Nurses on the 2019 Australia Day Honours List

3 Replies

Extracting information from www.gg.gov.au/australia-day-2019-honours-list, below are the Nurses named on the 2019 Australia Day Honours List.

Janice Maree Ablett OAM
Medal (OAM) of the Order of Australia in the General Division
Drouin, Victoria
For service to the community through alcohol and drug dependence groups.

Service includes:

Founder and President, The Ice Meltdown Project, since 2014.
Endorsed Enrolled Nurse, current.

Awards and recognition include:
Nominee, Victorian Local Hero Australian of the Year, 2018.

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Sanchia Kaye Aranda AM
Member (AM) in the General Division of the Order of Australia
Alexandria, New South Wales
For significant service to community health, particularly to cancer control and nursing.

Service includes:

Chief Executive Officer, Cancer Council Australia, since 2015.
Deputy Chief Executive Officer, Cancer Services and Information, NSW Cancer Institute,
2011-2015
Director of Cancer Nursing and Research, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, 2001-2015.
Special Professor, School of Nursing, University of Nottingham, UK, 2004-2010.
Head, Department of Nursing, University of Melbourne, 2006-2011 and Deputy Head, 1997-2001.
Associate Professor, Palliative Care Nursing, Centre for Palliative Care, 1997.

President, Union of International Cancer Control, since 2016 and Board Member, since 2010.
President, International Society of Nurses in Cancer Care, 2006-2010 and Board Member, 1992-2012.
Board Member, International Collaboration on Cancer Reporting, since 2016.
Member, National Cancer Expert Reference Group, Commonwealth Department of Health.
Member, Oncology Clinical Committee, National Health and Medical Research Council, since 2016 and Member, Palliative Care Research Working Committee, 2004-2008.
Member, Data and Research Advisory Committee, Cancer Australia.
Member, Cancer Monitoring Advisory Group,
Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, since 2015.
Reviewer, Australian Research Council.

Awards and recognition includes:
Honorary Professor, Susan Wakil School of Nursing and Midwifery, University of Sydney
Honorary Life Fellow, Cancer Nursing Society of Australia, 2017.
Recipient, Distinguished Merit Award, International Society of Nurses in Cancer Care, 2016.
Distinguished Fellow, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, 2013
Recipient, Nursing Excellence Award, Cancer Nursing Society of Australia, 2009.
International Fellow, American Academy of Nurses, 2009.
Bonnie Bullough Lecture, School of Nursing, University of Buffalo, USA, 2006.
Royal Tiffany Lectureship, Royal Marsden Hospital, UK, 2001.
Recipient, International Award for Contributions to Cancer Care, US Oncology Nursing Society, 2001.

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Jan Maree Becker AM
Member (AM) in the General Division of the Order of Australia
Yandina Creek, Queensland
For service to community health through neonatal organisations, and to aviation.

Service includes:

Neonatal organisations:
Founder, Midwife Vision, current.
Instructor, Neonatal Resuscitation, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, current.
Clinical Midwife, Amana Hospital, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, current.
Nurse, Buderim Private Hospital, July 2013.
Former Nurse, Nelson Polytechnic, Nelson, New Zealand.
Former Registered Nurse, Renal and Plastic Ward, Tauranga, New Zealand.
Former Midwife, King George V Hospital/Royal Prince Alfred Hospital.
Former Midwife, Neonatal Intensive Care, John Spence Nursery, King George V
Memorial Hospital/Royal Prince Alfred Hospital.
Former Midwife, Kimbe Maternity, Papua New Guinea.
Chair, Cherish Foundation and Deputy Chair, Finance and Audit Committee.

Aviation:
Board Member and Treasurer, Helicopter Association International, since 2015.
Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Becker Helicopters, since 1996.

Awards and recognition include:
Outstanding Alumnus, University of Sunshine Coast, 2017.
Recipient, Telstra Queensland Business Women’s Owner Award, 2014.
Recipient, National Telstra Medium Business Awards, 2013.
Recipient, Queensland Premier’s Innovation Export Award, 2012

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Victoria Anne Caton CSC
Conspicuous Service Cross (CSC)
New South Wales
For outstanding devotion to duty in the field of Defence nursing and personnel support.

Lieutenant Commander Caton demonstrated outstanding devotion to duty as a Nursing Officer and Member Support Coordinator. Her dedication to supporting injured and ill members of the Royal Australian Navy in their return to the workforce or assisting with their transition to civilian life when they can no longer serve, has directly contributed to the wellbeing of these members and their families during times of significant stress.

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Doseena Fergie OAM
Medal (OAM) of the Order of Australia in the General Division
Dalyston, Victoria
For service to community health.

Service includes:

Woor-Dungin:
Member, Aboriginal Advisory Committee, current.
Past Treasurer and Committee Member, up until 2016.

Healesville Indigenous Community Services Association:
President, 2009-2014.
Founding Member, 2009.

First 1000 Days Australia:
Councillor, current.

Founding Member, Boorndawan Willam Healing Service.

Founding Member, Mullum Mullum Indigenous Gathering Place.
.
Australian Catholic University, Melbourne:
Lecturer & Early Career Researcher – speciality: Indigenous Health and Culture, current.
Lead, Building Cultural Capacity Project – current.

Australian Nursing and Midwifery Federation:
Member, Victorian Branch, current.

Inaugural Fellow, Congress of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Nurses and Midwives, since 2016.

Department of Health, Victoria:
Executive Member, Eastern Metropolitan Region ‘closing the health gap plan’, 2009-2013.

Eastern Health:
Clinical Care Coordinator, Indigenous Health Team, Yarra Valley Community Health, 1999-2010.
Founder,’Good Food, Great Kids’, Indigenous Community Nutrition Project, 2002-2004, Awardee, Excellence in community engagement, Victorian Public Healthcare Award, 2007.

Awards and recognition includes:
Citizen of the Year, Yarra Ranges Council, 2017.
Inductee, Victorian Honour Roll of Women, 2016.
Awarded, Churchill Fellowship, 2016.
NAIDOC Eastern Metropolitan Region Indigenous Elder Award, 2011.
Yarra Ranges Council Acknowledgement for Health and Wellbeing Work Award, 2010.
Victorian State Nurse Excellence Award, 2009.
Australian Thanksgiving Day Award, 2007 for work in the Indigenous community.
NAIDOC Community Recognition Certificate, 2007.
NAIDOC Community Award, 2005.

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Dulcie Gladys Flower OAM, AM
Member (AM) in the General Division of the Order of Australia
New South Wales
For significant service to the Indigenous community, and to the 1967 Referendum Campaign.

Service includes:

Aboriginal Medical Service Cooperative Limited at Redfern:
Board Member, since approx. 2002.
Former Registered Nurse.
Involved in the establishment of the Cooperative, July 1971.

Former Board Member, National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Women’s Alliance.
Activist for Indigenous rights, health and social welfare, ongoing.

Campaigner, 1967 Referendum (on the proposal to include Aboriginal people in the census,
and to allow the Commonwealth government to make laws for Aboriginal people).

Honorary Member, New South Wales College of Nursing.
Former Board Member, Carers New South Wales.
Board Member, Bangarra Dance Theatre, for 9 years from establishment.
Has served on a range of expert committees and working panels at the local, state and
national level.

Awards and recognition include:
Awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia, 1994.

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Sally Anne Garratt OAM
Medal (OAM) of the Order of Australia in the General Division
Victoria
For service to nursing.

Service includes:

Nursing:
Founder, Clinical Support Unit, Caulfield General Medical Centre, 2001.
Associate Professor of Gerontic Nursing, La Trobe University, since 2001.
Member, Australian Association of Gerontology, 1987-2006.
Consultant, Aged Care Home Care Implementation, Singapore, Hong Kong, Japan, 1996-1997.
Former Board Member, Australian Centre for Evidence Based Aged Care.
Former Consultant, Montefiore, Royal Freemasons’, Bundoora Aged Care, Vision Australia.

Dementia Australia:
Board Member, current.
Author, Understanding Dementia Care and Sexuality in Residential Facilities, 2010.

Australian College of Nursing:
Victorian Chair, 2000-2004.
Representative, National Aged Care Alliance Committee, 2000.
Member, Collegian Editorial Panel, 2 years.

Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology (RMIT):
Associate Dean, Faculty of Nursing, 1995-1997.
Associate Professor Gerontological Nursing, 1992-1997.
Head, Department of Community and Mental Health Nursing, 1987-1995.
Head, Department Primary Health Care Practice, 1995.
Vice Dean, School of Nursing, Phillip Institute of Technology (prior to merger with
RMIT)

Awards and recognition include:
Distinguished Member, Australian Association of Gerontology, 2005.
Distinguished Life Fellow, Australian College of Nursing, 2004.
Fellow, Australian College of Nursing, 1980.
Doctor of Nursing (Honoris Causa), La Trobe University.
RMIT Quality and Improvement Award.
Honorary Member, Alzheimer’s Australia (Tasmania)
Florence Nightingale Scholarship.
W.K. Kellogg Foundation Scholarship.
Centaur Memorial Scholarship for Nurses.

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Glyndia Joyce Gee OAM
Medal (OAM) of the Order of Australia in the General Division
Kerang, Victoria
For service to the community of Kerang.

Service includes:

Co-ordinator, Winter Wonderland Debutante Ball, since 1990.
Volunteer Canteen Manager, Kerang Christian College, 2013-2018 (720 hours per year for 5 years)
Canteen Volunteer, Kerang Technical High School, since 2004.
Volunteer Treasurer, Kerang Community Centre, from August 2018.
Canteen Volunteer, St Joseph’s Primary School in Kerang, approximately 1995-2012.
Secretary, Kerang Karate Club, for 10 years.
Volunteer, St Vincent de Paul Society Op Shop Kerang, current.
Past Member, Kerang Show Society Committee.
Life Member, Kerang Highland Dance Society.
Registered Nurse, Barham Hospital, since 1999.

Victorian State Emergency Service:
Controller, Kerang Unit, since 2017.
Volunteer, since 1999.

Awards and recognition includes:
Recipient, Senior Citizen of the Year, Gunnawarra Shire Council, 2017.
Life Member, Winter Wonderland Debutante Ball Committee.
National Medal, for service to Victorian State Emergency Service.
Nellie McGillray Award, for bedside manner in nursing, 1998.

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Dawn Gilchrist OAM
Medal (OAM) of the Order of Australia in the General Division
Mount Hawthorn, Western Australia
For service to community health.

Mrs Gilchrist is a Yamatji woman.

Service includes:

Early Years and Parent Support Coordinator, Wadjak Northside Community Group, since 2016.

Australian Red Cross (WA) 2009 -January 2016:
Community Development Manager.
Team Leader, Personal Helpers and Mentors (PH & M).
Manager, Regional Office.

WA Country Health Services, Goldfields:
Regional Aboriginal Health Promotion Coordinator, 2007-2009.
Regional Aboriginal Health Coordinator, 2003-2007.

Coordinator, Aboriginal Health, East Perth Public and Community Health Unit, Royal Perth Hospital, 1995-January 2003.
Lecturer/Tutor, School of Nursing, Curtin University of Technology, 1991-1995.
Former Federal Aboriginal Board Member, Churches of Christ.
Registered Nurse, Perth Aboriginal Medical Service, 1988-1992.

Awards and recognition includes:
Meritorious Award, Red Cross, 2015.
Vice-Chancellors List, Curtin University.
NAIDOC Karlkurla Award, Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Employee Section (Kalgoorlie) 8 July 2013.

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Lynette Noelle Grubwinkler AM
Member (AM) in the General Division of the Order of Australia
Queensland
For significant service to international eye health initiatives as a clinical consultant,
and to ophthalmic nursing.

Service includes:

Eye Care:
Ophthalmic Advisor and Volunteer, Youth with a Mission Medical Ships (YWAM), Fiji and Papua New Guinea, since 1998.
Clinical Advisor and Volunteer, East Timor Eye Project, National Eye Centre, Dili, Timor Leste, 2017-2018.
Clinical Consultant, Fred Hollows Foundation New Zealand, National Eye Centre, Dili, Timor Leste, 2015-2016.
Clinical Consultant, Lighthouse for Christ Eye Hospital, Mombasa, Kenya, May 2006.

Australian Ophthalmic Nurses Association, Queensland Branch:
Former Executive Committee Member.
Member, current.

Member, International Development Group, Royal Australian and New Zealand College of
Ophthalmologists, current.

Professional:
Ophthalmic Nurse, Northside Eye Specialists and Queensland Eye Hospital, Brisbane.

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Nicole Danielle Johnston OAM
Medal (OAM) of the Order of Australia in the General Division
Barton, Australian Capital Territory
For service to nursing.

Service includes:

Clare Holland House:
Palliative Aged Care Nurse Practitioner, since 2014.
Nurse, Home Based Palliative Care Community Service, 2003-2007.
Nurse, ACT Hospice.

Canberra Hospital:
Palliative Care Nurse Practitioner, 2010-2014.
Nurse, Calvary ACT, 2003-2007.

Registered Nurse, since 1989.
Member, Palliative Care Australia, current.

Education:
Guest Lecturer, Australian Catholic University.
Guest Lecturer, University of Canberra.
Co-Author and Contributor, BMJ Supportive and Palliative Care Journal.

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Colin Bruce Lott OAM
Medal (OAM) of the Order of Australia in the General Division
Watanobbi, New South Wales
For service to the community through a range of roles.

Service includes:

St John Ambulance New South Wales:
Assistant Commissioner – Operations, since 2012.
Regional Superintendent, 2004-2012.
Former Divisional Superintendent.
Former Regional Nursing Officer.
Former Regional Staff Officer.
Former Divisional Nursing Officer.
Member, St John Council of New South Wales, current.

Professional:
Chief Inspector, Tuggerah Lakes Local Area Command,
New South Wales Police Force, since 1987.
Registered Nurse, Emergency Department, Hornsby Hospital, since 1999.

Awards and recognition includes:
Recipient, Commander of the Order of St John, 2013 (Admission, 2000; Officer, 2009).
Recipient, 1998 – Fourth Bar to the St John Service Medal, St John Ambulance New
South Wales, 2014 (First Bar, 1998; Second Bar, 2003; Third Bar, 2008).
Recipient, 12 Year Service Medal, St John Ambulance New South Wales, 1993.
Inductee, Honorary Life Membership, St John Ambulance New South Wales, 1992.
Recipient, Certificate of Merit, St John Ambulance New South Wales, 1991.

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Helen Frances MacArthur OAM
Medal (OAM) of the Order of Australia in the General Division
Broome, Western Australia
For service to community health.

Service includes:

Nursing: Community Health Nurse Manager, Broome Community Health, 2005-2016.
School Health Nurse, Broome, 1994-2005.
Community Nurse, Gordon Downs, 1976-1980.
Former Registered Nurse Midwife, Halls Creek Hospital, 1980-1982.
Former School Health Nurse, Halls Creek Community Health, 1983-1994.

Broome Bird Observatory:
Volunteer, since 1994.
Former Chairman, 8 years.

Awards and recognition include:
Western Australia’s Children’s Hero Award, National Association for Prevention of Child Abuse and Neglect, 2009.

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Elizabeth Anne Mason AM
Member (AM) in the General Division of the Order of Australia
Northern Territory
For significant service to nursing, and to the community of the Northern Territory.

Service includes:

Charles Darwin University (previously Northern Territory University):
Head, School of Nursing, 1997-2000.
Past Senior Lecturer, Department of Nursing.
Chair, Academic Board, 2001-2003.
Member, Academic Board, 2000-2006.
Founder and Curator, Nursing Museum, since 1987.

Federation of College Academics:
National Executive, 1986-1990.
President, Northern Territory Branch, 1989-1991
National Council Member, 1984-1991.

President, Unions NT, 2000-2004.

Museums Australia:
National Council Member, 2013-2015.
Honorary Secretary and Treasurer, Northern Territory Branch, since 2003.

Community roles:
Board Member, Anglicare Northern Territory, 2009-2016.
Member, Northern Territory Anzac Community Advisory Committee, 2012-2013.
Member, Advisory Council of the Ageing, Northern Territory Government, 2006-2008.
Honorary Secretary and Public Officer, History Society of the Northern Territory, since 2003.
Honorary Secretary, Northern Territory Euthanasia Society, since 2006.

Awards and recognition includes:
Recipient, Lifetime Achievement Award, Unions NT, 2010.
Life Member, National Tertiary Education Union, 1997.
Fellow, Royal College of Nursing Australia, 1981-1998.
Recipient, Centenary Medal, 2003.

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Beverly Rose Morton OAM
Medal (OAM) of the Order of Australia in the General Division
Birdsville, Queensland
For service to the community.

Service includes:

Community
Betoota Race Club and Social Club:
Treasurer, 2011-2016.
Secretary, 1995-2010 and 1980-1991.
Inaugural Member, 1979.
Life member.

Member, Boulia Bedourie Birdsville Branch, Isolated Children’s Parents Association, 1982-2012.
Various Officer Bearer positions, Mount Isa School of the Air, Isolated Children’s Parents Association, 1985-1995.
Member, Priority Country Area Programme, 1987-1995.
Secretary, Birdsville Social Club, 1978-1990.

Health
Birdsville Health Clinic:
Nurse and community based worker, 2005-2014.
Administration officer, 2013-2014.

Advocate, Local Ambulance Committee, 2002-2011.

Awards and recognition includes:
Recipient, Citizen of the Year, Diamantina Shire Council, 1989.
Senior Sporting Administrator Award, 2013, 2004 and 1998.
Recipient, Centenary Medal, ‘for distinguished service to the community’, 2001.

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Holly Louise Northam OAM
Medal (OAM) of the Order of Australia in the General Division
Fadden, Australian Capital Territory
For service to medicine through a range of roles.

Service includes:

Director, ShareLife, five years.
Helped establish the Australian Organ and Tissue Authority.

ACT Health:
Organ and Tissue Donor Coordinator, since 2002.
Involved with the Restorative Justice Program.
Founding Member and Director, Donor Families Australia, since 2011.

Faculty of Health, University of Canberra:
Assistant Professor, Critical Care Nursing, 2010.
Senior Lecturer.
Course Convenor, Bachelor of Nursing.

Awards and recognition includes:
Donor Families Australia Award, 2016.
Special Commendation, University of Canberra Nurse’s Society, 2013.
Ben Wiseman Award for Healthcare, ACT Chief Minister’s Awards for Organ Donation Awareness, 2010.
Churchill Travelling Fellowship, 2006.

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Kerry Ann Peart OAM
Medal (OAM) of the Order of Australia in the General Division
Victoria
For service to nursing.

Service includes:

Co-ordinator, Barwon Health Midwifery Group Practice, since 2012.
Inaugural Program Director, Bachelor of Midwifery Course, Griffith University, 2010-2012.
Former Coordinator, Graduate Diploma of Midwifery Program, University of Ballarat.
Member, Australian College of Midwives, current.
Registered Midwife, Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia, Australian Health Practitioner Regulatory Agency, since 1977.
Author,’Managing Labour Pain Safely‘, research paper

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Joan Janice Ryan OAM
Medal (OAM) of the Order of Australia in the General Division
Marrickville, New South Wales
For service to nursing.

Service includes:

Royal Prince Alfred Hospital:
First designated Palliative Care appointment in New South Wales, 1988.
Palliative Care Clinical Nurse Consultant, current.
Founder, Death Review, 2009.
Rural and Remote Palliative Care Nurse Forum.

Palliative Care New South Wales:
Member, Management Committee, since 2004.
Chair, Education Sub-Committee, current.
Chair, Awareness and Communications Sub-Committee, current.

Nursing – General:
Palliative Care Nurse Consultant, Head and Neck Multidisciplinary Team, Chris O’Brien Lifehouse, since 2000.
Member, NSW Nurses and Midwives Association, since 1994.
Executive Member, Australasian Palliative Link International, current.
Palliative Care Nurse Consultant, International Education Programs, Timor-Leste, Nauri, Sri Lanka, India, Singapore, Thailand, Malaysia.
Former Contributor, NSW Health Education and Training Institute.
Former Lecturer, School of Nursing, Sydney University.
Lecturer and Advisor, Australian College of Nursing, Palliative Care, current.
Presenter, Palliative Care Nurses Australia Conference, Asian Pacific Forums and Montreal Whole Person Conferences, Canada.

Awards and recognition include:
International Nurses Award, 2011.
Quiet Achiever Award, Palliative Care New South Wales, 2010

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Dawn Leonie Thorp AO
Officer (AO) in the General Division of the Order of Australia
Myrtle Bank, South Australia
For distinguished service to nursing, and to medicine, in the field of haematology, as an expert clinician and mentor.

Service includes:

Mentor, South Australian BloodSafe Programme, SA Health, since 2002.

Member, World Federation of Haemophilia Nurses Committee, 1996-2002.

Former Co-Founder, Australian Haemophilia Nurses Group.
Former Member, Australian Society of Transfusion.
Former Council Vice President, Haemophilia Foundation Australia.
Former Contributor, Apheresis Graduate Certificate Curriculum, University of Adelaide.

Leukaemia Foundation Australia:
Coordinator, establishing South Australian Branch, 1999.
Volunteer, since 2002.

Australian Haemophilia Nurses Group:
Co-Founder, since 1988.
Former Inaugural Chairman, 6 years.

Australian and New Zealand Society of Blood Transfusion:
Co-Author, Guidelines for the Administration of Blood Components Transfusion, 2004.
Member, since 1993.
Former Member, Science Subcommittee.

Australian and New Zealand Apheresis Association:
Former Coordinator, Guidelines Working Group.
Former Member, Guidelines for Education Working Party.
Former Foundation Member.

Royal Adelaide Hospital:
Nurse Consultant, Haematology Unit, 1983-2002.
Apheresis Nurse, 1977-1983.
General Nurse, 1960 and 1969-1977.

Awards and recognition include:
Dawn Thorp Annual Oration, Central Adelaide Local Health Network, 2015.
Life Member, Australian & New Zealand Society of Blood Transfusion, 2003.
Recipient, Jennifer Ross Award, Haemophilia Foundation Australia, 1999.
Life Membership, Haemophilia Foundation of South Australia, 1998.
Life Governor, Haemophilia Foundation Australia, 1995.

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Diane Esma Twigg AM
Member (AM) in the General Division of the Order of Australia
Subiaco, Western Australia
For significant service to nursing through a range of leadership, education and
advisory roles.

Service includes:

School of Nursing and Midwifery, Edith Cowan University:
Executive Dean, since 2016.
Professor of Nursing and Head of School, 2009-2016.
Published more than 40 peer reviewed research papers.

Australian College of Nursing:
Former Representative, Nursing Leadership Bank of Experts, International Council of Nurses.
President, 2005-2007.
Vice-President, 2003-2005.
Former Board Member.
Fellow, since 2003.
Member, since 1995.

Commonwealth Department of Health:
Former Australian College of Nursing Representative, Health Care Efficiency Advisory
Committee, National Health Performance Authority.
Member, representing the Council of Deans of Nursing and Midwifery, National Nursing and
Midwifery Education Advisory Network.

International Congress on Innovations in Nursing:
Organising Committee Member, current.
Founder, 2003.

Western Australia Health:
Board Member, Child and Adolescent Health Services, since 2017.
Former Acting Chief Nurse.

Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital:
Executive Director of Nursing Services, 1995-2008.
Research Consultant, Centre for Nursing Research, current.

Health – other:
Executive Director of Nursing Services, North Metropolitan Health Service, 2002-
2005 and 2007-2008.
Former Deputy Presiding Member, Nursing and Midwifery Board of Western Australia.
Midwife, since 1979.
Nurse, since 1974.

Awards and recognition includes:
Inductee, Lifetime Achievement Honour Roll, Western Australian Nursing and Midwifery
Excellence Awards, 2017.

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Lydia Ann Visintin OAM
Medal (OAM) of the Order of Australia in the General Division
Camperdown, New South Wales
For service to nursing.

Service includes:

Clinical Nurse Consultant, Melanoma Institute Australia, since 2016.

Royal Prince Alfred Hospital:
Clinical Nurse Consultant (Melanoma), since 2006.
Nursing Unit Manager, 2000-2006.
Registered Nurse, since 1990.

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Kathryn Rosemary Woolridge OAM
Medal (OAM) of the Order of Australia in the General Division
Belmont, Queensland
For service to nursing.

Service includes:

Northern Territory Remote Health:
Remote Area Nurse, 2011.
Continuous Quality Improvement Facilitator, 2010-2011.
General Practice Nurse, 2008-2009.

Other:
Committee Member, Queensland Chapter, Australian College of Nursing, since 2007.
Registered Nurse and Team Manager, Northern Territory Emergency Initiative, 2007-2008.
Clinical Nurse, Community Hospital Interface Program, 2006.
Community and Primary Health Nurse, Roxby Downs Health Service, 2000-2005.

Awards and recognition includes:
Excellence Award for Nursing Clinical Practice, South Australian Nursing and Midwifery Federation, 2005.
Recipient, Australia Day Citizen of the Year Award, Roxby Downs City Council, 2002.
Certificate of Commendation Cyclone Larry Response, 2006.

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End

Please let me know via the comments section below if I missed any nurses on the 2019 Australia Day Honours List. I’m happy to correct any oversights.

Paul McNamara, 26 January 2019

Short URL: meta4RN.com/Honours2019

Diagnostic Overshadowing

2 Replies

Consultation liaison psychiatry services (CLPS) are, typically, based in a general hospital setting to provide the dual services of mental health clinical assessment/treatment and clinician support/education. The clinical and education roles overlap – a lot.

A significant part of the CLPS job is undiagnosing mental illness. Undiagnosis is often correcting a misdiagnosis, and also serves to validate the emotions and experiences of people (Patfield, 2011; Lakeman & Emeleus, 2014). It is not unusual for CLPS to be asked to see somebody who is emotionally overwhelmed or dysregulated. Sometimes this is in the context of mental health problems often in the context of significant stress. Naturally, we do not want to ‘psychiatricise’ the human condition. Of course, you cry when you are sad, and of course you are anxious when, like Courtney Barnett in ‘Avant Gardener’, you are not that good at breathing in. Of course, you’re frustrated when you are in pain or do not understand what’s going on.

Validating understandable and proportionate emotions is important.

It is equally important to make sure that somebody who has experienced mental illness previously does not have every presentation to the hospital/outpatient clinic seen through that lens. That is called “diagnostic overshadowing”; which is a significant problem.
Diagnostic overshadowing is where physical symptoms are overlooked, dismissed or downplayed as a psychiatric/ psychosomatic symptom. It must be one of the most dangerous things that happen in hospitals.

The President of the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists, Professor Malcolm Hopwood, said in May 2016, “I sometimes think that the worse thing a person can do for their physical health is to be diagnosed with a mental health disorder.” Prof Hopwood cited stigma and discrimination in the health sector as contributing problems to early mortality amongst people with mental health problems.

People, hospital clinical staff included, are often shocked when they find out that people diagnosed with mental illness die between 10 and 25 years younger than the general public. Although suicide is a contributing factor to high mortality rates amongst this part of the community, it is alarming to note that the overwhelming majority – 86% – of people with mental health problems who had a premature death did not die from suicide (Happell & Ewart, 2016).

About 60% of people who experience mental health problems experience chronic physical health problems too. Poor mental health is a major risk factor for poor physical health, and vice versa (Harris et al, 2018).

The lived experience

Diagnostic overshadowing happens outside of hospitals too. In the example below, understandable and proportionate human emotions were misinterpreted as psychopathology. The cascade of events that followed makes for a sobering read:

Eight years ago I was diagnosed with bipolar affective disorder (BPAD) and recovered enough to commence a PhD. Unable to obtain travel insurance for a conference due to my diagnosis, I disclosed the reason to my supervisor. Unfortunately, he began to see all stress (normal to a PhD student) as BPAD symptoms and decided I was incapable of completing the PhD and progressively began to discriminate against me. My mental health started to decline. I imagine this must have validated his belief that I was an unsuitable student.

I received some help from the university, with an advisor indicating that my supervisor was undermining my work. The advisor was promoted. Despite not knowing me, his replacement did not believe my account and disagreed with my psychiatrist’s assessment of my mental state. Other staff and graduate students joined the belief that I could not cope, alienating me from the entire department.

After almost 18 months of fighting, I was once again depressed and felt defeated. I left the degree and lost my scholarship. It was one of the hardest things I have done. After, I was unable to gain employment; overqualified for most positions, lacking experience for the rest, and no references. After five months of constant rejections and lingering grief from losing the PhD, my self-worth and coping ability were so diminished, I made a very serious suicide attempt. I was so distressed that I could not see another solution.

Seven months later and I still have no paid employment. I have been undertaking volunteer work to regain some meaning in my life and have set myself up for the long-term with a new field of study. However, this does not pay the bills, and living like this is taking its toll. Sometimes I do not know where my next meal will come from, I have lost friends because of their attitude towards mental illness, and have withdrawn from health-related activities because of a lack of finances. Most days I cope and can find meaning in what I do, some days are much harder.

Questions for Reflection

Assuming that you – the person reading this – is a health professional, we have some questions we would like you to reflect on.

Have I ever witnessed a person’s mental health history influence how their presenting complaint was investigated or treated?

How does my workplace prevent mental health stigmatising and diagnostic overshadowing?

What can I do to support good holistic patient care without falling into the trap of diagnostic overshadowing?

References

Happell, B. & Ewart, S. (2016). ‘Please believe me, my life depends on it’: Physical health concerns of people diagnosed with mental illness. Australian Nursing and Midwifery Journal, 23(11), 47.

Harris, B. Duggan, M. Batterham, P. Bartlem, K. Clinton-McHarg, T. Dunbar, J. Fehily, C. Lawrence, D. Morgan, M. Rosenbaum, S. (2018). Australia’s mental health and physical health tracker: Background paper. Australian Health Policy Collaboration issues paper no. 2018-02, Melbourne, AHPC.

Lakeman, R. & Emeleus, M. (2014). Un-diagnosing mental illness in the process of helping. Psychotherapy in Australia, 21(1), 38-45.

Patfield, M. (2011). Undiagnosis: An Important New Role for Psychiatry. Australasian Psychiatry, 19(2), 107–109.

Seriously mentally ill ‘die younger’. (2016, May 10). SBS News. Retrieved from https://www.sbs.com.au/news/seriously-mentally-ill-die-younger

PDF version

A one page PDF version [suitable for printing] is available here: DiagnosticOvershadowing

Citation

McNamara, P. & Callahan, R. (2018). Diagnostic Overshadowing. News, Summer 2018 edition (published December 2018), Australian College of Mental Health Nurses, page 17.

End Notes

The article above is a tidied-up version of a blog post that Bec and I collaborated on in October 2018 (see meta4RN.com/shadoworiginal). This is not called self-plagiarising, it’s more like doing a studio version of a demo tape. 🙂

Many thanks to Sharina Smith for encouraging us to submit the article to ACMHN News.

Paul McNamara, 15 December 2018

Short URL meta4RN.com/shadow

 

 

Snow White, Complex Trauma and Twitter

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On Tuesday 4th December 2018 Naomi Halpern’s workshop “Working with Complex Trauma: The Snow White Model” was delivered at the Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital. I was amongst the small group of mental health nurses and social workers who joined the workshop via videoconference from Cairns Hospital. Here are my notes/tweets:

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What’s all this then?

Some people take notes in workshops using ye olde method of pen and paper. I’m not criticising – pen and paper are cute and quaint. But how on earth do they find their notes quickly and easily after the workshop has ended?.

I tweet my notes. They’re quickly and easily retrieved via phone, tablet or computer at anytime. Sometimes, if the presenter is OK with it, I collate workshop/conference tweets and plonk them all on my webpage for even quicker and easier future reference. That’s what this is all about.

Also, sometimes I have trouble explaining to other health professionals why I’m enthusiastic about Twitter for work-related stuff. It’s easier to show examples of how I use it, rather than just chin-wagging and flapping-about like a chook in a cyclone.

End

Sincere thanks to Naomi Halpern (aka @halpernnaomi1) for an engaging, informative workshop. For a single person to hold the attention and interest of those of us who were joining via videoconference for a whole day is very impressive. Also, I’m grateful to Naomi for agreeing to my request to collate these tweets here.

That’s it. As always, your feedback is welcome via the comments section below.

Paul McNamara, 8th December 2018

Short URL: meta4RN.com/SnowWhite

Australian Clinical Supervision Association (ACSA) inaugural Cairns Local Members Meeting

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The Australian Clinical Supervision Association (ACSA) inaugural Cairns Local Members Meeting will be held on 22 November 2018. I’ve been asked to be guest speaker. It is planned as an interactive session accompanied by visual cues to give the discussion a bit of structure. Consequently, the transcript/dialogue of the presentation can not be included here, but I have included a cut-down YouTube version below [scroll down].

The visual presentation itself doesn’t use powerpoint slides. It uses the much prettier (and free!) platform Prezi instead.

This page serves as a one-stop directory to the online resources used to support the discussion, and as an easy way for me to find the presentation. 🙂

As previous visitors to meta4RN.com will readily recognise, I’m recycling and combining a lot of old ideas for the session (there’s that self-plagiarism vs groovy remix of favourite old songs thing again), so this list below is ridiculously self-referential:

Care goes in. Crap goes out. Ian Miller @ The Nurse Path, 30 May 2017
thenursepath.blog/care-goes-in-crap-goes-out

Emotional Aftershocks (the story of Fire Extinguisher Guy & Nursing Ring Theory) meta4RN.com/aftershocks

First Thyself (the core source of info for the visual aspects of this presentation) meta4RN.com/thyself

Football, Nursing and Clinical Supervision (re validating protected time for reflection and skill rehearsal) meta4RN.com/footy

Nurses, Midwives, Medical Practitioners, Suicide and Stigma (re the alarming toll of those who undertake emotional labour) meta4RN.com/stigma

Nurturing the Nurturers (the Pit Head Baths and clinical supervision stories) meta4RN.com/nurturers

Queensland Health (2009) Clinical Supervision Guidelines for Mental Health Services [PDF]

Sample Clinical Supervision Agreement (no need to reinvent the wheel – start with a wheel that works and tailor it to your needs) meta4RN.com/sample

Prezi

Click to access the presentation.

You Tube Version

Link: https://youtu.be/fYKl7W8RFBo

End

That’s it. Thanks for visiting.

As always, please feel free to leave comments in the section below.

Paul McNamara, 15 November 2018

Short URL: meta4RN.com/ACSA

 

If you can Tweet you can Blog (and vice versa)

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Gather around children, Uncle Paul has a little story to tell.

No! Wait! Don’t run away! I’ll be pretty quick. Promise.

Back in the olden days when the internet was just a pup, there was no Twitter, Facebook or Google. Even MySpace (RIP) wasn’t invented then.

They were dark days, my friends. “Ask Jeeves” and “Alta Vista” were crappy search engines plagued by porn pop-ups. #embarrassing

Correction. Hashtags weren’t even invented then. #darkdaysmyfriends

They were dark days, my friends. March 2000 screenshot via Wayback Machine web.archive.org

People still communicated with each other via discussion boards. It was cool how people spontaneously repurposed sites like LonelyPlanet to use their discussion boards for funny, serious and mystical exchanges of ideas. Often all at the same time. Reddit still thrives using the discussion board format. Humans seem to like conversation.

In the late 1990s a couple of platforms were released that allowed ordinary people with no coding skills to write about stuff that interested them online. These platforms allowed non-geeks to create and maintain their own web site. “OpenDiary” and “Live Journal” were amongst the first.

It was a paradigm shift. Before then anything called a “diary” or a “journal” would have been kept private. These people were intentionally sharing stuff about their lives and interests with anyone who dropped-in online.

That sort of platform was called a “Web Log”. The pioneering community that used them started played with the words, and said “We Blog”. Fast forward a few years, and TaDa! in 2004 “Blog” was the Merriam-Webster Number 1 Word of the Year

Bloggers had humble beginnings as an online diary/journal, eg:
“Yesterday was an especially shitty day…”
“I learnt something about myself at work today…”
“Andrew McLeod is the smoothest footy player in the history of humans…”

Bloggers have probably become a bit more sophisticated in relation to content and boundaries, and blogs definitely look fancier nowadays. Nevertheless, blogging is still a humble craft. As with the pioneers, you learn blogging by doing blogs.

Learn from the mistakes of others though. Naming employers or workmates is bad for job security, especially if you’re being negative. The Australian Health Professional Registering Authority have a policy [here] which is mostly pretty common-sense stuff, but they’ve thrown in a couple of unexpected bits. Better have a quick look at it if you’re working in the health care caper.

My recommendation is to be clear re boundaries. Is your blog going to be Personal, Professional or Official? My definitions are:
Personal Use
Personal use of social media is where you share photos of your holidays with family and friends on services like Facebook or Instagram. If you happen to be interested in what Justin Bieber had for breakfast, you might follow him on Instagram or Twitter and see what he has to share with the world (it’s OK: we won’t judge you – it’s your choice).
Official Use
Official use of social media is where a company or organisation presents their brand and shares information online, like the Ausmed Education Twitter account, for example: @ausmed.
Professional Use
Professional use of social media is based on your area of expertise and interests. This use of social media allows you to share information with and interact with other individuals and organisations that have the same interests.

[source: www.ausmed.com.au/twitter-for-nurses]

Choose one.

On my blog I used the “About” page [here: meta4RN.com/about] to clarify boundaries that suit me. Maybe start with a similar idea – think about and articulate what you want the blog to become. Then go for it! 🙂

End

Motivated by Bec (aka @notesforreview) and Katherine (aka @KatherineFaire1), this post aims to lend encouragement to nurses, midwives and other health professionals who are considering a blog. I made the claim that if you can Tweet you can blog. To prove the point, this post is just a replica of what I put on Twitter earlier today (see here or here) ,with most of the typos fixed.

 

See? Same same, but different. 🙂

One last thing. You may be wondering what platforms are best for blogging. Me too. Click here.  🙄

Thanks for visiting. As always, feedback is welcomed via the comments section below.

Paul McNamara, 10 November 2018

Short URL: meta4RN.com/blog

They were dark days, my friends. March 2000 screenshot via Wayback Machine web.archive.org

 

Your Ordinary is Extraordinary

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“I have come to learn that it is fundamental for mental health nurses to establish relationships of trust and provide care to people who are in need, setting aside any bias or prejudice. What this means is that, as mental health nurses, you are championing human rights on a daily basis by simply doing your jobs. It must seem so ordinary to you as you go about your lives, but your ordinary is extraordinary.”
Sharina Smith
Communications and Publications Officer
Australian College of Mental Health Nurses
September 2018

Cite in text
(Smith, 2018. p. 2)

Cite in reference list
Smith, S. (2018, September). Welcome. ACMHN News. Spring 2018 edition. Australian College of Mental Health Nurses: Canberra.

Context

I was flicking through the most recent edition of ACMHN News, themed “mental health and human rights”, one last time before consigning it the recycling bin. Sharina Smith is editor of the publication, and always offers a short “welcome” column introducing the content. Stopping my trip to the bin, the three sentences quoted above jumped off the page.

It’s instructive to have someone from an unrelated field (in Sharina’s case marketing and communications), examine mental health nursing through their lens of education and experience. Sharina’s comments shine a spotlight on an incredibly important part of our work that we often take for granted.

Just as the paper of the magazine deserves to be recycled, so do Sharina’s observations about human rights and mental health nursing. That’s the purpose of liberating the excerpt above from the printed page to the internet.

End

Sincere thanks to Sharina Smith, and all the office staff at ACMHN. Your ongoing support of Australian mental health nurses is very much appreciated.

Find out more about ACMHN here: www.acmhn.org

Paul McNamara, 10 November 2018

Short URL meta4RN.com/ordinary

#ACMHN2018 on Twitter

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Information from and about ACMHN’s 44th International Mental Health Nursing Conference went well beyond the walls of the Cairns conference venue, and bounced around the world via social media.

Over the week of the conference more than 320 separate Twitter accounts used the #ACMHN2018 hashtag. There were over 2,750 tweets. 40 or so (less than 50, anyway) of the conference delegates, keynote speakers and sponsors were using the #ACMHN2018 hashtag – the content they generated was shared by over 250 people not in attendance. Many thanks to the relatively small percentage of conference participants who have amplified mental health nursing’s voice and values.

Free access to the #ACMHN2018 data and content is online,

One last thing. People are already talking about next year’s conference in Sydney using the #ACMHN2019 hashtag. Will you be part of the conversation?

End

That’s it. I’ve done detailed dissections of conference tweeting previously. This time I’m just dropping the info that was published in the ACMHN “Tuesday Times” on 30/10/18.

Short and sweet. 🙂

If you’re after more info about the conference content, I suggest that you browse the #ACMHN2018 tweets via this link, or the conference abstracts via this link.

Paul McNamara, 31 October 2018

Short URL: meta4RN.com/ACMHN2018