Australia, like many countries, has an ageing population, yet we continue to face challenges providing care to older people. Nurses with gerontological expertise are underused and we see low interest in the area as a specialty. While we see nurses with gerontological expertise used effectively in aged care settings, the truth is that older Australians feature across the healthcare system.
In this webinar recording, Adjunct Professor Debra Thoms, former Australian Chief Nursing and Midwifery Officer, discusses the challenges facing gerontological nursing, considers our opportunities to use nurses with specialist gerontological knowledge and expertise more effectively, and suggests how we might grow this much-needed workforce.
Recording of a webinar held 8 August 2023
Presenter
Adjunct Professor Debra Thoms was the Australian Chief Nursing and Midwifery Officer (CNMO) from 2015 to 2019. Before that, she was the NSW CNMO (for six years) and the inaugural CEO of the Australian College of Nursing. Debra has an extensive background in nursing, midwifery and health leadership roles in a career spanning 45 years and a long relationship with the academic sector through her adjunct appointments at UTS and QUT. Her most recent full-time role was Acting Head of the School of Nursing at QUT in 2020.
Facilitator
Professor Wendy Moyle is Program Director of the Healthcare Practice and Survivorship Program and Professor of Nursing at Griffith University. She is renowned for her work developing and evaluating technology such as social robots to improve quality of life for people with dementia and their carers.