Introduction
A professional nursing organization is a group that clarifies, researches, educates, and promotes the continued development of nurses and the entire nursing field. These organizations create opportunities for enhancing nursing practice, education, health policy, and upholding healthcare standards (Cho & Han, 2018). Professional associations in nursing are essential for generating a flow of ideas and practical work required for maintaining a healthy profession that advocates for the needs of nurses and clients. The paper analyzes the importance of the Emergency Nurses Association (ENA) to nurses, its mission, vision, and purpose, the benefit of being a member, and the available opportunities for professional development and continuing education.
The Significance of the ENA to Nurses, its Mission, and Vision Statements
The Emergency Nurses Association (ENA) is the leading professional organization representing emergency nursing. With more than 50,000 members, the association focuses on emergency care and education for nurses (“Emergency Nurses Association,” 2022). The foundation is vital for emergency nurses looking to further their studies and improve nursing practice across the globe (“Emergency Nurses Association,” 2022). ENA understands that state policies greatly influence nurses’ emergency practices at the state level. Thus, the organization has created relations with the government for identifying, reviewing, monitoring, and advocating for all activities related to medical legislation and nursing emergency in all states. ENA’s mission is “to advance excellence in emergency nursing,” while its vision is “to be the premier organization for the emergency nursing community worldwide” (“Emergency Nurses Association,” 2022). Additionally, the organization majors on the scope of nursing practice, violence at the workplace, and patient safety. Therefore, ENA influences the process of making laws to promote the protection of its members.
The Overall Benefits of Being an ENA Member
The advantages of being a member of the ENA include having access to savings on daily purchases, including financial loans, insurance programs, tuition, travel lodging, and amenities. These benefits take nurses’ practice to the next level (Castner, 2020). In addition, the ENA focuses on enhancing member skills through training, interaction, and advocacy (Castner, 2020). Therefore, joining ENA is vital because investing in a career provides access to unparalleled education, networking, and advocacy resources, which boosts practice cost-effectively.
Members also enjoy the benefit of having access to job opportunities. The ENA keeps an online career centre to help its nurses find a job. Thus, employers looking for new employees can find assistance (Castner, 2020). It also provides recent helpful articles, tip sheets, and webinars to enhance job search skills (Castner, 2020). Finally, it promotes professional skills because annually, ENA hosts conferences specifically aimed at improving the emergency nursing care profession (Castner, 2020). Therefore, other than meeting the education requirements, members have access to demonstrations of the most significant innovations in the nursing field.
The Role Networking Plays to Nurses in Their Specialty Field
Networking enables members to interact with other nurses with similar interests and goals. Interaction provides nurses’ with a chance to learn from each other and find new opportunities (“Professional Networking for Nurses,” 2022). For instance, if a nurse is looking for a new job, through interaction and networking, they will be aware of new openings that otherwise they would not have known (“Professional Networking for Nurses,” 2022). In addition, networking allows nurses to get the latest information about new advancements in the field, which can help them provide better patient care (“Professional Networking for Nurses,” 2022). For instance, if there is a new treatment method for a particular condition, networked nurses in the field will learn about such news quickly and incorporate it into their practice. Networking helps nurses identify new research that could benefit patients (“Professional Networking for Nurses,” 2022). Therefore, networking is vital for assisting nurses in interacting and sharing helpful information related to their field.
Finally, networking supports nurses who might feel isolated in their workplace. Some nurses find it hard to connect with other people outside their work. Thus, networking eliminates such isolation by allowing nurses to relate with their colleagues outside the working environment (“Professional Networking for Nurses,” 2022). Therefore, being part of an extensive network enables nurses to feel more connected, which makes them feel as though they belong to one community.
How the ENA Creates Networking Opportunities for Members
The ENA organization creates networking opportunities for its members by hosting conferences and events that allow nurses to unite and interact. These are regular opportunities organized by the ENA where nurses can interact with other professionals who can offer support and advice (Jeffries, 2022). For instance, the organization might decide to connect nurses with other experienced healthcare providers, pharmacists, and doctors (Jeffries, 2022). In addition, the organization has created online platforms where nurses can connect and share information. These allow them to seek clarification on challenging issues that might arise during a typical working day (Jeffries, 2022). Finally, the organization offers discounts to interested nurses to encourage them to join the organization and participate in their activities (Jeffries, 2022). Therefore, the organization creating these opportunities enables members to connect and share knowledge.
How ENA Keeps Its Members Informed About Health Care Changes and Practices
The ENA keeps all members updated about changes in healthcare and practice affecting their area of speciality by sending them a monthly newsletter. The newsletter contains new research findings, policy changes, and upcoming treatment approaches (Milbrath & Snyder, 2021). In addition, the newsletter shares information about forthcoming conferences and other events. The ENA also holds events more than ten times a year where members can learn about new developments in the field (Milbrath & Snyder, 2021). The conferences feature networking opportunities, education sessions, and invited speakers. Therefore, these conferences help nurses gain new knowledge about products and services and create an opportunity where members can engage in discussions, ask questions and share knowledge.
Opportunities ENA Provides For Continuing Education and Professional Development
Opportunities for professional and continued development provided by the ENA organization include sponsorship opportunities for members furthering their studies. The association management sponsor nurses wishing to further their studies which helps them keep up with the changing environment and provides opportunities for professional development (Milbrath & Snyder, 2021). Such support enables nurses to keep up with the changes in their field and enhance their professional development.
Conclusion
Conclusively, this paper has explored ENA as a professional nursing organization. The mission, vision, purpose of ENA, and importance of the organization have been explained. The benefits of being a member of the organization have also been explored, such as access to education support. The paper has described the importance of networking in the organization and various ways of creating network opportunities for its members. For instance, planning conferences throughout the year helps members interact and share knowledge. Ways that the organization uses to inform its member about changes have been explained, such as monthly newsletters and how continuous education is provided to members for continuous professional development. Therefore, it is evident that ENA supports its members in furthering their professional careers.
References
Castner, J. (2020). On evolutions and revolutions in emergency care: Commemorating the emergency nurses association’s 50th anniversary. Journal of Emergency Nursing, 46(1), 2-7.
Cho, H., & Han, K. (2018). Associations among nursing work environment and health‐promoting behaviors of nurses and nursing performance quality: A multilevel modelling approach. Journal of Nursing Scholarship, 50(4), 403-410.
Emergency Nurses Association (ENA). (2022). Emergency Nurses Association. Web.
Jeffries, P. (2022). Clinical simulations in nursing education: Advanced concepts, trends, and opportunities (2nd ed.). Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.
Milbrath, G., & Snyder, A. (2021). The emergency nurses association: 50 years of advocacy and advancement. Journal of Emergency Nursing, 47(2), 224-238.
Professional Networking for Nurses. (2022). Professional Networking for Nurses. Web.