Conselho Federal De Enfermagem Cofen

What Conselho Federal De Enfermagem Cofen does

Conselho Federal de Enfermagem (Cofen) is the federal regulatory council established under Brazilian law to regulate and supervise the nursing profession throughout Brazil. It exercises statutory authority over approximately 2.3 million nursing professionals — including registered nurses (enfermeiros), technicians, assistants, and midwives (obstetrizes) — and coordinates 26 Regional Councils (Corens) across all 27 Brazilian states. Cofen is led by President Betânia Maria Pereira dos Santos and operates under a government/public entity structure (autarquia federal) funded through mandatory registration and annual fees collected from licensed professionals. The organization sets ethical and practice standards, disciplines practitioners, conducts fiscalization activities, and advocates on labor and policy issues affecting nursing.

Cofen's core offerings include the CofenPlay / CofenPlay+ digital knowledge and streaming platform, the Biblioteca Virtual de Enfermagem (virtual library), the MuNEAN national nursing museum in Salvador, the official Revista Enfermagem em Foco scientific journal, and the annual CBCENF congress — the largest nursing congress in Latin America, with the 27th edition reaching 45,000+ participants and the 28th edition scheduled for Natal in late 2026 in a hybrid format with unlimited virtual participation. Supporting platforms include the Painel de Dados da Fiscalização oversight dashboard, the e-dimensionamento workforce sizing tool, the Selo da Qualidade institutional certification program, the SEI electronic information system, the Ouvidoria ombudsman service, and the Consulta Pública regulatory consultation portal. Cofen also publishes the 'Profile of Nursing in Brazil' study — the most comprehensive workforce survey in Latin America — and the Primary Health Care practices research conducted with UnB, CONASEMS, CONASS, ABEFACO, and PAHO covering 7,000+ nurses.

The organization's business model relies on mandatory recurring registration and annual fees from nursing professionals, supplemented by examination/certification services and institutional quality seal fees. Pricing for digital platforms and the CBCENF congress is free for professionals and students, including unlimited virtual attendance. Strategic partnerships with the International Council of Nurses (ICN), PAHO, Ministério da Saúde, the Brazilian Army Health Directorate, and ABEN anchor Cofen's position across national and international health ecosystems. Cofen is LGPD-compliant and operates with 11-50 direct staff at the federal level, supported by the distributed regional council network.

Name

Conselho Federal De Enfermagem Cofen

Legal name

Conselho Federal de Enfermagem

Website

https://cofen.gov.br

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Conselho Federal de Enfermagem (Cofen) is Brazil's federal regulatory council for the nursing profession, exercising statutory authority over approximately 2.3 million nursing professionals across 26 Regional Councils. It delivers licensing, oversight, education, and research through digital platforms including CofenPlay+, the Virtual Library, and the annual CBCENF congress.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Healthcare Professional Regulation

NAICS

Business Associations (813910), Professional Organizations (81392), Public Administration (92), Technical and Trade Schools (6115)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Continuing Education (CE/CPD) & Provider Accreditation Bodies (EDADACAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

Nursing & Allied Health Certification Prep (CNA, EMT/Paramedic, Radiology, Sonography, PT/OT) (EDANAIAB), International/Transnational Accreditation & Recognition Bodies (EDADACAG)

Keywords

• Nursing professional regulation
• Healthcare workforce licensing
• Continuing nursing education
• Federal regulatory council
• Nursing congress events

Headquarters

HQ city

Brasilia, Df

HQ country

Brazil

HQ region

Latin America

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Professional Registration Fees: Cofen and the Regional Councils (Corens) collect registration and annual fees from nursing professionals for licensing and regulation services.
2. Examination and Certification Services: Fees from professional examinations, certifications, and quality seals for institutions.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Conselho Federal de Enfermagem (Cofen) is the federal regulatory council that licenses, supervises, and disciplines nursing professionals across Brazil. It delivers professional registration and licensing services through its network of 26 Regional Councils (Corens), sets ethical and practice standards, and supports the profession through continuing education, research, and major events including the annual CBCENF congress. The organization also operates digital knowledge platforms, a virtual library, a national nursing museum, and a quality certification program for healthcare institutions.

Product overview

Conselho Federal de Enfermagem (COFEN) operates a multi-platform digital ecosystem serving Brazil's nursing professionals and students. The core offerings include CofenPlay (streaming/educational platform), CBCENF congress portal, Biblioteca Virtual de Enfermagem (digital library), and MuNEAN museum. Supporting platforms include data dashboards (Painel de Dados), workforce sizing tools (e-dimensionamento), transparency portal, SEI document management, public consultation system, and ombudsman service. The organization also publishes the official journal 'Revista Enfermagem em Foco' and maintains the Selo da Qualidade certification program. The 28th CBCENF congress represents the flagship annual event combining in-person and online participation.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• CofenPlay: Knowledge platform for nursing with educational content, courses, and the CBCENF portal
• CBCENF
• MuNEAN
• Revista Enfermagem em Foco
• Selo da Qualidade

Products and services

• Professional Licensing and Registration Services Mandatory licensing, registration, and annual renewal services for nursing professionals (enfermeiros, technicians, assistants, midwives) across Brazil, delivered through Cofen's central authority and 26 Regional Councils.
• CBCENF - Congresso Brasileiro dos Conselhos de Enfermagem Annual Brazilian Congress of Nursing Councils combining in-person and unlimited virtual participation. The 28th edition will be held in Natal from November 30 to December 3, 2026, featuring scientific sessions, work presentations, courses, awards, and certificate issuance for nursing professionals and students.
• CofenPlay / CofenPlay+ Online knowledge platform and streaming service for nursing professionals providing educational content, courses, event broadcasts (including the CBCENF congress), and scientific materials. Provided free of charge as part of Cofen's professional development mission.
• Biblioteca Virtual de Enfermagem Virtual nursing library offering online catalog access, scientific articles, electronic publications, videos, and research request services. Free content available for download covering nursing literature and health sciences.
• MuNEAN - Museu Nacional de Enfermagem Museum of Nursing dedicated to preserving and showcasing the history and heritage of Brazilian nursing. Located in Salvador, features exhibitions, educational visits, reading room, event space, and courses.
• Selo da Qualidade Quality seal certification program for healthcare institutions demonstrating excellence in nursing practices and healthcare quality standards. Recognizes and certifies institutions meeting Cofen's standards for nursing care quality.
• Revista Enfermagem em Foco Official journal of Cofen publishing scientific research and articles related to nursing practice, education, and healthcare. Disseminates evidence-based knowledge to the Brazilian nursing community.

Quantifiable outcome

• 45,000+ participants at 27th CBCENF congress, consolidating event as the largest nursing congress in Latin America
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• Universidade de Brasília (UnB) - Núcleo de Estudos em Saúde Pública (NESP)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCofen partnered with UnB through NESP to conduct the national research 'Práticas de Enfermagem no Contexto da Atenção Primária à Saúde' (Nursing Practices in Primary Health Care Context), a mixed-methods national study conducted 2019-2020 involving over 7,000 nurses from all regions of Brazil.
• Conselho Nacional de Secretarias Municipais de Saúde (CONASEMS)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in the national research on Nursing Practices in Primary Health Care, providing municipal health secretariat perspective.
• Conselho Nacional de Secretários de Saúde (CONASS)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in the national research on Nursing Practices in Primary Health Care, providing state health secretariat perspective.
• Associação Brasileira de Enfermagem de Família e Comunidade (ABEFACO)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in the national research on Nursing Practices in Primary Health Care, contributing family and community nursing expertise.
• Organização Pan-Americana da Saúde (OPAS/PAHO)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPan American Health Organization partnered in the national research on Nursing Practices in Primary Health Care, providing international health perspective.
• Agência Nacional de Saúde Suplementar (ANS)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational Health Agency listed as a knowledge base partner in the Virtual Library.
• Associação Brasileira de Enfermagem (ABEN)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBrazilian Nursing Association listed as a knowledge base partner in the Virtual Library.
• Ministério da Saúde (MS)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for nursing practice development and advanced practice nursing regulation discussions.
• Exército Brasileiro - Diretoria de SaúdemajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMilitary health partnership recognizing nursing contributions in military health settings, with General Marco Aurélio receiving 'Amigo da Enfermagem' award.
• International Council of Nurses (ICN)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGlobal nursing council partnership, with ICN President participating in Advanced Practice Nursing Seminar at CBCENF.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA): Australian national health practitioner regulator covering 16 professions including nursing and midwifery. Analogous to Cofen in consolidating licensing, registration renewal, complaints handling, and workforce data into a single national platform — relevant for digital platform benchmarking.
• Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC): UK statutory regulator for nurses and midwives; comparable mandate in professional registration, revalidation, fitness-to-practice, and continuing education. Operates a national digital platform for licensure and an extensive data/analytics function similar to Cofen's Painel de Dados and e-dimensionamento.
• National Council of State Boards of Nursing (NCSBN): US-based umbrella body coordinating 50+ state nursing regulatory boards; comparable mission of nursing licensure, discipline, and practice standards. Differs from Cofen because the US has a federated model rather than a single federal council, but functionally serves the same nursing-regulation role.

Direct peers

• Conselho Federal de Medicina (CFM): Brazil's federal regulatory council for physicians, structurally identical to Cofen — autarquia federal with regional councils (CRMs), licensing authority, ethical oversight, mandatory fees, and a national congress. The closest direct peer by mandate, governance model, and operating model.
• Conselho Federal de Farmácia (CFF): Federal regulatory council for pharmacists and pharmacies in Brazil. Shares Cofen's autarquia structure, regional council network (CRFs), licensing authority, fee-based funding, and congress/education activities. Useful peer for benchmarking digital platform and continuing-education strategies.
• Conselho Federal de Odontologia (CFO): Brazil's federal regulatory council for dentists. Same legal structure as Cofen (autarquia federal), coordinates 27 regional councils (CROs), collects mandatory professional fees, runs national congresses (CNO), and operates continuing-education programs. Highly comparable operating and revenue model.

Regional players

• Royal College of Nursing (RCN): UK-based professional nursing organization with both professional-association and trade-union functions. Comparable to Cofen in scale (500K+ members), continuing-education delivery, and congress activity, though it does not have statutory regulatory authority.
• Canadian Nurses Association (CNA): Canadian national nursing body that operates certification programs, advocacy, and a national nursing workforce framework similar in ambition to Cofen's e-dimensionamento. A useful regional peer for understanding how nursing regulation interacts with continuing education and workforce planning outside Brazil.

Emerging players

• International Council of Nurses (ICN): Federation of 130+ national nursing associations; Cofen partner with the ICN president participating in the Advanced Practice Nursing Seminar at CBCENF. Functions as a peer in global nursing standards-setting, though it operates at an international rather than national regulatory level.
• Associação Brasileira de Enfermagem (ABEN): Brazil's main professional nursing association and a Cofen partner in the Virtual Library. Differs from Cofen by being a professional society rather than a regulator, but represents the most active civilian nursing constituency and is the principal source of continuing-education content distributed through CofenPlay.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/bibliotecavirtualdeenfermagem
• Instagraminstagram.com/bibliotecavirtualdeenfermagem
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/conselho-federal-de-enfermagem-cofen

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Conselho Federal De Enfermagem Cofen