Tennessee Nurses Association (TNA)

The formation of TNA in 1905 began with the drive to develop and pass a law to regulate nursing practice. The first bill was introduced in 1907 but was defeated. In 1909, a second attempt was made to pass a bill and it was once again defeated. On February 14, 1911, after much tenacious lobbying by TNA members across Tennessee, the first nurse practice act became law.

Today, the nurse practice act regulates nursing and protects the public from unsafe nursing practice. The law includes a clear definition of professional nursing practice and the necessary educational qualifications a registered nurse must have in order to practice. It also outlines the criteria schools of nursing must meet in order to gain approval by the Board of Nursing to educate registered nurses. TNA continually updates the nurse practice act to reflect the changing role of the registered nurse.

Mission;
The mission of TNA is to:
• Empower the registered nurse
• Advocate for the practice of nursing
• Model nurse advocacy and political involvement.
• Champion quality health care for all Tennesseans

Vision:
TNA will be the unifying voice for nursing in Tennessee to positively influence the future of healthcare.