The Australian Nursing Federation (ANF), which was established in 1924, has 4600 members in Tasmania and over 170,000 members nation-wide. The ANF is both the largest nursing union and the largest professional body for nurses in this State.  ANF members are employed in a wide range of enterprises in public and private sectors, in urban and remote location. ANF members are employed in hospitals, health and community services, aged care facilities, group homes, schools, universities, the armed forces, statutory authorities, local government, offshore territories and industry.

The core business of the ANF 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 role of the ANF is to provide a high standard of leadership, industrial and professional representation and service to members.  This includes concentrating on topics such as nursing education, policy and practice; industrial issues such as wages and industrial matters; and broader issues which affect health such as policy, funding and care delivery.

The ANF is a member of the International Council of Nurses, Commonwealth Nurses Federation and the South Pacific Nurses Forum and is affiliated with the Australian Council of Trade Unions (ACTU), the Australian Council of Social Services, the Public Heath Association of Australia, the National Rural Health Alliance, the National Aged Care Alliance, the National Medicare Alliance, the International Centre for Trade Union Rights and the Australian People for Health, Education and Development Abroad (APHEDA).

The ANF plays a significant role in creating positive change for Tasmanian nurses, including achieving improvements in working conditions, wages and a range of other issues. The ANF Tasmania is the fasting growing branch in Australia and we look forward to continuing to strengthen our presence in Tasmania, and in making change for nurses working across all sectors, in all parts of Tasmania.