'Nurses in the Vines' & 'Babies in the Bush'

Rydges Resort Hunter Valley in Lovedale

Program now available for download.
Subject to change.

Discounted accommodation and car parking rates available to delegates - details below and on the booking page. 

Day 1: Thursday 25th September 2025
'Nurses in the Vines' Professional Development Day 

Navigating Challenging Communication Workshop. 
Presenter: Jennifer Harland is the Director of the Institute of Leadership at the Australian College of Nursing. With four decades of healthcare experience, Jennifer has excelled in clinical, academic, policy, and leadership roles across both government and non-government organisations in NSW, SA, and the ACT. As an ASSIST Master Trainer and the President of the Drug and Alcohol Nurses of Australasia (DANA), Jennifer is a passionate advocate for education and training. Jennifer holds a Master of Science in Addiction, a Master of Arts in Applied Ethics, and Post Graduate Certificates in Mental Health, Intensive Care, Higher Education, and Emergency & Disaster Management. Her extensive expertise and dedication make her a respected leader and mentor in nursing.

This workshop equips nurses with essential skills and strategies to manage difficult conversations effectively. Participants will explore common challenging communication scenarios, such as high-stress interactions with patients, families, and colleagues, and learn techniques to handle these situations with empathy, assertiveness, and clarity. Participants will learn how to apply structured communication frameworks to facilitate clear, respectful dialogue in critical moments. Additionally, the workshop emphasises emotional intelligence and self-awareness, helping participants stay composed under pressure and build trust within their teams. By fostering a culture of psychological safety, participants will leave with the tools needed to promote open, constructive communication and enhance team dynamics in their healthcare environments.

Developing a professional portfolio with reflective practice for nurses
Presenter: Jennifer Harland
This presentation will guide nurses in developing a professional portfolio that not only showcases their skills, competencies, and achievements but also highlights their commitment to growth through reflective practice. Participants will learn the importance of a well-organised portfolio as a tool for career advancement, as well as the essential components it should include—such as clinical skills documentation, certifications, and continuing education. The presentation will emphasize reflective practice as a key element, allowing nurses to demonstrate critical thinking, self-awareness, and the lessons learned from their experiences. By the end, participants will be equipped to create a dynamic portfolio that captures their professional journey and supports their ongoing development in nursing.

Professor Emerita Mary Chiarella is Professor of Nursing at Sydney Nursing School and an internationally renowned nurse leader with a distinguished career in nursing services. Mary was Chief Nursing Officer for NSW Health (2003-2004) where she helped achieve a significant increase in the number of Nurse Practitioners in NSW and initiated the development of the framework for the first publicly-funded home-birth midwifery program in NSW. She has worked with the World Health Organisation, Commonwealth Government and the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia. Her research interests include legal, policy and ethical issues in nursing. 

Professor Deborah Harris was the first registered nurse practitioner in New Zealand and is a distinguished nurse scientist and scholar. She is a fellow of the College of Nurses Aotearoa, and was part of the team awarded the Prime Ministers Science Prize in 2022 for work on hypoglycaemia and dextrose gel. Her team’s research has changed hypoglycaemia treatment for millions of babies around the world. She is also leading research into clinical and economic outcomes of the nurse practitioner role in New Zealand. Most recently, Deborah has been appointed as the Joint Chair Professor of Nursing & Midwifery Research at the University of Newcastle and Hunter New England Health District.

Justine Parsons is is a graduate of University of Newcastle, graduating in 1995. Her post-graduate training was a Master of Neonatal Nursing at University of Western Sydney, and Graduate Diploma in Adult Education (Leadership & Management) also at University of Newcastle. Justine is the Clinical Nurse Consultant in NICU at John Hunter Children’s Hospital, which follows 17 years as Nurse Educator. Her main clinical interests in neonatology have focussed on organ donation in the newborn, identifying and responding to deterioration, palliative care, feeding methods in NICU, neonatal networking and unit variations in outcome. Her latest passion has become sustainability and working towards reducing NICUs carbon footprint.

Neonatal Standards Version 5 release + companion toolkit
This session will provide an overview of these Standards for Practice specifically for registered nurses and/or registered midwives who work in a clinical or non-clinical capacity in contributing to the care of neonates and their families within inpatient and post-discharge contexts. The standards inform professional practice, professional development and capability for all neonatal nurses in the provision of safe, high quality clinical care and are inclusive of, but not limited to, direct clinical care, education, leadership, management and research. Each standard includes criteria that aid individual neonatal nurses in identifying and developing their scope of practice in the context of current roles and responsibilities. This session will also present the use of a Holistic Assessment Tool as an approach to assessing nurse knowledge and performance involving observing the neonatal nurse's overall role performance. This includes observing and assessing their communication, ethics, technical skills, cultural awareness, attitudes, knowledge, professional behaviors, clinical decision making, and critical thinking.

Day 2: Friday 26th September 2025

Registration and Prices
When completing the registration form please complete your details, dietary requirement, place of work and then SELECT THE DAY/S YOU ARE ATTENDING AS A MEMBER OR NON-MEMBER - BEFORE entering your payment details. 

CLICK HERE TO REGISTER or Scan the QR Code

GST inclusive; *for member pricing to apply, must be a financial member of ACNN at the time of registering and attending the event. 

Check out other 2025 Events under the events tab.