Professional Memberships?

lever5 · Sep 26, 2002

Well, you get a free magazine when you join.

SmilingBluEyes · Sep 26, 2002

Ask NurseKaren about this.........She is an EXPERT on ANA membership and its benefits and is VERY PRO ANA. I guess it depends, do you agree w/what the organization does on your behalf? If so, then maintain membership. Otherwise, examine WHY you would support it at all. There have been many threads about this here..some very heated. Iwish you well.

-jt · Sep 26, 2002

Im an active member of my state nurses associtaion. The benefits to that is it helps nurses & the state nurses assoc be a stronger force in the state legislature - getting state laws passed that benefit nurses - like the laws that ban mandatory overtime.

The state nurses assoc is who the state government & media powers that be look to when it comes to pt care & nursing matters. The state nurses assoc is the recognized voice of nursing in its state, so it benefits me as a staff RN to be in there making my staff RN voice heard & getting my staff RN needs addressed. Laws are being made that will affect us. Staff Nurses need to be there writing those laws or the hospital & medical assoc will be doing it for us - and that will not be to our benefit.

I support my state nurses assoc because it is working for me in the state legislature. There are other benefits too such as educational courses, member services, professional journals, etc but none of that is as important to me as is having a strong voice in making the state laws that will affect nurses.

My membership in the state nurses assoc also automatically makes me a part of the ANA. I support the ANA because the it is doing the same thing for nurses & pts as my state assoc is doing, only at the national federal level. And neither of them can do it without us.

As a union RN, I am also a member of the United American Nurses (the national RN labor union) & the AFL-CIO.

I pay one membership dues rate that includes all of the above.

Additionally, I am a member of my specialty organization - the American Assoc of Critical Care Nurses - in order to stay current in my field. And that is a separate membership fee.

RNforLongTime · Sep 26, 2002

I belong to the American Association of Critical Care Nurses. Membership is 78 dollars a year. I receive two magazines and a monthly newsletter as well. When I go to sit for my CCRN exam which won't be for a long long time, then I receive a discount on the exam fee. Of course now that I joined my new job will PAY for me to take the exam and also pay when I have to re-certify. How cool is that.

I ws a member of the ONA and ANA because my previous job was at a unionized hospital. We had to pay the union dues which were like close to 300 dollars a year. That union didn't do much anyway so sure, I took a pay cut at my new job but I don't have to pay the 300 dollars in union dues either.

fab4fan · Sep 26, 2002

I belong to the ENA...lots of info, monthly newletter that's actually as big as a large magazine, quarterly journals, discount on cert.

Trauma Columnist · Sep 26, 2002

I belong to ENA also and feel I get lots of benefits from this...up to date news, magazines and info.

nurseman · Sep 26, 2002

I belong to the Registered Nurses Association of Ontario and through them the Canadian Nurses Association. I've always thought that if I'm going to be a nurse than I should have someone promoting nursing and standing up for nurses. In addition to a monthly magazine I also get insurance for $60 a year!

renerian, BSN, RN · Sep 26, 2002

I am ashamed to say I belong to no organization. I have five kids, work two jobs so does hubby to pay for my college, hubbys college (graduate and PHD programs) and three kids in college, one being home schooled via an honors program from indiana university...........and a freshman.........I have no money LOL.

renerian

llg, PhD, RN · Sep 26, 2002

I belong to a few organizations, the ANA, Sigma Theta Tau, and 2 organizations for my clinical specialty.

Some people believe you should maintain a membership in an organization if you don't agree with everything they do. I strongly disagree with that. Such organizations are the "voice" of the profession and are they are the people that that get listened to by policy-makers, news media, etc. If you drop out, then your ability to influence what the organization says and does on the behalf of nursing goes away. Running away doesn't solve anything.

About the money ... not only do you usually get a decent professional journal for free ... but, sometimes you get educational offerings, conference registrations, etc. at a discount because of your membership. Also, most of the larger organizations have links with insurance companies that can get you lower rates on your professional Liability Insurance. In the end, you get some of your dues back if you use the organization's services.

llg

llg, PhD, RN · Sep 26, 2002

Originally posted by llg

Some people believe you should maintain a membership in an organization if you don't agree with everything they do. I strongly disagree with that. anization's services.

llg

Ooooops! In the above post, I made a "typo." I meant to say that some people believe you should NOT maintain your membership if you disagree with the organization's stance on some of the issues. I believe that you SHOULD maintain your maintain your membership.

llg

nightingale, RN · Sep 27, 2002

I am a member of the Wyoming Nurses Association where I am an active member; this membership automatically gives me membership in the ANA. Regardless of whether I believe in everything done or not done in these organizations, I maintain membership because it is the best we have to offer to have one united voice.

I am taking advantage of the ANA's Board Certification of Medical Surgical Nurse. I will be testing next month.

I am also a member of the National Nurses in Business Association because of the freebies (free internet site, detailed information about business ventures, and free consultation by the founder). I anticipate having my own Nurse Entrepreneur Business in the near future.

Get involved.... it is what keeps me positive and loving nursing... nursing needs positive and active participants... Find what makes you happy and do it 110 %...

Just MHO