CoNNO (formerly NNO) are a coalition of the Australian national nursing specialist organisations.
Since an informal forum in 1991 sponsored by the Australian Nursing Federation, the National Nursing Organisations (NNO) have been meeting regularly to guide the orderly development of nursing specialties in Australia; to identify areas of common interest or concern; to provide a forum for discussion and consultation on matters of importance to the nursing profession; to achieve consensus between the nursing organisations on identified issues; to effectively contribute to public discussion on matters of importance to the nursing profession; to plan steps for united action in areas of interest or concern; and to lobby key stakeholders to ensure that they are aware of the views and priorities of the nursing profession.
The Coalition of National Nursing Organisations represents a diverse group of nursing organisations.
The membership includes over 50 national nursing organisations, each focusing on a different area of specialist nursing or midwifery practice. The coalition includes groups of diverse organisational structures: organisations are variously titled as colleges, associations, universities; societies, councils, confederations, a federation, congress, networks, institutes and the nursing division of a federal government department. Some are incorporated but many are not. They vary in size - some are very small, and may have as few as 20 members, while the largest represents over 200,000 members - over half the nursing workforce. Some are set up to be principally networks for dissemination of information; others indicate a broader range of functions and purposes including: to promote and/or provide education; promote the profession and specifically their individual specialty through professional representation; promote scholarship; advance knowledge; provide a forum for collegial support; maintenance and improvement of professional standards; initiate and support research; communicate with colleagues; provide leadership; promote public confidence and professional recognition; provide advice; participate in policy development; develop and promote new health care initiatives; advocate for members; enhance clinical expertise; develop and publish educational materials; develop partnerships and strategic alliances; provide and facilitate professional development; consult with government; and raise community awareness.
In 2007, a new governance structure was determined which included a name change to the Coalition of National Nursing Organisations (CoNNO) followed by the election of an inaugural Council in 2008. The establishment of the Governance Framework represented a new, more formalised phase in the life of the Coalition. CoNNO aims to include all member organisations in the processes leading to decisions and have a consensus process for achieving outcomes.
CoNNO meets biannually, and these meetings are supported with funding from the Australian Government Department of Health and Ageing. The Australian Nursing Federation (ANF) provides the secretariat for CoNNO, and acts as a fund holder for the group.
Vision
The national professional nursing organisations are a strong alliance influencing health care for the Australian community and the profession of nursing for nurses.
Purpose
The role of the Coalition of National Nursing Organisations is to advance the nursing profession to improve health care for people.
In order to achieve its Vision, the Coalition of National Nursing Organisations will:
- Be a forum for discussion and consultation on professional matters
- Facilitate communication between members and other stakeholders
- Influence and contribute to public discussion on health policy
- Advocate to increase nursing research capacity
- Assist the development of governance and capacity of member organisations
- Contribute to professional frameworks
- Promote recognition as a prominent representative group
- Influence the development of a sustainable nursing workforce
- Review and establish a coalition of CoNNO structure.
Codes of Conduct & Ethics
The Code of Professional Conduct for Nurses in Australia (2003) and the Code of Ethics for Nurses in Australia (2002) are the foundation for the practice of members of the Member Organisations of CoNNO.
Privacy Statement
CoNNO operates in accordance with the provisions of the Privacy Act 1998 and is committed to handling your personal information in a strictly confidential manner and in accordance with the Privacy Act. You are able to access this site without providing any personal information about yourself. However, if you contact the CoNNO requesting information, we will require some personal details, such as name and address, to enable us to assist you.
For a summary of the National Privacy Principles, contact the Office of the Federal Privacy Commissioner http://www.privacy.gov.au