Australian College of Nursing

The Australian College of Nursing (ACN) is the peak professional body and voice for the nursing profession in Australia. ACN advocates, develops policy, and provides education to advance the status, recognition, and respect for nursing nationally and internationally.[1]

Australian College of Nursing
Founded2012
HeadquartersParramatta, New South Wales and Deakin, Australian Capital Territory
Location
Key people
Emeritus Professor Christine Duffield FACN, President
Adjunct Professor Kylie Ward FACN, Chief Executive Officer
Websitewww.acn.edu.au

ACN was established in 2012 from the unification of its predecessor organisations, the Royal College of Nursing, Australia, and The College of Nursing (previously New South Wales College of Nursing). Both had a rich history of championing the nursing profession since 1949.[2] 

ACN is the Australian member of the International Council of Nurses (ICN) in collaboration with the Australian Nursing and Midwifery Federation (ANMF). [3]

Mission

ACN is committed to ‘Shaping Health, Advancing Nursing’ to enhance the health care of all Australians. ACN does this by advocating for the nursing profession, creating an engaged community of nurses, offering world-class education, preparing nurses to lead, representing the profession in policy development and driving social impact.[4]

Presidents
  • Carmen Morgan FACN (2013-2015)
  • Adjunct Professor Kathy Baker AM FACN (DLF) (2016)
  • Emeritus Professor Christine Duffield FACN (2017-present)[5]

Chief Executive Officers
  • Adjunct Professor Debra Thoms FACN DLF (2012-2015)
  • Adjunct Professor Kylie Ward FACN (2015-present)[6]

Advocacy

ACN advocates at State and Federal levels and shares valuable insights and recommendations to ensure the collective nursing voice is heard.[7]

ACN has 23 specialty Faculties that inform specific areas of practice by connecting like-minded ACN Fellows and Members, which are:

  • Adolescent & Young People      
  • Advanced Practice          
  • Chief Nursing Informatics Officers
  • Climate & Health            
  • Clinical Research Nurses              
  • Chronic Disease
  • Cosmetic-Dermatology Nursing
  • Disaster Health
  • End of Life Care
  • Enrolled Nurses
  • First Nations      
  • Global Nursing
  • Healthy Ageing
  • History
  • Leadership
  • Legal & Ethical Issues
  • Military Nursing
  • National Nursing Executive
  • Next Generation
  • Nurse Informatics & Digital Health
  • Nursing in the Community
  • Nursing Regulation
  • Rural and Remote Nursing. [8]

Policy Summit

The ACN Policy Summit is an annual forum where high-profile nurses and health policy advocates connect in Canberra to address significant policy issues for nursing and health care. The Summit brings together nurses and other health professionals to identify and discuss major policy opportunities and strategies to address these.[9]

Education

ACN is an Institute of Higher Education and is registered and accredited by the Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency (TEQSA) for the delivery of the following graduate certificates:[10]

  • Acute Care Nursing
  • Aged Care Nursing
  • Breast Cancer Nursing
  • Cancer Nursing
  • Child and Family Health Nursing
  • Community and Primary Health Care Nursing
  • Cosmetic Nursing
  • Critical Care Nursing
  • Dermatology Nursing
  • Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology Nursing
  • Digital Health
  • Drug and Alcohol Nursing
  • Leadership and Management
  • Neonatal Care
  • Orthopaedic Nursing
  • Paediatric Nursing Studies
  • Palliative Care
  • Perioperative Nursing
  • Stomal Therapy Nursing.

ACN offers the 307 Immunisation for Health Practitioners Course which is accredited by Health Education Services Australia.[11]

The Australian Government Department of Health and Aged Care engaged ACN to develop and deliver the COVID-19 Vaccination Training Program, a mandatory online program for all COVID-19 vaccination providers, including hospitals, general practices and vaccination clinics.[12]

Scholarships

ACN administers a range of government-funded scholarships, including:

  • undergraduate and postgraduate aged care for nurses, personal care workers and allied health professionals
  • nursing and midwifery courses
  • the Puggy Hunter Memorial Scholarship for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students studying entry-level health courses (including nursing and midwifery). [13]

Social impact

ACN provides a platform for nurses to make a difference to their profession and the wellbeing of the populations they serve through various social impact initiatives, including publication of the Nursing Leadership in Emissions Reduction Guiding Principles[14] and Nursing Leadership in Diversity and Inclusion Guiding Principles[15] and faciliation of the Men in Nursing Working Party.[16]

ACN has firmly opposed violence against nurses by launching the Nurses and Violence Taskforce[17] and #ProtectNurses campaign.[18] ACN produced a voluntary Modern Slavery Position Statement[19] and has been endorsed by Reconciliation Australia for having a Reflect Reconciliation Action Plan.[20]

Publications

ACN publishes the quarterly member magazine The Hive[21] and regular episodes of The ACN Podcast.[22] Collegian: The Australian Journal of Nursing Practice, Scholarship and Research is the official journal of ACN.[23]

ACN Foundation

The ACN Foundation’s Bullwinkel Project raised funds to commission the first sculpture of an individual woman and the first to commemorate a nurse - Lieutenant Colonel Vivian Bullwinkel AO, MBE, ARRC, ED, FNM, FRCNA - on the grounds of the Australian War Memorial.[24]

Notes
  1. "About us". Australian College of Nursing. 2023.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  2. "Our history". Australian College of Nursing. 2023.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  3. "ICN Members' Address List -2023" (PDF). International Council of Nurses. 2023.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  4. "About us". Australian College of Nursing.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  5. "Our people". Australian College of Nursing.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  6. "Our people". Australian College of Nursing.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  7. "Policy". Australian College of Nursing.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  8. "Faculties". Australian College of Nursing.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  9. "Policy Summit". Australian College of Nursing.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  10. "Australian College of Nursing Ltd". Australian Government Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency.
  11. "Accredited Programs". Health Education Services Australia.
  12. "COVID-19 vaccination training program". Australian Government Department of Health and Aged Care.
  13. "Nursing and allied health scholarships". Australian Government Department of Health and Aged Care.
  14. "Calling for the health sector to engage with "radical, bold and brave" initiatives to save the planet". Croakey Health Media. 23 November 2021.
  15. "Health disparities of transgender and gender diverse people require urgent attention". Mirage News. 31 March 2022.
  16. "Australian College of Nursing seeks to recruit and retain more males". Australian Men's Health Forum. 24 November 2020.
  17. "Let nurses lead the fight to eliminate gender-based discrimination and violence – ACN". Aged Care News. 4 March 2022.
  18. "#ProtectNurses highlights occupational violence". Health Times. 20 January 2023.
  19. "Statements 11360". Australian Government Attorney General's Department.
  20. "Who has a RAP?". Reconciliation Australia.
  21. "6338734". National Library of Australia.
  22. "The ACN Podcast". Spotify.
  23. "Home". Collegian Journal.
  24. "Lieutenant Colonel Vivian Bullwinkel AO, MBE, ARRC, ED, FNM, FRCNA Sculpture Commission". Australian War Memorial.
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