What American Nurses Association does

The American Nurses Association (ANA), founded in 1896 and headquartered in Silver Spring, Maryland, is a 501(c)(6) nonprofit professional membership organization that operates as the advocacy and professional development arm of the American Nurses Enterprise, alongside the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) and the American Nurses Foundation. ANA represents the interests of the U.S. registered nurse workforce through individual membership (expanded in June 2026 to include LPNs/LVNs), federal and state advocacy (including annual Hill Day and recent litigation against the Department of Education), and the publication of authoritative standards including the Code of Ethics for Nurses and Scope and Standards of Practice.

ANCC generates the enterprise's enterprise-grade revenue through gold-standard credentialing programs — most prominently the Magnet Recognition Program (with appraisal fees of $35,445 to over $83,046 based on bed size plus multi-year annual maintenance), Pathway to Excellence, Practice Transition Accreditation Program (PTAP), Advanced Practice Provider Fellowship Accreditation (APPFA), and Nursing Continuing Professional Development (NCPD) accreditation. ANCC is the first and only healthcare credentialing organization to attain full ISO certification and operates the only healthcare credentialing monopoly of comparable scale in nursing.

The enterprise monetizes through seven primary revenue streams: recurring membership dues from hundreds of thousands of individual nurses; subscription credentialing and certification fees charged to healthcare organizations and individual nurses; continuing education workshops ($300–$549 per seat with member discounts); conference registration (ANCC PDP Summit, Magnet & Pathway Conference, National Nurses Week); corporate sponsorships and Impact Advisory Council partnerships ($5,000+ tiers, with Premier Protein disclosed at $450,000); enterprise consultation services for Magnet/Pathway journeys; and publications including the Magnet Application Manual and Code of Ethics. Distribution is hybrid: self-serve digital for individual members and continuing education, enterprise direct sales for hospital credentialing, and channel-based corporate sponsorship partnerships.

Name

American Nurses Association

Legal name

American Nurses Association

Website

https://nursingworld.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1896

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

The American Nurses Association, founded in 1896 and headquartered in Silver Spring, Maryland, is a 501(c)(6) nonprofit that advocates for and supports the U.S. nursing profession through individual membership, federal advocacy, and authoritative standards, operating alongside its credentialing (ANCC) and philanthropic (Foundation) affiliates.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Nursing Professional Association & Healthcare Credentialing Services

NAICS

Business Associations (813910), Other Similar Organizations (except Business, Professional, Labor, and Political Organizations) (81399), Management Consulting Services (54161)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Services-Management Consulting Services (8742)

akta.pro primary industry

Regulatory Readiness & Audit Automation (e.g., EU AI Act, NIST AI RMF, ISO/IEC 42001) (HDAAAMAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Responsible AI, AI Governance & Compliance Services (BPAEAHAJ), HR Policy, Governance, Compliance & Risk Advisory (BPACAJAF), Audit, Explainability & Accountability Tooling (traceability, reporting) (HDAAAKAL)

Keywords

• Nursing credentialing programs
• Professional nursing membership
• Nursing continuing education
• Healthcare organizational accreditation
• Nurse specialty certification

Headquarters

HQ city

Silver Spring

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: Annual membership dues from registered nurses, student nurses, and individual members across all 50 states, providing access to professional development resources, advocacy representation, and member benefits.
2. Credentialing and Certification Fees: Fees for ANCC certification programs (Magnet Recognition, Pathway to Excellence, NCPD Accreditation, APPFA, PTAP) charged to healthcare organizations based on bed size, visit volume, and appraisal review cycles. Annual maintenance fees apply post-designation.
3. Continuing Education and Workshop Fees: Revenue from ANCC-accredited nursing continuing professional development workshops, certification review courses, and online education programs. Fees vary by course with member discounts available.
4. Conference and Event Revenue: Registration fees for ANCC PDP Summit, Magnet & Pathway Conference, and National Nurses Week events. Events drive additional sponsorship and corporate partnership revenue.
5. Corporate Sponsorship and Partnerships: Sponsorship packages for conferences, Healthy Nurse Healthy Nation Grand Challenge, and Impact Advisory Council corporate partnerships provide significant revenue from brands seeking access to nursing professionals.
6. Consultation Services: ANA provides fee-based consultation services for organizations pursuing Magnet, Pathway, and PTAP designations, including needs assessments and custom consulting engagements.
7. Publications and Book Sales: Sale of nursing publications including the Magnet Application Manual, Code of Ethics, and Scope and Standards of Practice. E-book site licenses available for institutional access.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels8 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

The American Nurses Association (ANA) operates the American Nurses Enterprise, providing professional nursing membership and advocacy for 4+ million U.S. registered nurses and selling gold-standard healthcare credentialing programs (Magnet Recognition, Pathway to Excellence, NCPD Accreditation) to hospitals and health systems. The enterprise also delivers specialty nurse certifications, accredited continuing education workshops, professional publications (Code of Ethics, Scope and Standards), and a nursing job marketplace, while representing the profession in federal policy and developing the first AI governance framework for nursing practice.

Product overview

The American Nurses Enterprise is a three-entity organization comprising the American Nurses Association (ANA), American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC), and American Nurses Foundation. ANA serves as the core membership organization providing advocacy and professional development for registered nurses. ANCC operates as the credentialing arm offering specialty certifications for individual nurses (e.g., AGACNP-BC, AGPCNP-BC, Family NP, Med-Surg) and organizational credentialing programs including the Magnet Recognition Program, Pathway to Excellence, and accreditation for Nursing Continuing Professional Development (NCPD). The American Nurses Foundation serves as the philanthropic entity supporting nurse-led research and innovation. The enterprise also operates complementary platforms including the ANA Career Center (job marketplace), Healthy Nurse, Healthy Nation wellness initiative, and produces professional publications including the Code of Ethics for Nurses and the 2023 Magnet Application Manual. Recent initiatives include the AI in Nursing Practice Think Tank and development of a Nursing AI Playbook for AI governance.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Magnet Recognition Program: The ANCC Magnet Recognition Program is the most prestigious distinction a healthcare organization can receive for nursing excellence and quality patient outcomes.
• Pathway to Excellence
• ANCC Accreditation
• Healthy Nurse, Healthy Nation
• The Power of Nurses
• ANCC National Magnet Conference

Products and services

• Magnet Recognition Program
• Pathway to Excellence
• Nursing Continuing Professional Development (NCPD) Accreditation
• Practice Transition Accreditation Program (PTAP)
• Advanced Practice Provider Fellowship Accreditation (APPFA)
• ANCC Individual Specialty Nurse Certifications
• ANA Career Center
• ANA Consultation Services
• ANA Continuing Education Workshops
• ANA Professional Publications
• ANA Individual Membership
• Healthy Nurse, Healthy Nation Grand Challenge
• ANCC Professional Development & Practice (PDP) Summit
• ANCC National Magnet Conference

Quantifiable outcome

• Magnet recognition is associated with positive outcomes in nurse, patient, organizational, and economic measures (Magnet 3.0 study)
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers14 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability1 record

Feature3 records

Partnerships

15 partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, core and minor.

• National Nursing Organizations Coalition (10-11 organizations)flagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 29 May 2026ANA led a coalition of 10-11 national nursing organizations including the American Association of Nurse Practitioners (AANP) and American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) in jointly filing a lawsuit against the U.S. Department of Education challenging the exclusion of nursing from professional degree programs under federal student loan borrowing limits.
• Coalition of 25 States and District of ColumbiaflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 19 May 2026Coalition of 25 states and DC filed a federal lawsuit challenging the Trump administration's exclusion of nursing from professional degree status for federal student loan purposes, arguing the policy will worsen healthcare workforce shortages.
• Premier ProteinflagshipGTM or Marketing Partner · 5 May 2025Premier Protein committed $450,000 to ANA as a corporate sponsor through its Shakes for Shifts platform supporting nurses, including sponsorship of the ANCC National Magnet Conference and Healthy Nurse, Healthy Nation 10-day challenge during National Nurses Week.
• CompassOne HealthcarecoreGTM or Marketing PartnerCompassOne Healthcare is a member of the ANF Impact Advisory Council, participating in the Healthcare Interest Section to support the Foundation's mission of advancing the nursing profession.
• Gilead SciencescoreGTM or Marketing PartnerGilead Sciences is a member of the ANF Impact Advisory Council, supporting the Foundation's mission to transform the nation's health through nursing advancement.
• HumanacoreGTM or Marketing PartnerHumana is a member of the ANF Impact Advisory Council, participating in the Financial Services Interest Section to support nurse interests and healthcare workforce development.
• Juno HealthcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerJuno Health is a member of the ANF Impact Advisory Council, supporting the Foundation's nursing philanthropy programs and initiatives.
• NurseHubcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerNurseHub is a member of the ANF Impact Advisory Council, participating in nursing career and education interest sections to support nurse professional development.
• OmnicellcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerOmnicell is a member of the ANF Impact Advisory Council, supporting the Foundation's mission through the Healthcare Interest Section and corporate nursing initiatives.
• StrykercoreGTM or Marketing PartnerStryker is a member of the ANF Impact Advisory Council, participating in corporate partnerships to support nursing excellence and workforce advancement.
• UnitedHealth Group (UHG)coreGTM or Marketing PartnerUnitedHealth Group is a member of the ANF Impact Advisory Council, contributing to the Foundation's impact initiatives and nurse-supporting programs through its foundations.
• Capella UniversityminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCapella University co-sponsored National Nurses Week 2025 events as part of the enterprise's corporate sponsor lineup for the celebration of nurses.
• LinkedInminorGTM or Marketing PartnerLinkedIn co-sponsored National Nurses Week 2025 events, supporting the celebration of nursing professionals and their contributions to healthcare.
• ChipotleminorGTM or Marketing PartnerChipotle co-sponsored National Nurses Week 2025 events, supporting the celebration of nursing professionals and community recognition.
• SkechersminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSkechers co-sponsored National Nurses Week 2025 events as part of the corporate sponsor team supporting nurses during the annual celebration.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Emerging players

• Sigma (Sigma Theta Tau International): Nursing honor society and global membership organization for nurse leaders, researchers, and scholars. Smaller scale than ANA, but directly comparable in serving high-engagement career-stage nurses and competing for their dues.
• American College of Healthcare Executives (ACHE): Professional membership society for healthcare leaders that sponsors the FACHE credential—an executive healthcare certification analogous to ANCC's NE-BC. Indirectly comparable rather than directly competing.

Broad incumbents

• American Hospital Association (AHA): Trade association for hospitals and health systems. Distinct mission (institutional vs. individual nurses), but operates the same combination of advocacy, leadership education, awards, and conferences that overlap with ANA's Magnet/Pathway customer base.

Direct peers

• National League for Nursing (NLN): Nurse-education-focused association with its own accreditation (CNEA) and faculty development programs. Direct overlap with ANA on nursing education, accreditation, and faculty credentialing; smaller footprint but adjacent mission.
• American Medical Association (AMA): The largest U.S. physician professional association. Operates an essentially identical business model to ANA: individual membership, state-level affiliates, advocacy, credentialing (board certification through ABMS liaison), continuing education, journals, and conferences. The cleanest structural analog for ANA.
• American Pharmacists Association (APhA): National professional society for pharmacists with a parallel mix of membership, advocacy, certification, and continuing education. Closely aligned with ANA's structure and revenue model as a healthcare professional association.
• American Association of Nurse Practitioners (AANP): The largest specialty nursing association representing NPs. A partner in ANA's recent federal coalition, but also a competing membership and advocacy organization for advanced practice nurses—an important direct peer in member-recruitment overlap.
• American Dental Association (ADA): The physician/physician-extender equivalent for dentistry: professional membership association with advocacy, continuing education, credentialing, journals, and standards-setting (CDT codes, ethics). Provides a clean cross-profession analogy for the ANA Enterprise model.
• American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA): National professional association for occupational therapists with membership, advocacy, certification, and continuing education—a smaller-scale replica of ANA's operating model in an allied health profession.
• American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN): The national voice for academic nursing. ANA's partner in the Department of Education lawsuit and the natural counterpart organization for the education and accreditation dimension of the nursing enterprise; competes for some institutional attention and overlapping advocacy topics.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/ananursingworld
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/nursesmatter
• Facebookfacebook.com/americannursesassociation
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/american-nurses-association

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Subsidiaries2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments1 record

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about American Nurses Association