2016 WY Annual Convention Yearbook

THEPOWEROFNURSES 

Wyoming Nursing Summit & Convention 

September 22-23, 2016 

Ramkota Hotel • 800 N. Poplar St 

Casper, WY 82601

2016 Wyoming Nurses Association 

Wyoming Nurses Association 

301 Thelma Drive, #200, Casper, Wyoming 82609 

Phone: 307.462.2600 • www.wyonurse.org 

TABLE OF CONTENTS 

2016 Wyoming Nursing Summit & Convention 

Schedule of Events. ............................................................... 5 

Sponsors. ....................................................................... 9 

Exhibitors. ...................................................................... 9 

Poster Presenters. ................................................................ 11 

WNA Annual Meeting Information and Reports 

Board of Directors. ............................................................... 15 

Annual Meeting Agenda. ......................................................... 16 

2015 Annual Meeting Minutes. .................................................... 17 

2016–2018 Strategic Plan ......................................................... 20 

WNA Legislative Agenda. ........................................................ 24 

President. ...................................................................... 25 

Executive Director. .............................................................. 27 

WNA Financial Roadmap. ........................................................ 28 

Lobbyist . ...................................................................... 39 

Region Reports. ................................................................. 41 

Wyoming Nurse Leadership Institute. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45 

ANA Membership Assembly. ...................................................... 46 

2016 Leadership Candidates ....................................................... 48 

Appendix 

WNA Past Award Winners ........................................................ 53 

WNA Bylaws ................................................................... 54 

WNA Membership Application. .................................................... 72 

Printed and Published for the Wyoming State Nurses Association by: 

Arthur L. Davis Publishing Agency 

517 Washington St., P.O. Box 216 

Cedar Falls, Iowa 50613 

(319) 277-2414 

www.wyonurse.org 

Published by: 

Arthur L. Davis 

Publishing Agency, Inc. 

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2016 Summit 

and WNA 

Convention Information 

3


4


5


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off a purchase of a new vehicle 

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Attorneys at Law 

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The Wyoming State Bar does not certify any lawyer as a specialist or expert. 

Anyone considering a lawyer should independently investigate the lawyer’s 

credentials and ability and not rely on advertisements or self-proclaimed expertise. 

Find your career today! 

Search job listings in all 

50 states, and filter by location 

and credentials. 

Browse our online database 

of articles and content. 

Find events for nursing 

professionals in your area. 

Your always-on resource for nursing jobs, 

research, and events. 

www.nursingALD.com 

8


Sponsorships 

Arthur L. Davis Publishing Agency 

Attendee Gift 

Fay W. Whitney School of Nursing 

General Session 

Ivinson Memorial Hospital 

Refreshment Break 

Sheridan Memorial Hospital 

Refreshment Break 

Wyoming Medical Center 

Attendee Flash Drive 

Exhibitors 

Boise State University School of Nursing 

Casper College Student Nurses Association 

Enovate Medical 

Fay W. Whitney School of Nursing 

Gideons International 

Health and Beauty 

Ivinson Memorial Hospital 

Memorial Hospital of Sweetwater County 

National Network of Libraries of Medicine/University of Wyoming Libraries 

Optum 

Parkview Medical Center 


Shepard of the Valley Healthcare Community 

WNA Northwest Region 

Wyoming Behavioral Institute 

Wyoming Health Council 


Wyoming Professional Assistance Program 

THANK YOU! 

9


Box 9 

Mills, Wyoming 82644 

Telephone 307-265-3740 

fax 307-235-8511 

1901 Howell Avenue | Worland, WY 82401 | 307-347-4285 

Worland Healthcare and Rehabilitation Center is a beautiful skilled nursing home center 

located just 90 miles south of Yellowstone National Park, in Wyoming, in the heart of 

the Old West. 

We have a full-time staff devoted to caring for each individual to help meet their highest 

level of independence through therapy, activities, and dietary care. We also offer 

specialized care for those with Alzheimer’s or other dementia-related illnesses. 

Call or visit Worland Healthcare to find all that we have to offer you or your loved one! 

Theresa Haas, O.D. 

JEREMY T. NETT, O.D. 

• 400 E. 18th Street, Cheyenne, WY 82001 

(307) 634-4232 

• 212 Main, Pine Bluffs, WY 82082 

(307) 245-3612 

www.familyvisionctr.com 

• Eric H. Linford, M.D. 

• Craig P. Smith, M.D. 

• Steven A. Orcutt, M.D. 

• MATTHEW E. MITCHELL, M.D. 

• Daniel w. white, M.D. 

• ROBERT B. ALLAIRE, M.D. 

• MATTHEW T. GORMAN, M.D. 

• Demian Yakel, D.O. 

4140 Centennial Hills Blvd. (307) 265-7205 

suite a toll free 1-888-317-2343 

casper, wy 82609 fax: (307) 235-6262 

Our Commitment to Caring 

Granite Rehabilitation and Wellness 

At Granite Rehabilitation and Wellness, we combine the 

personal touch of our talented therapists with modern, 

open gym spaces, and state-of-the-art equipment. 

Our short-term and long-term skilled services include: 

24 Hour Skilled/LTC Nursing 

Physical Therapy 

Occupational Therapy 

Speech & Language Pathology 

Outpatient Therapy Program 

Granite Rehabilitation and Wellness 

3128 Boxelder Drive 

Cheyenne, WY 82001 

tel (307) 634-7901 

fax (307) 634-7910 

graniterehabilitationandwellness.com 

Seeking 

Registered Nurse 

looking for rewarding opportunity with the 

Central Wyoming Counseling Center 

located in Casper, Wyoming. 

Our nurses are vital members of our clinical 

teams assisting clients to achieve self-reliance 

through quality caring service. 

Our nurses work closely with physicians and therapists 

in the delivery of behavioral healthcare treatment to 

clients of our Mental Health Programs. 

Our nurses enjoy a traditional schedule 

(Monday thru Friday, 8am-5pm) along with 

competitive pay and a great benefit package. 

If you have a nursing degree, are licensed as a 

Registered Nurse, and have two years nursing 

experience, we welcome you to become the next 

valued member of our team. 

Please join our talent network at 

cwcc.us 

if interested in this exciting opportunity! 

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Poster Presenters 

“A Team Approach: Designing and Implementing an Academic Personnel 

Learning Conversation Experience” 

Kayla Boshell 

Pamela Clarke, RN, MPH, PhD, FAAN 

Shelly Fischer, PhD, RN, NEA-BC, FACHE 

Denise Gable, MPA 

Sarah Kooienga, PhD, FNP, ARNP 

Lori Liebl, PhD, RN, CNE 

Mary Anne Purtzer, PhD, RN 

Susan Steiner, PhD, RN, FNP 

Candace Stidolph, RN, MS, FNP-C 

Rachel Thomas, MSN, RN, CNE, SANE-A 

Candace Tull, PhD, RN, WHNP-BC 

JoHanna Wedemeyer, RN, MSN 

Jenna Woodard, BSN, RN 

“Understanding the Barriers: Registered Nurses’ Considerations 

of the Academic Nurse Educator Role” 

Marnee’ Crawford, RN, MSN, CNE 

“Improving the Advance Directive Request and Retrieval Process in 

Critical Access Hospitals: Honoring the Patient’s Wishes” 

Faith M. Jones, MSN, RN, NEA-BC 

“Atypical Insulin Resistance (AIR): A Concept Map of the 

Characteristics and Signs in Nontraditional Glycemia” 

Alicia Le Pard, MSN, MBA, APRN, ACNP, FNP, GNP, CDE, BC-ADM, CEN 

“Adapting Leadership Training Using Culture and Inspiration to 

Spark Change in Rwanda, Africa” 

Maria Kidner, DNP, FNP-BC, FAANP 

“Evaluation of Suicide Risk Training for Primary Care Providers in a College Health Center” 

Nancy McGee, DNP, PMHNP-BC 

“Evaluating the Effectiveness of Concept-Based Learning Clinical Activity Toolkits” 

Kristy Nielson, MSN, RN, CCRN, CNE 

“Yoga as an Intervention for Anxiety Disorders” 

J’Laine “Jill” Proctor 

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Simple, Safe, Professional Care . . . 

In the Home. 

Serving Buffalo, Gillette, 

Wright, Moorcroft, Sundance, 

Upton, Hulett & Newcastle 

307-756-3344 

NAMI Wyoming provides education, support, and resources for individuals living with 

a mental illness and family members. Our mission is to be a force for change for 

those affected by mental illness. We can be reached at 1-888-882-4968 

PEPPER TANK AND CONTRACTING CO. 

Structural Fabrication 

Steel Supplier 

P.O. Box 1468, 1801 W. Yellowstone Hwy. 

Casper, WY 82802 

Phone 307.234.3533 Fax 307.237.1204 

Work for a Top 10 employer in Sweetwater County! 

Memorial Hospital of Sweetwater County has an open 

position for a: 

Registered Nurse (RN) 

To view the requirements and details and to apply, 

please visit our career portal online at 

sweetwatermemorial.com 

Hats off to the nurses of Wyoming 

Rock Springs I.V. Center 

Infusion Therapy 

Gary Pedri 

Registered Pharmacist, Owner 

Phone: (307) 382-3544 or (888) 403-4014 

Fax: (307) 382-0987 

400 2nd St., Suite A-1, Rock Springs, WY 82901 

Email: rockspringsivcenter@gmail.com 

www.rockspringsivcenter.com 

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WNA Annual Meeting 

Information and Reports 

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106 th Annual 

Convention 

September 22nd & 23rd 

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WNA Board of Directors 

Anne Raga, President 

Dee Gilson, President Elect 

Suzey Delger, Vice President 

Marianne Madariaga, Secretary 

Vickie Winney, Treasurer 

Jane Hartsock, Central Region 

Christina Brewer, Northwest Region 

Alicia LePard, Northeast Region 

Shelley Tholl, Southwest Region 

Diane Boyle, Southeast Region 

Mary Behrens, Nominating and WNLI 

Veronica Taylor, Bylaws 

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“The Membership Voice” 

WNA Annual Meeting 

Friday, September 23, 2016 

8:00 to 9:30 am 

I. Call to Order 

II. 

III. 

IV. 

Roll Call of Board of Directors and District Membership Representation 

Declaration of Quorum 

Review the Agenda 

V. Approval of September 25, 2015 Annual Meeting Minutes 

VI. 

VII. 

WNA Financials 

WNA Strategic Plan 

VIII. Membership questions/discussion regarding written reports in the annual book 

IX. 

New Business/Action Required 

1. Proposed New WNA Logo 

2. Motions from the Board of Directions 

3. Motions from the Membership 

X. Recognition of Outgoing Board Members 

XI. 

XII. 

XIII. 

Tellers Report 

1. Introduction of new officers (President-Elect and Treasurer) 

Passing of the Gavel to the Incoming President 

Adjournment 

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Wyoming Nurses Association Annual Meeting Summit and Convention 

Ramkota, Casper, WY 

Date: 

September 25, 2015 

Members Present: 

Anne Raga, Dee Gilson,¬¬ Tammy Krell, Marianne Madariaga, Alicia LePard, Shelly Evans, 

Melissa McMillan, Shelly Tholl, Vickie Winney, Jane Hartsock Mary Behrens, 

and Veronica Taylor. 

Executive Director: 

Tobi Lyon Moore 

Lobbyist: 

Toni Decklever 

Members Absent: 

Rebecca Carron, excused 

TOPIC DISCUSSION ACTION 

I. Call to Order 

I. Called to order by A. Raga. 

Noted. 

II. Roll Call of Board of 

Directors and Membership 

Representation 

II. Roll-call by M. Madariaga. 

a. District #1 – 3 

b. District #2 – 14 

c. District #3 – 0 

d. District #6 – 1 

e. District #10 – 6 

f. District #12 – 2 

g. District #14 – 0 

h. District #15 – 0 

i. District #16 – 1 

j. District #17 – 3 

k. District #50 – 0 

Attendance recorded. 

Quorum declared. 

III. Declaration of Quorum 

III. 100% present Executive Board and 7 WNA members 

Approved 

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IV. Review of Agenda 

V. Approval of September 

25, 2014 Annual Meeting 

Minutes 

VI. WNA Financials 

VII. WNA Strategic Plan 

VIII. Membership Questions 

and Discussion Regarding 

Written Reports in the 

Annual Book 

IV. No new items added 

V. Motion raised by T. Krell and seconded by M. McMillan 

VI. a. Profit and loss Budget vs. Actual – pgs. 26-27; 

an increase shown in NDL Vendors and 

Registration. Donation of $1000 from Robert 

Woods Johnson. Our rebate ends from ANA. 

b. U.S Banking Checking/Savings $34,471.45. 

Mainstay Investments $56,978.28 with total assets 

of $95,718.03. 

c. District back accounts need to be closed but 

October 31st and money sent to WNA. 

VII. Next Strategic Planning Session is Oct. 24, 2015 at the 

Ramkota, Casper ,WY - Page 19 

VIII. a. S. Delger asked if WSNA is linked as an affiliate. 

b. M. Behrens mentioned the ANA Facebook 

account for health news and updates. 

c. D. Gilson reminded us why we are making changes 

to the new formed regions, as voted on last year. 

d. M. Kidner asked how new regions will be meeting. 

Minutes approved as written. 

a. Financial report accepted by 

memberships. Motioned by 

H. Huber and seconded by S. 

Delger. 

b. Noted 

c. Districts have been notified. 

Money that belongs to the 

region can make their own 

choices about how to allocate 

funds and we will get a monthly 

statement. 

Noted. 

a. T. Moore can arrange. 

b. Noted 

c. Noted. 

d. Guidelines will be provided by 

the board, along with voting 

deadlines. 

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IX. New Business and Action 

Required 

X. Recognition of Outgoing 

Board Members 

XI. Teller’s Report 

XII. Adjournment 

IX. V. Taylor explained as follows: 

a. 2015 Bylaw Changes – all language changed from 

DNA to RNA. 

b. Motions from the Board of Directors – questions 

raised about out of state members. 

c. Motions from the Membership – questions raised 

about standardized dues. 

d. Spelling correction from Platt to Platte County. 

X. Presented by A. Raga: 

a. T. Krell outgoing Vice President. 

b. M. Madariaga outgoing Secretary. 

XI. Introduction of New Officers: 

a. S.Delger, Vice President 

b. S. Howard, Secretary 

XII. a. Next Board Meeting Oct. 24, 2015 

Strategic Planning, Ramkota, Casper 

b. NDL, Feb. 11 and 12th, 2016 

Little America, Cheyenne 

Respectfully submitted by Marianne Madariaga, MSN, RN 

a. Unanimous vote to approve 

bylaws. 

b. Will be assigned to their region. 

c. Explained as voted on last year. 

d. Noted. 

Recognition gifts received by 

outgoing board members. 

Welcomed and appointed by 

the members and board. 

Noted. 

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WNA Legislative Agenda 

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President’s Message 

Anne Raga 

Thank you for taking time to read about what YOUR Wyoming Nurses Association has been doing for the 

past year. It has been busy and productive! 

Following the Annual Meeting and election of officers, The Executive Committee, which consists of the 

elected officers, met for a strategic planning session. With the adoption of the by-laws creating the new 

regional structure, regional presidents still needed to be elected, so the work of the group was to create a 

new strategic plan to be recommended to the full board following regional elections in December. Tobi Lyon 

Moore, our ED, led us through a new planning process which helped us to refocus our energies for the future. 

We developed objectives under five pillars: Revitalize Brand Identity, Strengthen Grassroots, Organizational 

Viability, Leverage the Power of Nurses, and Strengthen Partnerships. The plan was reviewed during a 

conference call in January, and approved by the board in February. The 2016-2018 plan is in this book, and 

can also be viewed on our website, www.wyonurse.org under the “About” tab. I will highlight a few of our 

efforts and accomplishments below. 

Revitalize Brand Identity 

In looking at our brand identity, we recognized that not many of us can articulate the mission and vision of the 

organization, or speak to the value WNA brings to its members. We identified several ways to approach this, 

and started with creating talking points around the value of WNA membership. At this year’s annual meeting 

we will discuss opportunities to refresh our logo and take advantage of marketing and membership initiatives 

through ANA. 

Strengthen Grassroots 

This focus is all about supporting the transition to the new regional structure. With the adoption of the 

by-laws at the Annual Meeting, the districts ceased to exist. We developed a mechanism to hold regional 

elections, and called for consents to serve. At the close of elections, we had new presidents in all five regions. 

Very few regions elected a full board immediately, but most have accomplished that in the last few months. 

We also developed a mechanism for managing the regional funds that brings us into compliance with IRS 

regulations for non-profit organizations. As I write this, we are preparing for a meeting for regional leaders to 

create a “toolkit” to help in this new model. Making this transition is a big undertaking, and while we have 

made much progress, there is still much to do to make it successful. 

ANA has recognized the need to reconnect with the grassroots as well, and Dee Gilson will have the 

opportunity to participate in the first Leadership Summit in November. With the adoption of the Membership 

Assembly, the Constituent Assembly was eliminated. Unfortunately, this impacted the state associations’ 

ability to bring concerns up from their members, and a new format was approved at the Membership Assembly 

in 2015. 

Organizational Viability 

This area focuses specifically on the work we need to do with technology and communications to keep 

our members connected. We have been able to conduct online meetings in most of our regions, which is a 

necessity with our large geographical areas. We continue to publish our monthly newsletters, and the quarterly 

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“Wyoming Nurse.” With the new regional structure, the Executive Committee took on responsibility for 

convention planning, but our goal for the future is to have an active committee made up of members from all 

regions. We still have an opportunity to create a mechanism to allow special interest groups to communicate 

directly. 

Leverage the Power of Nurses 

The two primary objectives under this focus are to have members participate in the American Nurses 

Advocacy Institute (ANAI), and to grow the Wyoming Nursing Leadership Institute (WNLI). Marianne 

Madariaga was selected by the Board to participate in ANAI this year. A new expectation for WNA’s 

participant is to prepare a presentation for the following years’ convention, so look forward to something 

exciting from Marianne next year. 

After taking a year off, WNLI was offered again in 2015 and had an enthusiastic group of participants. 

Applications have been received for the 2016 group. We will offer Leading an Empowered Organization 

(LEO) this year to both the 2015 and 2016 participants. 

Strengthening Partnerships 

This year, WNA was offered a seat on the newly organized Prevention Management Organization (PMO) 

Advisory Board. As president, I currently hold the seat, but will look to hand it off to another interested 

member in a year or so. The PMO is the organization that oversees the funding and operations of the 

community groups focusing on tobacco, drug, alcohol and suicide issues. 

We continue to seek partnerships with other nursing groups in Wyoming. There are a relatively small number 

of nurses in Wyoming, but we can have a huge impact if we work together. 

In closing, I want to express my deep gratitude to all the board members who have worked diligently this year 

to help us accomplish so much. The regional presidents have worked especially hard to create something new, 

and I am thankful for them. Much appreciation is due also to Tobi Moore, our ED, who does so much for this 

organization. Very few realize how much work is done behind the scenes to keep us functioning, and Tobi does 

it exceedingly well. 

Thank you all for allowing me to serve you as President of WNA for the past two years. I have gained a 

greater appreciation for the nurses in Wyoming, and have learned from each of you. Welcome to Dee Gilson, 

our new WNA President. She will lead us well into the future! 

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Executive Director’s Report 

Tobi Lyon Moore, MBA, CAE, CFRE 

Currently the Executive Director is a contracted part time positon. I have been on contract since 2005 and 

currently hold a three-year contract that goes until June 30, 2017. 

Lobbyist: Toni Decklever is contracted as the WNA lobbyist. Toni’s contract was renewed for the 2017 

legislative session also during June’s board meeting. Toni has been on contract since 2007. 

Communications: The “Wyoming Nurse” is mailed quarterly to all nurses who hold license in Wyoming as 

a service to nurses and for WNA visibility and promotion. With more than 92% of WNA members having a 

current email address on file we provide several updates and communication pieces via internet and WNA list 

serve and will continue to increase our updates and information to members as the year goes on. 

Membership: As of June 2016, WNA membership consists of 354 (333 WNA/ANA members and 21 WNA 

only members). 

As of June 2015, WNA membership consists of 339 (327 WNA/ANA members and 12 WNA only members). 

In June 2014, WNA membership consists of 340 (323 WNA/ANA members and 17 WNA only members). 

In June of 2013, WNA membership consisted of 339 (326 WNA/ANA members and 13 WNA only 

members). 

As in years past WNA continues to look for ways to grow membership and retain the members we have. 

Thank you to all the WNA members for knowing the importance of your membership, and the hard work 

that you put into this organization and most of all your dedication to the nursing profession. I encourage 

all members to share their views as to why you are a member and to remain involved in WNA. With every 

member doing this WNA will be able to reach their overall membership goals. 

Thank you for allowing me the past 11 years to serve as your Executive Director. I have enjoyed getting 

to know each of you and truly cherish everything we have accomplished and look forward to the new and 

exciting adventures that await us! 

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Fiscal Year July 1, 2015 through June 30, 2016 

Financial Summary 

Operating Revenues: 

Membership Dues: We profited an increase of $3,422 compared to what we budgeted. 

Convention: The 2015 convention we profited $9,561.31 from convention. The P&L for this fiscal year reflects 

$11,486.31 as profit. However, we paid $2,250.00 in deposits to presenters that were distributed in the prior 

fiscal year. The venue prices and increase in sponsorships this year were the variables that drove the increase in 

profitability; registrations were still down an average of 18 people compared to the prior three years. 

Legislative Day: We budgeted to profit $7,250 on Nurses Day at the Legislature (NDL). We resulted in a profit 

of $4,338.22. This is a decrease from previous years because of us moving to a one-day format, compared to a 

two-day registration price. Exhibitor and sponsorship revenue were at a record high of $7,314.95. 

Non-Dues Revenue: This year we have seen a dynamic increase in our career center royalty payments. This 

is the third year we have had the career center. When we started, the ROI was projected to be realized in the 

fourth year, so this is great news to already be at $2,640.01. 

Region Income: All district accounts have been closed and deposits have been reflected on the P&L. The 

amount that we budget for the region income on the P&L is only for their region dues income. We didn’t 

know what amount each district had so we hadn’t budgeted for this. Region dues payments are transferred to 

each region account quarterly (October, January, April, July). 

Wyoming Chapter AONE: When the Wyoming Chapter of AONE dissolved they allocated their reserve 

funds to WNA to allocated for use in leadership development. 

Operating Expenses: 

We were over budget in two areas this fiscal year: board meeting and travel. 

Board meeting is over budget due to the purchase of the board orientation book and mailing it to all board 

members and covering the meal cost at the board dinner. Meals were covered this year for two meetings and 

retreats, since board members pay their own travel cost and registration to attend events. We built this into 

the coming years budget. 

Staff travel is over budget for two reasons: airfare cost has been higher this year then what we have had in 

years past. The ED has also been on a national level more days in the past year for Membership Assembly and 

President Emersion. The ED attended the ANA board meeting prior to membership assembly and attended 

the entire event for President Immersion this year. NDL travel was also higher than what it has been in past 

years, and the January P&L includes NDL travel. 

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Variables for this year was that this fiscal year covered two ANA membership assemblies, typically there is 

only one Assembly per fiscal budget. This past year there was a Membership Assembly in July 2015 and then 

our most recent one in June 2016. This increased both the membership assembly and staff travel line items. 

Net profit: 

The consolidation of the district bank accounts that took place earlier this year and was done so after the 

budget had been established. Thus, we didn’t account for increase in revenues to hit our bottom line, which 

misleads the associations’ actual net income. Without including the district income, the actual WNA 

associations’ bottom line, for this fiscal year was a net income of $6,902.88 and not the $31,387.81 that was 

reflected on the P&L statements. 

Financial History 

In 2011/2012, profit of almost $6,000. 

In 2012/2013 a profit of again $6,000. 

In 2013/2014 a profit of $8,784. 

In 2014/2015 a net loss of $1,139. 

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Lobbyist Report 

Toni Decklever, MA, RN 

The Wyoming Nurses Association follows the bills that address our Legislative Agenda and draft legislation 

from the Labor, Health and Social Services Committee (LHSS). 

Though many bills did not make it through the entire process, it is possible that the committee or legislative 

sponsor will try to get it through next year when the body meets for the 2017 General session. Some pieces 

of draft legislation will come from interim studies and committee meetings that are held between June and 

January. 

The biggest victory was the passage of the Enhanced Nurse Licensure Compact and the APRN Compact. 

Though South Dakota was the first state to pass the RN compact legislation (by just a few days), Wyoming is 

the first state to adopt the APRN compact. Even though this has passed in Wyoming we have to wait until 

other states have passed legislation before the compact goes into full effect. The Wyoming State Board of 

Nursing will provide information as it becomes available. Our appreciation and thanks go out to Rep. Norine 

Kasperik and the members of the Labor Health and Social Services Committee for helping us with the passage 

of this Legislation. 

Because this was a budget session, the biggest topic that was discussed was the state budget. Many programs 

were affected by the shortfall of funds this year. One of these programs included the Wyoming Investment 

for Nursing (WyIN) funds. Originally this fund was decreased by a million dollars, but with a little help 

from Senator Craft and Senator Hastert, they were able to put back 437,000.00. Unfortunately this means 

there will be fewer funds available for faculty at the Community Colleges, and less for financial assistance to 

students – but it could have been worse. 

The first interim meeting held by the Labor Health and Social Services Committee took place on April 28-29 

in Casper. The Labor, Health and Social Services Committee had several items that were discussed. These 

items are based on the Priority List that was developed at the end of the 2016 session. 

Priority #: 1 Action Related to Reports and Statutory Requirements 

1. Joint Subcommittee on Title 25 Issues 

2. UW Medical Residency 

3. Healthcare Provider Reimbursement Rebasing 

4. Dept. of Health Facilities Task Force 

5. Multi-Payer Claims Database 

Priority #: 2 Community Healthcare Providers 

1. Statutory Providers/Requirements 

2. Funding/Reimbursement for Community Mental Health Centers 

3. Medicaid Reimbursement for Hospice Care 

4. Home Health Services – In-State Provider Requirement 

5. Title 7 Placement –Availability of Facilities 

6. Assisted Living/Nursing Home Rules and Regulations 

39


Priority #: 3 Access to Healthcare 

1. Welfare Program Benefits/Income Levels That Discourage/Encourage Participant Wage Increases 

2. Identifying Populations Who Cannot Access Care 

3. Telehealth and Insurance Parity 

4. Demand for Long Term Care 

5. Responsiveness of licensing application process for health care facilities. 

Priority #: 4 Response to Federal Actions 

1. Impact on WHIP Program and WSEHRP Program 

2. Other, as mandated by federal action. 

Priority #: 5 Department of Family Services 

1. Statutory Cleanup 

Priority #: 6 Review of Medicaid benefits when military members move to the state. 

Committee meetings are open meetings that anyone can attend. The schedule is posted on the Wyoming 

Legislature Website. They will be held in August, October and January. 

WNA members are encouraged to attend these meetings in order to provide information to the LHSS 

committee. For more information or if you have questions, please contact Toni Decklever at tonisrn@gmail.com 

40


Northeast Region Report 

The NEW Region meets monthly on a video conferencing system by Zoom at 6pm. Email is sent prior to the 

meeting to help members remember the meeting. Average attendance is four attendees. 

The focus of the NEW is to provide a networking platform for nurses to be involved in the community, 

actively recruit nurses who are not members and be a resource to any individual, group or business who needs 

to hear from nurses. 

In May, the Region held its first inter-county Award Recognition banquet. Gillette hosted nurses from 

Campbell, Crook and Sheridan county. Awards were presented to Courtney Fluherty (Rising Star), Sue 

Howard and Julie Norlin (Lifetime Achievement), Dee Gilson (Leadership), and Michelle Sumner (Clinical 

Excellence). 

Each year the NEW Region strives to raise funds to present a scholarship to a high school student seeking to 

start a college career with the intent to become a nurse. This year the scholarship was awarded to Cassandra 

Mittlieder of Campbell County High School. The NEW Region also offers a scholarship to a student seeking 

to further their college career in nursing. Ms. Haley VanderVoort was the 2016 recipients. Both award winners 

received a $500 scholarship to apply to their chosen school. 

In order to raise these funds, the NEW Region raffled a specially made quilt and their signature wine basket 

for Nurses Week, gathering over $1000 in funds to boost their scholarship funds and continue the mission of 

helping to create new nurses for new ideas in a new future. 

President: Alicia Le Pard, Gillette 

Vice President: Marlene Ethier, Sheridan 

Secretary: Catherine Comeno-Stamato, Gillette 

Treasurer: Rose Renell, Gillette 

Northwest Region Report 

Meeting Schedule 

First Thursday of odd numbered months. First regional meeting was 5/5/16; next meeting 7/7/16. 

Officers 

President – Christina Brewer 

VP Sarah – Anne Galloway 

Treasurer – Laurie Squillaci 

Secretary – Trudy Craft 

41


Meeting Content 

Discuss meeting frequency; Fundraising; goals for use of funds (scholarships); updates from WNA, WNA/ 

ANA benefits review; Review WNA strategic plan; education (CE) discussion 

Special Events and/or activities – planning fund raising event for October 30th – Pumpkin Run, in alignment 

with WNA strategic plan to promote a healthier Wyoming. 

Goals 

Establish scholarship criteria and engage regional membership in decision making 

Central Region Report 

Meetings: 

General Meetings: 

There were 3 General Meetings: October 22, 2015, February 25, 2016 and May 11, 2016. 

Content: 

October 22, 2015: Fall Legislative meeting. Tobi Decklever was the presenter and two legislators were 

in attendance, Sen. Bill Landon and Sen. Drew Perkins. There were 12 members in attendance. This 

meeting was held in Douglas, WY. 

February 25, 2016: Clinical topic and education: The title of the presentation was Bariatric Surgery by 

Dr. Helling, MD. Twelve RNs attended. One hour of CEUs awarded to attendees. 

May 11, 2016: Spring Nurses Day Celebration: There were 17 RNs and NSs present. The meeting was 

moved from a Thursday to a Wednesday evening because of scheduling conflict at the Petroleum Club. 

Board Meetings: 

The 2015-2016 Board meetings: 6/17/15, 8/20/15, 9/17/15, 1/21/16 and 4/7/16. 

2016-2017 Meetings: 

General Meetings: 10/27/16 (Fall Legislative Meeting) will be held in Douglas, 2/23/17 in Casper. This 

will be a Clinical Topic Education program. Topic TBA, and 5/11/17 which will be the Annual Nurses Day 

Celebration and Social in Casper at the Petroleum Club. 

Board Meetings: 8/18/16, 9/16 during the WNA Convention, 4/13/17 and 6/22/17. 

Officers: 

President (2014-2018) Jane Hartsock 

Vice President (2015-2018), Sara Johnson 

Treasurer (2015-2017), Marianne Madriaga 

Secretary (2015-2017), Suzy Delger 

42


Membership: At present we have 87 members which has not changed in the last year. We lost one and gained 

one member. 

Goals: We will be striving to reach out to all RNs that are now part of the Central regions. We will attempt to 

include them in multimedia/communication means. During this year we will be having one of our meetings in 

Douglas to encourage people from Wheatland and Lusk to attend. 

I personally want to thank the officers who have assisted in the transition from a District to a Region. We 

continue to have challenges to meet the needs of nurses in our Region but the Officers work tirelessly to 

accomplish success. THANK YOU ALL. 

Southeast Region 

Much of the year has been used to get organized under the new Wyoming Nurses Association Regional structure. 

I. Meeting schedule and content 

1.1. Regional meetings: One meeting was held on June 1, 2016 to discuss how to proceed under the 

new regional structure. There was not a quorum 

1.2. Board meetings: One board meeting was held with Diane Boyle and Rebecca Carron in attendance. 

Topics of discussion were regional meetings for year 2016-2017 (see proposed dates and topics in 

1.2.1 below); budget; and securing regional board members of Secretary and Treasurer. 

1.2.1. Regional meetings for 2016-2017 

1.2.1.1. September 7 @ 6pm by Zoom. Mary Burman will speak on the Wyoming 

Economic Situation’s Affect on Nursing Education in Wyoming. 

1.2.1.2. September/October: Meet the Candidate Forum(s). Still in planning phase. 

1.2.1.3. January/February: Educational offering – TBD 

1.2.1.4. March/April: Legislative Update by Toni Decklever 

2. Regional Officers 

2.1.1. President: Diane Boyle 

2.1.2. Vice-President: Rebecca Carron 

2.1.3. Secretary: unfilled 

2.1.4. Treasurer: verbal commitment from Shelley Evans 

3. Goals for 2016-2017 

3.1. Fill all board of directors positions and establish regular board meetings. 

3.2. Complete the Regional membership meeting schedule 

3.3. Prepare plan to unify the old districts into the SE Region. 

43


Southwest Region 

Meeting Schedule 

Meet every other month except during the months of June, July and August. Meetings to be held in various 

locations to accommodate members but also have to the meetings via phone, skype or WebEx. 

Officers 

President: Shelly Tholl 

Vice President: Tenny Hanson 

Treasurer: Sara Hooten 

Secretary: vacant 

Meeting Content 

Meeting content consisted of Nurses Week and the Officers would deliver a plate of cookies or such to various 

healthcare facilities to talk to and encourage new membership. 

Special Events and/or activities 

None planned so far 

Possible goals for the coming year 

Increase awareness of benefits of being a member of WNA/ANA 

To encourage new membership 

44


2015/2016 WNA Wyoming Nurse Leadership Institute 

Seven nurse leaders from around the state completed the Wyoming Nurse Leadership Institute 2015/2016 

which began in September in Casper, Wyoming in conjunction with the Nursing Summit and WNA 

convention and ended in April in Casper. Ten participants began the WNLI journey however due to family 

circumstances, changes in job positions and budget cuts only 7 successfully completed. 

WNLI is a state wide program, designed to develop and enhance leadership skills in Wyoming Nurse Leaders 

and future nurse leaders; topics include: 

• Identifying skills and competencies for Nurse leader using the AONE competencies. 

• A mentoring program. 

• Networking with Wyoming Nurse Leaders 

• Developing a personal leadership development program. 

• Completion of a leadership project at their place of employment. 

The target audience for WNLI is experienced Registered Nurses in Wyoming who have been identified by 

their employer (or peers, or themselves) as leaders within the profession. The 2015/2016 nurse leaders were 

in management, supervisory roles, succession planning and unit educator roles. The presentations and topics 

on leadership have been identified by expert nurse leaders and educators in Wyoming and include national 

studies on Nurse Leadership competencies. Individual evaluation of strengths and weaknesses is done through 

a variety of personal assessment tools including the AONE Nurse Leader competencies and Meyers and Briggs 

leadership personality assessment. 

The year long program was coordinated by Susan Howard, RN, MSN and Veronica Taylor, RN, MS, CIC 

and taught mainly by volunteer nurse leaders throughout Wyoming. The 2015/2016 WNLI had three face to 

face sessions (each is 3 days long) bringing in content experts and panels of nurse leaders and in conjunction 

with nursing events around the state including “Nurses Day at the State legislature” and the Annual Nursing 

Summit and WNA convention. Each participant worked extensively on a leadership project and change that 

they led and incorporated into their place of work. Examples of topics include nurses insertion of arterial lines 

in ICU and nursery nurses assisting and completing intubations. Both of these topics included working with 

the WSBN to determine nursing scope of practice, developing policies and procedures and training of nursing 

staff to determine competency. WNLI helps Wyoming nurses develop their leadership and management skills 

and develop a network, or support system, throughout nurses around the state. 

Through fund raising and sponsorship of Campbell County Health the 2015/2016 WNLI cohort and the 

2016/2017 cohort will meet in Gillette in November to participate in Leading an Empowered Organization 

(LEO) presented by Donna Wright from Creative Healthcare Management. There will be a few open seats 

available for LEO for nonWNLI nurses. Contact Veronica Taylor (307-660-6452 or vftaylor@gmail.com) if 

you are interested in attending. There will be a registration fee. 

The curriculum and agenda for 2016/2017 WNLI is currently being finalized and applications for participants 

are being accepted at this time. Dates have been set with the first session in Casper with WNA convention 

in September, second in Gillette with LEO in November, third will be in Cheyenne during Nurses Day at 

the Legislature and fourth will be in Casper in April. For more information contact Veronica Taylor, Susan 

Howard (sue.howard8491@gmail.com), Vicki Winney or Tobi Moore. 

45


ANA Membership Assembly June 22- 25, 2016 

Dee Gilson, President-Elect WNA 

This year has made my second year to participate at the national level with ANA/WNA as one of your 

representatives. This experience is very motivating and brings to the forefront; that we can all take an 

advocacy role whether it is local, state or national to influence a change in policies, laws or regulations that 

govern our profession and practice settings. This is very timely to WNA’s vision and strategies this year to lead 

nurses in our state to get “On-Board” at our Annual Summit and Convention this September. 

Reflecting on the work of the ANA Membership Assembly I came back with an increased sense of urgency to 

be involved. Todays healthcare systems are in trouble and in rapid change. As nurses we are at the forefront 

of those changes; whether you work at the bedside and interact with patients and families or are the first 

provider, we can all see the ineffectiveness of our systems. The high stress of nursing has taken an impact of 

some of our own and we are obligated to find professional systems and ways to help our own. 

Some of the highlights of Membership Assembly included many of these discussions at the national level. 

Nursing spoke from across the nation to speak and strategize the future of nursing and strengthen our 

organizations. Highlights and topics below are just some of the issues that were discussed and motioned to 

work on over the next year. You will be seeing many of these in your newsletters and journals and hopefully 

will have a better understanding of the issues and topics. 

The Opioid Epidemic was a very hot topic both at the capital and at the Assembly. Anne, Dee, Faith and Tobi 

discussed with our legislatures the need to have their support on this issue. As we met with Senator Barrasso, 

he was currently working on a national Opioid bill. He is a true leader and advocate at the national level, 

his medical background makes him a credible leader in addressing issues of overdose and death related issues 

which are epidemic. At Membership Assembly we strategized and approved initiatives, and focused on how 

nurses and advanced practice nurses can play a role in addressing this epidemic. I am sure we will be see much 

more on national scene as the bill has moved to the president to sign just this week. Wyoming is not immune 

to this issue and I encourage us all to get involved at the local and state level where you can. 

Dialogue on: Nursing Advocacy for Sexual Minority and Gender Diverse Populations due to the increased 

discrimination and stigma causing health disparities and differences in access to care, in particular the LGBTQ 

community which face structural barriers including healthcare professionals who are biased (which may be 

largely unintended) and have limited knowledge of culture as well as legal barriers. The formal discussion 

included the unwavering commitment of ANA Code of Ethics for Nurses with Interpretative Statements that 

nurses have an ethical duty to respect the beliefs, values, and decisions of all patients as well as an obligation 

to address disparities and inequalities through solutions that are ethical and respectful of human rights. The 

Reference Committee of which I participated on concluded and recommended to ANA: 

• Promote the application of ANA Code of Ethics for Nurses and Interpretive Statements as related to LGBTQ. 

• Promote strategies to educate nurses about the potential impact of personal bias, whether conscious or 

unconscious, on patient care particularly as it relates to the LGBTQ community. 

• Identify strategies to raise the competency of nurses in caring for members of the LGBTQ community. 

• Promote standardization gender-neutral terminology and documentation. 

Proposed changes to ANA dues Policy which require a by-laws change had very open and lengthy discussions. The 

proposed changes were in response to the 2013- seven (7) state Dues Pilot Program and ANA’s need to revise the 

46


policy to defer application of dues for the next 3 years. The Dues Pilot Program establishes membership categories, 

dues rates and payment options. The data presented showed that states who joined the Pilot had a 96% overall 

membership growth combined with a reduced price structure. The dues structure has three price points: $126 / $ 150 

/ $174, with the $174 with the biggest financial impact. The Amendment to the By-Laws which was voted in now 

gives ANA and C/SNA’s the ability to extend the pilot program and increase the number of participating states by 

18. It was felt that having three (3) more years and adding up to 18 more states would give both ANA and the states 

better data to determine the viability of such a pilot program by 2019. The final decision on moving to a different 

dues structure will be voted on by the Membership Assembly in 2019. Expanding the Pilot would give Wyoming 

an opportunity to decide if we want to participate, we must have an application in by 19th of August, 2016; this is a 

strategy the WNA Board will be discussing in July along with financial impacts to WNA. 

The Vision of the Pilot as developed by the Value Pricing Taskforce includes: 

• Growth of joint ANA and C/SNA membership 

• Growth of overall membership 

• Retention of Premier Membership 

• Retention of Standard membership 

• Financial return 

I would like to thank all the membership is allowing me to attend and represent you and hope that we can all work 

on these agendas to make a difference in Wyoming and the nation. 

Nurses at the Nation’s Capital – 2016 ANA Lobby Day 

Anne Raga, MS, RN, CNML, WNA President 

On Thursday, June 23rd, President Anne Raga, President-Elect Dee Gilson, and ANA Director-at-large Faith Jones 

joined nurses from across the United States to make our presence felt in Washington DC. It is always inspiring to see 

hundreds of nurses come together to carry a common message to our legislators. 

This year, we continued to encourage our legislators to support S. 578/H.R.1342 which would amend CMS 

regulations to give APRN’s full practice authority to order home health services for their patients. The Home Health 

Planning Improvement Act 2015 is a major focus for ANA, and we continue to garner support from legislators. 

Representative Cynthia Lummis and Senator John Barrasso have signed on to support this bill. We continue to 

encourage Senator Mike Enzi to bring his support as well. 

Another important measure we addressed with our legislators is the Nursing Workforce Reauthorization Act of 2016. 

This bipartisan bill was formally introduced on July 14, 2016. This legislation would reauthorize, update, and improve 

nurse workforce programs under Title VIII, which supports nurses practicing in rural and medically underserved 

communities, advanced education nursing, diversity grants, National Nurse Service Corp, nurse faculty loan 

forgiveness, as well as geriatric education. 

Wyoming nurses have unique access to our legislators, and we are fortunate to usually have the opportunity to speak 

directly to our senators and representative. While few of us are able to make the trip to Washington DC, each one 

of us can make our voices and opinions heard. I encourage you to go to rnaction.org to get more information on 

these bills and others that impact nurses and our patients. Then take time to communicate with Senators Enzi and 

Barrasso, and Representative Lummis on these issues. When Wyoming nurses speak, they will listen. We each have 

the opportunity and responsibility to make a difference. 

47


WNA Leadership Elections 

The Wyoming Nurses Association (WNA) membership will elect the following leadership positions to serve on 

the WNA Board of Directors beginning October 2016 to serve until September 2018. Election results will be 

announced during the WNA Annual meeting on Friday, September 23, 2016 in Casper, Wyoming. 

Elected in 2016 by Statewide Ballot for a two-year term is: 

President-Elect 

Treasurer 

The President-Elect shall assume the duties of the President in his/her absence or at the direction of the 

President. The President-Elect will become President of WNA in fall of 2018 for a 2-year term following their 

term as President-Elect. The President-Elect shall serve as an ANA Membership Assembly Representative 

and attend Membership Assembly held in D.C, June 7-10, 2017 and June 21-23, 2018. The President-Elect 

in addition will serve as the Co-Chair of the Legislative Committee, with the Vice President. One of the 

responsibilities of the Legislative Committee is to plan the Nurses Day at the Legislator event held February 9, 

2017 in Cheyenne. 

The Treasurer shall be responsible for monitoring the fiscal affairs of the Association and shall provide reports 

and interpretations of WNA’s financial condition to the Board of Directors and the WNA membership. The 

Treasurer shall serve as chairperson of the Finance Committee. The Treasurer shall serve as the elected Second 

Alternate for ANA Membership Assembly. 

_________________________________________________________________________________________ 

2016 Ballot 

President-Elect 

(Vote for One) o Christina Brewer 

o Kathryn Luzmoor 

o ________________ 

Treasurer 

(Vote for One) o Barbara Jean James 

o ________________ 

48

PRESIDENT-ELECT CANDIDATES 


Meet the 2016 Candidates 

Christina Brewer, CMSRN, RN, MSN 

Powell, Northwest Region 

RN Coordinator, Nursing Instructor, Northwest College 

WNA INVOLVEMENT: Current President of Northwest Region 

OTHER ORGANIZATIONS: Academy of Medical Surgical Nurses and the 

National League for Nursing. 

Two main issues that should be a priority for the WNA are care access and nursing involvement/engagement. 

Care access remains an issue for our very unique Wyoming population. Nurses are in a great position to 

advocate for residents and can work with residents and lawmakers alike to determine what access in Wyoming 

should look like. Without nursing engagement, this demanding task may not be achieved at a State level, not 

to mention national effects. 

Personal interest in the position of President-elect comes after serving as Northwest Region President and 

having the opportunity to attend the 2016 ANA Membership Assembly. As Regional President, for a newly 

developed region, it has been stimulating work to engage nurses over such a large geographical area. I look 

forward to assisting the Board in escalating the grassroots in our regions. At the ANA Membership Assembly, 

I observed the amazing power of the voice of the nurse, and was able to witness, first hand, how each States’ 

perspectives are heard and considered. Although we are “small,” Wyoming nurses play an essential role in the 

government of the ANA. 

My goal is to contribute to the WNA in ways that share the voice of Wyoming residents regarding access to 

care needs, and to engage Wyoming nurses on a state and national level. 

49


PRESIDENT-ELECT CANDIDATES (continued) 

Kathryn M. Luzmoor, MS, RN, CNE 

Green River, Southwest Region 

Nursing Program Director, Western Wyoming Community College 

WNA INVOLVEMENT: Member since 1985; WNA Vice President 2003-2005 and 

2008- 2013; President District #6 2003- 2004; Vice President District #6 2001-2003 

and 2004-2013 

OTHER ORGANIZATIONS: NLNAC 2006-present; Wyoming Center for Nursing 

and Health Care Partnerships-RENEW Prof. Deb. Co-chair 2011-present; Hospice of 

Sweetwater County, numerous positions since 1983, currently on Quality committee; 

Wyoming Hospice Organization 1983-1988 (several years as president); Vice President of Sweetwater County 

Board of District Health; Chair Southwest Counselling Board of Directors 

The Wyoming Nurses Association and the American Nurses Association are invaluable to nurses and the 

health and safety of the nation. From the days when the ANA fought for needle stick safety, back safety and 

now to addressing bullying in the workplace and nurse fatigue, the ANA gives nurses the evidence to improve 

their practice and advocate for themselves with their employers. I would like to serve as the President-Elect to 

increase the visibility of both the WNA and the ANA. 

I am supportive of the WNA’s Strategic Plan with the goal of creating opportunities for Wyoming nurses 

to participate in professional growth through the provision of essential resources that energize, enable and 

strengthen the nursing experience and insight. Too often nurses feel like players in their positions vs. leaders. 

It is my goal to do what I can to give nurses their voice to improve their work environments for themselves 

and their patients. I want to see how nurses are reaching out to improve the health of WY and to do what I 

can to encourage and assist them. 

I have a long history of service to the WNA and am eager to continue that service. 

50


TREASURER CANDIDATE 

Barbara Jean James 

Rawlins, Southeast Region 

Educator, Carbon County Higher Education Center/Memorial Hospital Carbon County 

WNA INVOLVEMENT: Member since 2004; District #50 President 

OTHER ORGANIZATIONS: National League of Nursing; President of Rawlins 

Soroptimist Club; Board member of Xi Kappa Sorority; Board member for American 

Diabetic Association; I served as District; Past Board member for Boys and Girls Club 

of Rawlins; Past Board member for Rawlins Downtown Development Authority 

I believe the major issues for the Association is getting more nurse’s involved, communication and leadership. 

WNA mission “To promote the profession of nursing, provide unified voice for nurses and advocate for a 

healthier Wyoming.” I believe this statement starts with all of us and we need to increase the number of nurses 

involved with WNA, increase direct relationships with consumer’s, promote positive healthy behaviors, and 

listen to what the new generation is telling us. 

I am running for the position of WNA Treasurer because I believe with my strong leadership skills, 

communication, and organizational skills gained through extra-curricular involvement. Balancing course 

work, clinical, and work requires commitment, time management and, at times, my well regarded sense of 

humor. 

My goals are to help promote WNA, provide leadership, recruit and communicate our vision “Nurses united 

and caring for our profession.” 

51


Appendix 

52


53


54


WYOMING NURSES ASSOCIATION 

BYLAWS 

AMENDED 

SEPTEMBER 2015 

Table of Contents 

ARTICLE I: NAME, PURPOSES, AND FUNCTIONS .................................. 56 

ARTICLEII: MEMBERSHIP ....................................................... 56 

ARTICLE III: CONSTITUENT NURSES ASSOCIATIONS .............................. 60 

ARTICLE IV: WNA GOVERNANCE ............................................... 62 

ARTICLE V: WNA MEETINGS .................................................... 65 

ARTICLEVI: COMMITTEES ...................................................... 66 

ARTICLE VII: WORKPLACE ADVOCACY PROGRAM ............................... 68 

ARTICLE VIII: ORGANIZATIONAL AFFILIATE MEMBERS ........................... 69 

ARTICLE IX: NOMINATIONS AND ELECTIONS .................................... 69 

ARTICLE X: RELATIONSHIP WITH THE AMERICAN NURSES ASSOCIATION .......... 70 

ARTICLE XI: AMENDMENTS .................................................... 71 

ARTICLE XII: WYOMING NURSE ................................................ 71 

ARTICLE XIII: PARLIAMENTARY AUTHORITY ..................................... 71 

55


ARTICLE I: NAME, PURPOSES, AND FUNCTIONS 

SECTION 1: NAME 

The name of this Association shall be the Wyoming Nurses Association hereinafter referred to as WNA. 

SECTION 2: PURPOSES 

The purposes of WNA shall be: 

A. To foster high standards of nursing, promote the professional and educational advancement of nurses, and 

to promote the welfare of nurses to the end that all people may have better health care. 

B. Unrestricted by consideration of age, color, creed, disability, gender, health status, lifestyle, nationality, 

religion, or sexual orientation. 

SECTION 3: FUNCTIONS 

The functions of WNA shall be to: 

A. Promote through appropriate means the standards of nursing practice, nursing education, and nursing 

services established by the American Nurses Association hereinafter referred to as ANA. 

B. Ensure adherence to the Code of Ethics for Nurses established by ANA. 

C. Support systematic study, evaluation, and research in nursing and disseminate information relative to research. 

D. Promote and protect the economic and general welfare of nurses. 

E. Promote and provide for the continuing professional development of nurses. 

F. Represent and serve as their spokesperson with professional and community groups and the public. 

G. Provide for representation to the ANA Membership Assembly. 

H. Promote relationships and collaboration with the Student Nurses Association. 

I. Stimulate and promote research in nursing, disseminate research findings, and encourage the use of new 

knowledge as a basis for nursing. 

J. Provide services to constituent Region nurses associations, hereinafter referred to as RNAs. 

K. Maintain communication with members through official publications. 

L. Assume an active role as a consumer advocate. 

M. Initiate and influence legislation, governmental programs, and state and national health policy. 

N. Ensure an archive for the collection and preservation of documents and other materials which have 

contributed to and continue to contribute to the historical and cultural development of nursing in the state. 

O. Promote and participate in surveys of nurse manpower resources in the state. 

P. Cooperate with other state nursing associations in activities, which concern both organizations. 

Q. Protect and promote advancement of human rights related to health care and nursing 

SECTION 1: COMPOSITION 

ARTICLE II: MEMBERSHIP 

A. Individual members of WNA shall be persons accepted as members in accordance with qualifications and 

other requirements described in WNA Bylaws. Membership shall be unrestricted by consideration of age, 

color, disability, gender, health status, lifestyle, nationality, race religion, or sexual orientation. 

56


B. Members shall have standing as either regular,associate,or special as follows: 

a. A regular member shall be any registered nurse who does not qualify for associate or special standing. 

b. An associate member shall be a registered nurse who is: 

i. Not employed. 

ii. A student in full-time study. 

iii. A graduate of a basic nursing program for the first two years of membership and who has 

initiated membership within six months following graduation, and/or 

c. A special member shall be a registered nurse who is: 

i. 62 years of age and not employed, or 

ii. Totally disabled. 

C. Any registered nurse holding membership in another state may hold dual membership in WNA, paying 

only WNA dues. 

D. Membership Options: Members will have the option of belonging to WNA only, ANA only, or holding 

both WNA/ANA memberships. These options are as follows: 

a. WNA (State Membership only). These members will pay only WNA membership dues. They are 

eligible for state membership benefits. 

b. ANA (National Membership only). These members will pay only National membership dues. They 

are eligible for national membership benefits. 

c. WNA/ANA (Full membership). These members will pay dues to cover both state and national 

membership fees. They are eligible for both state and national membership benefits. 

SECTION 2: QUALIFICATIONS 

A. A member is one: 

a. Who has been granted a license to practice as a registered nurse in at least one state, territory, or 

possession of the United States and does not have a license under suspension or revocation in any 

state, or is otherwise entitled by law to practice. 

b. Who has completed a nursing education program that qualifies the applicant to take the National 

Council License Examination for registered nurses as a first time writer, and 

c. Whose application for membership to WNA has been accepted in accordance with association 

policy, and 

d. Whose dues are not delinquent, and 

e. Whose membership is not under revocation for violation of the Code of Ethics for Nurses or WNA 

Bylaws, or 

f. Who is an impaired nurse in recovery who has surrendered a license to practice. 

g. Whose obligation is to abide by WNA and ANA Bylaws and the Code of Ethics for Nurses. 

h. Renewal of membership of new graduates shall be contingent upon having been granted a registered 

nurse license. 

B. Members shall be unrestricted by consideration of age, color, creed, disability, gender, health status, 

lifestyle, nationality, ethnic origin or sexual orientation. 

SECTION 3: RIGHTS 

A. WNA/ANA members shall have the right to: 

a. Receive a WNA/ANA membership card, all official publications of the American Nurses’ 

Association, the Wyoming Nurse, and e-mail news from the WNA office. 

b. Access to all information on WNA’s and ANA’s website – member only included. 

57


c. Be a candidate for WNA/ANA elective or appointed positions in accordance with qualifications set 

forth in the WNA and ANA Bylaws. 

d. Be a candidate for President, President Elect, Vice President, Secretary and Treasurer of WNA. 

e. Advocacy and a voice for the profession on both state and federal levels. 

f. Education and professional development and valuable personal benefits such as: 

i. Continuing education opportunities at regional, state and national levels. 

ii. Discounts to WNA sponsored continuing education programs. 

iii. Reduced rates for on-line continuing nursing education. 

iv. Committee and leadership opportunities. 

v. Reduced-cost professional liability programs. 

vi. Other retirement savings and insurance benefits. 

vii. Unlimited access to the Nurse Consultant. 

g. Submit proposals for consideration to the WNA Board of Directors and members. 

h. Attend the Congress of the International Council of Nurses. 

i. Due process in disciplinary matters including notice, full and fair hearings, and the right to appeal at 

the state level. 

j. Be accorded other rights as provided for under common parliamentary or statutory law. 

B. WNA only members shall have the right to: 

a. Receive a WNA membership card, e-mail news from the WNA office, and the Wyoming Nurse. 

b. Access to all information on WNA’s web site. 

c. Be a candidate for WNA elective or appointed positions, excluding President, President Elect, Vice 

President, Secretary, and Treasurer, in accordance with qualifications set forth in the WNA bylaws. 

d. Submit proposals for consideration to the WNA Board of Directors and members. 

e. Advocacy and a voice for the profession at the state level. 

f. Education, professional development and valuable personal benefits such as: 

i. Continuing education opportunities at regional and state levels. 

ii. Discounts to WNA-sponsored continuing education programs. 

iii. Committee and leadership opportunities. 

iv. Reduced-cost professional liability programs. 

g. Due process in disciplinary matters including notice, full and fair hearings, and the right to appeal at 

the state level. 

h. Be accorded other rights as provided for under common parliamentary or statutory law. 

C. ANA only members shall have the right to: 

a. Receive an ANA membership card, the official publications of ANA, and the Wyoming Nurse. 

b. Access to all information on ANA’s web site – member only included. 

c. Advocacy and a voice for the profession at the national level. 

d. Education and professional development and valuable personal benefits such as: 

i. Continuing education opportunities on a national level. 

ii. Reduced rates for on-line continuing nursing education. 

iii. Reduced-cost professional liability programs. 

iv. Retirement savings programs. 

v. Major and Comprehensive Medical and Dental Insurance. 

vi. Life Insurance, Hospital Disability Income, and Excess Major Medical. 

vii. Auto insurance discounts 

D. Due process in disciplinary matters including notice, full and fair hearings, and the right to appeal at the 

state level. 

E. Be accorded other rights as provided for under common parliamentary or statutory law. 

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SECTION 4: OBLIGATIONS 

A. Member shall have the obligation to: 

a. Uphold the Bylaws of ANA, WNA, and RNA to which the member belongs. 

b. Uphold the Code of Ethics for Nurses as adopted by the ANA Membership Assembly. 

c. Pay dues as required by the WNA or ANA. 

d. Fulfill the requirements of an office or committee if elected or appointed. 

SECTION 5: DISCIPLINARY ACTION AND APPEAL PROCESS 

A. Cause for Disciplinary Action: Cause for disciplinary action by WNA against a WNA/ANA member 

shall be limited to failure to fulfill the obligations as cited in these bylaws; and other actions detrimental 

to the purposes, goals, and functions of WNA/ANA. 

B. Disciplinary Proceedings: Disciplinary proceedings shall be conducted in accordance with policies 

and procedures established by the Board of Directors which shall have final disciplinary authority over 

members. 

C. Disciplinary Action: Depending on the severity of the violation, a member may be reprimanded, 

censured, suspended from membership or permanently expelled from membership. 

D. Appeal of Disciplinary Action: A member may appeal any disciplinary action in accordance with 

procedures adopted by the WNA Board of Directors. 

E. Recognition of Disciplinary Action of Another ANA State Nurses Association: Any disciplinary action 

taken by another ANA State Nurses Association against one of its individual SNA/ANA members 

shall be given full recognition and enforcement provided such action was taken in accordance with the 

disciplining State Nurses Associations bylaws and disciplinary procedures. 

 

SECTION 6: DUES 

A. Dues shall be established by the WNA membership and be consistent with ANA policies that apply to 

WNA only, ANA only or WNA/ANA membership options. 

B. The WNA shall continue to pay dues to the ANA pursuant to the ANA Bylaws and House of Delegate 

policy until such time as two thirds (2/3) of the entire WNA/ANA membership votes to disaffiliate from 

the ANA. WNA membership is defined as individual members of WNA who have ANA rights and 

privileges of membership as a result of their WNA/ANA membership. The vote may occur by mail or 

electronic ballot, with appropriate notice and procedures to protect the integrity and validity of the vote. 

C. Members who qualify for associate status may elect to pay fifty percent (50%) of annual dues required for 

regular members. 

D. Members who qualify for special status may elect to pay twenty-five percent (25%) of annual dues 

required for regular members. 

E. Membership rights in WNA are forfeited when dues are thirty (30) days delinquent. 

SECTION 7: CHANGE OF DUES CATEGORY 

When a change in dues category is made within a membership year, no monies shall be refunded nor shall 

additional monies be collected. 

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SECTION 8: TRANSFER 

A. A WNA member who has completed full payment of dues in one RNA may transfer to another RNA. 

Transfer is requested through the WNA office. 

B. A member who has paid full dues may transfer to another SNA by requesting transfer through the WNA 

office. 

C. A member of another SNA who has paid dues may transfer to WNA without further payment or refund 

of dues for the remainder of the membership year. 

SECTION 1: DEFINITION 

ARTICLE III: CONSTITUENT NURSES ASSOCIATIONS 

Constituent Nurses Associations of WNA are Region Nurses Associations, hereinafter referred to as RNAs. 

RNAs are organized in accordance with the WNA Bylaws and have adopted bylaws and policies that are in 

harmony with the Bylaws, functions, and purposes of WNA. 

SECTION 2: BOUNDARIES 

A. Boundaries of a RNA shall be defined by the WNA Board of Directors. The boundaries may be changed 

in accordance with procedures adopted by the WNA Board of Directors. 

B. WNA has been divided into five (5) Regions using county lines, as follows: 

a. Northwest Region—Park, Teton, Fremont, Hot Springs, Washakie and Big Horn Counties 

b. Northeast Region-Sheridan, Johnson, Campbell, Crook and Weston Counties 

c. Central Region—Natrona, Converse, Niobrara, Goshen and Platte Counties 

d. Southeast Region---Albany, Laramie and Carbon 

e. Southwest Region—Sweetwater, Lincoln, Sublette and Uinta Counties 

SECTION 3: RNA BOARD OF DIRECTORS 

A. Composition: The RNA Board of Directors shall consist of four (4) elected officers: President, Vice 

President, Secretary and Treasurer. 

B. Terms of Office: The President and Treasurer shall be elected in the odd numbered years. The Vice 

President and Secretary shall be elected in the even numbered years. No one shall serve more than two 

consecutive two year terms in the same office. 

C. Elections: RNA elections will be held at the same time of the year for all Regions from April 1st through 

July 31st, for officers whose terms of office are ending in any given year. 

SECTION 4: OBLIGATIONS 

RNAs shall be required to: 

A. Assure that their members are qualified as provided in Article II of these bylaws. 

B. Adopt and maintain such bylaws as do not conflict with the Bylaws of ANA and WNA. 

C. Submit reports to the WNA Board of Directors upon request. 

D. Notify the WNA office of the names and addresses of officers, other members of the Board of Directors, 

and chairpersons of committees. 

E. Provide a copy of the RNA bylaws and amendments to the WNA office. 

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F. Send, when requested and possible, nominations of qualified members and associates for WNA and ANA 

offices, delegates to ANA meetings, WNA and ANA committees, allied groups requesting representation, 

and names for submission to the Governor of Wyoming for appointment to the State Board of Nursing. 

G. Prepare an annual report for publication when required by the Board of Directors. 

H. Nominate representatives for the WNA Board of Directors. 

I. Assure representation of their Region on WNA Board of Directors. 

SECTION 5: RIGHTS OF A RNA 

Rights of a RNA shall be: 

A. Voting representation on the WNA Board of Directors. 

B. Scheduling RNA meetings with regard to frequency and content. 

C. Elections of officers without censure or interference by the WNA Board of Directors. 

SECTION 6: DISSOLUTION OF A RNA 

A. Dissolution of a RNA can be accomplished by a three-fourths (3/4) vote of a majority of the current 

membership and approved by a majority vote of the Board of Directors of the WNA, provided sixty (60) 

days notice was given the total RNA membership of such proposed action. 

B. The Board of Directors of the WNA shall continue to manage the affairs of the RNA until such time as 

the dissolution is complete and final payments of indebtedness are made. 

C. When a RNA is disbanded for any reason, any funds remaining in the treasury after all debts have been 

paid shall be handled in one of the following ways: 

a. In the event that all members of the disbanded RNA join another RNA, the balance of funds will 

go into the operating fund of that RNA. 

b. If the members of the disbanded RNA join more than one other RNA the funds will be divided 

proportionally among the constituent associations involved. Any funds remaining in escrow at the 

end of the two years will be deposited in the WNA general account. 

c. Within three (3) months following disbanding, a final report shall be sent to the WNA office, by the 

President and/or Treasurer of the disbanded RNA. 

SECTION 7: REINSTATEMENT 

Reinstatement of a RNA that has been disbanded may be reinstated by a seventy-five percent (75%) vote of 

the WNA Board of Directors. 

SECTION 8: DISQUALIFICATIONS 

A RNA which fails to comply with the requirements of these Bylaws or for other causes deemed sufficient may 

be disqualified as a constituent Region association of the WNA by a seventy-five percent (75%) vote of the 

WNA Board of Directors provided due notice has been given. Such RNA and its members must be notified 

before the vote is taken and shall have opportunity for a hearing with the Board within ninety (90) days prior 

to the hearing. 

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SECTION 9: MERGING OF RNAS 

If one RNA merges with another RNA, the funds remaining in the treasury shall be allocated in the operating 

fund of the RNA with which it is merging. 


ARTICLE IV: WNA GOVERNANCE 

Governance of WNA is through the Executive Committee (EC) and the Board of Directors (BOD), 

henceforth defined as the Governing Body (GB) of the organization. 

SECTION 2: COMPOSITION OF THE GOVERNING BODY (EC AND BOD) 

A. The Executive Committee (EC) shall be composed of WNA elected officers (President, President- Elect, 

Vice-President, Secretary and Treasurer) and the WNA Executive Director (ED), who is a non- voting 

member. 

B. The Board of Directors (BOD) shall be composed of the EC and all Region Presidents/elected 

representatives. One new graduate nurse within two years of initial licensure shall be appointed the BOD. 

C. The immediate past President, shall be ex-officio member of the BOD. 

D. The WNA President is the presiding officer over the Governing Body. 

SECTION 3: AUTHORITY 

The Governing Body shall have the duty and power, delegated to it by the membership, of acting for the 

membership in the intervals between Annual Meetings, as well as other duties and powers as defined in these 

Bylaws. 

SECTION 4: ACCOUNTABILITY 

The Governing Body shall be accountable to the WNA membership. 

SECTION 5: RESPONSIBILITIES 

The Governing Body shall: 

A. Exercise the corporate responsibility and fiduciary duties of the Association consistent with the applicable 

provisions of law. 

B. Provide for implementation of Association policies and positions approved by the WNA membership. 

C. Provide direction and approval of the functions of the Executive Committee. 

D. Establish financial policies and procedures, adopt the budget, fix and approve amount of bond for 

appropriate officers and staff, and present an annual financial statement to the membership. Professional 

audit consultation shall be utilized as deemed necessary. 

E. Establish policies and procedures for the transaction of Association activities, and operation and 

maintenance of the WNA Executive Office. 

F. Establish policies and procedures for nominations and elections. 

G. Establish standing and special committees of the Board as deemed necessary for the performance of its 

duties and define the purpose of authority of such committees. 

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H. Define qualifications for appointive office, make appointments and fill vacancies as delegated to the Board 

in these Bylaws. 

I. Appoint, define the authority and the responsibilities of, and annually review the performance of the 

WNA Executive Director. 

J. Establish fees for the Annual Meetings, specified activities, and services. 

K. Provide for WNA liaison or representation at meetings of voluntary organizations and of public or 

governmental agencies. 

L. Establish relationships and collaboration with the Wyoming Student Nurses Association. 

M. Assume other duties as may be provided for elsewhere in these Bylaws and by the WNA membership. 

N. Confer constituent membership on RNAs meeting the qualifications established in these Bylaws. 

O. Establish policies and procedures for disciplinary action against members and RNAs. 

P. Control the use of the official WNA logo and the procurement and sale of replicas thereof. 

Q. Establish policies and procedures approving publications and other printed materials prior to their 

distribution. 

R. Establish policies and procedures for the collection, analysis, and dissemination of information. 

S. Ensure the maintenance of an archive for the collection and preservation of documents and other 

materials that have contributed and continue to contribute to the historical and cultural development of 

nursing in the state. 

T. Establish the mechanism to advocate for and protect the human rights and ethical concerns of the 

nursing profession. 

SECTION 6: TERM OF OFFICE 

A. Officers shall be elected for a two-year term. The President-Elect and Treasurer shall be elected in even 

numbered years. The Vice-President and Secretary shall be elected in the odd-numbered years. 

B. The Governing Body shall appoint the new graduate nurse in even numbered years for a two year term. 

Only new graduates within two years of initial licensure will be eligible for this position. 

C. No one shall serve more than two (2) consecutive terms in the same office or more than eight (8) 

consecutive years on the Governing Body. Any person who has served less than a full term but more than 

twelve (12) months shall be considered to have served a full term in that office. 

D. Persons may again serve on the Governing Body following a two (2) year absence. 

SECTION 7: QUALIFICATIONS 

To be eligible to serve on the Governing Body, a person shall: 

A. Hold current membership in the WNA and the RNA represented if a RNA representative. 

B. Not concurrently serve as an officer or director of another organization if such participation might result 

in a conflict of interest with WNA. 

SECTION 8: VACANCIES 

A. In the event of a vacancy: 

a. In the office of President, the President-Elect shall become President for the remainder of the term 

and shall continue in the office as President during the following biennium. 

b. In the office of President-Elect, the Vice-President shall become President-Elect for the remainder of 

the term and shall perform the duties of the Vice-President and President- Elect until assumption of 

Presidential duties. 

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c. In both the offices of President and President-Elect, the office of President shall be filled by the Vice- 

President who shall serve until the next general membership meeting when both vacancies shall be 

filled by election. 

d. In case of any other office, or chairpersons of standing committees, the Governing Body shall 

appoint a replacement to serve the remainder of the term. 

e. Any member of the Governing Body absent without notice from two (2) consecutive meetings of 

the Governing Body shall be considered to have resigned. Upon confirmation by the Secretary of 

two (2) unexcused absences, the vacancy shall be filled in the manner stated above. 

SECTION 9: DUTIES OF OFFICERS 

A. The President of WNA shall serve as the spokesperson on matters of Association policy and positions. 

Specifically, the President of WNA shall: 

B. Be chairperson of the Executive Committee, and the Governing Body. 

C. Preside at all meetings of the WNA. 

D. Present a yearly report at the Annual Meeting. 

E. Serve as a representative to the ANA Membership Assembly. 

F. Serve as WNA ex-officio member of all committees except the Nominating Committee. 

G. The President-Elect shall assume the duties of the President in his/her absence or at the direction of the 

President. The President-Elect shall serve as a representative to the ANA Membership Assembly. The 

President-Elect shall serve as co-chairperson of the Legislative Committee. 

H. The Vice-President shall assume the duties of the President in the absence of the President and 

President-Elect. The Vice-President shall serve as co-chairperson of the Technology and Public Relations 

Committee. The Vice-President shall serve as the elected First Alternate representative to the ANA 

Membership Assembly. 

I. The Treasurer shall be responsible for monitoring the fiscal affairs of the Association and shall provide 

reports and interpretations of WNA’s financial condition to the Governing Body and the WNA 

membership. The Treasurer shall serve as co-chairperson of the Finance Committee. The Treasurer shall 

serve as the elected Second Alternate representative to the ANA Membership Assembly. 

J. The Secretary shall be responsible for ensuring that Records are maintained of meetings of the WNA, the 

Board of Directors, and Executive Committee of the Governing Body, and shall notify members of the 

meetings of WNA. The secretary shall serve as co-chairperson of the Nursing Practice Committee. The 

Secretary shall serve as the elected Third Alternate representative to the ANA Membership Assembly. 

K. Officers shall fulfill the assigned responsibilities and duties as outlined under Committee Functions. 

L. Officers and other members of the Governing Body shall fulfill the responsibilities of the Governing Body 

as defined in these Bylaws. 

SECTION 10: EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE 

There shall be an Executive Committee of the Governing Body composed of the officers that shall have the 

power to transact business between Board Meetings in accordance with the rules established by the Governing 

Body. Such transactions shall be reported at the next regular meeting of the Governing Body. The Executive 

Committee shall review WNA policies and procedures each year in January. 

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SECTION 11: DUTIES OF THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR 

The Executive Director shall: 

A. Manage the Association in accordance with policies established by the Board. 

B. Be accountable to the Board of Directors. 

C. Employ, direct, promote, and terminate staff of the Association. 

D. Represent the Association and serve as spokesperson on matters of established policy and positions. 

E. Prepare and submit required ANA reports. 

F. Be responsible for the publication of the Wyoming Nurse. 

G. Attend the ANA national meetings. 

H. Serve as an ex-officio member of the Board of Directors and standing committees. 

I. Serve as the elected Fourth ANA Alternate to the Membership Assembly only if the Executive Director 

is an RN member of WNA. 

SECTION 12: MEETINGS 

A. Meetings of the Governing Body shall be held at least two (2) times annually at a time and place 

determined by the Governing Body. Special meetings may be called by the President and shall be subject 

to ratification at the next regular meeting of the Governing Body. 

B. Business requiring action by the Governing Body may be conducted by mail or other media. Such action 

shall be subject to ratification at the next regular meeting of the Governing Body. 

C. Unexcused Absence from two consecutive regular meetings of the Governing Body shall be cause for 

declaring a vacancy in the position. Such vacancy shall be determined by a majority of the Governing Body. 

SECTION 13: QUORUM 

A minimum of five members of the voting membership of the Governing Body, one of whom shall be the 

President, President-Elect, or Vice-President, shall constitute a quorum of the Governing Body. Minutes shall 

be distributed to all members of the Governing Body within sixty (60) days of any meeting. 

SECTION 1: FREQUENCY 

ARTICLE V: WNA MEETINGS 

The WNA general membership shall meet at least annually, at such place and time as shall be determined by 

the Governing Body. 

SECTION 2: SPECIAL MEETINGS 

Special Meetings of the WNA can be called by the Governing Body and shall be called by the President upon 

written request of a majority of the Regions. 

SECTION 3: NOTICE OF MEETINGS 

A. Notice of the annual business meeting and convention shall be mailed to the membership at least thirty 

(30) days before the first day of the business meeting. 

B. Notice of special business meetings shall be mailed to the membership at least fifteen (15) days before the 

first day of the business meeting. 

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Five (5) members of the Governing Body, one of whom shall be the President, President-Elect, or Vice- 

President, and representatives from at least three of the RNAs shall Constitute a quorum for transaction of 

business at any regular or special meeting of WNA. 

SECTION 5: VOTING BODY 

The voting body at all annual and special meetings should consist of all members in good standing who are in 

attendance. 

SECTION 1: STANDING COMMITTEES 

ARTICLE VI: COMMITTEES 

WNA standing committees shall include: Legislative, Nursing Practice, Technology and Public Relations, 

Bylaws and Finance. 

SECTION 2: COMPOSITION 

A standing committee shall be composed of at least three (3) members. 

SECTION 3: APPOINTMENT 

Each standing committee shall be composed of three (3) members of WNA and shall have been appointed by 

the WNA Governing Body. 

A. The President shall appoint a chairperson for the Bylaws Committee and at least one member of the 

Board of Directors to serve on this committee. 

B. The President-Elect shall also serve as the co-chairperson of the Legislative Committee. 

C. The Vice-President shall serve as the co-chairperson of the Technology and Public Relations Committee. 

D. The Secretary shall serve as the co-chairperson of the Nursing Practice Committee. 

E. The Treasurer shall serve as the co-chairperson of the Finance Committee. 

SECTION 4: TERM OF OFFICE 

A. Members of all standing committees may serve two (2) terms or until their successors are appointed. 

B. Members of all standing committees may serve for two (2) consecutive terms on the same committee and 

may serve again following a two (2) year absence from that committee and no more than eight (8) years 

on the Governing Body without a two year absence. 

C. No members of WNA shall serve on more than two (2) standing committees at a time. 

D. One member of the Finance, Legislative, Technology and Public Relations, and Nursing Practice 

Committee will be appointed in the even years. The remaining two (2) members of these committees will 

be appointed in the odd years. 

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SECTION 5: ATTENDANCE 

Unexcused absence from two (2) consecutive committee meetings shall be cause for declaring a vacancy in 

the position. Such vacancy shall be filled by appointment by the Governing Body for the remainder of the 

unexpired term. 

SECTION 6: ACCOUNTABILITY 

Standing committees shall be accountable to the WNA Governing Body and submit reports as required by 

these Bylaws. 


A majority of any committee shall constitute a quorum at any committee meeting. 


A. The Finance Committee shall: 

a. Be co-chaired by the Treasurer and ED. In collaboration, the co-chairs shall recruit at least one other 

member. 

b. Prepare and submit annually a WNA budget. 

c. Appoint an audit committee to perform an internal audit bi-annually at the close of the Treasurer’s 

term of office and submit a report to the Governing Body. 

d. Determine policies and procedures which shall be consistent with these Bylaws. 

e. Monitor WNA financial affairs including investments and expenditures. 

f. Provide fiscal reports and interpret WNA financial condition to the Governing Body and 

membership. 

g. Consult with appropriate accounting and fiscal experts as needed to make recommendations to the 

Governing Body. 

B. The Legislative Committee shall: 

a. Be co-chaired by the President-Elect and the WNA lobbyist. 

b. Lead in legislation and health policy by recommending positions on current legislative issues to the 

WNA Governing Body while keeping the Governing Body current on legislative affairs. 

c. Actively participate in the legislative process as committee members and by mentoring WNA 

membership in the legislative process. 

d. Keep WNA membership informed regarding legislative issues compatible with WNA legislative agenda. 

e. Submit an annual budget to the Finance Committee. 

C. The Technology and Public Relations Committee shall be: 

a. Co-chaired by the Vice-President and an appointed Technology and Public Relations committee 

member from Region Presidents. 

b. Promote the development of nursing leaders. 

c. Influence workforce initiatives. 

d. Help sustain organizational viability by using current information and data technologies to increase 

and sustain WNA membership and facilitate achievement of WNA goals. 


D. The Nursing Practice Committee shall: 

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a. Be co-chaired by the Secretary and an appointed Nursing Practice Committee member from Region 

Presidents. 

b. Advance the professional development of nurses by strengthening WNA members’ nursing practice 

through educational, consultative, and publication services. 

c. Promote the creation of a professional work environment for the enhancement of the practice of nursing. 

d. Develop position and policies for recommendations to the WNA Governing Body related to 

relevant nursing practice issues. 

e. Submit an annual committee budget to the Finance Committee. 

E. The Bylaws Committee shall be appointed for a two-year term in the even years. The Bylaws committee shall: 

a. Be chaired by a WNA member appointed by the President. 

b. Be composed of at least one member of the BOD or Region Presidents appointed by the President. 

c. Review WNA and Region bylaws. 

d. Interpret WNA bylaws. 

e. Receive and prepare proposed amendments to WNA bylaws. 

f. Maintain currency of WNA bylaws. 

g. Submit an annual budget to the Finance Committee. 

SECTION 9: REPORTS 

All standing committees shall prepare an annual report to be published for the general membership. These reports 

are to be submitted to the WNA office at least sixty (60) days prior to the first day of the Annual Meeting. 

SECTION 10: SPECIAL COMMITTEES 

A. The Governing Body shall establish special committees as deemed necessary to carry out the functions 

of WNA. 

B. The Nominating Committee shall serve as a special committee and shall be appointed for two year terms 

in the odd years. Members shall serve until their successors are appointed. There shall be three members 

of the committee, each representing a different Region or geographical area of the state. The committee 

members shall elect their chairperson. The functions of the Nominating Committee shall be to: 

a. Request the names of candidates for elective offices. 

b. Prepare a slate of qualified candidates and publish each slate at least thirty (30) days prior to the 

Annual Meeting. 

c. Present the slate of candidates to the WNA membership. 

d. Implement the policies and procedures for nominations and elections as established by these Bylaws 

and the WNA Governing Body. 


SECTION 1: DEFINITION AND PURPOSE 

ARTICLE VII: WORKPLACE ADVOCACY PROGRAM 

The Wyoming Nurses Association shall, as a State Nurses Association (SNA) and full member of the ANA, 

work to provide a workplace advocacy program for the purposes of: 

A. Offering non-collective bargaining Workplace Advocacy strategies, programs, and services to nurses; 

B. Supporting nurses in personal and professional growth and development in the practice setting in order to 

promote positive work-related experiences; 

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C. Collaborating with others to provide services and to develop policies that positively impact the work 

environment for all nurses; 

D. Providing education to nurses on workplace issues; 

E. Promoting and providing leadership and mentoring in the workplace environment; 

F. Conducting, evaluating, and supporting workplace-related research; 

G. Engaging in any lawful act or activity permitted by corporations exempt from federal income tax under 

Section 501(c)(6) of the IRC and the Region of Columbia Nonprofit Corporation Act, as the same may 

be amended or supplemented (the “Act”). 


ARTICLE VIII: ORGANIZATIONAL AFFILIATE MEMBERS 

An organizational affiliate member of WNA is an association that: 

A. Is a nursing organization that meets the criteria established by the WNA membership. 

B. Has a governing body composed of a majority of registered nurses, which is not meant to preclude the 

participation of associate nursing organizations. 

C. Has been granted organizational affiliate/membership status by the WNA Governing Body. 

D. Has paid an organization affiliation fee to WNA. 


Each organizational affiliate member shall maintain a mission and purpose harmonious with the purposes of WNA 

SECTION 3: RIGHTS AND SERVICES 

Rights and services of the organizational affiliate member shall be determined by the WNA. These rights and 

services do not include ANA rights, including the right to vote for ANA delegates and alternates. Rights and 

services of organizational affiliates shall be posted on the WNA website. 

SECTION 1: NOMINATIONS 

ARTICLE IX: NOMINATIONS AND ELECTIONS 

A. RNAs and organizational units shall be requested to submit a list of members who are qualified and 

willing to serve in elective offices. 

B. Candidates for any elective office shall meet established qualifications and shall complete a WNA 

resume/consent form. 

C. Members shall be considered eligible for only one office in WNA at any one time. 

D. A member who meets the established qualifications for any elective office may declare as a candidate by 

writing to the WNA office. 

E. The slate of candidates shall be sent to the membership at least thirty (30) days prior to the Annual 

Business meeting. 

F. The committee will strive to have at least two nominees for each position to be filled and placed on the ballot 

G. Nominees must sign “Consent to Serve” forms. 

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SECTION 2: ELECTIONS 

A. Elections shall be by secret ballot. A mail ballot is permissible. 

B. The ballots shall clearly state that candidates for President and President-Elect are concurrently 

running as representatives to the ANA Membership Assembly. Furthermore, Vice-President, Treasurer, 

and Secretary, are concurrently running as First Alternate, Second Alternate, and Third Alternate 

representatives to the ANA Membership Assembly, respectively. This representation is for two year terms 

each or until a successor is elected. 

C. At the time the President-Elect moves to the office of President, that person’s name must appear on the ballot 

to be elected as a representative to the ANA Assembly for a two year term or until a successor is elected. 

D. All WNA/ANA members in good standing are eligible to vote. 

E. Members may vote for a member whose name does not appear on the ballot by writing in the name of the 

member if the member is qualified and has consented to serve if elected. 

F. A plurality vote shall constitute an election. In a tie, the choice shall be by lot. 

G. The terms of office shall begin at the adjournment of the WNA Annual Meeting. 

H. All ballots and credentials shall be preserved for sixty (60) days after the adjournment of the WNA 

Annual Meeting. 

SECTION 3: CHALLENGE 

Any challenge to the election shall be filed with the office of WNA not more than thirty (30) days after the 

adjournment of the WNA Annual Meeting. 

SECTION 4: REMOVAL OF ELECTED OFFICERS 

A. Any officer elected by WNA may be removed whenever such action is deemed to be in the best interest 

of the Association, or for just cause. Removal of an elected officer requires a majority vote of WNA 

membership. 

B. Removal of an elected officer shall be handled as a vacancy and the provisions covering vacancies 

elsewhere in these Bylaws shall apply. 

ARTICLE X: RELATIONSHIP WITH THE AMERICAN NURSES ASSOCIATION 

SECTION 1: MEMBERSHIP 

WNA is a constituent member of the American Nurses Association. WNA shall pay dues to ANA in 

accordance with the policies adopted by the ANA Membership Assembly 

SECTION 2: REPRESENTATION 

A. Membership Assembly: WNA is entitled to representation at regular and special meetings of the ANA 

Membership Assembly in accordance with ANA Bylaws and policy. 

a. The WNA President and President-Elect shall serve as permanent ANA Membership Assembly 

Delegates. The WNA President-Elect shall be elected as President-Elect and ANA Membership 

Assembly Delegate. When the President-Elect becomes President, election as an ANA Membership 

Assembly delegate must occur. 

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b. The Vice-President, Treasurer, Secretary, and Executive Director will serve as first, second, third, and 

fourth Membership Assembly Delegate Alternates respectively. 

c. Vacancies shall be filled only by elected alternates. 

SECTION 1: AMENDMENTS WITH NOTICE 

ARTICLE XI: AMENDMENTS 

A. The Bylaws Committee chairperson shall receive proposed amendments to these Bylaws at least ninety 

(90) days prior to the WNA Annual Meeting. 

B. Amendments proposed by the Bylaws Committee for action by membership shall be submitted to the 

WNA office sixty (60) days prior to the WNA Annual Membership Meeting and shall be appended to 

the Annual Meeting notice. 

C. These Bylaws may be amended with prior notice at an annual or special meeting of the WNA by a secret 

ballot and a two-thirds (2/3) vote of the membership voting. 

SECTION 2: AMENDMENTS WITHOUT NOTICE 

A. These Bylaws may be amended without prior notice at an annual or special meeting of the WNA by a 

secret ballot and a seventy-five (75%) percent of the membership present and voting. 

B. These Bylaws may be amended by the Board of Directors in the event such amendments are required for 

conformity with the ANA requirements, by two-thirds (2/3) vote of the Governing Body present and voting. 

ARTICLE XII: WYOMING NURSE 

The Wyoming Nurse shall be the official publication of WNA and shall be published and provided to each 

member of WNA according to WNA policies. 

ARTICLE XIII: PARLIAMENTARY AUTHORITY 

The most recent edition of Roberts Rules of Order governs this association in all parliamentary situations 

that are not provided for in the law or in the charter, Bylaws, or adopted rules of WNA. 

71


72

Tough 

Enough 

to Quit 

For yourself. For your patients. 

Quit tobacco on your terms with free support services 

from the Wyoming Quit Tobacco Program. 

FREE SERVICES 

1.800.QUIT.NOW

Wyoming Behavioral Institute is a psychiatric hospital in Casper, Wyoming, offering 

inpatient and outpatient care for children, adolescents and adults. 

A different kind of nursing. 

Wyoming Behavioral Institute in Casper, Wyoming is 

looking for dedicated Nursing professionals to join our team. 

We are the premier provider of behavioral health services and 

treatment for children, adolescents and adults in Wyoming 

and the Rocky Mountain West, and we pride ourselves on 

providing the highest quality of mental health nursing care. 

Wyoming Behavioral Institute offers excellent 

compensation and generous benefits package. 

RNs, LPNs and New Grads welcome! 

APPLY ONLINE TODAY! 

www.wbihelp.com 

If you are a nurse with a commitment to service excellence 

visit our website for available nursing opportunities today. 

Be a nurse who dares to be different. 

Come join the Wyoming Behavioral Institute. 

Wyoming Behavioral Institute has been accredited by 

The Joint Commission (TJC) and is licensed by the 

State of Wyoming’s Department of Health. 

Wyoming Behavioral Institute is owned, managed and operated by 

a subsidiary of Universal Health Services, Inc., one of the largest 

providers of high-quality healthcare in the nation.

2016 WY Annual Convention Yearbook

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