Professor Mary Chiarella FRCNA

Mary is currently the Professor of Clinical Practice Development and Policy Research, Centre for Health Services Management, University of Technology, Sydney. This is a personal chair sponsored by the NSW Health Department. Otherrecent appointments include Special Professor, School of Nursing, University of Nottingham; in 2003/04 she was the Chief Nursing Officer, NSW Health Department and prior to that was the Foundation Professor of Nursing in Corrections Health,
with the University of Technology, Sydney. She has just accepted a position as Professor of Nursing at the University of Sydney, commencing in July.

Mary has provided her professional expertise to health services, organisations and governments over the years. Examples include a review of professional practice and boundary issues for Justice Health, membership of the NSW Law Reform Commission Division Working Group on minor’s consent to medical treatment. She was a founding member of the Australian Bioethics Association and the Australian Institute for Health, Law and Ethics and is currently Co-Chair of the Clinical Council of the NSW Clinical Excellence Commission, Chair of the Advance Care Planning Steering Group, NSW Health and Chair of the Australian Nursing and Midwifery Council. She is also a member of the Hospital Alliance for Research Collaboration, a jointly convened group between the Sax Institute and the Clinical Excellence Commission.

Mary’s particular research interests focus on legal, policy and ethical issues in nursing and health care delivery.
Examples of her research include an international review of nursing regulation, an examination of the legal and
professional status of nurses, a review and analysis of the disciplinary decisions of the NSW Nurses Registration Board, and an international review of policy in end-of-life care. Her current projects are a state-wide review and analysis of models of nursing care and she recently undertook a state-wide review of advanced practice roles for the Nursing and Midwifery Office of the NSW Health Department. She is currently working with Amanda Adrian to complete the second review and analysis of the disciplinary decisions of the NSW Nurses and Midwives Board.