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

35°19′16″S 149°05′40″E / 35.321215°S 149.094506°E / -35.321215; 149.094506

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

ACN is a member of the International Council of Nurses (ICN) in collaboration with the Australian Nursing and Midwifery Federation (ANMF).[2]

History

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 history of dating from about 1949.

The founders of the New South Wales College of Nursing were Muriel Knox Doherty, RRC, FCN (NSW) 1896-1988, Agnes Mary Lions, OBE, FCN (NSW), 1908-1992, Margaret Frances Guy (nee Looker), FCN (NSW), OBE and Georgina McCready (nee Johnstone) MBE, FCN (NSW).[3] 

Presidents

  • Agnes Mary Lions 1950 and 1954[4]
  • Carmen Morgan FACN (2013-2015)
  • Adjunct Professor Kathy Baker AM FACN (DLF) (2016)
  • Emeritus Professor Christine Duffield FACN (2017-2023)[5]
  • Adjunct Professor David Plunkett FACN (2023-present)[5]

Chief Executive Officers

  • Adjunct Professor Debra Thoms FACN DLF (2012-2015)
  • Adjunct Professor Kylie Ward FACN (2015-present)[5]

Advocacy

ACN advocates at State and Federal levels.[6]

ACN has 23 faculties including topics related to patient groups and areas of practice.[7]

Policy Summit

The ACN Policy Summit is an annual forum where nurses and health policy advocates connect in Canberra. The Summit discusses problems, opportunities and strategies to address these.[8]

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 graduates:[9]

  • 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.[10]

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.[11]

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). [12]

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[13] and Nursing Leadership in Diversity and Inclusion Guiding Principles[14] and facilitation of the Men in Nursing Working Party.[15]

ACN has firmly opposed violence against nurses by launching the Nurses and Violence Taskforce[16] and #ProtectNurses campaign.[17] ACN produced a voluntary Modern Slavery Position Statement[18] and has been endorsed by Reconciliation Australia for having a Reflect Reconciliation Action Plan.[19]

Publications

ACN publishes the quarterly member magazine The Hive[20] and regular episodes of The ACN Podcast.[21] Collegian: The Australian Journal of Nursing Practice, Scholarship and Research is the official journal of ACN.[22]

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 - in the grounds of the Australian War Memorial.[23]

Notes

  1. ↑ "About us". Australian College of Nursing. 2023.
  2. ↑ "ICN Members' Address List -2023" (PDF). International Council of Nurses. 2023.
  3. ↑ "Our history". Australian College of Nursing. 2023.
  4. ↑ Taksa, Lucy, "Agnes Mary (Molly) Lions (1908–1992)", Australian Dictionary of Biography, Canberra: National Centre of Biography, Australian National University, retrieved 14 December 2023
  5. 1 2 3 "Our people". Australian College of Nursing.
  6. ↑ "Policy". Australian College of Nursing.
  7. ↑ "Faculties". Australian College of Nursing.
  8. ↑ "Policy Summit". Australian College of Nursing. 11 March 2019.
  9. ↑ "Australian College of Nursing Ltd". Australian Government Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency.
  10. ↑ "Accredited Programs". Health Education Services Australia.
  11. ↑ "COVID-19 vaccination training program". Australian Government Department of Health and Aged Care.
  12. ↑ "Nursing and allied health scholarships". Australian Government Department of Health and Aged Care.
  13. ↑ "Calling for the health sector to engage with "radical, bold and brave" initiatives to save the planet". Croakey Health Media. 23 November 2021.
  14. ↑ "Health disparities of transgender and gender diverse people require urgent attention". Mirage News. 31 March 2022.
  15. ↑ "Australian College of Nursing seeks to recruit and retain more males". Australian Men's Health Forum. 24 November 2020.
  16. ↑ "Let nurses lead the fight to eliminate gender-based discrimination and violence – ACN". Aged Care News. 4 March 2022.
  17. ↑ "#ProtectNurses highlights occupational violence". Health Times. 20 January 2023.
  18. ↑ "Statements 11360". Australian Government Attorney General's Department.
  19. ↑ "Who has a RAP?". Reconciliation Australia.
  20. ↑ 6338734. OCLC 858932208. {{cite book}}: |website= ignored (help)
  21. ↑ "The ACN Podcast". Spotify.
  22. ↑ "Home". Collegian Journal.
  23. ↑ "Lieutenant Colonel Vivian Bullwinkel AO, MBE, ARRC, ED, FNM, FRCNA Sculpture Commission". Australian War Memorial.
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