On Tuesday 12th May 2026, hospitals worldwide will recognise International Nurses Day. The International Council of Nurses’ theme for 2026, Our Nurses. Our Future. Empowered Nurses Save Lives, underscores the importance of environments, leadership and systems that enable nurses to practise at their best. At Cura Day Hospitals Group, empowerment is not aspirational, it is embedded in how we work, lead and deliver care across our 39 hospitals.

A model built on stable nursing teams 

Day and short stay hospitals differ fundamentally from acute care settings, and so too does the nursing experience. With elective procedures scheduled in advance and admissions under 24 hours, Cura nurses work in stable, permanent teams alongside familiar surgical and anaesthetic colleagues.  

This continuity allows nurses to support patients through the full care pathway, from admission and pre-operative preparation through to recovery and discharge, often within a single day. It is a model that supports safety, quality and professional confidence. 

Nurse-led leadership at every hospital

Cura hospitals operate under a CEO / Director of Nursing model, where nurses lead clinically, operationally and culturally. Leaders bring lived experience from theatres and the bedside, grounding organisational decisions in the realities of patient care.

Kaylene Elliott, National Hospitals Operation Manager, reflects on her former career as a CEO/ Director of Nursing that empowerment often showed up in meaningful day-to-day moments.

“In the CEO/DoN role, it’s the small but important wins. Trusting your judgement when managing challenges, supporting others, and being asked by Doctors or staff to help, whether that’s setting up a theatre complex or teaching someone how to scrub for a case. That recognition speaks volumes,” she says.

Leadership developed from within 

Cura’s Nursing Leadership Development Program supports experienced nurses to step into leadership roles across the group. The program reflects a long-standing principle at Cura: clinical leadership is strongest when it is developed by people who deeply understand patient care. 

Jeffrey Woods, National Clinical Governance Manager, says supporting nurse leaders has been one of the most rewarding aspects of his work.  

“I’m proud to be part of an executive team that truly values nurses and the care we provide every day.  

Seeing nurses grow their confidence, capability and leadership through our Nursing Leadership Development Program, including introducing an Australian first in Human-Centred Leadership in Healthcare, has been incredibly rewarding,” he said 

A voice in the decisions that matter 

Empowerment at Cura extends into everyday decision-making. Nurses contribute directly to procurement decisions, facility design and quality improvement initiatives. Through Area Action Groups and the National Clinical Safety & Quality Committee, nurses influence decisions that affect practice across the organisation. 

“For me, empowerment means using my voice to advocate for frontline nurses and ensuring their perspectives shape care,” said Jeffrey Woods.  

“These forums enable meaningful, nurse-led influence across Cura and support the continued embedding of that same confidence and contribution at the point of care, where every nurse is empowered to speak up.” 

This approach recently shaped the redesign of Cura’s endoscopy clinical pathway. By bringing together direct care nurses and frontline leaders, documentation was streamlined while maintaining high standards of patient safety and care. 

Specialty pathways and professional growth 

Cura’s commitment to speciality pathways and professional growth is underpinned by consistent, group‑wide access to Ausmed CPD. This is complemented by partnerships with the Australasian College of Perianaesthesia Nurses, supporting both core and advanced competency development.  

The Periop Concepts program further strengthens this focus by delivering education tailored specifically to the day surgery environment. Cura’s Quality and Safety system, Healthcare Guardian, designed by nurses for nurses, reinforces this approach, demonstrating empowerment not as consultation alone, but as genuine ownership of practice and decision-making. 

This commitment is reflected in the career journey of Kaylene Elliott, who credits Cura’s empowered practice model with enabling her professional growth. 

“From scrub nurse to building a day surgery, from managing a list to managing a budget, I’ve learned so much. Cura has given me opportunities to grow that I’m immensely proud of,” she says. 

Saying thank you 

This week, Cura hospitals are marking International Nurses Day with locally meaningful celebrations, including morning teas. To the nurses across Cura Day Hospitals Group who care for more than 200,000 patients each year, thank you. Your expertise, leadership and commitment make a difference every day. 

#IND2026 #OurNursesOurFuture