Emeritus Professor O'Connor was the inaugural Vivian Bullwinkel Chair in Palliative Care Nursing, in Nursing and Midwifery, Monash University Melbourne, a position she held from 2003-2014. Prior to this she enjoyed a long and diverse career in palliative care, in roles that have encompassed the establishment and management of mainly community-based palliative care services and she continues to work in a clinical setting. 

Emeritus Professor O'Connor was responsible for the Palliative Care Research Team and managed a number of clinical research projects, which  received funding from internal and external sources. She supported an NHMRC post-doctoral fellow and a large number of PhD students. Her research projects are centred around key areas - service system and policy issues and issues of culture and palliative care and many research questions have arisen from within the clinical setting. She continues to be well-published in these research areas.

Professor O'Connor sits on many State and National Committees and served as President of Palliative Care Australia 2006 - 2010. In 2017 Emeritus Professor O'Connor was been appointed to the Victorian Ministerial Advisory Panel to consider the details of developing and implementing a legislative framework for assisted dying and in 2018 was appointed the Voluntary Assisted Dying Review Board.

Emeritus Professor O'Connor has been awarded the Nina Buscombe Prize from the Motor Neurone Disease Association of Victoria four times. She is a lifetime member of Palliative Care Victoria. In 2005 Emeritus Professor O'Connor accepted the national honour of Member of the Order of Australia, for service to the development and establishment of palliative care services in Victoria, an acknowledgement of her 20-year contribution to palliative care. In 2018 she was awarded a Winston Churchill Fellowship, to explore assisted dying issues around the world.

Emeritus Professor O'Connor continues to be active in her profession and contributes to the School through publications and student supervision.

Research

Preferred Research Methodologies

• Qualitative and mixed-method methodologies, including phenomenology and discourse analysis

Accredited as Level 2 Supervisor