What National Nurses United does

National Nurses United (NNU) is a private, non-profit labor union and professional association representing registered nurses across the United States. Founded in 2010 through the merger of the California Nurses Association with other regional nursing organizations, NNU is the largest union of registered nurses in the country, with 225,000+ members at more than 200 facilities. The organization operates through state and national affiliates, including the California Nurses Association/National Nurses Organizing Committee (CNA/NNOC), DC Nurses Association, Michigan Nurses Association, Minnesota Nurses Association, and New York State Nurses Association, and extends internationally through Global Nurses United. Its primary constituents are frontline RNs in hospitals, healthcare facilities, and Veterans Health Administration facilities, with additional segments including student nurses and retiree nurses.

NNU's core products and services center on collective bargaining representation, facility-level union organizing, continuing education, and policy advocacy. Core offerings include NNU Membership, Organizing with NNU (NLRB election campaigns), Continuing Education classes, the Nurse Advocacy Network, National Nurse Magazine, and the RN Response Network disaster relief program. The organization also operates the National Nurses United for Patient Protection PAC. NNU's technology footprint is minimal — it is explicitly not a technology company — and its capabilities are rooted in union organizing, legal representation, and grassroots advocacy rather than software products. Active campaigns include Safe Staffing Ratios (with wins in California and a Maine campaign), Medicare for All, Workplace Violence Prevention, CalCare (California single-payer), and a newly launched Artificial Intelligence in Nursing initiative.

NNU generates revenue primarily through recurring membership dues paid by represented registered nurses, supplemented by member contributions and PAC fundraising. Its go-to-market is community-led: grassroots organizing drives, NLRB elections at hospitals (e.g., the July 2026 victory at HCA HealthONE Swedish Medical Center), online at-large membership signup for nurses outside organized facilities, and student/retiree recruitment. The organization distributes services through a federated affiliate network (state associations acting as channel partners) and direct facility-based organizing, while its advocacy reach is amplified by partnerships with groups like the Medicare for All Coalition and via earned media through press releases and a multi-platform social presence.

Name

National Nurses United

Legal name

National Nurses United

Website

https://nationalnursesunited.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2010

Operating status

Operating

Short description

National Nurses United is the largest U.S. labor union and professional association for registered nurses, representing 225,000+ members across more than 200 facilities through state affiliates via collective bargaining, organizing, advocacy, and continuing education.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Silver Spring

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Union Membership Dues: NNU generates revenue through membership dues paid by registered nurses. The union represents nurses who pay dues as part of their collective bargaining agreements. The organization also receives support through member contributions and has a Patient Protection PAC for political advocacy.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

National Nurses United is the largest union and professional association of registered nurses in the United States, representing more than 225,000 RNs across over 200 facilities. Its core offerings include union membership with collective bargaining representation, organizing services to help nurses form bargaining units, continuing education, member advocacy, and policy campaigns on safe staffing ratios and Medicare for All. The organization also operates the RN Response Network disaster relief program and the NNU Patient Protection political action committee.

Product overview

National Nurses United is the largest union and professional association of registered nurses in the United States, representing over 225,000 nurses nationwide through its affiliates including California Nurses Association/National Nurses Organizing Committee, DC Nurses Association, Michigan Nurses Association, Minnesota Nurses Association, and New York State Nurses Association. The organization's core offerings center on union membership providing collective bargaining representation, union organizing services to help nurses form bargaining units, and professional development through continuing education classes. NNU also operates advocacy programs including the Nurse Advocacy Network, the RN Response Network disaster relief program, National Nurse Magazine publication, and political advocacy through the NNU Patient Protection PAC. The organization conducts campaigns on healthcare policy issues including Safe Staffing Ratios, Medicare for All, workplace violence prevention, and healthcare equity.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• National Nurse Magazine: Official publication of National Nurses United covering nursing industry news, union activities, and healthcare policy
• Nurse Advocacy Network
• RN Response Network (RNRN)

Named customers4 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• California Nurses Association (CNA)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCNA is the founding and largest affiliate of National Nurses United, representing over 100,000 nurses in California. CNA/NNOC is the bargaining representative for nurses at many facilities and has been instrumental in winning safe staffing ratios in California.
• National Nurses Organizing Committee (NNOC)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorNNOC is an affiliate of NNU that organizes nurses at facilities outside California, particularly in states where CNA does not have jurisdiction. Together CNA/NNOC represents over 225,000 nurses nationwide.
• DC Nurses AssociationcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorState affiliate representing nurses in Washington, D.C.
• Michigan Nurses AssociationcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorState affiliate representing nurses in Michigan.
• Minnesota Nurses AssociationcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorState affiliate representing nurses in Minnesota.
• New York State Nurses AssociationcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorState affiliate representing nurses in New York.
• Global Nurses UnitedminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorInternational federation of nurse unions providing global solidarity and networking for nurses worldwide.
• Medicare for All CoalitioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNNU is a key member of the Medicare for All coalition, working with Physicians for a National Health Plan, Public Citizen, People's Action Institute, and other organizations to advocate for universal healthcare. NNU released a sign-on letter with 335+ labor unions and organizations supporting Medicare for All.
• RN Response Network (RNRN)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDisaster relief program that deploys volunteer nurses to disaster areas. Part of NNU's social impact and community service initiatives.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Emerging players

• Massachusetts Nurses Association: Independent state nurses association that competes with NNU's affiliate model in Massachusetts. Operates with similar collective bargaining and professional association functions, but as a non-NNU affiliate.
• Doctors Council SEIU: Union representing physicians within SEIU. Although it organizes doctors rather than nurses, it represents adjacent healthcare-professional unionization and shares employer counter-organizing dynamics with NNU.

Broad incumbents

• United Steelworkers (USW): Major industrial union that has expanded into healthcare-worker organizing. USW competes with NNU in select hospital and healthcare-facility organizing drives outside California and New York.
• AFSCME: Major public-sector union with significant healthcare-worker membership, including nurses in public hospitals and government facilities. Competes with NNU for VA nurses and other public-sector bargaining units.
• Service Employees International Union (SEIU): Largest healthcare-worker union in the U.S., representing nurses alongside other healthcare workers. SEIU is the most direct large-scale competitor for representing the same nurse membership base that NNU targets.
• AFL-CIO: National labor federation of which SEIU and other NNU competitors are affiliates. AFL-CIO sets the political and organizing agenda against which NNU must position its independent affiliate strategy.
• National Education Association (NEA): Largest U.S. labor union by membership, with similar large-scale dues-funded membership association model. NEA represents a structural and operational peer for NNU's national affiliate federation model.

Regional players

• Office and Professional Employees International Union (OPEIU): AFL-CIO affiliate union that has historically organized nurses and other healthcare professionals. Represents a smaller-scale competing voice for nurse collective bargaining in select markets.

Direct peers

• 1199SEIU United Healthcare Workers East: Major healthcare-worker local within SEIU representing nurses and other healthcare workers across the East Coast. Directly competes with NNU/NYSNA in New York and adjacent markets for hospital bargaining units.
• American Nurses Association (ANA): The historical professional association for registered nurses in the U.S. ANA and NNU represent competing visions for organizing the nursing profession—one as professional association, one as labor union—and compete for the same nurse membership.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/NationalNurses
• YouTubevimeo.com/nationalnursesunited
• Facebookfacebook.com/nationalnurses
• Instagraminstagram.com/nationalnurses
• TikToktiktok.com/@nationalnurses

Compliance5 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Subsidiaries8 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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

M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about National Nurses United