Australian Nursing Federation
Encyclopedia
The Australian Nursing Federation (ANF) was established in 1924. The ANF is the national union
for nurses and the largest professional nursing organisation in Australia
. The ANF's core business is the industrial and professional representation of nurses and nursing through the activities of a national office and branches in every State and Territory.
The ANF's 200,000+ members are employed in a wide range of enterprises in urban
, rural
and remote
locations in both in the public
and private
sectors, including hospitals, health and community services, schools, universities, the armed forces
, statutory authorities, local government
, offshore territories and industry.
The ANF participates in the development of policy in nursing, nursing regulation, health
, community service
, veterans' affairs, education
, training
, occupational health and safety, industrial matters, immigration
and law reform. Policy making within the ANF is through consultation with the branches and their members and representation of each branch on the national executive committee and the national Council. National sub-committees cover professional issues, occupational health and safety, industrial issues, publishing
, aged care and rural and remote nursing.
The ANF is a Federally Registered Organisation http://www.e-airc.gov.au/145v/ that has branches in each State and Territory. Most branches also have a 'State Registered Union' operating as the state entity in the state system. For nurses this system is dominated by public hospitals run by the various Australian state governments. For example, the ANF Western Australia
Branch operates as the Australian Nursing Federation, Industrial Union of Workers Perth, the ANF Queensland
Branch operates as the Queensland Nurses' Union
and the ANF New South Wales
Branch operates as the NSW Nurses' Association in their respective state systems.
The ANF has a range of national policies, guidelines and position statements relating to nursing, health and social justice issues, for the guidance of members in their practice and at their workplaces.
The ANF represents Australian nursing internationally through links with other national and international nursing organisations, professional associations and the International Labour Organisations. The ANF is a member of the Commonwealth Nurses Federation and the South Pacific Nurses Forum and is affiliated to the ACTU, International Centre for Trade Union Rights and Union Aid Abroad - APHEDA (Australian People for Health, Education and Development Abroad) which is the overseas aid agency of the trade union movement.
Nationally, the ANF initiates activities to raise political awareness, and political action if necessary, among members and the general public in the pursuit of improved public policy on health and related issues
Trade union
A trade union, trades union or labor union is an organization of workers that have banded together to achieve common goals such as better working conditions. The trade union, through its leadership, bargains with the employer on behalf of union members and negotiates labour contracts with...
for nurses and the largest professional nursing organisation in Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
. The ANF's core business is the industrial and professional representation of nurses and nursing through the activities of a national office and branches in every State and Territory.
The ANF's 200,000+ members are employed in a wide range of enterprises in urban
Urban area
An urban area is characterized by higher population density and vast human features in comparison to areas surrounding it. Urban areas may be cities, towns or conurbations, but the term is not commonly extended to rural settlements such as villages and hamlets.Urban areas are created and further...
, rural
Rural
Rural areas or the country or countryside are areas that are not urbanized, though when large areas are described, country towns and smaller cities will be included. They have a low population density, and typically much of the land is devoted to agriculture...
and remote
Remote
Remote may refer to:* Remote control, commonly known as a remote* Remote broadcast, commonly known in broadcasting as a person or a live remote* Remote access* Remote desktop...
locations in both in the public
Public
In public relations and communication science, publics are groups of individuals, and the public is the totality of such groupings. This is a different concept to the sociological concept of the Öffentlichkeit or public sphere. The concept of a public has also been defined in political science,...
and private
Private sector
In economics, the private sector is that part of the economy, sometimes referred to as the citizen sector, which is run by private individuals or groups, usually as a means of enterprise for profit, and is not controlled by the state...
sectors, including hospitals, health and community services, schools, universities, the armed forces
Armed forces
The armed forces of a country are its government-sponsored defense, fighting forces, and organizations. They exist to further the foreign and domestic policies of their governing body, and to defend that body and the nation it represents from external aggressors. In some countries paramilitary...
, statutory authorities, local government
Local government
Local government refers collectively to administrative authorities over areas that are smaller than a state.The term is used to contrast with offices at nation-state level, which are referred to as the central government, national government, or federal government...
, offshore territories and industry.
The ANF participates in the development of policy in nursing, nursing regulation, health
Health
Health is the level of functional or metabolic efficiency of a living being. In humans, it is the general condition of a person's mind, body and spirit, usually meaning to be free from illness, injury or pain...
, community service
Community service
Community service is donated service or activity that is performed by someone or a group of people for the benefit of the public or its institutions....
, veterans' affairs, education
Education
Education in its broadest, general sense is the means through which the aims and habits of a group of people lives on from one generation to the next. Generally, it occurs through any experience that has a formative effect on the way one thinks, feels, or acts...
, training
Training
The term training refers to the acquisition of knowledge, skills, and competencies as a result of the teaching of vocational or practical skills and knowledge that relate to specific useful competencies. It forms the core of apprenticeships and provides the backbone of content at institutes of...
, occupational health and safety, industrial matters, immigration
Immigration
Immigration is the act of foreigners passing or coming into a country for the purpose of permanent residence...
and law reform. Policy making within the ANF is through consultation with the branches and their members and representation of each branch on the national executive committee and the national Council. National sub-committees cover professional issues, occupational health and safety, industrial issues, publishing
Publishing
Publishing is the process of production and dissemination of literature or information—the activity of making information available to the general public...
, aged care and rural and remote nursing.
The ANF is a Federally Registered Organisation http://www.e-airc.gov.au/145v/ that has branches in each State and Territory. Most branches also have a 'State Registered Union' operating as the state entity in the state system. For nurses this system is dominated by public hospitals run by the various Australian state governments. For example, the ANF Western Australia
Western Australia
Western Australia is a state of Australia, occupying the entire western third of the Australian continent. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Great Australian Bight and Indian Ocean to the south, the Northern Territory to the north-east and South Australia to the south-east...
Branch operates as the Australian Nursing Federation, Industrial Union of Workers Perth, the ANF Queensland
Queensland
Queensland is a state of Australia, occupying the north-eastern section of the mainland continent. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Australia and New South Wales to the west, south-west and south respectively. To the east, Queensland is bordered by the Coral Sea and Pacific Ocean...
Branch operates as the Queensland Nurses' Union
Queensland Nurses' Union
The Queensland Nurses' Union, officially the Queensland Nurses' Union of Employees, is a trade union that represents nurses and midwives in both the public and private sectors of Queensland, Australia. It was formed on 8 November 1921 under the name of the Australasian Trained Nurses' Association ...
and the ANF New South Wales
New South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
Branch operates as the NSW Nurses' Association in their respective state systems.
The ANF has a range of national policies, guidelines and position statements relating to nursing, health and social justice issues, for the guidance of members in their practice and at their workplaces.
The ANF represents Australian nursing internationally through links with other national and international nursing organisations, professional associations and the International Labour Organisations. The ANF is a member of the Commonwealth Nurses Federation and the South Pacific Nurses Forum and is affiliated to the ACTU, International Centre for Trade Union Rights and Union Aid Abroad - APHEDA (Australian People for Health, Education and Development Abroad) which is the overseas aid agency of the trade union movement.
Nationally, the ANF initiates activities to raise political awareness, and political action if necessary, among members and the general public in the pursuit of improved public policy on health and related issues