The History of the American Nurses Association

The history of the American Nurses Association (ANA) is best described as the story of individual nurses everywhere. From front-line volunteering in the nineteenth century to the budget cuts of today, nurses face obstacles which unite them. By coming together, we have been able to mobilize nursing’s incisive knowledge of the health care system to stand up for injustice and provide the momentum needed to lead health care forward. 

At the turn of the 20th century, nurses exhibited the very same strengths as we see today; yet without accreditation, licensing or unifying organizations, they had no single voice – no platform from which to lead towards better health care for all. That is where we came in. 

ANA has come a long way since 1896. When the Nurses Associated Alumnae of the United States and Canada first assembled at Manhattan Beach Hotel, near New York City, fewer than twenty of the delegates were nurses. At the corresponding convention just two years later, more than 10,000 nurses were in attendance.  

When the organization became the American Nurses Association in 1911, it was already fighting for the profession to gain the respect it deserved. Policy makers began to recognize the importance of nursing’s value to health care, and through annual conventions and academic journals, the shared wisdom of nurses inspired others to join the profession. 

Over the past 100 years, ANA has built on this spirit of solidarity and action. Protecting the interests of nurses across the United States is an integral part of ANA’s legacy. From lobbying for an eight-hour working day in 1934, to supporting the Fair Pay Act in 1995, to campaigning for wider health care reform today, it has tirelessly safeguarded the rights of its members. 

But far from solely protecting the concerns of its nurses, ANA has always used its position to take a lead role in the protection of public health. Just as a nurse identifies medical conditions through careful observation, so has ANA used the expertise of our membership to confront the health problems of the day head-on. Mental health, primary care shortages and the Zika virus are a mere fraction of the issues addressed through practice and policy development by ANA. 

More than reacting to issues and tackling obstacles, we have fought to see innovation in nursing recognized throughout the profession. ANA has supported recommendations by the National Academy of Medicine (formerly the Institute of Medicine), which would enable nurses to work within their scope-of-practice and use the full extent of their knowledge to best serve patients. By recognizing the true skill level of the profession, nurses are given greater prominence in the health care journey – and patients are the first ones to benefit.

To achieve this recognition, ANA has promoted extensive education and development. From endorsing five-year study for all phases of nursing in 1950, to establishing its own credentialing center in 1990, it has supported nurses in obtaining the skills and confidence they need to succeed. Nurses are more ambitious than ever to build on their qualifications throughout their careers, and the breadth of ANA programs reflects its members’ commitment to improving the profession.

When American nursing pioneer Alice Fisher wrote to Florence Nightingale in 1877 (see "Background to the ANA Nightingale letter" below), she did so for support, guidance and with a zeal to improve the conditions she witnessed. While the landscape of nursing has changed, it is still by uniting and sharing knowledge that nurses can make the most impactful difference in the 21st century.