Answer for NRS 415 Discuss how professional nursing organizations support the field of nursing and how they advocate for nursing practice Re: Topic 5 DQ 2

Florence Nightingale is often called the founder of modern nursing, and this is due to her role in the founding and progression of standardized nursing. Florence identified a lack of proper hygiene when caring for soldiers during the Crimean War. Not only did she introduce proper hygiene practices, but she also instructed other nurses to begin doing the same, her reasoning being a decline in the vast spread of disease (British Red Cross, 2023). Today, that same foundation of identification, implementation, and instruction are followed by nursing organizations. Jennifer Matthews notes increased working demands and societal evolution as key reasons for the network of nursing organizations that exist today (Matthews, 2023). Advocacy is a foundational element in the nursing profession and within nursing organizations and begins with awareness. Nursing organizations provide their members with emails, letters, newsletters, and conferences full of information, both general and specialty specific. A great example of this is the Preventative Cardiovascular Nurses Association (PCNA) which provides an entire catalog of professional development resources for its members, all aiding the nurse in earning continued education credits. Updated best practice protocols, recommendations, and healthcare changes are highlighted in their newsletter, letters, and website. It’s important for nurses to stay up to date on best practice because it directly affects patient care. I chose to highlight PCNA because I am a cardiovascular nurse and I include awareness and education in my practice monthly. The goal of nursing organizations is to influence policies and institutions which can result in an all-around better environment for nurses and patients. This is accomplished through advocacy and activism for both the nurse and patient.

British Red Cross. (2023). The Legacy of Florence Nightingale, the first professional nurse. Florence Nightingale’s story and legacy | British Red Cross

Matthews, J. (2012). Role of professional organizations in advocating for the nursing profession. Role of Professional Organizations in Advocating for the Nursing Profession | OJIN: The Online Journal of Issues in Nursing (nursingworld.org)

Preventative Cardiovascular Nurses Association (PCNA). (2024). PCNA – Preventive Cardiovascular Nurses Association