2022 APNA Secretary’s Report

Dear Colleagues,

Evelyn Perkins, Secretary, APNA Board of Directors

As the Secretary for the APNA Board of Directors, I am pleased to provide you with this annual update on our membership and communications during the past year.

The APNA Secretary is responsible for corporate records and taking meeting minutes during official meetings of the APNA Board of Directors. During the past year, the APNA Board of Directors conducted meetings on October 12, 2021; November 9, 2021; December 14, 2021; January 11, 2022; February 17-18, 2022; March 9, 2022; April 12, 2022; May 10, 2022; June 8-9, 2022; July 12, 2022; August 9, 2022; and September 13, 2022.

I’m happy to report that membership continues to be strong. Total renewals and new members have increased by 6.4% and we gain more than 13 new members each day!  Renewals this quarter are up 5.4% and new members are up 27.5%. The membership is currently 54% RN and 45% APRN.

Beyond the updated Psychiatric-Mental Health Nursing: Scope & Standards of Practice and the APNA Psychiatric-Mental Health Nursing Workforce Report, which are discussed in the President’s Report, new resources now available, thanks to the considerable expertise found within our membership, include:

• January/February 2022 Journal of the American Psychiatric Nurses Association special issue on substance use disorders
• APNA Position Paper: Psychotherapy and the APRN Role
• Essentials of Caring for Persons who are Diagnosed with Personality Disorders

Resources revised and updated by members to reflect the most current evidence and information include:

• APNA standards of practice and position on the use of seclusion & restraint
• Key Components of Safety Toolkit
• Undergraduate Education Faculty Toolkit
• Five APNA Position Papers
• Guidance on precepting and mentorship

Since 2011, your resource for online continuing nursing education, the APNA eLearning Center, continues to grow in scope and reach. Four hundred and thirty four sessions are available to access online, with 575.75 total contact hours. APNA has offered more than 70 on-demand educational sessions with contact hours for free to members this year.

Member Bridge, APNA’s community site, offers a place for member connection and collaboration. The community has 126,024 resources and posts shared by members. It serves as an always growing and evolving source for the collective wisdom, experiences, and concerns shared by PMH nursing.

APNA also continues to enhance and adjust its new website and membership system, launched August 2021, to ensure that it is meeting the needs of members and raising awareness of the profession. APNA uses a broad range of communications platforms (email, social media, surface mail, public relations outreach, and more) to disseminate information & updates and boost the visibility of the profession.

Thank you for all you do and for being a member of your association of professionals. This year’s achievements are collective efforts reflecting the depth of dedication and expertise found within the membership.

Respectfully submitted,

Evelyn Perkins, MS, RN, PMH-BC, NE-BC
Secretary