School of Nursing & Midwifery announces new Head
The Florence Nightingale School of Nursing & Midwifery is pleased to announce the appointment of Professor Helen McCutcheon as its new Head of School. Professor McCutcheon currently holds the position of Head of the School of Nursing and Midwifery at the University of South Australia.
Helen qualified as a Registered General Nurse, Registered Midwife and Neonatal Paediatric Nurse in Scotland. In 1978 she moved to Australia where she worked in positions where she has been able to provide primary health care, acute care and chronic illness support across the lifespan both in hospital and community health venues.
In Oct 2005, Helen was appointed as the Head of the School of Nursing and Midwifery, University of South Australia. Under her leadership and management the School has seen significant improvements in teaching, research and in student and industry satisfaction with the school. As part of her role as one of the nurse leaders in South Australia, Helen is making original and innovative contributions to teaching, scholarship and research in the various disciplines of nursing by establishing joint clinical partnerships for practice and research with major hospitals and community nursing venues in South Australia.
Under her leadership the School has grown to be one of the largest and most respected nursing and midwifery schools in Australia. Helen directed an ambitious approach to education and training, by re-developing the school’s suite of undergraduate and postgraduate programs to prepare nursing and midwifery health professionals for practice in the 21st century, in terms of competency and accountability.
Helen’s vision for nursing and midwifery excellence in research was rewarded by a very high ranking score in the recent Excellence in Research Australia 2010 exercise. The school’s research was ranked as above world standard in its research effort by the Australian Research Council (ranking is from 1-5 with 5 as the highest and the school achieved a ranking of 4).
Helen is particularly excited by the opportunities available for collaborative research within the College and across King’s Health Partners. She will be joining King’s in the autumn.
The College would also like to take this opportunity to thank Professor Anne Marie Rafferty warmly for all her efforts and innovations as Head of School and for her significant contribution to the College more broadly.
Anne Marie stands down at the end of August and will undertake a year's sabbatical in order to complete current research and begin some new projects. While retaining her Professorship of Nursing Policy, she will take up the College-wide role of Director of Academic Outreach. This new role will have particular reference to widening participation, cultural initiatives and the history of healthcare.