NANN Board of Directors and NANNP Council Update

“You can do anything, but you can’t do everything” states a recent NANN social media posting. Although the intent is self-care, it also reflects our organizational shift towards partnership and collaboration. Among so many of the lessons learned, COVID demonstrated how difficult it is to operate in a silo. It’s stressful, it’s uncomfortable, and it simply doesn’t go well. That experience confirmed working with others, who share a similar purpose, will result in better outcomes. Neonatal care is a very small, very specialized sliver of healthcare. With so few of us, we need to work together to ensure we learn from each other, support each other, and, collectively, deliver the best possible care.

We are aware that the recently proposed changes have caused some angst. Let us reassure you, our core values and mission have not changed. NANN is a nursing organization and is here to support neonatal nurses. We are opening a limited membership category to non-nursing individuals to promote teamwork, collaboration and to learn from other professionals caring for neonates. An associate member may be a neonatologist, social worker, pediatrician, speech therapist, respiratory therapist, physical/occupational therapist, physician’s assistant, or even a cuddler. People who care for babies and their families are invited to share their knowledge with us and, in turn, we want to share our expertise with them. The positive response to the new e-membership demonstrates people appreciate options and want to be included in the conversation for neonatal care.

The same spirit of collaboration and collegial support led the way to a proposed name change for the advanced practice arm of NANN. The National Association of Neonatal Nurses - Advanced Practice (NANN-AP) keeps NANN in the title but recognizes there are two advanced practice roles.

Leadership is working on other changes. We are reexamining the relationship between the board and the advanced practice group and looking for ways to foster better communication and a shared work stream. Improving the role of the executive committee is being discussed. A taskforce is being formed to revamp the APRN Summit to include an ALL-DAY educational offering at the annual conference. The board is actively seeking opportunities to partner with industry and other neonatal nursing organizations since the core of our missions are the same, to improve care and outcomes for neonates and families.

 Rachel Zastrow
 NANN President

Barbara Snapp
Chair, NANNP