Responding to Today’s Challenges, Shaping the Future
2021—the second year of the COVID-19 pandemic— demanded registered nurses’ full determination and committed service. As the pandemic evolved through the high of widely available vaccines and low of new, more contagious variants, the ANA Enterprise— American Nurses Association, American Nurses Foundation, and American Nurses Center—continued to adapt in full support of nurses nationwide.
During its 125th anniversary year, ANA in partnership with 23 major nursing associations considered not only the profession’s past but also its current practices and policies and took concrete steps toward a more diverse, equitable, and inclusive future.
The Foundation embarked on an ambitious, groundbreaking project that could transform nursing practice, regulation, and education in the coming decade.
ANCC celebrated 30 years of promoting the highest standards of nursing, in all practice and professional settings, with the aim of improving patient care and clinical outcomes.
Throughout the year, the ANA Enterprise led the profession in responding to today’s challenges and in shaping the future of nursing and health care.
Adapting as the pandemic evolved
In 2021 the ANA Enterprise continued as a national voice on COVID-19 issues, relentless advocate for nurses’ safety, positive work environments, and mental health and well-being, chronicler of nurses’ lived experiences during the pandemic, and trusted resource on nursing practice, ethics, and policy concerns.
OUR LEADERS LOOK BACK ON 2021 AND AHEAD TO THE FUTURE
EXCELLENCE IN NURSING
31,000+
New Certification Applicants
30
New Applicants For Nursing Continuing Professional Development Accreditation
31
Practice Transition Accreditation Program Sites
34
Initial Magnet Recognition® Program Designations
17
New Certification Applicants
61,000+
Visitors to the newly launched Advanced Practice web page
Thank you to our ANA members, RNs who advanced in their profession through ANCC, and Foundation donors and partners for being a part of the ANA Enterprise in 2021.
OUR 2021 COVID RESPONSE
In 2021 the ANA Enterprise continued as a national voice on COVID-19 issues, relentless advocate for nurses’ safety, positive work environments, and mental health and well-being, chronicler of nurses’ lived experiences during the pandemic, and trusted resource on nursing.
HOW WE’RE REINVENTING NURSING
The Foundation launched the $19 million Reimagining Nursing Initiative to bring forward and pilot bold ideas to tackle big barriers hindering nursing and the healthcare system. This momentous effort kicked off with 347 proposals from 48 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico for reimagining nursing education, technology-enabled nursing practice, and direct reimbursement nursing models. Funding for and development of selected projects in 2022 could fundamentally change the future of nursing practice, regulation, and education.
HOW WE’RE MOTIVATING CHANGE IN THE NURSING PROFESSION
Committed to see the nursing profession exemplify inclusivity, diversity, and equity and motivate all nurses to confront systemic racism, ANA along with 23 leading nursing organizations launched the Commission to Address Racism in Nursing. This landmark body took decisive steps to define, understand the context of and appreciate the effects of racism on nurses today and in the past. These foundational elements set the stage for the Commission’s work in 2022, including release of a milestone report and strategies to effect meaningful change.
HOW WE’RE ADVANCING NURSING EXCELLENCE
ANCC marked 30 years of progress in advancing the nursing profession, empowering nurses worldwide to leverage their competencies for the benefit of their patients. ANCC’s Framework for Healthcare Excellence built on four pillars— fostering interprofessional collaboration, empowering engagement, sustaining a culture of excellence, and advancing professional care—set the stage for individual nurses and organizations to achieve their highest potential. The Framework, connecting all ANCC programs—Accreditation, Magnet Recognition® Program, Pathway to Excellence® Program, and Certification—underscored the value of nurses in continuously improving healthcare quality, ultimately elevating health outcomes of patients throughout the United States and internationally.
