American Association of Neuroscience Nurses Papers (AANN)

The American Association of Neuroscience Nursing began in 1967 when Barbara Therrien, a nurse instructor at Barnes Hospital in St. Louis Missouri, discussed the idea of organizing an association for neuroscience nurses with the president of the American Association of Neuroscience Surgeons (AANS), Dr. Henry Schwartz. An associate of his proposed the idea to Agnes M. Marshall who was the program director of neurosurgical nursing at Chicago Wesley Memorial hospital. She not only endorsed the idea but joined ranks with Therrien and began sending letters to directors of neurosurgical residency programs informing them of their intent to form a nursing section of the AANS.

A little over 100 nurses attended the first meeting of the AANN held on April 11 in 1968 at the Hilton Hotel in Chicago. The first AANN meetings were scheduled to meet concurrently with the annual meetings of the AANS because the founder’s wanted to be affiliated with that association. Their initial goals were to help nurses deal with the complex problems of neurosurgical nurses, to enlighten health care personnel about neurosurgery and to promote research in neurosurgical nursing. The annual meetings were divided into scientific and business sessions. The business section was devoted to the organization of the Association. The first officers were: Barbara Therrien, President, Agnes M. Marshall, President - elect, Phyllis Raine, Secretary, & Carol Cunningham, Treasurer. The first directors were Nancy Wheaton & Shirley Sawchyn. The first Journal of Neurosurgical Nursing was published in 1969. That same year the World Federation of Neurosurgical Societies was founded. In 1970 the AANN applied for membership and was the first nursing society to be accepted.

By 1974 the AANN had nine chapters and a membership of 450. In 1971 Mary Craton, president of the AANN, launched the Association newsletter, Synapse. In 1976 the AANN and the ANA approved the Standards of Neurological and Neurosurgical Nursing Practice which was published by the ANA in 1977.

Vision and leadership brought the AANN to its 10th anniversary in New Orleans were they celebrated 685 members and 27 local chapters. Some of the significant changes that occurred that year were their first certification examination, the creation of a new by-law that allowed nurses who did not work 75 of their time with neurosurgical patients to be members & two ad hoc committees were developed to lead the way for the AANN to become more active politically and in areas of research.

The AANN continued to grow, receiving accreditation in 1981 from the ANA National Accrediting Board for a for year period. The AANN now was free to plan and implement continuing education programs and collaborate with other specialty nursing organizations in carrying out continuing education activities.

Other major highlights through the years include a move in 1983 from downtown Chicago to expanded quarters in Park Ridge, Illinois and a name change at the 15th annual meeting to the American Association of Neurosurgical Nurses. By the end of 1988 the membership was over 2800 and by the next year there were 70 active chapters.

In 2008 the AANN celebrated the 40th anniversary of its association. It continues to create programs to advance education, leadership, practice and advocacy.