History Of AALNA
AALNA, formed in June of 2001 by three assisted living nurses, is the only national not-for-profit assisted living nursing association formed by nurses and operated by a board of nurses practicing in the field. AALNA is the only national organization to include as members and certification candidates RN and LPN/LVNs. AALNA is an includsive organization dedicated to providing support to our member nurses working in the unique field of assisted living.
A Video Introduction to AALNA
Our mission is to promote nursing practice by enhancing the competencies of nurses working within the unique Assisted Living environment. Our vision is to influence stakeholders who could potentially impact nursing practice with the Assisted Living environment.
AALNA defines nursing practice in assisted living and provides a certification exam and demonstrates validity and reliability through testing rigor. On ce the certification has been achieved the nurse can proudly sign C-AL along with their RN, LPN/LVN recognizing the accomplishment and notifying others of that distinction.
Today almost 3,000 assisted living nurses voices come together as members of AALNA. Corporate organizations find great value in offering AALNA membership to their nursing staff. Companies invest in the professional growth, nursing development, and clinical competencies of their licensed nursing staff. AALNA’s Corporate Members include:
- Belmont Village Senior Living
- Merrill Gardens
- Affinity Living Group
- Retirement Center Management (RCM)
- Avamere
- Oakmont Senior Living
AALNA is fortunate to have strong supporters in our industry partners; Total Dry, Direct Supply, Succeed Risk Management Platform, NCAL, and Argentum
AALNA continues to advance the assisted living nursing profession by serving on various boards, collaborations, resource partnerships and links to many public service associations including:
- National Center for Assisted Living (NCAL)
- Geriatric Nursing Organizations (CGNO)
- AMDA (The Society for Post-Acute and Long Term Care Medicine
- American Association of Homes and Services for the Aging (AAHSA)
- American Association of Retired Persons (AARP)
- Argentum
- California Assisted Living Association (CALA)
- Center for Excellence in Assisted Living (CEAL)
- Consumer Consortium on Assisted Living (CCAL)
- Nurses Improving Care for Healthsystem Elders (NICHE)
- Coalition of Geriatric Nursing Organizations (CGNO)
- California Association of Homes and Services for the Aging
- Health Care Association of NJ
- Nurses Improving Care for Healthsystem Elders (NICHE)
- Care Alternative
- Kansas Assisted Living Association
AALNA has established an active Advisory Council with stakeholders, practioners, organization leaders, risk managers, and tthe legal profession to assist the board of directors in meeting the goals of the organization to provide support o our nurses and improved outcoms for the residents in our care.
AALNA has state chapters in New Jersey, Arizona, Florida, and Texas. We have five new chapters in development launching in 2020 for Tennessee, North Carolina, New York, Louisiana and Michigan. To guide state chapter development, AALNA has a handbook for successful recruitment, design, development and implementation.
AALNA has an active website and provides its members with links to nursing practice, education, research, policy information and resources, associations, organizations, government sites and products. The AALNA Report is published in every edition of the peer-review Geriatric Nursing Journal. In addition, an Assisted Living Nursing column in every issue of the journal presents evidence/research-based practice on topics of interest to assisted living nurses.
Assisted Living has a unique opportunity to partner with hospitals, payer sources and other referral sources as the national spotlight turns to managing high-risk, high-cost populations. In order for assisted living communities to communicate their value they must invest in their clinical capabilities, identify clinical assets, and collect outcome data. AALNA is developing an advanced assisted living nurse competency model that will help assisted living communities as they prepare for these new opportunities by enhancing nursing practice, providing guidance with nursing development, recruitment and retention of a strong clinical professional nursing workforce.