Anna McVinish

Anna McVinish is a specialist registered nurse in Alcohol and other Drugs and a committed harm reductionist who knows that dignity, autonomy and respect are essential to the delivery of just and equitable healthcare for all Australians who use substances.

As the implementing nurse unit manager and nurse clinical lead, Anna worked tirelessly within her team to invigorate Australia's first ever injectable opioid agonist treatment (iOAT) feasibility study. Her aim throughout has remained the harnessing of the uniquely relational, person-centred and health enhancing potential this previously unavailable treatment offers to those experiencing opioid use related harms.

Prior to training as a nurse Anna worked for 10 years in various roles across specialist homelessness and social care sectors and found her focus in delivering exceptional standards of care to at-risk populations. She remains highly driven in her motivation to challenge the status quo, to address systemic barriers to equitable health care and shine a light on the pervasive harms and limitations for which substance use related stigma is answerable.

Anna holds a Bachelor of Arts and Master of Nursing from the University of Sydney alongside postgraduate nursing qualifications in Addiction. Currently working as a clinical nurse consultant at St Vincent’s Hospital Sydney, she also recently received the 2023 International Nurses Day, Nursing Excellence award for "Inner City Health" and counts her complementary employment at Sydney's Medically Supervised Injecting Centre as both her professional inspiration and anchor.