National Student Nurses’ Association

Bylaws, Policies and Procedures Guidelines for   

Starting an Official NSNA Chapter

^{Starting an official NSNA Chapter}

^{The sections that follow will provide model bylaws for school and small state associations, agendas and scripts for the first two organizational meetings. The model bylaws are merely guidelines and should not be considered dictates from NSNA. The areas of conformity to NSNA bylaws for school and state associations can be found on the Official Application for NSNA Constituency Status. The areas of conformity are in bold typeface in the documents that follow. For a complete descrip­tion of the responsibilities of state and school chapters, please refer to Getting the Pieces to Fit.}

^{The appendix provides a sample agenda that can be adapted for school board meetings and pointers for planning and implementing board meetings that work. Resources for further study are also included.}

^{Self-governance is an important aspect of professional nursing and nursing students are encouraged to learn and practice this process of democratic decision-making. As we enter the twenty-first century, self-governance will be relied upon in work settings for involve­ment of employees in decision making about patient care as well as employee and institutional policy. Students who have at least a working knowledge to the principles of self-governance will have a career advantage over those who do not. Leadership experiences in NSNA will enhance the success of graduate nurses in professional organizations such as the American Nurses Association. Take the challenge and get involved in your student association now!}

Student Table of Contents

Faculty Table of Contents