PROFESSIONAL NURSING ORGANIZATIONS

AMERICAN NURSES ASSOCIATION Purpose/Mission Represents interests of 2.9 million RNs through 54 constituent state and territorial associations and over 180,000 members Committed to meeting the needs of nurses as well as health care consumers

Activities Associated with Mission Fostering high standards of nursing practice Promoting the economic and general welfare of nurses in the workplace Projecting a positive and realistic view of nursing Lobbying Congress and regulatory agencies on health care issues

Working to affect the following priority policy initiatives Health care reform (policy statement, 2009) Disaster preparedness (policy statement, 2008) Helping to improve the health care workplace (policy statement, 2008) An expanded role for registered nurses and advance practice nurses Obtaining federal funding for nurse education and training

Continues its efforts to: Expand the scientific and research base for nursing practice Collective bargaining/better compensation and work conditions for nurses New approaches to nursing service delivery to attain cost-effective quality care.

Historical Background 1910 1920’s 1930’s 1940’s 1950’s 1960’s 1970’s 1980’s 1990’s 2000

Functions: Information dissemination Representation Advocacy Protection

Benefits of Membership Be heard Guide the profession: Influence decisions: Save money: Promote yourself: Stay informed:

AACN - American Association of Colleges of Nursing “The AACN is the national voice for baccalaureate and graduate degree nursing education. AACN serves the public interest by providing standards and resources, and by fostering innovation to advance professional nursing education, research, and practice.” (AACN, 2004)

Historical Background 1969 – AACN was begun with 121 member institutions 2009 – 640 member schools of nursing, private universities, and senior colleges nationwide

Strategic Goals 2009-2011 GOAL 1: PROVIDE STRATEGIC LEADERSHIP THAT ADVANCES PROFESSIONAL NURSING EDUCATION, RESEARCH AND PRACTICE GOAL 2: DEVELOP FACULTY AND OTHER ACADEMIC LEADERS TO MEET THE CHALLENGES OF CHANGING HEALTHCARE AND HIGHER EDUCATION ENVIRONMENTS GOAL 3: LEVERAGE AACN’S POLICY AND PROGRAMMATIC LEADERSHIP ON BEHALF OF THE PROFESSION AND DISCIPLINE  

Purpose Support through research, governmental and public advocacy, and data collection. Establishes standards for baccalaureate and graduate level nursing education Influences the nursing profession to improve health care Promotes public awareness and support

CCNE – Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education 1996 – created by AACN and officially recognized by U.S. Secretary of Education as a national accreditation agency “Assesses and identifies programs that engage in acceptable educational practices.” (CCNE, 2004)

Benefits of CCNE Accreditation Maintains high levels of accountability to the public Fosters high regard for institutions Maintains integrity of educational programs

National League for Nursing Mission Promotes excellence in nursing education to build a strong and diverse nursing workforce.

Core Values CARING INTEGRITY DIVERSITY EXCELLENCE

Benefits of membership Members’ special rates and discounts Testing products and services Faculty development activities Education summit Data National League for Nursing Accrediting Commission NLN On-line and NLN update

National League for Nursing Accrediting Commission (NLNAC) Accreditation is a voluntary, self-regulatory process - meet or exceed standards and criteria for educational quality. Further improvement of the nursing program Monitoring of certificate, diploma, and BS & MSN degree offerings

Sigma Theta Tau – International Honors Society for Nursing Mission The mission of the Honor Society of Nursing, Sigma Theta Tau International is to support the learning, knowledge, and professional development of nurses committed to making a difference in health worldwide.

Vision The vision of the Honor Society of Nursing, Sigma Theta Tau International is to create a global community of nurses who lead in using knowledge, scholarship, service and learning to improve the health of the world’s people.

History Founded in 1922 by six nursing students at Indiana University. 1936 – became first organization in U.S. to fund nursing research 1985 – became incorporated as Sigma Theta Tau International to support and connect the global community of nursing scholars

More than 405,000 members inducted from 85 countries Membership characteristics: 26 percent are staff nurse/clinicians 21 percent are nurse practitioners, nurse midwives, nurse anesthetists, or clinical specialists 18 percent are administrators or supervisors 22 percent are educators or researchers

You want to be in this group! Membership information By invitation only to the top third of the students in baccalaureate and graduate programs in nursing and nursing leaders who exhibit exceptional achievements

Benefits Recognition/prestige Education On-line research tools Career development tools Research awards Networking

Specialty Nursing Organizations Spend some time discussing a few organizations to which current NUR406 students belong Examples – American Association of Critical Care Nurses, Emergency Nurses Association, etc. Report back on the connections that you see to the organizations presented.