Two of Australia’s most influential nursing bodies will celebrate their joint 60th birthdays on Wednesday 2 September in Melbourne with an exhibition of nursing history.

Royal College of Nursing, Australia (RCNA) and The College of Nursing (CoN) will join forces at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre to recap the major events of the last 60 years.

The Nursing History Day event will be opened by Australia’s inaugural Commonwealth Chief Nurse and Midwifery Officer, Rosemary Bryant FRCNA. Ms Bryant is also President of the International Council of Nurses (ICN), which represents millions of nurses worldwide. The Nursing History Day is a chance to reflect on the developments and changes in the nursing profession and celebrate the important contributions of the two colleges since their inception.

“Nursing has really come a long way in the last 60 years, and RCNA and CoN have played key roles in shaping many of the significant developments of that period,” says CoN Chief Executive, Tracey Osmond.

These developments will be outlined in a series of presentations and posters from nurses across Australia who have been instrumental in the progression of the nursing role over the last six decades.

Presentations will cover landmark moments in nursing, including the move from hospital-based training to tertiary education, and will also look at the future of nursing in an increasingly complex world.

“Nursing is now a profession, rather than a vocation,” says RCNA Chief Executive Officer, Debra Cerasa FRCNA. “Nurses are a strong voice in the national and international health care arenas and play a key role in the shaping of health care policy and reform.”

The CoN/RCNA Nursing History Day will take place at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre on Wednesday 2 September from 10.00am – 3.30pm.