SUsan sherson

(nee terry)
MAC.ROB student, 1955-1958
PORTRAIT GALLERY INDUCTEE, 2008
nurse educator & clinical ethicist

Susan Sherson, RN BA, retired from her position as a nurse educator and clinical ethicist at The Royal Melbourne Hospital (RMH) in 2012. She taught in both undergraduate and postgraduate settings and to multidisciplinary audiences. Prior to this position she worked in a variety of nursing roles and clinical specialties, both at home and abroad. In 2013 she was nominated by the hospital and received the Anzac of the Year Award.

Her early interest in ethical issues related to clinical practice was deepened by her experiences as a member of the of the first Civilian Surgical Team sent from Australia to South Vietnam during the war in that country. She wrote of that year’s experiences (October 1964-October 1965) in Long Xuyen on the Mekong Delta, in House of Love – Life in a Vietnamese Hospital published at the end of 1966. It was the best-selling Australian book of that period and was also published overseas and translated in 25 countries.

In more recent years Susan has researched and written two short histories (including Always Your Voice Will Call about MGHS) and in 2005 a major historical work, Being There – Nursing at The Melbourne, Victoria’s First Hospital ,was published. Her most recent book A Daring Woman – The Story of Sister Jean Henderson MBE was released in 2017. She is currently working on the stories of 100 prominent nurses who graduated from The Royal Melbourne School of Nursing from 1890 to 1993.

Susan’s major work interests were in clinical ethics, nursing history and staff support. In 1993, as part of a Travelling Fellowship to look at the teaching of clinical ethics in healthcare institutions, she visited the UK, US and Europe. In the Netherlands she spent time with a surgeon-oncologist who practised euthanasia and was able to gain a valuable understanding of the practice in Holland.

Before she retired Susan was Chair of the Interdisciplinary Melbourne Health Clinical Ethics Committee and of the RMH Heritage Advisory Committee. She was also co-founder of the Melbourne Health Peer Support Program and one of its senior peers. She has also been part of numerous voluntary community projects in North Carlton, most notably as co-leader of ‘The Golden Oldies’, a senior citizens group that ran from 1984 to 2003. One of her proudest achievements was the convening of the MGHS History Group and overseeing the publication of The Making of Women, A History of Mac. Robertson Girls’ High School by Pauline Parker in 2006.

Since retiring Susan has remained closely involved with the Royal Melbourne Hospital and works as a community member on a number of committees including the Community Advisory Committee, two ethics committees and committees involved with end of life care. A recent research project which she has taken part in involved follow-up of the relatives of patients who died during the first Covid outbreak and lockdown. The findings of this project are soon to be presented at a conference in Sydney.

Susan was Head Prefect (School Captain) at MacRob in 1958, President of the Palladians Association from 1978 to 1996 and a member of the School Council (1985-2004). She is also a very proud mother and grandmother!