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Nursing leadership boosted through joint appointment

Friday, 15 February 2013

South ÐÓ°ÉÖ±²¥ 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 , Head of the ÐÓ°ÉÖ±²¥ of Adelaide's , and Ms Lydia Dennett, Chief Nurse & Midwifery Officer, .

"The Executive Director of Nursing role represents a truly integrated approach to nursing in this State," said Professor Justin Beilby, Executive Dean of the at the ÐÓ°ÉÖ±²¥ 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 ÐÓ°ÉÖ±²¥n 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 ÐÓ°ÉÖ±²¥ 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 ÐÓ°ÉÖ±²¥," 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 ÐÓ°ÉÖ±²¥."

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