Looking for Nation-Wide Nursing Organizations to Join

Nurses General Nursing

Published

:D

I thought about ANA, but have recently heard very disheartening stuff about how they supposedly "arent the organization they used to be".

what gives?

National Nurses United is largest union and professional organization for registered nurses. It has more than 170,000 members in nearly every state. Got to http://www.nationalnursesunited.org

I second that idea- look no further than the National Nurses United!! JMHO and my NY $0.02.

Lindarn, RN, BSN, CCRN

Somewhere in the PACNW

Specializes in Oncology; medical specialty website.

Another member of NNU, and there isn't even a union where I work.

ANA is still a decent national organization but they have had challenges over the last few years because it's damn hard being everything to everybody. The worst schism's have occurred because it's not easy representating professional nursing and trying to be a union.

Some of the major groups of unionized nurses split from the parent organization because they felt there were elements within ANA that did not really want labor organizations associating with ANA. Think "right to work states".

Also ANA tends to be heavily involved in politics because if you want laws to change you have to lobby and be political to do that. Not everyone agrees with the ANA political positions.

The best thing to do is go to the ANA website and look at their position papers and what they lobby for. If you like it then join up. :)

Another thing you can do is look at the national association for the nursing specialty you work in. There is a national association for practically everyone. Critical Care, School Nurses, Case Managers, and even Emergency Nurses just to name a few.

Specializes in Medical Surgical.

I really encourage you to join the specialty organization for the type of nursing you're in. They keep you up to date and certification makes you more marketable in many cases. The ANA has been a bit overinvolved with advanced practice but is trying to include more bedside nurses. They are the group that is listened to by policy makers IMHO. Pricey, but I belong and I'm glad I do. I don't agree with their political positions in some cases, but they listen more if you're actually a member. And the networking in all of this is fantastic.

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