ANA Official Position Statements
The American Nurses Association (ANA) develops positions relevant to nursing practice, health policy, and social concerns impacting the health of patients and families. Position statements guide the profession, amplify the views of nursing, and educate consumers and decision makers.
One important process used for the development of a position statement is:
- When a relevant topic has been approved by the ANA Board of Directors, an ANA Professional Issues Panel is appointed to research and come up with a draft position.
- Once the panel has completed its work on the new position statement, a draft of the proposed position statement is then posted on ANA's website for public comment.
- Following public comment, the statement is revised if necessary and approved by the ANA Board of Directors, making it an established ANA position.
This process allows each and every nurse to voice their views and opinions on the various dimensions of the issue at hand. The current position statements are as follows:
Drug and Alcohol Abuse
- Abuse of Prescription Drugs
- Drug Testing for Health Care Workers
- Emergency Care Psychiatric Clinical Framework
- Promoting Safe Medication Use in the Older Adult
- Substance Use Among Nurses and Nursing Students
(Joint Statement by the Emergency Nurses Association and International Nurses Society on Addictions)
Electronic Health Record
Ethics and Human Rights
2024
- Capital Punishment and Nurses' Participation in Capital Punishment (Approved 2/24)
- Nurses' Roles and Responsibilities in Providing Care and Support at the End of Life (Approved 2/24)
- Privacy and Confidentiality (Revised 2/24)
2022
- The Ethical Use of Artificial Intelligence in Nursing Practice (Approved 12/20/22)
- The Nurse's Role and Responsibility in Unveiling and Dismantling Racism in Nursing (2022)
- Risk and Responsibility in Providing Nursing Care (Approved 10/6/2022)
2021
- Therapeutic use of Marijuana and Related Cannabinoids (Approved 5/4/2021)
-
Nurses’ Professional Responsibility to Promote Ethical Practice Environments (Approved 5/4/2021)
2020
- The Ethical Use of Restraints: Balancing Dual Nursing Duties of Patient Safety and Personal Safety (Approved 11/23/2020)
- Nursing Care and Do-not-resuscitate (DNR) Decisions (Approved 2/19/2020)
2019
- Nurse’s Role in Providing Ethically and Developmentally Appropriate Care to People With Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (Approved 10/10/19)
- Ethical Considerations for Local and Global Volunteerism (Approved 8/2/19) [VIDEO]
- The Nurse’s Role When a Patient Requests Medical Aid in Dying (Approved 6/22/19)
2018
- The Nurse’s Role in Addressing Discrimination: Protecting and Promoting Inclusive Strategies in Practice Settings, Policy, and Advocacy (Approved 10/3/18) [VIDEO]
- The Ethical Responsibility to Manage Pain and the Suffering It Causes (Approved 2/23/2018) [VIDEO]
- Interdisciplinary Guidelines for Care of Women Presenting to the Emergency Department with Pregnancy Loss (Endorsed 2/23/2018)
- Nursing Advocacy for LGBTQ+ Populations (Approved 4/19/18)
2017
- Non-Punitive Treatment of Pregnant and Breastfeeding Women with Substance Use Disorders
(Approved 3/15/17) - Nutrition and Hydration at the End of Life (Revised 6/7/17)
2016
- Frequently Asked Questions: ANA Position on Capital Punishment
- The Nurse’s Role in Ethics and Human Rights: Protecting and Promoting Individual Worth, Dignity, and Human Rights in Practice Settings (February 2016)
Retired ANA Position Statements
- Constituent/State Nurses Associations (C/SNAs) as Ethics Resources, Educators, and Advocates
(Retired ANA Position Statement - Approved 11/11/11) - Stem Cell Research (Retired ANA Position Statement - Approved 1/10/07)
Nursing Practice
- National Provider Identifier (NPI) as the Unique Nurse Identifier
- Academic Progression to Meet the Needs of the Registered Nurse, the Health Care Consumer, and the U.S. Health Care System (Joint Position Statement by the Organization for Associate Degree Nursing and ANA)
- Retail-Based Nurse Practitioners
- Addressing Nurse Fatigue to Promote Safety and Health: Joint Responsibilities of Registered Nurses and Employers to Reduce Risks
- Assuring Safe, High Quality Health Care in Pre-K Through 12 Educational Setting
- Care Coordination and Registered Nurses’ Essential Role
- Competencies for Nurse Practitioners in Emergency Care
- Credentialing and Privileging of Advanced Practice Registered Nurses
- Criminal Background Checks (CBCs) for Nurse Licensure
- Criteria for the Evaluation of Clinical Nurse Specialist Master’s, Practice Doctorate, and Post-Graduate Certificate Educational Programs
- Delegation
- Determining a Standard Order of Credentials for the Professional Nurse
- The Doctor of Nursing Practice: Advancing the Nursing Profession
- Electronic Health Record
- Electronic Personal Health Record
- Elimination of Manual Patient Handling to Prevent Work-Related Musculoskeletal Disorders
- Emergency Care Psychiatric Clinical Framework
- Establishing a Culturally Competent Master's and Doctorally Prepared Nursing Workforce
- Immunizations
- Incivility Bullying and Workplace Violence
- Inclusion of Recognized Terminologies within EHRs and other Health Information Technology Solutions
- Nurse Practitioner Perspective on Education and Post-Graduate Training
- One Perioperative Registered Nurse Circulator Dedicated to Every Patient Undergoing an Operative or Other Invasive Procedure
- Procedural Sedation Consensus Statement
- Professional Role Competence
- Promoting Safe Medication Use in the Older Adult
- The Role of the Registered Nurse in Ambulatory Care
- Safe Practices for Needle and Syringe Use
- Safety Issues Related to Tubing and Catheter Misconnections
- Standardization and Interoperability of Health Information Technology: Supporting Nursing and the National Quality Strategy for Better Patient Outcomes
- Substance Use Among Nurses and Nursing Students (Joint statement by the Emergency Nurses Association and International Nurses Society on Addictions)
Patient Safety
- Addressing Nurse Fatigue to Promote Safety and Health: Joint Responsibilities of Registered Nurses and Employers to Reduce Risks
- Patient Safety: Rights of Registered Nurses When Considering a Patient Assignment
- Professional Role Competence
- Promoting Safe Medication Use in the Older Adult
- Safe Practices for Needle and Syringe Use
- Safety Issues Related to Tubing and Catheter Misconnections
- Standardization and Interoperability of Health Information Technology: Supporting Nursing and the National Quality Strategy for Better Patient Outcomes
Social Causes and Health Care
- Adolescent Health
- ANA and AAN Joint Statement on Family Separation Policy (February 2019)
- Elimination of Violence in Advertising Directed Toward Children, Adolescents and Families
- Essential Care and Coverage for Those Living with Obesity: Nurses Obesity Network Joint Statement
- Fluoridation of Public Water Drinking Systems
- Lead Poisoning and Screening
- NAPNAP Position Statement on Immunizations
- Nurses’ Role in Addressing Global Climate Change, Climate Justice, and Health
- Nursing Leadership in Global and Domestic Tobacco Control
- Pharmaceutical Waste
- Prevention and Cessation of Tobacco and Other Nicotine Products
- Promoting Tobacco Cessation in Pharmacies
- Promotion and Disease Prevention
- Sexual and Reproductive Health
- Use of Placebos for Pain Management in Patients with Cancer
- Violence Against Women
Workplace Advocacy
- Addressing Nurse Fatigue to Promote Safety and Health: Joint Responsibilities of Registered Nurses and Employers to Reduce Risks
- Just Culture
- Nursing Staffing Requirements to Meet the Demands of Today’s Long Term Care Consumer Recommendations from the Coalition of Geriatric Nursing Organizations (CGNO)
- Patient Safety: Rights of Registered Nurses When Considering a Patient Assignment
- Promoting Nurses’ Mental Health
- Sexual Harassment
- Work Release During a Disaster - Guidelines for Employers
- Work Release During a Disaster - Registered Nurses' Rights and Responsibilities