The votes are in at ANA Membership Assembly 

Today at the 2025 ANA Membership Assembly, the governing and official voting body of the American Nurses Association (ANA), nearly 400 nurses from ANA’s constituent and state nurses associations, Individual Member Division, and organizational affiliates debated and voted on priority issues of the association going forward. They also elected new leaders to the ANA Board of Directors and Nominations and Elections Committee.  

The day opened a moving speech from American Nurses Enterprise Chief Nursing Officer Bradley Goettl, DNP, DHA, RN, FAAN, FACHE, and reports from the American Academy of Nursing, American Nurses Credentialing Center, American Nurses Foundation, along with the National Student Nurses Association.  

Assembly representatives approved the full Professional Policy Committee Report including three Dialogue Forum proposals: Advancing Rural Health, Effective Use of Artificial Intelligence and Revising and Protecting the Role of the RN.  

The assembly also engaged in dynamic discussion on the floor and voted on a series of proposed bylaws changes and new business that will play a critical role in how the association continues to grow into the future.  

In a first, the assembly was treated to a fireside chat with CEO Angela Beddoe and inspirational speaker and best-selling author, Suleika Jaouad, who moved the room with her extraordinary story, resilience and deep admiration for nurses.  

CNO address 

Goettl delivered his first address to the assembly since he stepped into the role in April. In his remarks he shared key insights from his journey starting with “humble beginnings” at a rural community hospital to CNO, including two decades of bedside care serving as an EMT, flight nurse, NP, chief clinical officer, professor, and advocate.  

“Every step of my career has been guided by a commitment to continuous learning, a passion for patient care, and dedication to our profession,” Goettl shared. He had a valuable insight at the start of his career in rural Wisconsin. “It was there that I learned … our strength as nurses is truly rooted in our connection. Connection to the people we care for. Connection to the communities we serve. And most importantly connection to one another as fellow nurses.” 

“I am excited to partner with you,” he added, “to imagine what we will accomplish together, harnessing our collective power to advance health, strengthen our profession, and ensure that nurses remain not only the most trusted, but also the most respected voice in healthcare.    

Goettl closed by saying: “When I think about The Power of Nurses – I think about that connection and our shared purpose.  I think about what happens when we lead with strength and speak with a unified voice. And I think of this assembly and the millions of nurses we represent.” 

Dialogue Forums  

Goettl’s report included progress on the previous year’s Dialogue Forums, removing barriers to nurse workforce well-being and improving care for veterans. A third 2024 forum served to gather input to shape the revised Code of Ethics for Nurses, which was published in January 2025.  

Reports of professional policy committee 

Assembly representatives approved the full Professional Policy Committee Report including all three proposed Dialogue Forums: 

• Advancing Rural Health  
• Effective Use of Artificial Intelligence  
• Revising and Protecting the Role of the RN 

Assembly members endorsed a proposal that ANA advance policies to promote the use of nurse-led care delivery modalities that improve access to healthcare in rural areas.  

People who live in rural communities face significant barriers such as geographic isolation provider shortages and limited broadband access for telehealth. These challenges contribute to significant health disparities in comparison to individuals in urban populations. Nurses are ideally positioned to lead innovative solutions to these challenges. 

The assembly also passed a recommendation for ANA to partner with stakeholders to develop guidelines that consider both the ethical and legal domains for using artificial intelligence (AI) tools in nursing practice.  

AI can improve clinical decision-making at the point of care and impact patient safety and outcomes. However, the assembly stressed that guidelines should consider how to protect the role and clinical judgement of nurses, as well as the nurse-patient relationship. Nurses should be involved in AI governance and development, and regulations and payment structures should ethically and equitably advance the use of AI. 

ANA is revising the Nursing: Scope and Standards of Practice (4th edition), and the Professional Policy Committee sought input from the assembly to inform the revision. The assembly emphasized that this foundational document should be updated to reflect the realities of modern nursing practice, such as nurses often being expected to serve as a catch-all solution for systemic healthcare staffing shortages. This leads to role confusion and unsustainable workloads.

Committee on bylaws

In addition to their policy actions, the assembly debated a series of bylaws amendments. Proposed amendments involving the Leadership Council, e-members, and membership were approved, while those involving how officers and directors on the ANA Board are elected to their positions and that designated a seat on the ANA Board of Directors for an APRN were both opposed.  

The assembly approved that the remaining proposed bylaw amendments will be considered in a virtual special meeting to be held with at least 60 days' notice in the coming months. 

New business

Under new business, the assembly debated and endorsed a proposal, Defending Nursing's Principles and Protecting Our Patients.  

The assembly urged the ANA Board of Directors to directly articulate the profession’s strong opposition to federal policies in opposition to core nursing principles that support access to care, nursing workforce development, science-based public health measures, and equity in healthcare. 

Election results

National leaders elected during the Membership Assembly to serve on the nine-member ANA Board of Directors include:  

• Vice President Anita Girard, DNP, RN, CNL, CPHQ, NEA-BC, ANA\California
• Treasurer, Trish Richardson, MSN, BSBA, RN, NE-BC, CMSRN, North Carolina Nurses Association
• Director-at-Large, Amanda Savage, DNP, MEd, RN, ANA-Maine
• Director-at-Large, Recent Graduate, Nikule Abel, BSN, RN, Minnesota Organization of Registered Nurses  

Elected to serve on the Nominations and Elections Committee are:  

• Sandra Foley, DNP, MSN, RN, New Jersey State Nurses Association
• Gem Priddy, MN, RN, CCRN, PCCN, Virginia Nurses Association
• Emily Rocha, MBA, MSN, RN, NE-BC, CHCQM, Individual Member Division
• Joan Widmer, MS, MSBA, RN, New Hampshire Nurses Association

Nurses' Legacy Memorial

Nurses from Maryland, Virginia, Delaware, and Pennsylvania representing the National Nurses Honor Guard Coalition led a tribute to remember fallen nurses in the past year, including former ANA President Eunice Cole, BSN, RN, and former ANA CEO Loressa Cole, DNP, MBA, RN, NEA-BC, FAAN, FACHE.