International Nursing Conference Shines a Spotlight on Advanced Practice Nursing

From August 29 to September 1, 2021, over 750 advanced practice nurses from 48 countries will attend the 11th International Council of Nurses' NP/APN Network Conference Envisioning Advanced Practice Nursing Beyond 2020: Wider Reach, Bigger Impact.

Globally, advanced practice nurses, including clinical nurse specialists, nurse practitioners, nurse midwives and nurse anesthetists are one of the fastest growing health professions. They are essential for innovating health care systems to improve access to care, achieve better health for people, and to reduce health care costs. While the number of advanced practice nurses is increasing, they are insufficient to address rising demands for complex care due to aging and chronic health conditions, and to improve access to primary care, especially in rural and remote settings.

The ICN NP/APN Network Conference is the largest international event of its kind focused on advanced practice nursing. While it was planned to take place in Halifax in the summer of 2020, the conference is now being held virtually due to the pandemic for the first time in its 20+ year history.

Outstanding Canadian and international speakers will engage conference participants to discuss the challenges affecting health care systems now and into the future, and how advanced practice nurses can address them. Key issues under discussion relate to improving global health and health equity, climate change and disaster management, the global shortage of nurses, and how to better integrate advanced practice nurses into health care systems.

Notably, a special panel presentation includes Elizabeth Iro, Chief Nurse from the World Health Organization, to discuss the global response of advanced practice nurses for addressing the short and long-term impacts of the current and future pandemics.

This conference is hosted by the Nurse Practitioner Association of Nova Scotia with support from the Canadian Nurses Association, Nurse Practitioner Association of Canada, and Dalhousie University.

For more information on the conference or for a subject matter expert on how nurse practitioners and advanced practice nurses are being implemented across the globe to improve healthcare, please contact: Dr. Ruth Martin-Misener at [email protected]

Download the press release here