Kristina Walsh
Lecturer (Teaching Specialist (Clin))
College of Nursing and Health Sciences
Kristina Walsh is a Lecturer (Teaching Specialist) and Course Coordinator in Palliative and End-of-Life Care at Flinders University. She leads innovative online education that bridges research evidence and clinical practice, preparing healthcare professionals to deliver compassionate, person-centered care in diverse settings. With over two decades of experience in nursing and palliative care, Kristina combines clinical expertise with educational innovation to shape the future of palliative care learning.
Her career began in the United Kingdom as a registered nurse in community care, progressing to a Specialist Practitioner role in District Nursing including complex case management, palliative care and end-of-life care in home settings. After relocating to Australia in 2009, Kristina worked extensively in regional and metropolitan settings, gaining insight into the complexities of healthcare delivery across diverse communities. She completed a Master of Nursing (by publication) at the University of South Australia, publishing her research in a peer-reviewed, open-access journal.
Kristina’s interests include Aged Care, digital health integration, virtual care models, and public health approaches to end-of-life care. She is also an advocate for Compassionate Communities, leading initiatives that normalise conversations around death, dying, and bereavement and advocate for policy change.
1997 B.A. (Hons) Communication Studies (Sunderland University, U.K.)
2003 Adv. Dip. Nursing Studies (RN) (Northumbria University, U.K.)
2006 BSc. (Hons) Practice Development (District Nurse Specialist Practitioner, supplementary nurse prescriber) (Northumbria University, U.K.)
2018 Master of Nursing, (UniSa)
As a Lecturer and Course Coordinator for the postgraduate program in Palliative and End-of-Life Care at Flinders University, Kristina oversees the delivery, quality, and continuous improvement of the course to ensure an exceptional learning experience for students. Her role bridges teaching, administration, and student support, with a strong focus on academic integrity and evidence-based education.
Kristina leads a teaching team and designs interactive online learning content in topics that prepare healthcare professionals to deliver compassionate, person-centered care in diverse settings. These topics emphasise case-based learning and practical application of research evidence to clinical practice, ensuring students develop the critical thinking and decision-making skills required for complex palliative care scenarios.
In addition to managing assessment design, policy compliance, and student progression, Kristina acts as a key point of contact for complex student enquiries, advising on enrolment, pathways, and appeals.
Alongside the postgraduate program, Kristina also coordinates Palliative Care short courses, which provide flexible, targeted learning opportunities for health professionals seeking to enhance their skills and knowledge in palliative care practice.
Through this role, Kristina aims to create a supportive, well-structured learning environment that equips clinicians with the knowledge and skills to provide high-quality palliative care and meet the needs of patients and families in any setting.
Kristina's teaching interests focus on advancing knowledge and skills in palliative and end-of-life care through evidence-based, compassionate education. Kristina currently teaches in the postgraduate program at Flinders University, including the following topics:
- PALL8431 Loss, Grief and Bereavement – Exploring the emotional, psychological, and social dimensions of loss and grief, and equipping clinicians to provide sensitive, person-centered support.
- PALL8436 Palliative Care in Aged Care – Addressing the unique challenges and opportunities in aged care settings, with a strong emphasis on improving care quality and advocating for the identity and professional recognition of the aged care workforce through education.
- PALL8435 Spirituality in Palliative Care – Examining the role of spirituality in holistic care and supporting clinicians to respond to diverse spiritual needs at the end of life.
Kristina is passionate about creating engaging online learning experiences that foster critical thinking and self-awareness. Teaching methods include death literacy workshops, movie reviews, reports, presentations, critical self-reflection exercises, and self-compassion practices. These approaches encourage students to explore complex themes while developing practical strategies for compassionate care.
Kristina aims to empower healthcare professionals to deliver high-quality palliative care and advocate for the aged care workforce, ensuring recognition, confidence, and professional growth in this vital sector.
Kristina is deeply committed to a public health approach to palliative care. She is a member of Public Health Palliative Care International and an advocate for their 4 concepts (Prevention, Harm reduction, Early intervention, Sustainability) and 6 methods (Participatory relations, Community development, Partnerships, Education, Population Health Approach, Ecological/settings emphasis) for health promoting Palliative Care.
Kristina serves as Chair of the Compassionate Communities Collaborative Inc. (CCC), which includes four subgroups across South Australia. In this role, she provides leadership and education to volunteers and community members, guiding projects that normalise conversations around living well, death, dying, and grief. The volunteer led community group run Death Cafes, Compassion Cafes, movie showings, education sessions, storytelling events, peer support groups for grief. The CCC group activities are embedded in the community setting, partnering with local community development teams, community centres, ageing and wellbeing teams and other community groups to health promote palliative and end of life care. The Compassionate Communities Collaborative continues to grow within the SA region.
Kristina often hosts community engagement activities with the subgroup Southern Vales Compassionate Communities. These include movie screenings, storytelling events and educational workshops. Her aim is to increase death and grief literacy in her community and encourage individuals in communities to offer and receive help and to empower individuals and families to plan, connect, and support each other to live and die well in their place of choice.
Sturt Rd, Bedford Park
South Australia 5042
South Australia | Northern Territory
Global | Online
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