Have you ever considered the advantages of including NSNA membership dues as part of student activity or tuition fees? NSNA included a question in a faculty survey about enrollment of all students in their nursing program in NSNA membership. Thirty-nine percent of the respondents expressed an interest in NSNA developing such an option. NSNA is responding to this interest with an invitation to your school to participate in the NSNA total school membership plan. Here's how it works:
Schools choosing to enroll all of their students in NSNA must develop a method to collect national and state dues and send one check along with a completed membership application for each student to the NSNA. NSNA will provide refunds/credits as appropriate for those students currently enrolled who are already NSNA members.
The method of collection must include an opportunity for those students who do not wish to be members to have a mechanism for not joining.
Ideally, there will be a method for those students who want to be members, but who do not have the financial resources to join, to have a way of bartering services or applying to a special fund for this purpose.
The dean/director or faculty advisor must submit a report with the dues check indicating the total number of students enrolled in the program, the number of students who are joining the association, and the number of students who refused membership.
* NSNA membership must not be mandatory. Your school must have a process for students to opt out of Total Membership. As an added incentive, the NSNA dues for both new and renewing members will be $22.00 for national dues plus state dues. Note that individual students renewing NSNA membership pay $30.00 plus state dues. State dues will not be affected (i.e. New York students will pay $37).
If this membership option sounds like it could work at your school, please discuss it with the students and faculty. Then, approach the school administration and legal counsel to determine the feasibility of participating in this pilot project. The NSNA staff is ready to assist you in any way possible to make this method of NSNA membership enrollment work for your school. Please contact (718) 210-0705 or by email in order to begin to collaborate on this exciting initiative!
Click below for examples of Total School Membership Plans at official NSNA chapters. Use these documents to create your very own Total School Membership Plan at your school.