NURSE KAREN'S NURSING HIGHLIGHT Vol . 2:The Academy of Medical-Surgical Nursing

[NRSKarenRN, BSN, RN]

NURSE KAREN'S NURSING HIGHLIGHT Vol . 2:The Academy of Medical-Surgical Nursing (AMSN)

A weekly introduction to various nursing organizations.

Web site-http://www.medsurgnurse.org/

Publication: MEDSURG Nursing, The Journal of Adult Health

History

The Academy of Medical-Surgical Nursing (AMSN) is a professional organization representing nurses practicing in all areas of medicine, surgery, and adult health. It is a voluntary national nursing specialty organization committed to the advancement of adult health/medical-surgical nursing practice.

AMSN was formed to promote high standards of clinical nursing practice. The development and implementation of clinical practice guidelines was created. AMSN provides a vehicle for meeting the educational needs of its members, and fosters scholarly activity to disseminate new ideas for all areas of medical, surgical, and adult health nursing practice.

Background

In 1990, the American Nurses' Association sanctioned the Council of Medical-Surgical Nursing Practice to conduct a survey regarding membership in professional organizations. This survey was to gain information regarding attitudes of nurses working in adult health areas and obtain information regarding potential membership in the Council of Medical-Surgical Nursing Practice, the clinical practice group of the American Nurses' Association. Council membership was low, and the mandate for fiscal accountability from the American Nurses' Association was clearly to be self-sufficient. Insight into nurses' attitudes regarding professional membership would enable the Council to direct activities for increasing membership.

The surgery was distributed to three groups: Council members (124 nurses), participants at the 1990 AJN Conference for Medical-Surgical and Geriatric Nurses (300 nurses), and certified nurses in Medical-Surgical Nursing (1,079). Anthony J. Jannetti, Inc. analyzed the survey results. Respondents indicated that they would belong to a specialty professional organization. An overwhelming 86% of respondents reported that there was no representative professional organization for medical-surgical nurses, and of this group 82% responded they were interested in exploring membership for medical-surgical nursing practice. This information was used to form a proposal to develop a new vital independent professional organization to support medical-surgical nurses. The organization proposal included the goals of education and professional support. The organization must meet the rapidly changing needs of medical-surgical nurses and be able to support education of the latest clinical trends; preparation for advanced clinical nursing practice and assistance in meeting the needs of nurses attempting to become certified in medical-surgical nursing. Thus, with the assistance of the management firm of Anthony J. Jannetti, Inc., the Academy of Medical-Surgical Nurses was born and nurtured with the assistance of marketing professionals to reach the "hidden" and "silent" heroes of tertiary care facilities.

In the first two years, the Steering Committee of AMSN, set priorities for the organization, established a separate Journal, and began distribution of the newsletter through a grant from Glaxo-Wellcom, Inc. The activities continued through the first convention, held in Chicago in 1992. The objectives of AMSN included the need to improve the image of the medical-surgical nurse, develop standards for medical-surgical nursing practice, and create a "cookbook" of Core curriculum for establishing the essence of medical-surgical nursing practice.`

Outcome

The objectives of this professional organization continue to be refined, tested and updated. There remains the need for medical-surgical nurses to maintain professional and clinical competence. A specialty group formed by medical surgical nurses, for medical-surgical nurses must be constantly nurtured by the membership to foster new ideas, interdisciplinary collaboration and dissemination of current essentials of clinically relevant updates for clinical practice. It is this commitment to achieve the highest level of clinical and professional functioning that assures the public of the highest level of cost-effective, quality patient care by our membership.

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Objectives

To promote health and wellness of mankind by advancing the science and art of nursing care, the Academy of Medical-Surgical Nurses endeavors to:

Promote the implementation of standards for the practice of adult health/medical-surgical nursing.

Facilitate the implementation of guidelines for the practice of adult health/medical-surgical nursing.

Enhance the image of the professional adult health/medical-surgical nurse.

Enhance the professional growth of individual members through educational programs at the local, regional, and national levels.

Provide a mechanism for adult health/medical-surgical nurses to articulate health care policy.

Facilitate effective communication and collaboration among adult health/medical-surgical nurses.

Influence legislative issues that relate to health care.

Promote research, development, and advancement in medical-surgical nursing practice and provide opportunities for the dissemination of these new ideas.

Maintain effective communication with and serve as a resource to the public, professional groups, governmental agencies and lay organizations.

Provide a mechanism to enhance members' awareness of issues affecting both the professional and the socioeconomic spheres of their practice.

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Membership

AMSN's membership year is October 1 - September 30. All memberships expire on September 30. Prorated quarterly credit for unused portion of first year's dues will be applied at the time of membership renewal.

$18.00 of the membership dues is applied to a subscription to MEDSURG Nursing.

Member Type

Full Member $75

Available to registered nurses in the U.S., Canada and Mexico.

Senior Full Member $60

Member over the age of 60 (Proof of age must be faxed to this office)

Student Member $45

Any registered nursing student in the U.S., Canada, or Mexico. (Proof of current enrollment must be faxed to this office)

Associate Member $75

Any duly licensed health care professional interested in the care of adults

Senior Associate Member $60

Member over the age of 60 (Enclose proof of age).

NSNA Student member $39

(Current NSNA membership card must be faxed to this office)

AMSN National Office

East Holly Avenue, Box 56

Pitman, NJ 08071-0056

856-256-2323

856-589-7463 Fax

[email protected]