The American Association of Nurse Attorneys is one of the many nursing associations to which you can belong as a nurse. Clearly this is a highly specialized organization and you will need to have an interest in law as well as the ability and motivation to complete law school as this is a prerequisite for being an attorney of any kind. Once you have completed the necessary schooling you will be able to represent individuals and corporations in court and other legal settings in relation to issues related to the medical field and its subcategories. The American Association of Nurse Attorneys is a collection of nurses who meet these requirements.
About
The American Association of Nurse Attorneys, or TAANA as it is commonly referred to, consists of nurses who practice in private law practice, in academia, as litigators and defense attorneys, as legal counsel for healthcare entities, and in health care compliance. In order to be a member you must have both a law as well as a nursing qualification. The aim of the society is to protect its members and advocate for their rights in all aspects of life.
According to TAANA’s website the following are its vision and mission statement:
Vision Statement
“Advocating excellence and creating opportunities for nurse attorneys”.
Mission Statement
“The American Association of Nurse Attorneys (TAANA) provides resources, education and leadership to its members and the healthcare and legal communities.
- To promote and enhance TAANA and the profession of the nurse attorney
- To provide educational programs, products and services to members, chapters and the public
- To facilitate communication, collaboration and leadership among members
- To serve as a resource for the healthcare and legal communities”
Membership Of The American Association of Nurse Attorneys
Benefits
Membership with a professional association comes with a number of excellent benefits that you should be sure to make use of. Members of the American Association of Nurse Attorneys specifically have access to the following benefits:
- Publishing
- Client Referrals
- Discounts
- Speaking Opportunities
- Networking
- Supreme Court Swearing In
- Resources
- Professional Profile
- Leadership
- Mentoring
- Pro Bono Opportunities
TAANA provides a number of opportunities for its members to become published in recognized professional nursing journals. This is excellent news for anyone who is interested in getting their name known. In addition, you will be in a position to benefit from client referrals and professional development through TAANA’s partners. These include:
- NSO
- TAANA colleagues
- Website visitors
- Marketing materials for TAANA
- Other professional conferences
The American Association of Nurse Attorneys offers a conference for all nurse attorneys to attend once a year. As a member of the association you will be able to attend this conference at a greatly reduced cost to yourself. These conferences are an example of the many networking opportunities that the association has to offer its members. Networking is well known as being the best method through which to expand your client base as a nurse attorney and to find specialists in the field to whom you can refer your current clientele. As a member of TAANA you will have the opportunity to be sworn in and admitted to the United States Supreme Court Bar. To do this you must:
- Obtain an application at the Supreme Court of the United States web site
- Be admitted to practice law for a full three years
- Obtain a Certificate of Good Standing from the clerk of their state’s highest court
Being a member of the American Association of Nurse Attorneys will expedite this process. There are a number of excellent resources that you will have access to through TAANA. These include:
- Professional resources
- Advice from your TAANA colleagues
- Referral from your TAANA colleagues
- Support from your TAANA colleagues
- Law clerks and research assistants
Perhaps one of the best advantages involved in being a member of TAANA is that you will effectively be raising your professional standing within the industry. As a member you will earn a higher degree of respect. At a more practical level you will be able to boost your resume considerably simply by virtue of your membership. There are also a number of leadership opportunities within the organization that you may wish to take advantage of. These exist at local and national level and will again serve to boost your resume and professional standing within the industry.
As a member of the American Association of Nurse Attorneys you will have the opportunity to find a mentor who will guide you through your career. In addition, you can volunteer your own services as a mentor to any new nurses to the field.
Services
In addition to the above mentioned benefits there are also a number of services that you will have access to as a member of TAANA. Many of these services could also be considered as benefits because of the many opportunities and advantages that they offer and lead to:
- Annual Conference
- Free Teleseminars
- TAANA Website
- Extended Member Directory
- Online List Serve
- Referral Program
- Discounts
The two main advantages of having access to the annual conference presented by TAANA is that you will, firstly, have the opportunity to attend talks on topics that are highly relevant to your field, and, secondly, you will have the chance to network with others in the profession. The Teleseminars mentioned previously, which are offered by TAANA members and industry experts, are an excellent means through which to expand your knowledge in the field of nursing law. In order to participate, you simply need to dial into the number specified on the flyer related to the event and listen in. The new member’s directory means that members will have the ability to complete information about themselves for other members to view or search. This is another means through which the networking opportunities presented by the association are increased for your benefit. Further interaction with fellow nurse attorneys can be found by joining the many online forums that are available and participating in a discussion based on the particular area of the profession that you are interested in.
In addition to helping you connect with other nurses, the referral program helps consumers find lawyers in their area by allowing consumers who call the association’s toll-free number and be matched up with nurse attorneys in their area. This means that the association is actively working in your favor and attempting to expand your clientele base at every turn.
Last but not least you will, as a member of the American Association of Nurse Attorneys, have access to the following publications at hugely discounted rates:
- The Model Curriculum of Legal Content in Nursing Education
- The Business and Legal Guidebook for Nurse Practitioners
- The pending video presentation on preparing nurses for deposition
Types
According to the association’s website, the following are the membership types and fees that are available:
- $235.00 = Fellow Dues for nurse attorneys
- $110.00 = First Year Post Graduate Dues for dual degree professionals (recent graduates)
- $25.00 = Student Dues for nurses in law school and lawyers in nursing school (copy of ID required)
- $190.00 = Affiliate Members for risk managers, physician attorneys, legal nurse consultants, government employees, speakers, and others with an interest in the goals of TAANA
Jobs
TAANA is not only dedicated to ensuring that you are protected in your career as a nurse attorney, but it is also dedicated to helping you find the best employment possible. On the association’s website are a number of job listings posted by employers in need of the services of a skilled and qualified nurse attorney. The reason potential employers post their job openings on this website is that they know that they are searching from among professionals with good reputations. This is what membership with the association can do for you. By searching through the job postings you can also, as a new nurse attorney, gather an idea of what exactly is available out there so that you can refine your search for a job in general.
Belonging to nursing associations is an important and valuable way to expand your career and ensure that you are not left behind. As a nurse attorney specialist it is even more important as the legal issues with which you will deal on a daily basis are highly complex and you will need to have access to as many resources as possible in order to ascertain that you are not left behind. In order to find employment membership with such an association is almost compulsory, which means that you will be doing yourself a serious disservice by not taking this excellent opportunity.
In order to find out more about this association and what role you can play in it, please contact the organization directly using the contact information presented below:
P.O. Box 14218 | Lenexa, KS 66285-4218
Toll Free: (877) 538-2262 | Fax: (913) 895-4652
TAANA_executive_office@goamp.com
