ICN NP/APN Network selects Nashville, Tennessee as site for 2026 Network Conference
The International Council of Nurses (ICN) has selected Nashville, Tennessee, as the site of the 14th ICN Nurse Practitioner/Advanced Practice Nurse Network Conference. Vanderbilt University School of Nursing (VUSN) will host the event, which will be held 14-17 September 2026. The American Nurses Association (the national nursing association for the United States) and Vanderbilt University are proud collaborators for this event.
The event will celebrate the 25th anniversary of the creation of the ICN NP/APN Network, which was established to represent and support advanced practice nurses (APNs) from all global regions and facilitate communication around common professional interests.
“We are delighted that the ICN NP/APN Network Conference will be heading back to the USA where it was first held 25 years ago,” said Dr. Pamela Cipriano, ICN President. “Since 2000, advanced practice nursing has developed and expanded to many parts of the world, and APNs are increasingly providing solutions to access to affordable, quality health care and are recognized as essential to enhancing the delivery of primary health care as the avenue for achieving universal health coverage. These biennial conferences are a unique occasion to discuss the many ways in which APNs can meet the health challenges we are facing now and in the future.”
“This will be a very special occasion for everybody concerned with advancing nursing,” said Dr Daniela Lehwaldt, Chair of the ICN NP/APN Network. We are looking forward to celebrating 25 years of the Network, global APN developments and achievements. This is the only conference that brings together advanced nurses from all over the world and from all areas including nurse practitioners, clinical nurse specialists, nurse anesthetists and nurse midwives. We are truly proud and are looking forward to an inspiring and enriching conference in Nashville.”
The ICN Nurse Practitioner/Advanced Practice Nurse Network Conference is held every two years. The international conference brings advanced practice nurses together to build relationships, share health related expertise and disseminate nursing knowledge across specialties, cultures and countries.
Organizations interested in hosting the conference submitted bids to ICN in 2023, and Vanderbilt School of Nursing was selected after a competitive assessment and careful consideration of conference facilities, accessibility and partner resources.
“We are excited to host the conference and be able to introduce Nashville and Vanderbilt to our global colleagues,” said Pamela Jeffries, PhD, RN, FAAN, ANEF, FSSH, dean of Vanderbilt University School of Nursing and the Valere Potter Distinguished Professor of Nursing. “In addition to the rigor and exchange of information through presentations, poster presentations and dynamic speakers, we plan to include some uniquely Nashville-centric elements to the social activities. Music will play a key role, of course, but we’ll also showcase the Southern hospitality Nashville and Vanderbilt are known for.”
The steering committee for the conference is currently working on the programme for the 2026 event. The international gathering will explore the many ways in which APNs work to achieve universal access to health, not only providing health care, but also addressing the social determinants of health, including education, gender equality and poverty.
Call for Abstracts opens: 16 June 2025
Conference Date: 14-17 September 2026
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The ICN NP/APN Network aligned with the International Council of Nurses 25 years ago. The Network is continually evolving to better represent APNs from all regions of the globe.
The International Council of Nurses (ICN) is a federation of more than 130 national nurses’ associations representing the millions of nurses worldwide. Operated by nurses and leading nursing internationally, ICN works to ensure quality care for all and sound health policies globally.
Vanderbilt University School of Nursing is one of the U.S.’s top graduate nursing schools, known for excellence in research, practice and nurse practitioner and nurse-midwifery education at the master and doctoral levels. It is one of 10 schools that are part of Vanderbilt University, a private research university in Nashville, Tennessee, acknowledged for its academic discipline and its 330-acre tree-lined campus in the heart of the city.
The American Nurses Association is the only association that represents and serves as the professional home for all registered nurses in every specialty and practice setting. We believe nurses are the heartbeat of healthcare. It is our calling to champion nurses and the causes they care about by working for improved work environments, top-notch education, smarter policies, and stronger partnerships. We advocate to amplify nurses’ roles, their voices, and their value across healthcare and in society.