What in the world does the ANA do?

-jt · Jul 11, 2001

ANA Acts to Unite Nursing Profession Over Staffing Crisis, Emerging Shortage

"Washington, DC --In response to the current nurse staffing crisis and a massive nursing shortage expected to hit the U.S. by 2010, the American Nurses Association House of Delegates today overwhelmingly approved a plan to unite national nursing groups to develop an agenda that advocates changes in the work environment to increase retention efforts in the profession. Nearly 800 registered nurses have been gathered in Washington, DC, over the past week for annual meetings to address concerns regarding nursing and safe, quality patient care, as well as business of the ANA.........."

full article at:

http://www.ana.org/pressrel/2001/pr0701.htm

-jt · Jul 20, 2001

UPDATE:

ANA & State Nurses Associations' legislation that is part of the nationwide state safe staffing legislative agenda addressing such issues as nurse staffing, needlestick legislation, interstate nurse compacts, nurse practice acts, advanced practice nurses, state licensing reform initiatives, EMT scope of practice, first assistants in surgery, physician collective bargaining and other workplace issues:

Bills developed & pushed by the state nurses associations & their members - presently in legislation for state law:

Prohibition of Mandatory Overtime

Introduced in CA, CT, HI, IL, ME, MD, MN, NJ, NY, OH, OR, PA, RI, WA, WV

Whistleblower Protection

Introduced in HI, IL, MO, NY, OR, RI, Passed in WV

Collection and Public Reporting of Nursing Quality Indicators (staffing for acuity)

Introduced in MA, NY, OR

Mandatory Development and Implementation of Valid and Reliable Nurse Staffing Systems (safe staffing)

Introduced in IL, ME, NY, OH, OR, PA

Collection of Nursing Workforce Data (safe staffing)

Introduced in GA, HI, NM, TN, TX, - Passed in MS, ND

Nursing Workforce Studies (safe staffing)

Introduced in CT, KY, ME, Passed in AR, PA, VA, WV

Funding for Nursing Education (recruitment)

Introduced in CA, IL, ME, MN, NV, NJ, NY, PA, TX, Passed in NE, VA .........

lots more is in progress. for more info, & a breakdown of efforts & gains so far, issue by issue, & state by state (starts on page 13.) check out: http://www.ana.org/about/lately/stakerep.pdf

or, for activity reports by the month, go to: http://www.ana.org/about/lately/

-jt · Jul 20, 2001

an update - DC convention summary-

"ANA House of Delegates Shapes Direction of Nursing -

Washington, DC --Gathering in our nation's capital, nearly 600 nurses took bold action on a number of far-reaching nursing practice and global health measures during the American Nurses Association's (ANA) annual House of Delegates (HOD) June 29 - July 1. These measures included adopting a revised code of ethics

for nurses, approving a national agenda to address the current staffing crisis and emerging shortage and urging Congress to step up global funding for AIDS prevention........

"There are critical issues in health care that nurses are ideally suited to address," said ANA President Mary Foley, MS, RN, following the meeting. "As a multipurpose organization that uses diverse strategies to represent the nation's nurses, ANA will look to its leaders in the House of Delegates (HOD), as well as its members, to shape the future of nursing."...........

The following are highlights of actions taken during the meeting. Full texts of resolutions will be available online at ANA's website, NursingWorld.org..........

Code of Ethics:

Delegates overwhelmingly approved a revised ANA Code of Ethics for Nurses, which details the ethical obligations and duties of every individual who enters the nursing profession. Last revised in 1985, the new Code contains nine key provisions or ethical standards that were designed to more accurately reflect the ethical challenges nurses face while practicing in today's health care environment. The new Code emphasizes subtle changes in health care relationships, as well as the RNs' right to practice in an environment that is safe and that protects patients' and nurses' rights......

Call to the Profession:

To address the current staffing crisis and the impending nursing shortage, ANA recently issued a "Call to the Profession," designed to bring nursing leaders and organizations together for a nursing summit this fall to address the value and image of nursing and how they affect recruitment and retention. To support this initiative, delegates passed a resolution that ensures that this national agenda will focus on nursing's role and value in health care delivery, and will outline necessary changes including diversity issues within the workplace and health care industry to promote accessible, quality health care delivery........

Support for Professional Practice:

Two actions that had been approved by the ANA Board of Directors just prior to the HOD were unveiled during the meeting. These were a Bill of Rights for RNs and a definition of patient abandonment, both results of directives from the 2000 HOD..........

The Bill of Rights for RNs is a series of statements meant to reiterate the importance of the nurse's rights as a patient care provider. It's a reminder to employers, patients and nurses that RNs have a right to working conditions, protections and compensation that supports RNs efforts to provide safe, quality patient care without compromising their own health and safety and ethical practice.........

The definition for patient abandonment is based on case law, the Code of Ethics for Nurses and definitions used by state boards of nursing, and differentiates between patient abandonment and refusal to work mandatory overtime. The approved definition says patient abandonment is a unilateral severance of the established nurse-patient relationship without giving reasonable notice to the supervisor so that arrangements can be made for continuation of

nursing care by others. Refusal to accept an assignment (or a nurse-patient relationship) does not constitute patient abandonment. ........

Duplicative Paperwork:

Delegates also took on an issue that many practicing nurses face every day: completing mounds of duplicative documentation. Currently, acute care nurses spend 25 percent, and home care nurses, 50 percent, of their time on paperwork. Delegates specifically directed ANA to work toward eliminating redundant and non-value-added paperwork. Further, delegates instructed ANA to promote the collection of relevant nursing clinical data in an efficient, retrievable and comparable format.......

Nurses' Role in Organ Donation:

In another measure, delegates tackled nurses' ability to facilitate organ donation in the course of providing end-of-life care. Currently, a federal regulation states that trained "designated requestors" are the only hospital employees permitted to initiate and conduct organ donation discussions with a patient or family for the purpose of obtaining consent. This regulation has discouraged nurses in some settings from discussing donation as part of their long-standing role in providing end-of-life care. Therefore, the HOD agreed that ANA should advocate that professional nurses be recognized for their role in end-of-life care including the voluntary participation in the organ donation process and promote a truly collaborative relationship between professional nurses and procurement teams..........

Corrections Nursing:

The House also passed a resolution directing ANA to collaborate with other appropriate nursing and corrections associations, as well as accrediting bodies, to examine the critical issues impacting prison, juvenile and jail professional nursing practice. Those issues include advocating for the use of nursing standards, guidelines and policies with correctional institutions and support for the development of emergency responses that are directed by

health care staff..........

Discrimination in the Military:

The House also took action on two measures that focused on discrimination in the military and a current ANA policy that disallows the association from accepting advertising from the Uniformed Services of the Department of Defense (DOD). The current ANA policy is the result of a 1995 HOD action condemning discrimination against gays and lesbians in the military. In the first resolution, delegates directed ANA to establish a mechanism for studying discrimination experienced by nurses in the U.S. Uniformed Services from a public policy perspective and utilize data obtained during the course of its study to oppose discrimination. The House passed a second resolution stating that ANA is not precluded from accepting advertising, exhibit space and sponsorship from the Uniformed Services of the DOD, as long as there is a disclaimer attached that states ANA's position against discrimination..........

Global Issues:

Currently, more that 36 million people are HIV-positive worldwide, including 800,000 to 900,000 in the United States. In response to this health crisis, delegates exercised their global reach by passing a resolution that urges Congress to make a commitment to eradicating AIDS by allocating funds globally, particularly to sub-Sahara Africa and other developing countries that have been most affected........

Closer to home, delegates asked ANA to call on the U.S. government to immediately cease all military activity on the island of Vieques, Puerto Rico. The HOD also wants the U.S. government to begin a clean-up program on the island to restore its damaged ecosystem and transfer occupied lands to the people of Vieques.........

ANA Business:

Other ANA business conducted by the HOD was the approval of a resolution that increases the ANA portion of constituent member association (CMA) dues by $35, effective Jan. 1, 2002. The House had not approved a dues increase for ANA since 1989, forcing the association to rely increasingly on belt-tightening measures and reserve funds to combat ongoing inflationary costs.......

The HOD also agreed to a change in ANA's bylaws which will require all CMAs that represent RNs for the purpose of collective bargaining or their separate collective bargaining programs to become members of United American Nurses (UAN), the labor arm of ANA. The bylaws change allows CMAs or their collective bargaining programs up to four years to join the UAN, allowing delegates time to discuss the issue fully with their members............

The HOD meets annually to vote on issues important to the profession. The next meeting will be held in Philadelphia, PA, as part of ANA's biennial convention June 27 - July 2, 2002.

The American Nurses Association is the only full-service professional organization representing the interests of the nation's 2.7 million Registered Nurses through its constituent member state nurses associations. The ANA advances the nursing profession by fostering high standards of nursing practice, promoting the economic and general welfare of nurses in the workplace, projecting a positive and realistic view of nursing, and by lobbying the Congress and regulatory

agencies on health care issues affecting nurses and the public.

###

http://www.ana.org

nursebrandie28, BSN, RN · Mar 5, 2007

:confused: i don't mean to start complaining, however....

i am a member of the american nurses association and a member of the illinois state nurses association and i am ending my membership.

for the past 2 years, the ana has done nothing, in my opinon to help better the staff nurses. i hate to say nurses need to come together and form a "union" but we need to do something. who is making all these decisions about patient ratios, cutting holiday pay, the dreaded pg scores, scripting nursing???? where is the staff nurses say?

the other day i was pulled from my beloved er home to med surg...okay fine....after assessing 12 patients, at 11 i was pulled to tele with 10 patients and i was told that i had to pull a sheath as well on a patient returning from the cath lab!!! one other rn on floor and 2 lpns, monday i called the ina to find out about nurse to patient ratios, i could not even get through to talk to somebody!!!

who is protecting the nurses!!!!???

and where is the membership money going?

CRNI-ICU20 · Mar 5, 2007

supposedly, they act as a voice in Wash. DC.....uh huh....

supposedly, they lobby against all the idiot ideas that hospital associations come up with....but then...again....it's who has the bucks that gets the podium...

I guess in some ways they do set some precedents and standards....although, in other ways, I am with you....I just wonder if they aren't just glorified clip board carriers who forgot what it is to be at the bedside....or if they EVER were...

hmmmm?

Home Health Columnist / Guide · Mar 5, 2007

ana's purpose is to work on the national and federal level to promote and protect nursing practice. state nurses associations now constituent members have responsibilty for statewide issues.

illianois always had a large group at ana convention and were very vocal about nursing issues and legistaive threats in their state along with pormoting nursing unionism so always assumed members were well imformed. have you read any of the publications sent to you as part of membership and communicated your concerns in writing or attended any district meetings, check out the website, sent emails etc? that's how one usually keeps up to date with ana and state activities.

most state associations work with skelatin staff due to lack of support from majority licensed nurses in their state. i'm amazed at the amount of work that does get done with members that volunteer their time.

website: http://www.illinoisnurses.com/

publications:

chart

ina publishes chart magazine on a quarterly basis. chart contains useful information relating to the organization, the nursing profession, and exciting advances made by nurses in the community. current issue , january 07

illinois nurse

beginning in november, 2004, ina a introduced the illinois nurse, a quarterly newsletter that will be sent to over 150,000 nurses throughout the state of illinois. current issue, nov - jan

issues & practice

rn staffing

government relations update:

2007 legislative agenda

no mandatory overtime for state employed nurses
safe patient handling legislation
click on the logo on the right to see information on the american nurses association's handle with care program
staffing legislation based on acuity
nursing & advanced practice nursing act - sunset 2007
apn schedule ii drugs

visit here frequently in 2007 to read current information to help you prepare for your grassroots efforts. find out who to talk to about the important legislative decisions of 2007 that could effect your nursing practice. share your political voice to create a safer workplace for you and your patients.

2007 legislative update

nurse lobby day is april 25, 2007 ---perfect time to get your voice heard.

the above info found with a five minute stroll through illinois state association website.

uan is the labor arm of ana and has several unions in your state.

http://www.uannurse.org/crisis/legislative.html

ana's activities are well documented on its website, in the american nurse newsletter and new magazine american nurse today along with my numberous posts in activism forum.

nursing activism primer-- updated 2/24/07, ana info etc

what we do: annual stakeholders report

ana focuses its work on core issues of vital concern to the nation's registered nurses - nursing shortage, appropriate staffing, health and safety, workplace rights and patient safety/advocacy in addition to its cornerstone work, ethics and standards.

annual stakeholders report 2005

nursing's agenda for the future, focuses on strategies that will move the profession forward in quantum leaps, thereby ensuring that consumers have access to high-quality nursing care. more...

about ana: discover your ana video

read and become empowered.

daisydukes · Mar 5, 2007

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EmerNurse, BSN, RN · Mar 5, 2007

If you wonder why our associations and our journals aren't jumping up and down screaming for nurses (ALL nurses, btw, not just RNs) to join together and help fix our profession.... simply page through the advertisements. Who's paying for 'em?

BSNinTX · Mar 5, 2007

I dropped by ANA / TxNA membership as soon as the intro student rate gave out. Mainly, I don't see any reason to pay in excess of $200 a year for an organziation that comes up with positions that I disagree with. TxNA is fighting staffing ratio legislation here!

GardenDove · Mar 5, 2007

One thing they do with my forced contributions is campaign for abortion rights and push the Democratic platform and Democratic candidates.

GardenDove · Mar 5, 2007

Unfortunately, due to the fact that hospital administrations are often bloodsucking slave masters if left unchecked, nursing unions are a necessary evil, imo.