Joining a nursing organization may be mandatory for some, but they are essential to all nurses.

Nurses are obligated to join a professional nursing organization by the plank 6, 7, 8, and 9 of the Nursing Code of Ethics (revised in 2001). These planks are summarized below.

Plank 6 of the Nursing Code of Ethics

Plank 6 of the Nursing Code of Ethics dictates that a nurse should influence the ethical obligations of the nursing environment as well as the healthcare environment as a whole. These directives can only be followed by joining a professional organization, as it is nearly impossible (unless one were to create an organization his or herself) to apply such influences on one’s own.

Plank 7 of the Nursing Code of Ethics

Plank 7 asserts that a nurse should be actively involved in:

  • Policy and legislation
  • Advancing professional standards
  • Advancing clinical and administrative standards
  • Advancing educational standards as well as disseminating educational developments
  • Develop knowledge and assist in applying current knowledge to practice

Once again, these goals are best achieved through participation in or the development of a professional nursing organization. In fact, many of the purposes of a nursing organization are reflected in the above pursuits.

Plank 8 of the Nursing Code of Ethics

Plank 8 outright establishes the need for nurses to collaborate with other healthcare professionals to promote community, national, and international initiatives in order to meet societal health needs as well as nursing safety concerns. In essence, Plank 8 is the foundational perspective behind a national and international professional nursing organization.

Plank 9 of the Nursing Code of Ethics

Plank 9 decrees that professional nursing organizations and their constituents are responsible for disseminating nursing values while maintaining the integrity of their profession and lobbying for constructive legislation and policy. Thus, according to this plank, nursing organizations are implicitly expected.

The means by which one must go about in order to join a nursing organization varies by each organization. Some require a membership fee, while others require a membership subscription (or, recurring fee). These proceeds are applied to the maintenance of the organization and the promotion of its initiatives. Often, one can register for one or more of these organizations online and there are often many opportunities to join them throughout nursing education as well.