Professional Nursing Organizations and Advocacy in Patient Care

question
Discuss how professional nursing organizations support the field of nursing and how they advocate for nursing practice. Explain the value professional nursing organizations have in advocacy and activism related to patient care. Choose a professional nursing organization that relates to your specialty area of interest. Discuss how this organization keeps its members informed of health care changes and opportunities the organization provides for continuing education and professional development. 
Initial discussion question posts should be a minimum of 200 words and include at least two references cited using APA format. Responses to peers or faculty should be 100-150 words and include one reference. Refer to “RN-BSN Discussion Question Rubric” and “RN-BSN Participation Rubric,” located in Class Resources, to understand the expectations for initial discussion question posts and participation posts, respectively.
Answer
1. Introduction
Professional nursing organizations and their role in advocating for nursing practice is the topic of this paper. The focus of this article is to provide an overview of professional nursing organizations, highlighting the importance of advocacy in nursing practice. The article will further explore the role of these organizations in supporting the field of nursing and advocating for nursing practice. I will also discuss how professional nursing organizations promote and support activism to enhance the nursing profession. By definition, a professional nursing organization refers to a formally sanctioned group of practicing registered nurses, with the major goal of positively influencing healthcare. There are several key elements in this definition, which include: the organization is made up of registered nurses and its actions have to be legal and compliant with the scope of practice laws. This will ensure that the organization will not be liable for any lawsuit related to advocacy, and it empowers the organization to have a more significant impact on the healthcare system. Such professional organizations work to strive for common purposes, and nurses who volunteer or are elected to the leadership roles within such organizations often advocate for patient rights and influence healthcare legislations. On the other hand, nursing is not just simply a collection of tasks or the field of human resource in the health care industry. Patient care, in the best interest of the patient, is the goal of nursing practice. It is the advocacy in nursing-keeping the focus on patient’s rights, the “medical” of quality care, and the values of the profession. Thus, what makes a nurse’s advocacy different from that of any other healthcare professional, it is the shared holistic view of the health. He also remember to emphasis both for the nurse and the profession of nursing, advocacy is vital. Professional nursing associations have been an integral part of the nursing profession for many years. Such organizations do many good works for the profession and for individual nurses. Some of the good works include organizing the profession to be more effective in the advocacy for the public which include the ongoing review of the scope and standards of the practice. It also provides expert opinions and support for the development of nursing research. Last but not least, professional nursing organizations provide a platform for collective stance from nursing professionals, and realized the forms of achieving change in parts of the healthcare system. Such actions speak louder that n individual what nurse and what many nurses can do together advocating for the changes that are in the best interest of the patients and the profession. Since the passing of the first nursing licensure law in 1903, the efforts of professional nursing organizations and individual nurse activists have shaped the nursing profession. Through membership in professional nursing organizations, nurses receive essential support throughout their career and on the issues that matter most to the nursing world. I intend to provide a detailed information on how these organizations offer resources to nurses. By doing so, I hope the readers can discover the many benefits of such organizations so that they will have more reason to join one and advance our profession. Also, by understanding how these organizations work in cohesion to advocate for nursing rights and influence healthcare system, it may inspire some to become a leader in the future and continue the good work that is already in place.
1.1 Definition of Professional Nursing Organizations
Professional nursing organizations, just like any professional organizations, are typically nonprofit and focused on a specific area of nursing expertise. They are formed to advance the nursing profession as a whole, as well as to advance the career of their members. Professional nursing organizations tend to have a meaningful and measurable impact on the healthcare policy and outcomes than other types of nursing organizations. These organizations can be broken down into a few different categories such as specialty area organizations (e.g. American Association of Critical-Care Nurses), advanced practice (e.g. American Association of Nurse Practitioners), and career interest (e.g. Emergency Nurses Association). These organizations usually have a set of bylaws, a code of regulation that articulates how the organization is going to be lawfully managed and regulated. Most of these organizations also publish their position statements on relevant current nursing and healthcare issues. Positions statements are one of the ways that these professional organizations use to influence health policy by making their views on some issue, such as nurse staffing, professional obligation, and etc., publicly known. These organizations can also play important roles in shaping the healthcare policy. For example, the American Nurses Association (ANA), which is a full-service professional organization represents the interests of the nations 4 million registered nurses. ANA advances the nursing profession by fostering high standards of nursing practice, promoting the rights of nurses in the workplace, projecting a positive and realistic view of nursing, and by lobbying the Congress and regulatory agencies on health care issues affecting nurses and the public. ANA has been on the front to help the government and legislators to understand the value of nursing care and made many changes and progress in long-term care in this nation. The impact of professional nursing organizations is substantial, and being a member of such a group could serve as a powerful resource to the individual and their career. For instance, these organizations often provide resources and access to the nursing literature to keep their members informed of current practices and standards, usually through publications such as journals, magazines and newsletters. Most organizations also hold conferences and workshops on a regular basis, making it easier for members to find the opportunity for continuing education and social networking. Moreover, members can facilitate practice and careers development through various grants, awards, and scholarships provided by these organizations. However, it is crucial to first understand what professional nursing is in order to join and benefit from a professional nursing organization. Based on the “Professional Nursing: Concepts & Challenges” by Husting, a fundamental concept of professional nursing organizations is that nurses within that organization look out for and support each other, although their ultimate goal is the common good of the society. Nurses are able to extend their services and influence beyond the individual capacity by working within the nursing organization. When health professionals and the public see the involvement of nurses in policy developments and debates, it becomes clear that nurses are professional and influential. And, most important, being active in a professional nursing organization is not only to benefit individual career but to create changes in the health care system and improve the quality of patient care.
1.2 Importance of Advocacy in Nursing Practice
In addition to promoting professional development and providing networking opportunities, professional nursing organizations advocate for the improvement of nursing practice and healthcare. According to McEwen and Willis (2014), “nursing is the protection, promotion, and optimization of health and abilities, prevention of illness and injury, alleviation of suffering through the diagnosis and treatment of human response, and advocacy in the care of individuals, families, communities, and populations” (p. 8). Because the profession of nursing focuses on the care of people in clinical, research, educational, and policy settings, nurses have a responsibility to support one another in delivering the kind of care that is comprehensive, compassionate, and patient-centered. By collectively speaking on behalf of those in the nursing profession, professional nursing organizations help to support an environment in which high-quality healthcare is delivered. They do this by working to keep nursing and healthcare issues at the forefront of the legislative, administrative, and executive branches of government – in other words, they engage in policy development. Nurses have first-hand knowledge of healthcare – they see what works and what does not on a day-to-day basis. Nurses also understand what changes are necessary to help deliver the best quality care to the people they serve. However, individual nurses may not have the time or resources to make sure their voices are heard. Professional nursing organizations promote action on professional nursing and healthcare issues by disseminating legislative alerts and issue papers, and by encouraging nurses to write to their state or federal legislators or to sign petitions relating to healthcare issues. This kind of collective action helps to ensure that the needs and priorities of the nursing profession are considered in the development of healthcare policy, and that the expertise of nurses in the execution of that policy is recognized. Through participation in letter writing campaigns or contact with local and federal legislators, individuals can contribute to the development of policies that govern care, and remain informed about policy changes and healthcare initiatives. Such exchanges of information and connections between those in the profession and government bodies can be promoted and facilitated by professional nursing organizations. By providing regular information on healthcare policy and links through which individuals can voice concerns or communicate with policymakers, professional nursing organizations offer a mechanism for the sharing of information and ideas that can enable nursing resources to be used effectively and healthcare initiatives to be supported at the local and national level.
2. Role of Professional Nursing Organizations
2.1 Supporting the Field of Nursing
2.2 Advocating for Nursing Practice
3. Value of Professional Nursing Organizations in Advocacy and Activism
3.1 Enhancing Patient Care
3.2 Promoting Nursing Profession
4. Professional Nursing Organization in Specialty Area of Interest
4.1 Overview of Chosen Organization
4.2 Connection to Specialty Area
5. Keeping Members Informed of Healthcare Changes
5.1 Regular Communication Channels
5.2 Updates on Policy and Regulation Changes
6. Opportunities for Continuing Education and Professional Development
6.1 Workshops and Conferences
6.2 Online Learning Resources