ANA Votes to Admit LPNs and LVNs to National Membership for the First Time

The American Nurses Association voted on June 27, 2026 to open its membership to licensed practical nurses and licensed vocational nurses for the first time, a change the organization is calling one of the most significant updates to its bylaws in decades. The vote took place during ANA’s annual Membership Assembly in Washington, D.C.

For LPNs and LVNs, the practical and vocational nurses who staff bedsides in hospitals, long-term care facilities, clinics, community health settings and home care, the decision means they can now join the country’s largest nursing organization directly. Until now, national ANA membership had been reserved for registered nurses.

“The Power of Nurses is in our unity, across specialties and settings, and today ANA is proud to welcome licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses into our membership community,” said ANA President Jennifer Mensik Kennedy, PhD, MBA, RN, NEA-BC, FAAN.

The bylaws amendment expands ANA’s membership eligibility to include LPNs and LVNs nationally, giving them access to professional resources, community support and advocacy representation through the association. ANA describes the move as a step toward unifying the profession across all practice levels.

The scale is substantial. There were about 651,400 LPN and LVN jobs in the United States in 2024, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, a workforce that has long worked alongside RNs but has not had a seat at ANA’s national table. The association says it represents the interests of the nation’s roughly 5 million registered nurses, and this change broadens who can be part of that community.

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The decision did not happen overnight. The effort traces back to 2017, when ANA first amended its bylaws to let state associations accept LPNs and LVNs as state-only members. That pilot approach gave ANA and its Constituent and State Nurses Associations a way to test the model before taking it national.

According to ANA, the pilot’s success and support from those state associations paved the way for the 2026 vote. The association says the full effect of the change will roll out over the coming months as it establishes the operational model for LPN and LVN membership.

The vote came during a milestone gathering. ANA marked its 130th anniversary year at the Assembly, where more than 400 nursing leaders took part. At the same meeting, members approved the association’s 2026 to 2030 strategic plan and elected Anita Girard as incoming president.

For LPNs and LVNs, this is a direct change to professional status: membership in the nation’s flagship nursing organization has historically signaled who gets represented in policy fights, who shapes practice standards, and whose voice carries weight in Washington. Bringing practical and vocational nurses into that fold could change how their interests are advocated for on issues from scope of practice to workplace conditions.

For RNs, the change reshapes what ANA membership looks like and broadens the coalition the association speaks for. A larger, more unified membership base can strengthen nursing’s collective influence, and ANA has framed unity across roles as central to its advocacy strategy. The practical details, including dues, member benefits and how LPN/LVN membership integrates with existing state structures, will become clearer as ANA builds out the model in the coming months.

🤔 LPNs and LVNs: now that the ANA’s doors are open to you, will you join? And RNs, do you think a unified membership strengthens nursing’s voice? Tell us in the comments.

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