Good morning, colleagues,

It is truly a privilege to welcome you to the Leadership Summit and the opening day of Leadership Council—one of the few times each year when we come together as a collective, reflect honestly on where we are, and chart where we must go.

Leadership is never solitary act. It’s something we do in partnership with one another and with those we serve. When we lead together, we create change that lasts. That is what makes this summit so meaningful.

Every time I walk into this room, I’m reminded that the strength of ANA isn’t theoretical. It’s you. It sits in these chairs.It leads every state and territory. It carries enormous responsibility, often under real strain—and keeps showing up.

You have heard me say this before, but it is worth repeating. We work best when we are working together. This partnership where we listen, share, and build on each other’s strengths is critical to the success and vitality of our organization.

Thank you for being here.I know what it takes to carve out this time.Your presence says a lot about your commitment.

Opening Acknowledgments

Let me begin by recognizing the Leadership Council Executive Committee for shaping an excellent program. And a warm welcome to ANA’s newest board members…Treasurer Trish Richardson, and Director at Large Amanda Savage… their terms begin January 1. And to those joining us for the first time—we’re grateful you’re here. Please stand so we can recognize you.

This April we welcomed Dr. Bradley Goettl as ANA’s Chief Nursing Officer.In seven months, he has already strengthened our national and global voice. You will continue to see his impact.

Membership Assembly 2025

As we look back over this year—one milestone stands out: the June Membership Assembly. Nearly 400 leaders gathered in Washington, D.C. And once again, in a moment when our country often struggles to have civil conversations… you modeled something different. You debated. You disagreed. You listened. You voted with integrity. That is leadership.We advanced governance updates…formed committees to prepare recommendations for 2026… and took on two big Dialogue Forum topics:

• Rural access to care and the need for nurse-led models,
• Artificial intelligence and the importance of protecting judgment and ensuring nurses shape these tools.

Public comment opens in January for the Scope and Standards revision. I truly hope you’ll participate.And we continued work from last year—combating mental health stigma and strengthening care for U.S. veterans.

Advocacy: The Work That Cannot Wait

Shifting from our internal work to our external impact…Hill Day remains one of the most energizing events we do. Over 500 nurses.300+ meetings. Face-to-face conversations with 86 members of Congress. We advocated on four critical issues:Medicaid, Title VIII, workplace violence, and access to care.

Just last month, our Nurses Day of Action mobilized more than 1,000 individuals—thousands of calls and emails—real pressure at a pivotal moment.We need that energy because Medicaid is facing nearly $1 trillion in cuts under H.R. 1. Ten million people could lose coverage.ANA is fighting this federally…but you and your affiliates will shoulder the state-level work. I know many of you are already preparing for sessions that begin next month.

In my January American Nurse Journal column, I’ll be calling on every member to help. Because Medicaid isn’t abstract —this is about equity, economics, and humanity. And it’s about protecting the future of our profession.

That’s why we’ve been equally strong in addressing the U.S. Department of Education’s proposal to exclude nursing from its list of professional degree programs.If adopted, this policy would cut graduate loan eligibility for nurses in half compared to other health professions, deterring future nurse practitioners, nurse educators, and clinical leaders from pursuing advanced education. This is not just bad policy—it’s a failure to recognize nursing as the profession it is. Our community’s response has been historic.Over 230,000 nurses—and counting—have signed ANA’s petition, one of the largest advocacy response in our history. And this week, we launched a nationwide grassroots campaign calling on members to contact their representatives, urging the Department to change its definition and restore full loan eligibility for nursing.This is advocacy with impact—collective, coordinated, and unrelenting. And it shows what happens when nurses stand together for what’s right.

Advocacy + Diplomacy = Real Influence

And as we take on these challenges, it’s worth acknowledging what kind of leadership this moment demands. We need advocacy and diplomacy—together. Advocacy is our courage. Diplomacy is our strategy. Advocacy gets us to the table. Diplomacy keeps us there. Diplomacy is not silence. It’s not “being agreeable.” It’s being effective over the long term.It’s using timing, tone, and credibility intentionally. That combination—advocacy + diplomacy —will define what we can accomplish in 2025.I also want to pause here and acknowledge something I hear often: Some believe I’m speaking out too strongly, and others believe I’m not going far enough. That range of perspectives is part of this role, and it’s something I take seriously.But it doesn’t deter me. It clarifies my purpose—to advocate with integrity, with courage, and with the long view in mind.

Advancing Equity With Purpose

One of the clearest examples of this balance is our equity work.

The February Equity in Nursing Summit brought together 250 leaders—real, candid conversations, real commitments.And we are continuing that work. February 12–14 we will host the Opportunity and Impact in Nursing Summit in Washington, D.C. This one focuses on measurable, actionable strategies.ANA is also continuing its reckoning and reconciliation work. The Racial Reckoning Think Tank offered bold recommendations—the Board approved them—and implementation is now underway.And ANA + ANCC have launched a $2 million Equity Fund—supporting well-being, human flourishing, and equity-centered innovation.

The Code of Ethics + Global Solidarity

This is where the Code of Ethics comes in—our grounding document. The revised Code emphasizes relationships at every level—nurse to patient… nurse to nurse… nurse to society…and now, a new 10th provision that recognizes our global responsibilities. This global lens could not matter more than it does right now. At a time when the U.S. Department of Education has taken the deeply troubling stance of not recognizing nursing as a profession…the international nursing community has made their support unmistakably clear. We have heard from:

• International Council of Nurses
• Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation
• European Federation of Nurses
• Royal College of Nursing (UK)
• Canadian Nurses Association
• And nurses around the world

Their message: they stand with us.

Because they know —how the U.S. goes, their own systems could follow. Nursing is globally linked. Our decisions reverberate far beyond our borders.When I represented ANA at the ICN governing meeting in Helsinki, this solidarity was visible and sincere. And our own leaders are contributing globally—Josephine Agyei at ICN…Dr. Rebecca Graystone in the 2025 GNLI cohort…and we honor Dr. Pam Cipriano’s four years as ICN President.

Health and Safety: A Non-Negotiable Imperative

Of course, none of this matters if we can’t protect the well-being of nurses.The revised Code makes it explicit: nurse safety is inseparable from patient safety.Burnout has improved slightly since the height of COVID…but levels are still unacceptably high—especially for early-career nurses. We do have a major win:Beginning January 1, 2026, The Joint Commission will make staffing a National Performance Goal. This is historic—and your advocacy helped make it possible.But we cannot let this victory distract us.CMS recently withdrew its final rule on long-term care staffing. A deeply disappointing reversal—and one that risks real harm.

One regulator is finally acknowledging that staffing is foundational to safety —while another is retreating at the very moment long-term care needs stronger protections.Progress is not linear. When setbacks come—we respond.With persistence, clarity, and determination. And let me be clear about something we need to stop saying—as a profession and as a country: that the system will “break” if nurses don’t keep filling the gaps. The uncomfortable truth is this the system is breaking because nurses have been filling those gaps. For years. At great personal cost. Stopgap heroism is not a workforce strategy. And it is certainly not a staffing plan. What we need—and what we must demand—is adequate funding, sustainable staffing models, real accountability, and policies that reflect the true complexity and economic value of nursing care.If a health care system cannot function without relying on chronic understaffing and the uncompensated labor of nurses, then the system must change—not the expectations for nurses’ endurance.And I want to acknowledge something openly: some of us in this room may feel uncomfortable hearing this. Not because it’s inaccurate, but because the powers in your states are still adamant that nurses remain understaffed. That this is somehow “necessary,” “inevitable,” or “just how things work.” But if the truth makes us uneasy, that discomfort deserves our reflection.We must ask ourselves whether we are unintentionally upholding the very conditions that are harming nurses—or whether we will fully step into our responsibility as the profession’s voice for safety and dignity. And here’s a deeper question—one we never ask loudly enough.Why are we not gathering with hospitals and long-term care facilities to jointly demand better funding for staffing? For the resources required to provide the care our elderly deserve?Why is the fight—year after year—always about keeping nurse staffing low, instead of securing the funding that would make safe staffing possible? This misalignment isn’t an accident; it’s a structural choice. And if we do not challenge it—together—it will not change.Because silence, at this stage, is not neutrality. It’s consent for the status quo.

Looking Ahead: ANA at 130 and Beyond

And that brings us to the work ahead.If we are serious about changing these conditions—not just naming them—then we must be equally serious about the future we are building. Because ANA is entering its 130th year, and the choices we make now will define what nursing looks like for the next generation.

Our updated three-year strategic plan—developed collaboratively across all three American Nurses Enterprise boards—sets a strong direction. You’ll hear more from our CEO, Angela Beddoe, shortly.

It’s important to note that these proposed changes reflect the work emerging from the strategic planning retreat with our three boards and have not yet been finalized. I want to encourage you to share your feedback with board members over the next few days during the Leadership Summit. And in 2026, we will elect new national leaders—including president. I encourage you to consider how you might serve.

I am entering my final year as ANA President.It remains one of the greatest honors of my life. Yes—the travel is constant.Yes—you hear the good, the bad, and everything in between.But you meet extraordinary people…and you influence the profession at a pivotal moment.

Membership Assembly: Where the Work Happens

If the next 130 years are going to look different from the last, it will be because of the conversations we choose to have and the ideas we choose to advance.

Dialogue Forums are exactly where that transformation begins—where challenging issues meet courageous leadership.

Dialogue Forums are where our profession wrestles with the essential—and sometimes messy—work of policy.If you have an idea for a proposal, submit it.The call opens next week and closes February 11. The PPC will host office hours—use them.And we will, as always, honor colleagues whose contributions elevate our profession. Our national awards ceremony never fails to inspire.

Any ANA member may attend Membership Assembly as an observer. Yes, the travel takes effort —but there is truly nothing like being in the room where it happens.

Closing

So as we begin this Summit…The year ahead will demand courage. It will demand clarity. It will demand persistence.But it will also offer opportunities to lead boldly, to innovate, and to shape the future of nursing.And we will do that best—always—together. Thank you for your leadership, your service, and your unwavering commitment to nurses and the communities we serve.