Should I give $$ to the ANA?

Nurses General Nursing

Published

So, here's the deal:

I am a member of my state nursing organization, and therefore an ANA member. Personally, I think our State Org does a very good job representing our profession before our state legislature. No doubt about it. I wish all the nurses in our state were members.

Just so you know, I'm a political libertarian/conservative. We aren't going to debate Bush or the welfare state or the war or anything else like that in this thread. At least I am not. But suffice it to say that the ANA political action committee is about 180 degrees opposed to my tastes in terms of the political lobbying they do.

I just got off the phone with a telemarketer soliciting money for the ANA. They're going to send me a pledge card. They're asking me to send money to lobby for (I think he said) "The Safe Patient Care Bill" or something like that. I'm sure when the materials come in the mail, there will be a very worthy bill that they draw attention to. And I don't doubt that they will spend some resources fighting for it. But mostly my money will go into their PAC.

My suspicion is that the ANA is getting somewhat desperate. They alienate a huge number of nurses with their BSN-only position. Of the remaining members, they succeed in p--sing off most of the Red-Staters.

Should I give them $$?

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Specializes in med/surg, telemetry, IV therapy, mgmt.

I thought the ANA was way of line on at least half their political agendas a long time ago and dropped my membership then. I am a libertarian for many, many years as well. I wouldn't give them a drop of money. Your money is being used more effectually within your own state anyway.

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Specializes in Critical Care.

Why on earth would I give money to an organization that doesn't recognize my worth.

I might as well give directly to the Hiliary for President, 2008 campaign.

Or even better, I already gave the $100 that would have covered my ANA membership to Jeanine Pirro for NY Senate, 2006, the first week she announced to run against Clinton. And I live in Texas.

~faith,

Timothy.

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Specializes in Specializes in L/D, newborn, GYN, LTC, Dialysis.

IMO, They (ANA) fail to represent at least 1/2 (more like 65%) of us who enter registered nursing with other than a BSN degree. Forget LPN's, even.

This stance, and support of flawed studies to indicated BSN-only hospitals are "safer" has really turned me off. I dropped membership last year due to these things. They do not represent ME at all. They may represent others, but not me.

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Why give additional money to them when you're already paying dues? That's ridiculous!

I joined once voluntarily and let my membership expire for many of the same reasons Deb listed. On another occasion, I had to join because I had a job that had mandatory membership in the SNA.

Until they stop yapping about how anyone with less than a BSN isn''t worthwile (while being only too happy to pick the pockets of ADN/diploma nurses), they're not getting dime one from me. Kind of hypocritical to insinuate that non-BSN nurses are dragging down the profession on one had, while holding out the other to those same nurses. Thanks, but I can insult myself free...I don't need to pay someone to do it.

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Are there any State Nurses Assn's that apostasize from the dogma of BSN-only?

Ours is a small population state. Very intimate in many ways. In my view we have got to hang together or hang separately. I do know that our State organization is trying to get more $$ for nursing education and NOT just our BSN programs (of which there are only two in the whole state.) They are fighting for the community colleges as well as the universities.

Has anyone had this experience on the state level? If you did, would it change your mind about being a part of a local branch?

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Until they stop yapping about how anyone with less than a BSN isn''t worthwile (while being only too happy to pick the pockets of ADN/diploma nurses), they're not getting dime one from me. Kind of hypocritical to insinuate that non-BSN nurses are dragging down the profession on one had, while holding out the other to those same nurses. Thanks, but I can insult myself free...I don't need to pay someone to do it.

Wow, it's really cool finally to see that other people feel about the ANA the exact same way I do. Been a diploma nurse for 20 years and am not about to support an organization that wants to take my license away. Not impressed by their mewling about "grandfathering"--which implies they're giving a break to someone who is (in their eyes) actually unqualified.

And they have no right to push their political agenda while claiming to represent *all* nurses. That's true whether their cause is liberal, conservative, or otherwise.

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Yeah, I have a lot of ambivalence about ANA. If it weren't for the objectively positive work that is being done by our state organization, I don't think I'd be a member of the national group.

I entered the profession as a BSN many years ago. (I wanted to go to a diploma school. Mom and dad never had the chance to finish college so of course their kid was going to the University whether she wanted to or not.) And natually I was taught that we were the REAL nurses and (pity) others just weren't in our league professionally.

But my first job post graduation was in the military. Of course, we all wore the uniform. You couldn't tell by looking who was baccalaureate, who was diploma. Know what? I found out real fast the only way you could tell the difference was to ask colleagues where they went to school. Hey, there was a war going on and we were all performing at a very high level.

My daughter has her ADN. I hope she has a chance to get her BSN in the near future... not because I think it will make her a better nurse, (she's fantastic... not that I'm biased or anything) but because I want her to have the respect and opportunities that go with the undergraduate degree. You know, on the job... she does get a lot of respect. She earns it too. But I'd like the doors that were open for me to be available to her. And, in all honesty, the work that the State organization is doing is as much for her as it is for the limited number of BSN's in our state and I hope she joins up this year. (But mom's can't nag. Only suggest.)

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This bill improves working conditions for nurses and quality of care for patients. It limits the ability of hospitals and other health care providers to require mandatory overtime from nurses. It would be enforced through Medicare's provider agreements. The legislation does not cover nursing homes as there are alternative staffing/quality of care proposals being pursued in that arena.

http://www.house.gov/stark/news/109th/legislation/nursing%20summary%20109.htm

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Thanks VPJ. Good work.

Now if I could be sure that's what ANA would spend my money for, maybe I'd sign the pledge card!

At the very least, I'll contact my congressional delegation.

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Our school REQUIRES us to pay into the ANA, (SNA)....it is part of our tuition each term and shows up as a charge. I think that is ridiculous, but what can I do??

~J

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Specializes in Internal Medicine Unit.

I tried ANA for 1 year after graduation, and it completely offended my BSN, Republican, Conservative values. Yes, BSN. I felt as if the organization not only offended my political and social beliefs, but it also directed its efforts toward advanced practice nurses. I didn't renew after the 1st year.

To all you LPN/LVN, Diploma, and Associate Degree nurses...In my limited almost 2 year experience I've worked with some great nurses and with some not so great nurses...and the degree isn't what made the difference!

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