Skip to content
Medical Health Aged Care

REMINDER: Politicians, Nursing Leaders, Keynotes, Workshops, Abstracts … and a Dame

Australian College of Nursing 3 mins read

One of Australia’s biggest annual gatherings of nursing leaders, the Australian College of Nursing (ACN) National Nursing Forum (NNF), will take place in Cairns from 14-16 August.

 

The NNF 2024 theme is Regenerate, Reinvigorate, Reclaim: Sustainable solutions for our future.

 

Around 700 nurses from around the country will hear from politicians, influential international and national nursing pioneers and innovators, and healthcare experts who will share their ideas, experiences, and recommendations for quality patient care, nursing pathways, and health system reform.

 

A highlight of NNF 2024 will be the keynote address – Nurses as agents of change and sustainability for the future – by internationally acclaimed nursing advocate, Professor Dame Anne Marie Rafferty DBE FACN (Hon), Professor of Nursing Policy at King’s College London, and Past President of the Royal College of Nursing.

 

Government representation will be led by Ministerial video addresses from Minister for Health and Aged Care, the Hon Mark Butler MP, and Assistant Minister for Health and Aged Care and Assistant Minister for Indigenous Health, the Hon Ged Kearney MP; an address by Shadow Minister for Health and Aged Care, Senator the Hon Anne Ruston; and an opening address by Brittany Lauga MP, Queensland Assistant Minister for Health and Regional Health Infrastructure.

 

Other headline speakers include:

 

  • Commonwealth Chief Nursing and Midwifery Officer, Professor Alison McMillan PSM FACN;
  • Independent Reviewer for the Working Better for Medicare Review, Professor Sabina Knight AM FACN;
  • Deputy National Rural Health Commissioner, Adjunct Professor Shelley Nowlan FACN;
  • Senior Nursing Advisor to the Commonwealth Chief Nursing and Midwifery Officer, Frances Rice MACN;
  • Head of the Susan Wakil School of Nursing and Midwifery and Dean, Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of Sydney, Professor Brendan McCormack MACN;
  • CEO of Purple House, Sarah Brown AM;
  • Chief Nurse and Clinical Services Director, Ramsay Australia, Dr Bernadette Eather FACN;
  • OneBridge Founder and Chair of ACN Street Health Faculty, Adjunct Professor Sonia Martin MACN;
  • Chair of ACN Children and Young People Faculty, Rheannwynn Sneesby MACN; and
  • Director of Fleet Health RAN and Chair of ACN Military Health Faculty, Nathan Saunders FACN.

 

An exciting new addition to the NNF program this year is the Rise and Shine Breakfast. This interactive session will capture the thoughts and ideas of grassroots ACN members to help shape ACN’s new membership strategy and the future structure of ACN’s Faculties and Regions.

 

The depth and breadth and diversity of nursing knowledge and expertise will be on show over the three days of NNF with concurrent sessions covering topics including:

 

  • Palliative care;
  • Registered Nurse prescribing;
  • Indigenous health and workforce;
  • Aged care;
  • Mental health;
  • Professional standards;
  • Clinical trials;
  • Rare diseases;
  • Scope of practice;
  • Voluntary Assisted Dying;
  • Gerontological nursing;
  • The social determinants of health;
  • Racially and ethnically minoritised women nurses;
  • Digital health;
  • Environmental health;
  • Climate health;
  • Health care in disasters;
  • Nursing workforce;
  • Telehealth;
  • Robotics;
  • Nurse safety and patient experience in Emergency Departments; and
  • Reproductive health.

 

The NNF 2024 program is at https://www.acn.edu.au/events/national-nursing-forum#program

 

ACN thanks our valued Sponsors and Partners.

 

     Principal Partner

Government Partner

 

 

 

 

For more information:

Kirsty Waterford 0432 044 966

Email: [email protected]

 

Social media channels:            Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/acnursing
                                                      X(Twitter): https://twitter.com/acn_tweet
                                                      LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/company/australian-college-of-nursing
                                                      Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/acn_nursing

 

 

Media

More from this category

  • General News, Medical Health Aged Care
  • 12/03/2026
  • 14:07
Parliament of Australia

Public hearing concerning the National Redress Scheme

TheJoint Standing Committee on Implementation of the National Redress Schemewill hold a public hearing in Canberra on Friday, 13 March 2026, for itsinquiry into the continuing operation of the Scheme. Committee Chair, Ms Jodie Belyea MP, said the Committee is grateful for the contributions made in support of the inquiry to date. ‘The National Redress Scheme plays a central role in Australia’s response to institutional child sexual abuse. It is an important program for a significant number of people. The Committee has received a substantial number of submissions in support of our current inquiry, and public hearings over the coming…

  • Energy, Medical Health Aged Care
  • 12/03/2026
  • 12:11
Sweltering Cities

The cost of keeping cool is making Australians sick: New report reveals millions forced to ration cooling during record heat

12 March 2026 Sweltering Cities has today released the findings of its 2026 Summer Survey, exposing a national health crisis driven by the rising cost of keeping cool. With data from more than 2,600 respondents across 766 postcodes, the report proves that for many Australians the high cost of staying cool is having serious physical and mental health impacts. The 2025/26 summer saw 68% of all respondents report feeling unwell due to heat. However, the survey reveals that this burden is falling most heavily on those already struggling with the cost of living. For renters and people with disabilities, the…

  • Medical Health Aged Care
  • 12/03/2026
  • 10:01
Monash University

Monash Researchers Awarded up to $22.4 Million AUD to Develop New Medicines for Restoring Lymphatic Pumping

Monash University is partnering with the University of Missouri and the University of Pennsylvania to develop first-in-class medicines designed to reverse poor lymphatic vessel contraction and transport function, backed by an up to $22.4 million AUD Award from the Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health (ARPA-H). The researchers join ARPA-H’s GLIDE (Groundbreaking Lymphatic Interventions and Drug Exploration) program to transform how both primary lymphatic diseases and common chronic diseases are treated by developing innovative therapeutics that alleviate, repair or regenerate a dysfunctional lymphatic vascular system. Professor Arthur Christopoulos, Dean of the Faculty of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, said the work…

Media Outreach made fast, easy, simple.

Feature your press release on Medianet's News Hub every time you distribute with Medianet. Pay per release or save with a subscription.