The purpose of this paper is to discuss various reasons that nurses and student nurses should join professional organizations. Following this discussion, three specific organizations are examined. These are the National League for Nursing, the American Nurses Association, and the National Student Nurses Association. Each association is described in detail.
Reasons to Join Professional Organizations
Potter and Perry (2004) report that one of the fundamentals of career development in nursing is the need to join professional organizations. In this regard, Manton and Chamberlain (2004) have noted that through professional organizations nurses can stay current with what is happening in the profession. Further, such organizations are said to keep nurses connected with their peers at the local, state and national levels. This connection means good opportunities for networking which can provide much in the way of educational, personal, and professional development. In addition, the professional organization can provide nurses with visibility and support.
Wardell, White and Fitzgerald (2003) report that nurses can make the mistake of looking at these professional organization in terms of the various benefits each organization with provide to them. However, while this is important, the authors state that this perspective is somewhat of a mistake because professional organizations also provide a means and a way for the profession itself to achieve its goals. Thus, nurses should belong to professional organization in order not only to benefit themselves but also to benefit the field of nursing.
Clark (2002) states that the only way to reap the maximal benefits from joining a professional organization is to be actively involved. Active involvement can include one or more of the following: attending meetings; running for elective office within the organization; volunteering for special projects; submitting articles about the organiza...