Organization Overview
The Association of Women’s Health, Obstetrics, and Neonatal Nurses (AWHONN) is a non-profit membership organization that focuses on promoting and improving women’s and newborns’ health while strengthening the nursing profession through research, advocacy, and extensive training. The association’s mission is “making a difference in the lives of women and newborns,” while its vision is to “empower and support nurses caring for women, newborns, and their families through research, education, and advocacy” (AWHONN, 2022, para. 2). Its strategic goals include promoting diversity and inclusion, advocacy for critical issues that influence nursing care, commitment to members, advancement of knowledge, and investment in infrastructure for care improvement.
The core benefit of being an AWHONN member is engaging in research, training, and advocacy as a way to have abundant opportunities for personal and professional growth. The members of the organization are involved in evidence-based practice and study various educational materials focused on the populations of their focus. Besides, the membership in the association allows instant free access to AWHONN journals, allows participating in more than thirty free webinars on different clinical education topics, and provides member recruitment rewards. When nurses become AWHONN members, they can learn from evidence-based practice, get opportunities from local connections and networks, as well as be sure to enhance their careers in the long run. Full membership costs $216 a year, e-membership costs $96, student membership is $60, while emeritus membership is $96 (AWHONN, 2022). Depending on the status and the needs of the practitioner, they can choose an appropriate membership option that will suit their expectations. Because the organization is highly engaged in research and education, it will provide its members with opportunities to learn about the latest trends relevant to their practice.
Importance of Networking
It is essential for nurses working in the field of women’s health, obstetrics, and neonatal care to network because the exchange of knowledge and experience allows them to get highly involved in their practice and become better engaged in professional development. Being a member of an association with a narrow focus allows for increased interactions on various topics related to their practice. Meeting like-minded professionals who share the same vision and mission and face similar challenges and ambitions is a good way to stay in tune with the latest nursing trends.
Women’s health, obstetrics, and neonatal care are complex and multi-dimensional practice areas which are evolving continuously. This means that professional development is crucial for nurses working in these fields, and some areas of their development can be strengthened through close networking and collaboration. Nurses who have gained valuable and practical experience in their fields will share their knowledge with others through networking, thus opening opportunities for discussion and exchange of meaningful ideas and practices (Sherman & Cohn, 2018). It is an issue that many nurses still disregard the value of becoming members of professional associations and having a solid network of colleagues outside of their practice setting. Being a member of an organization such as AWHONN provides nurses within the profession with the chance to evolve as experts through certification, education, and membership (Slupski, 2022). Moreover, when nurses are interested in developing certain skills and becoming more education, they can use associations’ networks to find their mentors who can guide them on professional development opportunities. Overall, professional networks are linked to quality patient care, and nurses’ involvement in evidence-based practice can significantly boost the quality of such care.
How AWHONN Keeps Its Members Informed
For ensuring that its members are adequately informed on health care changes and changes to practice in their specialty areas, AWHONN holds annual conventions. The events allow nurses to connect with their fellow professionals to stay up-to-date with the latest research and best practices. At the conventions, nurses can join different workshops and educational sessions led by industry mentors. The emphasis is placed on the newest resources and innovative tools and practices that can be used for improving care within the spheres of women’s health, obstetrics, and neonatal care.
Besides conferences and workshops, AWHONN is dedicated to delivering high-quality, evidence-based programs for hospitals that care for women and newborns. The association provides resources that hospitals need for maintaining and enhancing ongoing education, competency, and knowledge for nurses with different levels of skills and experience. In addition, providing members access to abundant educational products allows for helping professionals to stay well-informed of the latest developments in their areas of specialty. Both paid and free resources are valuable to nurses despite the stages in which they are in their careers. Therefore, the fact that AWHONN continuously works on developing different programs through which nurses can gain the most current and advanced knowledge on women’s health, obstetrics, and neonatal care shows that the association has a strong vision of the profession’s future (Murn, 2019). Through networking and expert advice, it is easier for nurses to stay well-informed and well-prepared, which makes their real-life practice easier and more meaningful. Since the sphere of health care is expected to change and evolve, the steps that AWHONN takes are likely to evolve together with the latest practice trends.
Opportunities for Continuing Education and Professional Development
The opportunities for continuing education and professional development through the AWHONN membership are vast. For example, the association’s Neonatal Orientation and Education Program, Fourth Edition, represents a compressive educational program that assists nurses to boost their skills in neonatal patient safety and reduce errors in the practice setting. Nurses get the most recent evidence-based information. In addition, the Perinatal Orientation and Education Program, Fourth Edition, is focused on helping nurses mitigate patient risks, increase the efficiency of nurses, and promote the best outcomes in obstetrics while assisting facilities to save money and time. Therefore, the various types of programs that AWHONN provides offer nurses abundant opportunities for prolonging their education and developing as professionals. Besides, the organization has created several educational resources that can help nurses gain more knowledge about different topics related to their specializations. Comprehensive information is given on such vital topics as mortality of mothers, general patient safety, evidence-based practice in obstetrics, and others.
AWHONN provides abundant information on nursing careers, volunteering efforts, research programs, as well as awards, scholarships, and grants. Nurses can look through the list of job offers by specialization and location on the website. For those interested in volunteering, AWHONN allows nurses to get involved at both state and local levels so that they can gain experience and strengthen skills in their relevant specializations. The organization has the option of nominating its members for Awards of Excellence, its Publication Awards, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Award, and others. Finally, AWHONN provides opportunities for nurses to attain research grants, due to its dedication to strengthening the field of study on women’s health, obstetrics, and neonatal health.
References
AWHONN. (2020). About us.
Murn, N. L. (2019). Mothering the mother: An educational program for nurse-provided continuous labor support. The Journal of Perinatal Education, 28(4), 199-209.
Sherman, R. O., & Cohn, T. M. (2018). Why your nursing networks matter. American Nurse.
Slupski, G. (2022). These nursing associations connect you to fellow pros and valuable resources.