Center for American Nurses...GNA's National Connection to Workplace Advocacy, The

Georgia Nursing, Feb-Apr 2004

The Georgia Nurses Association is a constituent member of the Center for American Nurses (CAN). CAN's membership is currently about 55,000 nurses in 37 states. Individual nurse members of CAN's 37 constituent member associations receive an automatic membership in CAN until July 2004, at which time membership will become a fee-based option.

About The Center for American Nurses

The Center for American Nurses (CAN) is a professional association and was organized in 2003 as a 501(c)(6) corporation. CAN's primary purposes are:

1. To offer non-collective bargaining Workplace Advocacy strategies, programs, and services to nurses;

2. To support nurses in personal and professional growth and development in the practice setting in order to promote positive work-related experiences;

3. To collaborate with others to provide services and to develop policies that positively impact the work environment for all nurses;

4. To provide education to nurses on workplace issues;

5. To promote and provide leadership and mentoring in the workplace environment; and

6. To conduct, evaluate, and support workplace-related research

CAN has its roots in ANA's Commission on Workplace Advocacy which was established by the ANA House of Delegates in 2000 to address the needs of individual nurses in the workplace not represented by collective bargaining. In 2003, the House of Delegates created a new membership category for Associate Organizational Members (AOM), and CAN was accepted as the single AOM dealing with issues of Workplace Advocacy. While CAN is independent of ANA, it is affiliated with ANA through an Affiliation Agreement in effect through 2008. Under this agreement, CAN coordinates with, purchases administrative services from, and is collocated with ANA.

CAN defines its work in Workplace Advocacy as an array of services, products, and programs that support the personal and professional development of individual nurses to help them address their workplace challenges through research, education, communications, and advocacy.

History of the Commission on Workplace Advocacy

* June 1999, the ANA House of Delegates (HOD) charged a task force to develop strategies and recommendations to ensure that nurses who are not represented by collective bargaining have access to meaningful workplace advocacy strategies.

* June 2000, at ANA's Convention the HOD voted overwhelmingly in support of a Bylaws amendment that created The Commission on Workplace Advocacy (WPA).

* The Commission on WPA was comprised of nine appointed members charged to "establish and implement an effective national workplace advocacy program within ANA," according to the ANA bylaws. The Commission members were appointed to represent Constituent Member Associations that provide (1) workplace advocacy programs, (2) collective bargaining, and (3) both workplace advocacy and collective bargaining.

* June 2003, the ANA House of Delegates voted to create a new membership category for Associate Organizational Members (AOM), and CAN was accepted as the single AOM dealing with issues of Workplace Advocacy.

* August 2003, CAN incorporated as a professional association.

CAN's website is located at http://www. centerforamericannurses.org. Certain pages on the website can be accessed only by members. If you are a GNA member (non-collective bargaining) and desire access to the "members only" pages, contact us at gna@georgianurses.org.