Professional Nursing Organizations

Professional nursing organizations are bodies in which nurses come together and engage in order to enhance competencies and increase knowledge. These bodies can be regional, national or international. They are also vital as they give nurses an opportunity to enhance professional nursing practice. Nurses can organize for forums to exchange new knowledge in pursuit of their careers. In addition, these professional organizations form an avenue for addressing and championing for the nurses’ rights.

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Professional Nursing Organizations
Professional nursing organizations are bodies in which nurses come together and engage in
order to enhance competencies and increase knowledge. These bodies can be regional, national
or international(Catallo, Spalding, & Haghiri-Vijeh, 2014). They are also vital as they give
nurses an opportunity to enhance professional nursing practice. Nurses can organize for forums
to exchange new knowledge in pursuit of their careers(Catallo et al., 2014). In addition, these
professional organizations form an avenue for addressing and championing for the nurses’ rights.
International Council of Nurses is a federal organization with more than 130 nursing
professional bodies from different countries spread across the world with a limitation of one
membership per nation(International Council of Nurses, 2012). It was founded in 1899 and its
headquarters is in Geneva, Switzerland. The main purpose of its formation is to increase the
socio-economic status of nurses alongside upholding the profession of nursing across the world.
It also aims at increasing global and domestic health policies formulation.(International Council
of Nurses, 2012) It covers a large population as it is spread across the globe.
The American Nurses Association is a full-service nursing professional body founded in
1899 and is based in Silver Spring, Maryland.(American Nurses Association, 2016) This
organization provides for continuing nurses education. It also provides mechanisms for judging
competencies of its practitioners and to evaluate the quality of care(American Nurses
Association, 2016). It is open to all registered American nurses. Unlike the International Nurses
Association, this organization covers a smaller population.
American Psychiatrists Nurses Association is an organization founded in 1986. It is based
in the United States of America. It is open for membership to registered mental health and
psychiatric nurses including students pursuing the same career(Pearlman, 2013). This

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organization is accredited for the provision of continuing nurses’ education in the psychiatric
field. It also formulates policies governing mental and psychiatry health(Pearlman, 2013). It
covers a small population revolving around medical and psychiatric health.
In conclusion, professional nurses’ organizations are vital in the life of a nurse. These bodies
enable them to uphold professionalism as well as championing for their own rights. It also
enables them to interact with other nurses in order to be familiar with new health patterns.

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References
American Nurses Association. (2016). American Nurses Association Position Statement on
Nurses’ Roles and Responsibilities in Providing Care and Support at the End of Life. ANA
Position Statement, 1–10. Retrieved from
http://www.nursingworld.org/MainMenuCategories/EthicsStandards/Ethics-Position-
Statements/etpain14426.pdf
Catallo, C., Spalding, K., & Haghiri-Vijeh, R. (2014). Nursing Professional Organizations.
SAGE Open, 4(4), 215824401456053. https://doi.org/10.1177/2158244014560534
International Council of Nurses. (2012). The ICN Code of Ethics for Nurses. The Michigan
Nurse. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.0028-1425.2007.ethics.x
Pearlman, S. A. (2013). The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act: Impact on Mental
Health Services Demand and Provider Availability. Journal of the American Psychiatric
Nurses Association, 19(6), 327–334. https://doi.org/10.1177/1078390313511852