Ethics and Governance
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Committee

(Formerly named the Bylaws & Policies Committee)

See the Need. Be the Voice!

Rachael Schmoll
Vice President
Galen College of Nursing,
St. Petersburg, FL
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Seasonal Memos
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What is the Role of the Ethics and Governance Committee?

The committee is responsible for implementing resolutions passed by the HOD related to ethics and governance; engaging members in the Code of Ethics; assisting chapters to submit amendments to the Code of Ethics; guiding chapters with bylaws, policies and procedures; reviewing NSNA’s policies bylaws and procedures when related issues arise.

Rachael Schmoll, Vice President and Chair,
Ethics and Governance Committee, Fall Memo

Hello all! The Ethics and Governance Committee is excited to begin a new school year and hopes that everyone is diving back into all their coursework with success. With the beginning of a new school year many challenges, changes, and exhilarating tasks lie ahead. The Ethics and Governance Committee is here to help make sure your school and state chapters have all the resources they need to run a successful organization. 
 
Yearly Bylaws Review
Each year, school and state chapters should review and amend their bylaws as needed. In addition to updating bylaws to help run your organization, it is important to ensure that your bylaws follow the areas of conformity as required to be a constituent organization of NSNA. Areas of conformity may be found in bold typeface in the sample bylaws for school and state chapters. 
 
Sample Bylaws for NSNA School Chapters
Model Bylaws for State Associations

Code of Ethics 
The NSNA Ethics and Governance Committee invites NSNA members to a VIRTUAL Roundtable Discussion to discuss the revisions of the NSNA Code of Ethics adopted at the 2022 NSNA Annual Convention. 
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Join us on Wednesday, November 16, from 2 – 5 pm EST to provide your input on revisions and help shape interpretative statements.  
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Code of Ethics Virtual Roundtable Discussion

A new date and time for the Code of Ethics Virtual Roundtable Discussion will be announced soon.

"See the Need. Be the Voice!" with Rachael Schmoll

Rachael Schmoll, 2022-2023 Vice President and Chair, Ethics and Governance Committee speaks during the 2022 NSNA Leadership U Summer Summit.
Attention NSNA State Association Leaders

During the past few years have you been struggling to fill your board positions?

You are encouraged to keep a minimum of an executive committee: president, vice president, secretary, and treasurer. Check your bylaws to determine if there is a bylaw that permits the executive committee to make decisions when a full board is unable to meet or if the decisions cannot wait until a full board meeting. If there is nothing specific, and your bylaws direct you to refer to Robert’s Rules of Order for guidance, then you can use the guidance of Robert’s. This gives you the ability to keep your bank account in place, file tax forms (i.e., 990), and remain a constituent of NSNA (and thus collect dues). This is a temporary method of maintaining the association during this time of crisis. NSNA staff will assist you in communicating with your members and guidance in holding elections. Contact Kenya@nsna.org ​

NSNA Ethics and Governance

​References & Resources

             - Core Values         
             - Code of Professional Conduct
             - Code of Academic and Clinical Conduct (with interpretive statements)
             - Nursing Student Bill of Rights and Responsibilities
             - Guide to Grievance Process

References
  • Carver, J. (2006). Boards that Make a Difference. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass Publishers.
  • Jacobs, J. (2018). Association law handbook : a practical guide for associations, societies, and charities. Washington, D.C: Association Management Press
  • Policies and Procedures in Association Management. (2001). Washington, DC: American Society of Association Executives.
  • Principles of Association Management. (2001). Washington, DC: American Society of Association Executives and the Chamber of Commerce of the United States, p.47.
  • Robert, H., Robert, S., Robert, H., Evans, W., Honemann, D., Balch, T., Seabold, D. & Gerber, S. (2020). Robert's rules of order : newly revised.
    New York: Public Affairs

Resources

American Society of Association Executives and the Center for Association Leadership
http://www.asaecenter.org/
Publishes Association Leadership, an annual periodical is a practical management tool for volunteer leaders.  Articles focus on the roles of association executives, board, and committee members, and can be used as a training tool for board members.  Designed to help all work more productively as a team, the magazine presents important topics to the volunteer.