Pat was elected to the Board in October 2008 and holds a Diploma of Applied Science (Nursing), a Graduate Diploma in Health Education, and a Master of Mental Health Nursing.

Pat has been a member of the College since 1980 and has been a member and Office Bearer in both the South Australian and Northern Territory Branches - holding the position of Northern Territory Councillor between 2001 and 2004.

Pat became a Fellow of the College in 1993 and a Credentialed MHN in 2003.  She has been active in the organisation of professional development at Branch level and has been involved in organising three international conferences on behalf of the ACMHN - as convenor of the 23rd International Conference in Adelaide, and co-convenor for the 32nd conference held in Alice Springs.

Pat is a Professional Associate of the Graduate School for Health Practice at Charles Darwin University and has extensive experience as a clinician, educator and manager across a range of mental health services. She has worked in the Northern Territory (Top End Mental Health Service) since 1998 and is currently employed as the Clinical Nurse Manager for TEMHS Inpatient Unit. Areas of special interest include indigenous mental health, cultural security in mental health service delivery and consumer/carer education.

Pat is an advocate for indigenous mental health improvement in this country. Living and working in the Northern Territory she is concerned about the gap that exists in social determinants of health, as well as equity in health service access and delivery, between Australian population groups.

Pat believes that the mental health nursing profession must support measures to ensure specialist qualified mental health nursing care for all Australians, and to increase the numbers of indigenous mental health nurses to provide culturally appropriate mental health care to indigenous Australians.