Nursing organizations exist for this reason. Ranging from local organizations (most states have their own) to niche specializations (pain management, obstetrics, pediatrics, etc.), nursing organizations are a collective of professional nurses and health care workers who provide information, support, and education within that field.

Why Nursing Organizations Matter

For busy nurses, it can seem like a waste of time to join one more group that has regular meetings, annual conventions, and journals to read. And since most organizations require an annual membership fee, it can also be hard to fathom handing over your own money to join.

Here’s why we think joining an organization can be worth the time and money:

• Continuing Education: In all 50 U.S. states, licensed nurses must keep their education up-to-date through annual classes and continuing education credits. Most professional nursing organizations that have annual conventions offer these credits when you attend a certain number of seminars.

• Networking: If you’re at all interested in furthering your career, networking within a professional organization is key. Other nurses might know of job openings or education opportunities in their area. You can learn more about burgeoning technologies in the field. You might even make good and lasting friends—which is something that should never be overlooked in the mentally, emotionally, and physically challenging nursing profession.

• Take on Leadership Roles: Whether you contribute articles to the organization’s monthly journal, help plan regular events, or campaign to be the next chapter president or secretary, you can really shine within a nursing organization. This can both boost your resume and help you advance your career.

If you’re lucky, you might have an employer who is willing to help you pay for nursing organization memberships (or who will even give you time off to attend the meetings and conventions). If you’re not, you may need to use your own time and money to participate. Nursing organizations can also be great opportunities for students to explore the world outside nursing school and discover job options and specializations

No matter what your reasons for joining a professional organization, the benefits have a long shelf life and can help boost the amount of pride you have in your work—and those are worth the cost of membership alone.

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Attending Nursing Conferences

National League for Nursing Accrediting Commission

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These days, nurses are often indistinguishable from other medical professionals—and researchers have yet to determine whether this is a good thing or a bad thing. Almost all care providers wear the same kind of colorful scrubs, which are built around comfort, and there are no differences for men and women. This can be difficult on some patients, since they might have a difficult time determining if they are being approached by a college-educated professional or by a supplementary staff member.

Several studies have been done to look at how nursing attire affects patient perception (and therefore patient care), most notably in the 2006 Journal of Nursing Administration and a 2008 Applied Nursing Research report.

Some of their key findings include:

• Scrubs tend to make nurses appear less professional but more approachable.
• Almost all generations prefer simple white uniforms to indicate nursing staff; this is especially true for elderly patients.
• Pediatric nurses are the exception; on them, colorful uniforms are considered ideal.

For nursing students and new nurses, these findings might not seem conclusive enough to make a wardrobe decision, especially since you may be required to purchase and wear uniforms in keeping with the workplace dress code. You might not have the option of white scrubs, and you may be required to wear bright colors every day of the week.

However, what you can do is realize that your patients are affected by the way you look, regardless of whether you chose the outfit or not. Fun, whimsical scrubs might make you more appealing to younger generations, but older patients might not see you as the professional you really are. Plain scrubs are more likely to earn you respect, even if you’re a CNA on the first day of the job. And across the board, sexually ambiguous attire is best, as it takes an important step away from the early 20th century stereotypes that placed women in a less than professional role.

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Equipment and Clothing Needed for Nursing School

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One area in which you can set yourself apart and take on more responsibilities and management roles within the nursing field is to become an RN case manager.

What is an RN Case Manager?

Nursing case managers typically take a step back from being a hands-on care provider toward more administrative work. They oversee the admissions process for patients who need recurring care, often developing and coordinating plans for long-term outcomes. Similar to social work, in that the RN case manager works with an entire lifetime of care (and often in conjunction with other health and social services), there is nevertheless a much heavier medical focus.

Within a daily capacity, an RN case manager might:

• Act as a liaison and advocate for patients, families, and the health care system
• Create overarching care plans
• Refer and admit patients
• Coordinate medications
• Provide/coordinate therapy and treatments
• Evaluate plans and staff members
• Dispense medical advice

Case managers work in hospitals, home health care organizations, nursing homes, hospices, insurance companies, and busy medical offices. Hospice and home health care are among the top employers for this type of work, since it is necessary to coordinate a long-term care plan that involves doctors, other nurses, physical therapists, occupational therapists, and other care providers.

How to Become an RN Case Manager

First of all, all case managers must first become practicing nurses by attending a nursing school and getting the appropriate degrees and licenses. It’s typically best to have one or two years of experience before branching out into case management, though this isn’t always the case. There are some one-year programs that teach nurse case management above and beyond a two or four-year nursing degree, though these aren’t required to enter the profession, either.

The only accrediting body for case management is the American Case Management Association. Certification is voluntary, and requires the successful completion of their exam as well as meeting standards in education and work experience (2,000 hours of clinical practice and 30 hours of continuing education related to case management). There is also an annual fee to keep the certification current, and you can also opt for participation in the annual Association events.

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When it comes to working as a nurse within the hospital setting, there are some subtle differences in the way for-profits and non-profits are run. These differences are not universal, but if you are choosing between two types of organizations, you may want to consider a few of these trends.

• For-profit hospitals are businesses first, while non-profits focus more on the person. This means that when it comes to performance reviews, productivity, and accountability, for-profits tend to enforce a more numbers-based system. This is great for nurses who share the same traits, but may be an issue for nurses who prefer to think of their workplace as a community of shared interests and goals.

• Non-profit hospitals have the advantage of providing built-in workplace motivation. Although most nurses get their job satisfaction from working with individual patients and families, there is also a larger contribution to the good of society to consider. When a hospital operates under a mission like serving low-income communities, it can contribute to higher feelings of personal growth in the workplace.

• For-profit hospitals are better equipped to handle financial setbacks, but this might be done at high costs. Because they almost all have long-term financial plans in place, for-profit hospitals tend to know where they can make cutbacks to avoid having to close their doors for good. However, this could be done at the cost of staffing ratios, and nurses may be asked to take on larger workloads to compensate for a bad fiscal year.

• Accountability tends to be higher in for-profit hospitals, and nurses who may not be pulling their own weight in the team setting are more likely to be reprimanded for their actions. This can lead to a smoother workplace, where everyone is required to pitch in according to their job description and salary.

For many professionals coming out of nursing school, it will be virtually impossible to tell the difference between for-profit and non-profit hospitals. Both are dedicated to a high quality of care and keeping their employees happy, and only after a few months or years will these subtle differences be evident.

If you feel very passionately about one or the other, be sure and tailor your job search accordingly. Both for-profit and non-profit hospitals can provide a long-lasting and satisfying career, but knowing what to expect is a great way to ensure that you find the right professional nursing fit for you.

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Nursing Jobs that Aren’t in a Hospital

Ethics in Nursing

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No matter how hard nurses work or how careful they are with their jobs, mistakes can and do happen—and in some cases, patients or their loved ones may choose to take action. Malpractice insurance is your layer of protection against a personal suit that could cost you your savings account or even your home.

Why Nurses Need Malpractice Insurance

In addition to workplace requirements, nurses are liable for their patients in cases in which negligence can be proven. In this situation, “negligence” can mean many different things, including making an error in dispensing medication, failing to respond to a call light, or even having an oversight in care caused by exhaustion or overworking.

While this might seem like it opens a Pandora’s Box of possibilities, only cases in which the negligence can be proven in a court of law are those that require a financial payout. That’s good news for nurses who aren’t guilty of the lawsuit against them. In the meantime, however, you might be stripped of your license, be required to pay for a lawyer, and be forced to stay away from work until everything is settled.

What Does Malpractice Insurance Cover?

Depending on your policy, you can expect different levels of coverage. Good policies will cover all your legal fees and expenses; even better ones might also compensate you for time you were forced to spend away from work, including lost wages, lodging, and even meals.

Some employers have their own coverage, which is used to cover all of their staff as a blanket of protection. In these cases, you might be tempted to forgo the personal malpractice insurance altogether. Be wary, though, since the limit might not be very high or there may be an indemnity clause that holds you responsible above a certain payout limit.

The sad truth is that nurses—good and bad ones—get sued all the time. When this happens, the damages aren’t only financial. You’ll also get reported to the Board of Nursing and potentially lose your license. While prevention is certainly your best course of action, it always helps to be prepared and have a professional safety net there to catch you.

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