MEDIA RELEASE 12 May 2024
Unprecedented Opportunity to Keep Nurses in Nursing - ACN International Nurses Day 2024 "Our nurses, our future – the economic power of care"
On International Nurses Day (IND) 2024, the Australian College of Nursing (ACN) is urging governments to work with the nursing profession to deliver significant health reforms that will keep nurses in nursing to ensure that all Australians continue to have access to quality affordable health care, no matter where they live and no matter their means.
The theme for IND 2024 is Our Nurses, Our Future – the economic power of care.
ACN Interim CEO, Professor Leanne Boyd, said today that the Federal Government's current suite of reforms and reviews provide an unprecedented opportunity for the nation to benefit from the unlimited potential of our highly skilled and dedicated nursing workforce.
Professor Boyd said that the reviews – especially the Unleashing the Potential of our Health Workforce – Scope of Practice Review (the 'Cormack Review') – have the potential to allow nurses, nurse practitioners, and midwives to work to their full scope of practice to benefit patients and add another layer of appeal to a life-long career in nursing.
"The Government's Health Legislation (Removal of Requirement for a Collaborative Arrangement) Bill has already provided nurses and midwives with much-deserved respect and acknowledgement of their clinical expertise," Professor Boyd said.
