Professional organization membership

Abstract

With a paucity of literature on professional organization membership by nurse practitioners (NPs), the authors base the discussion of the personal benefits associated with membership on literature focusing on clinicians other than NPs and their personal experiences as members of multiple organizations. Membership is described as related to NP socialization, engagement, networking, mentorship, advocacy, policy, leadership development, research dissemination, professional development, and volunteerism. In addition to encouraging active participation in one or more professional organizations, the need for research into factors influencing the degree to which NPs participate in organizations and the associated benefits is identified.

Membership matters! A toolkit strategy

“…There are several factors that have affected nurse practitioners in their choice to join a professional organization. Repeatedly nurse practitioners have reported that the exposure to professional organizations during their NP education and interactions with their faculty and mentors was most influential to their decision to join and retain membership in professional organizations (Goolsby & DuBois, 2017).…”

So you want to be a Fellow in the American Association of Nurse Practitioners

“…Sources for identifying sponsors are AANP meetings, either at the regional or national level. Two Fellows recently published the importance of using the professional network (Goolsby & DuBois, ). Using sponsors external to the worksite is highly encouraged as the candidate's work should be so impactful that external parties are aware of the accomplishments.…”

Making space and taking space: Promoting inclusion and belonging, a crucial imperative for nurse practitioner organizations

“…These organizations are built on creating a community based on shared mission, vision, and goals (Morin, 2021). Professional nursing organizations are critical for fostering innovation, advancement of the ethics, and values of the profession, which advocate for the needs of nurses, social justice, and the trust of society (Goolsby & DuBois, 2017; Matthews, 2012). However, historically and present day, PNOs still have an underrepresentation of communities that have been historically racialized and marginalized, largely because PNOs reflect the landscape of nursing being a predominately White female profession.…”