Professor Jill White AM

Dean, Sydney Nursing School
AM RN RM, PhD Adelaide MEd Sydney BEd SACAE AssocDip Cumb

Professor Jill White has been an academic for 30 years in the areas of nursing, midwifery and education. She is both a registered nurse and registered midwife, and Chairperson of the Australian Nursing & Midwifery Council (ANMAC). Jill became Dean of Sydney Nursing School, at the University of Sydney, in 2008. For 10 years prior to that, she was Dean of the Faculty of Nursing, Midwifery and Health at UTS, Sydney.

Jill has provided strong leadership in the academic development of nursing and midwifery, including strategic planning in education, research and consultancy. She has been responsible for developing policy, implementing quality administrative and academic processes, and also for developing new, innovative graduate programs which are recognised both nationally and internationally.

Jill is a representative on a number of University committees, including the Poche Centre for Indigenous Health and the Management and Staff Consultative Committee. As Chair of the Australian Nursing and Midwifery Council, she was part of a working party responsible for developing the new national accreditation framework and guidelines. Other involvement with industry, government and professional bodies includes membership in the Leadership Collaborative, NSW Health, the Clinical Placement Advisory Group for Universities Australia, and the Council of Deans of Nursing and Midwifery (CDNM).

Areas of expertise

Jill’s research interests include:

• curriculum development of nurses and midwives
• the effects on practice of organisational reform
• health policy
• professional regulation (registration and accreditation)
• health services management
• new models of care including models of primary health care
• nursing and midwifery practice

Recent publications (since 2000)

Books and book chapters

White, J. (2012). Becoming a competent, confident professional practitioner. In E. Chang & J. Daly, Transitions in Nursing: Preparing for Professional Nursing Practice (3rd ed). Sydney: Elsevier.

White, J. (2010). The Australian and New Zealand Context. In S. Pairman, J. Pincombe, C. Thorogood & S. Tracy, Midwifery: Preparation for Practice (2nd ed). Sydney: Elsevier.

White, J. (2009). Patterns of Knowing: Review, Critique and Update. In P. Reed & N. Crawford Shearer, Perspectives on Nursing Theory (5th ed). Philadelphia: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.

White, J. (2009). Nursing Today. In J. Crisp & C. Taylor, Potter & Perry’s Fundamentals of Nursing (3rd ed). Sydney: Elsevier.

White, J. & Hughes, F. (2009). The Health Care Delivery System. In J. Crisp & C. Taylor, Potter & Perry’s Fundamentals of Nursing (3rd ed). Sydney: Elsevier, Sydney.

White, J. (2009). Australia Gets Chief Nursing and Midwifery Officer, American Journal of Nursing 109.1:26 (Invited “Letter from Abroad”).

White, J. (2006). Becoming a competent, confident professional practitioner. In E. Chang & J. Daly, Transitions in Nursing: Preparing for Professional Nursing Practice. (2nd ed). Sydney: MacLennan & Petty.

White, J. (2006). The Australian and New Zealand Context. In S. Pairman, J. Pincombe, C. Thorogood & S. Tracy, Midwifery: Preparation for Practice. Sydney: Elsevier.

White, J. (2006). Patterns of Knowing: Review, Critique, and Update. In L. C. Andrist, P. K. Nicholas & K. A. Wolf, A History of Nursing Ideas. Boston: Jones and Bartlett Publishers Inc.

White, J. (2005). Nursing Today. In J Crisp & C Taylor, Potter & Perry’s Fundamentals of Nursing (2nd ed). Sydney: Elsevier.

White, J. (2004). Australian Forward. In D. Diers, Speaking of nursing ... Narratives of practice, research, policy and the profession. Boston: Jones and Bartlett Publishers Inc.

White, J. (2003). Patterns of Knowing: review critique and update. In P. Reed, N. Crawford Shearer & L. Nicoll (Eds.), Perspectives on Nursing Theory (4th ed). Philadelphia: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.

White, J., Chiarella, M., Glen, S. & Jones, M. (2002). So you want to be a nurse. In J. Daly, S. Speedy, D. Jackson & P. Darbyshire (Eds.), Contexts of Nursing an Introduction. Oxford: Blackwell.

White, J. (2002). Becoming a competent, confident professional practitioner. In E. Chang & J. Daly, Transitions in Nursing: Preparing for Professional Nursing Practice. Sydney: MacLennan & Petty.

White, J., & Chiarella, M. (2000). So, You want to be a Nurse. In J. Daly, S. Speedy & D. Jackson Contexts of Nursing. Sydney: MacLennan & Petty.

Refereed journal publications

Matthews, L., Pockett, R., Nisbet, G., Thistlethwaite, J., Dunston, R., Lee, A., & White, J. (2011). Building capacity in Australian inteprofessional health education: persepective from key and higher education stakeholders. Australian Health Review, 35, 136-140.

Brown, D., White, J. & Leibbrandt, L. (2006). Collaborative partnerships for nursing faculties and health service providers: What can nursing learn from business literature? Journal of Nursing Management, 14, 170-179.

Leibbrandt, L., Brown, D. & White, J. (2005). National comparative curriculum evaluation of baccalaureate nursing degrees: A framework for the practice based professions, methodology for the practice-based professions. Nursing Education Today, 25, 418-429.

White, J. (1999). Professional doctorates in nursing and midwifery: unwise indulgence or courageous coming of age? Focus on Health Professional Education, 1 (1) 17-27 (Invited paper).

White, J. (1995). Patterns of knowing – Review, critique and update. Advances in Nursing Science, 17 (4), 73-86.

Non-refereed journal publications

White, J. (2002). Nursing: A health services management crisis amenable to health services research? Healthcover, February/March pp. 30-33.

Published research reports (since 2000)

Dunston, R., Lee, Adrian, Lee, Alison, Matthews, L., Nisbet, G., Pockett, R., Thistlethwaite, J. & White, J. (2010). Interprofessional Health Education in Australia: Report of the launch of the proposal The Way Forward. Sydney: University of Technology, Sydney and the University of Sydney.

Dunston, R., Lee, A., Lee, Alison, Matthews, L., Nisbet, G., Pockett, R., Thistlethwaite, J. & White, J. (2009). Interprofessional Health Education in Australia: the Way Forward. Sydney: University of Technology, Sydney and the University of Sydney.

Clare, J., Brown, D., Edwards, H., van Loon, A., Leibbrandt, L., Malko-Nyhan, K. & White, J., (2003). Learning Outcomes and Curriculum Development in Major Disciplines: Nursing. Evaluating Clinical learning Environments: creating education-practice partnerships and benchmarking for nursing. AUTC Phase Two Final Report. Adelaide: FUSA.

Clare, J., White, J., Brown, D., Edwards, H., van Loon, A., Leibbrandt, L. & Malko-Nyhan, K. (2002). Learning Outcomes and Curriculum Development in Major Disciplines: Nursing: Curriculum, Clinical Education, Recruitment, Transition & Retention in Nursing. AUTC Final Report. Adelaide: FUSA.

Conference papers (since 2005)

Invited conference papers

White, J. (2012). Shared understanding: The workforce-education gap. Queensland Nursing and Midwifery Education Summit, Brisbane, May (keynote).

White, J. (2012). Time to Shine: Time to Shine APNA. Conference, Melbourne, May (keynote).

White, J., Chiarella, M., Adrian, A., & Kelly, J. (2011). Symposium: managing the politics of health workforce reform in a professional regulatory environment. ICN, Malta, May.

White, J. (2010). Patterns of Knowing in Neonatal Nursing. In Our Hands: The future for Neonates and Nurses. Conference, Sydney, October (keynote).

White, J. (2010). Creating Creative Spaces: Setting the scene for Interprofessional learning and collaborative practice and 2010. National Leadership & Learning Conference, Brisbane, September (keynote).

White, J. (2010) Nursing Knowledge, Research and Practice in a New Global Environment PUMC International Conference, Beijing China, August (keynote).

White, J. (2010). Key issues for nursing curricula and the impact for other health disciplines Healthcare & Medical Education Micro Conference, Australian Higher Education Congress. Sydney, March.

White, J. (2009). Patterns of Knowing for Midwifery Practice Rural Midwives Forum, Baraba NSW, February.

White, J. (2008). Architecture for Inter-professional learning Officer of Medical Education Forum, the University of Sydney (workshop), November.

White, J. (2008). Vision for the Future Catholic Hospitals Australia Nursing Workforce Forum Sydney (keynote).

White, J. (2008). The more things change the more they stay the same ... ? The 5th Australian Defence Forces Nursing Conference. Department of Defence, Canberra, November (keynote).

White, J. (2008). Nursing and Midwifery in Vietnam-Moving towards international standards Hoc Mai Foundation Conference. HaNoi Vietnam, November.

White, J. (2008). Beyond the Hospital: Education’s responsibilities for our health care future. 13th National Nursing Education Conference. Sydney, September (keynote).

White, J. (2008). The Work of the Government Chief Nursing and Midwifery Officer Global Meeting of Government Chief Nursing and Midwifery Officers, WHO Geneva, May.

White, J. (2008). Patient Centred leadership and Management. 5th Nursing Leadership International Conference. Sydney, April (keynote).

White, J. (2007). Regulators support for practitioners in times of rapid change through Education: LLL & CPD. 8th International Regulation Conference, Protecting the Public: Regulatory Best Practice, Yokohama, Japan, June (invited paper and workshop).

White, J. (2007). Education for acute care. The 4th Annual Queensland Emergency Medicine Autumn Symposium. Gold Coast, Queensland, April (keynote).

White, J. (2005). Nurses without Borders – taking heed and taking heart. The 4th ADF Nursing Officer Conference “Go There with Resolve, Competence, Confidence and Ethics”. Department of Defence, Canberra, November (keynote).

White, J. (2005). Simtect 2005 Health Care Simulation Conference. Royal Brisbane & Women’s Hospital Education Centre, Brisbane, November (keynote).

White, J. (2005). Health Care as culture and spiritual practices in disaster and emergency situation. The 2nd International Nursing Conference 2005 “Caring in Disaster and Emergency Situation”, Bali, June (keynote).

Conference organisation

International Policy and Research Roundtable ll, planned for September 2011. Organised by J. White and M. Chiarella and hosted by the University of Sydney and the Canadian Nurses Association in association with the Canadian Commission into Health Care Futures (sponsored by the International Partnership Development Fund).

Inaugural Worldwide Universities Network (WUN) Nursing and Midwifery International Policy and Research Roundtable. Organised by J. White and M. Chiarella, and hosted by the Faculty of Nursing and Midwifery, University of Sydney. Participants included Professor Jill White and Professor Mary Chiarella (Faculty of Nursing and Midwifery, University of Sydney) Professor Anne Marie Rafferty (UK), Jane Salvage (UK), Dr Brenda Cleary (USA) and Sandra McDonald-Rencz (Canada). 1–4 September 2009.

Member of the Organising Committee for the Second International Clinical Skills Conference, Prato, Italy, July 2007.

Nursing and Midwifery Leadership Summit, organised by J. White and M. Rumsey and hosted by the Faculty of Nursing, Midwifery and Health, UTS, Sydney, November 2006 for delegates and Chief Nursing Officers of the Western Pacific Region (sponsored by the World Health Organization and AusAID).

Simtect 2005 Health Care Simulation Conference. Royal Brisbane & Women’s Hospital Education Centre, Brisbane, November 2005. (Member of organising committee).

Emerging Diseases, Lessons to be learned from SARS Summit, organised by J. White & F. Hughes and hosted by the Faculty of Nursing, Midwifery and Health, UTS, Sydney, April 2004, for the Chief Nursing Officers of the Western Pacific and South East Asia (Sponsored by AusAID & WHO).

Awards and grants (since 2000)

2007–2009

Developing interprofessional learning and practice capabilities within the Australian health workforce – a proposal for building capacity within the higher education sector. ALTC grant Carrick Institute grant. R Dunston, Adrian Lee, Alison Lee, L Mattews, G Nisbet, R Pockett, D Slade, J Thistlethwaite, J White. $227,500

2002–2003

Learning Outcomes and Curriculum Development in Nursing, Phase 2: Developing and Managing Partnerships for Optimal Clinical Learning for Undergraduate Nursing Students. Australian Universities Teaching Committee Grant funded through DETYA by the Higher Education Innovations Programme (HEIP). Co-Chief Investigator J Clare and colleagues (FUSA); H Edwards and colleagues (QUT); D Brown and J White (UTS). $100,000

2000–2002

Learning Outcomes and Curriculum Development in Nursing – Phase 1: Curriculum, Clinical Education, Recruitment, Transition & Retention in Nursing. Australian Universities Teaching Committee Grant funded through DETYA by the Higher Education Innovations Programme (HEIP). Co-Chief Investigator J Clare and colleagues (FUSA); H Edwards and colleagues (QUT); D Brown and J White (UTS). $198,000

Research supervision

Doctoral panel

Nerilee Baker PhD UTS Exposing the Complex Realities of Nursing Unresponsive Patients’ pain in Intensive Care

Cathrine Fowler PhD UTS Producing the New Mother: surveillance, normalisation and maternal learning

Denise Fassett PhD UTS An exploration of the influences of medical science on the body: rehabilitation, nursing, medicine and the physical body

Jill Molan PhD UTS The government of nurses through competency: A genealogical discussion

Anita Bamford DNurs UTS Leadership for cultural change: creating new growth from old

Frances Hughes DNurs UTS Policy, politics and nursing: a case study of policy formation in New Zealand

Pat Brodie DNurs UTS The invisibility of midwifery: will developing professional capital make a difference?

Nicky Leap DMid UTS Rhetoric and reality: narrowing the gap in Australian midwifery (under examination)

Sally Pairman D Mid UTS Workforce to profession: An exploration of New Zealand midwifery’s professionalising strategies from 1986 to 2005

Research master’s supervision

Sally Pairman MA(Midwifery) VUW The midwifery partnership: an exploration of the midwife/women relationship

Angela Wilson MA(Nursing) VUW Practice-based reflection: Learning grounded in practice

Therese Beale MA(Nursing) VUW Psychiatric nurses: the influences of their personal life experiences on therapeutic readiness

Rachel Parmee MA(Nursing) VUW Living and working with Asthma: A dynamic interplay

Chris Townley MA(Nursing) VUW Defining the healthy organisation

Suzanne Rochester MN UTS An opportunity for change: Developmental care and neonatal nursing

Current research students

Kerry Anne Hughes PhD Massey
Amelia Lata Afuhaamango Tu’ipuloto PhD Sydney

In addition:

• Supervision of many minor theses and research projects
• Frequent examiner of doctoral and master’s theses for universities in Australia and New Zealand
• Honorary Research Fellow Victoria University of Wellington (2001–ongoing)

Areas of teaching

Jill’s PhD thesis was entitled Commodification of Caring. She has taught in the areas of research methods, health policy and politics, knowledge of nursing and midwifery, ethics of care and health care systems.

International consultancies

2011

White, J., & Martin, M. (2011). UNFPA funded project ($30,000) Further dissemination and implementation of a 3 year College-based Midwifery Curriculum for Vietnam. (October).

2010

White, J., Martin, M., & Tracy, S. (2010) UNFPA funded project ($185,000) Implementation of a 3 year College-based Midwifery Curriculum for Vietnam. (June–December) in association with RIAP.

2008

White, J., Martin, M. & Tracy, S. UNFPA funded project ($180,000) to develop a 3-year College-based Midwifery Curriculum for Vietnam. (June–December) in association with RIAP.

Invited Member on the Visiting Committee to the Alice Lee Centre for Nursing Studies. National University of Singapore. Report on the curriculum development for the Bachelor of Science (Nursing) and Bachelor of Science (Nursing, Honours). Singapore, July 2005.

2007–2008

International Advisory Group Member for the “Supporting Women to have Normal Birth” project with King’s College, London funded by the Dept of Health Policy Research Program.

2004–2006

Consultant for the development of an “International” standard Bachelor of Nursing with the Binawan Institute of Health Sciences, Indonesia. The project is designed to significantly improve the quality of the teaching, learning and graduate outcomes of courses conducted by Binawan Institute of Health Sciences and to assist them to develop, implement and monitor the quality of their Bachelor of Nursing to a sufficient standing to enable Indonesian nurses to gain registration in western countries.

Invited by World Health Organization to Regional Strategy on Human Resources for Health 2006–2015 Forum, Manilla, Philippines, November 2005.

2004–2007

Established the relationship with Dr L. H. Hiranandani Hospital, India for upgrading quality of nursing care and nursing administration and ongoing oversight of the faculty’s relationship including onsite work in Mumbai and Sydney.

2003–2004

Consultant, Sister School Program in South Sulawesi, Indonesia. A World Bank funded project designed to improve the health of the Indonesian people through improving human resources in the education of health service personnel. A component of the project was developing the educational management skills of the academy heads and the Director of the Polytechnic. Advised and taught Strategic Planning, Organisational Structures and Business Processes, and Curriculum Processes.