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    American Nurses Association Reviews

    Updated March 9, 2017
    58 reviews

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    Full-time Part-time
    1.8
    Star Star Star Star Star
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    Dr. Marla Weston
    34 Ratings

    58 Employee Reviews

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    Pros

    • Good location in the heart of downtown Silver Spring (in 9 reviews)

    • Relatively autonomous with a really good work-life balance (in 6 reviews)

    Cons

    • The staff is miserable and it makes for an unpleasant work environment (in 6 reviews)

    • High turnover due to poor management and unreasonable workload demands (in 4 reviews)

    More Pros and Cons

    1. "An organization on the move..."

      Star Star Star Star Star
      • Work/Life Balance
      • Culture & Values
      • Career Opportunities
      • Comp & Benefits
      • Senior Management
      Current Employee - Anonymous Employee in Silver Spring, MD
      Current Employee - Anonymous Employee in Silver Spring, MD
      Recommends
      Positive Outlook

      I have been working at American Nurses Association full-time (More than a year)

      Pros

      lots of training opportunities for employees, like crucial conversations, RACI, DISC. Tuition assistance, career development, generous 4% match to 401K, excellent health insurance. wellness committee provides wellness activities onsite like yoga and chair massage

      Cons

      Working through the bureaucracy/hierarchy can be difficult at times but this is normal of most associations

      Advice to Management

      Keep making progress, continue to offer training sessions, offer more training sessions for managers and leaders

    2. Helpful (7)

      "Looks like nothing has changed....."

      Star Star Star Star Star
      • Work/Life Balance
      • Culture & Values
      • Career Opportunities
      • Comp & Benefits
      • Senior Management
      Former Employee - Anonymous Employee in Silver Spring, MD
      Former Employee - Anonymous Employee in Silver Spring, MD
      Doesn't Recommend
      Negative Outlook
      Disapproves of CEO

      I worked at American Nurses Association full-time (More than a year)

      Pros

      Great location. Paid week off during Christmas. Really enjoyed some of my coworkers who are still friends of mine even though I am no longer there.

      Cons

      From reading the reviews, it looks like this place hasn't changed in the last 2 years. It was the worst company that I have ever worked for. All of the other reviews about the culture and higher management bullying is very true. I have never experienced more manipulative bullying and backstabbing at any other "professional" environment than I did working here. Too many unnecessary procedures and meetings that takes up time to actually get work done. The only place I have ever been reprimanded for working overtime (even though I was salary) to get tasks completed. The department that I was in made you document what mistakes you made (from little to large) on a spreadsheet with everyone else. They claim it is to document corrective action and to learn from mistakes. It is actually a document that is easily used against you if you get on the wrong side of your manager. Too many layers to get anything approved and too many people making decisions with different interests that cause fighting between departments. It becomes like a territory war within a company all under one roof. The turnover rate is unbelievable, no consistency. Tons of surveys and focus groups that have no results other than discussing the obvious issues. Belonging to a mandatory union (and paying dues) is suppose to help the employees. They just sit and try to mediate with HR on serious issues but it is always in the managers favor. Even when the Union and HR openly disagree with managers their hands seem tied. The stress level is so high is actually starts affecting your physical and mental health. During my exit from ANA, the union even reached out to me to see if I was suicidal because of the harassment I was experiencing. I was told that "It wouldn't be the first time that we have had to deal with suicidal employees." Well, there is your sign that something is seriously wrong with this company....

      I have so much PTSD from the ANA experience that I have completely left the field that I was an expert in to start a new career in another field so I do not ever have to go through that again.

      If you accept a position with this company after reading all of these reviews, you can't say you haven't been warned.

      Advice to Management

      No advise, it is wasted breath anyways. Especially since it seems like the same issues and conflicts are still happening this many years later.

    3. Helpful (7)

      "Run, Don't Walk Away, From This Failing Organization..."

      Star Star Star Star Star
      • Work/Life Balance
      • Culture & Values
      • Career Opportunities
      • Comp & Benefits
      • Senior Management
      Current Employee - Anonymous Employee in Silver Spring, MD
      Current Employee - Anonymous Employee in Silver Spring, MD
      Doesn't Recommend
      Negative Outlook
      Disapproves of CEO

      I have been working at American Nurses Association full-time (More than 3 years)

      Pros

      Benefits, Birthday Off, Recently Remodeled Office

      Cons

      Highly Incompetent Managers, Seldom Seen Executive Leadership, Silo Mentality Among departments, Uncreative & Unimaginative Vision, Spiteful and Trifling Employees

      Advice to Management

      You have your hands full in turning around this failing organization. You need managers who actually have management experience and stop hiring employees who are like everyone else.

      4. Is this helpful? The community relies on everyone sharing – Add Anonymous Review

    4. Helpful (6)

      "csr"

      Star Star Star Star Star
      • Work/Life Balance
      • Culture & Values
      • Career Opportunities
      • Comp & Benefits
      • Senior Management
      Current Employee - Anonymous Employee in Silver Spring, MD
      Current Employee - Anonymous Employee in Silver Spring, MD
      Doesn't Recommend
      Negative Outlook
      Disapproves of CEO

      I have been working at American Nurses Association full-time

      Pros

      break on Christmas week,good benefits

      Cons

      no room for advancement unless you are white/caucatian
      too much play on the ANA side

      Advice to Management

      increase th grade level especially after 3 years of employment. there should be more room for growth

    5. Helpful (6)

      "If I could give ZERO stars, I would"

      Star Star Star Star Star
      • Work/Life Balance
      • Culture & Values
      • Career Opportunities
      • Comp & Benefits
      • Senior Management
      Former Employee - Manager in Silver Spring, MD
      Former Employee - Manager in Silver Spring, MD
      Doesn't Recommend
      Negative Outlook
      Disapproves of CEO

      I worked at American Nurses Association full-time (More than 5 years)

      Pros

      Good 401K benefits and moderately good work/life balance.

      Cons

      It's hard to know where to start. If I could go back and not take my job at ANA, I would. I worked there for 4.5 years.

      No matter what HR or management says to you, there is NO room for growth or promotions or pay raises. It doesn't matter how hard you work or what you give to the organization, don't expect to be rewarded.

      As a result, many of the employees realize that hard work isn't rewarded and so they do the bare minimum.

      I feel bad for the paying membership of ANA because this is an organization that won't be around in 10 years and if it is around it will be a shell of what it once was.

      Leadership has no idea how to retain good employees and many managers feel threatened by high preforming staff below them.

      This is a top down organization that expects the staff to put their heads down and accept whatever is handed down.

      Unless you are looking for a sub-par place of employment where turn over is at a record high, leadership is tone deaf and your impact will be minimal, take it from a past employee: seek employment somewhere else!

      Advice to Management

      Management survey's the staff every single year. You've heard our complaints and requests and genuine ideas to make the work environment better. Year after year you ignore the survey results. I'm sure the "advice to management" will also be ignored here.

      Advice to the Board of ANA: Find new leadership at the top. ANA staff are begging for it.

    6. Helpful (6)

      "Do your research before accepting a position here!"

      Star Star Star Star Star
      • Work/Life Balance
      • Culture & Values
      • Comp & Benefits
      Former Employee - Anonymous Employee in Silver Spring, MD
      Former Employee - Anonymous Employee in Silver Spring, MD
      Doesn't Recommend
      Negative Outlook
      Disapproves of CEO

      I worked at American Nurses Association full-time (More than a year)

      Pros

      Good benefits. Good 401K match.

      Cons

      (depending on the department):

      Micromanagement, lack of appreciation, lack of trust, manipulative, toxic environment, unrealistic expectations.

      Advice to people considering job opportunities at ANA: Ask thorough questions before accepting a position. Ask why the former employee(s) left. Ask how many people have held the position in the past and how long they held the position. If an employee cannot be retained for more than a year, that should be a red flag.

      Advice to Management

      There has been quite a bit of time and money spent on Cultural Transformation for this organization. This work has been done with the best of intentions, BUT until the culture of this company can be transformed STARTING FROM THE TOP, an overall transformation cannot happen.

      To combat the extremely high rate of turnover there needs to be a serious look into what is creating the unappealing environment. You cannot simply slap a coat of paint on a problem and expect to fool people. Eventually the true colors will show through, and the people who cannot survive in a negative space will move on to other opportunities.

      Make sure job descriptions match the actual work employees are expected to perform.

      "Please" and "Thank you" can go a long way. Without these words, work feels unappreciated.

      If "JOY" and "RESPECT" are two of the values expected to be adhered to, then make sure the values are being implemented FROM THE TOP. Management has to lead by example in order to successfully transform a culture.

    7. Helpful (5)

      "Be Very CAUTIOUS"

      Star Star Star Star Star
      • Work/Life Balance
      • Culture & Values
      • Comp & Benefits
      • Senior Management
      Former Employee - Anonymous Employee in Silver Spring, MD
      Former Employee - Anonymous Employee in Silver Spring, MD
      Doesn't Recommend
      Neutral Outlook
      Disapproves of CEO

      I worked at American Nurses Association full-time (More than 3 years)

      Pros

      New construction to all four floors occupied by ANA, ANCC and ANF. Convenient location in downtown Silver Spring.

      Cons

      The organization has been under a lot of changes since 2014. Turnover is very high, either by staff leaving on their own or staff being fired, this makes it hard for projects to be completed.
      The company has a very strong passive-aggressive management style. Top leadership from the three companies have created a toxic, incoherent, dysfunctional work environment.
      If you work well in a passive-aggressive work culture, where hypocrisy leads then you will do well at this organization. You must also be comfortable paying union dues, joining the union is mandatory for many employees. They will take one month of your salary earnings for dues.

      Advice to Management

      Please LISTEN and really try to "live" the values of the mission statement.

    8. Helpful (10)

      "Project Manager"

      Star Star Star Star Star
      • Work/Life Balance
      • Culture & Values
      • Career Opportunities
      • Comp & Benefits
      • Senior Management
      Former Employee - Anonymous Employee in Silver Spring, MD
      Former Employee - Anonymous Employee in Silver Spring, MD
      Doesn't Recommend
      Negative Outlook
      Disapproves of CEO

      I worked at American Nurses Association (More than 5 years)

      Pros

      Many of the employees who work there are hard-working, compassionate, passionate, intelligent people who are lovely to work with. Many who work there have a true passion for the stated mission of the ANA and seek to fulfill it.

      Cons

      This is an organization that is top-heavy and progress resistant. Often, key decisions take months to work through the many layers of upper management. The organization is slow to change, often refuses to see the best options in favor of what they always have done and is wary of new ideas and new influences. A key indicator of a sinking ship is when the powerful insulate themselves at the top and create new, meaningless titles to further shield themselves from the coming flood. How can an organization with under 200 employees justify 6 VPs? In practice, this looks like more and more layers of management, rapid turnover of new and talented employees, endless meetings, and the likelihood that most of the actual work gets shifted to the already overworked underlings while the upper management holds meeting after meeting.

      The management is quick to pounce on the latest buzz word, quick fix, industry recommendation but ultimately fails to actualize these whims. It is an environment wherein one might be the ace one day and the villain the next if the whims of the management shift, which is inevitable.

      In short, this is an organization that is lead by managers who ignorantly chase yesterday's best practices and abuse the individuals who actually have to execute their ever changing whimsy of the day.

      Advice to Management

      Give a little trust and a little confidence in your young people and your new employees to allow them to share and implement their new ideas instead of sticking to the way things have always been done with the occasional lip-service to new ideas and ways of doing business. Actually walk what you talk. Uphold your own values starting with the leadership. If you want to make your "values" more than just posters on the wall then you need to take real measures to ensure that your upper management is living them. A 360 review that gives the worker bees a chance to voice their constraints and obstacles without fear of reappraisal would be a fantastic start. Or you could just keep living in your ivory towers and driving the ship into the rocks. Your call. Evaluate turn-over rates. Evaluate employee satisfaction under a manager and if that manager fails at both, don't promote them, make a meaningful change. Listen when staff reports shouting, irate managers, unrealistic expectations, and unclear goals. Your staff sees through your smoke and mirrors and is craving real change. It has to start with your VPs.

    9. Helpful (4)

      "Not a pleasant place to work"

      Star Star Star Star Star
      • Work/Life Balance
      • Culture & Values
      • Career Opportunities
      • Comp & Benefits
      • Senior Management
      Current Employee - Administrative Assistant in Silver Spring, MD
      Current Employee - Administrative Assistant in Silver Spring, MD
      Doesn't Recommend
      Negative Outlook
      No opinion of CEO

      I have been working at American Nurses Association full-time (More than a year)

      Pros

      Positive mission, good benefits and convenient location (downtown silver spring/metro accessible). Recently renovated office. Some managers allow flexibility as far as scheduled hours

      Cons

      Total lack of transparency. High turnover due to poor management and unreasonable workload demands. The staff is miserable and it makes for an unpleasant work environment

      Advice to Management

      Strategic planning is a must!

    10. Helpful (9)

      "Don't do it"

      Star Star Star Star Star
      • Work/Life Balance
      • Culture & Values
      • Career Opportunities
      • Comp & Benefits
      • Senior Management
      Former Employee - Anonymous Employee in Silver Spring, MD
      Former Employee - Anonymous Employee in Silver Spring, MD
      Doesn't Recommend
      Positive Outlook
      Disapproves of CEO

      Pros

      Affordable benefits, lots of training opportunities presented, interesting groups like Toastmasters, book club, Weight Watchers and Employee Wellness team. Great location, very convenient to metro and cheap parking, Whole Foods, downtown SS, etc.

      Cons

      Where do I start...

      From the beginning, interviewing here is a mess. My HR rep completely forgot to call me and I had to call in, I went through several interview cycles in an uncoordinated way for a mid management job... I felt like a volley ball. HR was very coy about the salary... I had to be persistent about my salary requirements, insistent that I wouldn't consider the salary at an extremely low ball offer, only to find out the department has saved over thousands in the last year alone because of vacancies, it was beyond negotiating I felt duped.

      During the course of my tenure I witnessed a lot of turn over and I wasn't there long. I would have stuck through a lot of the bumps if management was more reasonable... Interestingly, I've was on both sides and nothing people wise gets handled well here. If you feel valuable, think you have impressive skills or talents, want to grow and learn, then save yourself the trouble, you will burn out within months.

      As typical with large organizations there's a fair amount of bureaucracy and politics. HR has taken a step towards cultural change with instilling values, lots of them- too many to remember, but I've witnessed those "enforced" inequitably.

      I feel like this is an old, well established, well resourced organization, but instead of using that to its advantage- leveraging national partnerships, creating national PSAs, being more prevalent in moments that matter, the actual voice of nurses, it fights and fails to have a snake person environment, startup level workloads, hours and demands, open concept cubicles except for upper management, and unlimited coffee to keep up with it all. The constant meetings, unreasonable workload, and overwhelming goals don't even translate into productivity, it all feels like busy work.

      Advice to Management

      Value your implementers, producers, and high performers, even if they're not managers. Evaluate turnover and don't assume employees are underperformers. Don't enforce or create meaningless or arbitrary rules. Invest in management training for managers and make it required.

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