Past Events

Postgraduate Forum - Australian Nursing in a Global Context

In 2008 the QUT School of Nursing celebrated a major milestone of thirty years of higher education for Queensland nurses. Much has been achieved and it was time to celebrate these achievements. 

In 1978 the then Nursing Department at the Queensland Institute of Technology commenced three post-registration diploma courses for nurses with an enrolment of 51 students. These courses were a major step forward for nursing and nurse education and were the first tertiary level courses for nurses in Queensland.  In 2008, with an enrolment of 2,600 students, the School of Nursing is one of the country’s leading providers of undergraduate and postgraduate education for nurses.

As part of our 30th Anniversary celebrations, our Postgraduate Forum was addressed by our first commonwealth Chief Nurse, Ms Rosemary Bryant, and international nurse consultant, Ms Fadwa Affara, who spoke about the future of Australian Nursing in a Global Context. We would like to invite you to watch the Postgraduate Forum video recording to listen to their amazing careers and to learn about where your postgraduate studies may lead to.

Head of School Professor Helen Edwards

Postgraduate Forum

The Postgraduate Forum, held 30 September 2008 at the Brisbane Convention Centre, was an exciting opportunity to hear national and international nursing leaders discuss how they see Australian nursing in a global context. Nursing is undergoing significant changes in Australia and at an International level. The importance of nurses undertaking postgraduate study to enhance their capacity in these specialists’ roles has never been so important, with the role that universities play in preparing nurses for these advanced and new roles being vital. The forum was also a great opportunity to see the range of postgraduate programs in nursing offered at QUT and to meet the experts who deliver these cutting edge courses.

Postgraduate Forum Guest Speakers

Fadwa A. Affara, RN, RNT MA, MSc
International Nurse Consultant, Education and Regulation Policy

Educated as a nurse and midwife Fadwa practised as nurse and midwife for 10 years in the UK and abroad. After obtaining an MSc in Nursing with a speciality in education at the University of Edinburgh, she spent the next 12 years in nursing education, initially in Scotland and then in Bahrain as Chairperson of the Division of Nursing at the College of Health Sciences. As chairperson she oversaw the reform of nursing education to an articulated system ranging from the practical nurse level to post-basic specialities and a post registration BSc.

Fadwa joined the International Council of Nurses in 1987, initially as director on an international nursing regulation project that involved over 80 countries. In 1991 she took up the position as one of ICN’s consultants for nursing and health policy. Among her special responsibilities at ICN were regulation, education, the International for Nursing Classification for Nursing Practice and women’s health. During her period at ICN, she has helped to set up the regulation and International Nurse Practitioner/Advanced Practice Nursing Networks, and the ICN Credentialing Forum which she co-chaired on several times. During that time Fadwa also served as a World Health Organization (WHO) consultant on many occasions.

Now retired from ICN, Fadwa undertakes extensive consultancy work for ICN, WHO and other agencies, particularly in the field of professional regulation and education. She co chairs the American Nurses Credentialing Centre’s Governing Council of the Institute for Credentialing International, and was conferred the President’s Award for Leadership in 2007.

Rosemary Bryant

Chief Nurse & Midwifery Officer, Department of Health & Ageing

Rosemary Bryant commenced in the position of Commonwealth Chief Nurse and Midwifery Officer in July 2008. She was formerly Executive Director of Royal College of Nursing, Australia, a position she held for eight years. She has had a broad career in acute hospital and community nursing, as well as in government relations. Executive positions she has held include director of nursing in both a community nursing organization and a large acute teaching hospital and the chief government nursing position in the state of Victoria, Australia. She also spent some time in private consulting during which period she undertook many consultancies, some of which were on the topic of nursing regulation. She also was a consultant to the World Health Organisation.

Rosemary has had a broad experience in policy development both in nursing and the broader health sector. Her academic interests revolve around the regulation of health professionals, having had practical experience as a member of three nurse regulatory bodies. She is currently undertaking Doctorate studies on the topic of the regulation of nursing.

Rosemary was elected as the Second Vice President of the International Council of Nurses in 2005.