“I’ve been a school nurse for about—quick do the math—for about 25, 26 years. I worked in a pediatric intensive care unit before that in Chicago and found my calling in school nursing. Really just love it,” says Cam Traut, MS, BSN, RN, PEL-IL, NCSN.   She’s the lead nurse at Libertyville High School, a school…

A new online Nurse Portal offers tools and resources to successfully implement the Nurse Staffing Improvement Act(Senate Bill 2153/Public Act 102-0641), which became law in August. In collaboration with the Illinois Hospital Association, Illinois Critical Access Hospital Network, and Illinois Organization of Nurse Leaders, ANA—Illinois worked to pass the law strengthening the 2007 Nurse Staffing…

Survey Results of Year One COVID-19 Mental Health Impact on Illinois Nurses & What to Do About It   It’s no secret that COVID-19 has had a huge impact on nurses’ mental health. Through social media, nurses have shared firsthand with the public how deeply stressful their work has become. Not that nursing has ever been…

The American Nurses Association estimates that more than 500,000 nurses plan to retire by 2022. To supplement retirees and expansion, more than 1.1 million new RNs will be needed, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects. Prior to the pandemic, Illinois was experiencing regional staffing shortages. Now that we are 20+ months into the pandemic,…

Andrea Dalzell was diagnosed with transverse myelitis when she was five, leading her to use a wheelchair full-time by age 12. Inspired by her experiences with nurses, she received her nursing degree from the City University of New York, College of Staten Island. Andrea is the first registered nurse in a wheelchair in the state of…

ANA-Illinois release a video citing the devastating impact of covid-19 on the profession of nursing. Read More

  During a busy, demanding shift, the code of ethics may not be at the top of your mind. But that doesn’t mean it’s not underpinning every decision. A Vital Tool Revised by the ANA in 2015, The Code of Ethics for Nurses with Interpretive Statements, or “The Code”, gives language to what caregiving with integrity…

ANA-Illinois appoints members to serve on a Community Service Taskforce ANA-Illinois has been approached by members seeking opportunities to volunteer, spend time together at a volunteer activity, or meet people via group volunteering. The Board of Directors recently appointed nurses from around the state to assist in developing such a program.  The task force’s charge…

ANA-Illinois is pleased to announce the selections for the Expert Panel on Nursing Education. The ANA-Illinois Board of Directors has chosen the following people to serve as the steering committee. Carol Alexander DNP, APRN, ACNS/NP-BC – CAAN Academy of Nursing Julie Bowen MSN, RN, CPHQ – Gibson Area Hospital & Health Services Yolanda Coleman PhD,…

On June 30, 2021, the Board of Directors for the American Nurses Association Illinois voted to adopt a formal Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion Statement. The full statement can be found here. ANA-Illinois decided to adopt this statement for a number of reasons. Within the last 12 months, the United States has moved closer to a…