How does forking over $179 for ANA membership benefit me?

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I will (hopefully) finally be an RN in about two weeks- and I'm looking into getting my ANA membership. There was no exposure to the association at anytime during school, and nearly everyone at work portrays it as a pointless, powerless organization. From the state that nursing is in today, I'm tempted to agree with them...

Anyway, I'm just wanting to feedback from more people on the ANA. Is it actually worth becoming a member? Or is it just one more nursing-related thing taking my money?

Kiringat: ANA could not PAY me to be a member. I have been in nursing over 20 years and have not witnessed anything of significance at the bedside that they have done. I am a STRONG advocate for promoting the National Nurses Organizing Committee (NNOC) and their dues are $30.00 a year with free CE classes. NNOC was started by the California Nurses Association (who by the way is NOT a ANA constituent). Do a search on the web to find out about them. I have been fortunate enough here in Ohio to have a good strong group of NNOC members locally to meet with and we are about actively changing things. Hope you find your niche.

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Specializes in Hospital Education Coordinator.

I am an active member of Texas Nurses Asso which is a chapter of ANA. I am against unions for too many reasons to discuss here and I do not agree with ANA's pro-choice position on abortion (I believe the babies don't get to chose so why should the Mom?). BUT I do believe my dues for TNA are worthwhile. I have a direct voice to the TNA lobbiest and can vote on issues he/she will promote to Congress. I have a vote in our position on national issues to ANA. The TNA has been instrumental in getting many things done to help Texas nurses. Nurses who tell me they don't see the value I find are the same who 1) have not bothered to read their practice act 2) have no idea how laws that benefit them get passed 3) are willing to let someone else speak for them since they don't want the responsiblity of being informed. Like every organization, it is what you make it. I did not have a vote till I joined.

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Nursing does not have one organization that speaks for all nurses, because we have splintered ourselves off so much. When physicians have an issue, they all clammor for the AMA to address the issue on their behalf. We need to have one organization that represents all nurses- period.

I know that the ANA is trying to be that organization. If you are getting the membership for $179, that is a deal. I pay over $300, but I can tell you that I have gotten way more out the money that I have paid than I have put in.

My personal framework has always been that the ANA is the professional organization for all nurses and that speciality organizations fall under the umbrella scope. The problem lies that if nurses do not belong to any professional organization, there is no unity to represent our needs.

Just my opinion.:D

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Specializes in Cardiac.
I pay over $300, but I can tell you that I have gotten way more out the money that I have paid than I have put in.

How have you specifically gained from joining? I do not belong to any organization as of yet. I only plan to join the AACN when I test for CCRN.

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Specializes in Hospital Education Coordinator.

I benefit from networking with other professional nurses and by staying on top of legislative trends I can report to my CNO what we need to emphasize in annual education.

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Specializes in ICU/Critical Care.

I agree that nurses should be represented by one organization but the ANA isn't the organization I want to be represented by. What have they done in the last few years? In my opinion they have done nothing but alienate nurses that actually want to see change happen.

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How have you specifically gained from joining? I do not belong to any organization as of yet. I only plan to join the AACN when I test for CCRN.

Networking at the local, state and national levels. Nominations to national boards of organizations and other opportunities.

I also belong to AACN and have three speciality certifications, but like my professional organizations each one does something different.

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I agree that nurses should be represented by one organization but the ANA isn't the organization I want to be represented by. What have they done in the last few years? In my opinion they have done nothing but alienate nurses that actually want to see change happen.

What have you done to help any cause related to nursing since you have been a nurse? The problem really is that people are not willing to participate and that is pretty much across the board for any organization. If people are not active, nothing can be done.

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Specializes in ICU/Critical Care.

I don't feel that I need to be part of an organization to make change happen. At my last job, many nurses including myself fought with management to get better staffing for our unit. It took a while but we eventually got our way.

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Specializes in Government.

In my state the ANA isn't the nursing union. It's just the state nursing assn, without the labor connection. I've never noted them to do much of anything in my state except support political positions that are not mine. I joined once with a student discount and they hagged at me for years to re-up. Never did.

I do belong to and am active in several nursing organizations. That isn't one.

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Specializes in Acute Care.

Thank you for the feedback everyone! I really do appreciate the info, because it is important to me that I join a nurses' organization after I'm licensed. It'll need some more research before I decide which one(s) to join, but you've given me a great place to start!

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