President
Amy Curran - Qld
Amy is an English trained nurse who worked in Leicester and London before moving to Australia in 2004. Amy worked as a transport nurse for
NETS, Victoria before moving to Townsville in 2007 and undertaking her Nurse Practitioner training, becoming endorsed in 2010. Amy
has been an active member within ACNN and is involved in the NNP and LRC special interest groups. She is the chair of the NNP Methods
group within COINN, looking to explore the diversity of the Neonatal Nurse Practitioner (NNP) role globally.
E-mail: president@acnn.org.au
Vice President and Memberships Secretary
Nicol
Franz - Qld
Nicol
has over 18 years of experience in neonatal care in both NICU and SCN. After completing her Masters in Clinical Nursing, specialising in
Special Care of the Newborn, Nicol took an academic position working for the University of Tasmania and recently appointed as Post
Graduate Neonatal Stream Lead, as well as coordinator, teaching the Post Graduate Neonatal theory and practice units. Nicol has a
passion for driving evidence-based practice also working with the Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) as the Chair of the Neonatal Expert
Reference Group. Nicol’s passion and publication interests involve neonatal abstinence syndrome. Nicol is also an active member of the
Scholarships Committee and Conference Committee. Nicol is committed to improving neonatal care across Australia, working to develop novice
neonatal nurses into confident clinicians through implementation of research and education. Email: vicepresident@acnn.org.au
OR memberships@acnn.org.au
Secretary
Laura Briguglio -
NSW
Laura has 15 years experience as a neonatal nurse, having
worked in various roles; currently the A/NICU Clinical Nurse Manager in Canberra. With a keen interest for leadership and workforce
development, Laura is dedicated to improving nursing practices and supporting professional growth. Laura is also a research member of
the ACNN Neonatal Nursing Outcomes Measures project and is chair of the ACNN ACT Branch. Laura joined the National Executive in September
2024. Email: secretary@acnn.org.au
Treasurer
Samantha Lannan - Tas
Samantha is a registered nurse and midwife who has worked as a neonatal nurse for over twenty years. She has worked in several
neonatal units around Australia and has held clinical nurse, clinical facilitator and nurse unit manager positions. Samantha is currently
working as a neonatal nurse in Hobart and maintains her passion for family centred care. She was an active member of the Queensland Branch
of ACNN before taking on the role of assistant treasurer and then treasurer on the ACNN national executive committee.
E-mail: treasurer@acnn.org.au
Social Media (Ordinary Member)
Sarah Neale - Vic
Sarah has worked in neonatal units around Australia and is passionate about supporting new and innovative ways of improving clinical care,
compassionate teamwork, and advancing her involvement in LRC SIG work. With a Masters in Nursing – Clinical Teaching, Sarah is committed to
education that empowers and supports nurses in their practice. She also manages the ACNN social media accounts, aiming to increase awareness
of the work and research Australian neonatal nurses achieve, and to raise the profile of our profession.
E-mail: socialmedia@acnn.org.au
Professional Officer & Scholarship Committee Chair (Ordinary Member)
Margaret Broom - ACT
Adjunct Associate Professor Broom was awarded a Doctor of Philosophy undertaken at Australian Catholic University in April 2017. She has over 30 years of experience in all aspects of neonatology with 20 years clinical experience.
Over the past 10 years in the role of the Neonatal Research Coordinator at the Centenary Hospital Women, Youth and Children in Canberra, she has translated her clinical experience into researching many topics to improve outcomes for neonates, families, and staff. She has led many research and quality improvement projects considering topics such as impact of NICU redesign, reducing pressure injuries, pain management, parents attending clinical rounds, Family Integrated Care, as well as the impact of visiting restrictions on families due to COVID19. She is an active member of the Research SIG Committee. In 2021 Margaret was presented the Australian College of Neonatal Nurses, Nurse Excellence Award. Email: professionalofficer@acnn.org.au or scholarships@acnn.org.au
Conference Chair (Ordinary Member)
Melissah
Burnett - Vic
Melissah is a long-standing active member of ACNN and has held a variety of positions with ACNN, the Victorian Branch, Leadership and LRC SIGs. She has volunteered with ACNN in PNG four times and regularly attends the ACNN conferences and education activities. She is personally and professionally engaged with many ACNN members across Australia. Qualified with a Masters of Nursing and Certificate IV in Training assessment she has worked in the Mercy Hospital for Women NICU for 30 years but with a real passion for education and leadership has also worked in the higher education sector, as a Nurse Unit Manager and more recently as a senior clinical application specialist with a targeted focus on neonatal ventilation. Her current role is with Safer Care Victoria (Department of Health) as a Principal Project Officer supporting the work of Consultative Council on Obstetric and Paediatric Mortality and Morbidity (CCOPMM). She regularly works casual clinical shifts on the weekends and enjoys guest lecturing and supporting new and ongoing learners in the NICU/SCN. Email: conference@acnn.org.au.
Ordinary Member
Justine Parsons - NSW
With over 25 years neonatal nursing experience, Justine has worked in education
and clinical consultancy roles in neonatal care units; and holds a Masters in Neonatal Nursing, Grad Dip in Education (Leadership &
Management), and Cert IV in Training and Assessment. Justine's interests include quality improvement, practice development and adult
learning, neonatal pain, neonatal organ and tissue donation, as well as environmental impacts of healthcare. Justine has been an active
member of ACNN as Chair of the ACNN NSW Branch and as an ordinary committee member of the Education Special Interest Group. Justine is
the Chair for the ACNN Standards Review working party and jointed the National Executive in September 2024. Email: ordinarymember.justine@acnn.org.au
Ordinary Member
Jennifer Middleton - NSW
Jennifer completed her nursing training in Los Angeles, California in 2004 and after an intensive 6-month preceptorship in Neonatal Nursing she spent the next 5 years working in neonatal and special care units across the United States. In 2009, she began a short 6-month position in the Newborn Care department at Royal Prince Alfred Hospital which subsequently turned into 15 years and counting. In this time Jennifer has worked in discharge support and education roles and is currently working as the research nurse for the department. Over her years with ACNN, Jennifer most recently joined the NSW Branch as an ordinary member and has served, in the past, as an ordinary member on the Research SIG. Jennifer joined the National Executive in September 2024. Email: ordinarymember.jennifer@acnn.org.au
Ordinary Member
Alison Michaels -
QLD
With over 19 years' experience as a neonatal nurse, Ali has worked across clinical, retrieval, education and leadership roles in the
Neonatal Critical Care Unit at Mater Mothers' Hospitals. She holds a Grad Certificates in Neonatal Care, and Flexible Learning and
Simulation, a Master of Health Science (Clinical Education and Leadership), Cert IV in Training and Assessment and Diploma of Leadership and
Management. Ali's commitment to develop and retain a skilled neonatal workforce has seen her work across various clinical and program
education roles before moving into leadership and management roles where she is committed to mentoring and supporting graduate and novice
nurses to grow into clinical leaders. Currently completing a qualification in Clinical Redesign, Ali is passionate about redesigning how we
do care both in and out of the neonatal care environment to improve parental connection and bonding and reduce separation of mother and
baby. Currently she works as the Nurse Unit Manager in Special Care Nursery at Mater Mothers' Hospitals, South Brisbane. Email: ordinarymember.alison@acnn.org.au
Ordinary Member
Emily McCorquodale - NSW
Emily began her nursing career after transitioning from the Royal Australian Navy. For the last 12 years she has specialised in Midwifery, Neonatal and Paediatric Intensive Care, with a passion for advanced resuscitation skills and neurodevelopmental care practices. After completing her GradCert in Neonatal Nursing, Emily’s drive for evidence-based practice, quality improvement and nursing education and led her into a Nurse Manager and Educator role in early 2023. Currently pursuing a Master of Advanced Nursing (Acute Care), Emily is passionate about advancing nurse-led neonatal resuscitation and early intervention through practice and research. She has been an member of the NDC SIG since 2024. Emily also contributes to nursing education governance through academic committee roles within the UTS Health Faculty.
Ordinary Member
Patricia (Trish)
Lowe - NSW
Trish is a registered nurse, midwife, and child and family health nurse with
decades of experience as a neonatal clinician and educator. Trish is committed to supporting nurses and midwives advance their careers and
achieve their lifelong learning goals. Trish has served as Chair of the Research Special Interest Group since 2021, and her doctoral
research explored the stressors and satisfiers impacting neonatal nurses’ professional quality of life. Trish intends to apply this new
knowledge, skill, and experience to global nursing and midwifery workforce policy and development.
Editor-in-Chief
Shelley
Reid - NSW
Shelley
has a background in neonatal nursing since 1985, as a Clinical Nurse Specialist and Clinical Nurse Educator in various hospitals in
Sydney. From 1997 to 2024 she was the Clinical Audit and Research Officer at the Royal Prince Alfred Hospital Newborn Care Centre in Sydney.
She was founding editor from 1998 and for the first six years of
the Neonatal, Paediatric and Child Health Nursing journal. She
gained a Bachelor of Arts (Psychology) and a Postgraduate Diploma in Editing and Publishing from Macquarie University then a
Master of Public Health (Health Promotion) from UNSW. Her particular interests revolve around developmentally supportive care for
neonates, the psychological aspects for families with babies admitted to NICU, family centred care and professional aspects of
neonatal nursing. Shelley is a PhD candidate at the Susan Wakil School of Nursing and Midwifery, University of Sydney. E-mail:
acnn@acnn.org.au
Executive
Support Officer
Karen New - QLD
Karen joined the Neonatal Nurses Association of Qld (NNAQ) in 1997 and has been active within NNAQ - now the Qld Branch, ANNA - now ACNN
and the LRC SIG since its inception. Karen served in numerous roles on the ACNN executive before taking on the ESO role in 2019. The role
of the ESO is to provide administrative support and mentorship to the executive and subcommittees. Being a part of a professional
organisation that seeks to enhance the role of the neonatal nurse in education, research, scholarship and clinical care, to ultimately
improve the outcomes for sick and preterm neonates is immensely rewarding and professionally stimulating. This has occurred the state
(QLd), national (ACNN) and international levels (Council of International Neonatal Nurses (COINN) - past president). For those who have a
passion for neonatal nursing and care, then I strongly encourage you to become involved in ACNN and its branches and special interest
groups. Email: eso@acnn.org.au.