New grad - Organizations to Join?

[Rebecca Richards, RN]

I just recently graduated with my BSN in May and I am working as an RN in Atlanta. I work with the pediatric population, more specifically eating disorders. I am wanting to get more involved in the nursing world and network. What are some organizations/associations that I should consider becoming a member of? I am already a member of SPN and I applied for Sigma Theta Tau. I was very involved in committees and government in nursing school and now I feel like I just go to work and that's it. I want more involvement in the field.

Note: I work at a small, private hospital so I don't really have many resources through my job, I.E., clinical educator.

[adventure_rn, MSN, NP]

Are there committees that you can get involved with at your current job? It you want to get more involved in projects, I'm sure that you manager has some ideas on how to do so.

Honestly, in my experience, most people don't actually 'do' much in a lot of nursing organizations. They usually just pay their dues and get their 'free' CEU hours (and maybe a discount on your specialty certification, if it's managed by the association). You'll end up paying hundreds of dollars a year in dues, and may find that they don't provide the benefit that you're looking for.

You could see if there are any state or local organizations in your area that have in-person meetings. You could also reach out to various organizations and see if there are any task forces or work groups you can get involved with.

Also, you could post on the peds and the psych forums and see if they have any suggestions about specific organizations.

Another option would be to see if there are non-nursing-specific non-profits in your area that are related to your specialty. I work in NICU and I've thought about volunteering with March of Dimes, not as a nurse, but just as a volunteer who happens to be a nurse. I'm sure there are eating disorder prevention non-profits that would appreciate your expertise.

(I know this probably isn't watch you want to hear since you just applied, but I don't think that Sigma Theta Tau membership has a lot of benefit outside of academia. I personally let my membership lapse, and probably won't renew unless I go back to grad school.)