PCNA Committee

PCNA is guided by a committee of dedicated professionals.
We are pleased to introduce the 2025-2026 steering committee below.

Executive Team

  • Kate Swetenham is the Clinical Lead for the End of Life Care Team in the Department for Health and Wellbeing. Kate is a Registered Nurse with extensive leadership experience in specialist palliative care. Kate was the Clinical Director for Southern Adelaide Palliative Services for 15 years, and in that time supported the triple strand of care approach where education and research inform clinical practice.

    Kate is particularly passionate about the psychosocial aspects of illness and suffering and has focused much of her research activities on refractory suffering and the experience of the patient facing an end of life illness. Kate holds a Graduate Diploma in Psycho Oncology a Master of Palliative Care and a Master of Science. She also has academic status with Flinders University and contributes to teaching the communication skills component of the Graduate Certificate in Palliative Care.

    Kate has been the beneficiary of 3 international travel scholarships. In 2009 Kate was awarded the Diana Rudd scholarship to attend the Psycho -Oncology conference in Vienna.

    In 2012 Kate was awarded the Premier’s Nursing and Midwifery scholarship and travelled to New Zealand, Canada and United Kingdom where she studied rapid response programs for palliative care and Day Hospice Models.

    In 2017 Kate was awarded a Churchill Fellowship to study End of Life Care Strategies: Barriers and Enablers to Implementation. This fellowship was undertaken in Ireland, Scotland, England, and Canada.

    Kate brings her clinical, research and education experience to her work in the Department for Health and Wellbeing and enjoys working at a strategic level to improve the end of life experience for all.

  • Kylie Draper is currently employed as an Improvement facilitator by the University of Wollongong in the national Palliative Care Outcomes Collaboration (PCOC) program.

    Kylie is a registered nurse who has worked in the palliative care sector for over 30 years. Kylie has worked both in the inpatient setting at Caritas Christi Hospice and in the community setting with Eastern Palliative Care. Kylie has worked in a number of roles including as a senior nurse, clinical nurse consultant and Manager of Nursing and Medical services.

    Kylie completed her Bachelor of Nursing at Deakin University Melbourne and has completed post-graduate studies in Palliative care at Flinders University, South Australia. Kylie has also more recently completed a Diploma of dementia care at the University of Tasmania and a Graduate Certificate in consumer engagement. Kylie has completed a Certificate IV in Workplace Training and Assessment and is a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.

    Kylie is passionate about palliative care, specifically, nursing leadership and palliative care access and provision for First Nations people.

  • Katy is a Chartered Management Accountant, and has worked in a variety of industries in the UK and Australia over the last 20 years, most recently as Financial Controller for a professional services firm. Katy has previously volunteered as Treasurer in a not-for-profit organisation, and is excited to be working with Palliative Care Nurses Australia.

  • A highly motivated and compassionate senior nurse with over 17 years’ experience in palliative care across inpatient, consultancy, and community settings. Committed to education, research, respectful leadership, and management, with a focus on equitable, high-quality palliative care, positive work culture, and staff wellbeing.

    Currently Nurse Unit Manager of the palliative care unit at Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, with expertise in communication, strategic thinking, leadership, risk management, public speaking, and education. Maintains strong networks with stakeholders at local and national levels.

    Key interests include support, advocacy, and education for specialist and generalist palliative care nurses, advancing palliative care in the disability sector, and research within inpatient services.

    Recent achievements and roles:

    • Established a new palliative care unit at Peter MacCallum in 2020.

    • Led Ward 1A to win PCA’s Outstanding Delivery by a Team in Palliative Care award (2023).

    • Developed and facilitated a two-day palliative care short course for the Parkville Integrated Palliative Care Service (since 2022), which continues to grow annually. Revenue funds a nursing scholarship for PMCC palliative care nurses to support education and conference attendance.

    • Lead, End-of-Life Working Group at Peter MacCallum.

    • Facilitator, Your Thoughts Matter communication skills training program.

    • Clinical Tutor, University of Melbourne (Medical Sciences: Death and Dying, 2024–2025).

    • Advisory Committee Member, A Dose of Grief education program on death and dying for health professionals.

    • Presenter at PCNA Melbourne Conference 2024, VADCON Brisbane 2024, and NSW Palliative Care State Conference, Tamworth 2024.

    Motivation:
    Driven to broaden my contribution to the palliative care sector beyond my organisation. Deeply committed to raising awareness and strengthening support and advocacy to improve patient care, family experience, and nursing outcomes in the delivery of holistic, high-quality palliative care.

Committee Members

  • Aileen Collier holds a joint appointment with Flinders University and the Northern Adelaide Local Health Network (NALHN) as an Associate Professor in Aged Care and Palliative Care Nursing.

    She has worked as a palliative care nurse for many years in numerous settings and countries. Aileen is passionate about people receiving the best palliative care possible wherever they live and whatever their circumstances. When not at work you’ll find her in the paddock or out on the trail with her horses.

    You can learn more about Aileen’s work here .

  • Anna has worked for last 21 years in Palliative Care. In this time, Anna has worked in Clinical, Managerial and Education, although predominantly in NSW and as a Clinical Nurse Consultant in both the Community and the Acute Care Setting.

    Since moving to Tasmania, Anna has worked as a Clinical Nurse Consultant in Palliative Care at the Royal Hobart Hospital. This year she has began a project role to improve end of life care in the acute care setting with a focus to develop a state wide end of life care plan. Anna has a particular interest in dying in the Acute Care setting and how we can improve this experience for both the patients and their families.

    Anna will complete her Master’s Degree in Palliative care through Flinders University this November this year.

  • Jessica is a clinical nurse consultant working with the acute inpatient consult team at a metropolitan health service in Melbourne.  Jess has also worked in community palliative care and has post-graduate qualifications in palliative care, psychology and public health.  

    Jessica is a passionate advocate for early-career palliative care nurses and enjoys providing education and mentorship at the bedside and through her casual academic position with Flinders University. 

    She is excited to bring palliative care nurses together at the 2026 Conference to share learnings and celebrate our meaningful work.  

  • Bio coming soon!

  • I began my nursing career at The Alfred, Melbourne in 1989. Early in my training, I cared for a terminally ill patient from regional Victoria. Although technically unskilled at the time, I was able to provide general nursing care, advocate for her comfort, and be present. When her family later thanked me for the positive impact of my care, the experience profoundly shaped my career path in end-of-life care. My time on the medical oncology ward further exposed me to strong clinical mentors, inspiring me to pursue postgraduate studies in oncology nursing and palliative care at St Bartholomew’s, London, where I worked in haematology/oncology for five years. This early mentoring remains a model for how I now support clinicians interested in palliative care.

    Returning to Australia in 2000, I commenced as a Clinical Nurse Consultant in palliative care in Wagga Wagga (2001) and became an endorsed Nurse Practitioner in 2006. I remain the only full-time palliative care prescriber in MLHD, supported by FIFO VMOs (0.2 FTE). Over this time, I have seen palliative care evolve from a single-discipline, cancer-focused “cottage industry” into a multidisciplinary, district-wide service using a risk-stratification approach.

    My clinical leadership has included documenting our Model of Care, establishing the MLHD Palliative Care Nurse Practitioner Model of Care, developing policies and procedures, co-authoring a handbook for new clinicians, and providing regular mentoring and education across disciplines. I have a particular interest in supporting early-career clinicians to reflect on practice and build skills that sustain high-quality care and long-term engagement in the specialty.

    At a state level, I am a founding member of the ACI End of Life and Palliative Care Executive Committee, serve on the Regional Health Care Plan Steering Committee, the NSW Ministry of Health Nurse Practitioner Advisory Group, and the Ministry’s End of Life and Palliative Care Framework Review Advisory Committee.

    My experience delivering palliative care in regional, rural, and remote communities offers a unique perspective for the PCNA committee. I remain committed to improving equitable access to quality palliative care and to supporting health professionals in its delivery.

  • Sarah is a Palliative Care Clinical Nurse Consultant with over 15 years’ experience, mainly in community palliative care. She currently leads a clinical team at Danila Dhilba supporting Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander elders in the Darwin community. Her work has included roles in Far North Queensland, rural and remote New South Wales, metropolitan services, and in India. She has also worked as a Clinical Nurse Educator, developing EPC Foundations, a 10-day simulation-based program for community palliative care workers. Sarah sits on the Board of Palliative Care Australia, holds a Master of Advanced Nursing Practice, has completed the Australian Institute of Company Directors’ course, and is undertaking an MBA.

    Sarah is passionately committed to improving access to palliative care in lower socio-economic communities and supporting the next generation of palliative care nurses. She works in a team that delivers the PCNA webinars and loves supporting and connecting palliative care nurses across Australia.

    Sarah moved into the Vice President role at the 2025 AGM.