Sharon has been a Mental Health nurse for 29 years and held positions in clinical, tertiary education, staff development, administration and independent practice. She holds a Master of Nursing Mental Health and Graduate Diploma in Health Counselling and has participated as a facilitator in the Clinical Leadership Program in Australia for the last 5 years.

Sharon has been a member of the College since 1982 and Fellow since 2005. She is a past president of the Queensland Branch of the ACMHN and is currently Chair of the South Australian Branch and Board Member of the Australian College of Mental Health Nurses.

Working in Emergency Departments, Intensive and Acute Care areas, Sharon developed a passion for ensuring care is provided to mental health consumer in the least restrictive environment. This has translated into a personal drive to reduce and eliminate, where possible, the practices of restraint and seclusion. In 2006 Sharon received the South Australian Metropolitan Acute Care Nursing Excellence Award for significantly reducing seclusion rates in the Intensive Care Unit and in 2007 was awarded a SA Premier's Scholarship to visit overseas mental health facilities which have made significant progress in the reduction and in some cases elimination of restraint and seclusion practices.

Sharon’s current position is Nursing Director, Education & Research.