Council for the Advancement of Nursing Science

 

An open member council of the American Academy of Nursing

 

 

 

Statement of Operating Principles

 

November 2014 

 

 

 

The Council for the Advancement of Nursing Science (hereinafter referred to as the “Council”) was established by resolution, by the Board of Directors of the American Academy of Nursing (hereinafter referred to as the “AAN” or the “Academy”) as a special project council within the Academy with open membership. The Council shall seek approval from the Academy Board before executing contractual agreements and disseminating position statements. In addition, the Council will seek input from the Academy Board on strategic directives and finalizing conference program themes.

 

 

 

As a Council of the AAN, the Council will operate within the existing administrative and fiscal structure and boundaries of the AAN.  The Council is a resource to the AAN by which to a) formulate and advance goals related to nursing and healthcare research, and scientific training and career development; b) partner with other groups; and c) provide activities to expand national nursing and health care research.  The intention is that the Council will generate its own programs, projects, and financial support, subject to oversight by the Academy. 

 

 

 

In general, the Council can speak on behalf of the AAN in matters related to national research issues with approval by the Academy Board. Normally, requests for policy or expert input related to research that are received by the AAN may be forwarded to the Chair of the Leadership Council for disposition as s/he sees fit or with guiding recommendations from the AAN.  The Council may generate initiatives related to Council and research capacity building if within the Council resources available. 

 

 

 

The Council will be housed at the Academy headquarters and Academy personnel will serve as administrative executive leaders for the Council.  The CEO will ensure adequate staff support for the Leadership Council as budgeted by the Leadership Council.  This includes maintaining all Council records and reports, including for membership and all Council meetings; monitoring all Council funds and keeping a full and correct account of receipts and disbursements in the Council financial records; depositing all monies in the name and the credit of the Council in such banks of deposit as may be designated by the Academy Board of Directors; contracting with outside vendors for the acquisition of goods and services; facilitating meetings and conferences, print and web-based communications and marketing.

 

VISION

 

 

 

The vision of the Council is to be recognized as the collective, national voice for nursing science.

 

 

 

MISSION

 

 

 

The mission of the Council is to promote better health through nursing science.

 

 

 

GOALS

 

 

 

 The goals of the Council are to:

 

 

 

  1. Be a strong voice nationally and internationally in support of the development, conduct and utilization of nursing science.
  2. Share, translate and disseminate nursing science
  3. Facilitate and recognize life-long nursing science career development. 

 

 

 

PURPOSE AND FUNCTIONS

 

 

 

The purposes of the Council are to advance nursing science for the benefit of all people and the good of society, promote the goals of the AAN related to nursing research and science policy, and to be a national voice and advocacy entity for nursing science and nursing scientists.

 

 

 

Functions include:

 

 

 

  1. Enhance communication among nursing scientists and the public.
  2. Promote nursing science and its use
  3. Strengthen support for nursing science and research.
  4. Collaborate with other research, governmental, professional, and private organizations, especially the regional nursing research societies, American Nurses Foundation, Sigma Theta Tau International, and private and federal research funding organizations to promote research and research training.
  5. Formulate and advocate for science policies as they affect the conduct of research.
  6.  Facilitate learning opportunities and career development for nurse scientists.
  7. Support the development, conduct, dissemination, and utilization of nursing research across venues and constituencies.

 

 

 

MEMBERSHIP

 

 

 

Fellowship in the AAN is not required for membership in the Council. Nurse researchers and non-nurse researchers are encouraged to join and participate in its activities. The Council shall be comprised of members, both individual and institutional partners, who support or have a primary focus and mission that is compatible with the Council’s purposes and functions.

 

                             

 

Membership Categories

 

 

 

Individual Members shall be persons committed to the purpose and functions of the Council. Membership is open to anyone wishing to support the advancement of health nursing science.  This includes colleagues from outside the nursing discipline and those residing outside as well as inside the United States.  Individuals who are members of the American Academy of Nursing (AAN), Sigma Theta Tau International, Eastern Nursing Research Society (ENRS), Midwest Nursing Research Society (MNRS), Southern Nursing Research Society (SNRS), and Western Institute of Nursing (WIN) shall be eligible for special fee individual membership. 

 

 

 

Institutional Partner Members:  Associations, societies, institutes, academies, universities, colleges and schools among other institutions with a research mission or committed to supporting research shall be eligible to join the Council as institutional members. 

 

 

 

Partner Organizations

 

 

 

Partner Organizations. The regional research societies (ENRS, MNRS, SNRS, and WIN), Sigma Theta Tau International, and The American Nurses Foundation serve as partner organizations. The National Institute of Nursing Research (NINR) serves as a liaison organization. These organizations partnered together and made a commitment to support this initiative.

 

 

 

 

 

MEMBER BENEFITS

 

 

 

Individual Member Benefits

 

 

 

Individual members in good standing shall be entitled to:

 

  1. Attend all conferences and meetings at the membership rate;
  2. Invitations for committee and sub-committee participation, including conference planning sub-committees
  3. Be named in and have access to an on-line Council Membership Directory;
  4. Receive any Council ‘members-only’ and general communications;
  5. Nominate or apply for Council awards
  6. Apply for grants co-sponsored by the Council and partner organizations
  7. Vote on official Council business, if conducted.
  8. Receive a subscription to the Council’s official journal for the length of the membership period.
  9. Serve on the Leadership Council in an elected position.

 

 

 

Partner Organization Member Benefits

 

 

 

1.  Reduced conference registration fee for Leadership Council representative.

 

  1. Exhibit space at no-cost at appropriate conferences

 

 

 

Institutional Member Benefits

 

 

 

Institutional Members in good standing shall be entitled to:

 

 

 

  1. Opportunities for co-hosting meetings and sponsorship at meetings,
  2. Partner name visibility,
  3. Reduced cost advertising and exhibit space at appropriate meetings and events

 

 

 

Dues

 

 

 

Fees for Council membership (dues) shall be paid by the Members, and the time period of membership shall be established by the Leadership Council and approved by AAN.  New members may join the Council in any year.  The amount of these fees, for each category of membership, and the date payable, shall be established by the Leadership Council, and approved by AAN.

 

 

 

MEETINGS

 

 

 

Most business related to research policy formulation and communication with the total membership shall be on-line or at designated program meetings.  Communications with members will be electronic including notices of meetings.  The agenda for the meetings shall be developed by the Leadership Council and shall include reports, calls for opinions or participation in initiatives, and any other business or issues requested by the AAN Board or Council members. 

 

 

 

GOVERNANCE

 

Leadership Council:

 

 

 

The Council is guided by a Leadership Council made up of a Chair, Chair-Elect, Council Councilor of Finance and Records, and Council Councilor-at-Large, Presidents of the regional nursing research societies (ENRS, MNRS, SNRS and WIN), representatives of American Nurses Foundation (ANF) and Sigma Theta Tau International (STTI), and a liaison from the National Institute of Nursing Research (NINR).  With the exception of the NINR liaison, all other members of the Leadership Council will be voting members.

 

 

 

Leadership Council Functions:

 

 

 

The Leadership Council members will enact the functions of the Council.  These functions shall include but not be limited to:

 

 

 

  1. Oversee the implementation of the State of the Science Congress in Nursing Research conference.
  2. Oversee the implementation of special topics conferences on research methods, facilitation, training, or science policy.
  3. Review and approve special Council initiatives.
  4. Act as a resource to the Academy for enacting the research and research-related strategic activities of the Academy agenda.      
  5. Collaborate with the Academy, Academy Board, and institutional partners in formulating and advocating for policies that support science and research training.

 

 

 

Terms of Office:

 

 

 

The Chair and Chair-Elect of the Leadership Council will serve for two year terms. The Council Councilor of Finance and Records and the Council Councilor-at-Large will serve three year terms. The Councilor of Finance and Records and the Council Councilor-at-Large will be eligible for re-election to a second term. The representatives of the regional nursing research societies will serve for two years. Terms of office for STTI, ANF, and NINR are indeterminate.

 

 

 

The Chair and the Chair-Elect will serve no more than two years. The Council Councilor of Finance and Registrar and the Council Councilor–at-Large will serve no more than two terms in any one office.

 

 

 

Duties:

 

 

 

All members of the Leadership Council are responsible for:

 

 

 

  1. Maintaining membership in the Council.
  2. Attending Leadership Council meetings
  3. Submitting monthly and annual reports in a timely manner
  4. Implementing all Council policies and procedures
  5. Orienting successors to the role

 

 

 

Chair of Leadership Council:

 

 

 

The Chair of the Leadership Council will assume the position after serving as Chair-Elect of the Leadership Council for two years. 

 

 

 

Chair-Elect:

 

 

 

The Chair-Elect is elected by the general membership after approval to stand for election by the Board of the American Academy of Nursing. 

 

 

 

Criteria for serving as Chair-Elect of the Leadership Council include:

 

a. member of the Council for at least two years;

 

b. fellow status and member of the AAN;

 

c. served on the Leadership Council or held a research leadership role in a national organization; and

 

d. participation in Council activities.

 

 

 

The Chair-Elect assumes a two-year term, at the end of which he/she assumes the position of Chair for a two-year term. 

 

 

 

Council Councilor of Finance and Records

 

 

 

Criteria for serving as CANS Councilor of Finance and Records include:

 

  1. Member of the Council for a minimum of two years
  2. Elected by the general membership
  3. Membership in AAN not required
  4. Prior experience as a treasurer or as a fiduciary officer in an organization or an institution

 

 

 

            The Council Councilor of Finance and Records will serve a three-year term and is eligible for re-election to a second term.

 

 

 

Council Councilor-at-Large

 

 

 

Criteria for serving as CANS Councilor-at-Large includes:

 

 

 

  1. Member of the Council for a minimum of two years
  2. Elected by the general membership
  3. Membership in AAN not required
  4. Prior experience in planning and implementing annual meetings, conferences, or programs.

 

 

 

The Council Councilor-at-Large will serve a three-year term and is eligible for re-election to a second term.

 

 

 

The Leadership Council also consists of the following members:

 

 

 

1)         Four representatives with vote, one each from the four regional nursing research societies (Eastern, Midwest, Southern, and Western).  Each regional society determines its own representative and term, and covers the expenses for representatives to participate in the Leadership Council meetings. 

 

2)         One nurse researcher representative with vote appointed by the Sigma Theta Tau International (STTI) Board.  STTI Board determines its own representative and term, and covers the expenses for representatives to participate in the Leadership Council meetings. 

 

3)         One nurse researcher representative with vote appointed by the ANF Board.  The ANF Board determines its own representatives and term, and determines how the expenses for representatives to participate in the Leadership Council meetings will be paid. 

 

4)         One liaison representative without vote from the National Institute of Nursing Research (NINR), NIH.  The Director of NINR determines the representative and term and covers expenses for representatives to participate in the Leadership Council meetings.

 

5)         One liaison nurse-researcher representative from the AAN Board of Directors as appointed, without vote.  The AAN Board will determine who is the liaison and term and will cover expenses for the liaison to participate in the Council meetings.

 


If the official representative is unable to attend a Leadership Council meeting, a designated alternate can attend in his/her place.

 

 

 

Any vacancies occurring in the representative positions of the Leadership Council shall be filled through appointments by sponsoring organizations.

 

 

 

Leadership Council Meetings:

 

 

 

In general, the Leadership Council has two in-person meetings.  Other meetings of the Leadership Council are held by conference calls or at meetings scheduled for another purpose as relevant.  Other meetings may be scheduled to fulfill official responsibilities. Special meetings may be called by the Chair or at the request of the AAN Board of Directors by electronic notice transmitted to Leadership Council members not less than ten days before the meeting is held.  If voting is taking place at a meeting, the meeting must reach a quorum of 80% attendance in order for the motions to be official. 

 

 

 

 

 

STANDING COMMITTEES

 

 

 

The Standing Committees of the Council for the Advancement of Nursing Science are formed to carry out the work of the Council in fulfilling its mission and goals.  The Committees are made up of members of the Council appointed at the discretion of the Leadership Council and chaired by members of the Leadership Council or past members of the Leadership Council.