Catherine Fetherston

Biography

Catherine Fetherston early career, since graduating as a nurse in 1978, was spent working in acute care areas such as coronary care and cardiothoracics and then teaching bioscience and critical care at the WA School of Nursing. Following the birth of her children her professional interests changed direction and subsequently qualified as a midwife and a lactation consultant in 1992. During the following 15 years she worked across the continuum of midwifery care and lactation consultancy in a variety of clinical, teaching and management roles, whilst also undertaking research into lactation mastitis. These research interests led to a post doctoral appointment as a research fellow with Murdoch University in 2007. Since that time she have undertaken roles within the University as Coordinator of the Master of Midwifery, Academic Chair of Postgraduate Research and Deputy Dean of the School of Nursing and Midwifery; Associate Dean Learning and Teaching in the School of Health Professions and now Discipline Head of Nursing. These roles have given  a broad range of experience in research, leadership and management in Nursing and Midwifery practice and University environments.

Research Interest

midwifery and nursing areas,  issues affecting women’s and infant’s health, with a particular focus on breastfeeding and lactation.