Dr Michelle Freeling (She/her)
Program Director

Organisation unit

College of Health School of Nursing and Midwifery

Location

Adelaide University, Centenary, 6 Room: 40
Profile of Dr Michelle Freeling

About me

I am a Lecturer in Nursing and Program Director for the Master of Clinical Nursing and Master of Nursing (Graduate Entry) at Adelaide University. As a Perioperative Registered Nurse with over a decade of experience in nursing education, I bring together contemporary clinical expertise and academic leadership to prepare future nurses for the complexities of modern healthcare practice. My academic practice is centred on educational excellence, curriculum innovation, and the development of confident, capable nursing professionals. I have extensive experience designing and delivering undergraduate and postgraduate nursing curricula, particularly within perioperative and clinical nursing education. I have led curriculum development, contributed to program accreditation activities, coordinated multidisciplinary teaching teams, and supported academics to create inclusive, engaging, and authentic learning environments.
My teaching philosophy is grounded in evidence-informed practice, psychological safety, and meaningful connections between theory and clinical practice. I am passionate about developing learning experiences that enable students to apply knowledge, strengthen clinical reasoning, and build the confidence required for professional practice. Through my leadership in nursing education, I strive to create environments where students and colleagues feel supported, challenged, and empowered to succeed.
My Scholarship of Teaching and Learning focuses on simulation-based education, gamification, authentic assessment, and innovative approaches to clinical education. I am particularly interested in exploring how immersive and experiential learning strategies can enhance clinical reasoning, teamwork, knowledge retention, and graduate preparedness. My educational innovations have received national and international recognition through competitive grants, professional awards, conference presentations, and collaborations with healthcare organisations and professional bodies.
I maintain strong connections with the nursing profession and healthcare sector through partnerships with health services, professional organisations, and clinical educators. These collaborations support authentic learning opportunities, workforce development initiatives, and educational approaches that respond to the evolving needs of healthcare practice.
My broader scholarly interests include nursing workforce wellbeing, clinical education, simulation, and the translation of educational research into practice. Through my clinical experience, teaching, leadership, and scholarship, I am committed to advancing nursing education and contributing to the development of a skilled, compassionate, and future-ready nursing workforce.
I am a Lecturer in Nursing and Program Director for the Master of Clinical Nursing and Master of Nursing (Graduate Entry) at Adelaide University. As a Perioperative Registered Nurse with over a decade of experience in nursing education, I bring together contemporary clinical expertise and academic leadership to prepare future nurses for the complexities of modern healthcare practice. My academic practice is centred on educational excellence, curriculum innovation, and the development of confident, capable nursing professionals. I have extensive experience designing and delivering undergraduate and postgraduate nursing curricula, particularly within perioperative and clinical nursing education. I have led curriculum development, contributed to program accreditation activities, coordinated multidisciplinary teaching teams, and supported academics to create inclusive, engaging, and authentic learning environments. My teaching philosophy is grounded in evidence-informed practice, psychological safety, and meaningful connections between theory and clinical practice. I am passionate about developing learning experiences that enable students to apply knowledge, strengthen clinical reasoning, and build the confidence required for professional practice. Through my leadership in nursing education, I strive to create environments where students and colleagues feel supported, challenged, and empowered to succeed. My Scholarship of Teaching and Learning focuses on simulation-based educ...
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Recent awards and recognition include:
  • Graduate Certificate in Higher Education (Innovative Learning and Teaching) – Letter of Commendation for Academic Achievement (2026)
  • South Australian Representative – Health Education and Services Australia (HESA) Perioperative Nursing and Midwifery Education Standards Steering Committee (2026)
  • Invited International Speaker – 1st East Asia Clinical Simulation Conference, Hong Kong Metropolitan University (2026)
  • Unstoppable Teaching and Learning Grant – Early Career Academic Innovation Grant (2025)
  • Australian College of Operating Room Nurses (ACORN) International Conference – Delegates’ Choice Best Presentation Award (2024)
  • Invited Contributor – Lewis’s Medical-Surgical Nursing: Assessment and Management of Clinical Problems, ANZ 6th Edition (2023)
  • Journal Reviewer – Clinical Simulation in Nursing (Elsevier) (2024–present)

2026 – Present | Adelaide University | Program Director
2023 – 2025 | University of South Australia | Lecturer in Nursing
2016 – 2023 | Flinders University | Lecturer in Nursing (Teaching and Research)
2018 – 2020 | Southern Cross University | Casual Academic
2025 – Present | Central Adelaide Local Health Network | Casual Registered Nurse Perioperative Services
2016 – 2021 | Sportsmed SA | Registered Nurse Perioperative Services
2015 – 2016 | ACHA Health, The Memorial Hospital | Registered Nurse Perioperative Services
2014 – 2017 | Chemplus Pty Ltd | Nurse Educator Community Health Education
2014 | ACHA Health, The Memorial Hospital | Graduate Registered Nurse Perioperative Services

  • Program Director for the Master of Clinical Nursing and Master of Nursing (Graduate Entry)
  • Postgraduate Course Coordinator for the Graduate Certificate in Nursing (Perioperative Specialisation):
  • NURS5066 Perioperative Nursing
  • NURS5014 Best Practice in Circulating and Instrument Nursing
  • NURS5015 Best Practice in Anaesthetics and PACU Nursing
  • Postgraduate Course Coordinator for:
  • NURS5029 Research for Advancing Nursing, Midwifery, and Health Care
  • Supervisor for Master of Nursing students

  • Bachelor of Nursing
  • Doctor of Philosophy
  • Graduate Certificate in Higher Education Innovative Learning and Teaching

  • SA Representative Health Education and Services Australia perioperative nursing steering committee
  • Australian College of Operating Room Nurses Member
  • Victoria Simulation Alliance
Last updated on 30/07/2026 by Michelle Freeling