A 40-YEAR JOURNEY: INSIGHTS FROM TASMANIA’S CHIEF NURSE & MIDWIFE, #InternationalNursesDay2025 #InternationalNursesDay
With
Adjunct Associate Professor Francine Douce
Chief Nurse and Midwifery Officer
Department of Health Tasmania
PEOPLE IN HEALTH CARE SEGMENT
Filmed in Hobart, Tasmania | May 2025
Reflecting on her nursing journey on the Tasmanian Health website on International Nurses Day 2025, Chief Nurse and Midwife, Francine Douce, has seen plenty of change since the start of her nursing and midwifery career, 42 years ago.
“At the executive level, it would be unusual to see a woman at the board table at the start of my career – now when I look at the executive of our organisation, I am amongst peers and that is just an amazing shift.
“It’s inherent in us to give back as well, so I feel a real sense of responsibility around not only taking the opportunities for me but creating them for those who come behind,” Ms Douce said.
In May 2025, Francine was inducted into the Tasmanian Nurses and Midwives Honour Roll as a proud Tasmanian who has passionately served the Tasmanian community with over 40 years of experience working as a Registered Nurse and Midwife in Tasmania.
In the formative years of her career, Francine served remote Tasmanian communities living and working in Tullah. Francine later moved to North West of Tasmania where she worked as a nurse and midwife. It was here that Francine’s clinical leadership capability was recognised.
Francine’s leadership journey led her to Hobart where in January 2009 she was appointed as the Director of Nursing in the Office of the Chief Nurse and Midwifery Officer, in the Department of Health. In 2014, Francine was promoted to the Acting Chief Nurse and Midwifery Officer role. She was employed in this position for two years before being appointed in 2016.
In 2015, Francine completed the Global Nursing Leadership Institute (GNLI) with the International Council of Nurses, the first Tasmanian alumni for the GNLI. In October of the following year, Francine was appointed as Tasmania’s Chief Nurse and Midwife, which she continues to proudly fulfil today. Francine’s tenure in both professions has uniquely placed Tasmania in the national policy context.
Francine is a contemporary and visionary leader who implemented the Tasmanian Nursing and Midwifery Symposium, the Tasmanian Public Sector Nursing and Midwifery Excellence Awards, a suite of nursing and midwifery leadership offerings including Leading for Tomorrow Today, and more recently implementation of a Tasmanian Nurses and Midwives Honour Roll. Francine is enthusiastic about elevating the status of nursing and midwifery as well as giving back to the professions. She is an active member of the Australian College of Nursing (ACN) and a Fellow of the Australian College of Midwives (ACM).
Francine served as member and Chair of the Nursing Board of Tasmania/NMBA 2005-2010, the Tasmanian member to National Council ACM 2015, Chair Australian and New Zealand Council of Chief Nursing and Midwifery Officers 2017-2019, current Chair of the Florence Nightingale Grants and Awards Committee, and the International Commissioner for Pathways to Excellence with the American Nurses Credentialing Centre. In 2025, Francine was elected as the Deputy Chair of the Australian Council of Chief Nursing and Midwifery Officers.
During the COVID 19 pandemic, Francine led the Public Health Emergency Operations Centre, established the Nursing Deployment Program to the Victorian Aged Care Outbreak and established the Aged Care Emergency Operations Centre while maintaining the CNMO role.
More recently Francine’s leadership was engaged to lead the development of the Service Delivery Model for the North West Maternity Services (2021-2023), and as the Acting Deputy Secretary (Clinical Accreditation, Regulation and Accreditation) in the Department of Health (2023).
Francine has been nominated and received for many awards including the Soroptimist International Prize for Midwifery Theory, the ANMF Tas Branch Representative of the Year, Service Award – Mersey Community Hospital Support Group, a Peer Award from the Australian College of Midwives, and was nominated for the J&J Midwife of the Year Award.
Francine was appointed as an Adjunct Associate Professor with the University of Tasmania in 2016 and is a strong advocate for nursing and midwifery education, research and professional leadership.
Source: Tasmanian Health Website
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Continuity of Care under COVID-19
Series 3, Episode 1
Under the COVID-19 pandemic, the Australian Healthcare system has handled the public health crisis by monitoring and responding to challenges in supply chains, testing & tracing of new infections and stock piling of essential equipment.
The public has largely responded by practising social distancing, understanding how hand hygiene can spread contagion and recently installing the COVIDSafe mobile application. Public health messaging has been largely effective and literacy improve, to combat the dangers of misinformation.
To open up access to medical advice during the pandemic, in March the Australian government issued MBS item codes for telehealth consultations, for advanced practice nurses as well as GPs and other specialists.
According to AMA President Dr Tony Bartone, as of mid-May 2020, around 10 million Medicare-funded telehealth services have been provided, either over the phone or via video, a significant majority of which have been provided by GPs and other specialists since the Medicare telehealth items were introduced in March.
However in recent months, the health system has mounting concerns on:
- a reduction in general practice visits for testing, investigation or immunisation
- lower rates of elective procedures resuming since being halted
- reduction in laboratory testing
- reduction in treatments and diagnosis of chronic and acute conditions
- access to, and continuing to take medications
Those with pre-existing conditions have been urged to keep appointments and routine treatments to maintain their health.
Industry has taken action such as the newly formed Continuity of Care Collaboration (CCC). The 15 health organisations forming CCC are an Australian first national communication collaboration of Peak Bodies, Industry and Healthcare Organisations coming together to stress the importance for people to continue monitoring their health and maintaining their regular care.
This Australian Health Journal episode on the continuity of care was produced with commentary from the following health industry associations and organisations: APNA – Australian Primary Health Care Nurses Association, RACGP, Medical Technology Association of Australia (MTAA), West Cessnock Medical Practice, Consumers Health Forum of Australia, Medicines Australia
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Cardiologist broadens Tasmania’s surgical abilities
Dr Heath Adams is a Tasmanian born, bred and educated interventional and structural cardiologist who works at Hobart Private and Royal Hobart Hospital and is a researcher through the Menzies Research Institute.
Dr Adams clinical interest and expertise is in the management of aortic stenosis, valvular heart disease and acute coronary syndromes. Dr Adams performs coronary interventions including stenting, and structural heart interventions including TAVI, mitral edge to edge repair, mitral valve replacement and left atrial appendage closure. In 2020, Heath performed the first TAVI in Tasmania, is the clinical lead for the local program at the Royal Hobart Hospital and is a nationally accredited TAVI practitioner.
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Unleashing the potential of Paramedic skills and knowledge
According to a prominent paramedicine academic and researcher, paramedics have the potential to provide much-needed care in the community, changing the traditional healthcare model. Research points to paramedics having a wider healthcare workforce impact based on their ability to identify and fix problems 24/7.
Dr. Brendan Shannon is Head of Postgraduate Programs in the Department of Paramedicine at Monash University and a member of The Australasian College of Paramedicine. His interests including refining healthcare models, to ensure underserved communities receive requisite care. These alternative care pathways, like outreach programs, can work out of hospitals to provide care in underserved communities with social and complex chronic conditions.
