Source: New Zealand Nurses Organisation
Around 1200 senior nurses from around the world will attend an International Nursing Council conference in Wellington after the New Zealand Nursing Organisation won hosting rights.
Tōpūtanga Tapuhi Kaitiaki o Aotearoa NZNO Kaiwhakahaere Kerri Nuku says the International Nursing Council (ICN) has announced New Zealand will host the 2028 Nursing Practitioners and Advanced Practice Nurses conference.
“This conference in September 2028 at Tākina will bring around 1200 senior nurses to Wellington and showcase Aotearoa New Zealand. It follows a bid by NZNO, the Wellington City Council and Tourism New Zealand at an ICN conference in Helsinki, Finland in 2025.
The theme for the conference is Titiro Whakamuri, Arataki Whakamua, or Look Back. Lean Forward.
“It comes from the Māori whakataukī ‘ka mua, ka muri’ or ‘walking backwards into the future’ which reminds us that as we move forward, we are strengthened by the experiences, wisdom, and courage of those who have gone before us,” Kerri Nuku says.
“Across Aotearoa New Zealand, the journey of Nurse Practitioners and Advanced Practice Nurses has been to lead change where it matters most – alongside whānau, communities, and services working for better, fairer health outcomes.
“Their contribution reaches beyond diagnosis and treatment. They are redesigning services, strengthening communities, influencing policy, mentoring future generations of nurses, and bringing together clinical expertise, nursing values, cultural understanding, and systems leadership to improve health outcomes for our people.
“They embody what it means to look back and lead forward. They are carrying the strength of those who have gone before us while creating the change our people, our communities, and our future need now.
“We are looking forward to welcoming nurses from around the world to Wellington Aotearoa New Zealand in 2028,” Kerri Nuku says.