Rate My Professor Denise Blanchard

Associate Professor Denise Blanchard serves as Head of Discipline, Nursing at the University of Newcastle's Central Coast Clinical School, Gosford, and holds an honorary appointment as Associate Professor in the School of Nursing and Midwifery within the College of Health, Medicine and Wellbeing. A registered nurse with a PhD in Nursing and a Master of Arts in Social Science from Victoria University of Wellington, she is a skilled researcher in nursing and social sciences. Her expertise spans mental health, psychological well-being for older people, aged care outcomes related to dementia, aging in place, and long-term conditions. Blanchard has led developments in nursing education, including curriculum design, simulation development, and evidence translation.

Her research interests include aged care nursing and aging in place (25% of research), psychological well-being related to long-term conditions, simulation and competency-based education and training, mental health nursing (25%), and general nursing (50%). Career highlights include her role as Associate Head of School, School of Nursing, Midwifery and Indigenous Health at Charles Sturt University from January 2016 to July 2021, and as a Casual Web Learn Tutor in Nursing and Midwifery at the University of Newcastle. She has authored or co-authored over 40 journal articles, two book chapters, and conference papers. Notable publications include "Nurses as public educators: A scoping review of literature on misinformation mitigation" (Teaching and Learning in Nursing, 2026), "Tools for self- or peer-assessment of interprofessional competencies of healthcare students: a scoping review" (Frontiers in Medicine, 2024), "Overcoming Loneliness: Is There a Role for Mental Health Nurses?" (Issues in Mental Health Nursing, 2024), "Exploring nurse practitioner practice in Australian rural primary health care settings: A scoping review" (Australian Journal of Rural Health, 2023), "Tools for faculty assessment of interdisciplinary competencies of healthcare students: an integrative review" (Frontiers in Medicine, 2023), and the chapter "Gender, Generational Groups and Leadership" (2022). Blanchard provides strategic leadership in nursing education and engages in national and international activities while maintaining clinical practice in Australia and New Zealand.