Roles of professional nursing organizations
GUIDELINES FOR THE PROFESSIONAL ORGANIZATION PAPER
This requires to be a three-page paper (excluding cover page and references)
Roles of professional nursing organizations
Rubric:
1. Importance of active professional organization participation by nurses referencing the textbook & a minimum of 2 other professional literature (40%)
2. Identification of 2 professional nursing organizations (American Nursing Association and American Association of Nurse Practitioners) you plan to join following BSN graduation. Description of their missions, goals, advocacies, and legislations supported (40%)
3. Writing mechanics (10%)
4. Properly cited APA 7 (10%)
Importance of Active Professional Organization Participation by Nurses
Active participation in a professional organization is essential to every nurse due to the benefits, opportunities, and networks a professional can access as a member of the organization. Being an active member of a professional organization promotes personal and professional growth, enhances knowledge development, and offers support essential to creating change. According to Morin (2021), professional organizations develop resources to assist personal and professional growth and development. Professional development for nurses is a vital phase of lifelong learning characterized by developing and maintaining competence, achieving career goals, and enhancing professional nursing practice. A considerable amount of time and resources are devoted to the members’ educational needs. Professional organizations may publish journals on matters of interest to the members, hold educational conferences, offer certification support, and develop organizational publications. Nurses are provided with continuing education, role-related competencies, and certification opportunities.
Professional organizations also provide engagement and mentorship opportunities to members offering a platform for interaction with professionals at different levels and contexts. Active members usually get timely updates on opportunities to participate in committees addressing different issues and leadership positions, offering members an experience that enhances leadership abilities. The organizations also provide platforms for nurses to connect with other nurses. For example, the American Nurses Organization runs a mentorship program where nurses have unique online networking. Nurses can connect with other nurses both locally and at the national level. Professional organizations also build an empowered and engaged workforce, leading to improved work life, relationships, patient care, and increased patient satisfaction (Yoder-Wise, 2018).
Professional organizations also maximize the influence of the nursing profession on the healthcare system and policy. Being an active member offers a platform a professional can use to gain support to drive change. Professional organizations offer a common voice for advocacy, especially on issues related to health policies, which leads to greater acknowledgement and respect for the professional (Chiu et al., 2021). Professional organizations play an essential role in maximizing the influence of the nursing profession on healthcare policies and the healthcare system at large through the support of patient safety, professional practice, and socioeconomic welfare (Morin, 2021). Active participation in a professional organization also offers an opportunity to improve professional standards by developing best practice guidelines.
Other benefits of active participation include educational scholarships, recognition for member performance, and funding for research efforts (Morin, 2021). Membership fees and fundraising conducted by the organizations help raise funds supporting the members. Nursing research grants are also competitive and enable nurses to conduct research especially smaller studies that may not be eligible to secure support elsewhere. The professional organizations also promote the safety and wellness of the professionals as they lobby on behalf of the nurses at all government levels. The organizations support collective bargaining that seeks to balance the interests of patients and nurses.
Professional Nursing Organizations to Join Following BSN Graduation
I plan to join two professional nursing organizations after my BSN graduation: the American Nursing Association (ANA) and the American Association of Nurse Practitioners (AANP). The two organizations are expected to serve as platforms for personal and professional growth through experience and support with the required resources. According to Hunt (2018), professional growth is a personal responsibility as nurses select a profession where change is not an option but a constant reality. I intend to be an active member of the two organizations. ANA is the premier nursing organization representing the interests of over 4 million registered nurses in the United States. The organization is the strongest voice for the nursing profession in the country. The association’s mission is to lead the nursing profession to shape the future of nursing and health care. The association’s major goals include fostering high standards of the nursing practice, bolstering the nurses’ health and wellness, promoting a safe and ethical work environment for nurses, and advocating on various issues affecting the public and the nurses (American Nurses Association, n.d). ANA leads federal-level advocacy efforts ensuring regulators and policymakers understand nurses’ role in law implementation through the regulatory process. Top federal legislative priorities for the ANA include safe staffing, home health, nursing workforce development, and workplace violence.
AANP is the largest professional membership for NPs of all specialties in the country. Its mission is to empower NPs to advance person-centred, accessible, equitable, and high-quality healthcare through education, practice, research, advocacy, and leadership. The association’s core purpose is to promote high-quality healthcare for all communities. The association’s main goal is to endorse first-class healthcare and preserve the core values of excellence, integrity, leadership, professionalism, and service (American Association of Nurse Practitioners, n.d). The association has a legislative team for the NPs and their patients in critical issues such as patient safety, access to care, licensure, healthcare reforms, and reimbursements. AANP also represents the NPs on national committees and brings the NPs’ perspective to healthcare leaders. Some of the legislations that AANP has supported include full practice authority legislation for nurse practitioners. The association also advocates for NPs to have prescriptive authority. Other areas in AANP have had a strong stand, including the APRN compact licensure, NP education, and telehealth.
References
American Nurses Association. (n.d). About ANA. Retrieved from https://www.nursingworld.org/ana/about-ana/
American Association of Nurse Practitioners. (n.d). Strategic Focus. Retrieved from https://www.aanp.org/about/about-the-american-association-of-nurse-practitioners-aanp/strategic-focus#:~:text=Mission,%2C%20advocacy%2C%20research%20and%20leadership
Chiu, P., Cummings, G. G., Thorne, S., & Schick-Makaroff, K. (2021). Policy advocacy and nursing organizations: A scoping review. Policy, Politics, & Nursing Practice, 22(4), 276–296.
https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.1177/15271544211050611
Hunt, P. (2018). Professional growth is a personal responsibility. Nursing Management, 49(9), 5–6. https://journals.lww.com/nursingmanagement/fulltext/2018/09000/professional_growth_is_a_personal_responsibility.1.aspx
Morin, K. H. (2021). Contributions of professional nursing organizations. Journal of Advanced Nursing, 77(6), e1-e3.
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/jan.14808
Yoder-Wise, P. (2018). Leading and Managing in Nursing. Elsevier 7 thEdition.
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Originally published at https://dnpcapstoneproject.help on April 5, 2024.
