National Black Nurses Association

National Black Nurses Association
Name	National Black Nurses Association
Abbreviation	NBNA
Formation	1971
Founder	Beverly Malone; Dr. Lauranne Sams; Mildred Fay Jefferson; Edith Irby Jones
Type	Professional association
Headquarters	Baltimore, Maryland
Region served	United States
Membership	Registered nurses, licensed practical nurses, nursing students
Leader title	President
Leader name	Everlena O. Pierre

National Black Nurses Association is a professional organization representing African American registered nurses, licensed practical nurses, and nursing students across the United States. Founded in the early 1970s, the association has engaged with public health crises, civil rights issues, and professional development linked to nursing practice in urban and rural communities. Its activities intersect with hospitals, academic institutions, and health policy bodies throughout the United States and in collaboration with international nursing and public health organizations.

History

The organization emerged during a period shaped by the legacy of the Civil Rights Movement, the influence of the American Nurses Association, and the expansion of historically Black institutions such as Howard University and Tuskegee University. Early leaders included nurses who trained at institutions like Meharry Medical College and practiced in settings including Johns Hopkins Hospital and community clinics in Harlem. The association built relationships with figures from the wider African American leadership network, including activists connected to the NAACP and policymakers from the administrations of Richard Nixon and Lyndon B. Johnson who shaped public health programs such as the Medicare and Medicaid expansions. Throughout the 1980s and 1990s the association responded to the HIV/AIDS epidemic, partnered with health centers influenced by the Community Health Center Movement, and convened conferences that attracted scholars from Columbia University, University of Pennsylvania, Yale University, and Boston University.

Mission and Goals

The association’s mission emphasizes workforce diversity, health equity, and culturally competent care in collaboration with institutions like Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, World Health Organization, and state health departments such as the New York State Department of Health. Goals include strengthening nursing leadership linked to academic programs at University of Maryland School of Nursing, expanding pipeline initiatives involving programs like Project 10,000 and pre-licensure partnerships with Spelman College and Morehouse College Health Services, and advocating for legislative measures debated in the United States Congress that address access to care and public health funding. Strategic priorities often align with initiatives championed by organizations such as the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the Kaiser Family Foundation.

Membership and Organization

Membership spans clinical nurses employed at institutions like Mayo Clinic, Cleveland Clinic, and Massachusetts General Hospital, public health nurses in city departments such as the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health, and educators from schools including University of Illinois Chicago and Emory University. The organizational structure includes regional chapters modeled after state nursing associations such as the Ohio Nurses Association and collaborates with specialty groups including the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses and the Association of Women's Health, Obstetric and Neonatal Nurses. Leadership gatherings occur alongside major meetings like the American Public Health Association Annual Meeting and the National League for Nursing conferences.

Programs and Initiatives

Programs include pipeline and mentoring initiatives with historically Black colleges and universities like Clark Atlanta University and Fisk University, community screening campaigns coordinated with the American Cancer Society and the Susan G. Komen Foundation, and disaster response collaborations with agencies such as the Federal Emergency Management Agency. The association has launched campaigns addressing chronic conditions prevalent in African American populations, aligning programming with research from the National Institutes of Health and clinical guidelines from the American Heart Association and the American Diabetes Association.

Advocacy and Policy Influence

The association advocates on issues before the United States Congress, partners with coalitions that include the National Medical Association and the Black Women’s Health Imperative, and files position statements that influence rulemaking at the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. Its policy work addresses workforce diversity legislation, reimbursement policies debated by the Office of Personnel Management, and public health emergencies like responses coordinated with the White House and the Department of Health and Human Services. The association has testified before legislative committees and collaborated with civil rights entities such as the Congressional Black Caucus.

Education, Research, and Professional Development

Academic collaborations involve faculty from Johns Hopkins University School of Nursing, Duke University School of Nursing, and University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing on research examining health disparities, recruitment strategies, and clinical outcomes. The association supports continuing education credits recognized by accrediting bodies like the American Nurses Credentialing Center and sponsors symposia featuring speakers from Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, George Washington University, and the University of California, San Francisco. Research partnerships have attracted grants from the National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities and philanthropic support from entities such as the Gates Foundation.

Awards and Recognition

The association bestows awards recognizing leadership, scholarship, and community service, often honoring nurses who have worked at institutions like Veterans Health Administration hospitals, community health centers, and academic settings such as Spalding University. Awardees have included leaders who partnered with organizations like the American Red Cross and recipients of honors from bodies such as the National Institutes of Health and the National Academy of Medicine. Annual conferences feature ceremonies that celebrate lifetime achievement, innovation in practice, and contributions to public health and nursing education.

Category:Professional nursing organizations Category:African American professional organizations Category:Medical and health organizations based in Maryland