Brigid McCoppin
Brigid McCoppin, a dedicated nurse and social scientist with an MA in political science, contributed significantly to Lincoln Institute School of Nursing’s transition into higher education. Joining the Department of Behavioural Sciences at Lincoln as a lecturer in 1976, having previously held a position in the Department of Politics at La Trobe University, she worked primarily at the School of Nursing. Her passion for teaching shone through as she connected social science concepts to nursing and allied health students. She played a pivotal role in recruiting new academics to establish an applied health sociology program within the Behavioural Sciences curriculum.
Renowned for her expertise in health bureaucracy, including membership of the editorial board of an influential public sector journal, The Australian Journal of Public Administration, Brigid authored chapters on, and taught organisational behaviour to health science students, as it applied to the health sector. She was invited to co-author a political history of nursing in Australia by her colleague Heather Gardner, and together they interviewed nurses nationwide.
One notable interview with Marjorie Connor, a former secretary of the College of Nursing, highlighted the tension between tradition and modernity, inspiring the title of the work, Tradition and Reality: Nursing and Politics in Australia. Because of her qualifications as a nurse, Brigid became the first author with Heather and authored the first part of the book on historical political influences while Heather authored the more recent or politically active part.
Although Brigid has recently passed away, her legacy endures in the hearts of students and colleagues who remember her as a quiet achiever devoted to teaching and advocating for a more equitable healthcare system. Even after retirement, while continuing friendships with her nursing colleagues, she also met for lunch annually with former Lincoln staff somewhat satirically called ‘Not the Group of Eight’.
Brigid McCoppin RN RM BSW MA
(written by Heather Gardner)
Lincoln Institute of Health Sciences 