ATHNA Fact Sheet
ATHNA
The American Association of Travel Health Nurses (ATHNA) celebrates its 20th anniversary as a not-for-profit nursing professional organization in June 2024. Currently comprising more than 3,300 members, ATHNA is an all-volunteer organization representing travel health nurses in every U.S. state, many Canadian provinces, and some international nations. ATHNA members practice in a multitude of travel health roles (e.g., clinicians, educators, authors, researchers, advocates, consultants) and work in varied clinical and administrative settings to provide care to travelers during all stages of trips to all destinations domestic and international.
The purpose of this Fact Sheet is to provide some quick answers to Frequently Asked Questions about ATHNA.
To learn more about the history of ATHNA, please refer to the document History of the American Travel Health Nurses Association on the ATHNA website.
To learn more about travel health nursing as a specialty, please refer to the document Travel Health Nursing Fact Sheet on the ATHNA website.
What is ATHNA?
ATHNA is the official organization for U.S. nursing professionals practicing in the ANA recognized specialty of travel health nursing. It is a 501 c 3 nonprofit association incorporated in New York State. Currently, ATHNA offers free membership to any professional who wishes to join. ATHNA advocates for nurses in this specialty and promotes professional development and customized, evidence-based, quality care for every traveler on every journey. ATHNA provides its members with several special benefits including online CE programming, an annual Networking Education and Development Day (NED) and the ATHNA educational blog TravelBytes. The mission of ATHNA is:
To advocate for nurses engaged in the care of all travelers through professional development, scholarship, evidence-based practice, and specialty board-certification. (December 14, 2023)
ATHNA is not the organization for "travel nurses", individuals who travel between hospitals to meet acute staffing shortages.
ATHNA Governance
As an all-volunteer professional organization, ATHNA has an Executive Committee comprised of ATHNA officers and a 15-member board of directors elected every two years. The board meets quarterly and is supported by standing and ad hoc committees and project task forces. Member volunteers are always needed – and most welcome!
What is a NED?
ATHNA sponsors a unique Networking, Educational, and Development opportunity for its members every year either via Zoom or in multiple locations simultaneously across the United States. Providing up to five continuing education credits, this popular alternative to traditional, annual large conferences is called a NED. Meeting content focuses on updates in important travel health nursing topics as well as opportunities for the discussion of clinical, administrative, and professional issues. Regional and Zoom NEDs reduce time away from work, limit travel costs, and promote local networking among our members. In June 2019, ATHNA hosted a very well-received national meeting in Washington DC in conjunction with its 15th anniversary as a professional association. In May 2025 ATHNA plans to host another national meeting in New Orleans.
What are TravelBytes?
ATHNA offers a peer reviewed blog, TravelBytes, on its website that addresses current topics and challenges in travel health nursing. Members contribute blog content on a wide range of topics and all members are encouraged to read the blog and submit their own content ideas. Look on the ATHNA homepage for this regular feature.
How does ATHNA communicate with our members?
ATHNA's website is updated quarterly to keep members and non-members informed about organizational activities and important developments in travel health nursing. ATHNA also subscribes to Constant Contact and members receive monthly email updates as well. ATHNA also posts on social media. Members are encouraged to contact ATHNA at our email address: info@athna.org.
How does ATHNA promote professional networking among its members and other travel health professionals?
ATHNA offers members several ways to connect with other nursing professionals who provide travel health care. Every year ATHNA presents a NED: Networking, Education and Development one day conference. These unique day-long gatherings are held simultaneously via Zoom and in-person at various locations around the country. The event provides members with face-to-face contact to increase knowledge and information sharing in travel health nursing.
In addition, ATHNA offers informal networking get-togethers, so-called Meet & Greets, at many national and international conferences attended by U.S. travel health nurses, including the American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene, International Society of Travel Medicine, American Association of Nurse Practitioners, American College Health Association, American Association of Ambulatory Care Nurses, and the American Association of Occupational Health Nurses. Many ATHNA members also hold positions in these other professional organizations, strengthening the exchange of up-to-date travel information among the groups. If you attend any of these meetings, be sure to look for ATHNA meeting notices on our website, in your email, and at the conferences.
How do I get in touch with ATHNA?
Contact info@athna.org for questions about the organization. ATHNA will respond to your inquiry within 5 business days. Unfortunately, ATHNA cannot respond to specific inquiries regarding individual patient care. We do frequently address broad clinical issues in our blog TravelBytes.
Does ATHNA have speakers for a travel health presentation?
Some of our members are available to give presentations on different travel health topics. Members make their own arrangements for presentations and are responsible for their content. Please contact ATHNA at info@athna.org if you are interested in learning about speakers for an educational event.
What is ATHNA's role in entry level education and continuing education for travel health nursing?
ATHNA has addressed both of these important issues. For more information about entry level education for travel health nursing practice or opportunities for travel heath nursing continuing education, please see our Educational Preparation for Travel Health Nursing Fact Sheet on our website and also the ATHNA Model Core Curriculum available on the Members Only Portal.
How can a professional nurse take an active role in ATHNA?
Each year, ATHNA sends out notices for open positions on its Board of Directors as well as opportunities to join our various committees to work on projects relevant to the development of our specialty and ATHNA goals. We post a nomination announcement on our website homepage and members also receive announcements in their Constant Contact email.
Members are encouraged to get involved in ways that meet their personal interests and professional and educational goals. We know travel health nurses are all very busy. That said, members are always encouraged to contact info@athna.org to get more involved with ATHNA or to share an idea for a project or ATHNA initiative.
Can I donate to ATHNA?
Yes, we are a 501c3 nonprofit organization, incorporated as a NY State charity – and anyone may donate to our organization. As an organization that offers free membership, we appreciate donations. Thank you! Donations are tax deductible to the extent permitted by law and may be sent to ATHNA, c/o ATHNA Treasurer PO Box 1024 Thornwood, NY 10594. Donations can also be made directly on our website.
Is ATHNA affiliated with ISTM, ASTMH, ACHA, or AAOHN?
ATHNA is a stand-alone, non-profit, professional nursing organization incorporated in New York to support its members and the professional development of travel health nursing in North America. It is independent of other organizations that support travel medicine. However, ATHNA works cooperatively with many travel health, public health, and nursing groups both as an organization and through the activities of its individual members. Some of these groups include the International Society of Travel Medicine, the American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene, the American College Health Association, the American Association of Occupational Health Nurses and others. ATHNA collaborates on shared travel health research projects, advocates on behalf of common issues and interests, and promotes connections that benefit the specialty, nursing professionals, our members, and travelers. Many ATHNA members choose to belong to more than one association that supports travel health. We encourage all our members to join any professional organization that will support their career goals and increase their professional knowledge and skills for the provision of quality travel health nursing care.
Travel Health Nursing – Scope & Standards of Practice and Code of Ethics
In the 21st century, ATHNA has achieved ANA recognition as a nursing specialty for travel health nursing and has developed a Scope and Standards as well as a Code of Ethics based on the ANA Code of Ethics for professional nursing. ATHNA encourages all its members as well as all travel health professionals to adhere to these Standards and this Code. As an organization, ATHNA is an independent voice for the professional development of travel health nurses and for quality care of all travelers. Travel Health Nursing: Scope and Standards of Practice, 2021 can be purchased through the ANA publication site: https://www.nursingworld.org/~4951d0/globalassets/catalog/book-toc/2021_travel-health-nursing_toc.pdf
Additional Questions about ATHNA?
Please write to info@athna.org if you have other questions or comments about our organization and member benefits. We welcome your messages!
Updated: 2024/ GR