Professional nursing organizations and associations are a critical part in the creation and development of energy, seamless flow of ideas and proactive work aimed at maintaining a healthy profession with the duty to advocate for nurses’ need, clients and attainment of trust. Professional nursing associations help members to get the best resources and career progression opportunities to offer quality patient care (Chiu et al., 2020). Through these associations, nurses get the chance to influence policies that impact the nursing profession at both state and national levels as well as quality care for patients. The purpose of this paper is to examine the role of professional associations in nursing and the benefits that they offer to members with a focus on the American Nurses Association.
American Nurses Association (ANA): Mission, Vision & Benefits to Members
The American Nurses Association (ANA) is a professional organization that represents close to 4 million nurses in the country with different specialties. The association is an umbrella professional entity where there is direct membership, affiliate organizations and partner specialty nursing organizations. Founded in 1896, the ANA is a leader in advocacy efforts to improve the quality of care for all. ANA serves its purpose through its mission of “nurses advancing the profession to enhance health for all people.” The main goals of the association include promotion of ethical as safe work environments, supporting improvement and bolstering high practice standards for nurses, and fostering wellness and welfare of nurses as well as advocacy efforts on healthcare issues that impact both the public and nurses.
Nurses joining ANA enjoy many perks and benefits that comprise of the opportunity for one to advance their career, being informed about the up-to-date aspects of the profession, saving money, and networking with others as well as connections to other professional nurses (Schmidt & McArthur, 2018). Through ANA, nurses make their voices heard. The association also offers opportunities for members to advance their careers through access to educational materials, attendance of free webinars and attaining certification at a discounted fee and learning more about the profession. The ANA also nurture leadership skills and helps nurses find their dream jobs through its career center (ANA, 2022). Nurses also get a chance to know the current trends in nursing practice using a host of resources that include the association’s monthly journals, and other scholarly journals and CINAHL database. The association also ensures that its membership saves money by enjoying discounts on various insurance packages, financial plans and student loans, and purchasing of books from its library.
Significance of Networking for Nurses
Networking is a critical part of professional nurses; both registered nurses (RNs) and advanced practice registered nurses (APRNs) as it offers a host of benefits that include an opportunity to gain insight into the transformation in nursing and new trends backed by research studies in the profession. Developing professional networks provides registered nurses with the chance to advance their careers, meet colleagues and share diverse perspectives and experiences in patient care management with the aim of improving care provision. Professional networking offers nurses the chance to find professional advice, resources to help them make informed career decisions and choices (Corless et al., 2018). The implication is that networking is a critical component of effective nursing care for nurses and other healthcare professionals or providers. Networking allows nurses to meet new colleagues who may motivate and inspire them to develop innovative approaches to care provision.
The American Nurses Association is an important organization in the nursing profession and creates networking opportunities in different ways. These include having conferences where nurses connect with both experts and peers with the aim of translating new ideas and evidence into practice solutions. For instance, ANA conducts and yearly quality and innovation conference and its annual conference tha
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