Importance of Professional Associations in Nursing Discussion Paper
At the present time, nursing is recognized as one of the vocations that carries the greatest weight in society and offers the most fulfilling experiences. One of the most beneficial choices that nurses may make is to become a part of various nursing professional associations. By joining these organizations, nurses will have access to resources for staying abreast of industry developments, making professional connections with other healthcare professionals, expanding their nursing knowledge, and earning the credentials they require to function as nurses. As a result, the American Psychiatric Nurses Association will serve as the primary topic of discussion throughout this paper due to its status as a renowned professional organization.
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Overview of the American Psychiatric Association
More than ten thousand individuals belong to the American Psychiatric Association, making it one of the largest professional organizations in the United States. Since its founding in 1986, the American Psychiatric Association (APA) has maintained its dedication to the provision of care and treatment of the highest possible standard, as well as safety, to those who are afflicted with psychiatric conditions. Its primary mission is to promote psychiatric nursing and to advocate for mental health treatment that is of the highest possible standard and level of safety. This is accomplished via the organization’s dissemination of information centered on key subjects: assessments, diagnosis, treatments for mental disorders, and recovery-oriented assessments (Delaney, Drew, & Rushton, 2019). APA carries out these responsibilities while being directed by its mission and vision, which is to evolve into a professional body that is established to improve the research and teaching of psychiatric-mental healthcare. It advocates for well-being, health, and rehabilitation while maintaining a focus on psychiatric-mental healthcare as a distinct area of expertise.
Notably, APA realizes its vision and accomplishes its mission by recognizing and preventing issues, as well as by offering care and therapy to people who struggle with psychiatric disorders. Consequently, it upholds the principles of diversity, equality, autonomy, teamwork, trust, creativity, responsibility, and openness (Delaney, Drew, & Rushton, 2019). Each year, it organizes two workshops, one focusing on psychopharmacology and another on more broad topics in psychiatric disorders. A member has the potential to acquire approximately twenty hours of ongoing training credit by participating in these workshops. In addition to that, the organization provides its members with entry to its online e-learning facility, which has a variety of tools for professional learning. As an added advantage, members get exposure to things like insurance coverage tailored to their needs, discounted prices on books and other material, training and development prospects, and even a personal mentor if they so want.
Importance of Networking and Opportunities
Through building relationships with other professionals in the field, nurses are exposed to potentially fruitful prospects. To begin, the nurse has the opportunity to engage in interaction with others who have advanced their careers and achieved success via networking. According to Sibiya (2018), engaging in interaction with a person who shares similar values and perspectives offers the opportunity for a nurse to increase their awareness of significant developments in the nursing profession. The nurse may learn about new opportunities for professional growth through cultivating professional connections, which opens up new doors for the nurse. The APA hosts two conferences each year, which are both excellent chances for its members to meet new people and expand their professional networks. The members participate in a number of different networking events, during which they are given information on a variety of subjects pertaining to psychopharmacology and psychiatric care. They are able to advance their nursing profession as a result of this.
Ensuring members are up-to-date with health care changes
The American Psychiatric Association upholds a dedication to innovation as one of its basic principles. As a result, the organization has been successful in keeping its members up to date on significant mental health and psychiatric care discoveries by incorporating them into recovery-based diagnoses and evaluations. For example, significant new information on the progression of healthcare is mostly disseminated via the e-learning facility that is housed inside this association’s website (Agosto et al., 2020). In addition, the matching of mentees and mentors is an extremely useful opportunity that gives psychiatric nurses the chance to become familiar with the most recent discoveries and acquire specialized skills for clinical use.
Opportunities given to members for further education and career advancement
The primary benefits that come along with membership in a professional organization for nurses are those that allow for ongoing education and advancement of their careers. Continuous learning is a top priority for many professional groups, so they regularly host conferences and provide members with access to a variety of educational resources (Crumley, 2020). The APA is committed to ensuring that people with psychiatric illnesses have access to secure, high-quality treatment, and it holds that fostering its members’ educational and career growth is a key component of this goal. As a result, it routinely organizes two yearly conferences at which participants may gain up to twenty hours of credit toward their ongoing learning requirements. To further aid its members in their quest for career advancement, the organization provides discounted learning materials and access to specialized training opportunities.
Conclusion
In a nutshell, individuals in the nursing profession are universally acknowledged to contribute significantly to the overall quality of patient care. Because of this, nurses who enroll in professional organizations are better able to expand their professional networks and acquire relevant in-demand expertise. It is worth noting that registered nurses have access to a diverse range of opportunities that make it possible for them to obtain the necessary additional professional and educational progress. Because of this, they will be equipped to provide patients with treatment that is both safe and of high quality.
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References
Agosto, P. M., Barton, S., Hickerson, K. A., McCloskey, M., Murawski, S., & Roberts, K. E. (2020). Redesign of a Pediatric Hospital’s Professional Advancement Program. Nursing Economics, 38(1), 41-50.
Crumley, C. (2020). The benefits of active engagement in nursing professional organizations. Journal of Wound, Ostomy & Continence Nursing, 47(6), 547-547. https://doi.org/10.1097/won.0000000000000700
Delane, K. R., Drew, B. L., & Rushton, A. (2019). Report on the APNA national psychiatric mental health advanced practice registered nurse survey. Journal of the American Psychiatric Nurses Association, 25(2), 146-155.
Sibiya, M. N. (2018). Effective communication in nursing. Nursing. https://doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.74995
Assessment Traits
Requires Lopeswrite
Assessment Description
Examine the importance of professional associations in nursing. Choose a professional nursing organization that relates to a specialty area of interest. In a 750‐1,000-word paper, provide a detailed overview of the organization and its advantages for members. Include the following:
Describe the organization and its significance to nurses in the specialty area. Include its purpose, mission, and vision. Describe the overall benefits, or “perks,” of being a member.
Explain why networking is important for a nurse in this specialty field. Discuss how this organization creates networking opportunities for members.
Discuss how the organization keeps its members informed of health care changes and changes to practice that affect the specialty area.
Discuss opportunities the organization provides for continuing education and professional development.
You are required to cite a minimum of three sources to complete this assignment. Sources must be appropriate for the assignment and relevant to nursing practice.
Prepare this assignment according to the guidelines found in the APA Style Guide, located in the Student Success Center.
This assignment uses a rubric. Please review the rubric prior to beginning the assignment to become familiar with the expectations for successful completion.
You are required to submit this assignment to LopesWrite. A link to the LopesWrite technical support articles is located in Class Resources if you need assistance.
Rubric Criteria
Nursing Organization and Its Benefits to Nurses
39.9 points
Importance of Networking and Networking Opportunities for Members
35.7 points
Health Care Changes and Changes to Practice
35.7 points
Opportunities for Continuing Education and Professional Development
35.7 points
Thesis, Position, or Purpose
14.7 points
Development, Structure, and Conclusion
14.7 points
Evidence
12.6 points
Mechanics of Writing
12.6 points
Format/Documentation
8.4 points
Total210 points
Importance of Professional Associations in Nursing Discussion Paper