• Learn how to access your roster
• Contact your chapter’s member-at-large liaison to NAPNAP’s Executive Board
• Meet your NAPNAP Executive Board
• Meet NAPNAP’s staff
• View NAPNAP’s 2024-2027 Strategic Plan to align with your goals
• Use our form to survey your members (Please email [email protected] for a copy of results.)
• Get the procedure for accessing members for research
• NAPNAP Continuing Education Guidelines
• Logo Branding Guidelines
• Student Leader Engagement Toolkit – great tool for recruiting student leaders to be active on your board
• Record Retention Guidelines
• Membership Marketing Materials to help increase chapter growth
  • Get to know NAPNAP marketing flyer
  • Preferred membership marketing flyer
  • Student membership marketing flyer

It is important for chapters to find a time within the first month of elections for a transition meeting with the incoming and outgoing boards. At this meeting, the past and future business should be discussed along with goals for the year. These goals should incorporate visions of both the new and old boards. Some chapters look at goals for the entire board collectively, and others address them position by position. This is also a good time for leaders to break into groups based on position (e.g. new president meets with immediate past president).

Past board members should provide materials to new members using a flash drive and/or binders containing hard copies. Most chapters use a hybrid of the two. This information should include position descriptions, timelines, contact information, CH reports, bank statements, past marketing materials for CE events, all CE information, all legislative bills and printed newsletters etc. The new board members should be instructed to keep detailed accounts of what they do and the contacts they make throughout the year to pass on at the end of their term.

Use this checklist as a reference when planning the meetings to transition your chapter leaders.

Meeting preparation:

• Each board member should compile a position-specific list of important contacts and information
• Past or current president should update or create a timeline for new chapter leaders
• Secretary develops and sends out an agenda to all participants
• Secretary develops all officer responsibility fact sheet to share at first meeting
• Treasurer to bring all past CH-9 reports and banking information to give to incoming treasurer
• CE Chair to bring all past CE paperwork in a binder or flash drive to give to incoming CE chair
• Legislative Chair to bring all bills being monitored and approved bills for the previous year. Review with incoming legislative chair all bills being monitored, supported or opposed in the most recent legislative session.

Meeting with the outgoing and incoming boards:

• Discuss unfinished business
• Meet with old officers to discuss past problems, successes, contacts, and procedures
• Ensure all reporting is submitted CH-8, CH-9, CH-10, December bank statement and conflict interest form for all incoming officers
• Past president prepare and handoff chapter-specific documents/resource materials
• Describe goals that were accomplished over the last year and create incoming goals to align with NAPNAP’s strategic plan
• Give a binder and/or flash drive to the incoming members with all past documents
• Discuss expectations and finances for NAPNAP’s national conference
• Remind incoming chapter officers you may not post job openings to the community or websites that are hosted by NAPNAP. You may however post on social media, and personal email accounts.
• Ensure new chapter officers have login information and access to all of the chapter’s social media accounts. This includes accounts used to support the social media channels (Canva, Link In Bio, etc.)
• Encourage new officers to read through and understand the best practices for social media guidelines and watch the recorded training webinars about effective social media use and intro to graphic design. These resources can be found on the Chapter Officer Resources page.

Meeting to continue with the new board only:

• Develop a chapter calendar with local, regional, and national events and deadlines
• Create a monthly timeline for each position (Example: within first month of elections, second month after elections be sure to include state specific advocacy events where members can collaborate with other APRNs, especially important in states seeking passage of practice legislation)
• Email membership to announce and congratulate the new leaders
• Set board and general meeting dates for the year
• Set goals as a board and for each position
• Make sure you are able to log onto napnap.org to access your chapter roster
• Review the opportunities for active membership, how members are recruited and how the officers can support the members in growth and development
• Within the first month in office visit the chapter resources page and the how do I website

Budgeting best practices:

• Be Realistic – The budget is to serve as a guide for building your chapter and program activities in the coming year, it must be well-reasoned and reflect current conditions. Unsubstantiated revenue projections and “wild guess” cost estimates will render a budget ineffective as a management tool.
• Be Consistent – A budget must be consistent with short- and long-term strategic plans, and remain in line with NAPNAP’s mission.
• Be Flexible – Budgets are based on a combination of facts and assumptions. If actual events and conditions vary from these assumptions, there must be opportunities to amend the budget to address revenue shortfalls and windfalls, and unexpected expenses.
• Be Measurable – The basis on which the budget is created should be the same basis on which your chapter maintains the budget.

Creating and maintaining your budget:

Every budgeting activity is only as useful as it is accurate, complete and current. Budgeting for your chapter should always be flexible and have contingency plans for when things don’t go as well as expected, and when they go better than expected.

• Determine ahead of time continuing education, board meetings, chapter socials, advocacy call for action, etc. Numbers cannot be put on paper until your chapter officers have determined the programs and activities that are either expected or desired for the coming year.
• Budgeting expenses is perhaps the most difficult and time-consuming step. Expenses and revenues are based on historical data (what has happened in the past) and assumptions (what is likely to happen in the coming year). Differences in previously budgeted amounts and actual amounts will come into play, as will a realistic view of the impact of economic conditions on revenues and demand for services. Be sure to ask your previous treasurer for all past CH-9 reports before determining your expenses.
• Create a draft budget to better facilitate decision-making, include previous year budgeted amounts and actual totals, the current year budget amount and month-to-month actual amounts. This type of information often reduces the number of questions from volunteers, makes review easier, and helps approvers make more informed decisions.
• Monitor budget activity on a monthly basis. Do not wait for the annual CH-9 report to monitor your budget. The new CH-9 report gives a monthly breakdown of expenses/revenue vs. income, please use this form to keep your chapter on track!

Creating and maintaining your chapter goals:

Goal-setting is a critical component of your chapter’s activities, and is an effective way to identify where you would like to be and how you intend on getting there. All your goals need to be aligned with NAPNAP’s national office strategic plan.

By developing goals, you are:

• Unifying your chapter’s efforts and focusing your energy efficiently
• Providing meaning and purpose to your chapter
• Creating a proactive environment for your volunteers
• Ensuring the progress of your chapter as well as its volunteers

Where are you now?

To help in the goal-setting process, chapters should review their current:

• Strengths – what does our chapter do really well?
• Weaknesses – where do we have room for improvement?
• Opportunities – how can we expand what we do or utilize new opportunities?

Where do you want to be?

 Goals should be SMART:

1. Specific – goals must clearly identify what is expected.
2. Measurable – goals must be measurable so that you know when you have achieved them.
3. Attainable – goals must be realistic (not too high and not too low).
4. Relevant – goals must be aligned with the mission of NAPNAP and your chapter.
5. Time-Oriented – goals must have a deadline.

Please click here to download a sample goal setting worksheet.

Welcoming new members – phone talking points:

• We are reaching out to NAPNAP members in our state and requesting volunteers
• There are many great benefits of volunteering including gratification, leadership development, and supporting the overall goals of the organization
• You might be interested in taking on a particular board role or a particular task/project during the course of the year
• What are your particular interests (clinical practice)?
• In the last year, our chapter has been involved in a lot of great events such as … (CEU, newsletter, community service, health policy initiatives)
• Thank you for your time. Please do not hesitate to contact me with any questions at …
• Follow up with email acknowledging the conversation and allowing another opportunity for questions
• Be honest about time commitment and detail the resources that will be provided to assist
• Discuss your reasons for volunteering for the board

Recruiting students:

Check with the local PNP nursing programs in your state. Engage faculty at those programs and reach out and host events at the schools to encourage members to join. Consider hosting a preceptee/preceptor event, graduation dinner, resume/interview workshop/ career panel to engage students. Check in with program directors to make sure the chapter is following any university procedures. Download and print the student recruitment marketing flyer. 

Recruiting hospital clinicians:

Check with appropriate hospital staff/APRN directors to ensure you are able to attend APRN meetings and recruit for NAPNAP. Attend with talking points, benefits of chapter and national membership and recent updates from the chapter and national organization. Discuss how your chapter has worked with that particular hospital before and reach out to acute care/specialty members.

Community outreach:

Develop relationships with other community organizations/child advocacy groups. Enlist talking points about PNP, FNP and other APRNs, our role, and how the organizations can work together to a common goal. Welcome all pediatric providers and healthcare partners to be involved.

Recruit & Reward is a peer-to-peer recruitment program that will reward members for recruiting their colleagues and associates. This program will help build awareness of the role of the pediatric-focused APRNs, highlight the benefits of its professional organization and increase the number of pediatric healthcare professionals nationwide.

Every volunteer plays an important role in the chapter. Without an infrastructure that provides ongoing support and direction, volunteers can become dissatisfied and unmotivated, resulting in volunteers who choose not to return.

Since the pool of volunteers is limited, it is in the chapter’s best interest to adopt procedures that ensure their volunteers’ happiness. Several best practices for engaging and retaining volunteers include:

• • • Clear definition of tasks
    • Matching volunteers’ skills with assignments
    • Recognizing volunteer contributions
    • Providing strong leadership

Helping chapter volunteers succeed:

• Ensure that everyone has a significant responsibility that they are willing to fulfill
• Ask chapter volunteers what assignments they would find most rewarding and match their interests and skills with appropriate assignments and share available resources for those specific assignments
• Give them access to Daniela Weitzman, Manger of Member & Chapter Services to provide clarity and guidance on their specific assignment. Daniela can be reached via email [email protected] or via phone 917-746-8281
• Give the volunteer ownership of the assignment – give them the responsibility and let them do the job
• Set up mutually agreeable short-term and long-term goals as well as strategies to accomplish them
• Set specific times for progress reports and a timeline for accomplishment
• Keep chapter volunteers focused on the mission of the organization
• Establish an environment of support
• Be respectful of time constraints
• Encourage creativity

Social events for networking:

Chapters provide a local community for PNPs and their healthcare partners within the state. Examples include:

• End-of-year graduation networking
• Career panels/roundtable for students
• Allocating time at each CE event for networking

Continuing education events:

Chapters will host a variety of CE events throughout the year. They develop, promote, and implement education programs, procure speakers and presenters, and create, distribute, and review program evaluations to guide future events. Often CE events are dinner events hosted at local restaurants but may be hosted in a variety of locations throughout the state. If accredited, members can obtain CE credits for attendance at the event.

National conference:

The national conference is a great opportunity where members can explore a wide range of clinical topics, learn about the latest evidence-based practice guidelines, and take advantage of key professional networking opportunities. The conference has an opportunity to learn about the business of the national organization, the future of pediatric focused PNPs, health policy, and other professional issues. An exhibit hall exists every year to explore the latest in pediatric health care and educational products. Several contact hours can be earned toward your certification and licensure. There are often intensive workshops focused on specific training. There is also opportunity to view posters and learn more about special interest groups and other ways to be involved on the national level. There are chapter officer and training meetings every year. NAPNAP members receive discounted registration.

• Click here to download sample meeting agenda
• Click here to download sample activities calendar
• Click here to download sample meeting minutes

Running successful meetings:

Chapter leadership should meet on a regular basis to carry out your work. Some chapters have chosen to meet monthly, while others have chosen to meet every other month or every quarter. The frequency of chapter planning meetings is at the discretion of the chapter leadership.

At the beginning of each year, the chapter planning meeting should be used to kick off the new year and develop the chapter’s goals as well as the activities calendar. At the end of each year, the chapter planning meeting should be used to celebrate that year’s successes, recognize volunteer achievement and elect officers for the coming year.

• Develop a detailed agenda with clear objectives
• Plan for clearly defined networking time (first 15 to 30 minutes of meeting)
• Plan to discuss, assign and plan next steps
• Seek help from your chapter leadership

At the meeting:

• Make new people feel welcome
• Ensure everyone has an assignment of interest to them, that is matched with their skills and abilities
• Define and assign next steps, and establish timeline for accomplishing them
• Stay and end on time
• Make it fun. Nobody likes a boring meeting!

Sample ground rules:

• Be on time
• Respect others when they are speaking and expect them to do the same
• Appreciate another person’s point of view
• Listen attentively
• Confine your discussion and questions to the topic
• Provide constructive feedback and receive it appropriately

NAPNAP’s National conference takes place in March. We ask that your chapter will refrain from scheduling any chapter conferences in the months of February and March.

 Four months prior to event:

• Secure a date and venue
• Create a budget
• Identify your target audience
• Research and secure a facilitator
• Determine if your conference will offer NAPNAP CE (if not a CE accredited chapter, complete an individual program application)
• Create list of possible sponsors, if sponsorship is desired
• Please be sure to have an up-to-date W9 form should vendors require one. You must only use your chapter’s tax ID number, NOT nationals.

Three months prior to event:

• Develop and implement a plan for recruiting participants from your chapter and community
• Develop a registration system and deadline for registration. Should you chose to use PayPal, please contact Daniela Weitzman to walk you through the process via phone at 917-746-8281 or by email [email protected]
• Begin to solicit sponsors
• Divide responsibilities among chapter officers to ensure all areas of outreach, communication, and program planning are covered – divide and conquer!
• Update your chapter website with detailed information on the event
• Utilize NAPNAP’s e-community to solicit participation and update your chapter on any updates to your conference

One month out:

• If you offer individual CE credit send your roster to the national office
• Secure food and beverage (if applicable)
• If applicable receive comp parking from the venue for your guests
• Send confirmation email to all registrants

Day of event: Be sure to print:

• • Name badges
  • Registration List
  • Valuation Forms
  • NAPNAP marketing material
  • New member signup sheets
  • Test audio and visual

Within one month after event:

• Send thank you letter to sponsors, facilitator and venue
• Update your chapter website about your successful event
• For those offering individual CE program, complete all CE requirements and submit to the National Office

Equipment and supplies:

• Microphone and small sound system for facilitator
• Laptop with projector for PowerPoint presentations
• Name badges
• Roundtables and chairs
• Registration list/Sign In Sheet
• Pens for scribes
• Pre-printed questions for the discussion
• Notepads
• Stapler and staples
• CE Certificates of Attendance (if applicable)

Food and refreshments:

Depending on the time of day, venue, and your budget, you may find it appropriate to provide refreshments however this is not a requirement.

Conference planner overview:

 If your chapter hires a conference/event planner to act as your consultant to facilitate the conference, please use the below guidelines:

• All payments received should be deposited in your chapter’s bank account whether it’s a check and/or credit card (PayPal).
• The conference planner must submit detailed documentation for money collected on behalf of the chapter. Documentation should include, but is not limited to: name, address, method of payment, check number, credit card number and deposit date. This information can be provided at the end of the each month to reconcile the bank statements to ensure that all deposits have been received.
• All conference expenses should be paid from the same chapter bank account. Vendor invoices should be addressed to your chapter.
• The conference planner should invoice the chapter for any commissions that are due per the signed contract.
• All conference revenue/expenses should be included on your annual CH-9 report.

Venue selection:

You should secure a venue for your chapter conference as soon as you can. Ideally, the venue you select will have enough tables and chairs to accommodate all of your registrants. If possible, your venue should be in a central location and have free parking.  Many community organizations offer complementary meeting space, or if a member of your chapter works at a university, school, or hospital, they may be able to secure meeting space. 

Possible venues to hold your chapter roundtable:

• Meeting rooms in healthcare centers
• YMCAs
• Libraries
• Places of worship
• Restaurants with private rooms
• Blood centers
• Colleges/universities
• Schools (especially if teachers are included in your target audience)

Recruiting participants:

 Recruiting participants is essential for a successful conference. Consider the following marketing approaches to recruit participants and spread the word about your chapter conference:

• Send blast emails to your chapter members or join listservs of local organizations related to child health
• Contact local radio stations to ask them broadcast a public service announcement about the event
• Check with the local newspaper for their community announcement section (in print and online)
• Post flyers to community boards, such as schools, libraries, YMCAs (see sample flyer in Appendix)
• Add an announcement to your chapter’s website

Utilizing social media as a recruiting tool offers many advantages and can be very useful when soliciting participants. The most popular platforms are Twitter and Facebook.

Registration:

It’s important to have a simple registration process for attendees so that you have an accurate count. Registration can take place through email, telephone or through other social-planning websites like Evite (www.evite.com). Evite allows you to create, send, and manage online invitations.  Your chapter may already have a registration system that you use for other chapter events, as well. 

You will need to decide if you require pre-registration or if you will allow individuals to register onsite.  There are pros and cons to both approaches.  If you have a limited number of seats and have to commit to a food/beverage minimum, you may not be able to register people onsite.  Make sure all of your advertising is very clear about any registration processes or deadlines.

If you are offering continuing education, you may want to collect the attendees’ license numbers in advance.

It will be important that you keep an Excel file of your attendees which includes information such as name, address, phone number, email, and occupation to track your attendees and reach out for any post event needs. 

Shortly before your chapter conference, you should email a final confirmation and reminder about the event to everyone who has registered.

Sponsorship:

There are several local and national businesses that can provide either monetary or in-kind sponsorship for conference.  Listed below are just a few examples to get you started. Sample sponsorship letters are included in the Appendix for your convenience.

• Pharmaceutical and medical device companies (if your program includes CE, please review CE guidelines concerning corporate sponsors)
• Schools of nursing
• Children’s hospitals, clinics, large-group practices
• Local non-profits/foundations focusing on children’s issues, including hospital foundations
• Child/teen-related organizations (Big Brothers/Big Sisters, Boys’ Clubs, etc.)
• Local financial institutions
• Local media outlets
• Child-centric food and product manufacturers (Proctor & Gamble, Kellogg’s, General Mills, etc.)
• National retailers focused on children/teen products (Toys ‘R Us, GameStop, Forever 21 clothier, etc.)
• National or local children or parenting magazines

Before soliciting sponsors, determine what, if any recognition, your chapter wants to give sponsors at various financial levels.  Most non-individual sponsors will expect some sort of recognition on event-day signage, flyers, etc. Any sponsorships over $1,000 must be approved by the national office to ensure there isn’t any conflict of interest.

Your NAPNAP chapter is a 501(c)(6) entity, and as such, sponsorships are not a tax-deductible charitable donations. Companies that sponsor 501(c)(6) activities typically write off the sponsorship as a business expense because it cannot be classified as a charitable donation

Please click here to download the chapter electronic transfer form

Working with your bank:

Bank account name MUST be consistent with the IRS submission and match IRS determination letter. For example – National Association of Pediatric Nurse Practitioners Hawaii Chapter not NAPNAP Hawaii Chapter.

New bank accounts need Employer Identification Number (EIN #). Notify the national office when changing banks so NAPNAP can remit chapter funds to the correct account. New signature cards and new bank resolution is required when changing officers.

Electronic transfer form:

The following information must be provided in order for the NAPNAP national office to transfer funds to the chapter bank account.

All information on this form is confidential and proves entitlement to payments.  The information will be used to process payment data from the NAPNAP national office bank to the financial institution of the chapter.  Failure to provide the requested information may affect the processing of this form and may delay or prevent the receipt of payments through the Electronic Funds Transfer Program.

The information necessary to complete boxes A, B, C in Section II is printed on the chapter financial institution check.

A – Be sure the payee’s name is written exactly as it appears on the check.  Be sure current address is shown.

B – The routing number is located on the bottom left hand corner of the check.  Be sure the number is written exactly as it appears on the check.

C – The account number is listed in the bottom center of the check.  Be sure the number is written exactly as it appears on the check.

Cancellation:  The agreement represented by this authorization may be cancelled by the financial institution by providing the chapter a written notice 30 days in advance of the cancellation date.  The chapter must immediately advise the NAPNAP financial department if the authorization is cancelled by the chapter’s financial institution. The chapter’s financial institution cannot cancel the authorization by advice to NAPNAP.

The agreement represented by this authorization remains in effect until cancelled by the chapter by notice to the NAPNAP financial department. Upon cancellation, the chapter should notify their receiving financial institution that no further funds shall be transferred.

Changing receiving financial institutions:

NAPNAP’s electronic transfer will continue to be received by the selected financial institution until NAPNAP is notified by the chapter that the chapter wishes to change the financial institution receiving the electronic transfer.  To effect this change, the chapter will inform the new financial institution that electronic transfers will begin.  A newly completed CH-11 electronic transfer form must be sent to NAPNAP.  To avoid delinquent payments to the chapter, it is recommended that the chapter maintain accounts at both financial institutions until the transition is complete, i.e. after the new financial institution receives NAPNAP’s electronic transfer payment.

False statements or fraudulent claims:

Federal law provides a fine of not more than $10,000 or imprisonment for not more than five (5) years or both for presenting a false statement or making a fraudulent claim.

Internal controls for incurring and paying for chapter expenditures:

• Two signatures on checks over a certain amount (for example $1,000)
• All expenses need to be supported by an original receipt/invoice prior to payment
• All expenses should be paid by check not debit cards
• All expenses and invoices should be approved by the Treasurer and President
• If online banking is utilized – a limit should be placed on the number of users (ex. treasurer and president)
• Annual review (audit) of the accounting records by either a CPA or a designated committee member is suggested

While your TeamPeds: Member Network online community is your best option for networking with your current members, social media accounts such as Facebook, Instagram and Twitter are great tools for communicating your ideas to people outside of the organization.

We recommend that chapters avoid the use of platforms such as TikTok, Snapchat, Reddit or Pinterest. To learn more about why these platforms are not suggested, please review our 2023 Social Media Training video located on the Chapter Officer Resources page.

When posting content, please keep in mind that you are posting as a representative of NAPNAP and your chapter so the views must align with those of our organization. Please regularly review our position statements and official statements to stay up-to-date.

Perhaps the most important rule of having any social media presence is daily, active monitoring and posting to look fresh to the public and control any unusual activity. As a volunteer organization, you may elect to have two people serve as your social media managers to prevent a lapse in coverage. This is also a wonderful opportunity for a student liaison who may be interested in taking on a leadership role in the chapter.

Facebook: Facebook was developed with three different formats: profile (for the individual user), a group (for a collection of individuals to discuss a specific topic) or a page (for organizations or other entities to promote their products and to communicate with the consumer). Like NAPNAP, chapters wishing to function on Facebook should use the “page” concept. Individual profiles and groups have privacy settings that hinder outside consumers from viewing the content. If your organization is currently using something on Facebook besides a page, please make the switch as quickly as possible.

In order to properly use a Facebook page, a chapter must fulfill the following requirements:

• A profile picture that remains static. This could be your logo or an image that your chapter can live with for a very long time. You should upload an image of at least 500×500 pixels. In order to get the necessary square perspective, you can put your logo on a white square background. Note: Facebook’s system will reduce the image when viewing on a desktop.
• A cover photo that can change seasonally. This is a wide rectangular image used in the background on the top of your page. This image displays at 828×315 pixels so look for an image that can be cropped to be long and lean.
• Success on engaging members and the public is dependent on active posting. Plan to post daily – news about your chapter, child health updates or advance practice issues. At a minimum, you should post at least four times per week.
• Your social media managers are responsible for maintaining the Facebook page. This includes publishing posts, images and videos as well as monitoring comments posted by consumers and deleting malicious or spam comments. Additionally, the national office will review the page to ensure it is within the organization’s guidelines on a monthly basis.

For chapter officers interested in learning more about effective social media use, appropriate platforms for chapter use or graphic design for social media, please visit the Chapter Officer Resources page.

Additionally, you can also contact Megan Leonard, digital communications specialist via email, [email protected], for further assistance.

NAPNAP health policy:

NAPNAP’s health policy efforts are directed by the Health Policy Committee on the federal level, and complimented by the activities of chapter legislative chairs and other chapter leaders on the state level.

NAPNAP’s health policy agenda:

Each year, the Health Policy Committee puts forth an agenda for Executive Board approval to guide the association’s advocacy efforts. The current Health Policy Agenda can be viewed by clicking here.

NAPNAP’s federal policy:

Chapter legislative chairs and presidents are invited to NAPNAP’s monthly Health Policy Committee meeting to learn about the latest federal policy matters (and share info regarding state issues). All NAPNAP members are invited to join our Child Health Policy Learning Collaborative which also includes an update about federal policy matters. Federal legislation and regulation issues are covered in our Inside the Beltway bi-monthly e-newsletter sent to members and promoted on social media.

National-level collaboration:

NAPNAP’s Health Policy team actively participates in over 15 high-level collaborative focusing on both advanced practice nursing and child health. You can view a list of partners by scrolling down our Advocacy webpage. Key updates about these groups and their activities are shared during monthly Health Policy Committee and Child Health Policy Learning Collaborative Calls. In addition, the team monitors reports from numerous other governmental agencies and non-profit organizations associated with specific advanced practice nursing and child health issues.

Chapter involvement:

NAPNAP appreciates the essential role that our chapters play in our overall efforts. Chapter leaders and members are the “boots on the ground” performing the very necessary tasks of educating state leaders and communities about the important role that pediatric-focused APRNs, including PNPs, play in providing quality health care for all children.

Chapter leaders and members are encouraged to build relationships with both federal and state level leaders. U.S. senators and representatives are often in their home districts and available to meet with constituents, especially those who can offer expertise in a specialty area such as child health care.

At the state level, establishing dialogue between you, the constituent, and your legislators is critical in gaining support for initiatives and legislation on advance practice nursing and child health. It is the stories about how access to and quality of care for patients have been hampered by existing laws and/or regulations that really make a difference. Be sure to share these stories when speaking to legislators.

NAPNAP looks to its chapters to provide vital information to local leaders to help support the association’s goals to better serve our members and the profession. We are very interested to hear of advocacy successes or challenges that our chapters are experiencing. If chapter legislative chairs cannot attend a Health Policy, they are requested to email information to [email protected] as timely as possible.

More about opportunities and resources:

Chapter presidents and legislative chairs are invited each month to attend the Health Policy Committee meetings to learn about legislative and regulatory matters, as well as share state-level news or challenges. The meeting is hosted on the third Monday of each month at 8 p.m. ET. You will receive an invitation email about a week prior to the monthly calls.

The Child Health Policy Learning Collaborative meets via conference call the first Wednesday of each month, September through May, at 8 p.m. ET. The call is open to all NAPNAP members and includes a variety of hot topics and guest speakers. These calls are a great way to network with fellow members interested in learning about becoming more effective advocates.

Visit the Advocacy Resources web page to access ACA, Medcaid/CHIP, and Scope of Practice related information.

NAPNAP revamped its Advocacy Center.  You can write to federal, state or local elected officials via our online system and take action on NAPNAP’s legislative campaigns with prepared communications for elected officials .

Health policy related news from around the country is available in the NAPNAP Daily News email sent on weekday mornings. NAPNAP publishes bi-monthly editions of Inside the Beltway with legislative and regulatory news, as well as important NAPNAP resources and opportunities.

A chapter may grant scholarships to students to provide financial aid on the basis of academic merit and need.  Scholarships can be provided to cover all or part of the cost of tuition, accommodation, books, means and other study costs or to attend mission trips. Below are requirements for providing a scholarship.

1. All new scholarships must be approved by your chapter members
2. There must be more than one applicant to provide a scholarship
3. All applicants must submit a formal application for voting purposes
4. All applications will have 3-4 reviewers
5. The scholarship must be open to all local pediatric-focused institutions
6. Applicants must be licensed as a registered nurse

Applicants should be enrolled in one of these academic disciplines:

• Master’s Degree in Nursing (Nurse Practitioner Track)
• Doctor of Nursing Practice (Post Master’s or BSN to DNP)
• Doctor of Philosophy in Nursing or Related Field

Suggested timeline for providing scholarships:

August – September: Chapter begins to promote scholarship via open forum, email or community to members

October-November:  Interested applicants can begin to complete and submit scholarship applications

December: Final deadline to apply for scholarship

January: Applications are reviewed by selected voting panel

February:  Winner is notified

March: Award is given and announced at the annual conference