Rate My Professor Sheila Vance

Sheila Vance is an Associate Professor in the Medicine Nursing and Health Sciences Education Portfolio at Monash University, Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences. She holds a BA (Hons) and PhD and serves as the founding Director of the Communication in Health Professions Education Unit (COHPE). Previously recognized as a Senior Lecturer, she directs efforts in supporting academic skills and communication for health professions students, including through the Student Academic Support Unit (SASU). Her career includes contributions to peer-assisted learning programs such as the Vertical Study Programme (VESPA) for medical students and orientation support for Bachelor of Medical Science Honours students.

Vance's research focuses on communication in health professions education, factors associated with academic and clinical performance in nursing and midwifery curricula, preparation of international students for interprofessional teams, cultural and linguistic support during Work Integrated Learning (WIL), and development of Objective Structured Clinical Examinations (OSCEs) for internationally qualified nurses. Key publications include 'Factors Associated With Undergraduate Nursing Students' Academic and Clinical Performance: A Mixed-Methods Study' (Frontiers in Medicine, 2022, co-authored with Ensieh Fooladi et al.); 'Association between the Integrating Science And Practice (iSAP) assessment task and clinical performance in a Master of Nursing Practice course' (2024, co-authored with Ensieh Fooladi et al.); 'A model for cultural, linguistic and academic support during WIL' (2018, with Averil Grieve); and 'A vertical study programme for medical students: peer-assisted learning in practice' (2013, co-authored with Jacqueline Kam et al.). She has produced 22 research outputs, including five book chapters and conference papers. Vance received shared MNM Research Development Grants in 2021 and 2023 for studies on nursing student performance. Her work contributes to UN Sustainable Development Goal 4: Quality Education and includes a 2019 public seminar on within-curricula language development.