Nursing has taken many positive steps to solidify its status as a profession. They include licensure, certification, credentialing, and accountability. Professional nursing associations further the professionalism of nursing through evidence-based practices, professional codes of conduct, and standards such as the American Nurses Association Code of Ethics Conduct and Scope of Practice. Nursing associations and unions support their members through various means. Nurses are becoming more involved in the political processes that influence both licensure and delivery of care.
Nurse Practice Acts in each state defines nurse responsibilities, the range of nurse activities and services, and the qualifications for practice. It is critical that nurses are engaged in their professional associations and collectively bring their concerns to policy makers with a united voice.
Benefits of Professional Organizations
Professional associations play an important role in the development of nursing as a profession. Yet, many nurses do not belong to these organizations. Regardless of membership, these associations provide valuable resources to both nurses and the general public. Members are provided with a breadth of additional resources based on each organization’s goals, along with the opportunity to take part in leadership roles.
Review your reading from this week and then address the following:
• Locate one professional nursing association, summarize the benefits of belonging to that association; and include the Web address (the URL) to the Association;
• Identify at least one contribution made by a professional nursing association that has had a positive impact on the nursing profession or healthcare; and
• What are the differences in how nursing practice is influenced by professional associations compared to collective bargaining units such as unions?
Support your ideas or those of others with references from the professional nursing literature.
Support your response with APA-formatted in-text citations and references from the professional nursing literature.
•Drenkard, K. (2013). Credentialing as a commitment to excellence. Journal of Nursing Administration, 43 (3): 119-121. DOI: https://dx.doi.org.ezp.waldenulibrary.org/10.1097/NNA.0b013e318283db48
This article describes how research confirms that certification helps nurses perform better on the job. Studies demonstrate that certified nurses feel more confident in their clinical abilities, collaborate better with physicians, and report higher levels of empowerment than do their noncertified counterparts.
Websites
•American Nurses Association (n.d.) Code of Ethics with Interpretive Statements.
Retrieved December 2, 2014 from https://www.nursingworld.org/MainMenuCategories/EthicsStandards/CodeofEthicsforNurses.aspx
Boston College School of Nursing (n.d.).
•Nursing Ethics
Retrieved December 2, 2014 from https://www.bc.edu/bc_org/avp/son/ethics/swf/NursingEthics.swf
U.S. Department of Energy (2014).
•Human genome project information
Retrieved September 19, 2014 from https://www.ornl.gov/sci/techresources/Human_Genome/home.shtml
Optional Resources
•Professional Nursing Organizations
◦American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) (n.d.). The impact of education on nursing practice. Retrieved December 2, 2014 from https://www.aacn.nche.edu/media-relations/fact-sheets/impact-of-education
◦American Nurses Association (2014). ANA’s constituent member associations. Retrieved August 22, 2014 from https://www.nursingworld.org/functionalmenucategories/aboutana/whoweare/cma.aspx
◦American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) (2014). About ANCC. Retrieved December 2, 2014 from https://www.nursecredentialing.org/FunctionalCategory/AboutANCC
◦International Council of Nurses (ICN) (2014). About ICN. Retrieved August 22, 2014 from https://www.icn.ch/about-icn/about-icn/
◦National League for Nursing (NLN) (2014). About the NLN. Retrieved August 22, 2014 from https://www.nln.org/aboutnln/index.htm
