Why be a member of ANPA?

People often ask why it is important to be a member of their state nurse practitioner association. There are many professional organizations available, all with membership fees, so why be a member of the Arkansas Nurse Practitioner Association (ANPA)? ANPA is the only Arkansas organization that exclusively represents the interests of all nurse practitioners in Arkansas. Other nursing organizations either represent a subset of nurse practitioners or diverse nursing roles; therefore, these organizations do not represent all nurse practitioners, or the needs of nurse practitioners can be obscured by the needs of other nurses.

The ANPA participates in numerous activities aimed at advancing, supporting, and promoting the high standards of healthcare delivered by nurse practitioners; educating and disseminating information to consumers and other healthcare providers about the profession and capabilities or Nurse Practitioners; and acting as a resource and promoting communication between Nurse Practitioners and other agencies (ANPA purpose, bullets 1, 3, and 4). As a member of the Arkansas Nursing Round Table, ANPA meets monthly with other nursing organizations throughout the state to discuss and collaborate on issues affecting nursing. ANPA worked with the round table to produce the "I am a Nurse” television campaign released over the summer. An ANPA member provided testimony to the Arkansas State Legislature regarding nurse practitioner education. ANPA members met with local and state officials for Nurse Practitioner Week proclamations and to provide education. In addition, the one nurse practitioner for every legislature initiative connects legislators with nurse practitioners in their district who can provide information related to NP issues.

Your membership in ANPA gives you a voice in the ANPA legislative agenda – how we “represent the interests of Nurse Practitioners before the executive and legislative branches of the government at the local, state, and federal level” (ANPA purpose, bullet 2). ANPA collaborated with other groups to propose loosening of collaborative practice requirements during the COVID-19 pandemic. Unfortunately, their proposals were met with resistance and anger from some members of the legislature and were not included in any executive orders. As many of you know, ANPA is spearheading the initiative to remove the collaborative practice agreement for certified nurse practitioners, clinical nurse specialists, and certified nurse midwives, this legislative session. Members of the Legislative Committee have been working with the bill sponsor since early summer. ANPA was also able to engage a lobbyist group for this legislative session that we have been working with since the fall. Lobbyist fees cannot exceed a specific proportion of our revenues; therefore, membership, merchandising, and conference are the essential revenue producing activities of ANPA that allow us to have this presence at the Capitol. This issue is not on the Arkansas Nurses Association legislative agenda. Although we expect that ARNA will support this legislation, we cannot rely on their lobbyist to move this bill forward.

The ANPA continues to “educate third party reimbursement agencies and market the role of Nurse Practitioners in the health care system” (ANPA purpose, bullet 5), focusing on Medicaid primary care provider issues. ANPA Legislative Committee has gathered a wealth of information supporting the benefit of nurse practitioners and other APRNs as primary care providers, which has been shared with ARNA, who is spearheading the Medicaid PCP bill this legislative session.

ANPA continues to “provide continuing education for Nurse Practitioners” (ANPA purpose, bullet 6) through the annual conference. In 2020, 177 nurse practitioners attended and claimed CE credit for the ANPA Virtual Conference. We hope that in 2021 we can be together again for a live conference. If not, the lessons learned during the virtual conference will help us have a smoother experience next time.  District meetings also offer an opportunity to discuss emerging topics of interest to nurse practitioners in Arkansas.

ANPA members also contribute to the professional growth of nurse practitioner graduates (ANPA purpose, bullet 7). Many new graduates find mentorship from ANPA members. In addition, the ANPA Facebook Group, District Meetings, Volunteer Opportunities, and Annual Conferences provide opportunities for new graduates to network with seasoned nurse practitioners. ANPA members have a wealth of knowledge and experience that can be shared with others in our profession.

Why is it important to be a member of ANPA? Membership gives you a voice in the organization that exclusively represents nurse practitioners in Arkansas, provides you with opportunities for networking, education, and mentorship, connects you with nurse practitioners who have knowledge and skills to supplement your own, and helps fund advocacy and lobbying initiatives. Thank you for being an ANPA member. Please encourage other APRNs (including Certified Nurse Midwives, Clinical Nurse Specialists, and Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists) you know to join. APRNs who are not nurse practitioners may join as Associate Members with the same rights and benefits as regular (Certified Nurse Practitioner) members.  If your membership has expired, consider rejoining so you can help promote the NP profession in Arkansas.