Karen is the Cardiac Nurse Practitioner at Austin Health where her role focuses on improving outcomes for patients with chest pain and Acute Coronary Syndromes.
After completing her Coronary Care course at The Royal Melbourne Hospital in the era of the ISIS 1 & ISIS 2 trials (and if you are old enough to remember the ISIS, GUSTO & GISSI trials and the Datascope 82 and 83 IABPs you are of the same vintage!), Karen has consolidated her cardiac nursing experience in various clinical, managerial, educational and project roles at the RMH, The Alfred and Austin Health in Melbourne.
After moving to Austin Health in 2010 to commence as the Cardiac Nurse Practitioner candidate, Karen was endorsed as a Nurse Practitioner by the NMBA in 2013.
Karen was a member of the ACS subcommittee of the Victorian Cardiac Clinical Network and the nursing representative on the “Chest Pain” and “STEMI” Writing Groups for the NHFA and CSANZ Australian Clinical Guidelines for the Management of Acute Coronary Syndromes 2016.
As well as a focus on chest pain and ACS, Karen has a special interest in the care provided to patients diagnosed with Spontaneous Coronary Artery Dissection. Reduction in the variability in care provided to patients undergoing cardiac procedures and ensuring evidence-based practice is another consideration in Karen’s clinical practice.
In order to improve patient outcomes, ongoing professional development is important to Karen. As well as undertaking informal teaching sessions for nursing, medical and allied health colleagues, Karen has been invited to present at local, state and national conferences.
Karen was granted membership to the CSANZ in 1995 and is a Board Member, and now Life Member, of the Australasian Cardiovascular Nursing College as well as a member of several other nursing and cardiac specialty groups.
Formal Qualifications
• Registered Nurse (hospital certificate),
• Coronary Care (hospital certificate),
• Bachelor of Applied Science (Nursing),
• Graduate Diploma of Education & Training,
• Master of Nursing Practice (Research), &
• Master of Nursing Practice (Nurse Practitioner)
Patricia M. Davidson Lecture (ex Cardiovascular Nursing Lecture ~ 2024)
The first Cardiovascular Nursing lecture was presented at the 2006 CSANZ Annual Scientific Meeting in Canberra. In 2023, the Cardiovascular Nursing Council submitted a proposal to the CSANZ Board to re-name the Cardiovascular Nursing Lecture in honour of Professor Patricia Davidson and it was unanimously approved at the Board meeting in November 2023.
Prof Davidson has been instrumental in developing the leading cardiovascular nurse researchers in Australia to improve the cardiovascular health of their communities. She is committed to mentoring the next generation of research leaders across many disciplines. Her career has focussed on improving the outcomes of individuals with chronic illness and developing policy-relevant health interventions. As a global leader in nursing, health care, and advocacy, Prof Davidson’s work focuses on person-centred care delivery and the improvement of cardiovascular health outcomes for women and at-risk populations.
Throughout her research career, she has supervised more than 56 doctoral students. She has over 700 publications, a large number are published with students, mentees, clinical collaborators and fellow nurse scientists, many of whom are former students or mentees.
After beginning her tertiary education at the University of Wollongong in 1995, Prof Davidson returned as Vice-Chancellor and President in May 2021. Prior to her return to Australia, she spent 8 years in the United States as Dean and Professor of the Johns Hopkins School of Nursing in Baltimore, MD. Her previous appointments were at the University of Technology, Sydney, firstly as Professor and Director for the Centre for Cardiovascular & Chronic Care then appointed as the Professor, IMPACCT Research Centre Sydney.
Back
