Start a Chapter
What is an AANS Consituent Chapter?
An AANS constituent is any school chapter in a state-approved program preparing students for licensure as registered nurses that meets the annual constituency requirements detailed below. Only AANS constituents may have voting delegates in the AANS House of Delegates or in the NSNA House of Delegates, and only AANS constituents qualify for prizes and awards issued by AANS and NSNA.
What is Needed to be a Constituent Chapter?
In order to participate as a voting delegate in the AANS House of Delegates, a chapter must have at least 10 individuals that are members of AANS/NSNA. The chapter will then have another voting delegate for each additional 10 members. No forms are required for submittal prior to the AANS Annual Convention. The list of delegates will be posted on the AANS webiste prior to convention.
For NSNA Conventions, the chapter must have at least 10 members, and then receives an additional voting delegate for every 50 members. For NSNA constituency, an application must be submitted to NSNA at least eight weeks prior to the NSNA Annual Convention.
For NSNA Conventions, the chapter must have at least 10 members, and then receives an additional voting delegate for every 50 members. For NSNA constituency, an application must be submitted to NSNA at least eight weeks prior to the NSNA Annual Convention.
What if my School Doesn’t Get Enough Members
Any individual in a state-approved nursing program may be an AANS/NSNA member. Please visit our Membership page for more information on how to join.
Steps to Starting a Chapter
- Become an AANS/NSNA (see our Membership page).
- Print the NSNA Application and spread the word on your campus to get at least 9 others to join.
- Get a faculty advisor (someone energetic, fun, and knowledgeable).
- Obtain the Getting The Pieces To Fit manual from NSNA.
- Work out the details with your new advisor and organization (creating bylaws, electing officers, etc.).
- Contact your campus student association for details about becoming an official campus club.
- Visit other organizations on campus as well as other chapters of AANS to see how they have done things. Many of them will be more than willing to offer advice or even plans and paperwork that they used to get started.
- Contact any of the Executive Board for assistance. We are here to help!
