My quest for understanding

This article is part of a captivating series on Sigma members who have recently achieved one of the highest honors in the field of nursing research: induction into Sigma’s International Nurse Researcher Hall of Fame.

Nursing training in the 1980s was a significant time of change for the profession with the movement from hospital-based education to university-prepared nurses. When I completed my schooling, I had two application choices—train as a registered nurse through the hospital-based system with full-time employment or progress through the Sturt College of Advanced Education (SCAE), South Australia. Whilst the lure of paid employment was there, I chose the SCAE pathway.

Once registered, my career started at the Royal Adelaide Hospital, South Australia. One night, during a month of relief night shifts, I was asked to cover a cardiac ward because a nurse had to leave due to an injury. Although I was only on that ward for half of a night, it served as a turning point for my career. I decided cardiac care was my passion, and I pursued that field for my first permanent role after graduating.

I found a mentor there who could see something in me and supported my thirst for knowledge, too. He encouraged me to explore all aspects of cardiac care, which helped me decide to go overseas to the United Kingdom and work at the Royal Brompton Hospital and Harley Street Clinic—two hospitals that, at the time, were leading the way in interventional cardiology. After a year, I returned to Australia to receive the Certificate in Cardiac Nursing at the Royal Adelaide Hospital. It seemed like a good fit after just completing my Hyperbaric Medicine Certificate. The nurses in this group excelled, each building a remarkable career in cardiac care. My mentor suggested I apply for a position in another cardiac ward, moving away from cardiac surgery and into interventional cardiology. No one was more surprised than me when I got the job, and I ended up teaching in a privately run cardiac program to consolidate my knowledge further.

While pursuing my master’s degree at the University of Adelaide, I could see a genuine need for psychological support for patients who had implantable defibrillators, with a particular focus on the impact on their quality of life. The patients and their families received little orientation about what a life-changing intervention this would be, and I heard different things from them about what the medical profession viewed solely as a “life saver,” but I was interested in “at what cost” to their quality of life. I presented findings on the experiences of patients and families living with implantable defibrillators in rural South Australia, where immediate medical support was unavailable. Using a phenomenological approach, I highlighted their lived experiences, including a striking shared sentiment: for some they would rather die than continue living with the device. While this feedback was difficult for medical staff to hear, it underscored the need to improve how we educate and support patients before implantation. It also emphasized the importance of evaluating not only medical suitability but also psychological readiness for the device.

Because of my research, we developed a pathway of care for people who met the criteria for a defibrillator. I remember one doctor saying to me, “I didn’t realise that nurses did research.” That lit another fire in me to complete my doctorate in nursing, making me the first nursing clinician at the Royal Adelaide to do this through the University of Adelaide. I went on to lead a cardiac interventional ward for 10 years, where we had a strong culture of learning, with many staff pursuing further study. We tested clinical practice theories and developed evidence-based cardiac care pathways, focusing on data-driven improvements rather than relying solely on clinicians’ instincts. By building a strong foundation of evidence, we enhanced care, saved lives, and improved patients' quality of life.

After that decade of work, I found myself wanting more, and I decided to jump into the director of education and research role at Southern Adelaide Local Health Network. It took me away from direct clinical care but enabled me to innovate and drive change at a larger level. Resulting in the development of blended learning and online education that scaled across many health networks.

Driven by a desire to deepen my understanding of education and public health, I pursued a diploma in education and a Master of Public Health. During this time, I was appointed the Executive Director of Nursing and Midwifery and led the network through a new career structure and the enterprise agreement at the same time. It was both exhausting and exhilarating, as every nurse and midwife had to have a new position description. We also built professional portfolios, aiming to give every nurse and midwife a sense of the value of their professional growth. Constant innovation and change have been at the forefront of my career to improve our knowledge and to foster quality care.

I shifted from acute care to primary care and population health when I was appointed General Manager of the Cancer Council in South Australia (CCSA). I supported the first statewide cancer research plan and engaged in the first Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Cancer Plan. I was fortunate to pivot out of that role to become the inaugural Professor of Cancer Nursing in South Australia, enabling an innovative appointment at the University of South Australia.

In collaboration with the University of South Australia and the Australian Nursing and Midwifery Federation (SA Branch), I helped establish the Rosemary Bryant AO Research Centre, now Australia’s leading nursing and midwifery research institution, with over 70 members and five dedicated labs. This made apparent the need for more research opportunities, so I co-founded the Australasian Nursing and Midwifery Clinical Trials Network (ANMCTN), the first of its kind globally, uniting over 30 universities and partners to drive evidence-based care and transformative cultural change within nursing and midwifery.

Being inducted into the Sigma Theta Tau International Nurse Researcher Hall of Fame is an extraordinary honour that not only recognises my career and the work of my incredible team but also opens new doors for global partnerships and collaboration. This recognition highlights the impactful research we are doing and positions us to connect with fellow recipients and international nursing and midwifery researchers who align with our research strategy. It is a unique opportunity to build meaningful friendships, enhance global healthcare outcomes, and drive change in our field. I am committed to leveraging this recognition to foster collaborations that will ultimately advance nursing and midwifery care and research worldwide.