Michelle Turner

Michelle is an experienced Registered Nurse and clinical leader at Heal at Home, bringing more than 30 years of extensive experience across healthcare, clinical governance, quality management, aged care and community nursing. Her professional background includes senior clinical, operational and leadership roles, having worked as a Primary Health Care Nurse, Clinical Governance professional, Aged Care Manager and Educator. Earlier in her career, Michelle served as a Nursing Officer and Lieutenant with the Australian Army Nursing Corps, undertaking a range of clinical, personnel management and training responsibilities. She was awarded the Australian Defence Medal in recognition of her qualifying military service. Her diverse experience across healthcare and defence has provided her with a strong foundation in clinical leadership, accountability, risk management and maintaining high standards of patient safety and quality care.

Michelle’s professional expertise includes clinical governance, quality assurance, infection prevention and control, incident management and investigation, risk assessment, regulatory compliance, policy development, accreditation and continuous quality improvement. She is an Infection Control Lead, a qualified Mental Health First Aid Instructor and holds qualifications in Practice Education, reflecting her commitment to maintaining safe clinical environments and supporting workforce development. Michelle has a particular interest in translating complex regulatory and clinical governance requirements into practical, effective systems that support nurses and healthcare professionals in their everyday practice. Her extensive clinical and operational experience enables her to understand the challenges faced by frontline clinicians while ensuring that organisational policies, procedures and clinical frameworks promote safe, consistent and evidence-based care.

At Heal at Home, Michelle plays an important role in strengthening the organisation’s clinical governance, quality and client safety frameworks. Her responsibilities include supporting clinical risk management, incident investigation, compliance, policy development, accreditation processes and continuous improvement initiatives across the organisation. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Michelle gained valuable experience working in telehealth and undertaking a Clinical First Responder role based in Canberra, reporting to the Commonwealth. This experience strengthened her understanding of coordinated national healthcare responses, emergency preparedness and the importance of adapting clinical systems to rapidly changing healthcare environments. Beyond her clinical responsibilities, Michelle has contributed to the wider healthcare and community sector through mentoring and advisory positions, including serving as a business mentor for Leading Age Services Australia (LASA), a Veterans SA mentor and an Advisory Committee member of the Gawler Men’s Wellbeing Network. She is passionate about supporting healthcare professionals, strengthening organisational accountability and ensuring that quality and safety remain central to the delivery of community nursing services.

Michelle believes that effective clinical governance extends beyond policies, procedures and regulatory compliance. For her, it is about creating a culture where safety, compassion, professional accountability and continuous learning are embedded in everyday clinical practice. She is committed to supporting healthcare teams to deliver high-quality, person-centred care while ensuring that clients and their families feel safe, respected and confident in the services they receive. Outside her professional responsibilities, Michelle enjoys spending time with her family, camping and travelling, particularly opportunities to explore the outdoors. She also has a strong love for animals, with all her pets being rescue animals, reflecting her compassionate nature and commitment to giving them a second chance. Her extensive healthcare experience, dedication to clinical excellence and genuine commitment to community wellbeing reflect the values and high standards of care that underpin Heal at Home.