RN, PhD, MSc, PGCert, BSC, FHEA, FEANS, MACN, MAICD

Professor Karen Strickland is the Executive Dean of the School of Nursing and Midwifery at Edith Cowan University, Perth Western Australia, elected Chair of the Council of Deans of Nursing and Midwifery (Australia and New Zealand) and holds a current Ministerial appointment for the Board of the Western Australia Child and Adolescent Health Service.

Professor Strickland is an experienced academic nurse leader with significant clinical, academic and research experience across the health, higher education, and social service sectors. Recognized as an expert in the field of cancer, palliative and aged care through various appointments.

Professor Strickland holds a Bachelor of Science (Nursing) from University of Abertay, Scotland, a Master of Science (Nursing) from Manchester University, a Post Graduate Certificate in Teaching & Learning in Higher Education from Edinburgh Napier University and a Doctor of Philosophy from Edinburgh Napier University, Scotland. She is a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy, and the European Academy of Nursing Science and member of the Australian College of Nursing.

RN, PhD, MA, BAppSc, MAICD

Prof Ann Bonner is Head, School of Nursing and Midwifery at Griffith University. She is also a Visiting Research Fellow at the Kidney Health Service, Metro North Hospital and Health Service where she leads the Kidney Nursing Collaborative Research Centre, Visiting Research Fellow at Gold Coast University Hospital, and a Visiting Scholar at Princess Alexandra and Logan Hospitals. She has over 30 years in the education of nurses having worked in the tertiary sector since 1994 across universities in Queensland and New South Wales. Recently she was a Chief Investigator on two NHMRC Centres of Research Excellence and has attracted over $7 million in competitive research funding. Ann has over 150 publications and has delivered over 200 peer reviewed conference presentations and invited papers. 

Ann is recognised nationally and internationally as an expert nephrology nurse and is a member of the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW) Chronic Kidney Disease Expert Advisory Group and the External Advisory Board for the Australian Kidney Trials Network (AKTN). She is life-member of the Renal Society of Australasia, and in 2021 was inducted into Sigma International Nurse Researcher Hall of Fame. 

RN, PhD

Professor Julia Slark is the Head of School of Nursing at Waipapa Taumata Rau/University of Auckland. She qualified as a Registered Nurse in London, UK in 1993. She has 15 years’ experience as a senior clinical nurse specialist in Stroke patient care, and was part of the team at Imperial College NHS Trust which implemented the London-wide, new stroke strategy to provide urgent hyper-acute stroke interventions to London regional populations in 2009. Julia obtained her PhD from Imperial College London, in 2012 which looked at risk awareness as a tool to improve secondary stroke prevention strategies. 

Since arriving in New Zealand in 2013, Julia has led two stroke development projects in Auckland and Waikato to implement hyper-acute stroke services and she coordinates New Zealand’s only stroke specialty nursing course. She was the academic director of the BNurs programme at the University of Auckland for five years prior to taking up the position of Head of School in 2019. Julia is the inaugural Chair of the Stroke Nurse Forum Aotearoa which was established in November 2020. 

Julia is an enthusiastic and committed nurse, educator and researcher who is passionate about providing the highest standards of care to patients. Her research interests include nursing, education and all aspects of stroke patient care.

RM, PhD, MEd, PG Dip Higher Education, BSc(Hons), Higher Dip Mid, SFHEA

Professor Kathleen Baird is a Professor of Midwifery and Head of School Nursing and Midwifery at the University of Technology Sydney. 

Professor Baird has a wealth of clinical and academic experience both in the United Kingdom and Australia. She has a strong track record in learning and teaching and is a consistent advocate for teaching excellence and innovation in education. She is an active researcher and today, her main research areas are models of midwifery care,  perinatal mental health, birth trauma and family and domestic violence, this interest has led to researching the effect of other social factors of vulnerability, and research with Culturally and Linguistically Diverse communities.  

In view of her research expertise in domestic violence from 2016 – 2023 she was the Deputy Chair for the Queensland Death and Homicide Review Board and a member of the Queensland Domestic and Family Violence Implementation Council from 2016 – 2022.  Currently Professor Baird is an executive member of the Australasian Nursing and Midwifery Clinical Trials Network and Co-Assistant Secretary General Global Network of WHO CC for Nursing and Midwifery and is an Executive member of the Council of Deans Nursing and Midwifery and Chair of the Midwifery Advisory Group, Council of Deans Nursing and Midwifery.

Associate Professor Jan Dewar is Head of Nursing at Auckland University of Technology (AUT). 

Jan is leading the review of the Registered Nurse scope and competencies on behalf of the Nursing Council of New Zealand (NCNZ) and is co-chair of Kawa Whakaruruhau Wharangi Ruamano (the national Māori Nurse Educators and Academics rōpū).

With over 10 years as Nurse Director in DHBs and 14 years in auditing, Jan now oversees HealthCert audits for Te Whatu Ora and researches Māori impacts of health standards. She serves on the CORT Community Housing Trust board, helping reduce mental health readmissions by 98% in partnership with Te Whatu Ora.

Jan has a particular interest in health safety and quality, and Māori health. Jan (Ngāi Tahu) supervises Masters and Doctoral level students using qualitative methodologies including research with a Kaupapa Māori approach. Jan teaches Practical Leadership in Health Professional Practice in the Master of Nursing Science programme, and guest lectures on professional leadership in health across a range of programmes.

RN, DPhil(Oxon), BSc(Hons), FRCN, FEANS, FRSCI, PGCEA, FAAN, MAE, RMN

Professor Brendan McCormack is Head of The Susan Wakil School of Nursing and Midwifery (inc. Sydney Nursing School) & Dean, Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney.  

He is a leading academic with 32 years of research, scholarship, management, and leadership experience focusing on the development of person-centred services in higher education and healthcare organisations. Brendan's research into person-centred practice has been globally adopted. He has developed theories, frameworks, methodologies, processes, and tools that have been tested and refined in over 70 projects globally, resulting in sustained changes to healthcare practice, policy, and leadership.

Brendan has over 700 published outputs, including 13 books, 221 peer-reviewed journal publications, and my h-index is 32.  He is a Fellow Emeritus of the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland; Fellow of the Royal College of Nursing UK; Fellow of The European Academy of Nursing Science [EANS]; and Fellow of the American Academy of Nursing. Since 2000 he has held 14 honorary professorial positions with universities internationally. In 2014, Brendan was awarded ‘Researcher Hall of Fame’ by Sigma Global (global nursing organization). 

GradDip(Mgt), AdvDipBusAdmin, B.SC Hons - first class, B.TEC HNC

Ms Rachel Yates is the CDNM Chief Executive Officer.

An experienced policy and advocacy professional, Rachel has held leadership roles at Universities Australia, Gidgee Healing, the Australian Medicare Local Alliance, and the Australian General Practice Network. Passionate about the intersection of education, research, and healthcare, she is dedicated to advancing nursing and midwifery professions across Australia and New Zealand. Rachel holds qualifications in Management/Business Administration, Psychology and Medical Laboratory Science and is an associate of the Australasian College of Health Services Management.

Email: ceo@cdnm.edu.au

AdvDipAccounting, DipBusAdmin, GradCertMarketing, CertGovNFP, GIA(Cert)

Ms Nicole Stanes has been the CDNM Executive Officer since 2013.  

Nicole has worked in higher education since 2001 and has held various roles at Monash University over this time; encompassing research, student administraton and executive support and committee roles. Nicole holds qualifications in Business Adminstration,  Accounting and a Graduate Certificate in Marketing.  

Phone: (+61) 3 9904 4366

Email: executive@cdnm.edu.au

BA

Ms Sabrina Fukuda is the CDNM Communications and Policy Officer.

Sabrina has worked in the higher education and health industry since 2020. During this time, she has had various roles in communications, engagement, events and administration at The University of Melbourne. Sabrina holds a Bachelor of Arts degree, majoring in Linguistics.

Email: comms@cdnm.edu.au