Gala Dinner Honours Great Australian from the Head of School
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Nursing and Midwifery News Issue 11, October 2006 Gala dinner honours great Australian More than 400 people enjoyed an evening of entertainment, fine food and wine at a gala dinner to honour Australian World War II heroine Vivian Bullwinkel and to raise funds for the Vivian Bullwinkel Memorial Fund. The memorial fund supports the work being undertaken by the Vivian Bullwinkel Chair in Palliative Care Nursing, which was established in 2003 by the School of Nursing and Midwifery at the Peninsula campus to lead research, teaching and support in the field of palliative care. Former Chief of Defence, General Peter Cosgrove AC MC, Professor O’Connor, Governor of Victoria Professor David Vivian Bullwinkel survived three years De Kretser AO, Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences’ Deputy Dean, Professor Leon Piterman, Ms Ita Buttrose AM and Vivian’s nephew Mr John Bullwinkel at the gala event. of captivity under the Japanese Imperial Forces during World War II. Following the war she continued to dedicate her life to the comfort of the sick and dying through her profession of nursing. From the Head of School The current Chair in Nursing, Palliative Care Despite the hectic pace of 2006 we are finding it difficult to afford postgraduate is held by Professor Margaret O’Connor all looking forward to next year, with the study. who has made an impressive 20 year introduction of two new awards at our Researchers within the School have contribution to the field to date and leads an Peninsula campus. The double degree been fortunate to attract a number of accomplished team of researchers. in Nursing and Emergency Health grants associated with the DHS ‘Prepare The work conducted by Professor O’Connor (Paramedic) course poises to attract a Nurses for the Future’ program. and her team in Vivian’s honour focuses on large number of potential students and Congratulations to all those involved the needs of the dying and exploring ways the new degree in Nursing/Psychological with these projects which range from their lives can be made more comfortable, Studies will provide an opportunity for Improving Undergraduate Education to with Professor O’Connor leading a range of graduates to expand their career options Exploring Alternative Mechanisms for research initiatives aimed at enhancing the in either mental health, psychiatric Entry to Practice. We hope at least some of these projects will be concluded by provision of palliative care services both nursing or clinical psychology. This latter early 2007. nationally and internationally award has been supported with the The Vivian Bullwinkel Memorial Fund Gala allocation of additional load by the At our Gippsland campus, planning Dinner at the Melbourne Museum was a Commonwealth Government, as part of is underway for the introduction of great success. Generously promoting the its initiative to increase the mental health Graduate Entry Medicine (the MBBS) course in 2008. This will help build memory of Vivian Bullwinkel and supporting workforce. the fund through participation on the night the number of health profession were the Governor of Victoria, Professor The recent reconfiguration of our disciplines on the campus and create David De Kretser AO, former Chief of postgraduate awards has allowed the a range of opportunities for inter- Defence, General Peter Cosgrove AC MC, School to allocate some CSP places to disciplinary education and for closer Lt Georgina Whelan, RAN, Commander courses that have previously only been collaboration between staff in the School Medical Unit, Banda Aceh, Tsunami Relief available on a full fee paying basis. This and their colleagues in medicine. Effort, Vivian Bullwinkel’s nephew Mr John will relieve the financial pressure on a Tony Barnett Bullwinkel and Ms Ita Buttrose AM who was number of students, who have been Head of School MC for the evening. Nursing and Midwifery News Issue 11, 2006 Appointment of director to new board supporting nurses’ health The Nurses Board time professional service is available to independent management plans and of Victoria address the needs of registered and student coordinate treatment. together with the nurses suffering with alcohol and substance Nurses can enter the program as self- Australian Nursing abuse health issues. It is the first program of referrals or assisted referrals, whereby Federation its kind in Australia and was opened by the nurses come voluntarily but on the advice or (Victoria) has Hon. Ms Bronwyn Pike, Minister for Health, encouragement of a professional colleague, supported the earlier this year. manager, family member of friend. The creation of a new service is available Monday to Friday and is program, the Research data indicates that the prevalence located at 27 Victoria Parade, Fitzroy. Victorian Nurses of alcohol and other drug related problems Health Program among nurses is about the same as that Debra Griffiths (VNHP). The VNHP is a fully independent of the general community; however nurses RN (Div 1, Midwife), BA, LLB, LLM, legal entity with a five member Board of do have some particular challenges. Barrister and Solicitor Directors. Debra Griffiths from the School of They have ready access to drugs and Debra worked as a nurse and midwife Nursing and Midwifery has been appointed the pharmacological knowledge to go for more than a decade in Australia and as a director to the new board. The VNHP with this. They are unaccustomed to and England before commencing studies in has been established to ensure that a full uncomfortable in the role of patient. The arts and law. She is a senior lecturer in the community is very sensitive towards health Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health problems among nurses and there is often Sciences at Monash University where reluctance by nurses to admit substance Children’s book on grief she teaches health law issues. She is abuse problems. This can result in late In edition 8 of the newsletter we particularly interested in legal education of presentation, or no presentation, for reported on publication of the book health professionals and the incorporation treatment. This can impact on the nurse’s ‘Let the children be our teachers: a of legal principles into daily clinical practice. guide for those supporting grieving well being and career, as the Nurses Board She is currently completing her PhD which children’. This book was written with of Victoria are statutorily bound to deal with examines the practice of nurses and Linda Espie, Grief Counsellor, the health of nurses when it interferes or medical practitioners and their role in patient translated into Japanese by Kaori may interfere with their clinical practice. refusal of treatment decisions. She is the Shimoinaba, lecturer at the School The VNHP emphasizes the importance of co-author of the text Essentials of Law for and illustrated by Japanese children. early presentation and is equipped to offer Health Professionals, published by Elsevier. Kaori recently received an award from the National Association for Loss & Grief, for her work. These awards are New associate professor for Gippsland campus given annually during Grief Awareness Dr Ysanne Chapman has been at Monash will enable her to become more involved in Week with the purpose of promoting, University since 2004 and was recently academic staff development as well as recognising and rewarding excellence appointed Associate Professor of Nursing at pursuing her current and develop new in the provision of loss and grief Gippsland Campus, School of Nursing and research interests. She has a special support and awareness raising. Midwifery. She originally trained as a nurse Congratulations Kaori. attraction to writing for publication and will in London, England and moved to Australia continue her mentorship with other in 1970. She has worked as a clinician in academics in the school in assisting them to operating theatre, coronary care, accident publish in prestige refereed journals. Ysanne Graduation in Petaling Jaya and emergency, general surgery, medical currently supervises eight PhD students, for Malaysian students wards and community health. She began one masters’ student and is course her academic career as a clinical educator coordinator of the Bachelor of Nursing with and moved into the tertiary system in 1989. Honours program. Ysanne has worked as an academic at the University of New England, Armidale NSW, the University of Tasmania – Hobart, Adelaide University and Flinders University of South Australia. She has held several management positions; Head of School, Head of Department and course On the 6 September, 63 Bachelor of Nursing coordination positions. Before joining (Post Registration) and 12 Masters of Nursing students graduated at the graduation ceremony Monash University she was Head of the held at Sunway Lagoon Resort Hotel. The event Department of Nursing, College of Nursing was attended by the Head of School, Associate Professor Tony Barnett (pictured with some of and Allied Medical Science in Riyadh, Saudi the students after receiving their awards), Chair Arabia. Ysanne completed her PhD in 1999 of International Matters, Ms Jeni Grubb and Ms and her thesis examined the experience of Pathma Namasivayam from the of School of Nursing and Midwifery, Monash University. sadness in community health nurses who deliver palliative care. Ysanne’s new position Nursing and Midwifery News Issue 11, 2006 Palliative Care Nurses Australia Inaugural Conference 250 nurses from across Australia and New Nottingham, UK, Ms Rita Evans Director, Zealand attended