Massachusetts Nurses Re-connect with ANA

[-jt]

Massachusetts Nurses Reconnect with ANA:

MARN Becomes Newest Constituent Member -

Washington, DC --The American Nurses Association (ANA) has accepted as its newest constituent member a new association of nurses in Massachusetts who are eager to reconnect to the national organization. The Massachusetts Association of Registered Nurses (MARN) was overwhelmingly approved as a new member by the ANA Board of Directors on May 24.

Massachusetts nurses created MARN as an alternative to the Massachusetts Nurses Association that disaffiliated from the ANA. "Many MNA members saw no future for themselves in an organization that is no longer associated with the ANA, the national voice of nursing," said MARN President Karen Daley, MPH, RN, who is the past president of MNA. Daley further stated, "Nurses around Massachusetts are very excited at the news that MARN is now the ANA state member. We all look forward to being a part of ANA and joining with nurses across the country who are working together to advance the causes of safe, quality patient care, high professional standards and advocacy for our patients and ourselves."

ANA President Mary Foley, MS, RN, expressed excitement over ANA's newest constituent member. "Countless nurses in Massachusetts told us they wanted to remain connected with ANA. Now we are able to accommodate their requests through MARN. We look forward to working with MARN as we continue our quest to improve the working environment for nurses and ensure that patients get the safe, quality care they deserve." http://www.ana.org

[natalie]

It will be interesting to see how it all plays out. Too bad the nurses in that state are now fractured.

[Mijourney]

Hi -jt. I know my comments will open another can of worms, but are Ms. Daley and the majority of members of MARN direct bedside caregivers? What about the new president of the MNA and the members of that group? Does the forming of MARN mean that the RNs that were formerly of the MNA have separated from the other groups of direct bedside caregivers? As I wrote, I know that this will open a can of worms, but curiosity got the cat.

[natalie]

Hi Mijourney,

I don't think that will open a can of worms at all. I think most of us wish all nursing organizations well, even if they split.

Time will tell where the nurses in Mass. go to. Because ANA has a reputation that has been hard to shake, I wouldn't be surprised to see a good deal of the bedside nurses stay with the disaffiliated MNA versus MARN.

[Hardknox]

The MARN is the malcontents who ran District 5 of the MNA. They were against the disaffiliation from MNA. Yes, they are executives and educators, entepreneurs and lawyers. They want the $500,000 in the District 5 till. They awarded themselves a $30,000 awards banquet fund and funded several $125,000 scholarships with their own approval. MNA members recently got a very confusing mailing asking us to vote to dissolve district 5 so that MARN can keep the $.