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| About Texas Nurses Association |
 The Texas Nurses Association (TNA) is a statewide membership-based professional association of licensed nurses. Founded in 1907, TNA is the most inclusive nursing association in Texas and the largest state nursing association in the country. Our members represent all segments of nursing practice — bedside to administration, consulting to advanced practice, and education to legislation — and all practice settings, including hospital, home and community health, public health, higher education, long-term care, school health and policy. As diverse as they are, TNA members share a common purpose: Advancing excellence in nursing. It's a pursuit that requires commitment, involvement and leadership. Fortunately, these are inherent traits of nurses. What We BelieveMission: Empowering Texas Nurses to advance the profession Vision: Nurses transforming health Values: Respect Integrity Excellence Diversity Courage What We DoTNA is not a union nor a regulatory body (learn more about the differences). We are a volunteer-driven member organization that works with everyone to get good things accomplished for nurses and their patients. Every member is encouraged to get involved on a statewide level or through one of TNA's districts.
History In 1907, a group of 19 Texas nurses met in Fort Worth to create the Texas Graduate Nurses’ Association, an organization seeking state regulation of the practice and education of nursing. The newly formed organization started by proposing a bill to the Texas Legislature to create a state registration for nurses. Passed in 1909 — before women could even vote — this bill created the Board of Nurse Examiners for the State of Texas, and was, in essence, the first nursing practice act. In 1913, TGNA successfully raised standards for nursing schools, including an eight-hour day for students, three-year courses in all schools of nursing, elevated entrance requirements, uniform curriculum, and better preparation for teaching and supervision. By 1964, the TGNA was renamed the Texas Nurses Association. A few years later, TNA helped create a true Nursing Practice Act. In the following years, TNA successfully lobbied to add a definition of nursing practice, whistle-blower protection, peer review and more to the NPA. In the 1970s and ‘80s, three major social and economic movements affected the direction of the association: the women’s movement, the growth of health care as a major United States industry, and recognition of higher education as a measure of professional value. TNA followed the national trend and focused on setting educational requirements for beginning nurses. TNA has continued focusing on education but has also addressed workplace advocacy including whistleblower and patient advocacy protections, safe patient handling, workplace violence prevention and on patient safety through advocating for safe staffing, peer review, and addressing the nursing shortage by encouraging funding for the Nursing Workforce Shortage and Faculty Loan Repayment programs. Read about the first 100 years of TNA Read about the history of the Nursing Practice Act Read about TNA's history of legislative involvement Read about the landmark Winkler County Nurse Whistle-blower Case PartnershipsTNA is involved in a number of community initiatives and alliances, including:
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