NSNA Leadership U
Words of Advice from a Fellow Delegate
by Lynne Nowotny, President, Florida Nursing Students’ Association
Serving as a delegate at the NSNA convention is an important responsibility and an honor. Each school is entitled to one voting delegate and alternate when they attain constituency status (ten members and submission of the Official Application for NSNA Constituency Status). A school with 50 members has two delegates and two alternates; one additional delegate and alternate is achieved with each additional 50 members. For example, a school with 100 NSNA members is entitled to three delegates.
Electing or appointing school chapter leaders to represent a school must be taken very seriously. Members who will represent the best interest of the school chapter in an informed and professional manner is imperative. Many schools pay the expenses for their delegates to attend NSNA conventions. When a member agrees to represent the chapter, they also accept the responsibilities and obligations that accompany this privilege. Even if your school doesn't pay for your representatives expenses to serve as a delegate, the duties of a delegate are very clear. The purpose of this article is to inform NSNA members what these expectations are so each House of Delegates can run smoothly and quorum is always maintained.
The responsibilities of delegates can be broken down into the following three major areas of responsibility:
- Delegates must attend each meeting of the House of Delegates and remain in the House until it is recessed or adjourned. If an alternate delegate is assigned to be seated at the House of Delegates meeting, the alternate must attend the entire meeting.
- Delegates must be apprised of the current business on the House of Delegates agenda. Many issues are brought before the delegates that require careful consideration. Each delegate should read proposed resolutions and proposed bylaw amendments (if any). Attending the resolutions hearing and reading the backup documentation for the resolutions helps delegates and alternates to enter into informed debate.
- Delegates should make a point of meeting each of the candidates running for both the national board of directors and the nominating and elections committee. By asking appropriate questions regarding the position they are seeking, the related experience that they will bring to the position, and their opinion about the business to come before the House of Delegates will help you to make the best choice for NSNA’s future leadership. Biographical information for each candidate is available for review in Campaign Headquarters. A person can make an informed choice only after they have examined all of the facts. There are two Candidate Presentations on Friday afternoon, and the delegate (or alternate) must attend both sessions to ensure knowledge of the candidates' platform and ask pertinent questions. This is a great opportunity to hear how candidates articulate their goals for NSNA and respond to impromptu questions. The presidential debate takes place at the second Candidate Presentations.
For any House of Delegates to vote on issues there must be a quorum present. Quorum means that a specified number of voting representatives are seated at the meeting. According to NSNA Bylaws, Article VII, Section 6, “The quorum for the national meeting shall consist of delegates from at least 51% of the total number of delegates credentialed at the annual meeting and which represent at least 2/3 of the states having delegates credentialed at the annual meeting, and at least four members of the Board of Directors, including the President or Vice President." This is extremely important because it means that if a member is elected or appointed as a delegate, they must attend all of the business meetings to ensure that quorum is met. If quorum is lost, the House of Delegates cannot vote on important issues.
Each delegate is entitled to have an alternate delegate. The alternate can be seated in on the House of Delegates when the delegate is not available. Note that delegates and alternates cannot attend only part of the meeting: either the delegate or the alternate delegate must attend the entire meeting for that day’s session). By having both a delegate and an alternate, schedules can be coordinated so that they can attend programs that are presented concurrently with the House of Delegates. In addition, an alternate who is an underclass student can be groomed to be the delegate for next year. The delegate and the alternate should sit down together when they arrive at the convention and go over the entire convention schedule. This allows each delegate and alternate to know exactly what is required and to manage their time effectively. Alternates can also observe the deliberations of the House. Special seating is available in the back of the delegate section for this purpose.
The House of Delegates is where business of the organization is conducted. This business includes, but is not limited to, voting on resolutions, proposed bylaw changes and policies (such as the proposed Code of Academic and Clinical Conduct). Students sometimes express concern about sitting through long sessions of debate. True, it can be exhausting. However, it can also be very stimulating when you know the issues and you enter into the debate. This is what we are there for, to change and improve our pre-professional organization. The resolutions that are passed by the House become official NSNA policy. The NSNA Board of Directors is responsible for implementing the resolutions by including them in programs, in Imprint, and on the NSNA home page. The resolutions direct the association's future agenda, and they serve to inform many professional organizations of NSNA’s stance on a variety of issues. Writing and debating resolutions is a great way to learn about issues of importance to nursing and health care. Bylaws are the laws by which the association is governed. We all must be familiar with NSNA’s bylaws and proposed changes, as we are all bound by these rules that govern how NSNA functions to represent student nurses.
In past House of Delegate meetings, delegates have become fatigued and have expressed their desire to "just get it over with.” I offer this appeal to all future delegates: please take measures to ensure that you have enough rest and nourishment, and that you come prepared to work at each House of Delegates meeting. It is too easy to pass or fail important resolutions and bylaw amendments just to expedite the business. When this happens, important debate may not be heard and hasty decisions may result in a negative outcome for the association. This is a great opportunity to practice critical thinking skills by asking yourself, “What is the impact on NSNA and the nursing profession if we pass (or fail) this resolution (or bylaw amendment)?” As a school representative, you "represent" the members from your school. If there are other students at the convention from your school, it is the delegate’s responsibility to talk to members from their school and find out how they feel about the issue. Although the delegate is not under any obligation (instructed voting) to vote “yea or nay” to an issue, it will help the delegate make an informed decision based on thoughtful discussion with peers.
I would like to offer one final suggestion to future delegates. The 2001 House of Delegates schedule has been changed significantly. The House opens on Wednesday afternoon, and there is no House meeting on Thursday. This allows delegates to attend important informative sessions about the business to come before the House. The House adjourns at 2:00 p.m. on Saturday, April 7, 2001. Please make your travel plans accordingly. In the past, delegates have made airline reservations that conflicted with the closing House of Delegates. A significant number of resolutions are moved by the House on Saturday so it is imperative that quorum be maintained. In addition, the Closing Plenary session takes place at 2:30 p.m. on Saturday and delegates will surely want to attend.
Efficient use of parliamentary procedure will help delegates to move the business along. The NSNA Business Book contains information about Parliamentary Procedure. A Parliamentary Briefing, conducted by Beverly Smith, NSNA Parliamentarian, takes place on Wednesday, from 2:30 - 3:00 p.m. (mandatory for delegates to attend). The briefing helps delegates understand just how Parliamentary Procedure works to fairly expedite the agenda for the meeting. A fundamental understanding of Parliamentary Procedure and Robert’s Rules of Order is important for your leadership in professional organizations once you leave NSNA. These are standard rules and procedures that are consistently used to govern professional associations.
Above all, enjoy yourself! This is an excellent opportunity to sharpen your leadership and debate skills. We are making a difference in our future as nurses by being involved and participating in the House of Delegates. Being elected or appointed as a delegate for your school is a great honor and testimony to your fellow students that they have faith in your leadership ability. Don’t forget to share what happened at convention with faculty and peers upon your return to school. By doing this you demonstrate how seriously you take the responsibility of representing your school at the national level. I look forward to seeing you all at the convention!
Need more information? Contact Lynne Nowotny:
Lynnow@aol.com
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