Over three million nurses in the United States are represented by the American Nurses Association (ANA), established in 1911. It has grown from having fewer than twenty members to millions of nurses since its founding and has become a leading organization for improving health care and nursing practice. There are two things that ANA does by supporting the health and well-being of nurses, the first is creating a safe and ethical workplace, and the second is advocating for high standards of nursing. Additionally, they emphasize advocating for healthcare issues that affect nurses and the general public.
American Nurses Association is the organization of my choice that impact nurses that are members there. According to Klinshaw (2021), the member who gets involved in a professional organization has opportunities for personal development. To develop a healthy profession that advocates for the needs of its clients and nurses and society’s trust, professional nursing associations must generate the energy, flow of ideas, and critical work needed. The most important organization that promotes the rights of registered nurses in workplaces is the American Nurses Association. The American Nurses Association (ANA) is at the forefront of efforts to improve the quality of care provided to all patients. American Nurses Association was founded in 1896, and its membership is the most influential voice in all states and U.S. territories.
The time has arrived for nurses to join a professional organization like ANA to take advantage of numerous benefits that will assist them in developing and achieving success in their nursing career (Klinshaw, 2021). The purpose of ANA is to promote and encourage improved healthcare standards, as well as the professional development and economic and social well-being of nurses. ANA’s mission is to lead the organization in shaping the future of nursing and healthcare. ANA’s vision is to create a “healthy world through nursing power.” It is more focused now than before as the organization is working toward achieving its vision. Given the great changes ahead, nurses can improve nursing health care by changing how they care.
Benefits of Being a Member of the American Nurses Association
Organizations dedicated to members’ personal and professional growth, as well as professional advancement, are known as nursing associations. By joining a professional nursing association, nurses can access recourses, information, and opportunities they might not have otherwise (Gaines, 2019). There are numerous benefits of being a member of the American Nurses Association: members can take advantage of free webinars and development resources to advance their careers, keep up with the latest nursing news, and get great discounts on CE, certification, publications, and other items to save money. A member also has the privilege to connect and network with a Registered Nurse (RN) for help and guidance and to use membership opportunities to talk to policymakers, letting their voice be heard.
Lastly, the members enjoy the benefits of membership in the State Nurses Association, such as representing important issues in state legislatures, getting local networking opportunities, certification discounts, and education and career development (Gaines, 2019). The American Nurses Association, which covers a wide range of practice areas and provides a comprehensive means of staying up to date on nursing trends, is highly recommended to those who would like to be a member of a nursing association.
Importance of a Nurse to Network and How ANA Creates Networking Opportunities
Networking is building meaningful relationships with other people so that you can get help and information from them. Professional networking is very important when finding work and developing one’s career (Hamlin, 2022). Connecting with other strong and talented people is important for a successful nursing career. Nurses will continue to understand the important aspects of professional networking for their patients, fellow nurses, and themselves. According to Hamlin (2022), the importance of a nurse to the network is to enable them to find employment opportunities, encourage their career advancement, build a support network, and impact the healthcare system. The structure of the American Nurses Association (ANA) and state nursing associations provides nurses across the country with local opportunities to participate. In addition, individuals working in skilled nursing are welcome to join many groups focusing on nursing specialties.
Networking and affiliation committees within the hospital system can assist in professional development and quickly resolving patient care issues. Management teams of ANA communicate with executives about changes in health care and practice through internal memos, e-mails, and even staff meetings throughout the organization. There are no limits to creating the opportunity through networking. The career development opportunities that can be resulted are the biggest benefit of developing a professional network.
How ANA Keeps Its Members Informed of Health Care Changes and Practice Changes That Affect the Specialty Area
Access to annual funding for continuing education, as well as paid leave for coursework and certification, is important to all nurses. This is due to the employer’s investment in individual employees and the benefits employers receive from continuing education. It must be emphasized that commitment to continuing education, including non-formal education, part-time courses, events, conferences, webinars, and seminars, is frequently mentioned by nurses at all stages of their careers. The nurses mention the above as essential to the practice of nursing, to provide the best possible patient care based on current evidence-based practice. The importance of a nurse’s professional development to job satisfaction is a hallmark of a healthy workplace, a united commitment to nursing excellence. For nurses to maintain their professional growth and improve their ability to provide high-quality patient care, employers must invest in professional development opportunities to ensure high-quality patient care and job satisfaction for nurses.
Opportunities for Continuing Education and Professional Development
Continuing education, training, and professional development facilitate students’ and recent graduates’ transition to practical experience. It also helps ensure nurses are competent and provide high-quality patient care throughout their careers. Nurses from all levels of the profession believe that healthy workplaces provide opportunities for continuous professional development to ensure continuous professional development and high-quality patient care.
The term “professional development” encompasses a wide range of education, training, and development opportunities. For this overview, the term will refer to all activities to improve staff skills and knowledge, such as nurses. Education does not end after earning a professional nursing degree, diploma, or license. Professional development is a call to refine abilities in all graduates’ work. Professional is the art and knowledge gained for personal and professional development. Training, seminars, workshops, conferences, and other learning opportunities are included in the nursing profession. Lifelong learning is becoming increasingly important for nurses as it becomes necessary to keep up with emerging health issues like cancer.
References
Gaines, K. (2019,). You should join a nursing organization. Here’s why. Nurse.org. Web.
Hamlin, K. (2022). Professional networking in nursing. NurseJournal. Web.
Klinshaw, G. (2021). Five reasons to join a professional nursing organization. University at Buffalo. Web.