Sara Gabriel, MSN, NBA, RN, one of the seven founders was elected the first president of NAINA for the term 2007–2008. The foundation and all related building blocks of the organization were established during this period. The inaugural function, held in Houston in May 2007, stands as a historic and memorable event that formally announced the birth of NAINA to the global community. 

The first national educational conference of NAINA was held in Chicago in September, 2008. More than 400 nurses from across the US and other countries participated in the three-day event making it a resounding success. NAINA grew tremendously during this period, and new chapters were formed in  California, Philadelphia, New Jersey, and Michigan. NAINA became the second-largest, ethnic minority organization in United States and gained recognition from other professional organizations, such as the American Nurses Association (ANA), the National Coalition of Ethnic Minority Organization (NCEMNA), Commission on Graduates of Foreign Nursing Schools (CGFNS) and the National Council of State Board of Nursing (NCSBN). 

During this time, NAINA was invited to participate in the national task force to develop fair practice standards to offer recruitment of foreign educated nurses in the United States. Over the years, this task force was incorporated as a nonprofit organization known as the Alliance for Fair International Recruitment of Foreign-Educated Nurses, and our continued contributions enabled NAINA to attain a permanent seat in the board of this organization. The standards for Ethical Recruitment for Foreign-Educated Nurses (The CODE) were developed and Mrs. Sara Gabriel, one of the authors of this code, had the opportunity to present it as a panelist with other delegates from the ANA, CGFNS and NCSBN, at the International Council of Nurses Conference in Durban, South Africa, in 2009.

Dr. Omana Simon was elected as the second president of NAINA for the term 2009–2010. NAINA continued to grow during this term. New chapters were formed in Connecticut, Tampa, and Florida. Though unable to join NCEMNA as a separate organization, we were able to obtain organizational membership in the Asian American Pacific  Islanders Nurses Association (AAPINA) which is a member of NCEMNA.

The second Biennial education conference was conducted in Houston and was also a great success. Renowned theorist, Dr. Jean Watson was one of the main speaker. A majority of the other speakers were accomplished nursing leaders and educators from our own Indian nursing community. At this time, the nursing excellence awards for clinical practice and advanced practice along with the Graduate Nursing Student Research Award were established. Four undergraduate student nurses awards - two for students from the US and two for students from India were also established during this period, to be awarded during the NAINA biennial educational conference.

Dr. Solymole Kuruvilla was the president during the third time many of the established activities continued to flourish. Through collaborative participation with other organizations at both local and national levels NAINA became a recognized entity in the United States nursing professional arena and within the Indian community. Major activities included a successful pre-conference seminar to lure our fellow Indian nurses to glimpse of what was yet to come followed by a successful third biennial education conference in New York.

Tele-conferences with contact hours were initiated to keep our follow nurse as abreast with the modern trends in nursing. A mentoring program was initiated during this term which became very useful to our fellow nurses. Another highlight during this term was the formation of a new chapter in Atlanta, Georgia. 

HIGHLIGHTS - NAINA 2011-2012

• Ensured compliance with the new 501 (c) (3) status acquisition : Revised bylaws, biannual and annual reports from Chapter presidents and committee chairs were made as requirements and NAINA GB was educated on compliance requirements.
  
• NAINA became an affiliate of Asian American and Pacific Islander Nurses Association (AAPINA) and through AAPINA, obtained membership at the National Coalition of Ethnic Minority Nurses Association (NCEMNA) and members took advantage of the benefits with excitement 
  
• Inception of new chapters - Indian Nurses Association of North Carolina (INA- NC) and Georgia Indian Nurses Association (GINA)’s framework was in near completion. Efforts were progressing towards uniting Indian nurses in Oklahoma and Missouri.
  
• Established direct individual memberships for nurses residing in states that do not have established chapters to allow inclusion in NAINA
  
• The election committee was appointed under the chairmanship of Lydia Albuquerque who spearheaded the committee in establishing the election process for the election of leadership for the future terms.
  
• Initiated Mentorship program 
  
• First ever virtual (Teleconference) educational program with contact hours was conducted on the topic, Leadership in the Conceptual Age by Dr. Abraham Philip
  
• Professional involvement with Federation of Malayalee Association of North America ( FOMAA) - President Dr. Kuruvilla was one of the invited special guests and panelists at the Professional Summit, Bridging of the Minds in which unique professional and personal challenges along with triumphant secrets were shared.
  
• Benevolence Endeavors- 
  
•          Partnered with Japanese Red Cross Society to help the victims of 2011 devastating Tsunami 
  
•         Financial support provided to families of nurses who lost their lives on December 9, 2011, in the AMIRI Hospital fire in Kolkata, India

NAINA Pre-conference seminar was conducted to include nurses of tristate in preparation for the upcoming Biennial conference which was attended by more than 150 nurses 

• Third NAINA Biennial Educational Conference was held at Westchester Marriot, NY and it was a productive and memorable conference.  Collaboration with TNAI, Trained Nurses Association of India, and presence of TNAI president was another highlight. 

Dr. Vimala George was the president for the fourth term. The term started with the kickoff and a successful fundraising event to offset the expenses of the fourth coming Biennial conference. The fourth biennial education conference was a cruel convention, a unique opportunity for all our members.

The two day educational conference was enjoyed by our members, many of whom attended family and friends. Leadership development is one of the main goals of NAINA and the first national leadership seminar was conducted in the same year in Tampa, Florida with the focus of the leadership skills and abilities of our members and leaders during this term partnership with Grand Canyon University (GCU) which enables our members and their families to get a 15% discount for all courses at the university. 

The Leadership team started with great enthusiasm and resolve, taking careful steps to enhance the growth and visibility of NAINA as one of the best ethnic minority professional nursing organizations in the USA. 

Assisting and coaching new emerging leaders among Indian nurses, increasing the membership, forming new chapters, and increasing our visibility were some of the main goals/challenges the leadership team concentrated in 2015-16 

There were many challenges, new initiatives, and great accomplishments during this two-year period. Some of the memorable items are: 

NAINA NEW BOARD MEMBERS TRAINING

As the new executive board took over, new Board members’ training was developed and implemented in February 2015 for all new governing board members. Topics included the governance of the nonprofit organization specific to (501c 3), fiduciary responsibilities of the officers, Robert Rule and proper etiquette in conducting meetings. 

ASPIRING LEADERS DEVELOPMENT (ALD)

NAINA was the proud recipient of the prestigious Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation Grant for $10,000 to train and develop leadership skills for Aspiring Nurse Leaders (ANL). Fourteen ANLs were selected from the State Chapters and ALD program was developed and implemented integrating Betty Moore’s lecture series “Lessons in Nursing Leadership.” These leaders were trained to train the trainers who then could train others from their chapters. It was an exciting and successful project.  

NAINA held its 2nd National Leadership Seminar in October 2015, at Philadelphia, PA. Nationally recognized leaders from NAINA and some of the local healthcare leaders led this seminar and about 120 members took advantage of this opportunity. 

Academic Partnership: Grand Canyon University (GCU) increased the tuition benefit to NAINA members from 10% to 15%. Online membership verification and direct payment processes were developed and implemented which made the whole process so much easier at a central level. Life membership fees were charged for all Direct members seeking admission in GCU. This brought substantial additional revenue to NAINA and almost 200 nurses joined the organization through this partnership.

Chamberlain University and Thomas Edison College of Nursing also signed partnership with NAINA during this term.    

APRN COMMITTEE

As the number of APRNs increased among the Indian nurses, the leaders identified the need to bring the APRNs together as a separate forum to address their unique needs, to create a national database for the APRNs of Indian origin and to provide mentorship for new APRN students. 

A task force was formed that later led to successful formation of a new National APRN Committee. APRN database was initiated along with other programs and first APRN conference separate session was conducted during the biennial conference. 

COMMUNITY EDUCATION

A stroke prevention community education program was developed and implemented as the first national community education project. Most of the NAINA chapters participated and conducted stroke prevention classes for their communities.

NAINA Website software was upgraded with new software and friendly layouts.

Developed online registration process, initiated “PayPal’ payment system for educational programs registration, to receive donation /sponsors and new membership application fees. Timely communication with registrants, receiving payments and capturing cumulative data became so much easier with these initiatives. 

NAINA Newsletter was published every quarter showcasing the NAINA activities, members accomplishments and chapter events. It was a great success.

AFFILIATIONS 

NAINA was an active member of the Alliance for Ethical Recruitment of Foreign Educated Nurses in the USA from its inception in 2007. This agency developed an ethical code for the international recruitment of foreign educated nurses and NAINA president Sara Gabriel was recognized as one of the authors of this code. Our active participation resulted in obtaining permanent board membership for NAINA in this agency. In 2015 Alliance was absorbed by CGFNS and we were one of the few offered to remain on the new Board. It was a proud moment to acknowledge NAINA as a Board member of the newly established CGFNS/Alliance Division of CGFNS.  

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT ACTIVITIES

Second National leadership conference was held in Philadelphia in October 2015, transformational leadership, governance of nonprofit organization and leadership styles were addressed during the seminar.

Fifth Biennial Conference and Tenth Anniversary Celebration in Chicago in 2016 was a major successful event. In addition to the main conference events, for the first time this two-day conference had separate special four-hour sessions, one for leadership and one for APRNs. Exceptionally talented and established nurses from NAINA had the opportunity to present and conduct the seminar which was one of the major goals of NAINA from its inception. 

NAINA JOURNAL/SOUVENIR: A special edition of NAINA Journal of Nursing and Souvenir was published during the Biennial conference at the tenth anniversary gala. A special contest to design the cover page and the name was conducted which generated a lot of enthusiasm among the chapter members and the Maryland chapter won the design contest. The goal was to publish a peer reviewed journal every two years.   

CHARITABLE INITIATIVES: NAINA is committed to support the needy community locally and globally. Provided financial support for Nepal earthquake, Flood victims in Chennai, India and gave scholarships for seven displaced nursing students to continue their nursing studies.

NEW CHAPTERS: Three New Chapters were formed, one in Albany, New York, one in Maryland and one in Oklahoma City. Many others were in the early stages of formation.

Overall, 2015- 16 was a very dynamic term with numerous new initiatives and accomplishments. We had tremendous growth and NAINA became very visible and recognized as one of the best minority professional nursing organizations in America in a short period of ten years. We will continue our growth forward with the next term. 

Dr. Lydia Albuquerque served as NAINA’s 8th President, leading the development of a strategic plan built on five pillars—Communication, Advocacy, Research, Education, and Storytelling (CARES). The plan included a short-term goal of increasing visibility and membership through technology-enabled platforms such as the organization’s website, virtual rounds, and social media.

COMMUNICATION

NAINA enhanced communication and visibility through expanded digital engagement. Initiatives included email campaigns, active social media use, and the launch of a redesigned website in March 2021, serving as the organization’s central hub. The quarterly PULSE newsletter highlighted chapter activities, scholarly work, and member achievements, while advertising opportunities supported sponsors and vendors. Three virtual listening rounds held in early 2021 gathered member feedback, which directly informed the 2021–2022 strategic plan..

ADVOCACY

During the COVID-19 pandemic, NAINA demonstrated strong advocacy through global relief, policy engagement, and community partnerships. The organization mobilized national and chapter-led fundraising for India’s COVID-19 crisis, raising over $53,000 for essential medical supplies and supporting frontline nurses through initiatives such as the Caritas Project and resilience training programs. Partnerships included collaboration with the Association of Nurse Executives of India, and the Tricouncil of nurses of America

https://www.aacnnursing.org/news-data/all-news/article/tri-council-india-covid-19

NAINA partnered with the American Nurses Association (ANA) on the COVID-19 Facts 4 Nurses campaign, significantly improving vaccination rates among nurses and receiving national recognition for its efforts.  https://nurse.org/articles/covid-vaccine-facts-nurses/

Additional advocacy included representation on the ANA National Commission to Address Racism, participation in ANA Hill Day, international humanitarian support in Haiti, media engagement, and community education on vaccination, chronic disease prevention, and women’s health—reinforcing NAINA’s commitment to health equity, workforce support, and social justice. NAINA also partnered with ANA on virtual rounds to host "COVID in Color" conversations.

www.nursingworld.org/practice-policy/workforce/racism-in-nursing/national-commission-to-address-racism-in-nursing/

For the first time, NAINA partnered with the DAISY Foundation to recognize exceptional nursing care, establishing the Caring and Compassionate Award for one NAINA nurse and one chapter. Winners were honored at the 3rd Clinical Excellence and Leadership Conference in New York City in October 2021.

https://www.daisyfoundation.org/about/supportive-associations/national-association-indian-nurses-america-naina

NAINA members also attended a media summit with Sigma Theta Tau International and George Washington University, highlighting nurses’ roles in national and international media. For the first time, NAINA nurses participated in the three-day Chief Nursing Officer (CNO) Academy in Spring 2022, covering leadership, diversity, resilience, and health equity. Scholarships from Johnson & Johnson supported attendees.

https://www.thenurseslegacyinstitute.org/programs

NAINA was invited to participate in ANA Hill Day as a guest. Following this, Dr. Albuquerque proposed registering NAINA as an ANA affiliate member with voting rights, a process initiated during her term. NAINA became a voting member at the 2023 ANA membership assembly.

https://www.nursingworld.org/news/news-releases/2022-news-releases/2022-ana-hill-day/

NAINA continued its partnership with the Alliance for Ethical International Recruitment Practices, a division of CGFNS International, where the NAINA President serves on the Board of Governors. Members were offered opportunities to attend the Magnet Conference, supported by Walden University and HealthLink, and participated in the Nurse Empowerment Program in partnership with Sigma Nursing and the Johnson & Johnson Foundation.

www.cgfnsalliance.org

Additionally, NAINA partnered with universities—including Walden, Chamberlain, Post, Grand Canyon, Excelsior, Phoenix, and American Sentinel—to offer tuition discounts to members and spouses, with expanded opportunities for non-nursing degrees through the online platform Emeritus.

EDUCATION

NAINA hosted a Virtual Leadership Retreat in March 2021 in partnership with John Maxwell & Co., engaging 49 board members. Nurses’ Month celebrations in 2021 and 2022 included cultural programs, member recognition, wellness initiatives, and educational sessions. One session provided CE credit on obesity-related chronic disease in South Asians, sponsored by Chamberlain University.During this term, NAINA achieved its first reaccreditation for Continuing Education Units (CEUs). Contact hours were offered for both the Clinical Excellence Conference and the Biennial Conference, as well as several local chapter events. For the first time, nurses could present at conferences via online abstract submission, and online poster presentations were made available through the NAINA website.

RESEARCH

NAINA actively promotes scholarship and professional development. In 2021, the organization established Research Interest Groups (RIGs) to foster collaborative research. The inaugural RIG meeting launched initiatives including a study on COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy among Asian Indian communities. Data collection was completed, and findings were published:

Albuquerque, L. H., Luckose, A. B., Joseph, M., Mathews, N., Devarayasamudram, S., & Mahon, E. (2024). Original Research: Predictors of COVID-19 Vaccine Hesitancy Among Asian Indians in the United States: A Cross-Sectional Descriptive Study. The American Journal of Nursing, 124(1), p20–27. https://doi.org/10.1097/01.NAJ.0000998220.62535.e4.

Recognizing nurses as the nation’s first line of defense against infectious diseases, NAINA partnered with ANA and CDC to present Project First Line, an interactive series of free online tools providing training and resources in infection prevention and control (IPC). A dedicated microsite was established on the NAINA website in 2021, and NAINA received $10,000 to implement the project. The initiative launched during the 3rd Clinical Excellence and Leadership Conference on October 30, 2021, with 31 facilitators enrolled and oriented in January 2022. Chapter Presidents nominated facilitators, and incentives were offered to promote participation. A publication based on this work is under review:

Lukose, A., Mathew, N., Albuquerque, L.H., V, Leenoe.,  Thoma, S., Bartsch, R. (2026). Original Research. Infection Prevention Control Content Design and Engagement on Facebook and 

LinkedIn: A Mixed Methods Approach. Journal of communication in Healthcare  

Project First Line:https: //www.nursingworld.org/practice-policy/project-firstline/

Other research initiatives included All of Us Research (NIH-funded outreach and education) and the Nurse Obesity Project, which promoted well-being, advocacy, and evidence-based care among nurses.

STORYTELLING 

Indian nurses from Georgia participated in storytelling sessions, sharing personal and professional experiences. These sessions provided a platform to discuss the unique challenges and opportunities faced by immigrant nurses, fostering reflection, connection, and community among participants.