Throughout my nursing career, I would like to think that I have had a significant impact on the lived experience of many patients, including patients whom I was never able to meet. Patients with whom I never had the opportunity to sit down and talk about their care and their needs. Patients who needed me…
The transition from working in clinical nursing providing direct patient care to assuming a management role is a path many of us have taken, yet few were adequately prepared for. Unlike other promotions, advancing into management within health care frequently happens without the requisite administrative or leadership skills development. As many nurses find themselves navigating…
Overview The Australian College of Nursing emphasises the importance of specialised qualifications for nurses working in maternal, child, and family health nursing (MCFHN) to ensure high-quality, expert care. While recognising the distinct roles of Registered Nurses (RNs) and Registered Midwives (RMs), ACN advocates for RNs with specialized qualifications in MCFHN, underscoring the significance of their…
Overview Modern slavery, encompassing human trafficking, forced labour, forced marriage, and sexual exploitation, affects an estimated 40.3 million people globally. Despite a common misconception that modern slavery is limited to developing countries, it is a worldwide issue, with Australia also affected. Nurses, as frontline healthcare workers, are crucial in identifying and protecting victims and vulnerable…
The Australian College of Nursing (ACN) today honoured the memory of Lt Col Vivian Bullwinkel and 21 of her dedicated wartime nursing colleagues with scholarships awarded to emerging Australian nurse leaders. The ‘Bullwinkel Scholarships’ – valued at up to $10,000 each – were awarded at Duntroon House at the Royal Military College in Canberra, on…
ACN Response to the NSW Government Special Commission of Inquiry into Healthcare Funding The Australian College of Nursing (ACN) has urged the NSW Government to provide greater funding and support to bolster the nursing workforce to meet increasing health needs across the State. In its submission to the NSW Government Special Commission of Inquiry into…
ACN Response to the National Workforce Strategy consultation The Australian College of Nursing (ACN) has incorporated input from its frontline nursing members in its response to the latest National Nursing Workforce Strategy consultation. ACN CEO, Adjunct Professor Kylie Ward FACN, said today that ACN welcomes the development of the National Nursing Workforce Strategy, which aims…
Overview Australia is grappling with a significant child maltreatment crisis, highlighted by the 2023 Australian Child Maltreatment Study, which found 62.2% of children and youth experiencing maltreatment, leading to potential mental health problems, behavioural harms and health-risk behaviours. This position statement underscores the necessity for a public health approach to child abuse and neglect. It…
Transformational leadership in its ideal form, creates valuable and positive change in the followers with the end goal of developing followers into leaders. The term ‘transformational leadership’ was originally termed in 1985 by Bernard M. Bass. This concept work extended by Burns (1978) to define transformational leadership as an approach that causes change in individuals…
The Australian College of Nursing (ACN) has established a new Street Health Faculty to address the specific healthcare needs of people experiencing homelessness and social exclusion. The ACN Street Health Faculty will be chaired by Sonia Martin MACN, a dedicated Registered Nurse with 30 years of experience, the 2021 winner of the Health Minister’s Award…