With a distinguished 50-year career in the Northern Territory and South Australia, Associate Professor Pauline Glover (DipT(NursEd) ’80, MNgSt(Cwk) ’94, EdD ‘01) is a pioneer of midwifery education.
While attending Wilderness School Pauline was awarded a scholarship from the Education Department to study teaching. On completion she decided she wanted to become a midwife instead and in 1965 Pauline began her nursing training at Wakefield Hospital – at a time when you had to be a nurse before becoming a midwife – before completing her midwifery training at the Queen Victoria Hospital.
In 1980 Pauline worked in the Northern Territory where she was instrumental in the development of the first midwifery education program in the NT – first as a lecturer in midwifery and then as the Principal Nurse Educator of the School of Nursing Education at Royal Darwin Hospital.
She returned to her original life-plan of becoming a teacher when she was offered a job in 1987 as a nursing lecturer at Sturt College of Advanced Education (which became Flinders University).
On learning the College didn’t offer midwifery, Pauline instigated a Master of Midwifery program, later developing a Bachelor of Midwifery for nurses looking to upskill. She became a leading member of the team to develop a direct entry program for midwifery in 2002. During this time Pauline received two Vice-Chancellor awards for excellence in teaching.
From 2004 to 2008, Pauline was the Associate Dean (Academic Program) of the School of Nursing and Midwifery at Flinders (now College of Nursing and Health Sciences).
Alongside her nursing, midwifery and teaching career at Flinders, Pauline developed her skills and knowledge through three qualifications at the University, including a Diploma of Teaching (Nurse Education) (1980), a Master of Nursing Studies (1994) and a Doctor of Education (2001).
Throughout her life Pauline made a huge contribution to nursing and midwifery education, to the University through participation on various committees and working parties, and to the community. She was one of the inaugural recipients of a Flinders University Distinguished Alumni Award in 2006. She is also a Life Member of the Australian College of Midwives, honouring her service to midwifery. She enjoyed a six-year stint as editor of the Australian Midwifery Journal and had many academic works published over a 32-year period.
Post-retirement Pauline has continued to serve vulnerable families in her local community and was named Marion Citizen of the Year for 2022 (pictured above at the ceremony).
She is particularly proud of the strong relationships she developed with her students and her ability to support and inspire those around her.
“I never had a day in my life when I didn’t love going in to work,” says Pauline.
“I loved seeing the students engaged with the midwifery profession, giving them my passion and seeing it come out in them.”
Learn more about studying midwifery at Flinders