ANA-Ohio was well represented at the American Nurses Association (ANA) Membership Assembly (MA) on June 28th and 29th. Members who attended the MA were:

Thursday, June 27th was Hill Day, where nurses had the chance to talk with legislators about issues important to nurses. There was a briefing by ANA and ANA scheduled sessions with the legislators for all participants. More than 500 nurses participated in over 300 meetings with 66 legislators. Due to flight difficulties, I was not able to attend, but Meghan Ramic did attend both Hill Day and the Membership Assembly for the first time, and I have shared some of her thoughts. She was very impressed with the process for Hill Day and the thoroughness of the ANA briefing on critical issues to facilitate the experience. ANA scheduled all meetings between attendees and legislative offices. She was pleased to partner with someone who had attended Hill Day before, and glad that the legislative meetings were done with groups of nurses. She was inspired to see how the MA participants were part of the ANA agenda-setting process for the upcoming year.

The ANA board had an open round table discussion Thursday afternoon to introduce the Interim Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and provide an update on the search for a permanent CEO. During this forum, members were asked for feedback on the presidential engagement process and whether members felt we should endorse a U. S. presidential candidate this year. ANA leaders shared a draft of ANA positions on key issues including staffing, workplace violence, climate change, health equity, reproduction, and health access in a table and then listed the positions of the two presumptive presidential candidates (Trump and Biden) in columns beside that. There was much discussion around the pros and cons of endorsement. ANA leaders also reviewed the process for bylaws amendments and then opened the floor for “top-of-mind” issues. There was continued discussion around the Presidential endorsement as one member talked about problems when ANA did not take a stance on an earlier issue. Another person indicated we need to support candidates who align with the ANA mission, vision, and values. One member asked about the sale of the small interest that ANA had in their current building and asked where that money will go. Another member stressed the need for partnerships and suggested that ANA explore letting students be part of ANA.

The Awards Ceremony highlighted two ANA-Ohio members. Khaliah Fisher-Grace, ANA-Ohio member and ANA board member, announced all the awardees during the ceremony. Another ANA-Ohio member, Raya Cupler, MPA, BSN, RN received the Early Career Nurse Award. A photo of her receiving the award is included with this article. It was exciting to see these two nursing leaders recognized at this national event.

Friday morning started with a Meet the Candidates session, followed by the opening session of the MA. The interim CEO, Angela Beddoe, who has been in her role for two months, was introduced and shared her vision for the upcoming year. Procedural elements, including voting instructions, standing rules, and the meeting agenda were reviewed. The Nominating Committee presented the slate of candidates and took nominations from the floor. This session also included reports from the ANA President, ANA Interim CEO, and Treasurer.

This was followed by a networking lunch and then the dues escalator hearing. ANA leaders provided some background on the dues escalator issue. There was much discussion of the pros and cons surrounding the implementation on 1-1-2025. This hearing served to inform members and provide an opportunity for discussion prior to the scheduled vote on Saturday.

There were dialogue forums in the afternoon on Saturday to solicit feedback from members on the proposed recommendations for which the MA would be voting on Saturday. These were:

1. Breaking Barriers to Nurse Workforce Well-Being: A Call for Licensure and Employment Policy Reform to Combat Stigma
2. Improving Care for the Veterans Population
3. Enhancing Ethical Practice through the Voice of Nursing: 2025 Code of Ethics Revision

A candidates’ forum provided the opportunity for members to hear from all the members running for elected positions. Candidates were given a chance to speak and then were asked questions submitted by board members. The chair of the nominating committee asked each nominee for the same position the same question. This forum was followed by the ANA-PAC (Political Action Committee) Reception in the evening.

Saturday morning opened the second session of the MA with the ANA Chief Nursing Officer Report, and reports from the three ANA Subsidiaries: the American Academy of Nursing, the American Nurses Credentialing Center, and the American Nurses Foundation. In addition, there was a report from the National Student Nurses Association. Ethan Slocum, the current president, is a student at the Frances Payne Bolton School of Nursing in Cleveland. Following these reports, a Nurses’ Legacy Memorial, formerly known as the Nightingale Tribute, was held to honor those nurses who had died in the past year.

The Report of the Professional Policy Committee included votes on the Dues Escalator clause, as well as the recommendations from the Dialogue Forum. The motion, that the automatic dues escalator for the 2020-2024 cycle will NOT occur, did not pass by the required two-thirds vote. There were 61.97% in favor of the motion and 38% opposed it. As a result, the dues escalator will take effect January 1, 2025. This will mean an increase of $0.75/month for ANA-Ohio members. ANA has not had a dues increase since 2016, a fact that spurred some members to support the dues increase. The dues rate will not increase again for 5 years.

The four recommendations emerging from the Breaking Barriers to Nurse Workforce Well-being: A Call for Licensure and Employment Policy Reform to Combat Stigma dialogue forum were:

1. Reduce mental health-related stigma in healthcare settings at all levels. There was one action item under this recommendation.
2. Accelerate changes to mental health reporting requirements and normalize the process for nurses to seek help for workplace-related stresses. There were three action items under this recommendation.
3. Encourage employers to foster an organizational culture that prioritizes health worker well-being, normalizes open communication about mental health challenges, supports prevention and promotes care-seeking as a sign of strength. There were three action items under this recommendation.
4. ANA will work in collaboration with the National Council of State Board of Nursing (NCSBN) to update and revise the guidelines and best practices for the Alternative to Discipline programs.

Three recommendations resulted from the Improving Care for the Veterans Population discussion forum:

1. The ANA considers the Veterans Administration Community Care (VACC) program as a supplement to care delivery by the VHA (Veterans Health Administration), not a replacement for that care. ANA shall advocate for policies that ensure a seamless care system between the VHA and VACC.
2. ANA shall work to improve nursing knowledge relating to the unique healthcare needs of the veteran population and their families. There were three action items under this recommendation.
3. ANA shall continue it efforts to remove all restriction to nursing practice with the VHA and allow all nurses to practice to the full extent of their education and training to meet the health care access needs of all veterans and improve timeliness of care.

There were no recommendations related to the Code of Ethics discussion. The purpose of that discussion was to get feedback from assembly members on the proposed revisions. Individuals were encouraged to complete the public comments on this draft revised document.

Lively discussion ensued when a main motion was presented that strongly recommend that ANA endorse a candidate in the 2024 presidential election and that this endorsement be based on alignment with ANA’s priority issues. A majority (64%) of voting assembly delegates were opposed to this motion, so it did not pass.

The second main motion asked to have the Board of Directors (BOD) report on three items. The items requested included: the direct and indirect investments to be shared annually; an established process for ongoing transparency and disclosures that prioritizes social justice; and a path forward for divestment of resources which will need to be developed. This main motion passed, receiving the required majority votes.

A third motion recommended that the ANA BOD develop a policy for evaluating all potential affiliations and partners to ensure alignment with the ANA Code of Ethics. This motion also passed.

There were lunchtime discussions on a variety of topics and attendees could choose which session they wanted to attend. Participants could learn more information about these topics and have a chance to provide input. The topics were:

1. Nurses Strengthening the Safety Net
2. ANA’s 2024 Political Engagement
3. Reimbursement Models to Elevate the Value of Nursing
4. Fluoridation of Public Water Drinking Systems: Risks Versus Rewards
5. AI: What Nurses Need to Know

During the last session of the MA, outgoing board members were thanked for their service and the results of the election were announced. The ANA President summarized the accomplishments during the meeting and thanked everyone for their dedication.

This was a great opportunity for members to be involved in setting the direction for ANA. Participants learned what ANA has been doing over the past year to advocate for nursing, and experienced how their voices could be used to influence policy. It also provided an opportunity to network with nurses from around the county and celebrate the contributions of colleagues. It was an exciting and reenergizing experience!