Australian Nursing Federation

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 192,000+ 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 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.