DQ: Discuss how professional nursing organizations support the field of nursing and how they advocate for nursing practice
NRS-430 Topic 5 DQ 1
Organizations such as the American Nurses Association have goals of bettering health care practice and standards and also a goal of representing nurses and supporting them in the profession. Professional nursing organizations want to make the environment for the professionals good in turn helping to make the patient care/ outcomes good. Professional nursing organizations are responsible for the development and certification of nurses interested in improving health care and providing safe quality nursing care. Through participation in professional organizations, nurses can actively contribute to legislative changes that can affect patient care and the way they conduct their work (Helbig 2018). Nursing organizations advocate for nursing practice through publicly and legislatively outlined rules and regulations that depict standards of practice, this helps nurses have a written guideline for their profession, it helps to outline the directive of what is ok to do as a nurse.
In turn this protects the nurse and advocates for the nurse as well as keeps the nurse in the educated and in the know so they can protect their license by practicing within their scope. The standards of practice describe a competent level of nursing practice demonstrated by the critical-thinking model known as the nursing process (Bickford, Marion, & Gazaway, 2015). ANA is an organization that supports the nurse, they have the goal in advocating for the nurse and raising awareness to problems that are being faced in the nursing profession. Organizations like The International Council of Nurses realize that nurses are front line with patients and understand that they are leaders in the medical field, they spend a vast amount of time at the bedside with abilities to collect real time data, they are educators as well as administrators.
This gives nurses a lot of power and legislators look to nurses as leaders to help with policy. Being at the bedside gives the nurse the unique ability to report back to policy makers about what is working and what is not working in lieu of patient safety and patient centered care. “The International Council of Nurses is a federation of national nursing associations that works to enable nurses to speak with one voice so as to influence health policy and advance the profession of nursing” (Benton, 2012). Safe staffing, nursing workforce development (pushing nurses to obtain higher levels of education such as a BSN) and safe patient handling have been topics that the ANA has advocated for in the nursing arena as well as many more areas, these relate directly back to overall bettering the environment in order to create overall better patient outcomes.
Benton, D. (2012). Advocating globally to shape policy strengthening nursing’s influence. Retrieved from http://nursingworld.org/MainMenuCategories/ANAMarketplace/ANAPeriodicals/OJIN/TableofContents/Vol-17-2012/No1-Jan-2012/Advocating-Globally-to-Shape-Policy.html
Bickford, C. J., Marion, L., & Gazaway, S. (2015). Nursing: Scope and standards of practice (3rd ed.). Retrieved from https://www.augusta.edu/nursing/cnr/documents/seminar-files/pp8.28.pdf
Helbig, J. (2018). Professional Engagement. Dynamics in Nursing: Art and Science of Professional Practice.
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Nursing organizations are an important part of professional development. Organizations can be specific to different areas in nursing such as the American Association of Critical Care Nurses, the Society of Pediatric Nurses, and the National Association of Orthopedic Care to name a few. Such organizations give nurses the opportunities for certifications, continued education, educational conferences, role-related competencies and up to date information in specific areas (Schneider, 2015). I think as our heath care is changing and becoming more complex, professional nursing organizations help nurses continue to be up to date, certified, and educated on the nursing practice within that field. Various organizations allow nurses to continue their education to grow in their practice, potentially increasing patient care and patient outcomes.
“Professional organizations and associations in nursing are critical for generating the energy, flow of ideas, and proactive work needed to maintain a healthy profession that advocates for the needs of its clients and nurses, and the trust of society” (Matthews, 2012). By becoming more knowledgeable through organizations, we can advocate for and educate our patients increasing the nurse-patient trust. With so many nurses passionate about a specific field, they can become a loud voice if needed. Nurses have a voice, and together, we can advocate for and take better care of our patients.
Abigail Schneider. (2015). Nursing Organizations: The Role They Play in Professional Development. AMN Healthcare, Inc. https://www.rn.com/nursing-organizations-the-role-they-play-in-professional-development/
Jennifer Matthews. (2012). Role of Professional Organizations in Advocating for the Nursing Profession. The online Journal of Issues in Nursing. https://ojin.nursingworld.org/MainMenuCategories/ANAMarketplace/ANAPeriodicals/OJIN/TableofContents/Vol-17-2012/No1-Jan-2012/Professional-Organizations-and-Advocating.html
Professional nursing organizations are essential cornerstones of the nursing community, speaking with one voice and promoting nursing practice. These groups are crucial in creating activism and advocacy for client care, which helps enhance healthcare results (Abbasinia et al., 2019). The associations establish a network of assistance for nurses in all contexts and specializations. To promote professional development and information sharing, they provide educational resources, seminars, and workshops. Additionally, they raise the standard of care by providing nurses with chances for continued education and skill development. These groups strive to create welcoming workplaces, better staffing ratios, and equitable nurse pay by active participation in policy formulation and legislative processes.
Advocacy is one of the primary duties of professional nursing organizations. They actively participate in legislative and policy formation processes, aiming to enhance staffing levels, provide hospitable work conditions, and pay nurses fairly. Also, they guarantee that nursing viewpoints are taken into account when making healthcare decisions by magnifying the voice of nurses, which results in laws that better support the profession and eventually benefit patients. Professional nursing organizations support advancing evidence-based practice (Jurns, 2019). They actively create and implement the rules, regulations, and standards that govern nursing practice. These organizations ensure that nursing care is based on the most recent research and best practices by working with legislators, medical organizations, and other stakeholders. Concerning activism related to care, they give nurses a coherent, collective voice, boosting their efforts. They also build a strong platform to solve shared concerns by drawing together nurses from different specialties and contexts.
Through their activism and advocacy initiatives, professional nursing organizations also substantially influence client care. They support efforts to resolve healthcare inequities, build cultural competency, and encourage patient-centered methods (Cline et al., 2019). They also inform the public about nurses’ critical role in providing high-quality care by launching public awareness initiatives and collaborating with multidisciplinary groups, generally benefiting patient care.
References
Abbasinia, M., Ahmadi, F., & Kazemnejad, A. (2019). Patient advocacy in nursing: A concept analysis. Nursing Ethics, 27(1), 141-151. https://doi.org/10.1177/0969733019832950
Cline, D., Curtin, K., & Johnston, P. A. (2019). Professional organization membership: The benefits of increasing nursing participation. Clinical Journal of Oncology Nursing, 23(5), 543–546. https://doi.org/10.1188/19.CJON.543-546
Jurns, C. (2019). Policy advocacy motivators and barriers: Research results and applications. The Online Journal of Issues in Nursing, 24(3). https://doi.org/10.3912/ojin.vol24no03ppt63