ANA Membership Assembly 2025

ANA Membership Assembly Recap

Nurse leaders from across the country gathered in Washington, D.C., on June 27–28 for this year’s ANA Membership Assembly. The overall mood was one of unity and momentum. The Assembly serves as a platform for ANA representatives, including state associations, organizational affiliates, and the Individual Member Division, to come together and address critical issues in healthcare.

North Dakota was proudly represented by Shereen Leiseth (ANA Membership Assembly Representative) and Shila Blend (NDNA President-Elect). Both participated in discussions that highlighted our state’s voice on the national stage.

Nearly 400 nurses debated and voted on ANA’s key priorities moving forward. Delegates also elected new members to the ANA Board of Directors and the Nominations and Elections Committee.

The event began with a powerful keynote address by Bradley Goettl, Chief Nursing Officer of the American Nurses Enterprise. This was followed by updates from key organizations, including the American Academy of Nursing, ANCC, American Nurses Foundation, and the National Student Nurses Association. 

Goettl also shared updates on past Dialogue Forums that tackled key issues like nurse workforce well-being and veteran care. Another major 2024 forum was focused on shaping the revised Code of Ethics for Nurses, which officially rolled out in January 2025 after feedback was gathered from across the profession.
The Assembly also reviewed and approved the full Professional Policy Committee Report, which included three new forums that are set to guide ANA’s direction:
- Advancing Rural Health
- Effective Use of Artificial Intelligence in Nursing
- Revising and Protecting the Role of the RN

One standout recommendation encourages ANA to move forward with policies that support nurse-led models of care to expand access in rural communities. Geographic isolation, provider shortages, and limited broadband make healthcare especially challenging in these areas, but nurses are uniquely positioned to lead smart, community-driven solutions.

The Assembly also gave the green light to a proposal that ANA collaborate with stakeholders to create ethical and legal guidelines around using artificial intelligence in practice. Thoughtful, responsible integration of AI could be a major game-changer for nursing workflows and patient care.

National leaders elected during the Membership Assembly to serve on the nine-member ANA Board of Directors include:  

Vice President Anita Girard, DNP, RN, CNL, CPHQ, NEA-BC, ANA\California
Treasurer, Trish Richardson, MSN, BSBA, RN, NE-BC, CMSRN, North Carolina Nurses Association
Director-at-Large, Amanda Savage, DNP, MEd, RN, ANA-Maine
Director-at-Large, Recent Graduate, Nikule Abel, BSN, RN, Minnesota Organization of Registered Nurses  
Elected to serve on the Nominations and Elections Committee are:  

Sandra Foley, DNP, MSN, RN, New Jersey State Nurses Association
Gem Priddy, MN, RN, CCRN, PCCN, Virginia Nurses Association
Emily Rocha, MBA, MSN, RN, NE-BC, CHCQM, Individual Member Division
Joan Widmer, MS, MSBA, RN, New Hampshire Nurses Association