An Bord Altranais (Irish Nursing Board) is the regulatory body for the nursing profession. An Bord Altranais was established under the Nurses Act, 1950, and currently operates under the Nurses Act, 1985. This Act provides for functions to be carried out by the Minister for Health and Children, the Board, the statutory Fitness to Practise Committee, other Committees appointed by the Board, The President and the Chief Executive Officer.

The Board promotes high standards of professional education, training and practice and professional conduct among nurses and midwives. Its main functions are:

• to establish and maintain a register of nurses;
• to provide for the education and training of nurses and student nurses;
• to inquire into the conduct of  a registered nurse on the grounds of alleged professional misconduct or alleged unfitness to engage in such practice by reason of physical or mental disability;
• to give guidance to the profession;
• to manage the Nursing Careers Centre, which was set up in 1998 to facilitate a centralised system of processing and selection of applicants wishing to enter nursing; promote and market nursing as a career; provide careers information to registered nurses and midwives. http://www.nursingboard.ie/en/role_of_board.aspx (accessed on 23.04.2009)