NRS 430 Professional Association Membership
NRS 430 Professional Association Membership
In a 7501,000 word paper, provide a detailed overview the organization and its advantages for members. Include the following:
- Describe the organization and its signifcance to nurses in the specialty area. Include its purpose, mission, and vision. Describe the overall benefts, or “perks,” of being a member.
- Explain why it is important for a nurse in this specialty feld to network. Discuss how this organization creates networking opportunities for nurses.
- Discuss how the organization keeps its members informed of health care changes and changes to practice that afect the specialty area.
- Discuss opportunities for continuing education and professional development.
Review the Institute of Medicine’s 2010 report “The Future of Nursing: Leading Change, Advancing Health.” Write a 750‐1,000 word paper discussing the influence of the IOM report on nursing practice. Include the following:
- Summarize the four messages outlined in the IOM report and explain why these are significant to nursing practice.
- Discuss the direct influence the IOM report has on nursing education and nursing leadership. Describe the benefits and opportunities for BSN‐prepared nurses.
- Explain why it is important that a nurse’s role and education evolve to meet the needs of an aging and increasingly diverse population.
- Discuss the significance of professional development, or lifelong learning, and its relevance in caring for diverse populations across the life span and within the health‐illness continuum.
- Discuss how nurses can assist in effectively managing patient care within an evolving health care system.
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 professio
NRS 430 Professional Association Membership
n 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
NRS 430 Professional Association Membership
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 that gives members the chance to explore new trends and practices in care delivery. Further, through its website and webinars, the association allows nurses to interact and develop new approaches to care delivery for better patient outcomes (ANA, 2022). ANA advocates for policy change and offers an opportunity for nurses to interact with different experts and policymakers where they can network and gain more insight on the policy making and legislation processes.
Keeping Members Informed of Changes in Health Care and Nursing Practice
The professional organization values an informed and up-to-date membership. Therefore, the ANA ensures that its members are informed of the changes and issues that may impact care delivery through newsletter and bulletins. The organization also leverage the increased access and availability of online platforms through advanced technologies by using social media channels like YouTube, Facebook and Twitter to ensure that its members are well informed (Copeland, 2021). More fundamentally, the association works with other stakeholders at both state and national level on nursing and healthcare research to inform members of new practices and delivery models. The organization publishes research findings on different issues that impact nursing and values use of models like evidence-based practice (EBP) interventions for nurses to improve overall quality of care.
Opportunities for Continuing Education and Professional Development
The American Nurses Association advocates for career progression and professional development for its members, irrespective of their specialty. Therefore, the organization offers opportunities for one to continue with their advanced education and professional development through offering resources like nursing books, research findings in its journals, and collaborating with nursing schools to improve the nursing curriculum (Copeland, 2021). The ANA also publishes books on different nursing topics which underscores the various ethics and practices for effective nursing care (ANA, 2022). The organization also offer nurses scholarships to empower them to thrive in a more professional manner.
Conclusion
Professional nursing organizations are a core component of nursing and quality care delivery for patients and health populations. The American Nurses Association (ANA) is a professional nursing entity that offers increased opportunities for its members to develop professionally and offer quality care to patients. The organization provides many benefits to its members and provides opportunities for career and professional development as well as advocates for the nursing profession.
References
American Nurses Association (ANA) (2022). About Us.
https://www.nursingworld.org/foundation/about-fnd/
Chiu, P., Duncan, S., & Whyte, N. (2020). Charting a research agenda for the advancement of
nursing organizations’ influence on health systems and policy. Canadian Journal of Nursing Research, 52(3), 185-193. DOI: 10.1177/0844562120928794.
Corless, I. B., Nardi, D., Milstead, J. A., Larson, E., Nokes, K. M., Orsega, S., … & Woith, W.
(2018). Expanding nursing’s role in responding to global pandemics. Nursing outlook, 66(4), 412-415. DOI: 10.1016/j.outlook.2018.06.003
Copeland, D. (2021). A critical analysis of the American Nurses Association Position Statement
on Workplace Violence: ethical implications. Advances in Nursing Science, 44(2), E49-E64. DOI: 10.1097/ANS.0000000000000345.
Schmidt, B. J., & McArthur, E. C. (2018, January). Professional nursing values: A concept
analysis. Nursing forum, 53(1): 69-75. DOI: 10.1111/nuf.12211.
Professional associations are important in every organization and team of workers. In the healthcare institutions, professional organizations seek to further the interest of individuals that are engaged in both the professional and public interest. Also, professional associations are important in enhancing networking between the healthcare professionals through integrating the operational processes and promoting the roles that each individual are to play. A professional association or the professional body or professional society is important in maintaining the control or oversight of the legitimate nursing practices. Also, the body plays significant roles in safeguarding the public interest. The organizations should therefore maintain their own privileges and powerful positions in controlling the professional associations. In the healthcare practices, professional organizations can be applied in enhancing the interest of the workers or healthcare professionals. The professional nursing organization that relates to my specialty area is American Foot Care Nurses Association.
Description of the Organization
American Foot Care Nurses Association was formed to create the associations for the foot care specialist. The organization also works to facilitate or enhance the activities of the foot care specialists by engaging in the research and the new practices in ensuring effective patient outcomes (American Foot Care Nurses Association, 2019c). Through the organization, nurses and other healthcare providers are able to obtain effective education and training processes required to fill the gap and provide critical care in foot care. The organization was formed in an attempt to provide an elaborate forum for nurses as well as other providers of the routine foot care. American Foot Care Nurses Association promotes corporative learning, allows effective communication, and enhance understanding of the best practice procedures and protocols. The purpose of the American Foot Care Nurses Association is to create a community of foot care specialists to advance the practices of foot care through the networking and collaborative processes of the foot care specialists or providers (Kaya & Karaca, 2018). The vision of the organization is to deliver the best possible care to different clients. The mission is to provide professional, literature based routine foot care to enable clients to live healthy, and active lives. On the other hand, the objective of the organization is to promote exposure and expand the membership. The main benefit of being a member of American Foot Care Nurses Association is the advancement in knowledge through networking on the ways of maintaining foot care for different patients.
Importance of Networking for Nurses with Specialty in Foot Care
Professional networking is critical for nurses with specialty in foot care. This allows for the acquisition of new knowledge and experiences on the advanced practices. Networking is also important for career advancement or transition from one role to the other. Through career advancement, one is able to gain experience and the advanced level in specialization. Foot care nurses should also network to ensure the advancement in future prospects. Finally, through networking, nurse specialists may also get to understand how to provide support system and thereafter enhance the foot care delivery systems (Beuscher et al., 2019). American Foot Care Nurses Association provides networking opportunities for different nurses. It often engages in the expansion of avenues of care allowing nurses to network and acquire advancement in practices. Also, the organization provides the best platform for ensuring that all the nurses in the foot care specialty and connected in undertaking their clinical activities. American Foot Care Nurses Association is one of the ideal nursing organizations that provide appropriate care to all the members through the provision of the best platforms of association and interaction.
How the Organization Keeps Members Informed
about Healthcare Changes
There are always continuous changes in healthcare system due to continuous research processes on different on different healthcare practices. The organization often publishes different research processes to allow members understand the current trends in the foot care. Also, the organization often engages different professionals in the decision-making processes to ensure that they adhere to the operational stands. Through education and training provided by the American Foot Care Nurses Association, members often get informed on various issues and changes in the healthcare services for the foot care (American Foot Care Nurses Association, 2019d). Also, the education and training provides advancement in knowledge and understanding of various healthcare processes required to enhance safety standards. Finally, the organization provides forums that allows nurses to network and share information regarding the foot care practices. American Foot Care Nurses Association often provide the best practices to ensure that members have the skills and capabilities of in the foot care treatments.
Opportunities for Continuing Education and Professional Development
American Foot Care Nurses Association often provides opportunities for continuing education and professional development. The organization has education and training programs that enable nurses to be informed on various research processes and foot care practices that can enhance the quality treatment outcomes. The training provided by the organization often involves development of advanced skills and practices necessary in ensuring effective care. Also, with the availability of professionals in foot care, members are able to acquire new skills and enhance their proficiency in healthcare services. With the above services, the organization has been able to provide experienced and skillful members to enhance foot care in various healthcare institutions.
Conclusion
Professional associations are important in every organization and team of workers. In the healthcare institutions, professional organizations seek to further the interest of individuals that are engaged in both the professional and public interest. American Foot Care Nurses Association often provides opportunities for continuing education and professional development. Professional networking is critical for nurses with specialty in foot care; this allows for the acquisition of new knowledge and experiences on the advanced practices.
References
American Foot Care Nurses Association. (2019c). Resources for Foot Care Nurses. https://www.afcna.org/page-1274553
American Foot Care Nurses Association. (2019d). Become a Member. https://www.afcna.org/JoinUs
Beuscher, T. L., Moe, H. L., Stolder, M. E., Peloquin, L., & Nesbitt, B. (2019). Expanding a foot care education program for nurses: A quality improvement survey. Journal of Wound Ostomy & Continence Nursing, 46(5), 441-445. DOI: 10.1097/won.0000000000000579
Kaya, Z., & Karaca, A. (2018). Evaluation of nurses’ knowledge levels of diabetic foot care management. Nursing research and practice, 2018. https://doi.org/10.1155/2018/8549567