Congratulations to Dr. Katilya Ware, PhD, RN, who began her tenure as Alabama State Nurses Association’s (ASNA) District 5 President. District 5 includes the Alabama counties of Autauga, Barbour, Bullock, Chambers, Coffee, Covington, Crenshaw, Dale, Elmore, Geneva, Henry, Houston, Lee, Lowndes, Macon, Montgomery, Pike, Russell, and Tallapoosa.

Ware has previously served as secretary and vice president for District 5 and will take James Hardin’s place as president beginning this month. 

Ware joined the faculty at AUSON as an assistant professor in 2016. She received bachelor’s degree (2006) and a master’s degree (2009) in nursing from Jacksonville State University where she concentrated on community health nursing and nursing education. In 2016 Ware graduated from the University of Alabama with a Doctor of Philosophy in Instructional Leadership with a concentration in Instructional Technology. She is a member of Delta Epsilon lota Academic Honor Society, Sigma Theta Tau Honor Society of Nursing, American Nurses Association, and the National League for Nursing.

A bit of trivia for history buffs:

Founded in 1913, ASNA has been representing the nurses of Alabama for more than 100 years! Alabama’s nurses have been among the first to respond to the needs of our nation through increasing awareness of public health issues, promoting professional standards of nursing, and “supporting the war effort”.

ASNA was incorporated in 1914, and guided first law for nurse licensure in Alabama

In 1923, ASNA members called for the creation of a professional “Board of Nurse Examiners” – that would ultimately become the Alabama Board of Nursing – to ensure licensing and education requirements for all nurses in Alabama. Also pressured the U.S. Senate to reclassify nursing as a “profession” rather than a “service”

1935 brought the adoption of 8-hour workday with a salary

The Alabama Nurse, ASNA publication begins in 1947

In 1951, it partnered with Alabama Education Association (AEA) to establish the Nurse Scholarship Fund

1975 saw the Expanded Nurse Practice Act for APRNs

School Nurse Bill passed in 1998 after years of advocacy

In 2006, ASNA wrote and sponsored the Workplace Violence Law, resulting in a bill that made it a felony to attack a nurse

2008 Name tag law identified staff credentials in 2008

In 2010, ASNA Stopped $2 million removal from ABN budget

In 2011, Stopped lay midwives (non-nurses) licensing

In 2013, successfully petitioned Support in Alabama budget for nurse scholarships

2014 Fought to have nurses on Medicaid RCO Boards

ASNA is committed to promoting excellence in nursing and is the professional voice of all registered nurses in Alabama.

For more information about ASNA, visit https://alabamanurses.org/