The present paper analyzes the American Nephrology Nurses Association’s (ANNA) organizational structure. The chosen Association’s goal is to educate nurses in the field of nephrology because, in the future, the rise of patients with kidney diseases is expected (ANNA, n.d.). In addition to that, ANNA supports studies in nephrology and promotes an interdisciplinary approach to treating the patients. According to ANNA’s strategic plan, the Association positions itself as a driver of progress and technological changes in the field of nephrology (ANNA, 2019). Through the promotion and support of scientific research of kidney diseases, ANNA facilitates the development of innovative technologies that increase healthcare services quality.
ANNA’s organizational chart illustrates the hierarchical organizational structure in which the chain of command goes from the president to the employees at lower levels (ANNA, 2020). In ANNA’s structure, each staff member is subordinate to a supervisor. More precisely, the Association is headed by the president, Lillian Pryor, who controls an executive director, immediate past president, secretary, president-elect, treasurer, health policy, and three directors. Each of the previously mentioned employees, apart from the secretary for apparent reasons, monitors a wide range of committees (ANNA, 2020). Even though the organizational chart on the official website of ANNA does not provide information on the structure of committees, it is possible to infer that the structure is the same in each subdivision of an Association.
Another conclusion that could be derived from ANNA’s organizational chart is that an organization’s real leader is the executive director, Tamara Kear, not the president. The scheme indicates informal connections between the executive director and the conferences committee, leadership committee, ANNA chapter support team (ACST) (ANNA, 2020). In other words, this means that Tamara Kear communicates with these committees directly, whereas Lillian Pryor could access them only indirectly, through directors.
From one point of view, the delivery of care in ANNA is not affected by social and cultural changes in the community. People suffered from kidney diseases at all times and always required medical help of high quality. At the same time, it is worth mentioning that ANNA educates nurses not only on the issues of nephrology but also on how to behave in social media. Indeed, in the modern digitalized world, it is essential to be literate in social media. Social media literacy includes awareness of what is forbidden to post and how to present information. ANNA’s critical message is that nurses remain nurses even behind the hospital doors and should never forget about it.
Generational differences have a significant influence on organizational culture. The most evident example deals with communication between the employees of a company or an organization. The generation born from 1940 to 1959 and the representatives of generation X prefer communication via phone calls. Besides, these generations are characterized by strict adherence to the hierarchical order in an organization. Generation Y, on the contrary, prefers emails and messages to phone calls. This generation also cherishes equality and, therefore, feel more comfortable in the flat organizational structure.
To conclude, it should be noted that it is improbable thatANNA will change its hierarchical organizational structure into a flat one in the future. That is so because such large-scale associations function more efficiently when there is a strict structure of responsibilities and control. Nonetheless, nursing will significantly benefit from this organization. ANNA educates nurses and facilitates technological and scientific progress. Therefore, it might be expected that over time the quality of skills and knowledge of nurses will be much higher than it is now.
References
ANNA (n.d.). About ANNA. Web.
ANNA (2019). 2019-2021 Strategic Plan. Web.
ANNA (2020). Organizational Chart 2020-21. Web.