Nursing Insights & Resources

Professional Nursing Associations

Nursing is one of the most important, prestigious, and rewarding careers. Skilled nurses are frequently hired by nursing homes, hospitals, medical centers, and other healthcare providers. A professional nurse has to be ready to provide high-quality care and support for patients. The demand for dedicated and skilled nurses is usually very high. As such, the unemployment rate is rather low in this area. Those people, who are pursuing their degrees in nursing, have to learn more about the most famous nursing associations. They provide a great number of career opportunities. In particular, these associations provide opportunities for career advancement, networking, as well as learning the best nursing practice standards.

Provided below is a list of famous nursing associations you need to know about.

Oncology Nursing Foundation

In 1981 this non-profit organization was founded in the USA. This organization has been working on sustaining and improving oncology nursing. It has been functioning with the help of corporate and private donations. It is worth noticing that this reputed organization plays a significant role in solving the problems related to cancer. This charitable organization awards nursing research grants and academic scholarships for those in need. When awarding goal-oriented individuals, the committee pays special attention to their leadership skills, career development, as well as education projects they take part in.

ARIN Golden Gate

The Association for Radiology and Imaging Nursing. Golden State Nursing Foundation appeared in 1994. As for the main activities promoted by the association, one has to mention lectures on recent topics related to nursing and healthcare. The organization has established a set of values, which are as follows:

• Commitment to nursing advancement in the changing technological environment;
• Dedication to the patient advocate`s role;
• The professionalism is bound by integrity.

American Psychiatric Nurses Association (APNA)

The following organization is beneficial for those nurses dealing with mental health-care. According to the vision of the organization, it has to be a valuable source of nursing classes, resources, and empowerment. The members of the organization need to have access to the latest news in the nursing field. Therefore, it always holds various conferences, as well as provides different publications in the Journal of the American Psychiatric Nurses Association. Moreover, it has been advocating for the patients suffering mental illnesses.

If you are a registered psychiatric nurse, you are free to join the APNA community. Now, there are more than 11.000 members in the organization. They share common values, interests, and beliefs. By joining this association, you will get access to the latest advancements in the field.

National League for Nursing

In 1893 the National League for Nursing appeared in Chicago. Its founder, Isabel Hampton, chaired a group of superintendents. It was the first nurses’ association in the US. It is difficult to underestimate the role of this woman in nursing. It is a place where passionate and goal-oriented nurses share their suggestions about the transformation of nursing education. The members of this association have contributed to the nursing field a lot. The association is famous for its courses, webinars, and conferences. On these events, nursing specialists can share their experiences and suggestions, as well as exchange their ideas. As such, joining this association can be very beneficial for you.

American Association of Nurse Anesthetics

This organization assists nurses specializing in anesthetics. If you specialize in this field, becoming a member of this association can be a good idea. You will be impressed with a high degree of professional respect and autonomy. The organization provides its participants with many opportunities for professional and personal advancement. Active participation in different events organized by this association will enable you to boost your career.

Society of Pediatric Nurses

The following society is a popular association comprising 28 specializations and more than 3.600 pediatric nurses. The mission of the association is to support the specialty of pediatric nursing. It ensures excellence in education, practice, and research. This community is supporting nurses in their practice by ensuring their access to appropriate educational resources. Also, the members of this association are aware of the latest trends and tendencies in pediatrics. The network around the country provides nurses with various career opportunities. It is very rewarding to become a member of this association. It maintains the highest nursing standards for the care of children and their families.

National Association of School Nurses

It is a non-profit association established in 1979. This organization represents exclusively school nurses. There are about 16.000 members in the organization. What is more, the association has 50 affiliates. The key aim of this association is to improve health, learning, and safety of students. According to its mission, a registered nurse has to be present at school on a daily basis. The values promoted by the organization state that all students have to have access to care. If you also share the mission of this organization, you are welcome to become its member.

Association of Women’s Health, Obstetric, and Neonatal Nurses

Established in 1969 as the Nurses Association of the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology, it became a non-profit organization. Nowadays, it is known as the Association of Women’s Health and Neonatal Nurses. This organization is dealing with the improvement and promotion of the health conditions of women and newborns. In particular, it provides patients with appropriate education, advocacy, research, and other clinical resources to healthcare professionals.

There are about 24.000 members in the organization. Educators, clinicians, as well as executives participating in the association focus on the needs of women and infants. As the leading organization in professional development, the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) awarded this association for its innovation in Continuing Nursing Education.

State Nurses Organizations & Chapters

No matter what specialization you have, you also need to join your state nurse association. A lot of nursing associations have state and local affiliations. Every state has unique procedures and policies defining the standards of healthcare.

As a member of the state or regional nursing association, you will have access to valuable information. It may be helpful in your everyday practice. In other words, if you want to succeed in your job, you need to join your state nurse association and play an active role in it.

Association of Rehabilitation Nurses

In 1974, when rehabilitation nursing was first considered a nursing specialty, Susan Novak established the Association for Rehabilitation Nurses. In a nutshell, rehabilitation nursing is an art of care. The nurse working in this field handles the maintenance, restoration, and promotion of optimal health conditions for patients having chronic illnesses or disabilities.
The main goal of the organization is to promote and improve professional rehabilitation through collaboration, professional development, advocacy, and research. The ARN has been working on the improvement of the life quality of the patients suffering by chronic diseases and disabilities.

Leading Nursing Associations and Organizations in the USA

Here is a table listing some of the major professional nursing associations in the USA along with their official website links:

Nursing Association	Website
American Nurses Association	https://www.nursingworld.org/
National Association of School Nurses	https://www.nasn.org/home
National Black Nurses Association	https://nbna.org/
National Council of State Boards of Nursing	https://www.ncsbn.org/
National League for Nursing	https://www.nln.org/
Association of periOperative Registered Nurses	https://www.aorn.org/
American Association of Critical-Care Nurses	https://www.aacn.org/
American Association of Neuroscience Nurses	https://www.aann.org/
American Holistic Nurses Association	https://www.ahna.org/
American Organization for Nursing Leadership	https://www.aonl.org/
Emergency Nurses Association	https://www.ena.org/
Infusion Nurses Society	https://www.ins1.org/
International Council of Nurses	https://www.icn.ch/
Oncology Nursing Society	https://www.ons.org/
Sigma Theta Tau International Honor Society of Nursing	https://www.sigmanursing.org/

Note that this is not an exhaustive list, as there are many more nursing associations in the USA. However, these are some of the most well-known and influential associations in the field.

Conclusion

All nursing associations mentioned in the list aim to provide nurses with opportunities for their mental and professional development. In the present-day world, it is important to be a part of a huge community sharing values, beliefs, and interests with other passionate people. If you are interested in energetic participation in a professional nursing community, you may choose some associations provided in our list. Alternatively, you may look for other reputed organizations and learn more about them. After a thorough analysis of the main associations, one can admit that visionary nurses are capable of making changes that benefit the whole community. The leaders of these organizations are taking care of their participants. Thus, they are working on the mechanisms of successful work. By uniting with other healthcare specialists in one voice, you will be able to suggest powerful arguments and innovations in your field. As a result, you will find it easier to deliver professional care to your patients.