The American Nurses Association (ANA) Membership Assembly is the governing and official voting body of the organization. The June 2025 meeting of the Assembly took place in Washington, D.C. where members came together to discuss and determine the policies, positions, and future direction of the ANA. This diverse group of nursing leaders is comprised of representatives of State Nurses Associations, Individual Member Division (IMD), affiliated organizations, and the ANA Board of Directors. This year, New Jersey was represented by New Jersey State Nurses Association (NJSNA) members Peggy Daingerfield, Kristin Sagedy, Norma Rodgers-Frink, Sheila Caldwell, and JoAnne Penn.
The assembly’s primary purpose is to identify, discuss, and vote on issues of concern to the nursing profession and the public. This is accomplished through proposal presentations (dialogue forums), consideration of and voting on bylaw amendments, the election of officers, and new business.
Dialogue Forums: The Membership Assembly held open discussions and an exchange of ideas on three current and relevant topics. Based on feedback from the Membership Assembly, the Professional Policy Committee supports adoption of the recommendations related to the following two Dialogue Forum topics.
- Advancing Rural Health through Nursing Innovation and Advocacy.
- Policy Development for the Effective Use of Artificial Intelligence from the Lens of Ethics Within the Scope of Nursing Practice.
The Membership Assembly attendees provided feedback on topic 3: Revising and Protecting the Role of the RN Nursing: Scope and Standards of Practice. There were no recommendations for this Dialogue Forum. Feedback will drive the document’s revision.
Bylaws: Membership Assembly representatives attended several pre-hearings where bylaw amendments were presented with opportunities for discussion and feedback. At the Assembly meeting, over 100 amendments, bundled into 36 groups, were presented. Representatives debated and voted on the numerous proposed amendments. Time did not allow for a full review of all amendments and so a special meeting was held on September 11, 2025, where voting on the remainder of the amendments was accomplished. While several amendments were withdrawn and others accepted, the bylaws amendment of Licensed Practical or Vocational Nurses joining the ANA with full rights and privileges and the amendment on apportionment were moved to Ad Hoc committees for further discussion. NJSNA member, Norma Rodgers-Frink was appointed as a member of the ANA LPN/LVN Ad Hoc Committee.
Elections: The Membership Assembly elects the leaders of the ANA, including the Board of Directors and members of key committees including the Nominations and Elections Committee (NEC). Our Association is delighted that NJSNA Immediate Past President, Sandy Foley was elected to the NEC as Chair-elect. Her term begins in January.
New Business: One new business topic was introduced and was supported. The proposal, Defending Nursing’s Principles and Protecting Our Patients, addressed the need for ANA to take immediate action on policies that erode access to care, undermine nursing workforce through funding cuts, spread health misinformation, dismantle DEI, restrict rights to unionize, dismantle programs that support life-saving services through USAID, remove access to health-related databases, permit ICE raids in healthcare settings, and limit access to reproductive care.
The New Jersey State Nurses Association values the dedication of the Membership Assembly representatives. They were essential to ensuring that the ANA represents the priorities of nurses. Their commitment and preparation were crucial to the success of the Membership Assembly meetings.
