At the House of Delegates in October, we were excited to announce that MNA had surpassed 10,000 members for the first time in our history. Now, two months later, we are pleased to announce that our membership is continuing to increase. This is extremely exciting and serves as a testament to the dynamic organization we are creating at MNA. In 2006, our members took a bold step and reorganized MNA, believing it was an opportunity to create a vibrant organization. Now, just a little over one year later, our membership has grown by approximately 20%, which represents our largest one year increase in over twenty years. While many labor organizations are debating reform, our Association took bold steps. Simply, our members recognized that we are in the midst of the most rapid transformative moment in nursing’s history.
Our goals are simple. MNA believes that we must unite nurses and create enough density to move nursing’s agenda and improve the quality of patient care. Further, we must continue to devote the resources necessary to organize nurses and lastly, we must continue to develop strategies to unite nurses and set high standards that benefit all employees in the workplace. These principles are at the heart of MNA’s vision for change as we move into 2008.
Hall of Fame football Coach Vince Lombardi once said, “A man can be as great as he wants to be. If you believe in yourself and have the courage, the determination, the dedication, the competitive drive, and if you are willing to sacrifice the little things in life and pay the price for the things that are worthwhile, it can be done.” Our achievements this past year are the results of the combined effort of our members, leadership, and staff. And we still have much more to do!
2007 was filled with challenges. When the clock struck twelve on New Year’s Eve, this was much more than a symbol of a new calendar year for MNA. We should reflect on all that has been accomplished in the past and thank the many friends who contributed to our success. But, we must also look forward to the future. Let the New Year find all of you and MNA even better than the year before. i