Last week I had the opportunity to travel to the International Council of Nurses (ICN) Advanced Practice Nurse (APN) Conference and join over 1300 APNs and Nurse leaders in Nashville Tennessee. The event, which took place over 3 days from the 14th to 17th September had hundreds of presentations, workshops, plenaries and panel discussions exploring how APNs are transforming care across diverse countries, specialties and health-system settings.

My Key highlights were

• Presenting our paper “Menopausal Management: A Tale of Two Countries” with Heather Wade, associate Professor at St Louis University.  Click here to read the article . This paper explores the approaches to menopause management in Ireland and the United States, highlighting both similarities and differences across the two healthcare systems. Presenting it provided us with the opportunity to explore how different healthcare systems support women experiencing menopause and the role of advanced nursing practice in improving access to information, assessment, treatment and ongoing support. The international comparison was particularly valuable in demonstrating how sharing practice and learning across healthcare systems can generate ideas for service development.
• Speaking about my experience of launching the ‘Ladies Lounge’ in Beaumont Hospital in 2023 and seeing it grow each year in depth, content and the impact it has on women’s health. The ‘Ladies Lounge’ is a one day event with expert speakers that provides a safe space to discuss women’s health issues. It allows open conversations, connection and support for colleagues centred around women’s health and menopause. The positive engagement, questions and feedback received during the ICN conference demonstrated significant interest in the concept and its potential for further development.
• Participating in a panel discussion focused on “Advanced Practice Nurses: United for Global Impact, Innovation and Care” alongside representatives from worldwide National Nursing Associations and the ICN.

Take Away Messages:

• The power of nurses coming together across countries, cultures and healthcare systems to share knowledge, challenge the status quo, and shape the future of care.
• Having a platform that allows us all share advanced nursing practice, innovation and international perspectives on healthcare delivery.

Most of all I am grateful for the opportunity to contribute to this important dialogue and to learn alongside such inspiring nursing leaders