The day before the Membership Assembly, NJ nurses, along with more than 500 nurses from across the country participated in ANA’s Hill Day meeting with their members of Congress to advance ANA’s federal priorities. During this event, nurses engaged with their Congress members, with the aim of advocating for nurses and the citizens that we serve. The ANA federal priorities were: Restricting Mandatory Overtime for Nurses, Nurse Faculty Shortage Reduction Act (H.R. 7002, S. 2815), Improving Care and Access to Nurses (ICAN) Act (S. 2418, H.R. 2713), and Protect Timely Access to Quality Nursing Care in LTC Facilities.
The Annual American Nurses Association (ANA) Membership Assembly (ANA) was scheduled on June 28-29, 2024, in Washington, DC. The ANA MA is comprised of ANA members who are representatives from its constituent member organizations/State Nurses Associations (C/SNAs), Individual Member Division (IMD), affiliated organizations (OAs), or members of the ANA Board of Directors. You would have been proud of the highly motived and dedicated representation from the New Jersey State Nurses Association (NJSNA) at the ANA MA 2024.
The NJSNA’s ANA MA 2024 attendees were:
- Chief Executive Officer CEO, Judy Schmidt, DHA, MSN, RN
- NJSNA elected representative to the ANA Membership Assembly:
- NJSNA President – Sandra Foley, DNP, MSN, RN
- NJSNA President-Elect, Institute for Nursing Chair– Margaret Daingerfield, EDD, RN, CNE
- NJSNA member Region 3, Norma Rodgers-Frink, BSN, RN, CCRA, ACRP-PM, RP
- NJSNA President-Elect Region 6, Sheila Caldwell, BSN, RN, CSN, FNASN
ANA MA Day 1
As the governing and official voting body of the American Nurses Association, the Membership Assembly gathered as a forum to identify, discuss and determine the association’s positions on key issues for nurses and the nursing profession. These discussions are in the form of a dialogue forum that had been previously selected by the ANA Board of Directors with input from state constituent members.
The first of three-dialogue forum was concerning the mental health of nurses and the stigma that surrounds seeking assistance. This stigma can impact nursing licensure and difficulty when seeking employment. We discussed ways to break down these barriers.
The second forum discussion centered on proposing actions to ensure that all healthcare providers, including registered nurses, are well-prepared to deliver top-quality care to military veterans receiving community care outside the Veterans Health Administration.
The third dialogue forum updating the ANA Code of Ethics with interpretive statements. A committee has been meeting to discuss the revision that will be published in 2025.
President Mensik Kennedy spoke fervently about the disturbing topic of violence in the workplace against all healthcare workers. She empathized ANAs legislative stance regarding this topic and the need for advocacy in all states. In addition, she reiterated the need for combatting and confronting racism in nursing and the fact that there are monies to be allocated to the state constituents for work regarding racism in nursing.
Lastly, ANA Interim CEO Angela Beddoe so eloquently spoke about the future of ANA and its current robust initiatives. She is passionate, dynamic and committed to meeting the association’s needs, inspiring confidence in the membership and leaders.
Please follow this link to get the full update on ANA Hill Day #1
https://www.nursingworld.org/news/news-releases/2024/ana-membership-assembly-deliberates-key-issues-affecting-nurses-and-the-nursing-profession
ANA MA Day 2
Racial Reckoning Think Tank
ANA Enterprise CNO Debbie Hatmaker, addressed the MA regarding the recent development of the Racial Reckoning Think Tank. The newly established think tank has been established along with other ethnic minority nursing associations. A collaboration between the nursing associations will allow for a robust conversation and future initiatives.
Emerging Issues
Assembly representatives addressed new business, approving motions related to the ethics and transparency of financial investments and developing a policy to evaluate all external partners for alignment with internal ethics.
The Assembly did not approve a motion for the ANA Board of Directors to endorse a candidate in the 2024 U.S. presidential election.
ANA 2024-2025 Election Results:
President Jennifer Mensik Kennedy, PhD, MBA, RN, NEA-BC, FAAN, Oregon Nurses Association. She will serve as the ANA 38th President.
Representatives elected new officers and board members: Amanda Oliver Secretary of Illinois; Director-at-Large Edward Briggs, Florida Nurses Association; Director-at-Large Ahnyel Burkes, Louisiana State Nurses Association; and Director-at-Large, Staff Nurse Josephine Agyei, ANA-New York.
Elected to serve on the Nominations and Elections Committee are:
Mavis Mesi, Colorado Nurses Association; Vinciya Pandian, Maryland Nurses Association; and Kimberly Velez, ANA-New York
Please follow this link to get the full update on ANA Hill Day #2
https://www.nursingworld.org/news/news-releases/2024/ana-membership-assembly-day-2/
