CoNSA (The Continence Nurses Society Australia) members work in diverse roles, in remote, rural, regional and metropolitan areas of Australia to provide specific advice to individuals with incontinence and bladder, bowel and pelvic floor dysfunction across the lifespan.

CoNSA members offer expertise across a range of different health settings and situations, including but not limited to: women's health (i.e. gynaecology, midwifery), men's health (i.e. urology), paediatric health, community care, aged care, acute care, rehabilitation (e.g. spinal cord injury), disability etc. Other members work in areas of health promotion, nursing education and research. Many members manage and coordinate the activities of outpatient continence services. Nurses practicing in this role are identified by the title Nurse Continence Specialist, a title which has been validated internationally. These nurses may, and often do, hold a range of post graduate qualifications.

Please refer to the Practice Standards document on this website for further information about the role and scope of practice of the Nurse Continence Specialist.

CoNSA was previously known as Australian Nurses for Continence (ANFC). The name was changed in 2012 in accordance with its new constitution.

CoNSA (as ANFC) was established in 1991 to be the national voice for the Australian state and territory based continence nursing special interest groups:

• NSW & ACT: Continence Nurses Society Australia, New South Wales and Australian Capital Territory Branch Inc
• Qld: Continence Nurses Society Australia, Queensland Branch Inc
• Vic & Tas: Continence Nurses Society Australia, Victorian and Tasmania Branch Inc
• SA, NT, & WA: Continence Nurses Society Australia, South Australian, Northern Territory and Western Australian Branch Inc

In 2022, CoNSA became the unified national body that it is today.

The purpose of CoNSA is to act as a national professional interest group for nurses whose scope of practice encompasses knowledge and advanced practice skills in continence care.

CoNSA will establish and maintain a national body for continence nursing in Australia by promoting excellence in continence care through a highly authoritative and active profile.

CoNSA is a national professional interest group of nurses and midwives whose scope of practice encompasses knowledge and advanced practice skills in continence care.

Nurse Continence Specialists provide services which are an integral part of an interdisciplinary approach to the care of people who have incontinence and other bladder, bowel, and/or pelvic floor muscle dysfunction.

CoNSA supports its membership through advocacy, policy development, research, education, and establishment of clinical practice standards.

CoNSA promotes continence across Australia.

The aims of CoNSA are to;

• Represent the interests of nurses and midwives in continence care
• Promote and advocate the role of the Nurse Continence Specialist
• Develop, share, and sustain quality governance processes that can be used by all organisations with a continence service
• Provide a comprehensive and useful information sharing service to members
• Develop positive and productive relationships with all levels of government and non-government organisations, industry, professional and consumer organisations
• Promote and disseminate evidence-based continence care that places the person with continence needs and their family at the centre of the care
• Advocate for people with incontinence and other bladder and bowel concerns, their families, carers and unregulated workers
• Provide support and promote professional ongoing education on continence care
• Contribute to policy on continence care
• Promote research that will contribute to evidence-based practice for continence care.