Historical information

Margaret Stevens was the inaugural Head of Nursing at the Ballarat College of Advanced Education from June 1985 until her retirement in 1989. During the 1980s there was a growing acceptance around Australia that Nurse Education needed to be more science based to allow nurses to cope with the vastly increased appearance of technological devices in the hospital wards. The response was to shift such training into Higher Education institutions. The State Government decided that Nurse Training in Ballarat should move from the Hospital to Ballarat College of Advanced Education. in 1986.

Margaret Stevens had been a senior Nurse Educator at the Ballarat Base Hospital for many years and was selected by mutual agreement between the two institutions to devise the new course and plan its implementation so that it would gain the approval of the Nurse Registration authority. In addition to consulting widely with other Nurse Education specialists and supporting departments in Ballarat College of Advanced Education, Margaret negotiated with over 70 medical establishments to work out arrangements by which the students would be placed in work experience as required by the course. She was also involved in the required additional staff appointments and in planning for a new building on Campus. The course was commenced in 1986 and the transition successfully achieved, thanks largely to Margaret's diligence.

In 1987 the Review of Registration of Health Practitioners interim report was published by the Health Department Victoria. Margaret Stevens was appointed by the Health Minister to represent the College of Nursing, Australia. This was a landmark review with long-reaching implications.

At the time of her death on 23 March 2015 she was a member of the Board of Ballarat Community Health, and was identified as follows R.N.; B.App.Sc (Nursing); Post Basic: DipEd(N); Kellogg Fellow (USA 1984-85), M.Ed. (USA) & 1st program of M.Ethics

Physical description

Grey lever arch folder of notes, faxes and timetables relating to the teaching of the Diploma pf Applied Science (Nursing) at Ballarat College of Advanced Education (now Federation University Australia).

Includes a letter of Ballarat College on Advanced Education 10th Anniversary letterhead, student lists, student placement, timetables