Professor O’Connor was the inaugural Vivian Bullwinkel Chair in Palliative Care Nursing, Monash Nursing & Midwifery, Monash University Melbourne, a position she held from 2003. From 2013, Professor O’Connor managed this position in a part-time capacity. Prior to her appointment at Monash, 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.