Center for American Nursing: The New ANA Face for Workplace Advocacy, The

In June the Nevada Nurses Association was officially recognized as a charter member of The Center for American Nurses (CAN). This is a historical event. CAN is the result of the 2003 American Nurses Association (ANA) bylaw changes. CAN is the successor to the American Nurses Association's Commission on Workplace Advocacy. The commission was established in 2001 by the ANA House of Delegates to address the workplace needs of nurses not represented by a collective bargaining agreement. Then in June of 2003 the ANA House of Delegates created the Associate Organizational Member (AOM) membership category. This restructuring of ANA lead to changes within the Commission on Workplace Advocacy. The commission began operating under its new name and structure in 2003. CAN became an Associate Organization Member (AOM) of ANA and the only AOM to deal directly with Workplace Advocacy issues. CAN operates independently of ANA, but the organizations are co-located and maintain an agreement that ensures synergistic affiliation through 2008.

The mission of CAN is to "create a community of nursing organizations that Serves individual, non-union nurses by providing programs, tools and policies that address workplace concerns". 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.

CAN's primary purposes are:

1. To offer non-collective bargaining Workplace Advocacy strategies, programs, and services to nurses without collective bargaining agreements;

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's goals are to:

* Operate as a fast, agile, responsive organization

* Model openness and integrity

* Provide relevant and user-friendly member services

* Be inclusive and respectful of others

* Have fun while working hard.

It has been a busy year for this organization. Currently 37 state nursing associations have joined as full members of CAN. These associations with CAN represent over 48,000 nurses. NNA is a part of this historic change. Keep up to date on the actions of YOUR Center for American Nursing and stay informed about crucial trends in nursing, by visiting the CAN web site at http://www.centerforamericannurses.org. Access to the members only section of this web site is available at no cost to members of the Nevada Nurses Association. If you are a member of NNA or would like to become a member of NNA and would like to be able to access the important nursing information on this page, please contact us at (775) 747-2333 or by email at NNA@NVNurses.org.