At ACN, we value the insights and experiences of our Affiliate Members. Being an ACN Affiliate Member is more than just a relationship; it is about forming connections, supporting each other, and advancing the industry for our nurses, students, and healthcare professionals.
We want to hear directly from our affiliates about why they enjoy being part of our affiliate community. Join us as we delve into their stories and discover what makes affiliate membership with ACN so rewarding.
Our Affiliate Spotlight this month highlights Nursing and Midwifery Directorate (NMD) and their dedication to advancing clinical and operational excellence.
What is your organisation? Tell us about your team and specialty.
NMD is a district-wide nursing and midwifery leadership team dedicated to advancing clinical and operational excellence across the Northern Sydney Local Health District (NSLHD). We provide expert consultation, leadership, and professional development opportunities to executives, managers, nurses, and midwives in diverse areas such as policies, procedures and guidelines, governance, risk management, audit, management of Hospital-Acquired Complications (HACs), Quality Improvement, National Standards, workforce capability, Patient Access and Logistics, Practice Development, and Person-Centred Care.
Our Specialist Services
- Nursing and Midwifery Research Centre: Our Research Centre fosters a culture of inquiry and evidence-based practice by supporting nurses and midwives to reflect, analyse, and implement the best available evidence and conduct nursing and midwifery research. This drives a culture of high-quality care and treatment outcomes for our patients and satisfaction and strong engagement for our workforce.
- Nursing and Midwifery Workforce Team: This team oversees and drives innovation and builds strategy related to workforce across NSLHD. This team have a focus on workforce wellbeing, diversity, and capability development. We strive to build a resilient and skilled nursing and midwifery workforce that meets the evolving needs of our community.
- Nursing and Midwifery Operations: Our Operations team ensures safe and effective nursing and midwifery practice by supporting policy governance, implementing new systems and processes, and managing day-to-day nursing and midwifery related operational needs across the district.
- Practice Development, Quality and Safety (PDQS) Team: The PDQS team, in partnership with clinical staff, drive continuous quality and safety improvements. They lead initiatives such as the Nursing and Midwifery Academy and champion practice development and cultural transformation enabling person-centred care.
- Patient Access and Logistics Service (PALS): PALS provides both operational and strategic leadership to optimise patient flow within NSLHD. Their scope includes inter-hospital transfers, emergency department and hospital avoidance strategies, non-emergency transport, and capacity and access management.
- Chief Nursing and Midwifery Information Officer (CNMIO): The CNMIO serves as the digital health advisor for the nursing and midwifery workforce across NSLHD, acting as a vital link between local, state, and national digital health initiatives. Collaborating closely with the CNIO Faculty at the Australian College of Nursing (ACN), the CNMIO contributes to key publications and position statements, advancing digital health integration and digital literacy in nursing and midwifery practice.
This comprehensive and collaborative approach ensures that the nursing and midwifery workforce is prepared and proficient with all digital health systems enabling the delivery of safe, effective, and person-centred care.
What inspired the creation of your organisation? Feel free to share some history.
Northern Sydney Local Health District (NSLHD) serves a vibrant and diverse population approaching 1 million residents across nine local government areas. The district includes four hospitals (Hornsby Ku Ring Gai Hospital, Mona Vale Hospital, Royal North Shore Hospital and Ryde Hospital), an Adolescent and Young Adult Hospice, Mental Health Drug & Alcohol and Primary and Community Health services, employing over 6000 nursing and midwifery staff, who are dedicated to the delivery of high-quality, patient-centred care.
The Nursing and Midwifery Directorate (NMD) was established out of a shared vision to elevate the quality, safety, and effectiveness of nursing and midwifery care across the Northern Sydney Local Health District. The inspiration stemmed from recognition of the critical role that nursing and midwifery professionals play in delivering compassionate, evidence-based, and person-centred care, and the need for a dedicated, district-wide leadership structure to support and empower these professionals amidst the increasing complexity of healthcare delivery. The NMD drives excellence in workforce capability, practice development, digital health integration, and person-centred care, ensuring nurses and midwives are empowered and equipped to meet the healthcare challenges of today and the future, ultimately improving outcomes for our community.
With rapid advancements in technology, evolving patient needs, and a growing focus on quality and safety, it became essential to have a structure that fosters collaboration, innovation, and professional development and ensures NSLHD remains at the leading edge of innovation, research and high-quality nursing and midwifery care.
How does your organisation contribute to the nursing, health, and aged care sector?
NSLHD are recognised as employers of choice for nurses and midwives and are leaders in research and innovation, with in excess of $41 million worth of grants and research funding in the past three years. There are many aspects of our innovation and research that are collaborative in nature with external agencies, universities and the aged care sector. This research contributes to innovative models of care, improved patient outcomes, and the translation of evidence into practice, reinforcing our commitment to excellence.
We consider our engagement with community to be critical toto the success of all activity within the district. We have outreach programs supporting residential aged care services that ensure hospital avoidance and efficiency for both consumer and service. We have developed models of care that keep patients, their family and carers at the centre of all decision making. NSLHD were elected as the pilot site for the Voluntary Assisted Dying Program and have led this successfully, resulting in the roll out of a safe and respectful service at a statestate level. In 2023, NSLHD opened the Adolescent and Young Adult Hospice, the first of its kind in the country. This service meets an identified need in the community that reaches beyond NSLHD and take referrals from across Australia.
Our CNMIO advances digital health initiatives, ensuring seamless integration of technology to enhance nursing and midwifery practice. This position has key involvement with NSW Ministry of Health peak committees informing the development of digital frameworks and systems that enable safe and effective nursing and midwifery care delivery. This work supports improved data use, clinical decision-making, and workforce digital literacy, positioning our teams at the forefront of healthcare innovation.
While our primary focus is hospital and community health services within NSLHD, we also recogniserecognise the vital role of primary care nurses in disease prevention and health promotion. We collaborate with regional networks to support education, transition programs, and resources that empower nurses in primary and aged care settings, strengthening the broader healthcare system.
Our directorate contributes to aged care through outreach models of care, workforce capability building, quality and safety initiatives, and ensuring nursing and midwifery practices meet the complex needs of older adults. This includes promoting person-centred approaches that respect the dignity and preferences of aged care recipients.
In summary, the NMD’s integrated approach, spanning leadership, workforce development, research, quality improvement, digital health and community engagement ensures robust contribution to nursing, health, and aged care sectors, ultimately enhancing care outcomes for individuals and families across Northern Sydney.
What makes your organisation special?
NSLHD NMD is distinguished by its unwavering commitment to innovation and excellence in health care and to be a recognised employer of choice for nurses and midwives. Central to our identity is our focus on nursing and midwifery development and support. We are proud of our profile as an employer who cares deeply not only about the care we deliver, but about the experience of our staff, their careers within the district and our support of them on a day-to-day basis. We ensure that this work commences at an undergraduate level through our affiliations with several universities. We are recognised as the leading producer of nursing and midwifery research in the state that is underpinned by a comprehensive research programme that drives clinical advancements and informs best practice.
We utilise evidence-based practice and continuous quality improvement enabling the delivery of outstanding health outcomes for our population.
A key highlight of our commitment to patient-centred care is our annual Person-Centred Care Showcase, which celebrates and shares innovative approaches and success stories in delivering care that truly respects and responds to individual patient needs. Additionally, we host annual Professional Development Days specifically designed for clinicians, providing rich opportunities for learning, networking, and skill enhancement.
Our organisation fosters a vibrant culture of learning and innovation by supporting numerous professional development initiatives, including specialised education programmes and leadership development opportunities through our Nursing and Midwifery Academy. These initiatives ensure our nursing and midwifery staff are equipped with the latest knowledge and leadership skills to excel in their roles and contribute meaningfully to the health system.
In summary, what makes our organisation special is this integrated approach—combining evidence-based clinical excellence, patient-centred innovation, robust research, and ongoing professional development—that empowers our staff and ultimately benefits the communities we serve.
How do you envision the future growth and impact of your organisation?
NSLHD is committed to expanding its services and facilities to effectively meet the evolving healthcare needs of our diverse community. A cornerstone of our future development is the comprehensive redevelopment of Ryde Hospital, which will introduce state-of-the-art facilities and enhanced healthcare services, ensuring patients receive the highest standard of care close to home.
In addition to infrastructure growth, the district is deeply committed to sustainability, with ambitious plans to achieve net zero emissions by 2035. This commitment reflects our dedication not only to the health of our patients but also to the wellbeing of the environment and future generations.
Together, these initiatives will significantly elevate the quality of care, improve health outcomes, and strengthen our ability to respond to the community’s needs, positioning NSLHD as a leader of innovative, sustainable, and patient-centred health care.
Share a recent milestone, event, or win that has happened within your org, team, or specialty.
A significant recent milestone for our Nursing and Midwifery Directorate has been the successful launch and implementation of the Nursing and Midwifery Academy. This strategic initiative is designed to ensure our nursing and midwifery workforce has seamless access to leadership development, mentorship, clinical supervision, preceptorship, coaching, and facilitation services. The Academy plays a vital role in strengthening staff wellbeing and building a resilient, responsive, and person-centred workforce.
We have also enabled the growth of our Professoriate with the addition of a Nursing Professorial position for emergency and Critical Care nursing. In the future we hope to enhance this team with professorial roles in other specialty areas.
How long have you been an ACN Affiliate and what is your membership level?
We have been platinum members of ACN for over 10 years, benefitting from the partnership through education and development opportunities and holding key roles as consulting experts in development of white papers, policies amongst other key documents.
Are there any specific benefits your team appreciates or uses?
ACN routinely support our professional development days. These staff development days are for all categories of staff and serve to support learning, reflection on practice and culture and improve the wellbeing of our staff. ACNACN provides wonderful support and have often presented at these days, resulting inresulting in very positive feedback . Connection to this professional body is of great benefit to our workforce.
How has being an Affiliate Member of ACN contributed to your organisation’s goals and objectives?
Being an ACN Affiliate supports NSLHD’s goals by providing access to a network of nursing professionals, educational resources, and professional development opportunities. This affiliation helps the district stay at the forefront of nursing practice and ensures that its staff are well-equipped to provide high-quality care.
Our affiliation has enabled collaboration to support our Nursing and Midwifery Academy and in our Professional Development days.
What’s next for your organisation? Tell us what your team is looking forward to or working towards.
An uplift in digital health: The Single Digital Patient Record (SDPR) will allow clinicians at NSLHD to access a patient’s complete medical history in one place, enhancing continuity of care and patient safety by reducing errors. It will streamline administrative tasks, improve workflow efficiency, and facilitate better communication and collaboration among healthcare teams, ultimately supporting informed clinical decisions and better patient outcomes. The SDPR is expected to be implemented in NSLHD at the end of 2026 and fully implemented in NSW by 2028, leading to a more integrated and efficient healthcare system.
For patients and carers, the SDPR means more seamless and coordinated care, as their medical information will be readily accessible to all healthcare providers involved in their treatment. This reduces the need for patients to repeatedly share their medical history and ensures that carers are better informed about the patient’s care plan. Additionally, it empowers patients by giving them greater control over their health information, leading to more personalised and effective care.
We are implementing a new Preceptorship Framework for the LHD that has been developed collaboratively with our staff. This program will ensure a broad range of staff are educated on the role of the preceptor and give them skills and knowledge to implement this important approach in their clinical areas.
We continue to develop and roll out our Mentoring in Nursing Program. This follows on from the Mentoring in Midwifery Program supported by the Nursing and Midwifery Office NSW Ministry of Health. This program has to date trained close to 100% of staff in the pilot sites at Hornsby Ku-ring-gai Hospital and Mona Vale Hospital. Further sites will come online in the near future and an evaluation of the program will be attended in mid-2026.
