Professional Advocacy through Association Membership

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Professional Advocacy through Association Membership

Professional advocacy is about supporting the interests of
one’s profession. Professional associations advocate for their members by
uniting as a single voice and taking action to advance or remove barriers to
the profession. Nurse practitioners (NPs) unite in member-created associations
and organizations at many different levels: local, state, national, and
international. They unite as specialty groups to further the goals or interests
of their profession. Each of these organizations has a purpose or mission,
membership benefits, and role in professional advocacy. While individually the
NP may be able to contact a legislator on an issue of concern, a professional
organization has the collective power of being able to be heard in numbers.
These organizations are poised to take the course of action needed to influence
the stakeholders. Just as these groups take action to make change, individual
NPs must take action to promote their own professional interests and causes.
One of the best ways a professional can support their profession is by joining
an association or organization.

Directions

In a 3–5 page paper address the following:

  1. Join a
    NP association at the local, state, national or international level. (join
    as a student)
  2. Discuss
    the mission and vision of this organization.
  3. Describe
    the requirements for membership.
  4. Explain
    at least five benefits to belonging to this organization.
  5. Demonstrate
    understanding of the advocacy efforts of this organization by answering
    the following:
  • What
    are the current key issues of concern (name at least three)?
  • What
    actions are being taken by this organization to address these concerns?
  • What
    current legislative efforts are being done by this organization in one of
    the following areas:

    • expanding
      the NP scope of practice
    • NP
      regulation of practice
    • Healthcare
      policy
    • Payment
      issues
    • Prescriptive
      privileges
  • Reflect
    on how your membership to this organization can promote the NP profession.