Iowa Nurses Association

Iowa Nurses Association
Name	Iowa Nurses Association
Abbreviation	INA
Formation	19th century
Type	Professional association
Headquarters	Des Moines, Iowa
Region served	Iowa
Membership	Registered nurses, licensed practical nurses, nursing students
Leader title	President

Iowa Nurses Association

The Iowa Nurses Association is a professional organization representing nurses in Iowa and affiliated with national nursing bodies. Founded during periods of nursing professionalization alongside organizations such as the American Nurses Association and state nursing associations in the United States, the association has engaged in licensure, workforce advocacy, and public health partnerships. It has collaborated with institutions including the University of Iowa, Iowa State University, Des Moines University, and state health agencies to influence standards and practices.

History

The association traces roots to the late 19th and early 20th centuries when nursing groups formed in cities like Des Moines, Cedar Rapids, Davenport, and Sioux City following national trends exemplified by the American Nurses Association and the formation of nursing schools at institutions such as the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics and the Mercy Medical Center (Cedar Rapids). Early leaders included nurse educators from the Iowa State Nurses Association era and alumni of programs at St. Luke's and the Mount Mercy University nursing program. Over decades the association engaged with state regulators like the Iowa Board of Nursing and participated in responses to public health crises referenced in histories of the 1918 influenza pandemic and later outbreaks noted in reports by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Mission and Activities

The association's mission emphasizes professional standards, patient advocacy, and workforce development aligned with priorities advanced by the American Nurses Credentialing Center and the National Council of State Boards of Nursing. Activities include continuing education programs modeled on frameworks from the Institute of Medicine's reports such as The Future of Nursing, collaborative initiatives with Iowa Department of Public Health, and emergency preparedness planning with partners like Federal Emergency Management Agency and local healthcare coalitions tied to hospitals like UnityPoint Health and MercyOne.

Membership and Organization

Membership comprises registered nurses, licensed practical nurses, advanced practice registered nurses, and nursing students from schools including University of Iowa College of Nursing, Iowa Wesleyan University, Graceland University, and North Iowa Area Community College. The governance structure features an elected board, regional chapters in areas such as Council Bluffs, Waterloo, and Ames, and committees mirrored after models from the American Nurses Association Ethics and Practice Committees. The association has collaborated with unions and professional groups including National Nurses United and state-level collective bargaining entities during workforce negotiations involving institutions such as Broadlawns Medical Center.

Advocacy and Policy Initiatives

Policy work has included lobbying on scope-of-practice issues affecting advanced practice nurses in the Iowa legislature, legislative sessions in the Iowa General Assembly, and regulatory proceedings before the Iowa Board of Nursing. The association has weighed in on reimbursement and Medicaid matters alongside the Iowa Medicaid Enterprise and federal programs like Medicare. Public policy campaigns have intersected with legal and regulatory issues involving the Iowa Supreme Court and administrative rules shaped by collaborations with advocacy partners such as AARP and the American Hospital Association.

Education and Professional Development

Continuing professional development offerings have featured conferences, workshops, and certification review courses linked to credentialing by the American Nurses Credentialing Center and specialty societies including the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses, Emergency Nurses Association, and American Psychiatric Nurses Association. Educational partnerships extend to academic nursing programs at Lourdes University affiliations, clinical sites at urban centers like University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics, and simulation collaborations inspired by initiatives from the Institute for Healthcare Improvement.

Publications and Communications

The association issues newsletters, position statements, and practice advisories reflecting templates used by the American Nurses Association and publishes updates for members via channels similar to state nursing journals and bulletins distributed to practitioners at facilities such as Genesis Health System and Mercy Medical Center (Iowa). Communications also involve social media outreach, press statements to outlets like the Des Moines Register, and policy briefs utilized by lobbyists who engage the Iowa Legislature.

Awards and Recognition

Awards administered by the association recognize nursing excellence, lifetime achievement, and student scholarships paralleling honors found in programs by the American Nurses Association and specialty organizations such as the Sigma Theta Tau International Honor Society of Nursing. Recipients have included clinicians from hospitals such as UnityPoint Health, nurse educators from University of Iowa College of Nursing, and community health leaders collaborating with the Iowa Department of Public Health.

Category:Medical and health organizations based in Iowa Category:Nursing organizations in the United States