Nursing and midwifery educators are in a changing world that challenges us to keep our knowledge current and to develop engaging, relevant content and teaching strategies.

It is our vision, leadership, and guidance that will shape the worlds of students, clinicians, and communities.

How do we ‘make a difference’? How do we support and create change in our different worlds?An excellent way to share ideas and make connections with other professional colleagues, meet experts in the field, and to learn about new strategies and research is to attend conferences.

A conference provides a snapshot of what is happening in your professional domain, such as education. Conferences inspire and give new ways of looking at things, motivate you to reflect on your practice, and reinvigorate interest in your work.

The National Nurse Education Conference (NNEC) 2018
This is an excellent conference for nursing and midwifery educators. The National Nurse Education Conference (NNEC) will be held Melbourne at the Crown Promenade Hotel 2-4 May 2018, with the 1st May providing pre-conference workshops.

Further details can be found on the website https://dcconferences.eventsair.com/QuickEventWebsitePortal/nnec2018/home.

This is the only dedicated conference for nursing and midwifery educators in Australia and is held every two years.

The conference is convened by the Australian Nurse Educators’ Society (ANTS: http://www.ants.org.au), which is the only professional organisation in Australia devoted exclusively to support nursing and midwifery educators.

The theme of the conference is “Changing Worlds: Synergies in nursing, midwifery and health education”. Delegates will be from all around Australia and internationally.

The conference will explore a range of topics, including:

• Creating and supporting change
• Innovative educational programs
• Student engagement initiatives
• Collaborative health education projects
• Supporting vulnerable groups (such as children, refugees, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders [ATSI])

What the conference offers
The conference offers workshops, keynote (expert) speakers, presentations by delegates, and opportunities to network, including a social program.

Workshops will be offered on the 1st May. Topics will include innovative teaching strategies, writing for publication, refugee health and its educational implications, and assessment and learner engagement.

Keynote speakers will be from education, nursing, mental health and ATSI fields. Opportunities are provided for you to chat to the experts.

Networking is very important at conferences. At the NNEC 2018 conference there will be dinner and dancing at a nearby restaurant by the river, and welcome drinks will be served on the first night. Continuing professional development hours are provided by ANTS. Full conference registration will achieve 20 hours of CPD. You can also attend for one day of the conference or just a workshop.

Why not consider visiting Melbourne and attending NNEC 2018 -be inspired – share a vision for the future – and shape your learner’s world?