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

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.

First Nations inspiration

The wisdom of First Nations Australians will inform our mission

'Yulang' the Wiradjuri word for ‘ripple’

“That's what we do as nurses and as a community – we send out ripples, hopefully positive effects, signifying our belief that what we do has impact” - Chrystale Langford Wiradjuri artist, UC nursing graduate, GANA member

Who we are

Co-Presidents

Professor Victoria Traynor

Professor Kasia Bail

Deputy President

Lynne Day

Treasurer

Jolan Stokes

Secretary

Susan Brownlowe

Ambassadors

Professor Tracey Moroney

Professor Karen Strickland

Executive Committee Members

Peta Drury

Josephine Bonney

Katrina Crump

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

Get involved

Get in touch