Professional organizations

Originally posted by bmaury:

I will be graduating from a BSN program in May, and throughout the program, our instructors have stressed the importance of being involved in professional organizations. I have been to a few TNA meetings, and my question is, where are all the nurses? With all the burning issues related to nursing shortages, nurse-patient ratios, ethc., why are more nurses not participating in professional organizations? Are nurses' employers not supporting membership in organizations?

[This message has been edited by bmaury (edited March 15, 2001).]

'all the nurses' are at work!!! or at home with their families. Sorry, that was smart-a** sounding. Not meant to be ugly. Yes, it's important to be a part of professional organizations, you're right. I'm a member of AWHONN, but have yet to make it to a meeting because I'M ALWAYS AT WORK when they have one!! Isn't that SAD? Well, you keep your fire and fighting spirit. That's great. We need more folks like you in nursing.

Some of the professional organizations seem hopelessly out-of-touch with the ordinary "generic" bedside "staff" nurse. Their political views also are way too liberal for me. I am ardently pro-life. The ANA, however, is staunchly pro-abortion; therefore I could never join nor support this organization. Since Roe v Wade (73), 40 million unborn children have died--1,500,000 yearly (an almost incomprehensible figure). The oldest of this cohort would have turned 28 years old this year. One and 1/2 million less people yearly who may have chosen nursing as a career. 40 million less workers to shore up the ailing Social Security System as the boomers age and retire. Not even one whimper or outcry from the ANA about the barbaric partial birth abortion procedure. Their silence is deafening and outrageous! Enough to make Florence Nightingale turn in her grave. We have certainly failed in our calling to be advocates for the most helpless of all--our precious unborn children.