The American Academy of Nursing serves the public and the nursing profession by advancing health policy, practice, and science through organizational excellence and effective nursing leadership. Every day across America, the Academy and its members create and execute knowledge-driving and policy-related initiates to drive reform of America's health system.The Academy and its members create and execute knowledge-driven and policy-related initiatives to drive reform of America’s health care system.

The Academy is comprised of 2,500 members, referred to as Fellows, which include nursing's most accomplished leaders in education, management, practice and research. They have been recognized for their extraordinary nursing careers and are among the nation’s most highly-educated citizens; more than 80 percent hold doctoral degrees and the rest have completed masters programs. An annual meeting and conference, held each fall, offers Fellows an opportunity to share their work and ideas on how to implement and effect change.