Welcome to the website of the Drug and Alcohol Nurses of Australasia* (DANA), the peak nursing organisation in Australasia providing leadership to nurses and midwives with a professional interest in Alcohol, Tobacco and Other Drug (ATOD) issues.
DANA aims for excellence, and the ongoing improvement of quality care, in nursing in all practice contexts. DANA also welcomes others who share the aims of DANA, to promote collaborative partnerships that aim to achieve similar goals.
DANA actively promotes a role for nurses, midwives and their professional non-nursing peers to respond to ATOD related issues. In doing so, DANA promotes practice based on the best available evidence, and promotes active involvement in research into ATOD related interventions, and other issues relevant to this field.
DANA seeks to provide opportunities for professional development, education, mentoring and support for all nurses and midwives, and our non-nursing peers, through a variety of activities. Our showcase event is our annual DANA Conference. To find out more details about the next DANA conference, please click on the ‘Events’ tab of this website and follow the links.
DANA provides consultancy, advice and advocacy to members, nursing organisations and key stakeholders in relation to ATOD matters, including promoting the inclusion of ATOD issues in core undergraduate curriculum, staff development programs and continuing education, and within postgraduate clinical and research degrees.
DANA has had an online presence since 1998, with this site launched in November 2007.
*Australasia
At times DANA is asked about the use of the term “Australasia”. Generally it describes Australia, New Zealand, New Guinea and neighbouring islands in the Pacific Ocean.
According to Wikipedia “The term was coined by Carels de Brosses in Histoire des navigations aux terres australes (1756). He derived it from the Latin “south of Asia”. …”
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