On June 15-17th I had the pleasure of being one of nine ANA-Ohio members attending the ANA Membership Assembly. It was wonderful being recognized as the newest ANA C/SNA and having everyone go up on the stage to place our flag along side the others. We received updates on the work that ANA has done over the past year, including work on climate change, workplace violence, nurse staffing, and racial reckoning. We also had the opportunity to provide input during three dialogue forums on virtual nursing as a practice model innovation, the role of nurses in promoting gun safety, and preventing violence and addressing documentation during a time of crisis. Everyone present was free to provide suggestions on recommendations before the Assembly voted on them. ANA is in a financially strong position and continues to advance nursing with the guidance of their 2023-2025 strategic plan, which is on the ANA website.
For members of ANA-Ohio, there are many opportunities:
1. Participate in the ANA Healthy Nurse/ Healthy Nation (HNHN) initiative.
This program started five years ago. In the first year, it had about 25,000 participants. Now it has over 340,000 participants and over 600 partners. As nurses are reporting experiencing burnout like never before, HNHN connects nurses to meaningful content and resources, removing the stigma of seeking help. HNHN is a free nurse health, safety, and wellness program that is open to everyone. It connects and engages participants and partner organizations within six domains: physical activity, rest, nutrition, quality of life, safety, and mental health. It does this through a web-based platform, text, and social media to connect nurses by inspiring action, cultivating friendly competition, providing content and resources, and gathering data. You can join HNHN at hnhn.org and can receive challenge tips by texting healthynurse to 52-286. This work is vital to help the nursing workforce of today and the future achieve the best quality of life (ANA, 2023).
2. Take advantage of free nursing professional development opportunities for contact hours.
There are many free continuing education (CE) programs available to members. There is a free 85 minute on-demand webinar by the ANA enter for Ethics and Human Rights that presents six cases to illustrate how nurses can use the Nursing Code of Ethics with Interpretive Statements as they encounter ethically challenging situations in their practice. Why ethics matter: The practical aspects of the Code of Ethics for Nurses illustrates how an ethical decision-making framework supports nurses as they encounter situations that may challenge their personal and professional moral code and pose safety and well-being risks not only to patients and their family members but also to nurses. Real-world cases involving racism, bullying, active shooters, and care for LGBTQ+ populations are discussed (Using, 2023). Are you feeling burned out? New Nurse Burnout Program can help! Now offering participants the opportunity to earn 49 CE hours, this program is the perfect way to learn how to manage stress, set boundaries, and take care of your physical and mental health. Enroll today — the Nurse Burnout Prevention Program is free for ANA members. Other personal and professional development opportunities are listed on the website at https://www.nursingworld.org/resources/individual/
3. Keep up to date on national legislative issues.
Go to https://www.nursingworld.org/practice-policy/work-environment/health-safety/disaster-preparedness/coronavirus/what-you-need-to-know/legislative-and-regulatory-advocacy/ for information. Remember that current information about state legislative issues can be found on the ANA-Ohio (ohiorn.org) website.
4. Consider running for ANA office.
At the recent ANA Membership Assembly meeting, one of our ANA-Ohio members Khaliah Fisher-Grace ran for a position on the ANA Board of Directors. She was one of ten candidates that were on the ballot for that one position. Dr. Fisher-Grace was successful in her efforts to become a member of the ANA Board of Directors”.
5. Watch for opportunities to contribute to work in your area of interest.
ANA standards are updated every five years. ANA will put out a call for interested volunteers before selecting work group members. I had the opportunity to be a part of the 34 member work group, of nurses from across the country, that revised the latest edition of Nursing: Scope and Standards of Practice.
6. Review the work of the Nurse Staffing Task Force.
Concerned about staffing issues? The Nurse Staffing Task Force developed recommendations to support appropriate staffing across acute and critical care practice settings. These recommendations:
- Support the nursing workforce through long-term sustainable change.
- Sustain a healthy work environment through guidelines for appropriate staffing that correlate with nurse satisfaction, quality of care, and patient safety out-comes.
A copy of the full report can be found at https://www.nursingworld.org/test-landing/nurse-staffing-task-force/ which includes both the staffing and think tank recommendations.
7. Listen to podcasts on rooting out racism in nursing.
Many of you know that ANA has done a lot of work on racial reckoning. Rooting out Racism in Nursing, a new selection of podcasts from See You Now (SYN) explores how innovative nurses are breaking down barriers to address racism in healthcare. In four episodes, nurses share their creative strategies to make healthcare more equitable, inclusive, and safe for all individuals. The podcast bundle, which is free, includes:
- Mentoring for a More Equitable Future
- Roots of Resilience
- Bridges to Fatherhood
- Nurses You Should Know
(See You Now, 2023)
As you think about the ANA benefits and opportunities, don’t forget about getting involved with ANA-Ohio. Help us grow as we work to achieve nursing excellence by encouraging your colleagues to join. Keep up to date with current issues and posts on the ANA-Ohio Community. There are many opportunities for personal involvement at the local level. We want to meet the needs of nurses in all specialties. Many committees are seeking members, there are opportunities to run for office, and any member can participate in any of the board meetings as an observer. There are monthly CE programs that are free to members and there are many other benefits of belonging. Check out ANA-Ohio opportunities at https://ANA-Ohio.org.
References
American Nurse Association. (2023). Healthy Nurse Healthy Nation: Celebrating 5 years. American Nurse Journal, 18(4). Myamericannurse.com
See You Now (Host). (2023). Rooting out racism in nursing [Audio podcast]. ANA. https://www.nursingworld.org/practice-policy/innovation/education/
Using the nursing Code of Ethics in everyday practice. (2023) American Nurse Journal, 18(6). 32.
