Office of the Chief Nurse Officer

About us

We lead, advocate for and support nurses in Queensland. We advise on the nursing profession and the way we work to make sure there is quality, safe care for Queensland communities.

Our Chief Nurse Officer is Adjunct Professor Shelley Nowlan.

Responsibilities and functions

• Advising on policy and the nursing profession to help deliver government health priorities
• Representing, advocating and amplifying the voice of the nursing profession
• Building a resilient, adaptive nursing workforce
• Strengthening nursing education and encouraging innovation
• Using national and statewide data to manage workforce levels and inform system improvements

Strategic priorities

Our priorities include leading and advancing policies that:

• allow nurses to work to their full scope of practice
• build specialised nursing capability in key areas, like alcohol and other drug nursing and rural and remote nursing
• build and maintain a sustainable, representative and adaptive nursing workforce
• encourage innovation
• support nursing wellbeing, reflective practice and maintain professional standards
• aspire to health equity for First Nations peoples.

Read our year in review to learn more about our work.

Professional governance

We implement, monitor and evaluate professional governance in nursing to empower nurses to work to their full scope. This includes informing legislation, regulations, standards and policies governing nursing in Queensland. By using nursing staff to their full potential, we can give Queenslanders access to care that is safe, high quality, and affordable.

Learn more about recency of practice registration standards on the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia website.

Programs

The Office of the Chief Nurse Officer oversees the delivery of statewide programs and initiatives to elevate the nursing workforce and transform professional practice.