The American Association of Nurse Attorneys (TAANA) was founded in 1977 by Cynthia E. Northrop, an Assistant Professor at the University of Maryland in Baltimore who had both nursing and law degrees. In the late 1970s she joined her efforts with other similar groups across the country. In 1982, TAANA was officially incorporated and their first national meeting was held that November in Washington, DC. TAANA established regional chapters across the country, and it provided services such as attorney referral, education, and job postings. It began publishing directories of nurse attorneys in 1980. Northrop served as president until 1985.
In 1984, the TAANA Foundation was incorporated to provide education about legal aspects of health care. It funds students’ attendance at annual meetings and provides grants to community organizations. Since 1987 the Foundation has also given out the Mary Eleanor McGarvah Humanitarian Award to individuals who have made a significant contribution to health law. The award was named in honor of the first nurse attorney, who died in 1979. A notable recipient was Tipper Gore, in 1998, for her work on breast cancer.
Since 1985, TAANA has awarded a distinguished service award and an outstanding advocate award annually. The association publishes a newsletter, originally called ...In Brief (1983-1985) and then Inside TAANA (since 1985). It also publishes The Journal of Nursing Law (since 1993).
