Canberra palliative care specialist Kate Reed-Cox has been named the 2026 Australian nurse practitioner of the year.

The award, presented by the Australian College of Nurse Practitioners, recognises excellence in clinical practice, mentoring and leadership.

Reed-Cox is a nurse practitioner specialising in palliative, supportive and end-of-life care at Canberra Health Services. She also provides specialist care privately through Next Practice Deakin, including pain and symptom management for people living with life-limiting illnesses.

Her nursing career began in critical care before she completed a Master of Nursing (Nurse Practitioner) and moved into specialist palliative care. She has worked clinically in the field since 2011.

Reed-Cox has also held senior roles advising governments, non-government organisations and peak bodies on end-of-life care, health strategy and service delivery.

Most recently, she spent 12 months as a director with the Voluntary Assisted Dying Implementation Taskforce for ACT Health before returning to specialist clinical practice.

Her work has extended internationally through the International Association for Hospice and Palliative Care, where she served as the Australian Focal Point and advocated for the inclusion of palliative care within Universal Health Coverage, particularly in the Western Pacific region.

Since 2023, she has worked with the Solomon Islands National Referral Hospital in Honiara to build local palliative care capacity. The work is expanding into provincial areas and neighbouring Pacific countries.

Reed-Cox has also completed a Master of Laws with commendation at the Australian National University, with expertise in global health law, medical ethics, human rights and security.

Palliative Care ACT CEO Paul Arztenhofer said the award recognised Reed-Cox’s clinical expertise and her willingness to share her knowledge.

“Kate has made an extraordinary contribution to palliative care over many years, through direct clinical care, leadership, policy, education and advocacy,” he said.

“Her work has helped improve access to specialist care for people here in Canberra, while her influence has also extended nationally and internationally.”

Reed-Cox is a member of Palliative Care ACT and has contributed to its community education and sector events over many years.

News all day, every day at CityNews.com.au.