Monday Lunch Live
12 May 2025 (Video recording below)
Join us in celebrating International Nurses Day 2025 with a thought-provoking webinar that highlights the vital link between a strong nursing workforce and global economic health.
With over 4.5 billion people lacking essential healthcare and 60 million lives lost globally due to system failures, the call for investment in nursing is urgent. This year’s International Nurses Day theme emphasises that caring for nurses is not a cost—but a critical investment in health and economic prosperity.
A new report from the International Council of Nurses (ICN) reveals that investing in nurses — who provide up to 80% of hands-on care — can deliver a 10:1 return on investment, particularly in low- and middle-income countries. To meet Universal Health Coverage goals by 2030, the world must educate and employ over 30 million more nurses.
We will explore evidence that demonstrates how nurses, especially advanced practice nurses, significantly reduce healthcare costs, improve care quality, and enhance patient well-being.
Chair
Professor Mei Krishnasamy
Professor of Nursing, University of Melbourne; Research & Education Lead, Cancer Nursing, VCCC Alliance; Honorary Professor, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre
Prof Krishnasamy's career has been defined by a commitment to advancing equity of access to evidence-informed cancer care by developing the capability of nurses to develop and implement value-based health service innovation. She has an established record of collaborative research focusing on the development and evaluation of models of care and strategies targeted at improving patient and carer experiences of living with cancer, demands of treatment and symptom profiles, linking experience of care innovation to improved patient outcomes.
Ms Jac Mathieson
Jac Mathieson is an accomplished and values-driven executive nurse leader who brings more than two decades of experience across Aotearoa New Zealand and Australia’s health systems.
Jac is currently the Director of the Safe Staffing Healthy Workplace Unit at Te Whatu Ora | Health New Zealand, where she leads the national Care Capacity Demand Program which is embedded across all inpatient units for nurses, midwives and allied health professionals as well as improvements in safe staffing models that support both patient outcomes and staff wellbeing.
Her previous roles include Chief Nurse and Midwifery Officer at Safer Care Victoria and Chief Nursing Officer at Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre in Melbourne, where she led transformational initiatives spanning clinical governance, nursing workforce development, innovation in care models, and organisational redesign.
Jac’s leadership is grounded in compassion, collaboration, and a deep commitment to improving the everyday experience of both healthcare workers and the people they care for. She’s known for her strategic thinking, her ability to bring people together around complex problems, and her unwavering focus on what matters most: delivering equitable, safe, and person-centered care.
Professor Kate White
Kate White has worked in clinical, education and research areas specialising in cancer and palliative care throughout her career. Her major research interests are in areas of supportive care in cancer and palliative care, psychosocial and quality of life issues in cancer, the translation of research evidence into clinical cancer nursing practice and models of care with an emphasis in rural health. She is currently collaborating with VCC Alliance in the development of education modules for cancer nurses on the impact of cancer diagnosis on an individuals sexual function, sexual health and intimacy.
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