New Hampshire Nursing News - December 2021

Page 8 • New Hampshire Nursing News December 2021, January, February 2022
President's Report continued from page 7
was chaired again by Carmen Petrin, and the
board approved document was submitted to the
ANA Committee on Bylaws for consistency and
harmony with the ANA bylaws.
o An onboarding and orientation program was
initiated with the NHNA BOD and will be
expanded to include all commission and task force
members.
• The Financial, Investment and Audit Task Force was
elevated to committee level in recognition of the
ongoing valuable contributions to financial health of
the association. The committee meets quarterly and
provides recommendations to the BOD on financial
performance to budget, budget preparation, and
other fiduciary matters.
• NHNA BOD voted to elevate the new Membership
Engagement Task Force to commission level.
Volunteer position descriptions were updated for
elections.
• NHNA BOD voted to form the new Commission
on Climate Action and Health in response to timely
concerns.
• The president and ED facilitated discussions via zoom
at all commission meetings beginning in June to
collaboratively develop the 2021-2024 Strategic Plan
(p.30).
• The president and ED attended the ANA Leadership
Summit and the ANA Membership Assembly in June
with president-elect Holly McCormack and alternate
Judy Joy.
• A comprehensive Succession Plan will be submitted
to the BOD by the outgoing president in December
2021 based on the Standards for Excellence; An
Ethics and Accountability Program for the Nonprofit
Sector.
• ED and BOD are preparing to become the first
Constituent State Nurses’ Association of ANA to be
accredited.
Respectfully submitted,
Carlene Ferrier, MPH, RN, NEA-BC, President
By Laws Review
The areas representing a change in our current bylaws
include:
Article IV. Nominations and Elections, Terms of Offices/
Positions, and Vacancies in Elective/Appointive Offices/
Positions, Section 2. Terms of Offices/Positions, letter C:
Current bylaws: Officers and Directors may serve a
maximum of three consecutive terms in the same
office on the Board of Directors.
Change to: Officers and Directors may serve a
maximum of two consecutive terms in the same office
on the Board of Directors and not more than eight
consecutive years on the NHNA Board of Directors
unless appointed by the Board of Directors to meet the
needs of the association.
This change provides increased opportunities for
NHNA members to serve on the BOD and contribute
to the work of the organization, providing fresh
perspectives and ideas.
Article VI. Board of Directors, Section 3, letter J:
This statement was added to the current bylaws:
Except as otherwise specified in these bylaws, create
and dissolve commissions, committees, ad hoc
committees, task forces, special interest groups, and
other entities of the Board as deemed necessary to
conduct NHNA’s business and define the purpose and
authority of such entities. The Board of Directors may
designate and change their charges and determine their
size, member qualifications, and terms of service, and
may appoint members and fill vacancies as needed.
This statement is consistent with ANA Bylaws. It
provides flexibility for the BOD to create and dissolve
functional units of NHNA and to determine the
structure and function of these units in order to
better meet the needs of the organization without
necessitating a change in bylaws prior to enacting
those changes.
Article VII. Commissions, Committees, Ad Hoc
Committees, Task Forces, and Special Interest Groups:
Current bylaws have three separate articles: Article VII
for Commissions, Article VIII for Ad Hoc Committees
and Task Forces, and Article IX for Special Interest
Groups. In addition, Article VII identifies three NHNA
Commissions and specifies the responsibilities of each
commission.
Bylaws affecting these separate functional units have
been combined into one article (Article VII). The
article provides general information regarding the
qualifications, composition and responsibilities of these
functional units. It no longer delineates any functions
of specific commissions. More detailed information for
specific commissions, committees, ad hoc committees,
ad hoc committees, task forces and special interest
groups will be specified in the NHNA Strategic Plan,
and Policy and Procedure Manual.
This change provides flexibility for the BOD as stated
above for Article VI.
A dilemma came to light when NHNA withdrew
its participation in the Northeast Multistate Division
(NEMSD) this past spring. Approval of continuing
education programs and approved provider units
remains under the purview of the NEMSD. Therefore,
there is no longer a need for NHNA to have a
Commission on Continuing Education (CCE) since
approval of continuing education programs and
approved provider units is no longer a function of
NHNA. Since the current NHNA Bylaws specify that
NHNA has a CCE, the NHNA BOD cannot dissolve
this commission unless the bylaws are amended to
allow the BOD to do so. There is no longer a role for
the CCE within NHNA. By adding the above statement
in Article VI and amending Article VII, the BOD has
the authority to dissolve the CCE and to create and
dissolve any commission, etc., to meet the needs of the
organization without requiring amending the bylaws in
future. This is also consistent with ANA Bylaws.
Please review the proposed bylaws amendments and
be prepared to vote for their approval at the LTHF on
January 18th. Prior to this meeting, if you have any
questions or concerns about these amendments please
email your feedback to nhna.ned@gmail.com, or to
carmen.petrin@cmc-nh.org and we will respond. Your
active participation is truly appreciated. For the full By
Laws Revision document please visit our website at
https://nhnurses.nursingnetwork.com/
100 Saint Anselm Drive
Manchester, NH 03102
(603) 641-7086
www.anselm.edu/cne
Committed to Promoting Excellence
in the Practice of Nursing
Saint Anselm College is approved as a provider of nursing
continuing professional development by the Northeast
Multistate Division, an accredited approver by the American
Nurses Credentialing Center’s Commission on Accreditation