The 103rd General Assembly of Illinois is in session, and ANA-Illinois is working hard on legislation that will ease workforce issues in Illinois. From pandemic-related stressors, a preexisting nursing shortage, and increased demand in new healthcare environments like telehealth and Hospital at Home, nursing leaders are looking for new solutions to an increasingly challenging workforce…

  For student nurses attending Student Nurse Political Action Day (SNPAD), the march to the Illinois Capitol is sure to be a memorable and powerful experience. “Watching 1,000 future nurses march towards the Capitol is awe inspiring,” says Susan Swart, EdD, MS, RN, CAE and Executive Director of ANA-Illinois. But the march and rally are…

  Applications are now open for the 2023 Illinois Nurses Foundation (INF) grants. Illinois nursing research grants from INF are available for registered professional nurses, APRNs, and nursing students to advance professional nursing practice; enhance safe, quality patient care; and promote innovative solutions. Funding is available for a wide range of projects. Applications are reviewed…

In the 25 years since the first Student Nurse Political Action Day (SNPAD), the event, now hosted by ANA-Illinois, has grown to become an important part of student nursing education in Illinois.   SNPAD Develops Nurses as Advocates It may surprise some that a conference with a political action focus is a regular part of…

Lisa Anderson-Shaw, DrPH, MA, MSN, ANP-BC, HEC-C, is a certified clinical healthcare ethics consultant, Assistant Professor at Loyola University, and Chief Editor of The Nursing Voice, to name a few of the many hats she wears. She retired from her clinical and leadership roles with the University of Illinois Medical Center in 2019 after 31…

On January 16, 2023, registration opened for the 2023 Student Nurse Political Action Day (SNPAD) hosted by ANA-Illinois. The one-day conference will be held on April 18, 2023, in Springfield, Illinois. “ANA-Illinois works to elevate and advance nursing in the state of Illinois. We understand that nurses working together are a powerful force for change,…

Registration is now open for the 2023 Nurses Day at the Capitol. Nurses from across Illinois will meet in Springfield, Illinois, on Tuesday, March 7, 2023, to learn about nursing issues and identify opportunities to influence healthcare policy. The advocacy-focused event is hosted by the Illinois Nurses Grassroots Coalition, founded in 2015 by ANA-Illinois and…

Dr. Friese is Assistant Professor at Rush University. “I teach nurses in Rush’s Doctor of Nursing Program and the generalist intro master’s program.” “My major areas are LGBTQIA+, veterans with disabilities—that includes veterans who might identify with the transgender population,” says Tanya “Doc” Friese, DNP, RN, CNL USN (Ret.). Along with courses in the College…

Becoming a pediatric nurse is no easy task! It takes a lot of dedication and mastery of a breadth of skillsets. Not only do you have to graduate with a degree, but you also then have to pass a national examination in order to be officially designated. If you are reading this, you probably know…

On Friday, November 4, 2022, Dr. Susan Y. Swart, EdD, MS, RN, CAE, was awarded the 2022 Joan L. Shaver Outstanding Illinois Nurse Leader Award. Dr. Swart, Executive Director of ANA-Illinois, received the award at the 25th Annual Power of Nursing Leadership event hosted by the University of Illinois-Chicago College of Nursing at the Hilton…