The American Academy of Nursing AAN Nursing Organization

Nursing Organization: The American Academy of Nursing (AAN)

Name

Department, University

Course Code and Title

August 26, 2024

Nursing Organization: The American Academy of Nursing (AAN)

1. What is the stated mission of the organization? Please reflect and write on this mission as it relates to health policy.

The stated mission of the AAN is to “improve health and achieve health equity by impacting policy through nursing leadership, innovation, and science (AAN, 2024). Over the years, the AAN has impacted health policy through a range of mechanisms, including sending letters to the federal government, drafting of position statements, hosting of policy debates, and engaging with lawmakers, among other mechanisms. For instance, in pursuit of its mission, the AAN, in July this year, collaborated with 107 other healthcare organizations to send a letter to Representatives Magaziner (Rhode Island) and Cammack (Florida), as well as senators Capito (West Virginia) and Markey (Massachusetts) outlining its support for Act H.R8018/S.3109 - Alleviating Barriers for Caregivers Act. The Act seeks to reduce burdens faced by caregivers in accessing social security programs, CHI, Medicaid, and Medicare (AAN, 2024b).

2. What specific nursing/health issues are important to this organization and why? (Choose those that you wish to highlight – do not need to cover all)

Issues that have been of particular importance to the association this year include abortion care, firearm safety, and sexual and reproductive health. In April, the academy published a position statement addressed to the Supreme Court asking the court to uphold EMTALA (Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act) protections for abortion care in cases where abortion is a lifesaving intervention, including in states that restrict or ban abortion (AAN, 2024c). The AAN’s position is that pregnancy-related complications may arise requiring emergency care (AAN, 2024c). In such emergency situations, terminating the pregnancy may be the only way to stabilize or treat the patient. It is prudent that EMTALA protections include abortion care to ensure lifesaving emergency care is accessible to all regardless of one’s zip code (AAN, 2024c). On 13th August, the AAN was part of an amicus brief sent to the Montana Supreme Court to petition the court to overturn state legislation that restricts abortion. The academy joined in a similar brief in March, 2024 challenging Idaho’s state law that bans abortion from EMTALA protections.

On the issue of firearm safety, the AAN has vocally supported policies geared at eliminating firearm violence. The association believes that such policies are important in safeguarding the nation’s health given the rise in incidents of mass shooting and firearm-related suicide (AAN, 2024). The academy’s position is that there is a need to invest in evidence-based research to identify at-risk populations and innovative interventions for reducing firearm-related injury and death. In 2022, the academy published a statement on Firearm Safety (link provided in the references section), where it outlined policies for reducing firearm violence. In July this year, the AAN sent a letter to Surgeon General Murthy Vivek supporting his firearm violence advisory, which declares the same a public health crisis and suggests increased investment in risk-reduction and violence-prevention interventions (AAN, 2024).

The third primary area of interest has been sexual and reproductive healthcare (SRH), where the academy has pushed for policies that ensure equitable access to the full spectrum of health services, including family planning, health screenings, and telehealth services for sexual and reproductive care (AAN, 2024). The academy has also been vocal in pushing for policies that support nurses as advocates of patients’ safety, rights, and health (AAN, 2024). The academy’s position is that all healthcare services related to sexual and reproductive health ought to be grounded on evidence-based standards and scientific knowledge as a means to reduce morbidity and prevent unintended pregnancies (AAN, 2024). In May this year, the AAN published a position statement on Access to Sexual and Reproductive Health, where it outlined the need for strong protections for healthcare services around SRH (link provided in the references section).

3. What work is the organization engaged in to address policy issues such as Covid19? How is the organization doing this work?

The AAN addresses policy issues by submitting comments and letters to the federal government, hosting policy dialogues that bring together professionals, developing position statements, providing nursing expertise in federal commissions, engaging with elected leaders to influence health policy, and participating in Expert Panels aimed at developing sustainable policy solutions to address issues affecting healthcare delivery (AAN, 2024). For instance, in December 2022, through its Expert Panels, the academy hosted the ‘Lessons from the covid19 Pandemic’ policy dialogue, whose aim was to develop strategies for supporting nurses in the post-pandemic era, increasing equity inside and outside the US, and ensuring equitable distribution of vaccines and other resources (AAN, 2023). The dialogue served as a platform for experts to engage on how to ensure that nurses recover physically, financially, and emotionally in the post-pandemic era, and discuss the different ways by which the profession could advance these interests (AAN, 2023).

4. How might nurses who are interested in policy advancement get involved with the work of this organization? (You might discuss one specific area of concern to you)

Nurses interested in policy advancement could get involved with the academy’s work by joining the AAN Fellowship Program. The Fellowship program offers nursing scholars an opportunity to take part in evidence-based studies geared at improving health policy both domestically and abroad (AAN, 2024). The two-year fellowship program provides scholars a learning opportunity at the AAN’s National Academy of Medicine (NAM), where they benefit from mentorship from elected members of NAM and a $25,000 research grant to aid their professional development (AAN, 2024). AAN Fellows also participate in designated NAM boards, where they are involved in contributing to research studies and producing reports for studies aimed at integrating public health and medicine (AAN, 2024). While serving in the NAM boards, Fellows get opportunities to interact with, and obtain diverse perspectives from experts, including health professionals, scientists, health organization executives, industry leaders, government officials, and legislators, an exposure that increases their nursing expertise (AAN, 2024). Fellowship participants also get opportunities to attend AAN health policy dialogues and conferences, get appointed to the academy’s national advisory council, and participate in Expert Panels to support the academy’s policy recommendations (AAN, 2024). The AAN Fellowship activities expose participants to a wide range of evidence-based research, the process of health policy development, and the different actions that nurses could use to influence health policy.

5. What work is the organization engaged in to address policy issues around the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in healthcare?

The academy recognizes that AI has continued to evolve and is currently used in different ways in the healthcare sphere. Presently, AI is used in disease diagnosis, prediction of health outcomes, and recommendation of patient treatments. The AAN’s position is that while AI has the potential to increase efficiency in healthcare delivery, it equally has the potential to cause huge disruptions, including compromising patient privacy, safety, and exacerbating inequities (AAN, 2024d). Through its NAM Fellows, the AAN is currently developing an AI Code of Conduct that will guide the decisions of nurses in their interaction with AI. In May this year, the academy, through NAM, submitted the first draft of the AI Code of Conduct and Principles to the Artificial Intelligence Code of Conduct Steering Committee to initiate deliberations. The academy is working on more comment and sign-on letters addressed to different stakeholders in a bid to support the development of effective health policy around the use of AI.