Nursing leadership boosted through joint appointment

Friday, 15 February 2013

South Australia is moving to strengthen links between the nurses in our hospitals and tertiary nursing educators and SA Health executives.

A newly created role of Executive Director of Nursing within the Central Adelaide Local Health Network will be shared by Professor Alison Kitson, Head of the University of Adelaide's School of Nursing, and Ms Lydia Dennett, Chief Nurse & Midwifery Officer, SA Health.

"The Executive Director of Nursing role represents a truly integrated approach to nursing in this State," said Professor Justin Beilby, Executive Dean of the Faculty of Health Sciences at the University of Adelaide.

"Bringing teaching, policy, clinical practice and research together will ensure the highest quality, professional nursing workforce today, and in the future," said Professor Beilby.

South Australian nurses continue to play a pivotal part in the delivery of state-wide health reforms, particularly in the transformation of patient care. This appointment recognises the value and contribution of the nursing profession and its impact on the rapidly changing health landscape - in clinical, research and teaching environments.

There are two distinct roles within the joint position - Quality and Governance; and Innovation and Reform, which reinforce a continuity of leadership across the leadership function as a whole.

The two roles are defined as Executive Director of Nursing - Quality & Governance (Lydia Dennett) and Executive Director of Nursing - Innovation & Reform (Alison Kitson) including models of care & workforce planning and redesign.

Professor Kitson and Ms Dennett will continue to maintain their substantive roles with the University of Adelaide and SA Health respectively, while working in partnership to provide the overarching Executive Director of Nursing function to Central Adelaide.

"This is a significant step in raising the voice of nursing in South Australia," said Professor Alison Kitson. "I am delighted to take up this new challenge. It really underpins the importance of building a highly professional and responsive nursing presence in South Australia."

 

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