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Oklahoma Nurses Association Bylaws

Amended by the ONA House of Delegates on September 26, 2024

ARTICLE I:  Purposes and Functions

Section 1 Purpose

a.   The purposes of the Oklahoma Nurses Association (ONA) shall be to foster high standards of nursing practice, promote educational development of nurses, and support professional nurses to the end that all people may have better health care.

b.   These purposes shall be unrestricted by considerations of age, color, creed, disability, gender, health status, life-style, nationality, race, religion or sexual orientation.

Section 2 Functions

a.    Facilitate implementation of standards of practice;

b.    Ensure adherence to the Code of Ethics for Nurses established by the American Nurses Association (ANA);

c.    Provide leadership in state and national nursing issues;

d.   Initiate and influence legislation, government programs, state health policy and national health policy;

e.    Communicate and disseminate ONA positions;

f.     Disseminate data pertinent to nursing;

g.   Offer workplace advocacy strategies, programs and services to nurses;

h.   Support and promote nursing research;

i.     Provide for the professional development of nurses;

j.     Pay dues to ANA in accordance with the ANA Bylaws and policies adopted by the ANA Membership Assembly;

k.    Provide for representation in the ANA Membership Assembly; and,

l.     Function in compliance with ANA Bylaws.

ARTICLE II: Membership

The members of ONA shall be composed of individuals and organizations that have member or organizational affiliate status.  Membership is unrestricted by consideration of age, color, creed, disability, gender, health status, life-style, nationality, race, religion, or sexual orientation or any other consideration in accordance with the bylaws of ANA.

Section 1 Members

a.     A member is an individual who meets the following criteria:

1.     Has been granted a license as a registered nurse (RN) in Oklahoma or at least one state, territory, or District of Columbia of the United States of America and does not have a license under suspension or revocation in any state or is otherwise entitled by law to practice;

2.     Is an RN in recovery who has surrendered a license to practice;

3.     Has retired and/or no longer chooses to practice, but whose RN license was in good standing with the licensing board at the time the nurse made the decision not to maintain an active license; and,

4.     Has paid the annual dues for one of the classifications listed in Section 1, b., which are based on the dues policy of the ONA House of Delegates (HOD), and the ANA dues policy established by the ANA Membership Assembly.

b.     Classifications

1.     ONA/ANA Premier Membership
An individual nurse working full or part-time, who pays dues at the Premier Membership level per the ONA dues policy established by the ONA HOD. 

2.     ONA/ANA Standard Membership

        An individual nurse working full or part-time, who pays dues at the Standard Membership level per the agreement between ONA and ANA and the ONA dues policy.

3.     ONA/ANA Honorary Membership

        Membership may be bestowed by the ONA Board of Directors (BOD), upon those registered nurses who have made outstanding contributions to the profession.  The ONA BOD shall determine criteria and implementation.

4.     ONA ONLY Members
Registered nurses who work or live in Oklahoma may join ONA at the state level only. The annual dues for an ONA only member shall be established by the ONA HOD, which includes an administrative assessment fee paid to the American Nurses Association established in the written agreement with ANA. This membership does not entitle the registered nurse to belong to or receive benefits from ANA at the national level.

c.     Member Rights and Responsibilities:

1.     ONA/ANA Members

a.     Participate in State and Regional meetings and/or attend other unrestricted State and Regional events and activities;

b.     Receive a membership card and official publications of ONA, ANA and other related entities;

c.      Be a candidate for office for ONA and ANA elective and appointive positions in accordance with ONA and ANA Bylaws and applicable policies;

d.     Attend the ONA House of Delegates and ANA Membership Assembly and other unrestricted meetings of ONA or ANA;

e.     Attend the Quadrennial Congress of International Council of Nurses;

f.      Serve as an ANA Membership Assembly representatives or alternate, for a two-year term after being elected by the individual members of ONA by secret ballot in accordance with ONA nominating and election policies;

g.     Vote by secret ballot for elected offices of ONA;

h.     Serve in any ONA or ANA elected or appointed position in accordance with ONA and ANA Bylaws and applicable policies;

i.       Receive advice and guidance from ONA concerning workplace and nursing practice issues;

j.       Abide by the ANA Code of Ethics for Nurses;

k.      Uphold the ONA and ANA Bylaws;

l.       Receive other benefits offered by the ONA; and,

m.    Right to due process.

2.     ONA Only Members: Participate in State and Regional meetings and/or attend other unrestricted State and Regional events and activities;

a.     Receive official publications of ONA;

b.     Vote by secret ballot for ONA elected offices, EXCEPT for representatives and alternates to the ANA Membership Assembly in accordance with the bylaws and applicable policies of ONA and ANA;

c.      Serve in any ONA appointed position in accordance with ONA Bylaws and applicable policies if selected;

d.     Receive advice and guidance from ONA concerning workplace and nursing practice issues;

e.     Abide by the ANA Code of Ethics for Nurses;

f.      Uphold Bylaws of ONA;

g.     Receive other benefits offered by ONA; and,

h.     Right to due process.

d.     Disciplinary Action and Appeal

1.     Cause for disciplinary action by ONA against a member shall be limited to failure to fulfill the obligations cited in these bylaws and other such actions detrimental to purposes, goals and functions of ONA and ANA.

2.     Disciplinary proceedings shall be conducted pursuant to common parliamentary and statutory law in accordance with policies established by ONA BOD.

3.     All disciplined members have the right to appeal to the ONA HOD pursuant to common parliamentary and statutory law.

4.     Disciplinary action taken by another constituent member of ANA against one of its individual members shall be given full recognition and enforcement provided that such action was taken in accordance with the disciplining constituent member’s bylaws and disciplinary procedures.

e.     Transfer of Membership

1.     ANA Members who have paid their dues in full to one state nurses association may transfer to ONA without paying additional dues.

2.     ONA is not required to refund individual membership dues to the ONA/ANA member transferring to another constituent member of ANA.

Section 2 Organizational Affiliates of ONA

a.     An organizational affiliate of ONA is an organization that:

1.     Is a nursing or health-related organization with a governing board composed of a majority of nurses that meets criteria established by ONA BOD as listed in ONA’s policies,

2.     Has been approved by ONA BOD; and,

3.     Has paid an organizational affiliation fee to ONA, specified by the BOD

b.     Rights
Each organizational affiliate shall be entitled to:

1.     Representation in the HOD by a registered nurse with one vote;

2.     Make informational reports or presentations to ONA HOD within its area of expertise;

3.     Submit the names of representatives qualified for appointment to ad hoc groups, task forces, and other ONA organizational units; and,

4.     Receive publications and communications published by the ONA office.

c.     Responsibilities
Each organizational affiliate shall maintain a mission and purpose harmonious with the purpose and functions of ONA.

ARTICLE III:  ONA Regions

The ONA shall have six (6) Regions, which are the constituent membership structure to engage members at the local level where they live, and or work by participating in ONA. The Regions are defined as the four geographical quadrants of the state, the Tulsa Area and the Oklahoma City Area as defined in policies. The portion of the dues allotted for Regions will be split between the Region and the Membership Development Fund as defined in the dues policy. Funds will be available to Regions and Chapters based on an application process distributed by the Membership Development Fund Committee.

The Region has the authority, delegated by the ONA HOD, to:

a.     Establish its own leadership structure, chapters and activities;

b.     Maintain representation on the ONA BOD;

c.     Participate in the ONA HOD;

d.     Recommend strategies, policies and activities that facilitate ONA's mission; and,

e.     Operate in accordance to the ONA Region Guidelines

Section 1 Responsibilities

a.     Provide the names and addresses of Region leadership including Chapter Chairs to ONA;

b.     Submit reports to ONA as requested;

c.     Present issues and concerns pertinent to its regional members to ONA;

d.     Develop Chapters according to the ONA Chapter Development Guidelines

e.     Present delegates for credentialing to the ONA HOD;

f.      Function in compliance with ONA Bylaws; and,

g.     Maintain fiduciary accountability in accordance with ONA Fiduciary Policies and Procedures.

ARTICLE IV:  Organizational Structure

Section 1 House of Delegates (HOD)

The ONA HOD shall be the governing body of ONA and shall meet at the time of the annual ONA convention. The ONA House of Delegates provides stewardship for the profession through the creation of policy direction and positions that support the purposes of ONA.

a.     Composition and Apportionment

The ONA HOD shall be composed of the ONA BOD, delegates from the Region and Organizational Affiliates and ONA Past Presidents.

1.     At the annual meeting of the ONA HOD, each Region shall be entitled to one delegate-at-large plus one delegate for every 10 members.

2.     At the annual meeting of the ONA HOD, each Organizational Affiliate shall be entitled to one delegate-at-large who is a RN. 

3.     At any special meeting of the ONA HOD, each Region and organizational affiliate shall be entitled to the number of delegates authorized for the immediately preceding annual meeting of the ONA HOD

4.     Each ONA past president is entitled to one seat as a delegate at any meeting of the ONA HOD.

b.   Meetings

1.     Members shall be notified of the annual meeting of the ONA HOD through a notice published by ONA including The Oklahoma Nurse and web site at least 45 days prior to the meeting.

2.     Special meetings of the ONA HOD may be called by a two‑thirds vote of the Board of Directors and shall be called by the President upon written request of a majority of the Regions.

3.     Members of ONA shall be notified of a special meeting of the ONA HOD, by mail or other means determined by the ONA BOD, at least ten (10) days prior to the meeting.

c.   Responsibilities

1.     Establish rules of procedure for meeting of the ONA HOD;

2.     Adopt and maintain bylaws;

3.   Monitor the strategic plan;

4.     Delegate authority to the ONA BOD to define accountability for the implementation of association policies and positions approved by the ONA HOD; and,

5.     Determine policy directions and positions of ONA.

d.   Quorum

A quorum for the transaction of business by the ONA HOD shall consist of one-third of the total eligible delegates, representing a majority of the Regions, and a majority of the ONA BOD, one of whom shall be the president or vice-president.

Section 2 Board of Directors (BOD)

The ONA BOD is the corporate body and shall have the authority delegated to it by the ONA HOD, including the duty and power of acting for ONA membership between meetings of the ONA HOD.  The ONA BOD is accountable to the ONA HOD for implementing ONA HOD decisions. 

a.     Composition

1.     The ONA BOD shall be limited to no more than 16 members, consisting of the ONA elected officers and directors, a representative from each Region, and the ONA Consultant to the Oklahoma Student Nurses Association.

2.     There shall be four (4) Executive Officers: 1) President, 2) Vice-President, 3) Secretary/Treasurer, and, 4) President-Elect.  

3.     There shall be five (5) directors: 1) Education Director, 2) Political Activities Director, 3) Practice Director,
4) Membership Development Director, and, 5) Emerging Nurses Director.

b.     Responsibilities

1.     Exercise the corporate responsibility and fiduciary duties of the organization consistent with applicable provisions of law;

2.     Provide for implementation of ONA policies and positions approved by the ONA HOD;

3.     Establish policies and procedures for the transaction of business and ONA activities; operation and maintenance of an office; and appoint, define the responsibilities and determine other policies in relation to the Chief Executive Officer.

4      Establish financial policies and procedures that maintain the financial stability of ONA, adopt a budget, file appropriate federal and state tax documents, submit all books annually to a certified public accountant and present a financial statement to the ONA HOD;

5.     Fulfill the duties specified in the ONA Bylaws and Policies;

6.     Maintain appropriate relationships with the Oklahoma Nurses Foundation (ONF), the ONA Political Action Committee (ONA-PAC), and other organizations with missions congruent with ONA; and

7.     Develop guidelines for the creation and dissolution chapters.

8.     Serve as the Reference Committee

9.      May create or appoint special committees or task forces for short-term specific needs.

c. Term of Office

1.   Officers and directors will be elected to a two-year term of office.  The term of office begins with the adjournment of the annual meeting of the ONA HOD.  An officer shall not serve more than six (6) consecutive years or three terms.  An officer who has served more than half a term shall be considered to have served a full term.

2.   The President-Elect, Secretary/Treasurer and two directors shall be elected in EVEN numbered years.  The Vice‑President and three directors shall be elected in ODD numbered years.

3.   Four consecutive unexcused absences from Board meetings are grounds for removal from office.

d.     Vacancies

In the event of vacancies:

1.     In the office of President, the Vice‑President shall serve as President for the remainder of the term.  To serve as an ANA Representative he/she must be elected as an ANA Representative.

2.     In the office of another officer or of a director, the ONA BOD shall fill the vacancy by appointment for remainder of the term.   

 e.    Executive Committee

The executive committee will be composed of the President, Vice-President, Secretary/Treasurer and President-Elect which shall have all powers delegated by the ONA BOD to transact business between board meetings. 

f.      Meetings
Meetings of the ONA BOD shall be held at least quarterly. Special meetings may be called by the President or shall be called upon written request from a majority of the Regions or six members of the ONA BOD.

g.     Quorum
A majority of the ONA BOD including the President or Vice-President shall constitute a quorum at any meeting of the ONA BOD.

Section 3 Duties of Officers

a.     President:

1)     Serves as the Official representative of ONA;

2)     Serves as the spokesperson on matters of ONA policy and its positions;  

3)     Chairs the ONA HOD, the ONA BOD and Executive Committee;

4)     Is an Ex-offico member of all committees except the Nominating Committee;

5)     Serves as a Representative to all regular and special meetings of the ANA Membership Assembly if elected by the ONA/ANA Members to serve as the ANA Membership Assembly Representative according to the ONA policies and procedures of the Nominating Committee; and,

6)     Attends the ANA Leadership Council Meeting

7)     May fulfill other duties as designated by the Board.

b.     The President-elect:

1)     Serves for a period of two-years prior to assuming the duties of the President;

2)     Assists with standing committees; and,

3)     Serves as a Representative to all regular and special meetings of the ANA Membership Assembly if elected by the ONA/ANA Members to serve as the ANA Membership Assembly Representative according to the ONA policies and procedures of the Nominating Committee.

4)     May attend the ANA Leadership Council Meeting

5)     May fulfill other duties as designated by the Board.

c.     The Vice-President:

1)     Serves as chair of the Convention and Awards Committees; and,

2)     Assumes the duties of the President in the president's absence or at the discretion of the president.

3)     May fulfill other duties as designated by the Board.

d.     The Secretary/Treasurer:

1)     Responsible for ensuring records are maintained of meetings of the ONA HOD, the ONA BOD and the Executive Committee;

2)     Notifies Regions and individual members of meetings of ONA HOD;

3)     Responsible for authorizing the fiscal affairs of ONA; and,

4)     Provides reports and interpretation of ONA's financial condition to ONA HOD, the ONA BOD and membership.

5)     May fulfill other duties as designated by the Board.

e.     The Directors serve as liaisons to ONA’s standing committees as appropriate for their areas of responsibility.

f.      The Officers and Directors fulfill the responsibilities of ONA BOD as defined in ONA bylaws and policies.

Section 4 Committees

a.   Standing Committees of ONA House of Delegates

The standing committees of the ONA HOD shall be as follows:  Reference Committee and Nominating Committee. These standing committees are accountable to ONA HOD and provide reports to ONA BOD.  Quorum for the Standing Committees of the ONA HOD will be a majority of the filled positions on the committee.

1.     The Nominating Committee is composed of at least five (5) members to be elected by the membership. Three (3) members will be elected every year for a two-year term.

b.     Standing Committees of ONA

        The standing committees of the ONA to include:  Awards, Convention, Education, Governmental Activities, and Professional Practice in the Workplace. These committees are accountable to the ONA BOD and provide reports to ONA HOD. Committee membership is open to all ONA members.

1.     Quorum for Standing Committees of ONA will be a majority of those in attendance of the meeting.   

c.     Membership Development Fund Committee

The Membership Development Fund Committee, which is composed of the Membership Development Director who will serve as Chair, the ONA Secretary/Treasurer, a representative from each Region elected by the Region Members.  Quorum for the Membership Development Fund Committee will be a majority of the filled positions on the committee.

d.     Special Committees/Task Forces

The Quorum for the Special Committee/Task Force will be a majority of the members of the committee.

Section 5 Election of Officers and ANA/ONA Representatives

a.     Nominations

1.     Candidates will be selected from ONA/ANA members in good standing and will complete ”Consent to Serve” form prior to election.   

2.     The nomination slate along with biographical information will be printed in ONA publications, including The Oklahoma Nurse and ONA website.

b.     Elections

1.     Elections shall be by secret ballot. 

2.     A plurality vote shall constitute an election.  In case of a tie, the choice shall be by lot.

3.     Any challenge to the election shall be filed with the Secretary/Treasurer no more than 30 days after the adjournment of the annual meeting of the ONA HOD.

Section 6  Association Executive Officer

a.     The ONA BOD shall delegate to the Chief Executive Officer the authority in the management of ONA according to policies established by ONA HOD and ONA BOD.

b.     The Chief Executive Officer shall be accountable to the ONA BOD.

c.     The Chief Executive Officer shall employ, direct, promote, and terminate staff of the ONA.

d.     The Chief Executive Officer may represent ONA and serves as spokesperson on matters of established policy and positions.

e.     The Chief Executive Officer shall represent ONA at the ANA Membership Assembly.

ARTICLE V:  Related Nursing Organizations

Section 1 American Nurses Association (ANA)

The ONA is a constituent member of the American Nurses Association. The ONA shall remain affiliated with ANA until such time as 2/3 of the entire ONA membership votes to disaffiliate from ANA.  ONA membership, for these purposes, is defined as individual members of ONA who have ANA rights and privileges of membership as a result of their ONA membership.  The vote may occur by mail or electronic ballot, with appropriate notice and procedures to protect the integrity and validity of the vote.

Section 2 ONF and ONA-PAC

a.     ONF, and ONA-PAC, were begun and are supported by ONA for fulfilling each organizations specific purposes and functions on behalf of the profession.

b.     ONA appoints members from the membership and ONA BOD to these organizations according to the bylaws of each individual organization.  ONA BOD determines the financial and the organizational arrangements between ONA and these organizations

c.    A mutual agreement between ONA and the specific organization shall be required before the organization may disband or alter its relationship.

Section 3 Other Nursing Organizations

ONA, through its members and ONA BOD, encourages the establishment and maintenance of its mutually beneficial relationships with the Oklahoma Nursing Students Association (ONSA), and other specialty nursing organizations and collaborative efforts with other healthcare entities.

ARTICLE VI:  Amendments

These bylaws may be amended with prior notice at a meeting of the ONA HOD by a two-thirds vote of the credentialed delegates present and voting.

ARTICLE VII:  Rules of Order

Robert's Rules of Order Newly Revised, current edition governs ONA in all parliamentary situations that are not provided for in the law or in the bylaws or adopted operation policies of ONA.