NURSING 7203 Introducing Professional Nursing

Professional nursing organizations are bodies in which nurses come together and engage in order to enhance competencies and increase knowledge. These bodies can be regional, national or international(Catallo, Spalding, & Haghiri-Vijeh, 2014). They are also vital as they give nurses an opportunity to enhance professional nursing practice. Nurses can organize for forums to exchange new knowledge in pursuit of their careers(Catallo et al., 2014). In addition, these professional organizations form an avenue for addressing and championing for the nurses’ rights.

International Council of Nurses is a federal organization with more than 130 nursing professional bodies from different countries spread across the world with a limitation of one membership per nation(International Council of Nurses, 2012). It was founded in 1899 and its headquarters is in Geneva, Switzerland. The main purpose of its formation is to increase the socio-economic status of nurses alongside upholding the profession of nursing across the world. It also aims at increasing global and domestic health policies formulation.(International Council of Nurses, 2012) It covers a large population as it is spread across the globe.

The American Nurses Association is a full-service nursing professional body founded in 1899 and is based in Silver Spring, Maryland.(American Nurses Association, 2016) This organization provides for continuing nurses education. It also provides mechanisms for judging competencies of its practitioners and to evaluate the quality of care(American Nurses Association, 2016). It is open to all registered American nurses. Unlike the International Nurses Association, this organization covers a smaller population.

American Psychiatrists Nurses Association is an organization founded in 1986. It is based in the United States of America. It is open for membership to registered mental health and psychiatric nurses including students pursuing the same career(Pearlman, 2013). This organization is accredited for the provision of continuing nurses’ education in the psychiatric field. It also formulates policies governing mental and psychiatry health(Pearlman, 2013). It covers a small population revolving around medical and psychiatric health.

In conclusion, professional nurses’ organizations are vital in the life of a nurse. These bodies enable them to uphold professionalism as well as championing for their own rights. It also enables them to interact with other nurses in order to be familiar with new health patterns.

References

American Nurses Association. (2016). American Nurses Association Position Statement on Nurses’ Roles and Responsibilities in Providing Care and Support at the End of Life. ANA Position Statement, 1–10. Retrieved from https://www.nursingworld.org/MainMenuCategories/EthicsStandards/Ethics-Position-Statements/etpain14426.pdf

Catallo, C., Spalding, K., & Haghiri-Vijeh, R. (2014). Nursing Professional Organizations. SAGE Open, 4(4), 215824401456053. https://doi.org/10.1177/2158244014560534

International Council of Nurses. (2012). The ICN Code of Ethics for Nurses. The Michigan Nurse. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.0028-1425.2007.ethics.x

Pearlman, S. A. (2013). The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act: Impact on Mental Health Services Demand and Provider Availability. Journal of the American Psychiatric Nurses Association, 19(6), 327–334. https://doi.org/10.1177/1078390313511852