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People considering transitioning to a different position in the healthcare industry can use a powerful yet often underutilized tool to learn about career prospects: professional associations. Joining professional associations in fields of interest—whether or not you are already in that specific field—carries many benefits for the jobseeker, including general career education, networking events and other opportunities to engage with healthcare professionals, and centralized resources for job listings. Additionally, professional associations offer information related to training and required credentials for different jobs, including ACLS certification for positions assisting adult patients and pediatric advanced life support classes for jobs in children’s healthcare.

There are myriad professional organizations in the healthcare industry. While some are general associations with membership representing a wide range of healthcare professions, others are more specific and limit membership and outreach to certain career verticals, such as specialty physicians, nurses or physical therapists.

For example, the American Nurses Association (ANA) represents the interests of the nation's 3.1 million registered nurses. It also advances the nursing profession by fostering high standards of nursing practice, promoting the rights of nurses in the workplace, projecting a positive and realistic view of nursing, and lobbying Congress and regulatory agencies on healthcare issues affecting nurses and the public.

In a recent interview, Betty Whitaker, MBA, CMP, CAE, director of membership and marketing at the American Nurses Association, discussed the utility of being an ANA member for those considering a career in nursing and current RNs alike.

HES: What benefits does ANA offer nursing students?

BW: The ANA welcomes nursing students in a variety of ways. First, our foundational documents, including the “Code of Ethics for Nurses,” “Social Policy Statement,” and “Nursing Scope and Standards,” are incorporated as part of the nursing curriculum in many, many programs. Second, we grant undergraduate students access to our “Members Only” section on www.NursingWorld.org so they can read and use the resources and material generally only available to members. Nursing students interested in gaining access should go to the ANA home page and click on “Nursing Students” on the left side of the page for more information. We do not have a separate category of membership for students.

HES: What are the benefits of joining the ANA for practicing, licensed nurses?

BW: As members, individuals have a number of benefits available to them, including:

• opportunities to serve in a variety of roles in groups that formulate the standards and positions of the association and the profession;
• advocacy for legislation and policy on the national and state levels that support the nursing profession;
• online and print publications on clinical and policy issues including The American Nurse, American Nurse Todayand the Online Journal of Issues in Nursing. In addition, ANA members can sign up for ANA Smart Brief, a publication that summarizes the news relevant to nursing and the nation’s healthcare;
• access to free continuing education and online evidence-based practice content through ANA Continuing Education and ANA Mosby’s Nursing Consult;
• discounts and special offers on a variety of professional, travel, financial and other personal products; and
• events at the local and national level, in addition to online events on ANA’s members-only social network – ANA Nurse Space.

HES: In light of all the benefits, what keeps prospective nurses and RNs from joining professional organizations like the ANA?

BW: Cost and lack of time are some of the more common reasons we hear for not joining. We have addressed the cost issue by offering ANA membership options at a wide variety of price points.

Our research shows that most nurses are aware of ANA as nursing’s largest professional organization and they know what ANA does. It’s important for nurses to also understand that it isthe members who make all of ANA’s work conducted on behalf of the nursing profession possible, and we work hard to expand our membership base so we can continue to support the profession.

Professional associations such as the ANA can typically help jobseekers identify what – if any – certifications and training they need to move on to the next stage of their career. If that next stage involves ACLS, PALS, BLS, first aid, CPR or AED courses, visit Health Ed Solutions for more information about how you can get certified online.