Gerontological Alliance of Nurses Australia (GANA)

Gerontological Alliance of Nurses Australia (GANA) is a community of trusted specialist nurses and assistants who value working with older people and their families/carers in all care settings. GANA promotes gerontology as a unique nursing specialty that makes a crucial contribution to the health and well-being of older people in Australia.

Vision Statement

GANA’s vision is to raise the profile of gerontological nursing and offer a forum that supports the professional development of gerontological nurses and assistants.


Presidents: Professor Victoria Traynor and Professor Kasia Bail

Vice President: Lynne Day

Treasurer: Jolan Stokes

Secretary: Susan Brownlowe


Mission Statement

Our mission is to enable access to gerontological nursing knowledge and skills and a community of specialist nurses to support the delivery of high quality, evidence based and holistic care in Australia to older population groups and their families/carers across care settings.


GANA will achieve its mission by promoting:

  • The wisdom of First Nations Australians to inform our mission;
  • Alliance and collaborations with like-minded organisations;
  • Gerontological nursing as a rewarding specialty;
  • Nurturing the future generation of gerontological nurses by ensuring GANA has inclusive approach to its activities to encourage membership of nursing students, AINs*, ENs, RNs and retired gerontological nurses in all care settings and working in all types of nursing roles;
  • Ensure the experiences of the culturally and linguistically diverse populations who currently make up the majority of the nursing workforce in aged care are acknowledged in the work we do;
  • Mentoring opportunities for nurses specialising in gerontology;
  • The diversity of experiences among nurses working with older people and their families/carers; respecting and valuing diversity in place of home, gender, sexuality, disability, age, socioeconomic status, ethnicity, race, and culture;
  • Accessible membership fee structure;
  • The development and implementation of gerontological nursing competencies to recognise the contribution, and increase the capacity, of Australian nurses to help meet the complex needs of older people;
  • Evidence based practice strategies, including undertaking research and practice development to improve the quality of nursing care for the health and well-being of older Australians;
  • Policy developments that improve the health and well-being of older people and their families/carers;
  • The human rights of older population groups and their families/carers through advocacy activities;
  • Gerontological nursing career pathways;
  • Engagement between members and all our stakeholders that authentically embody a sense of partnership between members of GANA and all our stakeholders; transparency in communications and relationships built on trust and integrity.


*Where assistants in nursing (AINs) may also be referred to as care workers, support workers, health care associates, personal care workers, nursing support services, unregulated health care workers.


Communities of Practice

Delirium, Dementia and Cognitive Impairment

Palliative Care

Career Pathways Group

Education, Policy and Research

Community, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander, Rural and Remote

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