Dr Caroline Phelan

With a distinguished career in nursing Dr. Caroline Phelan is a seasoned expert in the field of Palliative and End of Life Care. After beginning her training at the University of Canberra, her nursing career evolved from critical care settings into the sphere of public health with a Master's degree from the University of New South Wales. With a passion for improving patient outcomes, particularly in decision-making and acute care settings, she completed her PhD at the University of Newcastle.

Dr. Phelan has excelled in various clinical environments, from intensive care to emergency to clinical education, with a recent emphasis on pain management. Her interprofessional collaborations span medicine, nursing, and allied health contributing valuable interdisciplinary insights.

Within her academic role at Flinders University, Dr. Phelan is not only the Course Coordinator for the Postgraduate Palliative and End of Life Care programs but also an active clinical and health professional education researcher. She is part of the Flinders Research Centre for Palliative Care, Death & Dying, where she applies critical theories to address complex healthcare challenges. Dr Phelan is co-lead on End-of-Life-Essentials, a Commonwealth-funded project that provides online learning opportunities and practice resources for doctors, nurses and allied health professionals to improve the quality and safety of End-of-Life care in hospitals.