ONA and ANA Benefits for OCCNS

The Oregon Council of Clinical Nurse Specialists (OCCNS) is a special interest group of the Oregon Nurses Association (ONA). All members of ONA who are clinical nurse specialists are members of OCCNS. Membership in ONA also includes membership in the American Nurses Association (ANA) and all the benefits that entails! By joining ONA/OCCNS you have a voice to advance CNS practice statewide and nationally.

Significant outcomes of OCCNS and ONA:

• Lobbied and obtained Oregon legislation for CNS title protection and full practice authority in the 1990s.
• Worked with Oregon State Board of Nursing on regulations to make Oregon CNSs among the 1st in the U.S. to achieve full practice authority.
  
• Created pathways for Oregon CNSs to obtain credentialing and privileging in their employment organizations. This included the option for prescriptive authority.

Click here for more information on the benefits of membership in ONA and OCCNS, as well as the ANA benefits.

Peer Support and Networking

OCCNS members have unique peers support and networking opportunities through in-person or virtual meetings and social events with other CNSs in Oregon.

Legislative and Practice Advocacy

ONA engages with members of the Oregon Legislature, the Oregon State Board of Nursing, and other regulatory bodies to address future issues that may impact your practice.

ONA Government Relations staff and volunteers advocate for CNSs and their patients. As leaders and members, we connect with community partners, elected officials, and other health care organizations.

Advocacy work in Salem and during elections helps achieve policy goals and support Oregon’s CNSs interventions at the patient, nursing, organizational, and state level in order improve patient outcomes.  

Conferences and Events

As an OCCNS member you receive discounted registration rates for the various events such as the NW Regional CNS Conference.