The Australian College of Nursing (ACN) is pleased to announce the appointment of highly regarded senior Federal Health Department nursing executive, Frances Rice, as the College’s Chief Nursing Officer.
This role is responsible for leading the development and promotion of ACN’s health policy and nursing practice leadership programs, and to drive healthcare reform in line with the organisation’s priorities.
Frances was most recently the Senior Nursing Advisor to the Commonwealth Chief Nursing and Midwifery Officer within the Department of Health, Disability and Ageing.
With significant experience in clinical practice, leadership, policy, and advisory roles, she will bring a combination of policy expertise and acumen to ACN.
Frances is a strong advocate for sustainable workforce models and education reforms to reflect the evolving demands of modern health care, with her expertise drawn from clinical and regulatory experience and high-level policy work.
“Frances is eminently qualified and experienced to drive ACN’s policy and advocacy processes at a critical time for policy reform for the nursing profession,” ACN CEO, Adjunct Professor Kathryn Zeitz FACN, said.
“There are unprecedented opportunities for patients to benefit from enhanced access to safe and quality nursing care and nurse-led models of care.
“These include the reforms proposed in the Scope of Practice Review, as well as the groundbreaking changes to nurse prescribing, and the impending release of the National Nursing Workforce Strategy.”
This is the first time that ACN has had a senior leadership position with the title, Chief Nursing Officer – a role previously known as Director Professional Practice.
Frances has a Bachelor of Nursing Science from James Cook University and a Master of Business Administration from the Australian National University.
Contact details:
John Flannery
Mobile: 0419 494 761
Email: [email protected]