Alberta nurses partnering with Canadian association

By Lethbridge Herald on July 8, 2025.

Alejandra Pulido-Guzman
LETHBRIDGE HERALD

The Alberta Association of Nurses (AAN) have once again partnered with the Canadian Nurses Association (CNA) after a few years, and the AAN has officially become an Organizational Affiliate of CNA as a result. 

Kathy Howe, chief executive officer of the AAN says that because of a change in the health profession act in Bill 46, in 2022 the AAN became an association to enhance, promote, and advocate on behalf of the nursing profession.

“The legislative change was that the regulator who licences us, could no longer act via association. Historically it was a registration and an association and when that changed, we launched the Alberta Association of Nurses because we needed to have our own association,” says Howe. 

She adds that when Alberta nurses were under the College and Association Registered Nurses of Alberta, when they paid their membership fees, some of it went to the CNA and they became members of the CNA through it. 

“All of that changed with that legislative change, so nurses had to join our association and the CNA, and we got lots of feedback about that, with people saying they want a one stop shop, and others saying they could not afford to pay separate fees,” says Howe. 

She says that because of this, nurses were having to choose between joining the AAN or the CNA, instead of being able to have access to resources from both. 

“It wasn’t a divide, it was just nurses were no longer members and since I have been in this role, we have worked collaboratively with the CNA, but separately, and we will still remain as separate organizations,” says Howe. 

But she explains that they have been working with CNA to be able to have a formal recognition and become an Organizational Affiliate. 

“Basically, what we figured out was a corporate membership model, where the AAN purchases a corporate membership, which will cover every member of our association,” says Howe. 

She adds that they recognize the importance of working together with CNA, as they have decades of experience and by partnering with them, that also gives them a voice federally to advocate for nurses. 

“The Canadian Nurses Association is about 100 years older than we are, so they have a lot of history, a lot of resources, and benefits. This gives back to Alberta nurses the opportunity to partake on some of those benefits,” says Howe. 

She says some of those benefits include education, leadership programs, certification opportunities and exclusive nursing resources and events. Members can look forward to webinars, advocacy campaigns, certification programs and leadership initiatives designed to support their professional journey.

“We anticipate that as we are the first province to do this, that other will soon join us and then it will become even stronger, if all the provinces and the federal groups start working together,” says Howe.