Associate Professor Yvonne Parry

Associate Professor in Nursing

College of Nursing and Health Sciences

+61 8 8201 3354

yvonne.parry@flinders.edu.au

Sturt South

GPO Box 2100, ADELAIDE, SA, 5001

Associate Professor Yvonne Parry is an internationally recognised paediatric nurse and applied health science researcher whose pioneering work bridges the critical divide between health, education, and social care for vulnerable children and families. Since 2000, her interdisciplinary research, student-engaged projects, and community-based evaluations have transformed access to health care, streamlined referral pathways, and driven systemic change through co-designed, place-based models of care.

Her leadership has advanced early recognition and intervention for children with complex needs—particularly those experiencing homelessness, poverty, and social marginalisation—by embedding health professionals in early education and community settings. These innovative models of interdisciplinary care have extended service reach to children often invisible to traditional systems.

As Chair of the Australian College of Children and Young People’s Nurses, Dr Parry is nationally and internationally acclaimed for championing health equity and paediatric care. Her award-winning research (including national NAPCAN recognition) has shaped public policy in Australia, the UK, and globally, with recent impact seen in submissions to the Welsh Parliament, the UK All-Party Parliamentary Group for Ending Homelessness, and the United Nations.

Dr Parry’s work is underpinned by a deep commitment to child-centred practice, social justice, and equitable access to care. Through partnerships with global institutions including University College London and the CHAMPIONS Project UK, as well as NGOs and not-for-profits, she continues to lead transformational research that improves life outcomes for underserved children and their families.

Qualifications

2012 PhD,
2010 Graduate Certificate in Education (Higher Education),
2006 Masters of Health Services Management,
1999 Bachelor of Arts (Double Majors: Psychology & Public Policy),
1987 Registered Nurse Queen Elizabeth Hospital.

Honours, awards and grants

AWARDS:

2019 Inaugural editor of the Journal of Child and Youth Health, ACCYPN.

2017 NAPCAN: Child abuse and neglect intiatives protecting children.

GRANTS (selected):

2021 Channel 7 Children’s Research Foundation: Linking homeless children and their families to community health and wellbeing services: Using a Nurse Practitioner model of care to improve child health outcomes. (Phases 1 to 4) Parry YK., Willis, E., Kendall, S., Marriott R., and Sivertsen N. ($90,713)

2020 Caring Futures Institute, Enhancing lifelong development and the Health and Wellbeing of marginalised children 0-18 years (Pilot 1). Parry YK., Willis, E., Kendall, S., Marriott R., and Sivertsen N. ($3,931).

Community Partnership funding with Uniting Care Wesley Bowden, Inner Southern Homelessness Services, Enhancing lifelong development and the Health and Wellbeing of marginalised children 0-18 years (Phase 2) Parry YK., Willis, E., Kendall, S., Marriott R., and Button D. https://indaily.com.au/news/sponsored-content/2019/12/10/medical-help-for-homeless-children-and-their-families/

2017-2018 The use of Community for Children (CfC) Facilitating Partners and their impact on service delivery and collaborative community service delivery (PARRY YK $60,000)

2016-18 Domestic Violence against older women: Developing networks to improve service provision DSS grant (Zannentino, Fuller & Parry) ($147,000).

2014-16 Department of Education and Child Development. "Developing a Common Language for Professionals working in the Early Years". ($30, 000).

2014-16 Office of Teaching and Learning "Developing a national interdisciplinary educational framework for professionals working with children in the early years" ($223, 000).

2012 Flinders University, Faculty of Medicine Nursing & Health Sciences, Establishment Grant. "The in-service educational needs of front line homelessness service staff in a Generic Homelessness Service to deliver Child Aware Practice in accordance with the 'no wrong door' policy". ($9, 207).

Key responsibilities

Research
Teaching
Curriculum Development
Topic Coordination
Oceania Global Regional Council for nursing
Chair of the Australian College of Children and Young Peoples Nurses Credentialing Committee

Teaching interests

Associate Professor Yvonne Parry is a highly experienced educator and research supervisor who integrates real-world, community-led health research into her teaching of applied research methods, public health, and child and family health. She is recognised for her innovative supervision of interdisciplinary PhD and honours students, particularly those engaged in practice-based and co-designed research addressing child health inequities.

Her teaching is grounded in applied science and underpinned by social justice, using authentic, community-based research projects to train students in ethical, participatory, and translational research methods. Through national and international partnerships—including with University College London and the CHAMPIONS Project UK—she exposes students to high-impact, policy-informing research practices.

Dr Parry’s teaching fosters critical inquiry, systems thinking, and the application of evidence to complex, real-world challenges. She actively integrates students into her funded projects, providing placements and mentoring that build their capacity to work across health, education, and social sectors. Her approach prepares graduates to become leaders in community-embedded research, particularly in under-resourced and vulnerable settings.

Topic coordinator

WELF4030 Child Centred Practice

NURS9614E Research Project

HLTH2107 Research Methods and Research Skills 2 (Health Sciences)

NURS1025 Introduction to Research and Evidence Based Practice

NURS9027 Diagnostics for Advanced Practice

NURS9614F Research Project

HLTH2105 Health a Psychological Perspective

NURS8825 Working with Vulnerable Families

NURS9614C Research Project

NURS9218 Approaches to Research Designs

NURS9614D Research Project