Winter 2003 TN Nurse Feature Article

ANA’s Workplace Advocacy Program
Evolves into the
Center for American Nurses (CAN)

The Center for American Nurses is a professional association whose mission is to create a community of nursing organizations to support individual nurses by providing programs and services that address the workplace concerns of nurses and promote their personal and professional growth.

CAN 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.

November 2003, TNA’s House of Delegates voted to become a member of CAN at the TNA Convention in Chattanooga.  

The Board of Directors for the Center for American Nurses (CAN) has incorporated CAN as a professional association. CAN board members believe that this designation will enhance CAN’s ability to work in collaboration with other health care organizations, associations and institutions to meet the needs and expectations of the constituent member associations (CMAs) that belong to CAN as well as individual nurses. 

The CAN board sought legal counsel from labor and association attorneys as it voted to change the articles of incorporation from a labor organization to a professional association. This action will not change the services offered by CAN or the composition of its membership. 

“As a professional association, CAN will continue to uphold its agreement with ANA as the associate member organization (AOM) charged with providing workplace advocacy services to ANA’s non-labor members,” stated CAN President Clair Jordan, MSN, RN. “Other advantages for the change is that it will give the CAN Governing Council more latitude in defining membership, qualifications for officers and selection of delegates.” 

Jordan adds that this move will give CAN more flexibility in working with the CMAs and their delegates. Most important, it will enhance CAN’s opportunities to work with non-labor organizations and associations. CAN looks forward to having strong and meaningful collaborative relationships with others to better serve the needs of nurses who are providing direct care. 

Many CMA executive directors and presidents have expressed great appreciation to the CAN board for making this move as it is what they believe has been the intent of CAN since its conception as Workplace Advocacy three years ago. One executive director reports that her state has had three nursing administrators join the association since this change has been made.