Professional practice organizations represent professionals from various healthcare organizations that work towards a common goal of enhancing and endorsing the nursing profession they are associated with. Supporting and participating in a local and national professional organization has several benefits as well as drawbacks.
Joining a professional organization especially the Clinical Nurse Specialist (CNS) related organization like the Greater Atlanta CNS meeting will benefit me in several different ways. First, it will give me an opportunity to network with CNSs from different hospitals. According to Frank (2005), networking outside your place of employment helps broaden your perspective of the healthcare market. Attending the Greater Atlanta CNS meetings help me explore and compare challenges the CNSs are currently facing at different organizations. This serves as an encouragement that I am not the only one dealing with certain issues or circumstances. Second, I can exchange ideas with other CNSs from other hospitals. I can discuss the issues my hospital is currently working …show more content…
The main one is the annual membership fees. Usually the minimum annual fee for joining a national organization is around fifty to one hundred dollars. This may seem like a small sum, but when you are a member of multiple organizations the fees may end up being a couple of hundred dollars, not to mention the additional cost of certifications and license renewals depending on the number of licenses and certifications you have. The other drawback is time commitment. Being a member, you may feel obligated to participate in task forces or serve on a committee as a chair or co-chair which may be challenging if you have a full-time job and a family. Moreover, the Greater Atlanta CNS meetings are held every month. Attending several different organizations’ monthly meetings can be a time-consuming addition to your current
Joining a professional organization especially the Clinical Nurse Specialist (CNS) related organization like the Greater Atlanta CNS meeting will benefit me in several different ways. First, it will give me an opportunity to network with CNSs from different hospitals. According to Frank (2005), networking outside your place of employment helps broaden your perspective of the healthcare market. Attending the Greater Atlanta CNS meetings help me explore and compare challenges the CNSs are currently facing at different organizations. This serves as an encouragement that I am not the only one dealing with certain issues or circumstances. Second, I can exchange ideas with other CNSs from other hospitals. I can discuss the issues my hospital is currently working …show more content…
The main one is the annual membership fees. Usually the minimum annual fee for joining a national organization is around fifty to one hundred dollars. This may seem like a small sum, but when you are a member of multiple organizations the fees may end up being a couple of hundred dollars, not to mention the additional cost of certifications and license renewals depending on the number of licenses and certifications you have. The other drawback is time commitment. Being a member, you may feel obligated to participate in task forces or serve on a committee as a chair or co-chair which may be challenging if you have a full-time job and a family. Moreover, the Greater Atlanta CNS meetings are held every month. Attending several different organizations’ monthly meetings can be a time-consuming addition to your current