P004556 revised AU-VU:EOAS Encyclopedia of Australian Science and Innovation

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 English AACR2 Anglo-American Cataloguing Rules Person created 2004-02-19 human Merle Parkes and Helen Hamilton for ANMHP updated 2025-10-29 human https://www.eoas.info/biogs/P004556b.htm person Parkes Merle Elicia AM AACR2 1927 2024 Place of Birth Sydney, New South Wales, Australia Place of Death Leura, New South Wales, Australia Nurse Nurse educator Merle Parkes held many clinical roles, but then devoted her career to nurse education. She had extensive experience in clinical nursing, teaching and administration of schools of nursing within the hospital and higher education systems. Parkes was involved in the development of the tertiary-based training of nurses in Australia.

After completing her basic nursing education, Merle Parkes gained her midwifery and infant welfare qualifications. She spent five years in various clinical roles before turning her career towards education, with her appointment as principal nurse educator at the Royal Perth Hospital in 1962. From this point onwards Miss Parkes' career was devoted to nurse education. She was an innovative leader and introduced study days for students to attend lectures and clinical nurse educators to assist students in the practical work on the wards. She was instrumental in the appointment of a clinical psychologist to support students. These initiatives were novel at the time and demonstrate Miss Parkes' commitment to students. In response to her assessment of need, two new components to the teaching program were developed. One, of twenty hours, focused on personal and professional development. The other was a community health nursing component. She was involved in re-writing the curriculum and introduced it at Royal Perth Hospital in 1968.

A strong advocate for tertiary based nurse education, Miss Parkes made a significant contribution over a twenty year period in seeking and finally achieving the changes that took place in the educational preparation of nurses. These were introduced, Australia wide, in the 1990s.

She held senior and leadership positions during times of great upheaval and change in education. Miss Parkes had had extensive experience in clinical nursing, teaching and administration of schools of nursing within the hospital and higher education systems. She was renowned for assisting those around her to keep perspective and balance. This, combined with her extensive experience in nursing educational matters and practicalities, made her one of the architects of the new, tertiary education system for nurses in Australia.

1945 1949 Education - General nurse training at the Ryde District Hospital, Sydney 1949 1950 Education - Midwifery training at the Women's Hospital in Crown Street Sydney 1950 1950 Education - Infant Welfare Certificate, Royal Society for the Welfare of Mothers and Babies 1951 1953 Career position - Junior sister in the private wing with medical and surgical patients for three years. Sister in charge of medical ward for two years 1954 1956 Career position - Spent a short period teaching with one PTS group and one year as second sister-in-charge of the Central Sterilising Department 1954 1956 Career position - Employed at Royal North Shore Hospital in Sydney for two and a half years, gaining experience in several departments, including medical/surgical/orthopaedic and children's nursing 1954 1990 Career position - Member of the Australian Nursing Federation 1955 1955 Award - Florence Nightingale Scholarship (National Award ) to provide two years study at the Royal College of Nursing London and qualify for the Sister Tutors Diploma from the University of London 1956 1958 Education - Florence Nightingale Memorial Committee Scholarship to study in England at the Royal College of Nursing, London 1958 1958 Education - Completed the Sister Tutor Diploma at University of London (awarded August 1958) 1958 1958 Award - Florence Nightingale International Foundation travel grant - for study tour in Scandinavia 1958 1958 Life event - Ten week study tour to study nursing education in Scandinavia, including content of curricula, methods of teaching and clinical experience in independent schools of nursing supported by the Florence Nightingale International Foundation 1958 1959 Career position - Surgical Instructor at the Atkinson School of Nursing at Western Hospital, Toronto in Canada - one year appointment to August 1959 1959 1959 Career position - Rockefeller Grant - for study tour of nursing degree programs offered by selected schools of nursing in the USA. Specifically to study content, organisation and implementation of nursing degree programs. Sixteen schools were visited 1959 1959 Award - Rockefeller Grant - for study tour in the USA 1960 1960 Career position - Fellow, New South Wales College of Nursing (now the College of Nursing) 1960 1961 Career position - Tutor in Charge of the School of Nursing at St George's Hospital in Kogorah, New South Wales 1961 1961 Career position - Fellow, Royal College of Nursing, Australia 1962 1970 Career position - Principal Nurse Educator School of Nursing at the Royal Perth Hospital, Western Australia 1962 1983 Career position - Member of the Education Committee for the Nurses Registration Board of Western Australia 1964 1967 Career position - Member of the working committee appointed by the nurse registration board of Western Australia to revise curricula in Western Australia 1970 1970 Career position - Member of the Australian Federation of University Women (AFUW) 1970 1973 Career position - Principal of the Western Australian Branch of College of Nursing, Australia 1971 1983 Career position - Member of the Australian College of Education (MACE) 1973 1990 Career position - Councillor of the Royal College of Nursing, Australia 1974 1976 Career position - Member of a working party set up by the nurses board of Western Australia to investigate the future needs of nursing education in Western Australia 1974 1976 Career position - Member of a national working party consisting of representatives from national nursing organisations to develop a statement and strategies for action on the introduction of change in nursing education in Australia 1974 1983 Career position - Inaugural Head of the Department of Nursing within the School of Health Sciences at Western Australian Institute of Technology 1974? 1983? Career position - Study tour to four institutions offering nursing degree programs in the UK and Canada. To compare undergraduate nursing programs in the UK and North America with the program planned for introduction in Western Australia 1976 1978 Research - Carried out a study of staffing patterns used in Australian hospitals for the provision of nursing care 1976 1979 Career position - Member of the Council of the Royal Australian Nursing Federation, Western Australia branch 1977 1980 Career position - Contact person and State convenor of task force responsible for advising the National Steering Committee on priorities for implementing the Goals in Nursing Education 1977 1988 Career position - Appointed to the panel of overseas advisors for the original editorial board for the Journal of Advanced Nursing, published by Blackwell Scientific Publications, UK 1978 1984 Career position - Advisor to the National Steering Committee established to set targets for implementing the goals in nursing education policy statements 1978 1988 Career position - Member of the Censors Board at the Royal College of Nursing, Australia 1980 1980 Career position - Consultant to the Tasmanian College of Advanced Education for a study to determine the availability of appropriate educational resources in the tertiary sector for the conduct of undergraduate educational programs 1980 1981 Career position - President, Royal College of Nursing, Australia 1981 1981 Research - Visiting Research Fellow at Nursing Education Research Unit at Chelsea College, University of London 1981 1981 Award - Fellowship of the Australian College of Education (FACE) awarded in recognition of an outstanding contribution to an area of specialised education 1981 1993 Career position - Member of the international editorial board for the International Journal of Nursing Studies, published by Pergamon Press Ltd., UK. 1982 1982 Research - An analysis of the work of qualified midwives in Western Australia 1982 1982 Award - Member of the Order of Australia (AM) - in recognition of a significant contribution to nursing education 1983 1983 Career position - Head of the School of Nursing at the Tasmanian Institute of Technology 1983 1990 Career position - Head of the School of Nursing Studies at the Tasmania State Institute of Technology, later University of Tasmania 1983 1991 Career position - Member of the editorial board for the Journal of Advanced Nursing published by Royal Australian Nursing Federation (now Australian Nursing Federation) in Melbourne 1985 1988 Career position - Member of the Editorial Committee of the College of Nursing, Australia (now Royal College of Nursing, Australia) 1986 1986 Career position - Seconded to the Department of Nursing at Massey University New Zealand for four weeks, to study resources used for teaching on behalf of the Committee 1988 1992 Career position - Member of the Nurses' Board of Tasmania 1989 1989 Career position - Member of the Australian Education Council's working party on nurse education set up to provide advice to e ministers and the National Board of Employment and Education and Training on the length of courses and appropriate entry level 1989 1992 Career position - National President of the Florence Nightingale Committee of Australia 1990 1990 Career position - Consultant to the Tasmanian State Institute of Technology to investigate nursing programs in North America leading to a Masters degree by research and to develop Stage 1 of a proposal for the introduction of a Masters degree in Health Science 1990 1991 Career position - Consultant to Victoria College (School of Nursing in Burwood, Victoria), to develop a proposal for a Bachelor of Nursing (degree) course incorporating a competency based model 1991 1991 Career position - Ministerial appointment to the Launceston District Health Forum established to assess consumer input to health service delivery and needs 1992 1992 Career position - Consultant to the Royal College of Nursing, Australia to review administrative structures and to improve services to members 1996 1996 Career position - Consultant to University of Western Sydney (Nepean) Faculty of Nursing and Health Sciences, to review and evaluate course accreditation documents for Bachelor of Nursing degree program 1997 1997 Award - Distinguished Life Fellow Award Royal College of Nursing, Australia. Parkes, Merle Elicia (1929-)

Trove

 'Parkes, Merle Elicia', in Encyclopedia of Australian Science and Innovation, Centre for Transformative Innovation, Swinburne University of Technology Parkes, Merle Elicia Swinburne University of Technology, Centre for Transformative Innovation Encyclopedia of Australian Science and Innovation Resource Section: We Congratulate Merle Parkes AM - Jean Arnot Recognition We Congratulate Merle Parkes AM - Jean Arnot Recognition Australian Federation of Graduate Women Australian Federation of Graduate Women - New South Wales Book: A Professional Pilgrimage: a History of the Florence Nightingale Committee of Australia, 1946-1993 Parkes, Merle E. A Professional Pilgrimage: a History of the Florence Nightingale Committee of Australia, 1946-1993 Burwood NSW College of Nursing 2002 Merle Elicia Parkes - Records National Nursing Archives of Australia, Australian College of Nursing Merle Elicia Parkes - Records Professional papers, including educational programs, reports and submissions. Some photographs and memorabilia. Merle Parkes Merle Parkes

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