Executive Committee

Linda is a registered nurse in areas of psychiatry, intellectual disabilities and general nursing. She has a Master’s in special education and has just gained her PhD. This concerned the development of a health mentoring project involving families of children with intellectual disabilities and undergraduate student nurses working together to identify and address each family’s health care needs. The health mentoring model integrated into a nursing curriculum has the potential to increase the student nurses’ awareness of the needs of people with an intellectual disability and their families.

Linda has a clinical background in residential services, larger centres and hospitals in Australia and the UK. She worked in the area of staff development in the Department of Community Services before joining Charles Sturt University. Linda is currently a Senior Lecturer in nursing teaching the areas of intellectual disabilities, mental health, and chronic and complex care at undergraduate and post graduate level. Linda is interested in the many dimensions of disabilities but particularly health and the role of nurses as this area has been sadly neglected over the last twenty years.

Vice-President
Norma Cloonan, RN, BA(Social Welfare)
Norma is experienced in mental health and developmental disability nursing (beginning her career in the early 1960s) and has worked in community and institutional settings in both fields. She is currently employed by Sydney South West Area Health Service as a clinical nurse consultant in dual diagnosis (intellectual disability and mental illness). Norma has also co-authored a chapter on providing nursing care for people with a dual disability for a comprehensive text book on mental health nursing.

Secretary
Cecily Spradbrow

Membership Secretary
Lorraine Coughlin, RN, BHSc(Nursing)
Lorraine is experienced in both mental health and developmental disability nursing (beginning her career in 1967 in Austria). She has worked in a variety of settings including small and large residentials, schools, group homes, community and educational facilities.

Newsletter Editor
Maree McCulloch

Executive Members

Michelle joined PANDDA in 2010 as a result of attending the PANDDA conference. A general nurse, Michelle has enjoyed experience in both the large residential and community sector of Disability Services. Now working in Vocational Training & Assessment for Response Employment and Training, Michelle works across NSW with both public sector and community partner clients.

Michelle is undertaking continuing study in community sector management and Literacy .Michelle actively participates in discussion both domestically and offshore to research and to promote the implementation of assessment recognition communities of practice.

Michelle maintains nursing currency via the PANDDA network and the mentoring support of the PANDDA executive. Michelle is undertaking adjunct research and project development to investigate the strength of social networking services to create cyber- evidence tools and models and a recognition peer support network and plans to develop the PANDDA Website capacity to improve benefits and communications to PANDDA members.

Janice is a Registered Nurse with 32 years experience. She has worked in Mental Health, General Nursing and Developmental Disabilities. Janice is now one of the Clinical Nurse Consultants working in the Ageing Disability and Home Care, Community Support Teams. She has been a member of the PANDDA committee for only 1 year and is very interested in developing resources for disability nurses. 

Damian is a Registered Nurse with 10 years experience working in the field of Developmental Disability and 8 years previous experience in Community Mental Health. He is currently acting Nurse Systems Support Officer for the Department of Family & Community Services.  

Bob is a Past President and a foundation member of PANDDA and a continuous PANDDA Committee Member since 1991; a Fellow of the Australian College of Mental Health Nurses; a member of the College of Nursing Australia, and a member of the NSW Council for Intellectual Disability. He was a Professional Member of the NSW Guardianship Tribunal for 14 years from 1989 to 2003. Since 1999 Bob has worked as Manager of Client Services at Disability Enterprises in the beautiful Blue Mountains.

Alicia Rodgers

PANDDA
The Professional Association of Nurses
in Developmental Disability Australia

PANDDA disseminates information and promotes communication between national and international organisations related to the field of developmental dIsability.

Phone
0408 878 538

Postal Address
PANDDA (Aust) Inc.
PO Box 3633
Parramatta NSW 2124

Email
president@pandda.net

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