--- title: "Nurse Practitioners Associations Merge to Form Unified Voice" id: "14591" type: "post" slug: "nurse-practitioners-associations-merge-to-form-unified-voice" published_at: "2012-11-27T20:30:56+00:00" modified_at: "2026-03-15T19:12:56+00:00" url: "https://associationsnow.com/2012/11/27/nurse-practitioners-associations-merge-to-form-unified-voice/" markdown_url: "https://associationsnow.com/2012/11/27/nurse-practitioners-associations-merge-to-form-unified-voice.md" excerpt: "Two nurse practitioner trade associations are joining forces to better advocate for their members and to help their members better advocate for patients." taxonomy_category: - "Advocacy" taxonomy_post_tag: - "AssociationsNow" - "Business" - "Healthcare" - "nurse practitioners" - "professional organization" taxonomy_content_format: - "Article" taxonomy_role: - "Association CEO / Executive Director" - "Director" - "Manager" - "VP" taxonomy_persona: - "Executive Leadership" --- [Home](https://associationsnow.com/) » [Articles](https://associationsnow.com/format/article/) » Nurse Practitioners Associations Merge to Form Unified Voice Beginning next year, nurse practitioners will have a single, collective body representing them in Washington, DC, as well as promoting education and research in the field. > This new organization gives us the opportunity to have that one strong, unified voice to move good quality patient care forward. As of January 1, 2013, the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners and the American College of Nurse Practitioners will merge to form the American Association of Nurse Practitioners, both organizations [announced last week (opens in a new tab)](http://www.aanp.org/press-room/press-releases/28-press-room/2012-press-releases/1140-update-regarding-merger) . “We felt like it was the right time for there to be one national nurse practitioner organization representing all specialties at the national level,” said Angela Golden, president of the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners. “This new organization gives us the opportunity to have that one strong, unified voice to move good quality patient care forward.” The new association will also make it easier for nurse practitioners interested in joining a professional organization but confused by which one to join. “I think the members will continue to see the same strong organization that they’ve come to expect, but nurse practitioners will not have to decide anymore, ‘Do I have to pay membership to two organizations,’” Golden said. “There’s one organization with their best interest at heart, moving things forward.” By aligning resources and working together, “we’re going to be able to have the best of both worlds,” said Jill Olmstead, former president of ACNP. One of the biggest benefits includes a stronger legislative platform. “I’m hoping that this will actually give the average nurse practitioner the opportunity to become more involved within their profession and advocate for improved access to patient care,” Olmstead said. “Nurse practitioners are wonderful at advocating for their patients, and I think the organization is trying to help inspire [them] to advocate for their profession.” With the growing [shortage of primary care doctors (opens in a new tab)](http://thehill.com/blogs/healthwatch/public-global-health/268985-study-us-faces-doc-shortage-of-52000-) and new healthcare care laws creating a large contingent of newly insured Americans, [nurse practitioners are becoming increasingly pivotal players (opens in a new tab)](http://prescriptions.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/11/06/with-doctors-in-short-supply-responsibilities-for-nurses-may-expand/?scp=1&sq=a%20nurse%20in%20the%20house&st=cse) in the U.S. healthcare system. “Whether it’s one organization or not, nurse practitioners are so focused on the patient care, and as healthcare reform comes in,” Golden said, “our focus has to stay where it always has been and that’s on our patients.” (Wavebreak Media/Thinkstock) [Katie Bascuas](https://associationsnow.com/author/katie-bascuas/) Katie Bascuas is a former associate editor at Associations Now in Washington, DC. [More articles by this author](https://associationsnow.com/author/katie-bascuas/) Tags: [#Business](https://associationsnow.com/tag/business/) [#Healthcare](https://associationsnow.com/tag/healthcare/) [#nurse practitioners](https://associationsnow.com/tag/nurse-practitioners/) [#professional organization](https://associationsnow.com/tag/professional-organization/) **Stay Informed** [Subscribe to our free newsletter](https://associationsnow.com/newsletter/) , *Associations Now Daily News*, to find out what’s happening in the association world every business day. ## You Might Like - [Video2025 Summit Award Recipient: American Speech-Language-Hearing AssociationOctober 3, 2025](https://associationsnow.com/2025/10/03/2025-summit-award-recipient-american-speech-language-hearing-association/) - [Video2025 Summit Award Recipient: American Society of HematologyOctober 3, 2025](https://associationsnow.com/2025/10/03/2025-summit-award-recipient-american-society-of-hematology/) - [VideoThe Career Moves Every Association Leader Needs Right NowSeptember 24, 2026](https://associationsnow.com/2026/09/24/the-career-moves-every-association-leader-needs-right-now/) - [VideoUrban Land Institute- Project Recovery: Rebuilding Los Angeles After the January 2025 WildfiresSeptember 24, 2026](https://associationsnow.com/2026/09/24/urban-land-institute-project-recovery-rebuilding-los-angeles-after-the-january-2025-wildfires/) ## Comments **Comments are for ASAE members.** [Learn more about comments on this site.](https://associationsnow.com/comments/) [Log in](https://associationsnow.com/login?redirect_to=https%3A%2F%2Fassociationsnow.com%2F2012%2F11%2F27%2Fnurse-practitioners-associations-merge-to-form-unified-voice%2F%23comments) to your member account or [join ASAE](https://my.asaecenter.org/select-a-membership-type/) !