Annual Meeting 2011

Resolutions

CNA Resolutions - June 2004

RESOLUTION 9	VOLUNTARY STUDENT MEMBERSHIP IN THE CANADIAN NURSES ASSOCIATION
(Defeated)

BE IT RESOLVED, That the Canadian Nurses Association (CNA) explore the possibility of voluntary student membership in CNA, with such exploration to include discussion with the Canadian Nursing Students Association; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That the CNA Board of Directors propose an amendment, at a future CNA Annual Meeting, to the Canadian Nurses Association Bylaws and Rules and Regulations to provide for voluntary student membership with the background information for the resolution to include a summary of findings of the exploration of the possibility of voluntary student membership.

Background

In 1999, a task force created by the CNA Board of Directors to review a variety of financial planning issues recommended that the board of directors consider creating a student membership class. No action was taken on this recommendation.

In 2001, the matter of student membership in the CNA was raised at the Registered Nurses Association of British Columbia (RNABC) Annual Meeting. Students present at the meeting expressed differing opinions on this matter. Some students thought this would be a positive change as it would increase students’ avenues for involvement in the profession. Some expressed concern regarding the cost of this if membership was mandatory. Others expressed concern that providing for student membership in CNA could impact negatively on membership in the Canadian Nursing Students Association (CNSA). Membership in CNSA is by school of nursing and individual students pay a membership fee to the school “chapter” of CNSA. Not all schools of nursing are members of CSNA. CSNA is one of CNA’s affiliate groups and is represented at the CNA board by the board member representing the 30 associate and affiliate groups.

In 2003 an evaluation of the RNABC Student Representative Program was completed. One of the ideas arising from the evaluation to increase the engagement of students with the profession was to pursue the possibility of student membership in CNA.

The most tangible benefit of CNA membership is the Canadian Nurse magazine which is published 9 times a year. Students and others can subscribe individually to Canadian Nurse. Anecdotal information suggests that few students do this. Other possible benefits, depending on how the CNA bylaws might be revised, could include the opportunity for students to be voting delegates at the CNA Annual Meeting and to be elected to the board of directors. At the present time only registered nurses are eligible to be elected to the board of directors and to be voting delegates.

RNABC is the only regulatory member organization of CNA which has student members. The Registered Nurses Association of Ontario also has student members. The CNA bylaws do not contemplate student membership as “individual nurse members may not apply to CNA, but are considered members through eligible registration with a jurisdictional member and associated payment of annual CNA fees.” It is not clear from this whether RNABC’s student members are eligible for CNA membership as they do not have “registration” with RNABC.

Submitted by the Registered Nurses Association of British Columbia