The Council of International Neonatal Nurses, Inc. (COINN) is a global organization that represents nurses who specialize in the care of the small and sick newborn and their families. As recognized leaders in neonatal nursing care we are committed to fostering high quality care and promoting the development of an evidenced informed and sustainable neonatal nursing workforce worldwide. Our mission is to promote excellence in neonatal nursing and health outcomes for the small and sick newborns and families and to act as an international leader in the development of professional standards of neonatal nursing education, practice, and research.

According to the WHO Born Too Soon report, a premature baby is born every 2 seconds and dies every 40 seconds; the majority in sub–Saharan Africa due to lack of quality care. Nurses and midwives are the largest healthcare cadre providing this care. There is an increasing focus on education to ensure a stronger, resilient workforce to deliver high-quality care and improve newborn outcomes. Many challenges exist including gender bias, the status of nurses, lack of faculty trained to teach specific neonatal care (unless enrolled in COINN and partners mentorship programs), and the mass exodus of healthcare workers. This need to upscale the current nursing workforce and create a new nursing cadre was highlighted in the WHO Neonatal Roadmap on Human Resource Strategies. COINN is addressing this through competency-based education and sharing through the recently launched COINN Community of Neonatal Nursing Practice (CoNP) and through supporting the establishment of neonatal nursing professional organisations.

COINN is committed to working with partners to improve mortality and decrease morbidity for all small and sick newborns.