The Cochrane Collaboration has recently registered a new nursing entity. The Cochrane Collaboration is an international nonprofit and independent organization dedicated to making up-to-date, accurate information about the effects of healthcare readily available worldwide. It produces and disseminates systematic reviews of healthcare interventions and promotes the search for evidence in the form of clinical trials and other studies of interventions.

The Cochrane Nursing Care Network (CNCN) is 1 of 16 Fields and Networks within the Cochrane Collaboration. The purpose of a Field or Network is to support the conduct, dissemination, and utilization of systematic reviews relevant to the field. The core functions of the CNCN fall into 3 major areas related to the production and use of Cochrane reviews:

1. Supporting Cochrane review groups in the preparation of reviews relevant to nursing;

2. Introducing cross-cutting, non-specialized perspectives relevant to all those providing nursing care (nurses, other disciplines such as social work, families, and lay caregivers); and

3. Enhancing the dissemination and effective uptake of Cochrane reviews.

The CNCN is coordinated from Adelaide, Australia, and consists of 5 Nodes-led from Scotland, the Celtic countries, Spain, United States, and Canada-and Network Groups with members from 20 countries across the world. The CNCN has a "hub and spoke" model in which the Network is coordinated centrally and supported by these regional nodes and network groups.

Membership of the Network is open to nurses, formal and informal caregivers, other healthcare professionals, researchers, and others involved in the delivery of nursing care. The first international CNCN symposium will be held at the National University of Singapore on October 9 and 10, 2009 (immediately before the 2009 Cochrane Colloquium being held in Singapore). For more information, to become a member, to participate in the work of CNCN, or register for the Singapore CNCN Symposium, visit the CNCN Web site at http://www.joannabriggs.edu.au/cncn/ or send an e-mail to [email protected].