The below reports are a summary of the activities from the last Annual Membership Meeting that took place in October 2023 to July of 2024. More detailed information will be reported at the Annual Membership Meeting on October 17, 2024, if needed. The 2024 Annual Membership Meeting will take place during the SCNA State Convention Thursday evening at 5:45 PM in the Palisades Ballroom DE.

SCNA President Annual Report

Submitted by: Angela Dykes, SCNA President
This has been a busy year for SCNA! I am happy to report that we have been very active in our nursing community sharing what SCNA does for the membership and how we support each other and our work to provide safe, and compassionate care to our patients and communities. I began the year working with the incoming Board of Directors and Chapter Leaders for our first of the year orientation and board meeting. At this meeting, we discussed and set our goals for the year, which included our continued work on increasing membership, sustaining membership, being visible and active in the state, and finally to begin the work on our racial reckoning journey. This year I had a great opportunity to work with the Midlands Black Nurses Association, as I participated in the Mini Nurse Academy with Bradley Elementary School in Columbia, South Carolina. This initiative was focused on working with elementary aged children to educate them on roles in nursing through hands on activities, group work and journaling. This after school program included children from 4th through 5th grade that met each Wednesday for about 12 weeks and concluded with a graduation for the children. This program is designed to impact the future of Nursing by educating young minds on the idea of nursing as a profession. I had the opportunity to participate and speak to nursing students at their annual SNA-SC conference where I was able to lead a discussion on leadership. In March I attended the Student Nurse Association orientation to provide support and information on what it means to be on a board and how to conduct board business. During the month of March we began our journey to racial reckoning with the first of many “think tank” meetings that included stakeholders to begin discussion on the road to racial reckoning. To date this group has been able to initiate and develop our first statement which will set the tone and foundation for the work. This initiative is ongoing and will continue to be an important part of the work for SCNA. April was a busy month with speaking engagements. I am grateful for the opportunity to have been able to present at Chi Eta Phi Nursing Sorority spring event on the topic “Bridging the healthcare disparity gap through the power of knowledge.” I was invited to attend the Brittany Starks Oswald Foundation nurse scholarship luncheon where I was the Keynote speaker. This organization raises funds for nursing scholarships. We partnered with the Coalition for Access to Healthcare at the lobby day and Legislative breakfast in Columbia, South Carolina This was an opportunity for us to speak with Legislature representatives about Full Practice Authority for Advanced Practice Registered Nurses. This event was successful in that we had a large nursing presence as we descended on the halls of Legislatures. We were also acknowledged from the House floor! In May we celebrated Nurses week with various activities throughout the state. I had the opportunity and privilege to speak at DHEC for their Nurses Day celebration which was a great event where my topic was “Resilience in Today’s Nursing Environment.” Finally, we ended Nurses week with our very first successful Nurse 5K. This was an exciting event for us to raise money for the South Carolina Nursing Foundation. On a national level, I attended the annual assembly of ANA in Washington D.C. this past June. We were able to spend time on Capitol Hill speaking with South Carolina House and Senate Representatives on initiatives to support nursing in our State. As I end my tenure as President of SCNA I am very proud of what we have accomplished over this past year and I look forward to our continued growth as an Association serving the Nurses of South Carolina. Thank you all for your support and encouragement

SCNA President-Elect Annual Report

Submitted by: Jada Quinn, SCNA President-Elect
This year has been a time of growth and re-engagement as have traversed new post-pandemic norms. I am grateful to continue to represent member of the South Carolina Nurses Association (SCNA) and nurses throughout our state. As President-elect, I, along with Board colleagues, supported numerous efforts to engage with and advocate for nurses and supporters of nursing throughout South Carolina (SC). I have supported several initiatives including on the state planning committee for the 2024 SCNA State Convention, Nurse Practitioner Lobby Day at the South Carolina Statehouse, our inaugural SCNA/SCNF Nurses 5K, SCNF Palmetto Gold, and numerous engagement events where we have reached both our members and other South Carolina Nurses for whom we advocate. I collaborated with advocates from other states to represent SC interests at a national American Nurses Association legislative planning meeting. In May, I was honored to serve as the keynote speaker for Nurses Week at Fort Jackson, opening a pathway for new relationships. New programs and initiatives have flourished over the past year as we have achieved new partnerships for recognition of nurses. In June 2024, I prepared to serve as a representative of SCNA and nurses in South Carolina at the American Nurses Association (ANA) Hill Day in Washington, DC, where we meet with legislators and staffers in the U.S. House of Representatives and U.S. Senate to advocate regarding the concerns of nurses and recipients of nursing care in our state and attend the annual meeting of the ANA Membership Assembly serving as a voting delegate. I also look forward to representing our organization at the upcoming Southeastern Perioperative Conference. I am appreciative of our SCNA staff, Board members, and constituents of the association for dedication to continued excellence, growth, education, and support as we collaborate in advocacy for every nurse in SC. I look forward to continued service as President of the Association.

Commission on Professional Advocacy & Development Annual Report

Submitted by: Sherry James, Chair
In 2024, I chaired the Peer Assistance Program in Nursing Steering Committee. The activities for the committee include notifying SCNA constituents about the revitalization of the program, revising PAPIN systems and processes, advertising for PAPIN Group Facilitators/Leaders, and securing lines of communication for individuals desiring information about the program or looking for assistance. I followed individuals who showed interest in becoming PAPIN Group Facilitators and walked them through the process of application submission. Also, I followed activities of the continuing education unit.

CE Approver Committee (CEAC) Annual Report

Submitted by: Shara Rhodes
2024 Activities:

• Annual update for Provider Units Quarterly meetings (2 completed) Reviewer quality assurance analysis.
• The NCPD Provider Units approved by SCNA offered 1445 different programs in 2023; totaling 7550 NCPD hours; with 28816 RNs in attendance.
• CEAC approved 14 different individual activities totaling 103.25 NCPD hours.

2025 Goals:
Succession planning

CE Provider Committee (CEPC) Annual Report

Submitted by: Shara Rhodes
2024 Activities:

• Orientation of new members Planning to support 2024 convention planning committee Ongoing recruitment of new members
• The CEPC awarded NCPD hours to 46 SCNA programs equaling a total of 63 hours. These programs provided hours to 576 attendees.

2025 Goals:
Succession planning; Present at convention; Host another open house

APRN Chapter Annual Report

Submitted by: Nakita Barnes, Chair and Ex-Officio Member of SCNA Board of Directors
Number of Members:149
2024 Activities:
The APRN chapter has remained steadfast in its commitment to fostering engagement among its members throughout the past year. By leveraging various platforms and organizing meaningful events, we have strived to keep our members informed, involved, and empowered in their professional endeavors.

Chapter Engagement Initiatives:

1. Utilization of Chapter Facebook Page – Over the past year, we have significantly increased the utilization of our chapter’s Facebook page as a primary platform for disseminating information and communicating with our members.
2. Education Networking Event (April 15th): – The APRN chapter hosted an education networking event, focusing on updates in Asthma therapy and providing insights into the issues and procedures of Lobby Day.
3. Lobby Day Advocacy (April 25th): – Members had the opportunity to visit and speak with several House of Representatives members as a group, leaving informative literature with multiple offices. The presence of numerous members was acknowledged in the House of Representatives.
4. Participation in SCNA/SCNF 5k Race (May 18th): – Several chapter members actively participated in planning, volunteering, and participating in the SCNA/SCNF 5k race, demonstrating our commitment to community engagement and wellness.
5. Upcoming Webinar Events: – June 6th: We will be hosting a webinar titled “Transitioning from Clinician to Academic Professor,” offering valuable insights and guidance for APRN members considering or currently pursuing academic careers. – August 15th: Our second webinar offering will focus on discussing prescribing guidelines for Opioid Abuse Disorder, addressing a critical issue in contemporary healthcare practice. In conclusion, the APRN chapter has remained proactive and purposeful in fostering engagement among its members through a diverse range of initiatives and events. By leveraging platforms like Facebook, organizing educational events, advocating for important causes, participating in community activities, and offering informative webinars, we continue to empower our members and strengthen our professional community.

2025 Goals:
The goals of 2025 are to continue to create engaging and purposeful activities for the chapter, increase chapter members by 10% and attendance of meetings and to foster a successful transition of leadership in 2025.

Nurse Educator Chapter Annual Report

Submitted by: Debora Stokes, Chair and Ex-Officio Member of SCNA Board of Directors
Number of Members: 89
2024 Activities

• Monthly chapter meetings in 2024: Jan. 25, Feb. 29, Mar. 28, Apr. 18, & May 30
• All chapter meetings highlight a book or journal article of interest, followed by discussion
• Created Nurse Educator toolkit for the SCNA website (updated the beginning of each month)
• NE chapter chair attendance to SCNA events in Charleston, SC: Nov. 13, 2023 Recruiting Event & May 6, 2024 MUSC Nursing Organization Spotlight Day
• NE Chapter Chair on planning subcommittees for SCNA & SCNF 5k Run/Walk, 2024 Convention Planning, and Gala Planning.
• Volunteer to help with SCNA & SCNF 5k Run/Walk on May 18 and State Convention on Oct. 17-19
• NE speakers identified for SCNA 2024 State Convention
• Chapter Chair attendance to SCNA Columbia Fireflies Nurses Night – May 9

2025 Goals:

• Continue regular chapter meetings (monthly if possible).
• Continue attendance at SCNA recruiting events when possible.
• Keep Nurse Educator Toolkit updated with resources and continuing education events.
• Continue to increase chapter participation and membership.
• Plan chapter-hosted webinar, conference, or dinner for nursing education.
• Continue participation in planning committees for 2025 SCNA events: 5K Run/Walk and State Convention.

Psychiatric-Mental Health Chapter Annual Report

Submitted by: Jacquelin Hyman, Chair and Ex-Officio Member of SCNA Board of Directors
Number of Members: 83
2024 Activities:
4th Annual Psychiatric Mental Health Symposium May 17th Community Service Project of collecting toiletries for Columbia Area Mental Health Center. Offering at least one pharmaceutical rep presentation. Participated in Lobby Day Participated in the first annual 5K.

2025 Goals:
Increase chapter membership by 10 %. Increase chapter participation by 10%. 5th Annual Psychiatric Mental Health Symposium offering at least 6 CEUs. A community service project. Participate in the second annual 5K. Participate in Lobby Day. Offer at least one pharmaceutical rep presentation.

Women and Children’s Health Chapter Annual Report

Submitted by: Jennifer Woodley, Chair and Ex-Officio Member of SCNA Board of Directors
Number of Members: 49
2024 Activities:
2024 Chapter Meetings held:

• October 6, 2023 at state convention
• January 12, 2024
• March 7, 2024
• April 25, 2024 (chapter members participated in Lobby Day)
• Next meeting June 2024 – TBD
• October 2024 – at Convention
• The Chair, Vice-Chair, Treasurer and one member at large attended Board Orientation in January 2024. We met as a group and discussed chapter goals. The WCH private Facebook group was created that day to disseminate information and increase chapter engagement.
• The chapter took on the initiative of drafting a proclamation to highlight and bring awareness to Black Maternal Health week. We were able to compile a strong draft and move it forward, however it was in late March. This is an initiative that we will revisit next year, and with minor changes in verbiage submit to the lobbyist and to the Governor’s office again next year. This is a high priority for the chapter.
• April 18, 2024 – WCH Chapter Treasurer/Secretary, Renee Butler, was a speaker for the college chapter of Revolution Red at Benedict College. Revolution Red is an organization that supports menstrual poverty in educating girls/women on the importance of menstrual hygiene and focuses on gifting feminine products to those in need. The chapter has decided to partner with the organization and request donations of menstrual/feminine products at the annual convention to gift to the organization.
• April 25, 2024 – Strong representation at Legislative/Lobby Day from the Chapter. Members were able to visit/speak with several House of Representative members as a group and leave literature with several offices.
• Nominations were made for the WCH Chapter Chair and Member-at-Large positions.
• May 17, 2024 – WCH Chapter Chair, Dr. Jennifer Bell Woodley, served as a speaker at the annual Psych/Mental Health Chapter Symposium on the subject of Postpartum/Perinatal Depression.
• May 18, 2024 – WCH Chapter member, Amanda Sacco, participated in assisting with the design of the SCNA 5K run t-shirts. She also served on the planning committee for this event.
• WCH Vice-Chair, Kelly Walker, remains committed to sharing women/children’s content on the SCNA website and in the Facebook group.
• All members have been engaged with assisting and confirming 3 speakers for the annual convention in October 2024.

2025 Goals:
Increase enrollment to 60 Members. Ensure seamless transition to the new Chair role. Organize and hold 1 sponsored chapter event. Submit 2 articles for the SC Nurse. Have members engage community partners as speakers/panel member/NCPD Hours at 2 local events on Women/Children’s content.

2024 ANA Membership Assembly Report

Submitted by: Angela Dykes, SCNA
President and 1st Delegate to Membership Assembly
The Annual Membership Assembly is a gathering of State representatives to come together to discuss and vote on key items to support nursing. As representatives at the annual meeting, we represented nurses in South Carolina and our collective interests on a national level.

This past June we represented nurses of South Carolina at ANA’s membership assembly in Washington D.C. As members of the voting body, we voted to support nurses struggling with mental health issues and licensure and to increase access to quality health care for Veterans, finally we supported transparency in investment and ethical partnerships for investments within the ANA Enterprise.

We were encouraged to hear from ANA Enterprise CNO Debbie Hatmaker, PhD, RN. FAAN about ANA’s efforts to creating a Racial Reckoning Think Tank in partnership with minority nursing associations to ensure that the right voices and lived experiences are represented to offer meaningful recommendations to advance an anti-racist profession. Finally, we had the opportunity to meet with Legislative Representatives to encourage support for four priority federal health policy issues:

• Restricting mandatory overtime for nurses
• Nursing faculty Shortage Reduction Act (H.R. 7002, S 2815)
• Improving Care and Access to Nurses (ICAN) Act (S. 2418, H.R. 2713)
• Protect Timely Access to Quality Nursing Care in LTC facilities
• Finally, we voted on candidates for key positions for the board of directors for ANA. We met with candidates and listened to their respective platforms and voted on candidates that we felt would support our interests. I am grateful for the opportunity to represent South Carolina Nurses

SC Nurses Foundation Annual Report

Submitted by: Jason Thrift, President and Ex-Officio Member of SCNA Board of Directors
For the year 2024, SCNF has engaged in fundraising endeavors and promoted other opportunities for nurses and student nurses throughout the year. Midlands Gives continues to be one of the biggest events SCNF engages in annually. We collected $2752 from donations to support scholarship funds. Just Cause Apparel is still a resource to generate funding for scholarships, providing 50% of profits from sales of scrubs to SCNF. Please consider visiting their website and ordering scrubs from them to support scholarships for SCNF. Just Cause Apparel Website: https://justcauseapparel.com/. The Palmetto Gold Gala was held on April 27, 2024, with amazing success. Palmetto Gold recipients enjoyed a delightful evening filled with celebration. The Palmetto Gold steering committee stated a $50,000 profit from the Gala will put the 2025 Gala in great shape. Nominations for Palmetto Gold will begin in Fall 2024, and registration for the next Palmetto Gold Gala will begin later in the fall, early winter. SCNF sent out requests for applications for our annual scholarships in April 2024. This year, we plan to award 6 scholarships but may increase the graduate by 1 if funds allow. The scholarships will be presented in September. SCNA and SCNF have been working in collaboration to establish the first Nurses 5K. Strictly Running has supported the establishment of the run, and SCNF members are participating as volunteers and runners or walkers in the event. The 5K was held on Saturday, May 18, in Columbia at Forest Acres. 50% of the profits went to SCNF to support scholarship initiatives. We are already planning for the 2025 Nurses 5K for May 2025 during Nurses Week. Overall, SCNF has been performing well both in our mission and financially. We’ve had 2 meetings thus far in 2024, and our next meeting of the year is August 9. With the departure of Jamie Harris as the SCNF Treasurer and Pi Johnson unable to serve in the Treasurer role for either SCNF or the Palmetto Gold Steering Committee, a new Treasurer was appointed in Kendra Vandross. Vice President De Anna Cox served briefly as interim Treasurer in a dual role until Ms. Vandross could be onboarded. Kendra Vandross will also be the Palmetto Gold Treasurer along with her SCNF Treasurer duties. We will continue honoring Pi Johnson with the Friends of the Foundation honorarium, which helps raise funds to support SCNF. There is still more to come and plenty of activity ongoing with SCNF, and we look forward to initiatives to support the mission of both SCNF and SCNA to unify nurses across our state.

For the year 2024, SCNF has engaged in fundraising endeavors and promoted other opportunities for nurses and student nurses throughout the year. Midlands Gives continues to be one of the biggest events SCNF engages in annually. We collected $2752 from donations to support scholarship funds. Just Cause Apparel is still a resource to generate funding for scholarships, providing 50% of profits from sales of scrubs to SCNF. Please consider visiting their website and ordering scrubs from them to support scholarships for SCNF. Just Cause Apparel Website: https://justcauseapparel.com/.

The Palmetto Gold Gala was held on April 27, 2024, with amazing success. Palmetto Gold recipients enjoyed a delightful evening filled with celebration. The Palmetto Gold steering committee stated a $50,000 profit from the Gala will put the 2025 Gala in great shape. Nominations for Palmetto Gold will begin in Fall 2024, and registration for the next Palmetto Gold Gala will begin later in the fall, early winter. SCNF sent out requests for applications for our annual scholarships in April 2024. This year, we plan to award 6 scholarships but may increase the graduate by 1 if funds become available.

Student Nurses Association – SC Annual Report

Submitted by: Ryan Fox SNA-SC President and Ex-Officio Member of SCNA Board of Directors
The Student Nurses Association of South Carolina is currently entering a new era of collaboration with local and state partners, including a rekindled partnership with the South Carolina Nurses Association beyond just the submission of an Annual Report. SNA-SC regularly participates in SCNA board meetings and serves an active role on several committees, including the first annual 5K Committee, the Convention Planning Committee, and is involved with developing SCNA’s Racial Reckoning statement. All of this has been made possible by the devotion of SCNA’s staff and board of directors to ensure the future nurses of the state of South Carolina have a voice! The 2024-2025 SNA-SC Board of Directors traveled to Orlando, Florida, in April to take part in the National Student Nurses Association’s Annual Convention, where the organization was recognized for hosting the Most Successful Statewide Convention in Membership Categories 4-5 (the largest) in February of 2024. SNA-SC President Ryan Fox was also awarded the Isabel Hampton Robb Leadership Award. Since returning, the board members have begun working on statewide projects in public health, ethics and governance, health advocacy, and nursing education accessibility that will be rolling out later in their terms. Shanelle Lee, SNA-SC President-elect, is excited to be hosting a Mid-Year Event for students within the SCNA’s Annual Convention, and the Board of Directors is looking forward to inviting many nursing professionals and healthcare organizations back to Columbia, SC, for the organization’s next Annual Convention in February of 2025.

South Carolina Faith Community Nurses Association – SCNA Organizational Affiliate Annual Report

Submitted by: Anita Boland, President
The mission of the South Carolina Faith Community Nurses Association is to promote healthy congregations by encouraging and supporting the development and sustainability of faith community nursing practices and health ministries throughout the state of South Carolina.

The SCFCNA in 2024 held quarterly meetings at First Baptist Church in Irmo where we provided CE credit for the several of the educational offerings. These meetings were held in person and virtually to allow for the attendance of more members.

In January of 2024, we had a presentation of Leeza’s Connection, an organization which provides caregiver support and resources. In April 2024, the presentation was given by the Nurses Honor Guard of the memorial service they provide for the funeral of a nurse or as a tribute to a nurse who is in a care facility. In July 2024, we had a presentation by Dr Tracy George and Dr Julia Hucks on global health and short-term missions and the role faith community nurses to impact our communities outside the church walls. In October, we had a presentation on the concept of The Homeless Court done by Judge Debra Jackson which focused on help for the homeless in our communities and how the faith community can be involved.

This theme led into our annual conference theme which was held on August 2 entitled “Faith Community Nurses: Impacting Communities at Home and Abroad.” At the conference, Angela Dykes, the president of the SCNA, shared about the trends in nursing in SC. Her presentation was followed by James Massie from the SC Human Trafficking Task Force and how faith communities can impact the human trafficking problem in SC. Members of DHEC also presented on how faith communities can participate with their local DHEC regional offices to provide services to their local and state communities followed by a presentation by Cassandra Alexander as to how we can take faith community nursing internationally.

The SCFCNA offered a foundations course in 2024 which provided nurses with training in the scope and practice of Faith Community Nursing. There were 7 nurses who completed the course. The SCFCNA has also participated as a vendor for the South Carolina Student Nurses Convention and the South Carolina Nurses Convention. SCFCNA nominated a member for Palmetto Gold, Marisette Hasan, who received the Palmetto Gold Award. The SCFCNA also supported the Palmetto Gold Program with an advertisement in the brochure. The SCFCNA has provided quarterly articles for the SCNA newsletter which included the activities of the members in their faith communities. As part of the underpinnings of the organization, meetings of the executive board, board of directors and education team were conducted throughout the year. The membership is currently 46 faith community nurses and recruitment efforts are ongoing. We are always interested in discovering other nurses who have ministries in their faith communities as well as health ministry leaders and pastors.

The officers for 2024 were Anita Boland, president; Julia Hucks, vice president; Rosemond Squirewell, secretary; and BJ Roof, treasurer. Our website is www.scfcna.com.

SC State Board of Nursing Annual Report to SCNA

Submitted by: Carol Moody
2023 was a non-renewal year for the SC Board of Nursing so a portion of the year was spent preparing for the next renewal cycle which started 2-1-24. The number of active licensees continued to grow with the largest growth being APRN’s. As of mid- November, we had 95,540 active licensees of which 11,020 were APRN’s. Of the APRN’s, 8680 were NP’s (5999 FNP’s). By year end, we were close to 96,000 active licensees in total! We also saw a number of pre-licensure LPN and RN programs open and/or expand their enrollments during 2023. End of year NCLEX scores continued to rise…SC had the 5th highest pass rate in the nation for first time test takers of the NCLEX-RN examination! In collaboration with SCNA and RPP, the Board Executive participated in the planning for the resurrection of PAPIN, a support group for recovering nurses. At this time, there is a plan to launch monthly virtual meetings in 2024 once Group Leaders/Facilitators are in place.