The Australian College of Nursing (ACN) is hosting a special edition of the National Nursing Roadshow in Brisbane to discuss the Voice to Parliament.
On Saturday 14 October 2023 Australians will have the chance to voice their opinions through a crucial referendum. This referendum will determine whether the Constitution should be amended to officially recognise the First Peoples of Australia by establishing the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Voice.
In this unique edition of the National Nursing Roadshow, ACN brings together healthcare professionals and experts to explore the nuances and implications of this historic referendum. ACN believes that when we listen to local Indigenous communities, we make better policy decisions. This event will act as a platform where nurses and healthcare workers can gain a deeper understanding of the Voice to Parliament and its potential impact on health care and Indigenous communities.
Leading this important conversation are ACN’s CEO, Adjunct Professor Kylie Ward FACN, our First Nations Faculty Chair, Professor Odette Best FACN and special guests.
Adjunct Professor Kylie Ward FACN
Kylie’s story is grounded in service to others, a vision for a greater future and a tenacity to get the job done. Kylie’s strengths lie in breaking down the walls, reframing the issue for fresh thinking and bringing people together to create long-lasting solutions.
Kylie currently serves as CEO of Australian College of Nursing (ACN). She has led a program of transformation at ACN, increasing revenue, tripling student numbers, raising awareness of the profession and building a legacy of nursing leadership, policy, sponsorship and community.
Kylie is inspired to increase the recognition of nurses and women in society. Articulating and amplifying the professional voice of nurses, ensuring they have a major seat at the table to develop health and social policy.
Kylie holds honorary academic appointments with seven leading Australian universities.
Before joining ACN, Kylie ran a successful consultancy specialising in transformation, executive coaching, leadership and change management. She is renowned for her business acumen, entrepreneurship, and visionary style leadership.
Image: Adjunct Professor Kylie Ward FACN
Professor Odette Best FACN
Professor Odette Best FACN is a Gorreng Gorreng, Boonthamurra and a Yugambeh woman born and raised in Brisbane. She is currently Acting Pro Vice-Chancellor First Nations Education and Research at University of Southern Queensland.
Odette commenced her training at the Princess Alexandra Hospital, Brisbane in the late 1980s, and holds a Bachelor of Health Science, (University of Sydney), Master of Philosophy, (Griffith University) and a PhD and has worked for 30 years in Indigenous health and nursing. Clinically, she worked for a decade at the Brisbane Aboriginal and Islander Community Health Service and within women’s and youth prisons across Brisbane.
In 2000, she moved into discipline teaching within the tertiary sector. Professor Best’s leadership in Indigenous Health and Indigenous nursing is acknowledged nationally and internationally; she is a Churchill Fellow (2002), a Fellow of the American Academy of Nursing (2018), a Fellow of the Australian College of Nursing (2021) and she is the current Chair of the First Nations Faculty.
As a historian of Aboriginal nurses and midwives and a current recipient of an ARC funded project uncovering the histories of First Nations nurses and midwives in Queensland 1890-1950, Professor Best is passionate about uncovering and documenting the stories of Aboriginal nurses and midwives.
Image: Professor Odette Best FACN
Selwyn Button
Selwyn Button is an accomplished senior executive who has held leadership roles in large health, education, and governance organisations across various sectors. Currently Selwyn is a partner of both PwC Australia and PwC Indigenous Consulting and serves as the Chairperson of the Lowitja Institute.
A Gungarri man from south-west Queensland, Selwyn’s roots in Cherbourg have grounded his commitment to policy reforms aimed at improving the lives of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. He brings to the table a wealth of experience, having regulated, and supported over 3,000 organisations during his tenure as the national Registrar of the Office of the Registrar of Indigenous Corporations.
Image: Selwyn Button
Adjunct Associate Professor Lynore Geia MACN
Adjunct Associate Professor Lynore Geia MACN is a Bwgcolman woman from Palm Island, North Queensland, a veteran Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Registered Nurse and Midwife with over 40 years of experience in the professions and is currently employed as Professor of Nursing and Midwifery at Edith Cowan University, Perth, Western Australia.
Adjunct Associate Professor Geia is committed to developing partnerships in nursing and midwifery for effective and safe nursing and midwifery education, research and practice toward a health praxis combining knowledge and caritas for culturally safe care for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.
Adjunct Associate Professor Geia has worked in various clinical and non-clinical settings; her most meaningful work is developing nursing and midwifery reforms that support and strengthen Indigenous agency, and self-determination for the Indigenous community across the jurisdictions of social wellbeing, health, and justice.
Adjunct Associate Professor Geia has a passion for working with community in developing community strategies to support and strengthen Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander individuals, and families through safe and effective nursing and midwifery and wider healthcare practices.
Image: Adjunct Associate Professor Lynore Geia MACN
Mel Robinson MACN
Mel Robinson MACN brings over three decades of healthcare experience to her role as Director Aboriginal Health at Child and Adolescent Health Service. She is not only a dedicated researcher, nurse, and educator but also a mother, daughter, sister, and auntie. Mel’s deep connection to Ngarinyin and Gidja Country in Western Australia’s Kimberley region reflects her strong ties to her cultural heritage.
Mel’s personal history is marked by the enduring impact of colonisation. Her grandmother was a part of the stolen generation, and her father, uncles, and aunties faced the threat of removal during the 1940s and 1950s.
With a postgraduate diploma in clinical nursing and a master’s in nursing research, Mel not only excels in her education but also continues to inspire and empower the next generation of healthcare professionals. Mel is committed to mentoring Aboriginal peoples into nursing, midwifery, medicine, and allied health.
Image: Mel Robinson MACN
Join us for an evening of learning and connection
The special edition National Nursing Roadshow will provide an invaluable opportunity for our community to come together and engage in a thoughtful conversation about the Voice to Parliament and what it means for health care moving forward. It is a chance to gain insights, foster understanding, and contribute to a brighter future for Indigenous communities and overall health care in Australia.
Registrations are now open, and we invite both ACN members and non-members to join us and be a part of the important conversation. Register now
