American Nurses Association

[silentRN]

Is it just me, or do you find yourself at opposite ends with the ANA the majority of the time? For example, I was just reading what the President of the ANA wrote in the November issue of NurseWeek on page 13, about how it is a duty for RNs to get their flu vaccination and it's unacceptable if they don't. For some reason, I just don't know how I feel about that statement. Maybe because it's just coming from the ANA. I don't know. What are your thoughts? Just curious.

[HeartsOpenWide, RN]

It is hard for me because I am a fan of vaccinations, for the most part. But I also do not think anyone should be forced to get them. Yes, I would be mad if my baby got Pertussis because she/he got it from a nurse that signed a waver not to get the vaccination; but the day we start forcing people to inject anything into their body is the day I hope I never see.

[silentRN]

I think maybe if she would have worded it differently, maybe saying "It is a strong recommendation" instead of saying we must, I would have taken it a little different.

[tyvin, BSN, RN]

I liken the ANA to the AMA as the ANA only represents approximately 22% of the RN's in the US and the AMA only represent approximately 20% of the docs in the US according to one article I've read. Of course stats are stats and you will find many different stats for the ones I've put but many of the stats I've read are pretty close to the mark amongst other stats I've seen. Of couse any good researcher can come up with stats to satisfy whatever they want.

It was like when the ANA endorsed Obamacare on TV and the POTUS was talking as if it meant every nurse in the US wanted his plan; absolutely not true, I was fuming knowing that many people were watching that and thinking "all" nurses were in favor of it. It's all politics and that's what the ANA means to me (really nothing).

I for one would like them to re-do their definition of a "Professional Nurse" having to be a RN of higher education meaning you must possess a BSN in order to be called a professional nurse according to the ANA (really!). Hey I know plenty of professional nurses that have associates. I beleive we're stronger working together and standing side by side.

[silentRN]

Yes! The ANA represent things that I can't agree with. I just didn't like that fact that the ANA was for Obamacare at all cost. I wish they would have read into it a little more and actually gave it some thought before they quickly and blindly endorsed it. But, that was all politics. I also disagree with their statements of what a professional nurse is. I feel as if they are in a dream world and are not connected with the working RN.

[ebear, BSN, RN]

IMO, the ANA is completely disconnected from "real" nurses. Just a bunch of bureaucrats.

[glasgow3]

i liken the ana to the ama as the ana only represents approximately 22% of the rn's in the us and the ama only represent approximately 20% of the docs in the us according to one article i've read. of course stats are stats and you will find many different stats for the ones i've put but many of the stats i've read are pretty close to the mark amongst other stats i've seen. of couse any good researcher can come up with stats to satisfy whatever they want.

do you have a source/reference for that percentage? i would have guessed that the current percentage would be considerably less than that.