Jessica has held an academic position within the School of Nursing, Paramedicine and Healthcare at Charles Sturt University since 2008. Her PhD was a phenomenological study that focused on cultural competence development across a cohort of students within a Bachelor of nursing degree: Australian Indigenous Cultural Competence and Nursing and was published in 2017.

Jessica's research focuses on regional health equity with a special interest in workforce developement in cultural competence and cultural safety. Jessica enjoys working with regional communities that support ground up community driven initiatives. 

During her time in academia Jessica has held a number of leadership roles including Associate Head of School, Course Director, Academic Research Lead and most recently working at a Faculty level as Academic Integrity Advisor. Jessica has managed large projects and teams that have yielded outcomes that support university strategy. 

Jessica has a strong national teaching profile being the co-editor of a text titled Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health and Wellness. This text has associated online teaching guide with community developed online media that has supported learners across Australia. In 2016, Jessica was awarded the Betty Jeffreys Award for her nursing leadership through research. 

 In Jessica private life she enjoys travelling both overseas and throughout Australia. She is married to an academic Brett and has two children.

Please view her publications and media releases via these links: https://researchoutput.csu.edu.au/en/persons/jbilescsueduau and webpage: https://jessicabilesphd.wixsite.com/jessicabilesphd

Teaching  Interests

• Cultural competence
• The first year higher degree experience
• Undergraduate nurse education
• Reflective practice
• Primary health care
• Health promotion
• First Nations health

Research ($278,706,00 research funding in collaboration with teams)

• 2019- Charles Sturt University, Faculty of Science Seed grant- $9885, Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Nursing and Midwifery workforce mentoring program in a rural NSW Local Health District2018- Charles Sturt University, Learning and Teaching grant- $9865, Multi-disciplinary case study Educating health students for evidence-based practice: Three action research case studies.
• 2018- Improving Undergraduate Evidence-Based Practice Education: Four Participatory Action-Research Case Studies. CI- Kylie Murphy Researchers: Catherine Thomas, Jessica Biles, Clarissa Hughes, Marguerite Bramble, Tracey Parnell, Michael Curtin, Rodney Pope, Simon O’Connor, Lisa Brown, Linda Wilson, Evan Plowman, Lisa Speedie
• 2017- Preparing Students for Evidence-Based Practice: What’s happening? Dr Kylie Murphy, Ass/Prof Michael Curtin, Jessica Biles, Ruth Crawford $8456
• 2017- International Survey of Nurse Managers' Views on Compassion in Nursing. Professor Irena Papadopoulos; Dr Magdeline Aagard, Shelia Ali, Jessica Biles in collaboration with academics from 15 countries
• 2016- First year undergraduate nurses experiences of wearing uniforms whilst undertaking simulated clinical skills within nursing laboratories: A cohort comparison study: Protocol approval number: HREC 400/2015/15 CSU. CI: Karen Stanley
• 2016- Exploring the cultural aspects of compassion in nursing: An international on-line survey- International collaboration with Middlesex University
• 2010- 2017 PhD Candidate, School of Community Health, Charles Sturt University- Australian Indigenous Culture competence and Nursing.
• 2013 School of Nursing, Midwifery and Indigenous Health Seed Grant - Research matters: harvesting collective wisdom to find new ways of engaging in research.
• 2013 Scholarship in Teaching Grant - Cassie's Story, Dyan Ngal: who is hearing and who is listening? A problem based learning resource approach to transformative cultural competence experiences.
• 2013 Nursing Partnerships with Aboriginal Health Centres: A pilot project for undergraduate Nursing clinical placements.
• 2009 - 2010 The Living Curriculum: Bridging the gap between the espoused and the enacted curricula.

Research interests

• First Nations Health and well being
• Cultural competence
• Higher education
• Equity and Social justice

Awards

• 2016- Betty Jeffreys Award, Nurses Memorial Centre $5000

Professional Memberships

• Australian Representative Committee Member – Board of the European Transcultural Nursing Association – National/International 2013 - current
• Hume Region Nurse Educators Group: 2005- current
• Australian Rural Health Education Network: current
• Australian Volunteers Association: current
• Australia Nurse Teachers Society (ANTS): previous
• University of Sydney Life membership

Career Highlights

• Recipient of the Nurses' Memorial Centre (Defence), Betty Jeffrey Award for 2016
• Scholarship in Teaching Grant 2013, 2009 $10,000
• School of Nursing, Midwifery and Indigenous Health Seed Grant 2013 $500
• NSW Nursing Association Professional Development scholarship 2008
• Victorian Registration Board Professional Development scholarship 2007
• Working together with students to fulfil nursing academic ambitions