Mission: The mission of the New Jersey State Nurses Association is to promote the profession of nursing; advance the practice of nursing and advocate for nurses.
Vision: Creating the future through advocacy, leadership, and public policy.
Advocacy: The Power of NJSNA Nurses
American Nurses Association (ANA) Advocacy in Washington D.C.
Thank you to Robyn Matthews, Associate Director, ANA State Government Affairs and the entire team for sharing their weekly updates. The NJSNA Board of Directors, in turn, shares them with you via email. The work of the ANA State Government Affairs provides valuable insight into the issues that affect nursing and healthcare on the national stage and shines a light on the legislative activity that is a benefit to you as members of NJSNA and ANA. The Association is clear in their non-partisan approach as indicated in The ANA Position Statement: Advocating for Nurses, Strengthening Healthcare (ANA, 2024). That document states “The American Nurses Association is focused on advancing policies that address nurses’ critical challenges and improve healthcare for all. Our non-partisan approach is not a limitation—it is our strength. It empowers us to maintain open dialogue and foster constructive engagement with policymakers across the spectrum.”
ANA Hill Day
Recognizing the vital role of nurses, the ANA hosts Hill Day each year, enabling over 5 million U.S. nurses to directly influence policy in the United States Congress. The event is free and begins with a briefing breakfast where participants are provided with a Facts at a Glance handout containing content for each bill or position. These support and enable thoughtful and informed discussion with our congressional representatives. Last year New Jersey was well represented, with over 25 attendees joining the more than 500 nurses on the hill. Please watch the ANA website for information about signing up for this amazing experience.
Membership Assembly Representatives
The ANA Membership Assembly is scheduled for June 27-28, 2025. Along with myself, your elected NJSNA representatives to the 2025 Membership Assembly are President-Elect Kristin Sagedy, Past President Norma Rodgers-Frink, Past President JoAnne Penn, and Region 6 President Sheila Caldwell. We are excited and honored to represent you at this crucial event.
Bylaws
The ANA issued over 100 proposed amendments to the ANA Bylaws. These include but are not limited to the addition of licensed practical or vocational nurses as ANA members, removing e-members from the bylaws, revision of the apportionment policy, and revision of the Leadership Council functionality. Membership Assembly representatives will participate in four pre-hearing sessions to discuss the amendments prior to the June meeting of the Assembly.
Dialogue Forums
ANA continues its work on the recommendations approved by the Membership Assembly including past dialogue forums that addressed topics of breaking barriers to nurse well-being (a call for licensure and employment policy to combat stigma), improving care of the veterans population, virtual nursing as a practice model innovation, addressing nursing documentation in a time of crisis, impact of climate change on health, advancing solutions to address verbal abuse and workplace violence across the continuum of care, nurse staffing, ANA’s racial reckoning statement and others. ANA created approved workplans and have identified specific actions completed for each topic.
This year two of our NJSNA members, Carlos Serrano and Ruth Antwi, collaborated with Julian L. Gallegos of the Indiana State Nurses Association and Curry J. Bordelon of the Alabama State Nurses Association on a Men’s Health proposal. My appreciation goes to all authors for their excellent work. They await the decision of the proposal selection committee.
2025 Candidates for ANA National Office
The NJSNA Board members and I are thrilled to see that NJSNA Past President, Dr. Sandy Foley, has been selected for the ANA’s national slate of candidates. Dr. Foley is seeking a position on the Nominations and Elections Committee. We extend our warmest wishes for her success in this endeavor. n
Reference
American Nurses Association. (2024). The ANA position statement: Advocating for nurses, strengthening healthcare. Retrieved March 31, 2024 from https://community.ana.org/csnaessentials/discussion/ana-position-statement-advocating-for-nurses-strengthening-healthcare#bmb56cd74f-80cc-4d4f-a431-744f99ce4107
