About Australian College of Nursing

Advancing Nursing, Shaping Health

You are here:

The Australian College of Nursing (ACN) is the peak professional body and leader of the nursing profession. We are a for-purpose organisation committed to our vision of Advancing Nursing, Shaping Health.

We are the Australian member of the International Council of Nurses headquartered in Geneva in collaboration with the Australian Nursing and Midwifery Federation (ANMF).

Our mission

Our mission is to represent, support, and be the professional voice for Australian nurses.

null

Connecting the nursing community

null

Strengthening nursing capability

null

Amplifying the impact of nurses

null

Educating future-ready nurses

Our strategic intent

ACN is proud of its rich history of advancing the nursing profession. Nursing is the foundation of the Australian healthcare system, leading care delivery and shaping the health outcomes of all Australians. ACN is positioned as Australia’s most trusted professional body for the nursing profession.

Over the next five years:

Set the national agenda

We will set the national agenda for nursing, leading the conversations that shape the future of the profession and influence the issues that matter most to our members and to Australia’s health system.

Inspire nurses to lead and connect

We will inspire nurses to learn, lead and connect to build a confident, influential workforce that drives better health outcomes for the communities they serve.

Shape policy priorities

We will shape policy priorities that elevate the nursing profession, strengthen Australia’s health workforce, and contribute to healthier communities and a more prosperous national economy.

Advocate and strong collaboration

We will forge strong collaborations to advocate for systemic reforms to ensure nursing is recognised, valued, resourced, and empowered to deliver exceptional care across all settings.

Enabling ACN's success – Our organisational priorities

People

Cultural safety

Excellence

Investment

Member-centric

Partnership

ACN values

Integrity - ACN values

We act with honesty and do what is right.

We lead by example, inspiring others to act with respect and courage.

We keep our promises and take responsibility for our actions, decisions, and their consequences.

We make decisions transparently.

We uphold ethical standards in all our actions.

Respect - ACN values

We treat everyone with dignity, promoting inclusion and diversity.

We listen actively and value the ideas and contributions of others.

We show kindness, empathy and understanding of the feelings, thoughts, and experiences of others.

We value teamwork and we recognise and show gratitude for the contributions, efforts, and achievements of ourselves and each other.

We treat everyone fairly, without favouritism, bias, or discrimination.

We care for ourselves, each other, and the environments in which we work and live.

Courage - ACN values

We share our thoughts and ideas openly.

We take risks to learn and innovate.

We are open to new ideas and different ways of thinking.

We call out behaviours and practices that are not aligned with our values, policies, nor in the best interests of members, students and staff.

We challenge the status quo and take on new challenges, even when the path is unclear.

We see errors as a way of developing new understanding.

Our people

Kath Stein FACN
President

Adjunct Professor Kathryn Zeitz PhD FACN
Chief Executive Officer

Strengthening diversity across the workforce

Our people are at the heart of everything we do. From our Sydney and Canberra offices, we work to support a stronger, more diverse nursing workforce grounded in cultural respect and shared understanding for the benefit of all Australians.

Customer experience

As the national professional organisation for all nurses in Australia we are privileged to represent and support thousands of nurses around the country, including our valued Fellows, Members, students, scholars, and Affiliates. Our Customer Experience Charter outlines our unwavering commitment to providing exceptional experiences to those who dedicate their lives to caring for others.

Our members

ACN is a member-based organisation with corporate and individual membership reaching over 150,000 people across all Australian states and territories. However, our reach and scope is significantly greater. We actively advocate to government for better policy and education and seek support from the media to highlight the country’s largest clinical profession.

Our membership consists of clinical nurse experts, organisational leaders, academics, educators, and researchers, as well as early and mid-career nurses looking to move into leadership roles within the profession.

Our commitment to First Nations’ people

ACN acknowledges the Continuing Cultural Custodians of the lands and waterways across Australia on which we work, live, and learn, and pays deep respect to First Nations Elders past, present and emerging.

We honour the enduring knowledge, cultures, and contributions of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples to health, healing and the nursing profession. We are committed to growing a stronger First Nations nursing workforce and ensuring First Nations voices are at the heart of the conversations we lead, the education we deliver, and the policy priorities we pursue.

Our social impact

ACN supports a number of initiatives in health care which align with our values for health equality for all. We advocate for nurses and the nursing profession across the globe, and particularly in Australia.

ACN is a national body that drives change to enhance the delivery of health services to the Australian community. We are an organisation not afraid to address the issues affecting the nursing profession or Australia’s health care systems.

Our history

ACN and its predecessor organisations have had a rich history of raising the status and profile of nursing, advocating for the profession and offering high-quality postgraduate education for nearly 75 years.

We’re here for nurses

The Australian College of Nursing (ACN) Foundation is dedicated to ensuring Australian nurses have access to educational, research, advocacy and leadership opportunities that will keep them highly skilled and at the cutting edge of health care delivery.

The ACN Foundation is able to support Australian nurses and the profession in achieving the highest level of nursing excellence thanks to the generous support of corporations, individuals and private Trusts and Foundations.

Join us in supporting nurses by making a donation to the ACN Foundation today.

Get in touch

Your voice matters – share your feedback!
To tell us about your experience, offer suggestions, or address any issues, please use our Customer Feedback Form.

Become an ACN member and access many benefits today