James is a passionate and engaging Research Fellow with a strong commitment to advancing healthcare education, research, and practice.

He holds a Bachelor of Nursing, Bachelor of Nursing (Honours), Master of Nursing, and a Graduate Certificate in Health Professions Education from Monash University. Additionally, James has completed the Nurse Immuniser Program at La Trobe University and the Immunisation for Health Practitioners Certificate offered by the Australian College of Nursing. He is currently a PhD Candidate at Monash University.

In 2023, James was recognized for his exceptional contributions to health professions education across various contexts and was appointed a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy.

Interested in the reach of James' research? Check out this Altmetric report.

Co-Design and Participatory Action Research

In his current role as a Research Fellow under the mentorship of Professor Gabrielle Brand, James plays a key role in supporting the educational research portfolio at Monash Nursing and Midwifery. He is leading several projects focused on participatory action research, collaborating closely with consumers to co-design health professions education. James is committed to advancing collaborative, transformative, and inclusive research that delivers tangible, real-world benefits for both healthcare consumers and professionals.

Recent published research: What does consumer and community involvement in health-related education look like? A mixed methods study. Advances in Health Sciences Education.  https://doi.org/10.1007/s10459-023-10301-3

Recent published research: “You don’t see what I see”: Co-designing simulation to uncover and address cognitive bias in healthcare. Medical Teacher. https://doi.org/10.1080/0142159X.2024.2313581

Health Professions Education

James also has a broader research interest in health professions education. His work has examined the experiences of nurses who supervise students exhibiting unsafe practice or underperformance during clinical placements. Additionally, James has explored student-driven feedback processes.

Recent published research: Improving student-centred feedback through self-assessment. Nurse Education Today. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nedt.2019.08.011

Planetary Health

Healthcare professionals have a fundamental responsibility to care for individuals, communities, and the planet. The interconnection between planetary and human health is undeniable, as evidenced by the devastating impacts of events such as thunderstorm asthma, bushfires, and the displacement of climate change refugees.

James' research focuses on supporting health professions educators in integrating planetary health education into their curricula. It is essential that current health professions students are equipped with the knowledge and skills needed to mitigate the environmental impact of healthcare and address the health consequences of a changing planet on human well-being.

Recent published research: “I teach it because it is the biggest threat to health”: Integrating sustainable healthcare into health professions education. Medical Teacher. https://doi.org/10.1080/0142159X.2020.1844876

Recent published research: Celebrating Australian nurses who are pioneering the response to climate change: A compilation of case studies. Contemporary Nurse. https://doi.org/10.1080/10376178.2024.2336230

James has expertise in supervising research across both qualitative and quantitative methodologies, including systematic and scoping reviews. He has successfully mentored Bachelor of Nursing (Honours) and Master of Advanced Nursing students through to completion. Previous student research topics under his supervision have included burnout among emergency nurses, the use of escape rooms as a teaching and learning strategy, and international nursing student experiences with simulation.

Recent published research: Escape rooms in nursing education: A systematic review. Nurse Educator. 10.1097/NNE.0000000000001641

James adopts a flexible approach to supervision, focusing on building a collaborative relationship and drawing on his students' passion for their chosen topics and projects. He is currently supervising Master of Advanced Nursing and Bachelor of Nursing (Honours) students.

James has delivered practical skills-based education to undergraduate nursing, midwifery, and paramedicine students. He has also delivered postgraduate education for extended scope of practice paramedics specialising in community paramedicine. James has also contributed to postgraduate education more broadly. His particular area of interest includes the safe and quality use of medications, by ensuring that healthcare professionals have a solid pharmacology foundation on which to base clinical decisions.

James has previously held the roles of Chief Examiner and Unit Coordinator for NUR1112: Fundamental Skills and Knowledge for Nursing and Midwifery Practice 1, a core unit in both the Bachelor of Nursing and Bachelor of Nursing and Bachelor of Midwifery (Honours) programs. Additionally, he served as the First Year Level Coordinator, a pivotal position in which he provided curriculum leadership and acted as a liaison between staff and students.

Recognising the critical role of interprofessional education in fostering collaborative healthcare practice, James actively participates in interprofessional pharmacy and nursing initiatives that emphasise effective collaboration and communication. This includes practical education in the newly established Monash University Vaccination Training Program for pharmacy interns.

James has served as a tutor for the Indigenous Academic Enhancement Program and is an active member of the Ally Network at Monash University. As an ally, he advocates for the proactive elimination of discrimination based on sexual orientation, gender identity, and intersex status, working to create a safe and inclusive campus environment for all.

James was the inaugural Deputy Head of Aquilla College, part of the Monash Student Communities group. He has also served as College Head of Peninsula Residential, part of Monash Residential Services. These roles were pivotal in shaping his understanding of the factors that influence student learning and success.

James established and led the Monash Nursing and Midwifery Student Representative Group. This initiative connects students directly with the senior leadership team to collaborate on enhancing the overall student experience.

Recognising the challenges of transitioning to university, James helped establish and lead the Monash Nursing and Midwifery Peer Support Program, which provides peer mentoring and near-peer teaching opportunities to support student success.

Drawing on his experience as an emergency controller in a hospital setting, James has also served as a Building Warden, overseeing the safety and well-being of students and staff during emergencies and evacuations.

James is also an interviewer for the Monash Medicine Multiple Mini Interviews program for medical student admissions.

James continues to engage in clinical practice as a Patient Services Manager (Hospital Coordinator) at Peninsula Health, a prominent metropolitan health service in Melbourne, Australia. He also maintains clinical practice as an Authorised Nurse Immuniser and member of the Immunisation Nurses Special Interest Group.  

James has accumulated extensive clinical experience in specialist medical/surgical nursing, particularly in the care of critically injured burn victim-survivors. Over the course of his career, he has held roles as a Clinical Nurse Specialist, Clinical Support Nurse, Clinical Nurse Educator and Nurse Unit Manager.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, James transitioned from his position at Monash University to establish and lead the Frankston Community Vaccination Hub at Peninsula Health, overseeing the hubs mass vaccination efforts and contributing his specialist immunisation expertise. He later returned to Monash University to assume a Research Fellow position.

James has also participated in international outreach, travelling to Cambodia with undergraduate nursing and midwifery students to provide primary healthcare to children at a school in Phnom Penh.

James uses his clinical expertise as a GoodSAM (Smartphone Activated Medic), responding to emergency calls in the community in those first critical minutes of cardiac arrest while paramedics are on the way. He has responded to eight cardiac arrests in his local community since the inception of the GoodSAM program.

James also volunteers with Street Side Medics, an organisation that strives to alleviate the burdens faced by homeless and vulnerable communities in Australia in accessing primary healthcare. James volunteers as a Clinical Support Officer on a monthly basis at the St Kilda Clinic.