Australia faces a projected shortfall of more than 70,000 nurses by 2035, as an ageing population and rising rates of chronic disease place unprecedented pressure on the health system. Addressing this challenge demands urgent focus on workforce retention.
The Australian College of Nursing 2026 Policy Summit will bring together more than 100 Australian nursing policymakers, leaders and practitioners to tackle this issue.
Under the theme, ‘Nurse Retention: Transition of Practice’, the summit will examine a range of issues central to nurse retention and career development, including the role of nurses in health policy development and reform, the transition from clinical practice to leadership and management, autonomous practice and working to full scope, and the critical role that nurse-led models of care play within the broader health system.
The summit’s keynote speakers are:
- 8:45am: Rachel Stephen-Smith MLA, ACT Minister for Health
- 9:15am: Adjunct Associate Professor Marina Buchanan-Grey FACN, Chief Nursing and Midwifery Officer, ACT Health and Community Services Directorate
Summit details:
Wednesday 11 March 2026
8:30am-5:00pm
Old Parliament House, Canberra
Contact details:
0449 803 524
