MSN-Ed, BSN, RN
Think about your job. How do you make your voice heard at work? Are there any issues you’d like to see improved, such as inadequate staffing or unsafe equipment use?
Who addresses these issues with the upper management team? While your manager or director can help, your facility might have nursing committees you can join that serve a similar purpose. These committees are the collective voice for nurses in your workplace.
State nurses associations also serve as the collective voice for nurses. Read more to learn how membership in your state’s nurses association can prepare you for advocacy beyond the workplace while achieving your career goals and enjoying benefits along the way.
As mentioned, a state nurses association is the collective nursing voice of a state. Each of the 50 states has a nurses association. The parent organization is the American Nurses Association (ANA), which is the national voice for nurses. State nurses associations are the sons and daughters of the ANA, in a sense. These associations play a highly influential role in health policy at the local, state, and national levels.
Your state-level association advocates for the nursing profession by collectively speaking on behalf of nursing-related issues within the state. For example, the California Nurses Association recently sponsored a bill that supports better clinical placement for nursing students within the state. The bill, signed into law by California’s governor, was a win for nurses.
Joining a state nurses association can benefit your career and personal life. Do you travel often? If so, you might have access to travel discounts and more as a member of your state’s nurses association. Check out these benefits of membership.
If you want to go back to school, your state’s nurses association can help with tuition costs. This applies to nurses at all degree levels who want to obtain an undergraduate or graduate nursing degree. So, if you’re a Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN)/Licensed Vocational Nurse (LVN) who wants to earn an Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN); a Registered Nurse (RN) who wants to earn a Master of Science in Nursing (MSN); or a Nurse Practitioner (NP) who wants to earn a Doctorate of Nursing Practice (DNP), you may qualify for these scholarships.
The Florida Nurses Association alone offers more than 25 scholarships and grants for nurses at all degree levels who attend school in Florida. Your active enrollment in a Florida nursing program qualifies you for the scholarship.
As with many other organizations, state nurses associations offer continuing nursing education (CNE) credits and other educational resources. If you’re short on credits or simply want to brush up on certain topics, membership in your state’s nurses association can grant you access to a library of educational material. Some associations, like the New York State Nurses Association, even host roundtable discussions, providing nurses a platform to discuss topics that affect their professional wellbeing.
If you’re simply looking to work at another facility, transition to a new specialty, or advance in your role, association membership can grant you access to job boards. You may even have the opportunity to work for the association directly. Some associations allow nurses can post jobs. So, if you’re a nurse manager (or entrepreneur) check with your state’s association for job posting opportunities to expand your company’s workforce.
Association members might have the option to fill leadership roles in committees. This is a great stepping stone for future roles as a nursing administrator, clinical nurse leader, or nurse manager. You may also have the option to write articles for an association’s publications and develop CNE courses in a voluntary role.
This is a great way to build your portfolio should you want to get your foot in the door as a nurse writer, nurse educator, or curriculum/course developer. The Texas Nurses Association offers this benefit. If you want to become a nurse blogger, social media influencer, or even a nursing website builder, joining your state’s nurses association may help prepare you for this role. For example, Nevada nurses can join the Nevada Nurses Association’s website/social media committee to gain experience.
Association membership is a great entryway to health policy. Every year, the ANA holds its annual membership assembly meeting, in which nurses across the nation vote on how they will collectively advocate for health policy changes for the coming year(s). Topics for the 2023 meeting included gun safety, recognition of virtual nursing as a specialty, and nursing documentation reform. As a member, your assembly vote counts.
Some associations also host various political action committees that would get you directly involved with elected officials or working behind the scenes perfecting documents (position statements) that will be presented to lawmakers. The Texas Nurses Association has even designed a political advocacy training toolkit for its members.
You might wonder if you truly have a place in health policy, particularly if you don’t have extensive nursing experience. This likely stems from the belief that advocacy beyond the bedside is reserved for experienced and retired nurses.
This is far from the truth. In fact, nursing student representatives of the National Student Nurse Association attended last year’s assembly meeting. If nursing students can be actively involved in health policy when they have minimal nursing experience, you most definitely have a place.
Work-life balance is important to prevent nurse burnout. Some state nurses associations offer recreational benefits to help you achieve this balance. For example, the Arkansas Nurses Association offers its members travel discounts and the Texas Nurses Association and Washington State nurses associations offer retailer discounts. Many associations offer financial resources, such as student loan refinancing through partnered companies. The Maryland Nurses Associations (MNA) even offers its members special vehicle license plates identifying them as members of the MNA.
Now that you’ve been familiarized with state nurses associations, you might wonder if there are any cons to joining. Before taking the leap, consider these drawbacks.
Keep in mind that nurses associations require annual membership dues. The fees can range from $50 to several hundred dollars depending on the state in which you’re licensed and your nursing role (nursing student, LPN/LVN, RN, or APRN). While some association’s membership dues may be high, the investment in your professional future might be worth it.
Some associations are considered nursing unions (or closely linked), and some workplaces do not enter into contracts with unions. Nursing unions have been historically considered controversial, and some employers might discourage their nurses from joining. As a union member, you may be required to go on strike at any time, placing your manager in a difficult spot. This can change the working dynamic you have with your managers and peers.
If you’re licensed in any of the following states, check with the state’s nurses association to confirm unionization:
Joining your state’s nurses associations is an excellent entryway to health policy advocacy and career advancement. If you prefer to go the national route, you can always get involved with the American Nurses Association and other national specialty organizations, such as the Emergency Nurses Association, National Association of Neonatal Nurses, or Academy of Medical–Surgical Nurses. If you’re still a student, the National Student Nurses Association is another option. Some state nurses associations also offer student-based memberships.
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