Introduction
The American Nurses Association (ANA) is an organization that primarily conducts federal lobbying on important issues in nursing and healthcare. The ANA address all issues such as the development of the nursing workforce, safe staffing, and pay. However, the membership of ANA stands at 6%, which can be attributed to the efficiency of individual APNs in lobbying compared to a unified organization, the ANA. Individual APNS are more effective in federal lobbying compared to the ANA organization.
Discussion
The ANA provides a platform for nurses to lobby, at the state or federal level, for issues vital to the nursing practice (Alligood, & Marinner-Tomey, 2005, p.23). It also endeavors to ensure nursing quality and safety through a code of ethics for nursing practice and addressing workplace hazards. It also offers attractive privileges to its members including great discounts on insurance cover and quality insurance programs. The ANA also undertakes to promote professional development by offering opportunities for professional development to its members including conferences and educational events (Gordon, 2007, p.54). It also ensures that nurses stay informed of the current and emergent issues pertaining to the nursing practice through access to online journals and regular newsletters. Most importantly, ANA promotes member participation at the national, state or local level in determining the decisions of the association.
Despite the many benefits enjoyed by ANA members, fewer nurses are members of the association. The main reason is the existence of nursing specialties lobby groups such as Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists (CRNA), Nursing Practitioners (NPs) and Clinical Nurse Specialists (CNS), with specific nursing specialties (Meleis, 2006, p.71). Additionally, the APNs are better suited at advocating for issues affecting their members compared to the ANA. To increase its membership, members belonging to individual APNS should qualify for ANA membership and enjoy the benefits provided.
Conclusion
Given the complex nature of the issues affecting the diverse nursing specialty groups, individual APNs are more suited at advocating for nursing needs compared to ANA.
Reference List
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Gordon, M. (2007). Nursing Diagnoses. Sudbury, MA: Jones & Battet.
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Meleis, A. (2006). Theoretical Nursing: Development and Progress. Philadelphia: Lippincott, Williams & Wilkins.
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