Professor Traynor has over 30 years of experience as a registered nurse specialising in gerontology. Professor Traynor obtained her PhD in in 2001 from the University of Edinburgh and carried out postdoctoral research in the United Kingdom at the University of Nottingham, the Royal College of Nursing and Oxford Brookes University. Professor Traynor was at the University of Wollongong for 18 years where she was Professor of Aged and Rehabilitation.
Professor Traynor has held a range of academic roles, including Head of School, Head of Postgraduate Studies, Thesis Examination Committee, Faculty Research Committee, Professorial Central Promotions Committee and was Director of the Health Impacts Research Centre. Professor Traynor also set up, and was the Director of, the Aged and Dementia Health Education and Research (ADHERe) centre.
Professor Traynor commenced her role at UniSC in 2024, as the Director of the Healthy Ageing Research Cluster. In the same year, Professor Traynor was appointed as the inaugural Professor of Dementia Research at Warrigal in New South Wales.
Professor Traynor is a peer reviewer for the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) and an associate editor for the International Journal of Older People Nursing. Professor Traynor is a Visiting Professor at Edith Cowan University and Taipei Medical University in Taiwan.
Professional memberships
- Member of Advisory Council for the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission which is an appointment made by the Minister for Aged Care and Seniors
- Co-Founding Co-President of the Gerontological Alliance of Nurses Australia.
- Sitting member of the Coalition of National Nursing and Midwifery Organisations: 2022–ongoing
- Australian Association of Gerontology: 2006–ongoing
Awards and fellowships
- Global Open Learning Winner: Best Talent Development Program for Gerontological Nursing Competencies course: 2023
- OnPrime CSIRO (Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation) University of Wollongong Group Winner: Most Engagement: Gold Older Leadership Dream (GOLD) for the Gerontological Nursing Competencies course: 2019
- University of Wollongong VC Award Winner: Research: Interdisciplinary Excellence: Project DARE (Dementia, Arts, Research and Education) with arts, education, nursing, public health disciplines and University of New South Wales, Big Fat Smile and Thirroul Public Primary School: 2019
- International Journal of Older People Nursing: Editor Prize: 2018 and 2019
Professional social media
Professor Traynor has a track record in undertaking research focused on making an impact for older people, their family carers and healthcare clinicians using implementation science to translate knowledge into practice.
Professor Traynor is currently managing a research budget of A$2.8 million from Government tenders, MRFF and industry funding. Her research is most often cross-disciplinary with colleagues from engineering, epidemiology, health sciences, First Nation’s, marketing, nursing, nutrition and dietetics, physiotherapy, psychology, public health and statistics.
Professor Traynor has partnerships with many universities across Australia and is collaborating with more than 50 aged care providers evaluating the Gerontological Nursing Competencies (GNCs) course. Her research on delirium care includes NSW linkage data in public and private hospitals and nursing homes in SA.
Professor Traynor has international research projects for the GNCs in Taiwan, delirium care in Taiwan, the UK and US, driving in Canada, New Zealand, Taiwan, the UK and the US, and dementia and arts in primary schools in the UK.
Professor Traynor’s research activities are building on the Healthy Ageing Research Cluster outputs.
Current projects
| Grant/Project name | Investigators | Funding body | Year(s) | Focus |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Psychology Improving person-centred care in hospitals: Transitioning the “Volunteer Dementia and Delirium Care Program" | Anderson, K. | Australian National University, University of Sydney, University of Canberra and NSW Health MRFF A$990,448 | 2025–27 | Dementia in Acute Care Settings: Evaluating a volunteer programme |
| Nursing Implementing and Evaluating the Aged Care Transition into Practice Program: Gerontological Nursing Competencies | Traynor, V. | University of Canberra with multiple industry partners across Australia DoHDA A$2,200,000 | 2024–27 | Evaluating the Integration fo Specialist Gerontological Nursing in Undergradaute Nursing Student Placements across care settings |
| Nursing Implementing and Evaluating new Aged Care Nursing Clinical Placements Program: Clinical Placement for Older People | Bail, K. | University of Canberra, Edith Cowan University, Curtin University and multiple industry partners across Australia DoHDA A$6,400,000 | 2024–27 | Evaluating the Implementation of a Gerontological Nursing Specialist Practice Courses for New Graduate Registered Nurses |
| Psychology To Know Me is to Understand Me: Digital life story packages transition in dementia care | Anderson, K. | Australian National University, Swinburne University, University of Sydney, University of QLD, NSW Health, Warrigal, Sapphire Coast Community Aged Care, Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission and Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care MRFF A$1,300,000 | 2023–27 | Person Centred Dementia Care in Nursing Homes: Evaluating the impact of digital stories produced by student volunteers |
| Nursing Delirium Care Education Intervention in Nursing Homes | Kowald, M. | Four x Barossa Valley Nursing Homes, Aged Care Research and Industry Innovation Australia (ARIIA) A$160,000
|
2023–25 | Delirium Care in Nursing Homes: Evaluating a simulated education intervention |
Professor Traynor has extensive experience designing and co-ordinating aged and dementia care master’s degrees as well qualitative research methods courses for PhD Integrated degrees. Professor Traynor also advises on curriculum for aged and dementia content in undergraduate degrees.
Current teaching responsibilities are delivering the fully distance postgraduate courses in Gerontological Nursing and advising on the Uni SC Graduate Certificate in Aged Care.
Supervision
Professor Traynor has supervised 21 HDR candidates who have undertaken a range of studies promoting the health and well-being of older people in their clinical workplaces across a range of disciplines, including health informatics, medicine, nursing, nutrition and dietetics, occupational therapy, pharmacy, physiotherapy and public health. Research was undertaken within nursing homes in South Australia and NSW, NSW Health, Ethiopian community nursing services, Taipei Medical University Hospital, Taiwan and Ramsay Health.
Current PhD supervision
Abeykoon MUDIYANSELAGE, S. Developing a Nursing Career Framework for Gerontological Nurses School of Nursing and Midwifery, Edith Cowan University
Coyle, M. ‘Specialling’: Acute care of older people with cognitive impairment School of Nursing, University of Wollongong with Illawarra Shoalhaven Local Health District. NSW Health, Derbyshire NHS Trust, Parkinson’s Disease Association, Nottinghamshire NHS Trust
Veerhuis, N. (2018-2025) Co-Designing a Decision Aid for Older Drivers School of Business, University of Wollongong with Transport for NSW
Wang, X. (2023-2027) Missed Care in Nursing Homes: Developing a tool School of Psychology, University of Wollongong with Uniting
Wu, D. Dementia Information for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Communities, School of Nursing, University of Wollongong with Illawarra Aboriginal Medical Services
Professor Traynor is a regular contributor to local ABC radio and her research has been picked up WIN news reporters. Professor Traynor and her research team are regular contributors to the Australian Ageing Agenda and the Australian Nursing and Midwifery Journal.
In the news
Research finds surprising prevalence of sudden delirium in older patients
26 FebOlder people are at far greater risk of experiencing the debilitating symptoms of delirium during a hospital stay than previously known, according to research led by UniSC’s new Professor of Healthy Ageing