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USA Nursing Organizations

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In the US there are a number of nursing organizations to which you may find it beneficial to belong. These organizations are many and varied, some at state level, some at national level, and some that even allow you to have international membership. Although not all nurses belong to a nursing organization of some kind, it is generally considered a good idea to have membership with at least one.

Types Of Nursing Organizations

State Professional Nursing Organizations

Each state has its own board of nursing, which is a good place to start your search for a professional nursing organization in your area that you could benefit from joining. Your state board of nursing is the body that regulates nursing in your state and usually their website will contain information regarding the available and well known organizations in your state. There are different rules for nursing between states, so this is an important website to check in any case. Many such organizations are listed on websites dedicated to everything nursing such as healthguideusa.org. Specifically check out their “State Nursing Associations” list. This will go a long way to helping you narrow down your search for a nursing organization in your specific state, city, or area.

National Professional Nursing Organizations

Although there are many nursing organizations that are limited to specific states, there are also numerous organizations that are national. In other words you do not have to live in a specific state in order to join the organization as it covers everyone in the US. There are some things that you can keep in mind in this regard:

  • The nurse.org website has an extensive list of national nursing organizations that ranges from general associations to very specific ones with specialized services.
  • If you want extremely specialized nursing associations that are national, you can visit the Salisbury University list of specialized nursing organizations.

Belonging to a national nursing organization has the advantage of not forcing you to change organizations if you move to a different state and opens up your options and opportunities across the entire country.

International Professional Nursing Organizations

Because it has become so necessary to collaborate on medical issues across borders, and because, with continuing advancements in technology, the world is becoming a smaller place, it is possible to belong to an international nurse’s organization. Some international nursing organizations that you may be able to belong to include:

  • International Association for Human Caring
  • International Society of Psychiatric Mental Health
  • Nurses of Emergency

There are many nursing organizations that are considered to be international, but not all of them are of the kind that you can join yourself as a nurse working out of the US. In addition not all of these international organizations are beneficial for all nurses to join. When selecting a nursing organization to join, you must make your choice wisely and carefully so that you do not regret it later.

Reasons To Belong To A Nursing Organization

Networking

One of the main reasons to belong to a nursing organization is that you will have the opportunity to network with other nurses, often other nurses who work in the same field as you and who therefore have similar challenges and problems which they can discuss with you. Finding a solution is easier when in a group, and just generally having friends and supporters around you can make you better at your job. If you belong to a nursing organization:

  • You can find new friends to share your experiences in nursing with (although specific patient information remains confidential).
  • You can give and receive support from your friends and peers in terms of the challenges that you all face in your particular line of nursing.
  • You can learn about new job opportunities at health care facilities where other nurses work.Nursing Organization

Products And Resources

Members of particular organizations often stand the chance of receiving rewards and prizes through their organization. In addition you are given discounts by your organization on a number of different products and services including things like automobile insurance, life insurance, or professional liability insurance, all of which are necessary for most people. Non-members are not eligible for such discounts, giving you a foot up. Also your organization will provide you with peer reviewed research articles and other information about the specific field of nursing that you are interested in. This is an ideal way for you to keep up with the developments in the industry, specifically in terms of how they relate to you and your chosen area of nursing. In the long run belonging to a nursing organization can improve your career options and your expertise as a nurse.

Leadership Opportunities

Nursing organizations offer the chance for skill development in a number of ways. One of the skills that you can learn if you take the right approach to your membership is leadership. If you belong to an organization you may improve your leadership skills by:

  • Join the general organization
  • Become involved with a committee

If the members ask you to serve in a leadership capacity within your chosen nursing organization, it will look extremely good on your resume. This is because you will have demonstrated your ability to work in a leadership position, which in turn will increase your chances of successfully applying for a leadership position within your own or another health care facility. Leadership positions usually come with increased salaries as well as a number of other benefits and opportunities, making them great positions to strive towards.

Career/Job Assistance

Professional nursing organizations have systems in place to help nurses find good jobs within the field. If you belong to an organization, that organization should provide you with information regarding:

  • When your local certification laws change
  • When new scientific discoveries take place regularly
  • What nursing jobs have benefits

Often these organizations will have lists of jobs that are available in your area on their website for you to peruse at your leisure. Some organizations take it a step further and contact you personally when they find a job that they feel will match your skill level. There is usually a membership fee payable before you can have access to services such as these, but this is very much worth what you get. It can be difficult to find a good job in nursing, but your organization can help you achieve that.

Continued Education

In order to maintain your nursing license you have to take continuing education classes (although this is not compulsory in all states). These classes can be very expensive. Various nursing organizations across the country offer these continuing education units that are necessary for license renewal at a reduced price and often even free for members of that particular organization. Even if you are not required to complete continuing education credits, it is still worth looking at the continuing education options offered by your organization as these can be highly beneficial to you in terms of improving your general or specific skills within the field of nursing and making you better at your job overall.

Nursing Organizations

Here is a comprehensive list of all nursing organizations and groups in the US:

Many states have, as you can see, specific organizations for that state, which is worth knowing when you want a targeted and specific organization.

There are, essentially, a large number of nursing organizations to choose form. However the choice can be narrowed down considerably when you realize that some organizations are only available in certain states. Other organizations are only for nurses who practice within a specific specialty within the nursing field, such as the Oncology Nursing Society. Other societies include both of these specifications. For example you would only join the Susquehanna Valley Association of Pennsylvania Occupational Health Nurses if you were an occupational health nurse based in Pennsylvania. Whichever of the many nursing organizations you choose, you will be glad that you made the decision to join one.

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