ANACA The Nursing Voice Fall 2019

14  . The Nursing Voice . Fall 2019 ANA PAC It was not all work, but some play as well. Liz Dietz EdD, RN, CS-NP Wow! What a great time for the ANA PAC! We raised over $40,000, which was $5,000 more than last year. Thank you to all who donated to the ANA PAC, allowing us to reach out to the Senators and Representatives in the U.S. Congress. Without your kind generosity we would not be able to work on behalf of California nurses while in Washington D.C. We went to The Hill to march and talk to the many different sides in the House and Senate. We had a chance to hear from Repre- sentative Lauren Underwood (D, Ill.), RN. She is a nurse and a long-standing member of ANA and is now the elected represen- tative from her district in Illinois. What an incredible representa- tive with a nursing background—wow one of us! We also spoke with many elected officials and senior staffers for health and human services. It was not all work, but some play as well. We attended the ANA PAC Celebration at the National Union Building to enjoy time to dance and sing our way through the evening with a few libations and snacks on Friday night. Saturday morning, we held the ANA PAC High Donor Political Briefing Breakfast—a perfect way to start the day with a solid breakfast and reporting from the Gonzalez group. The Gonzales report is available to ANA PAC donators and provides comprehensive information about what is going on in D.C. and across the nation as well as the stand on the issues of the federal candidates from all political parties. The new change for ANA Government Relations is that ANA will not endorse a specific candidate for the presidential race. We will expand our education campaign for our members by concentrat- ing on the issues and potential candidates. The other goal will be to increase the numbers of ANA members who register to vote and actually go to the polls. Yes, there are members who are not registered and do not vote! GOVA and ANA PAC cannot achieve anything without our members’ donations. Those donations are used to: Reach out to potential federal election candidates. Continue to educate these candidates. Provide monies to those candidates that value our work as nurses as well as support our legislation and healthcare beliefs. Please donate this year and every year to the ANA PAC. During the 2019 Membership Assembly held in Washington, D.C. this June, several members of the ANA California attended the lunch discussion on the 2020 Nursing: Scope and Standards of Practice, Fourth Edition . The session provided ANA members the opportunity to offer recommendations about specific content and structure changes aimed at improving the practical application and importance of this resource to professional nurses. Currently in its third edition, the Nursing: Scopes and Standards of Practice (ANA, 2015) document informs and guides profession- al nursing practice. The document describes several fundamental aspects of the professional nurse’s competencies and role ANA Membership Assembly Discussion on 2020 Nursing: Scope and Standards of Practice, 4th Edition By Rachel Choudhury, MSN, MS-RN, CNE—ANA\C Membership Assembly Representative performance at any level of practice, setting, or specialty. It outlines expectations for nurses in areas of quality improvement initiatives, education, certification and credentialing, and regulatory decision-making to name a few. The discussion focused on three aspects of the current docu- ment: definition of nursing, format, and standards/competencies. Some of the recommendations for updating the definition of nursing included concepts about the holistic nature of the practice and promotion of healing. Use of more updated termi- nology were proposed by members, such as caring science , social determinants of health, and emotional intelligence. Members would like to see more emphasis on the advocacy and ethical aspects of the professional nurse’s role. Questions about the document’s articulation and alignment with the American Continues on page 15 ❱ ANA Membership Assembly 2019 Highlights