The Emergency Nurses Association: 50 Years of Advocacy and Advancement

To commemorate the 50th anniversary of Emergency Nurses Association, this article describes 3 most enduring and impactful policy initiatives in organization’s history. These were identified through a comprehensive review articles published Journal Nursing as well other publications including position statements press releases. The top issues throughout Association’s history provision care for vulnerable populations, trauma injury prevention, patient quality safety. Association also worked hard to professionalize emergency nursing within realms services during first half its history, since then has promoted related workforce ensuring safe sustainable environment which nurses practice. This includes critical constructs such professionalization nursing; advocating populations children, older adults, people experiencing sexual violence or human trafficking; improvements prevention; promoting safety certifications, efficient accurate nurse triage, disseminating best practices evidence-based care; supporting by championing workplace violence, ED crowding, healthy work environments.