On this page: About | Community | Purpose | Strategic pillars | Our people | Our members | Reconciliation Action Plan | Social impact | Work at ACN | Customer experience | History | ACN Foundation
About ACN
Shaping Health, Advancing Nursing
About Australian College of Nursing
The Australian College of Nursing is the peak professional body and leader of the nursing profession. We are a for-purpose organisation committed to our mission of Shaping Health, Advancing Nursing.
We support nurses to uphold the highest possible standards of integrity, clinical expertise, ethical conduct, and professionalism through our six pillars of Education, Leadership, Community, Social Impact, Advocacy and Policy.
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 community in numbers
In 2022-2023, we had over…
9,210,566
potential media audience reach
3,600+
delegates welcomed to ACN events
6,682
CPD modules completed
> 245
represented the nursing profession to
Government and key stakeholders
218,000+
enrolments for the Government-funded
COVID-19 vaccination training program
$397,000
scholarships awarded
Our purpose
In a world where nurses are trusted, specialised and valuable, our purpose is strong.
At ACN, we believe:
We can build a better future for nursing
Being a nurse means being a leader
We are powerful individually and unstoppable together
Voices of our community
ACN has achieved outstanding results through securing educational credibility, empowering nurse leadership, building networks and raising the profile of the organisation as a professional and powerful advocacy voice for the profession. We continue to grow our membership and influence.
Our strategic pillars
Our people
Adjunct Professor David Plunkett FACN GAICD MBA RN
President
Adjunct Professor Kathryn Zeitz PhD FACN
Chief Executive Officer
Our members
The Australian College of Nursing 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.
Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP)
Nurses play a crucial role in closing the health gap that First Nations people experience. As the leader of the profession, we are proud to demonstrate our dedication to this important cause through our Reconciliation Action Plan.
We are currently developing towards an innovate Reconciliation Action Plan.
Work at ACN
At ACN, our strength lies within our people. Our passionate and high-performing team, comprised of experts in their respective fields, operates from offices in Sydney and Canberra. As a purpose-driven organisation, we take pride in offering our employees the opportunity to engage in meaningful work that truly makes a difference. We are unapologetically ambitious, dedicated to working as hard as the nurses we proudly represent, and committed to fostering an environment that encourages continuous growth and learning.
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 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.
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.
Modern slavery
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Nursing leadership in emissions reduction guiding principles
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Nursing leadership in diversity and inclusion guiding principles
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Men in Nursing Working Party
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Nurses and Violence Taskforce
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Reconciliation Action Plan
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Mental Health Plan
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#ProtectNurses campaign
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