Michael Hazelton

Professor Michael Hazelton is a distinguished academic in Mental Health Nursing at the University of Newcastle, Australia, where he serves as Conjoint Professor within the School of Nursing and Midwifery. Previously, he held significant leadership roles including Head of School at the University of Newcastle (2006-2013), Head of Nursing and Midwifery at Curtin University of Technology in Western Australia, and Head of Nursing at the University of Tasmania. His international experience spans across Western Australia, Tasmania, Singapore, Korea, and Malaysia where he has developed and implemented nursing programs. He also serves as Honorary Director of the Halla/Newcastle Centre for Problem Based Learning at Cheju Halla University in Korea.

Professor Hazelton's research expertise focuses on mental health nursing, sociology of mental health, violence in healthcare workplaces, and crime and health connections. His current research includes investigations of violence against healthcare staff in emergency departments, development of mental health nursing models for primary care settings, and psychosocial treatments for secondary victims of homicide. He has established a notable research collaboration with Dr. Peter Morrall from the University of Leeds in the area of crime and health. His methodological expertise spans both qualitative and quantitative approaches.

His extensive publication record includes over 75 articles, books, and book chapters. Recent work (2023-2025) demonstrates continued scholarly productivity with focus areas including forensic mental health settings, women's experiences with seclusion, mental health nursing education, and integrated care models for dual diagnosis patients. His research shows a clear trajectory toward understanding restrictive practices in forensic settings, improving mental health nursing workforce preparation, and developing more effective integrated care models.

• Life Member of the Australian College of Mental Health Nurses (2003)
• Recipient of multiple awards for mental health nursing research
• Former Editor of the International Journal of Mental Health Nursing
• Current editorial board member for Australian and New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry and Nursing and Health Sciences

Professor Hazelton has successfully supervised 15 PhD students to completion and has served in numerous administrative roles since the mid-1990s, including as Chairperson of the Mental Health Nurse Education Taskforce Implementation Group and the Accreditation Committee of the Australian College of Mental Health Nurses. His leadership extends to developing mental health nursing programs internationally and contributing to mental health policy through government consultancies. He maintains active research collaborations, particularly with the University of Leeds, focusing on crime and health intersections.

His laboratory and team work centers around mental health nursing research, with particular emphasis on forensic settings, workplace violence prevention, and primary care mental health integration. His international collaborations, especially with Cheju Halla University in Korea and the University of Leeds in the UK, demonstrate his global influence in mental health nursing education and research.