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State of the Association 2001-2003

The following report reflects the strategic plan set by the Arizona Nurses Association Board of Directors for 2002-2003 and an assessment of how the goals were met. AzNA is committed to make a difference in our member's professional lives and towards that end identified five strategic themes to guide its work. This report presents the results of AzNA's work. Here's what we accomplished...

STRATEGIC THEME 1: ADVOCATE FOR PROFESSIONAL NURSING PRACTICE

Executed the nursing work environment (magnet) grant and obtained a second grant resulting in three phases of data collection involving approximately 20% of nurses working in Arizona hospitals. Delivered report on nursing work environment to individual hospitals, Arizona Hospital and Healthcare Association, Arizona Healthcare Recruiters Association, and Arizona Legislature.

Completed Arizona Nursing Leadership Competencies Model with the Arizona Organization of Nurse Executives (AzONE), the Arizona Hospital and Healthcare Association (AzHHA), and nursing faculty. Submitted a grant proposal to initiate a Nursing/Healthcare Leadership Institute.

Continued presenting the professional advocacy class, expanding faculty to include some members of the AzNA board and adding content on forces of magnetism and Magnet Recognition.

Initiated courses on mentoring, current issues, team building, political advocacy, creating excellence in practice, managing your career, projecting a professional image, and working with the media.

Published new position papers on the nursing shortage, mandatory overtime, scope of nursing foreign-educated nurses, tobacco products tax, and state board of nursing reserves and consolidation. Revised position paper on unlicensed assistive personnel.

Partnered with AzONE to improve the professional practice environment through hospital commitment and implementation of policy not to use mandatory overtime. Received commitment from 40% of Arizona hospitals representing 59% of inpatient beds.

Revised the Quick Guide for Nursing Practice and the Developing Your Career workbook.

Advocated for an organizational structure change of the ANA which separated the ANA, the UAN union, and the CAN workplace advocacy program as separate, associated organizations.

Offered a workshop titled Managing Your Career throughout the state.

STRATEGIC THEME 2: STRENGTHEN MEMBERSHIP AND PARTNERSHIPS

Increased membership by 2.7% in 2002 and year-to-date in 2003 by 0.9%.

Provided a workshop to AzNA board, chapter presidents, and membership committee on inviting nurses to join the association.

Provided services to support chapters including mailings, conference administration, salary survey, and continuing education.

Provided orientation for Student Nurses Association of Arizona (SNAAz) Board of Directors and assisted with their convention planning.

Completed chapter structure assessment and determined that current structure was meeting needs of members. Implemented regular conference calls with chapter presidents.

Exhibited at community college and university career fairs and at key nursing conferences.

Partnered with AzONE and other healthcare professionals in developing a position paper and communications on regulatory board reserve sweeps and board consolidations.

Joined the Domestic Violence Coalition and the Donor Network of Arizona taskforce.

Hosted meeting with educators and hospital leaders to define issues related to increasing capacity and improving work environment.

Sent letters to all Arizona nursing faculty inviting them to join AzNA.

STRATEGIC THEME 3: INFLUENCE PUBLIC POLICY IN HEALTH CARE

Enacted patient safety reporting (whistleblower protection) legislation.

Coordinated nurse practitioner testimony in opposition of legislation requiring physician staffing at urgent care centers. Successfully lobbied against the sweeping of the State Board of Nursing (SBN) reserves and the consolidation of the SBN with other healthcare professional boards.

Participated in Governor's Taskforce on the Nursing Shortage and coordinated representation of clinical nurses' perspective.

Presented to the university board of regents and community college presidents on the nursing shortage and sent letters requesting a protection of nursing funds.

Advocated for and obtained a SBN advisory opinion stating that refusal to work mandatory overtime does not constitute patient abandonment.

Ensured that changes to the Nurse Practice Act allow for timely processing of foreign-educated nurses while not compromising standards for nursing competency.

Assisted with workshop on the ethical recruitment of foreign-educated nurses.

Focused Legislative Day on nurses who are novices in the political process including student nurses.

Hosted first Nurses Lobby Day which included education and visits with legislators.

Provided educational session to both the House and Senate Health Committees on the nursing shortage.

Sent questionnaires to all candidates for legislative and gubernatorial office, developed a scorecard on incumbents, and interviewed 30 candidates. Endorsed 58 candidates for state government with a 88% success rate.

Provided two educational workshops for AzNA PAC members.

Participated in Department of Health Services rules writing resulting in significant expansion of nurse practitioner role.

Promoted nurses in key public policy positions including 16 AzNA members on the Governor's Taskforce on the Nursing Shortage and representatives on the Attorney General's advanced directives taskforce, Department of Insurance rules taskforce, DHS hospital rules committee, and DHS urgent care rules taskforce.

Published fourteen articles in the Arizona Nurse on political and legislative issues.

Updated the HOTLINE with pertinent legislative information weekly during the legislative session and monthly when not in session.

Clarified and differentiated the roles of Director of Legislation and Director of Political Activities resulting in proposed bylaws changes for membership consideration.

Lobbied in Washington DC for the Nurse Reinvestment Act.

Supported implementation of Tobacco Tax Proposition.

Testified at Tempe Union High School resulting in change in decision regarding accepting school physicals performed by nurse practitioners.

STRATEGIC THEME 4: IMPROVE THE PERCEPTION AND VISIBILITY OF NURSING AND AZNA

Facilitated media contacts and stories in Phoenix metropolitan area, Tucson, Yuma in newspapers, news magazines, television, and radio. Topic included nursing shortage, nurse staffing, nursing relationship to patient outcomes, nurse practitioner scope of practice, legislative issues, mandatory overtime, nurses' week, travel nurses, non-hospital based nursing roles.

Dramatically increased nursing and AzNA exposure in media resulting in an average of four or five stories per month.

Hosted educational session for nurses on working with the media.

Mentored nurses through initial media interviews.

Increased exposure of AzNA and Arizona nurses in The American Nurse.

Published comparison of AzNA and SBN in SBN newsletter. Distributed comparison to all Arizona nursing faculty.

Held press conference on patient safety legislation and mandatory overtime initiative.

Assisted school nurse groups to develop and implement a media campaign.

STRATEGIC THEME 5: ENHANCE THE EDUCATION AND DEVELOPMENT OF NURSES

Updated CE programs to be in compliance with new American Nurse Credentialing Center standards.

Based upon a survey of customers of the CE program, redesigned and automated the application and hired a coordinator of CE program to ensure more timely responses to applications. Year-to-date 2003 applications increased by 55% over prior year.

Provided numerous conferences, workshops, and classes consistently receiving satisfaction scores well above the 90% target.

Organized and completed AzNA board orientation. Executive director and president attended conference on strategies for improving board and association functioning.

Added listing of available nursing education program slots to website.

Supported and publicized chapter and AzNF scholarships.

Supported a People to People's trip of nurses to China.

OTHER ACCOMPLISHMENTS

Revised financial reports to improve usability and reduce staff preparation time from 6 days to 2 days.

Adjusted investments to respond to market changes.

Implemented accounting review recommendations to review journal entries.

Transferred printing company to reduce expenses.

Maintained offices including repairing heating/air conditioning elements, repair roof, repainting interior offices, repairing damaged exterior door.

Installed security system.

Renegotiated copier maintenance contract to save $500/year.

Purchased new credit card machine to reduced banking fees.

Sent staff to conference on newsletter preparation and production.

Arranged for re-evaluation of real estate taxes.