Associate Professor Virginia Stulz

Position

Associate Professor of Midwifery, School of Nursing and Midwifery

Biography

Virginia is currently working in a conjoint position between Nepean Blue Mountains Local Health District and Western Sydney University. Virginia is currently Chief Investigator on one major research project in two Local Health Districts of NSW that improves birth options for women. From 2018 to 2022, Virginia led a pilot randomised control trial across seven hospitals in NSW on evaluating a peanut ball for women having an epidural during labour. She recently worked in NSW across four Local Health Districts on a major research project to improve midwifery students’ experiences. She mentors midwives in the local health district to publish their research projects. She collaborates with other university academics across Australia and New Zealand as a member of the Trans Tasman Midwifery Education Consortium (TTMEC) and worked as the Chair for the TTMEC from 2021 to 2022. She is currently leading a national / international research project with this consortium that explores characteristics of support within new graduate programmes within Australia and has led another national research project that focused on midwives’ experiences during COVID-19.

In collaboration with other researchers, she has published 38 peer-reviewed journal articles since 2017 in areas of complementary therapies, midwifery education, factors affecting birth practices, gender-based violence and women’s health. Virginia is second investigator for WSU on a Perinatal InterProfessional Psychosocial Education‐Maternity Clinicians (PIPE‐MC) grant funded by the Australian Government Department of Health ($520,000) which has enabled her to facilitate workshops for maternity clinicians in NSW and Qld, including rural areas. Virginia is currently supervising six higher degree research students as a primary supervisor and co-supervising four students.

Research Interests

• Enhancement of midwifery continuity of care models
• Development of tools and surveys for assessment of maternity care in Australia
• Strategies to improve normal birth

Memberships

• Australian College of Midwives (1991 - 2019)

Qualifications and Recognition

• PhD University of New England
• MN(Hons) University of New England

Research & Publications

For a complete list of my publications please see my publications page (opens in a new window)

View my ResearchGate profile (opens in a new window)

Contact Details