Professor Mary Chiarella AM

Professor Emerita, University of Sydney

Professor Mary Chiarella is Professor Emerita of the Sydney Nursing School, Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of Sydney and an internationally renowned nurse leader with a distinguished career in nursing services. She has qualifications in Nursing, Midwifery and Law. In 2008, Professor Chiarella was invited to the WHO Nursing and Midwifery Directorate, Geneva, to develop a compendium of nurse-led Primary Health Care models, including a review of global models of care from 38 countries.  

Mary has served as the Chief Nursing and Midwifery Officer, NSW Health Department and as Foundation Professor of Nursing in Corrections Health, with the University of Technology, Sydney. She was awarded an AM for significant contributions to nursing and midwifery education and healthcare standards in June 2019. 

Mary is Deputy Chair of Northern Sydney LHD and chairs their Health Care Quality Committee. She also serves on the Australian Health Ethics Committee of NHMRC and the Health Ethics Advisory Panel to the NSW Minister for Health. She serves the NSW Nursing and Midwifery Council as a panel and Tribunal member for performance and conduct matters. She coordinates the joint responses for the Australian Peak Nursing and Midwifery Organisations. 

Mary’s research interests focus on legal, policy and ethical issues in nursing, midwifery and health care delivery. She publishes and speaks nationally and internationally on her work. She has undertaken a number of projects for the World Health Organisation and has been a Visiting Scholar to ICN. She is currently part of the team leading the review of the definition of nurse and nursing for ICN.