Actions that support nurses and the nursing profession
When I became the American Nurses Association’s (ANA) 38th president in January 2023, the pandemic had loosened its tight grip and our society had largely moved on from this destructive public health event. Although thrilled to be out of the red-hot phase of COVID-19, we nurses found ourselves still very much recovering and rebuilding—seeking healthy work environments with appropriate staffing, free from workplace violence, while also being fully acknowledged for the remarkable value and substantive solutions that we offer.
In the ensuing year, I’ve witnessed considerable creativity and forward momentum in solving these deep-seated issues and others, which have long-confounded our profession and caused nurses considerable frustration and, frankly, anguish. Progress I’ve never seen before.
If belatedly, the public, policymakers, and healthcare organizations grasp what nurses have been dealing with and are actively collaborating with ANA and our constituent and state nurses associations and organizational affiliates to effect positive change. Some 18 states put forth staffing legislation, and ANA and our partners are working diligently to win passage of federal laws that support safe staffing and nurses practicing to the top of their licenses, education, and clinical training. A proposed rule involving nursing home staffing also recently came out. Our insightful and knowledgeable staff are tracking and responding to developments on these and other legislative and regulatory fronts.
A crucial issue ANA and our collaborators are investing in now for long-term payoff involves changing the way nurses are valued in healthcare. This one variable, essentially flipping the equation from nurses being viewed as an expense to a source of revenue, could pay dramatic dividends in the development of our profession and improvement in our work environments.
Also, in 2024, our staff will develop and implement next steps in follow-up to the insights from and decisions made at the 2023 ANA Membership Assembly, ANA’s governing and official voting body. These involve reducing the burden of nursing documentation, standardizing virtual nursing practice, and addressing gun violence. The combined ANA, American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC), and American Nurses Foundation (Foundation) strategic plan, anchored to our mission and vision, builds on each entity’s strengths to accomplish more together in supporting the nation’s more than 5 million RNs.
The Pulse on the Nation’s Nurses Survey Series has shown repeatedly the enormous burden nurses carry. Although pleased that so many nurses have accessed our Healthy Nurse, Healthy Nation™ and Well-Being Initiative programs, we recognize that so much still remains to enable nurses to thrive with joy and fulfillment personally and professionally. The Foundation has made landmark investments to bring practical and scalable solutions to the profession via the Reimagining Nursing Initiative and Stress and Burnout Prevention Pilot Program (nursingworld.org/foundation). ANCC, through its credentialing programs and exceptional educational events, continues to set a high bar for nursing excellence, with more to come in 2024 (nursingworld.org/ancc).
The Pulse surveys also have shown clearly that Millennial and Generation Z nurses continue to face extreme stress and mental health challenges. ANA is looking to these prospective leaders and how best to welcome their insights and participation. Expect our roadmap for doing so in 2024. Meanwhile, ANA continues to deliver value to all our members, regardless of career stage or practice setting (nursingworld.org/membership).
ANA needs the input and involvement of all nurses. Please consider local, district, state, or national opportunities of interest. Our profession will be stronger, in 2024 and beyond, with diversity and inclusion as our mainstays.
Jennifer Mensik Kennedy,
PhD, MBA, RN, NEA-BC, FAAN, President,
American Nurses Association
American Nurse Journal. 2024; 19(1). Doi: 10.51256/ANJ012418
