The Croatian Nursing Council (CNC) is an independent professional chamber, established in 2003 under the Health Care Act and Nursing Act.  Its purpose is to serve and protect the public, regulate the nursing profession and derive their two major policy-making modalities by rule making and adjudication. Today, with 35,000 members, it is the largest group of health professionals in Croatia.

The Council shall perform the following public authorities:

– maintain a register of its members,

– issue, renew and subtract the Licence for professional nursing practice

– conduct professional supervision of nursing practise.

Except the public authorities, the Council shall perform following activities:

1. introduce the Code of Ethics, follows its fulfilment and takes measures in case of its impairment,
2. cooperate with the Ministry of Health in all areas of interest for registrants, and give professional opinion at the preparation of regulations which influence the nursing profession,
3. establish contents of protocol for plan and pursuit of health care in accordance with principles of International Classification of Nursing Practice,
4. propose the standards and normative for nursing practice, to the Minister of Health,
5. determine the need, content and length of duration for additional education and organize continuous education,
6. adopt general act to determine content, terms and procedure of continuous professional education and verification of nurses competence,
7. propose the content of nursing documentation to the Minister of Health,
8. regulate method and conditions for professional supervision over nursing practice,
9. determine the lowest cost of nursing care for nursing procedures which take place outside the main Health care institutions network,
10. determine cost of nursing care procedures for scale of private health insurance,
11. perform the professional supervision over nursing practice,
12. determine the impairments of working duties among registrants,
13. determine discipline measures for minor and serious professional conduct impairments,
14. conduct disciplinary proceeding and declare disciplinary measures for professional conduct impairments,
15. cooperate with the health inspection of the Ministry of Health,
16. represent registrants' interests by all means,
17. ensure legal aid for registrants,
18. take care of other interests of registrants,
19. coordinate relationships among registrants and actively participate in solving disputes if any occur,
20. cooperate with the Croatian Nurses Association, i.e. with all professional, expert associations and trade unions whose object is to promote nursing as a profession,
21. cooperate with all educational institutions that educate nurses,
22. cooperate with the World Health Organisation, and other international nursing organisations,
23. make opinion on the validity of foundation of a nursing care institution within the Basic network of health care system institutions,
24. define opinion on the validity of foundation a nursing care institution outside the Basic network of health care system institutions,
25. make opinion on the validity of foundation of a private home care nursing practice within the Basic network of health care system institution, and also define opinion on the validity of foundation of a private home care nursing practice outside the Basic network of health care system institutions,
26. perform other activities described in this Statutes and other acts of the Council.

http://www.hkms.hr/documents/CNC_STATUTES.pdf (updated 2003) (accessed on 11/07/2011)

http://www.hkms.hr/croatian_nursing_council.php (updated 2009) (accessed on 11/07/2011)