A nurse being a part of a professional organization can have many benefits and there are many different types of professional organizations available. Some of the benefits that are presented to the nurse are continuing education opportunities, updating practice, networking, mentoring, peer support, and legislative influence (Abood, 2007). The professional organization will give the nurse the opportunity to interact with other individuals that have similar interests or backgrounds, make new connections using social skills, mentoring students to provide guidance and support. Professional organizations can also provide a legislative influence to the nurse. When the nurse is involved in an organization, “it provides for them to learn the current legislation that is specific to their specialty area. In addition, the current legislation will identify ways to establish safe patient practice standards and works towards combating the current nursing shortage as a whole” (Abood, 2007).

The American Nurses Association says it well when it states “Decision makers rely mainly on the political process as a way to find a course of action that is acceptable to the various individuals with conflicting proposals, demands, and values. As a general rule, any policy involving major change, significant costs, or controversy will be relatively more time consuming and difficult to achieve and will require the use of more political skills and influence than will policies involving less complex changes. Throughout our daily lives, politics determines who gets what, when, and how. Politics has been defined as the process of influencing that authoritative allocation of scarce resources” (Abood, 2007).

Networking is a huge benefit that stands out to me when the nurse is in a professional organization. It is very important for the professional nurse to put herself out there and help with the advancement of her career as much as possible. Many of advancements come through colleagues who can connect the nurse with the acquaintance when networking and not be vague but straight to the point.