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National Executive Committee

The National Executive Committee is elected at the Annual General Meeting (AGM) held during our National Conference. Nominations for Executive positions are called for prior to the AGM. All executive positions become vacant annually and are open for nominations from members, subject to conditions within the constitution.

The Executive comprises office-bearers and ordinary members. From time to time there may be additional members for specific roles as determined by the Executive. 

The Executive meets monthly via videoconference. 

Observers: The executive welcomes ACNN members who may be interested in joining the executive committee at a later date to join the meetings as an observer. This will allow you to gain a sense of what is involved and what the executive is moving forward. Please email the President for further information.  

Current Executive  

Appointed at the AGM on 8 September 2023

President: Amy Curran - QLD Amy is an English trained nurse who worked in Leicester and London before moving to Australia in 2004. Amy worked as a transport nurse for NETS, Victoria before moving to Townsville in 2007 and undertaking her Nurse Practitioner training, becoming endorsed in 2010.  Amy has been an active member within ACNN and is involved in the NNP and LRC special interest groups. She is the chair of the NNP Methods group within COINN, looking to explore the diversity of the Neonatal Nurse Practitioner (NNP) role globally. E-mail: president@acnn.org.au


Vice President: Linda Ng - QLD
Linda has clinical experience and qualifications in Adult Intensive Care and Neonatal Intensive Care.  Linda’s research focuses on postgraduate education of Registered Nurses and its impact on nursing care as well as on retention of nurses in the industry. She has an interest in simulation and neonatal skin. Linda is amember of The Honour Society of Nursing Sigma Theta Tau International-Phi Delta Chapter at Large and a collaborator in the Education, Simulation and Scholarship. E-mail: vicepresident@acnn.org.au


Secretary and Public Officer: 
Shelley Reid - NSW

Shelley has a background in neonatal nursing and currently works as a clinical audit and research clinical nurse specialist at the Royal Prince Alfred Hospital Newborn Care in Sydney. She was founding editor from 1998 and for the first six years of
Neonatal, Paediatric and Child Health Nursing and continues to work as a freelance editor. Her particular interests revolve around developmentally supportive care for the preterm neonate, the psychological aspects of preterm infants within families, family centred care and professional aspects of neonatal nursing.  Shelley is currently a PhD candidate at the Susan Wakil School of Nursing and Midwifery, University of Sydney. E-mail: secretary@acnn.org.au


Treasurer: Samantha Lannan - TAS
Samantha is a registered nurse and midwife who has worked as a neonatal nurse for over twenty years.  She has worked in several neonatal units around Australia and has held clinical nurse, clinical facilitator and nurse unit manager positions. Samantha is currently working as a neonatal nurse in Hobart and maintains her passion for family centred care. She was an active member of the Queensland Branch of ACNN before taking on the role of assistant treasurer and then treasurer on the ACNN national executive committee.
E-mail: treasurer@acnn.org.au  

Social Media (Ordinary Member): Sarah Neale - ACT
Sarah has worked in neonatal units around Australia and currently calls Sydney home. She is passionate about supporting new and innovative ways of improving clinical care and compassionate teamwork, and has completed a Masters in Nursing – Clinical Teaching and Leadership. Sarah manages the ACNN social media accounts, and hopes to  increase awareness of the work and research Australian neonatal nurses achieve, and to raise the profile of our profession.
E-mail: socialmedia@acnn.org.au

Conference Chair (Ordinary Member): Melissah Burnett - VIC
Melissah is a long standing active member of ACNN and has held a variety of positions with ACNN, the Victorian Branch and LRC SIG. She has volunteered with ACNN in PNG four times and regularly attends the ACNN conferences and education activities. She is personally and professionally engaged with many ACNN members across Australia. Qualified with a Masters of Nursing and Certificate IV in Training assessment she has worked in the Mercy Hospital for Women NICU for 26 years but with a real passion for education and leadership has also worked in the higher education sector, as a Nurse Unit Manager and more recently as a senior clinical application specialist with a targeted focus on neonatal ventilation. Her current role is with Safer Care Victoria (Department of Health) leading an expert working group to review and update the Neonatal eHandbook Clinical Guidelines. She regularly works casual clinical shifts on the weekends and enjoys guest lecturing and supporting new and ongoing learners in the NICU/SCN. Email: conference@acnn.org.au

Memberships Secretary (Ordinary Member): Nicol Franz - QLD
Nicol has over 18 years of experience in neonatal care in both NICU and SCN. After completing her Masters in Clinical Nursing, specialising in Special Care of the Newborn, Nicol took an academic position working for the University of Tasmania and and recently appointed as Post Graduate Neonatal Stream Lead, as well as coordinator, teaching the Post Graduate Neonatal theory and practice units. Nicol has a passion for driving evidence-based practice also working with the Joanna Briggs Institute(JBI) as the Chair of the Neonatal Expert Reference Group. Nicol’s passion and publication interests involve neonatal abstinence syndrome. Nicol is an active member of the college including the Conference Committee and the QLD branch. Nicol is committed to improving neonatal care across Australia, working to develop novice neonatal nurses into confident clinicians through implementation of research and education. Email: memberships@acnn.org.au

Professional Officer (acting)(Ordinary Member): Margaret Broom - ACT
Adjunct Associate Professor Broom was awarded a Doctor of Philosophy undertaken at Australian Catholic University in April 2017. She has over 30 years of experience in all aspects of neonatology with 20 years clinical experience.

Over the past 10 years in the role of the Neonatal Research Coordinator at the Centenary Hospital Women, Youth and Children in Canberra, she has translated her clinical experience into researching many topics to improve outcomes for neonates, families, and staff. She has led many research and quality improvement projects considering topics such as impact of NICU redesign, reducing pressure injuries, pain management, parents attending clinical rounds, Family Integrated Care, as well as the impact of visiting restrictions on families due to COVID19. She is an active member of the Research SIG Committee. In 2021 Margaret was presented the Australian College of Neonatal Nurses, Nurse Excellence Award. Email: professionalofficer@acnn.org.au

Executive Support Officer (ESO): Karen New
Karen joined the Neonatal Nurses Association of Qld (NNAQ) in 1997 and has been active within NNAQ - now the Qld Branch, ANNA - now ACNN and the LRC SIG since its inception. Karen served in numerous roles on the ACNN executive before taking on the ESO role in 2019. The role of the ESO is to provide administrative support and mentorship to the executive and subcommittees. Being a part of a professional organisation that seeks to enhance the role of the neonatal nurse in education, research, scholarship and clinical care, to ultimately improve the outcomes for sick and preterm neonates is immensely rewarding and professionally stimulating. This has occurred the state (QLd), national (ACNN) and international levels (Council of International Neonatal Nurses (COINN) - past president). For those who have a passion for neonatal nursing and care, then I strongly encourage you to become involved in ACNN and its branches and special interest groups. Email: eso@acnn.org.au

Updated 13 March 2024