News

On Friday 27 June, CNSA and Rare Cancers Australia (RCA) launched a new Community of Practice (CoP) focused on rare cancers. The session brought together a small group of cancer nurses from across Australia to connect, share insights, and start shaping the direction of this new group.

At the CNSA Annual General Meeting on 21 June, we farewelled three valued Board Directors and acknowledged their significant contributions to our organisation and the broader cancer nursing community. We are pleased to welcome two new Directors to the Board, along with one returning Director who has commenced a second term. Together, this refreshed Board will continue to guide CNSA’s strategic direction and strengthen our impact for cancer nurses across Australia.

The 2025 CNSA Annual Congress has officially wrapped—and what an extraordinary few days it was in Adelaide. Held in partnership with the International Society of Nurses in Cancer Care (ISNCC), this year’s Congress brought together cancer nurses from across Australia and around the world to connect, learn, and lead.

This year at the CNSA Annual Congress, we proudly introduced the Emma Cohen Award for Best First-Time Presenter—a heartfelt tribute to an extraordinary nurse, leader, mentor, and friend. Renamed in memory of Emma Cohen, the award recognises outstanding first-time presenters at the CNSA Congress and celebrates the promise of the next generation of cancer nurses—something Emma passionately believed in.

The Cancer Nurses Society of Australia (CNSA) is honoured to award Life Membership to Gabrielle Prest, recognising her enduring and extraordinary contribution to cancer nursing and to the CNSA community. Life Membership is one of the Society’s highest accolades, reserved for those whose work has significantly advanced cancer nursing practice and shaped the professional landscape in Australia.

Thanks to our partnership with MooGoo Skincare, five outstanding cancer nurses have been awarded a combined $35K in scholarship funding to support their post graduate study and professional development.

Mark your calendars – Cancer Nurses Day is back, and we’re gearing up for another powerful celebration. Don't forget to order your Cancer Nurses Day Host Kit, filled with everything you need to mark the occasion in your workplace or community. Each kit includes balloons, napkins, and save-the-date postcards to help you spread the word and create a vibrant celebration.

We’re excited to host a series of Community of Practice (CoP) gatherings during the CNSA Annual Congress—your opportunity to connect, collaborate and grow alongside cancer nursing peers who share your interests. Join us and network with members across our Melanoma CoP, our Management / Nurse Executive CoP, or our Nurse Educator CoP. It's a fantastic time to meet people in real life that you generally connect with virtually.

We are proud to celebrate Ms Catherine Louise Johnson, who has been awarded a Member of the Order of Australia (AM) in the 2025 King’s Birthday Honours for her significant service to oncology nursing and research. Cath’s remarkable career spans over three decades, marked by a deep commitment to advancing cancer care, research, and nursing leadership across Australia and internationally. Since 1997, she has served as a Clinical Research Nurse in the Medical Oncology Department at Calvary Mater Newcastle, following earlier roles as a Clinical Nurse Specialist and Registered Nurse across leading cancer services in NSW. As a founding member of the Cancer Nurses Society of Australia (CNSA), Cath played a key role in shaping the organisation from the ground up as a member of the founding streeing committee of the CNSA in Australia across 1998 and 1999.

CNSA recently responded to a consultation on the role of Nurse Practitioners (NPs) in the National Lung Cancer Screening Program (NLCSP). Following the consultation, the Department of Health and Aged Care has decided NPs will be requesting practitioners under the program from 1 July 2025. In our submission, we strongly endorsed the integration of NPs but emphasised the need for consistency in scope, funding, training, governance, and infrastructure to enable effective, safe, and equitable implementation—particularly for rural and remote populations.

The nomination informs the National Health Workforce Dataset statistics used by the Commonwealth and states and territories in health system planning and policies. It is incredibly important that they have an accurate representation of the cancer nursing workforce in Australia.

Being a CNSA member is more than a subscription—it’s a sign of professionalism, commitment, and community. Employers and interview panels increasingly look for active involvement in professional associations like CNSA as a sign that you’re engaged, up to date, and serious about your career.

We know it’s tough out there—so we’ve made renewing your membership easier. At CNSA, we understand that times are challenging for many of our members. To help, we wanted to remind members that you do have the option to pay your membership quarterly—so you can continue to stay connected, supported, and informed, without the financial pressure of a single upfront payment. You can renew in four easy installments of $55, making it more manageable to maintain your professional membership throughout the year.

The 2025 Election for the CNSA Board of Directors is now open! There are seven candidates nominating for three vacant Board positions. This is a valuable opportunity for you, as a CNSA member, to shape the future of our organisation by voting for the individuals you believe will best represent and lead our cancer nursing community. All financial members will receive a secure email and SMS from TrueVote, an independent and verified voting platform conducting the election on our behalf. Please follow the instructions in that communication to cast your vote.

We are thrilled to celebrate two remarkable members of CNSA who were recognised at the prestigious 2025 HESTA Nursing & Midwifery Awards, held last night in Melbourne. Ty Simpson, CNSA member and Clinical Nurse Consultant for CAR T-cell therapy at The Alfred, was named HESTA Nurse of the Year, while fellow member Professor Marion Eckert was honoured as the Director of the Organisation of the Year, the Rosemary Bryant AO Research Centre. These honours not only spotlight the individuals behind these achievements, but also shine a national spotlight on the excellence, innovation, and leadership within the cancer nursing profession.

The latest CNSA Nurse Educator Community of Practice meeting focused on the transformative role of artificial intelligence (AI) in nursing education, highlighting both the promise and challenges of integrating digital tools into contemporary teaching practice.

We're proud to support the launch of Module 1 of the Radiation Oncology Nursing Course (RONC), developed by eviQ Education to provide foundational education for nurses working in radiation oncology. This important resource will strengthen clinical knowledge and skills essential to the safe and effective care of people undergoing radiation therapy.

This International Nurses Day, CNSA proudly celebrated the theme: "Our Nurses. Our Future. Caring for nurses strengthens economies." This global message aligns deeply with our purpose: to advance cancer nursing and strengthen the systems that support nurses to deliver safe, evidence-based, person-centred care.

CNSA is proud to launch the pilot Research Pathway Mentoring Program—an exciting new initiative designed to support early career cancer nurses who are curious about research; as well as cancer nurses early in their research career who want to explore how it might shape their professional journey.

We’re excited to share the success of our first-ever collaborative Community of Practice (CoP) for melanoma nurses, held in partnership with Melanoma Patients Australia and Melanoma Institute Australia.

We are delighted to welcome two new members to the CNSA National Office team - Aviya Bavati, Membership and Events Manager; and Jackie Schmidt, Marketing and Partnerships Manager.

We’re excited to welcome GSK as a National Partner of CNSA. GSK are a focused biopharma company with strong momentum and big ambitions, to unite science, technology and talent to get ahead of disease together. Find out more about what this partnership means for you.

Do you want to attend EONS in Berlin, CANO in Canada, UKONS in the UK, ONS in the US, MASCC in the US or the World Lung Cancer Conference in Barcelona? Now is your chance to apply for one of 3 scholarships.

CNSA is delighted to collaborate with Melanoma Institute Australia and Melanoma Patients Australia to create this new CoP. We invite all members and interested nurses to join us for the first meeting on Tuesday 29 April, 1pm AEST.

We are thrilled to announce that we have renewed our national partnership with our preferred legal partner, Slater and Gordon Lawyers, for another two years! Building on the success of last year, this collaboration continues to provide legal resources, educational opportunities, and direct support for our members and their patients.

Cancer Nurses Day is more than just a date on the calendar - it's a moment to recognise and celebrate the incredible work being done by the 7,500 cancer nurses nationwide and champion their remarkable contributions to improving patient outcomes in Australia.

Do you want to be at the forefront of Cancer Nursing in Australia? Be involved with decision-making that can impact the profession? Actively implement a thorough and robust Strategic Plan for the betterment of your peers? If you've answered yes and are ready to bring your knowledge and enthusiasm to the fore, then we encourage you to nominate for the CNSA Board of Directors for a three-year term. We are currently calling for nominations for three Elected Director positions. We have big goals and aspirations, but we can only do it with your support.

We are so excited to share that the program for CNSA ICCN 2025 is now live! With over 700 registrations already, we’re on track to deliver the biggest and most important cancer nursing event of the year.

We’re excited to announce that applications are now open to apply for one of 5 x $2000 grants to help subsidise costs associated with attending our 2025 Annual Congress, Global Voices, Local Action: From Inspiration to Implementation, which is taking place from June 18-21 in Adelaide.

I am thrilled to share some exciting news with you - CNSA has recently been awarded nearly $1 million in grant funding from the Australian Government. This is part of the $16.5 million committed to the Cancer Patient Support Program, a component of the Australian Cancer Nursing and Navigation Program. The aim is to provide better outcomes for people affected by cancer and increase equity across tumour types.