American Nurses Association (ANA), the national professional association of registered nurses in the United States. It was founded in 1896 to improve standards of health and the availability of health care. ANA advances the nursing profession by fostering high standards of nursing practice, promoting the rights of nurses in the workplace, projecting a positive and realistic view of nursing, and lobbying the Congress and regulatory agencies on health care issues affecting nurses and the public. The ANA is made up of 54 constituent associations, from the 50 states, the District of Columbia, Guam, and the Virgin Islands, and the Federal Nurses Association (FedNA), representing more than 900 district associations. National conventions are held biennially in even-numbered years. Members may join one or more of the five divisions of nursing practice: These divisions are coordinated by the Congress for Nursing Practice. The Congress evaluates changes in the scope of practice, monitors scientific and educational developments, encourages research, and develops statements that describe ANA policies regarding legislation affecting nursing practice. In addition, the ANA is politically active on the federal level in all issues relevant to nursing and the public. Statistical services enable the association to fulfill its role as the most authoritative source of data on nursing in the United States.
