Join nursing associations to advance your career and the profession

Whether you are a new grad or seasoned practitioner, you know nurses who have joined a professional nursing association.

So what are nursing associations all about? Why should you join one and who has memberships in them?

The nurses in these organizations come from all work settings and specialties in nursing. You all work in different ways, but with the same goal in mind — to continually improve the nursing profession.

Your memberships help you become more proficient in your specialties and help you grow your careers.

Nursing associations offer you opportunities to learn from other nurses who are experts in their fields at their regular education events, such as:

  • Seminars
  • Meetings
  • Conventions

By doing so, nursing associations contribute to nursing’s body of knowledge because they share thoughts and opinions on important topics, answer questions on professional issues and develop members’ skills in writing, speaking, debating and more.

Two important hallmarks of nursing associations are upholding and sharing organizational values and helping members advance professionally. In large measure these two hallmarks are at the heart of nursing’s professional organizations and have been since they began.

In one of her famous quotes Florence Nightingale said, “Let us never consider ourselves finished nurses. We must be learning all of our lives.”

In the countless educational opportunities professional nursing association memberships provide, you will find you embrace lifelong learning like our founder envisioned.

Nursing associations have a rich history

The first nursing organization was founded in 1893 as the American Society of Superintendents of Training Schools for Nurses, now known as the National League for Nursing.

A second nursing association was founded in 1896 called the Associated Alumnae of Trained Nurses of the United States and Canada. This organization evolved into what you now know as the American Nurses Association (ANA).

A third organization was formed in 1899 — the International Council of Nurses — and became the first international professional nursing association.

These three organizations continue to remain influential in nursing and healthcare today. And since they began, more than 100 national professional nursing associations now exist in the U.S. ranging from specific specialties to state-based organizations to diverse groups and more.

Pick from local, national or international nursing associations

In the more than 100 organizations in nursing, there is one for you. You can be part of county, city or state groups, or larger national ones by joining at the local, national or international level.

Examples include:

  1. The American Nurses Association — With members in 50 states and U.S. territories, the ANA represents 4 million RNs, working to improve healthcare, promote ethical nursing practices and safe workplaces, establish high practice standards and help nurses and patients by providing them with information on issues that affect them.
  2. The National League for Nurses — The NLN’s focus is on nursing education and seeks to help nurses through professional development, exam services, public policy and research. The league includes 40,000 individual members and 1,200 institutional members.
  3. International Council of Nurses — On a worldwide basis, the International Council of …read more

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