-based innovation and improving outcomes for patients across NSW.

20/08/2026

During World Breastfeeding Week, Western Sydney University held the second Infant Nutrition and Nurture Across The Early years (INNATE) conference at Westmead Innovation Quarter. This conference is led by School of Nursing and Midwifery Professor Elaine Burns with the INNATE planning committee of passionate researchers and clinicians. The conference represents a collaboration between Western Sydney University and the Local Health Districts in the area and was sponsored by the WSU Translational Health Research Institute (THRI). This year the conference sold out early and the planning committee are currently seeking a bigger venue for next year. Highlights of the conference include: A beautiful Acknowledgement to Country from Nicole Collins; Inspiring opening address from Donna Garland Chief Midwife NSW; Keynote speaker A/Prof Summer May Finlay who grounded us all in the long-term impact of colonisation on First Nations mothers and babies; Keynote speaker A/Prof Phillip Baker who raised awareness of ultra-processed foods in the diets of Australian infants and young children, and Keynote speakers Chris Sulfaro & Dr Laura Klein from Lifeblood Milk Bank who shared their ongoing support for premature and sick babies and breastfeeding mothers who donate breastmilk. We were also privileged to hear from Professor Charlotte Overgaard about the policy landscape changes in Denmark impacting on mothers, fathers and babies. So much innovation happening in this space and shared by all 18 speakers and 5 Poster Presenters.

20/08/2026

If you're first-time parents in Australia, choosing where and how to give birth can feel overwhelming. Whether you go through the public or private health system, it is important to understand your options and know where to reach out for advice to make the right decision for you and your baby.

If you're first-time parents in Australia, choosing where and how to give birth can feel overwhelming. Whether you go through the public or private health system, it is important to understand your options and know where to reach out for advice to make the right decision for you and your baby.

19/08/2026

Join us for Enabling Ability in Greater Western Sydney, presented by the Western Sydney University Faculty of Health.

Returning in 2026, this free conference will connect people with disability, researchers, educators, community members, employers, service providers and students from across Greater Western Sydney.

Together, participants will share ideas, showcase innovation and explore how collaboration, research and community engagement can create more inclusive systems, environments and futures.

📅 Friday, 30 October 2026
⏰ 9.00 am to 4.30 pm
📍 Western Sydney University, Bankstown City Campus
🎟️ Register for free:

https://events.humanitix.com/western-sydney-university-enabling-ability-conference

For enquiries, contact [email protected].

11/08/2026

Professor Shahla Meedya is Professor of Midwifery, jointly appointed by Nepean Blue Mountains Local Health District (NBMLHD) and Western Sydney University.

Professor Meedya is an internationally recognised midwifery researcher and leader with extensive clinical, research, education and capacity-building experience in maternity and breastfeeding care.

Under her leadership and mentorship, the Centre for Nursing and Midwifery Research Midwifery Research Team has grown from one research-active clinician to a multidisciplinary team of 16 clinician-researchers across Women’s and Children’s Health Services within NBMLHD since 2025.

Successful grants include:

PRAP Grant, MOH, $4 million. Lead investigator: Professor Pasupathy. NBMLHD investigators: S. Meedya, E. Hibbert and S. Meher, 2026 to 2030.

Rainbow Community Grant, $15,000. Lead investigator: Professor Shahla Meedya. Other team members: M. Cook, D. Jeffrie, J. Hocking and L. Velandia, 2026. Co-designing a digital infant feeding educational resource for the LGBTA+ population.

WSU Seed Grant, $5,000. Lead investigator: F. Asghar-Vahedi. Team members: T. Reid, T. Codner, S. Moss, J. Selby, S. Downward and S. Meedya, 2026. Continuity of care models for women who attend high-risk clinics at Nepean Hospital.

NSWNMA Edith Cavell Trust Scholarship, $1,500. Lead investigator: McSpadden, mentored by S. Meedya, 2026. Developing a breastfeeding educational wheel for staff and women who attend antenatal clinics.

Seeding Grant, $3,100. Lead applicant: Melissa O’Brien, 2026. Developing antenatal visual resources for women who attend antenatal services.

07/08/2026

Let’s talk mental health

We want to hear from final-year health-professional undergraduate students about how prepared they feel to support consumers, their families and themselves in mental health and wellbeing.

Eligible participants must be currently enrolled in a health-related university program in Australia and have attended at least one clinical placement during their studies.

Participation involves an individual interview of 45 to 60 minutes, either online via Zoom or face-to-face. All information and enquiries are confidential.

Scan the QR code for further information or contact Emma Younan at [email protected].

This study has been approved by the Western Sydney University Human Research Ethics Committee, approval number H17240.

Lifeline Australia is available 24 hours on 13 11 14.

04/08/2026

Western Sydney University, School of Nursing and Midwifery MiFAM research theme is hosting an exciting symposium. The symposium will showcase the latest research, evidence and innovations informing culturally responsive perinatal care for culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) communities and other priority populations. Bringing together clinicians, researchers, consumers and policy stakeholders, the symposium will explore research, best practice and innovative approaches to improving equity and access in perinatal care.

Starting the symposium is a Keynote presentation titled “Reaching Every Family: Culturally Responsive Perinatal Care for Diverse and Priority Populations from Professor Shefaly Shorey at the National University of Singapore. We are delighted to have her join us. You won't want to miss this event. Check out the line-up and program.

Link to the registration
https://payments.westernsydney.edu.au/SupportingCulturalDiversity