I had the privilege of being invited to a task force to
brainstorm methods of enhancing APNA chapter operations. The room was packed
with national board members, current and former state chapter presidents, and colleagues
and staff members I had previously only known through email or member forums. This meeting of the minds began with a few
key aphorisms:
“Opinions are not facts until proven”
“Loud and passionate people can be wrong” (can you say
“Facebook?!”)
“A camel is a horse designed by a committee”
Following brief introductions was a legal discussion on incorporation
status, state and local laws, chapter duties, tax exemptions, 501(c)
classifications, lobbying activities, and income categorization. If this sounds
dull, guess again. This presentation confirmed my suspicion some of the
activities of one of my other professional organizations has been performing
“substantial lobbying activities” and clarified the core purpose of APNA:
To be the unified
voice of psychiatric-mental health nursing
Well that’s nice, but how does that happen? Through value
propositions. APNA has identified 3 key
branding features:
- · Community (make me feel good as part of the crew)
- · Commitment (don’t screw me over and keep your promises)
- · Content (give me something meaningful that I can use)
In order to make the individual state needs merge with the
overall mission of the “mother ship.” Given that membership numbers have
doubled over the past 6 years and retention rates have risen by 15%, we are
doing quite well on the national level. State chapter involvement and
operations are more variable, and I am ashamed to admit I have not been as
active in Kentucky as I should be. The relationship with state chapters is
bidirectional – the national mission trickles down and tailored to apply to
local issues, while the individual state matters diffuse upward and are
encompassed by the whole. So how do we improve operations and encourage coalescence?
Our breakout group came up with 3 areas to focus our efforts and match our core
values.
Technology (Advancing
Community)
In addition
to our active member bridge, the APNA website offers a number of fantastic
tools and social media platforms to aid in chapter operations, however, the
technology is not utilized to it’s full potential and there are knowledge gaps
among members. Webinars, one-on-one tutorials during national and state
conferences, and use of virtual conferencing can bridge these knowledge gaps,
further connect the community, and disseminate information faster, more
comprehensive manner than previous platforms including mailers and email. There
is value in face-to-face networking and interpersonal communication (my
tutorial on bourbon with Bud Crouch would not have happened or been nearly as
entertaining in Go-to-Meeting) and technology should be used as an enhancement
and expansion, not absolute substitution.
ADVANTAGES: The efficient use of communication technologies
to disseminate information among members and increase communication among
individules, board members, chapters, and APNA national are significant
advantages. Platforms are continually developed to be more intuitive for ease
of use, which can help decrease generational gaps in knowledge. APNA has been diligent about keeping costs
low and maintaining an in-house staff of tech savvy individuals.
HURDLES: Maintaining
situational awareness of emerging technologies, providing education, and
performing outreach to members requires significant time investment. Resistance
due to reasons of privacy, lack of proficiency, and lifestyle are barriers for
engagement by members.
Standardization
(Preserving Commitment)
There are toolkits and staff available to aid in chapter
operations, yet there remains significant variability in many processes such as
meeting agendas, elections, and communication with APNA national. Clear,
concise, consistent guidelines for major chapter operations and functions
should be developed, but allow flexibility for local variation to expand on the
roles and goals of specific state issues.
ADVANTAGES: A common
ground for operations provides security for board members when they assume a
position and for all members to experience a consistent, organized environment
that will be familiar when visiting or transferring chapters. It prevents “reinventing the wheel” every
time a new board is elected so that time can be better spent on education,
advocacy, and networking.
HURDLES: With standardization change and a real or perceived
loss of control, particularly in chapters already active and well organized.
Coming to agreement on optimal balance of protocol and individuality is time
consuming with potential to be too vague or too rigid.
Recruitment/Retention
(Enhancing Content)
The big question for joining any membership with dues is
“what’s in it for me?” This can be
anything from personal recognition, CEU and professional development
opportunities, networking, discounts, collaboration, or professional updates.
APNA is supposed to represent all members, not just advanced practice members
or the most active chapters. While not an organization with a primary purpose
of political activism, more members input from mental health nurses in every
area of practice and all manner of nursing license is essential to provide the
most accurate representation of our interests as a whole.
ADVANTAGE: Participants active at the local and national
level become more competent, invested providers, which translate to better care
and advocacy for our patients. More
members result in increased ideas, greater reach of applicability for national
agendas, public awareness, and professional strength.
HURDLE: As an organization, membership and involvement have
been on an upward trend and this may not be the most urgent area to focus
chapter efforts. In a down economy,
membership dues may not bee viewed as a value-added expense.
