Oklahoma Nurses Association Bylaws
ARTICLE I — Purposes and Functions
Section 1. Purposes
a. The purposes of the Oklahoma Nurses Association (ONA) shall be to foster high standards of nursing practice, promote educational development of nurses, and support professional nurses to the end that all people may have better health care.
b. These purposes shall be unrestricted by considerations of age, color, creed, disability, gender, life-style, nationality, race or religion.
Section 2. Functions
The functions of ONA shall be to:
a. facilitate implementation of standards of practice;
b. ensure adherence to the Code of Ethics for Nurses established by the American Nurses Association (ANA);
c. provide leadership in state and national nursing issues;
d. initiate and influence legislation, government programs, state health policy and national health policy;
e. communicate and disseminate ONA positions;
f. disseminate data pertinent to nursing;
g. offer workplace advocacy strategies, programs and services to nurses;
h. support and promote nursing research;
i. provide for the professional development of nurses;
j. pay dues to ANA in accordance with the ANA Bylaws and ANA House of Delegates policy;
k. pay dues to the Center for American Nurses (CAN) in accordance with the affiliation agreement between ANA and CAN;
l. provide for representation in the ANA House of Delegates, the CAN membership council, and
l. function in compliance with ANA and CAN Bylaws.
ARTICLE II — Membership
The members of ONA shall be composed of individuals and organizations that have member or organizational affiliate status. Membership is unrestricted by consideration of age, color, creed, disability, gender, life-style, nationality, race, religion, health status and sexual orientation or any other consideration in accordance with the bylaws of ANA.
Section 1. Members
a. An member is one who:
1) has been granted a license as a registered nurse in at least one state, territory, possession, or District of Columbia of the United States of America and does not have a license under suspension or revocation in any state, and
2) has paid dues as required for membership.
b. Classifications
1. ONA/ANA FULL MEMBERSHIP
An individual nurse who is working full or part-time. The annual dues for an ONA member shall be established by the ONA House of Delegates, which includes an assessment fee paid to the American Nurses Association and established in accordance with the ANA House of Delegates
2. ONA/ANA REDUCED MEMBERSHIP
A nurse who qualifies for one of the following categories may elect to pay 50 percent of the established dues including an assessment fee paid to the American Nurses Association.
a. Not employed.
b. Enrolled full-time in an accredited nursing education program.
c. New graduate from basic nursing education program, within six months of graduation.
d. 62 years of age or over and not earning more than the Social Security system allows.
3. ONA/ANA SPECIAL MEMBERSHIP
A nurse who is 62 years of age or older and not employed may elect to pay 25 percent of the established dues including an assessment fee paid to the American Nurses Association.
4. ONA/ANA HONORARY MEMBERSHIP
May be bestowed by the Board upon those individuals who have made outstanding contributions to the profession. The Board shall determine criteria and implementation.
5. ONA (IN-STATE ONLY) MEMBERS
Registered nurses who work or live in Oklahoma may join the Oklahoma Nurses Association at the state level only. The annual dues for an ONA only member shall be established by the ONA House of Delegates, which includes an administrative assessment fee paid to the American Nurses Association established in the written agreement with the ANA. This membership does not entitle the registered nurse to belong to or receive benefits from the American Nurses Association at the national level.
c. Member Rights:
1. ONA/ANA Members
a attend Association meetings;
b receive official publications of ONA, ANA and other related entities;
c be a candidate for office;
d attend unrestricted meetings of ONA, ANA, CAN or ICN;
e serve as an ANA delegate and representative to the CAN membership council, for a two-year term after being elected by the individual members of the association by secret ballot; vote by secret ballot for elected offices of the Association;
f serve in any ONA, ANA or CAN elected or appointed position if selected;
g receive advice and guidance from ONA concerning workplace and nursing practice issues;
h abide by the ANA Code of Ethics for Nurses;
i uphold the Bylaws of ONA , ANA and CAN;
j. receive other benefits offered by the Association;
k. right to due process
2. ONA Members—In state only members
a attend Association meetings;
b receive official publications of ONA;
c attend unrestricted meetings of ONA;
d vote by secret ballot for ONA elected offices of the Association;
e serve in any ONA appointed position if selected;
f receive advice and guidance from ONA concerning workplace and nursing practice issues;
g abide by the ANA Code of Ethics for Nurses;
h uphold the Bylaws of ONA ,
i receive other benefits offered by the Association;
j right to due process
d. Disciplinary Action and Appeal
1. Cause for disciplinary action by ONA against a member shall be limited to failure to fulfill the obligations cited in these bylaws and other such actions detrimental to the purposes, goals and functions of ONA and ANA.
2. Disciplinary proceedings shall be conducted pursuant to common parliamentary and statutory law in accordance with the policies established by the ONA Board of Directors
3. All disciplined members have the right to appeal to the House of Delegates pursuant to common parliamentary and statutory law..
4. Disciplinary action taken by another constituent member of ANA against one of its individual members shall be given full recognition and enforcement provided that such action was taken in accordance with the disciplining constituent member’s bylaws and disciplinary procedures.
e. Transfer of Membership
1. An ONA member may transfer from one Regional Nurses Association (RNA) to another RNA without paying additional dues.
2. ANA Members who have paid their dues in full to one constituent may transfer to ONA without paying additional dues.
3. ONA is not required to refund individual membership dues to the ONA/ANA member transferring to another constituent member of ANA.
Section 2. Organizational Affiliates of ONA
a. An organizational affiliate of ONA is an organization that:
1. is a nursing or health-related organization that meets criteria established by the Board;
2. has been approved by the Board; and
3. has paid an organizational affiliation fee to ONA, specified by the Board
b. Rights
Each organizational affiliate shall be entitled to:
1. representation in the House of Delegates by a registered nurse with one vote;
2. make informational reports or presentations to the House within its area of expertise;
3. submit the names of representatives qualified for appointment to ad hoc groups, task forces, and other ONA organizational units; and
4. receive publications and communications published by the ONA office.
c. Responsibilities
Each organizational affiliate shall maintain a mission and purpose harmonious with the purpose and functions of ONA.
ARTICLE III — Regional Nurses Association (RNA)
The ONA Regional Nurses Associations are the basic structural units through which members participate in the Oklahoma Nurses Association. The RNA shall have the authority to operate a local constituency as an extension of ONA. The RNA has the authority, delegated by the House, to:
a. establish its own governance structure, bylaws, programs, and activities;
b. maintain regional representation on the ONA Board of Directors
c. participate in the ONA House of Delegates;
d. recommend strategies, policies and activities that facilitate ONA's mission and goals; and
e. maintain functions and purposes congruent with ONA
Section 1. Responsibilities
The RNAs shall:
a. provide the names and addresses of regional officers to the ONA.
b. submit reports to ONA as requested;
c. present issues and concerns pertinent to its regional members to ONA;
d. disseminate information to its regional members and the nursing community including ONA purposes and programs.
e. present delegates for credentialing to the House.
f. function in compliance with ONA Bylaws .
Section 2. Composition
a. Boundaries of RNAs shall be defined by the Board. Boundaries may be changed by a majority vote of the Board, provided each RNA involved has approved such change.
b. Dissolution of a RNA that fails to comply with the requirements of the ONA Bylaws, or for other cause deemed sufficient by the Board, may be dissolved by a majority vote of the Board, provided notice has been given to each member of that RNA at least two months before the vote is taken.
c. A RNA that has been dissolved may be reinstated by a petition of five members and approved by a majority vote of the Board.
d. A new RNA may be formed by applying for region status upon a majority vote of the members within the geographic or clinic based area.
ARTICLE IV — Organizational Structure
Section 1. House of Delegates
The ONA House of Delegates shall be the governing body of the ONA and shall meet at the time of the annual ONA convention. The ONA House of Delegates provides stewardship for the profession through the creation of policy direction and positions that support the purposes of ONA
a. Composition and Apportionment
The House shall be composed of the Board of Directors, delegates from the Regional Nurses Association and Organizational Affiliates and ONA Past Presidents
1. At the annual meeting of the House, each RNA shall be entitled to one delegate?at?large plus one delegate for every 20 members. Vacancies may be filled by Alternate Delegates in accordance with the RNA's policies.
2. At the annual meeting of the House, each Organizational Affiliate shall be entitled to one delegate-at-large who is a Registered Nurse.
3. At any special meeting of the House, each RNA and organizational affiliate shall be entitled to the number of delegates authorized for the immediately preceding annual meeting of the House.
4. Each ONA past president is entitled to one seat as a delegate at any meeting of the House.
c. Meetings
1. Members shall be notified of the annual meeting of the House through a notice published by ONA including the Oklahoma Nurse and web site at least 45 days prior to the meeting.
2. Special meetings of the House may be called by a two?thirds vote of the Board of Directors and shall be called by the President upon written request of a majority of the RNAs.
3. Members of ONA shall be notified of a special meeting of the House, by mail or other means determined by the Board, at least 10 days prior to the meeting.
d. Responsibilities
The House of Delegates shall:
1. establish rules of procedure for meeting of the ONA House of Delegates;
2. adopt and maintain bylaws;
3. monitor the strategic plan;
4. delegate authority to the ONA Board of Directors to define accountability for the implementation of association policies and positions approved by the ONA House of Delegates; and
5. determine policy directions and positions of the association;
e. Quorum
A quorum for the transaction of business by the House of Delegates shall consist of a majority of the total delegate population, representing a majority of the RNAs, and a majority of the Board, one of whom shall be the president or vice?president.
Section 2. Board of Directors
The Board of Directors is the corporate body composed of officers and directors elected by the membership. Each RNA will select a representative to serve on the Board. The Board shall have the authority delegated to it by the ONA House of Delegates, including the duty and power of acting for the membership between meetings of the House. The Board is accountable to the House for implementing House decisions.
a. Composition
The Board of Directors shall consist of ONA elected officers and directors along with a representative from each RNA to consist of not more than 25 members. There shall be three executive officers; president, vice president, secretary/treasurer. During even-number years there shall be a president-elect. There shall be four directors; education director, political activities director, practice director and disaster preparedness and response director.
b. Responsibilities
The Board shall:
1. exercise the corporate responsibility and fiduciary duties of the organization consistent with applicable provisions of law;
2. provide for implementation of association policies and positions approved by the ONA House of Delegates;
3. establish policies and procedures for the transaction of business and association activities; operation and maintenance of an office; and appoint, define the responsibilities and determine other policies in relation to the Executive Director;
4 establish financial policies and procedures that maintain the financial stability of ONA, adopt a budget, submit all books annually to a certified public accountant for review or audit, and present a financial statement to the House of Delegates;
5. fulfill the duties specified in the Association Bylaws and in the Policy manual of the Association; and
6. maintain appropriate relationships with the Oklahoma Nurses Foundation (ONF), the Oklahoma Nurses Association Political Action Committee (ONA-PAC), the Oklahoma Nurse Assistance Program (ONAP) and other organizations with missions and objectives congruent with ONA.
c. Term of Office
1. Officers and directors will be elected to a two-year term of office except for the president-elect. The term of office begins with the adjournment of the annual meeting of the House of Delegates. An officer or director shall not serve more than six consecutive years on the board or three terms. An officer or director who has served more than half a term shall be considered to have served a full term.
2. The secretary/treasurer, and two directors shall be elected in even-numbered years. The vice?president, president-elect, and two directors shall be elected in odd?numbered years.
d. Vacancies
In the event of a vacancies:
1. in the office of president, the vice?president shall serve as president for the remainder of the term. To serve as an ANA delegate he/she must be elected as an ANA delegate.
2. in the office of another officer or of a director, the Board shall fill the vacancy by appointment for the remainder of the term.
e. Executive Committee
The executive committee will be composed of the president, vice-president, secretary/treasurer which shall have all powers delegated by the Board to transact business between board meetings.
f. Meetings
Meetings of the Board shall be held at least quarterly. Special meetings may be called by the president or shall be called upon written request from a majority of the RNAs or six members of the Board.
g. Quorum
A majority of the Board including the president or vice-president shall constitute a quorum at any meeting of the Board.
Section 3 Duties of Officers
a. The president of ONA will serve as the official representative of the association and as its spokesperson on matters of association policy and positions; as the chairperson of the House, the Board and the executive committee of the board; and as an ex?officio member of all committees except the Nominations Committee. The Association President shall serve as an elected delegate to the ANA and CAN House of Delegates. As designated by the Board, the president may appoint task forces and may fulfill other duties.
b. The president-elect will serve for a period of one-year prior to assuming the duties of the President. He/she will serve as co-chair of both the awards committee and convention committee.
c. The vice-president will serve, as the chair of the Convention Committee and Awards Committee. The vice?president will assume the duties of the president in the president's absence or at the discretion of the president.
d. The secretary/treasurer will be responsible for ensuring that records are maintained of meetings of the House, the Board and the executive committee, and shall notify the RNA and individual members of meetings of the House. In addition this officer will be responsible for authorizing the fiscal affairs of ONA and shall provide reports and interpretation of ONA's financial condition to the House, the Board and the membership.
e. The directors shall serve as liaisons to the association’s standing committees as appropriate for their areas of responsibility.
f. The officers and directors shall fulfill the responsibilities of the Board as defined in these bylaws.
Section 4 Committees
a. Standing Committees of the House of Delegates
The standing committees of the ONA House of Delegates shall be as follows: Reference Committee and Nominating Committee. These standing committees shall be accountable to the ONA House of Delegates and provide reports to the Board of Directors.
1. The Nominating Committee shall be composed of at least five members to be elected by the membership. Three members will be elected every year for a two-year term.
2. The Reference Committee shall be composed of the executive committee of the board of directors.
b. Standing Committees of the Association
There shall be standing committees of the Association to include Awards, Convention, Education, Disaster Preparedness and Response, Governmental Activities, Professional Practice in the Workplace. These committees shall be accountable to the Board of Directors and provide reports to the House of Delegates.
1. All committees will be composed of at least seven members representing each region and others as appointed by the president.
2. The chairs will be appointed by the president.
c. Quorum
At committee and task force meetings a majority of those in attendance of any meeting shall constitute a quorum.
Section 5 Election of Officers and ANA/CAN Delegates
a. Nominations
1. Candidates will be selected from ONA/ANA members in good standing and will complete a Consent to Serve Form prior to election. All candidates for President shall concurrently run for ANA delegate and CAN representative. The nomination slate will be presented to the ONA Board of Directors and Region Presidents for final consent.
2. The nomination slate along with biographical information will be printed in the Oklahoma Nurse and other association publications.
b. Elections
1. Elections shall be by secret ballot.
2. A plurality vote shall constitute an election. In case of a tie, the choice shall be by lot
3. Any challenge to the election shall be filed with the secretary/treasurer not more than 30 days after the adjournment of the annual meeting of the ONA House of Delegates.
Section 6 Association Executive
a. The Board of Directors shall delegate to the executive director the authority to manage the association according to policies established by the ONA House of Delegates and the Board of Directors
b. The executive director shall be accountable to the Board of Directors
c. The executive director shall employ, direct, promote and terminate staff of the association.
d. The executive director may represent the association and serve as spokesperson on matters of established policy and positions.
ARTICLE V — Related Nursing Organizations
Section 1. American Nurses Association (ANA)
ONA is a constituent member of ANA with the qualifications, responsibilities and rights as delineated in the ANA bylaws. The ONA shall be bound by the obligation to pay dues to ANA pursuant to ANA bylaws and House of Delegates policy unless 2/3 of the entire ONA membership votes to disaffiliate from ANA.
Section 2. Center for American Nurses (CAN)
ONA is a constituent member of the CAN with the qualifications, responsibilities and rights as delineated in the CAN bylaws. The ONA shall be bound by the obligation to pay dues to CAN pursuant to the affiliate agreement between ANA and CAN unless 2/3 of the entire ONA membership votes to disaffiliate from CAN.
Section 3. ONF, ONA-PAC, and ONAP
a. ONF, ONA-PAC, and ONAP were begun and are supported by ONA for fulfilling each organizations specific purposes and functions on behalf of the profession.
b. ONA appoints members from the membership and the Board to these organizations according to the bylaws of each individual organization. ONA Board of Directors determines the financial and the organizational arrangements between ONA and these organizations
c. A mutual agreement between ONA and the specific organization shall be required before the organization may disband or alter its relationship with ONA.
Section 4. Other Nursing Organizations
ONA, through its members and Board, encourages the establishment and maintenance of its mutually beneficial relationships with the Oklahoma Nursing Students Association, the Oklahoma State Association of Licensed Practical Nurses, other specialty nursing organizations and collaborative efforts with other healthcare entities.
ARTICLE VI — Amendments
These bylaws may be amended with prior notice at a meeting of the ONA House of Delegates by a two-thirds vote of the credentialed delegates present and voting.
ARTICLE VII — Rules of Order
Robert's Rules of Order Newly Revised, current edition governs this association in all parliamentary situations that are not provided for in the law or in the bylaws or adopted operation policies of ONA.
Approved by the ONA House of Delegates
October 28, 2004
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