Assignment

Professional Organization

There are various professional organizations in the health care occupation, and one of them is the American Nurses Association. The professional organizations are characterized by unique features that set them apart from other associations. The health care professional organizations serve not only the members but also the entire population of patients. The author will discuss the American Nurses Association by highlighting its purpose as well as activities. The author will also reveal the organization’s role in enhancing the nursing profession by promoting the standards of Evidence-Based Practice. The paper will conclude with a discussion of the elements that feature professional nursing.

The Aim and Activities of the American Nurses Association (ANA) 

The American Nurses Association (ANA) was formed with a primary aim of servicing the country’s registered nurses and the public (The American Nurses Association, 2016). The purpose of the association is reflected in the mission statement by indicating that it will improve health for all people through the nursing profession. As such, the association which has its principal offices in Maryland State at Silver Spring ensures that it stands for the interested of the nurses. The organization fulfills its purpose by engaging in different activities.

The first activity undertaken by ANA is to reform the health care profession by adopting different policies. One of the policies involves supporting the training of nurses by encouraging the federal government to fund the initiative. It also aims at changing the healthcare environment to improve the services provided by registered nurses. Additionally, the ANA is also involved in introducing a community-based setting in the health care so that patients can get quality services (The American Nurses Association, 2016).

The other activity of the American Nurses Association (ANA) is associated with any political program that affects the health care profession. As a result, the ANA is at the center of discussions about enacting new legislatures. The organization participates in both federal and state political as well as legislative programs. For instance, the American Nurses Association (ANA) was involved in Medicare reform and laws regulating the rights of the patients and medical services reimbursement (The American Nurses Association, 2016). Besides, the healthcare sector faces a lot of challenges related to medical practitioners. Therefore, the ANA ensures the government establishes programs for proper staffing in the healthcare industry. Other programs include protection of medical workers who engage in whistle blowing and the use of safe needles among the patients.

The organization also establishes professionalism among the registered nurses by promoting ethical behavior. For example, the American Nurses Association laid down some moral standards that guide the registered nurses in their daily responsibilities. If a registered nurse who belongs to the association violates one of the norms, then he or she faces a legal action (The American Nurses Association, 2016).

How the American Nurses Association Supports EBP Standards

According to Hopp and Rittenmeyer (2012), evidence-based practices in nursing consist of the techniques the medical practitioners use to treat their patients using information that is obtained from already existing research. Consequently, instead of nurses relying on their opinions and experiences only, they also refer to scientific research to provide quality medical services. Evidence-based practice (EBP) has become popular in the health care sector in this century, and nurses are supposed to embrace the practice.

The American Nurses Association (ANA) is one of those organizations that play a fundamental role in the development of Evidence-based practice (EBP) in the industry. Since EBP is about equipping the nurses with the most recent research, the American Nurses Association publishes different periodicals such as The American Nurse and the American Nurse Today (The American Nurses Association, 2016). The nurses can read these journals to improve the knowledge they have on various diseases affecting the patients.

Hopp and Rittenmeyer (2012) points out that it is important for medical practitioners to use technological resources if they want to promote evidence-based practice. For that reason, the registered nurses can access online journals on the American Nurses Association website. The journals are well researched and peer reviewed so the nurses will get the necessary information for dealing with the patients’ problems. Equally, the ANA website has forums that discuss the common issues affecting the nurses in their practice. The nurses can then utilize this information to improve the quality of medical practices in the health care facilities.

Besides, the American Nurses Association is dedicated to Evidence-based practice since it has a program called the ANA Research Agenda. The program encourages its members to carry out research and incorporate it into their work. The members can get the necessary guidelines as well as resources for evidence-based practice. The program gives the nurses an opportunity to analyze the knowledge they use to treat patients. According to the ANA Research Agenda, the nurses must support a health care system that offers quality services based on research (The American Nurses Association, 2016). The registered nurses that belong to the organization can even submit research for guidance.

The Concepts of Professional Nursing

Five elements influence that shape the nursing profession and they range from professionalism, communication, caring, holism and critical thinking. As Black and Chitty (2014) unveils, the caring concept requires the nurses to empathize with the patients’ condition. This involves maintaining integrity, sensitivity, and compassion when dealing with patients. For instance, a nurse should not disclose the patient’s confidential information without consent.

The professionalism concept entails practicing nursing within the ethical, legal and competence boundaries (Black and Chitty, 2014). Consequently, a nurse is supposed to follow the legal and ethical standards when handling the patients’ issues. Moreover, a nurse can only provide practice if he or she has the basic qualifications and competencies. Take the case of a nurse who adheres to all the ethical guidelines of the nursing profession.

The other element of the nursing profession is critical thinking that expects the nurses to make health care decisions by analyzing and inquiring the available knowledge (Black and Chitty, 2014). In this case, before treating a patient, a nurse will assess the situation and provide the best care suitable for the patient. For example, when approached by a patient with a disease that she is not familiar with, the nurse will research about the disease to understand how to provide care for the patient in all aspects by being able to think through and reason in difficult situations.

Communication is vital to health care, and that is the reason it is one of the pillars of the nursing profession. Communication in the nursing profession is dynamic as it combines both formal and informal channels. However, a nurse must have excellent communication skills to pass information effectively to both the patients and other health providers (Black and Chitty, 2014).

Finally, the holism concept supports health care that considers the whole being of a patient — mind, body, spirit — (Black and Chitty, 2014). Such medical services not only prevent illnesses but also support the patient’s culture, gender, and family and community background. By following the holism element, a nurse will be able to relate well, connect with, and learn from patients and their families. For example, for a patient that is preparing to go to surgery, I might suggest that patients bring music to play during the operation or relaxation techniques.

In conclusion, the American Nurses Association serves the public and the registered nurses by supporting health care reforms, nurse education, and ethical standards for the profession. Additionally, the ANA supports the evidence-based practices through online research resources, journals and other programs promoting research in nursing. Finally, nurses should incorporate professionalism, holism, critical thinking, communication and the caring concepts.

References

The American Nurses Association. (2016). About ANA. Retrieved from The American Nurses Association: http://nursingworld.org/FunctionalMenuCategories/AboutANA

Black, B. P., & Chitty, K. K. (2014). Professional nursing: Concepts & challenges. St. Louis, Mo: Elsevier.

Hopp, L., & Rittenmeyer, L. (2012). Introduction to evidence-based practice: A practical guide for nursing. Philadelphia: F.A. Davis Company.