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VC ’ s corner
It ’ s only really been in the last decade or so that cardiovascular disease as a women ’ s issue has been front and centre .
What are some of the challenges you ’ ve seen in those two specialties ? I think one of the biggest things that we are going to see moving forward is the need to increase the interface between health and social care . We know in parts of the world which have the best outcomes as a ratio , more money is spent on social care relative to acute care spending . We know that a lot of money that is spent in acute care sometimes does not make a difference or improve quality of life .
We need to make sure that people have clean , safe and adequate housing , access to nutritious food and safety . When I learned to be a nurse in the late ‘ 70s we didn ’ t think about these things as much .
What was it like for you to study nursing back then ? It was lots of fun to be honest . There was a lot of teamwork , and even though it was hard , it was not the same incessant pressure that it is today .
Nurses now work so incredibly hard and there ’ s never a break . It ’ s hard to believe in those days people would stay in hospital with an appendicectomy for a week . One of my really nice memories of nursing in those days was a Sunday when it was quiet .
There was such great camaraderie among us as a cohort . I think , as in many educational experiences , you grow together professionally . But you also grow personally , and as many nurses know , you face challenges which are daunting and you draw on the strength of your colleagues to help process them and get you through .
You ’ ve also worked and taught in the US . What differences have you seen ? There ’ s many more similarities than differences . Fundamentally nursing is a universal profession , a global profession . Nursing care is the same throughout the world , and of course , as developed nations and high income countries , the healthcare systems of the US and Australia are very similar . In fact , if you walked into a hospital or a healthcare setting you wouldn ’ t know the difference .
One of the differences and something we have to advocate for is the importance of sustaining Medicare and universal access to healthcare . We might not have it perfectly right in Australia , but we are a long way ahead of many countries .
In the US , you ’ ll see the very best and the very worst of healthcare . But fundamentally , where your health insurance is tied to your employment status is always going to be fraught and problematic .
How important is education and research to the future of nursing ? I think education has transformed nursing in Australia . When I trained to be a nurse in a diploma programme one of our duties in the operating room was to wash the surgeon ’ s bloody boots . That would never happen now .
The ability of nursing to go to an all Baccalaureate entry level is such a great achievement for our nation . Nurses who are engaged in policy and research are making a difference to patients . I think nurses have asked the questions and invested the questions , which are helping us to address a much more holistic perspective of healthcare rather than a purely narrow biomedical focus .
NSW nurses recently went on strike for the third time this year . What is your response to this ? Firstly , I think we need to celebrate our democracy where people feel that they can demonstrate and exercise their industrial rights safely and without fear . I also find it sad that many in the profession feel this is their only avenue of discussion and debate .
I think the profession has been through a tough time and I certainly respect our democratic right to engage in peaceful demonstration .
I ’ d say there is a real commitment from government to address these complex challenges . COVID-19 has been a massive assault on our society and our healthcare systems , but across Australia there is a commitment to critically analysing healthcare .
I think as nurses , we need to be part of crafting the solution . One of the ways that I think we need to talk about nursing is , what is our value proposition to the healthcare enterprise and equation ? I don ’ t think we are always articulate at describing that .
What do you enjoy most in educating future nurses ? I ’ m always motivated and inspired by being with the generation of future . It gives me hope . There is amazing constancy of
It ’ s a great honour to be a vice chancellor and proudly a nurse .
people throughout the world . I ’ ve done a lot of work in a lot of countries , and everywhere you go in spite of the complex and contested political dialogue of our leaders , when you go into healthcare settings , people just want their families to be happy , safe and well , and nurses want to be able to deliver equitable just and evidence-based care .
I think that ’ s the challenge for us : how do we make sure that equity is much more on the agenda , and how do we clearly explain to people that nurses are a valuable and critical element of the healthcare enterprise ?
I don ’ t think people really understand the difference between a nursing assistant and a registered nurse or doctoral-prepared nurse . I think this is a challenge for us to be able to translate secret nurses ’ language into messages that are going to shift the dial on policy makers , and importantly , make sure that nursing receives the adequate recognition and resourcing that it deserves .
What are your plans for the future ? I ’ m very fortunate to be at the legacy phase of my career . I certainly want to move over and make room for some amazing nurses coming up . But I ’ m also at a stage of my career where I want to use my experience , my expertise , my networks , and in some ways my ability to fund different causes to be able to support nursing .
It ’ s a great honour to be a vice chancellor and proudly a nurse . I hope in some small way that I can inspire and motivate people . I often think I ’ m a diploma nurse from the University of Wollongong , and I ended up being the Dean of Johns Hopkins University , the number one school of nursing in the US , and now being the vice chancellor of the University of Wollongong .
I really think the fundamental skills that I ’ ve developed as a nurse in terms of listening , problem solving , dealing with life-threatening situations and being able to be part of the team have really held me in good stead for my career .
I really want to encourage nurses all around the world to step up , step out , and have a say on what is going to make a difference in this world . ■
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