When you become a registered nurse (RN), joining professional nursing organizations provides many career benefits, including professional development resources and networking opportunities. Some professional nursing associations also welcome nursing students, sometimes at a discounted membership rate. Joining as a student or early in your career is a good way to connect with your fellow nurses and prepare for long-term career growth.

If you are considering nursing as a second career, Northeastern University allows you to leverage your prior non-nursing education toward a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN). Through the Accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing (ABSN) program, you can earn a BSN in as few as 16 months. We encourage our nursing students to start professional networking early and embrace lifelong learning as a central requirement of the profession.

While taking steps to switch careers to nursing, learn the benefits of joining professional organizations for nursing. Explore a list of professional nursing organizations and identify the ones that best suit your career goals.

What Are Professional Nursing Organizations?

A nursing association is a professional organization founded to bring together nurses, further their career development, and advance the profession, such as by promoting high standards of clinical practice and nursing education. These professional organizations are often involved in advocacy efforts, providing networking opportunities and offering professional development resources.

Nurse organizations sprang from nursing education. In the U.S., the first nursing school was founded in 1873. Later, more nursing schools opened, and administrators decided to come together to share best practices.

The first professional organization, the American Society of Superintendents of Training Schools for Nurses, was founded to establish universal nursing education standards. This helped ensure consistency in patient care quality. Additional nursing organizations were founded thereafter, including the American Nurses Association (ANA) in 1911.

Benefits of Joining Nursing Organizations Early in Your Career

There are compelling reasons to join nurse organizations early in your career. New nurses and nursing students can benefit from mentorship. A mentor can offer personalized guidance and help the mentee shape their career. Some professional organizations provide mentorship programs that match mentors with new nurses.

Other reasons to join an organization early include:

• Community: Many nurses enjoy the sense of community they find within a professional organization. Conferences and other events provide opportunities for meaningful connections with other professionals.
• Discounts: Many organizations offer discounts on insurance, career resources, supplies, and certifications.
• Professional development: As a new nurse, you don’t have to wait to start professional development. Continuing learning can begin soon after graduation.
• Professional networking: It can be tough to develop a professional network as a nursing student or a new nurse. A professional nursing organization can help you start.

As you progress in your career, your involvement with your professional organization may change. You can participate in initiatives, serve on committees, and lend your voice to the organization’s advocacy efforts, thereby helping advance the profession for all nurses.

Top National Professional Nursing Organizations

When deciding which associations to join, it can be helpful to review professional nursing organizations lists. You may want to join at least one national nursing organization, a specialty organization, and a state or regional organization. The top national organizations include:

• American Nurses Association (ANA): One of the largest and best-known organizations for nurses in the U.S., with many developmental resources.
• American Organization for Nursing Leadership (AONL): For all types of nurse leaders, such as executives.
• National League for Nursing (NLN): Represents nursing education leaders and faculty members.
• National Student Nurses’ Association (NSNA): For nursing students preparing to pursue licensure.
• Sigma Theta Tau International Honor Society of Nursing (Sigma): Founded to advance nursing research, education, and career development.

Specialty Nursing Organizations to Join

You may not be ready to join an organization for a nursing specialty while you’re still in school. At this point, you’re likely still exploring which nursing specialties appeal to you. Clinical rotations will help with this, as you’ll get a first-hand look at different practice areas.

After graduating and passing the NCLEX-RN, you can pursue your first nursing job in your desired specialty. At that point, you can consider which specialty nursing organizations to join. These include:

• American Association of Critical-Care Nurses
• American Society of Ophthalmic Registered Nurses
• American Society of PeriAnesthesia Nurses
• Association of Women’s Health, Obstetric and Neonatal Nurses
• International Society of Plastic and Aesthetic Nurses
• National Gerontological Nursing Association
• National Society of Orthopedic Nurses
• Society of Pediatric Nurses
• Society of Trauma Nurses

Other specialty organizations include:

• American Assembly for Men in Nursing
• Asian American/Pacific Islander Nurses Association, Inc.
• Black Nurses Rock
• National Association of Hispanic Nurses
• National Black Nurses Association
• Philippine Nurses Association of America, Inc.

These nurse organizations offer resources, fellowship, and inclusivity-focused advocacy.

State and Regional Nursing Associations

National organizations typically provide a wealth of resources, but it’s also helpful to join a state or regional association. This enables you to engage in more focused professional networking within your area. Joining a state organization can also help you stay on top of the latest changes to the nursing profession in your state, such as pending or recently passed legislation that may affect your career.

The ANA maintains state chapters of associations that you can join. You can find your state association with the ANA finder tool. Similarly, the NSNA maintains both state associations and school chapters.

How to Choose and Join the Right Nursing Organization

There are no “right” or “wrong” professional nursing organizations. The ones you should join depend largely on your career plans and what you hope to gain from joining an organization. For example, look for an organization that offers robust professional development resources if that is your main interest.

If you’re unsure of which organizations to join, consider starting with the ANA, a well-known, national organization that covers all nursing specialties. You might also consider joining a state or regional organization, or a specialty organization, when you’re settled in your career. Even if you think you already know which specialty you’re interested in, you might change your mind by the time you graduate.

How ABSN Students Can Get Involved in Nursing Organizations

As an ABSN student, you may want to get involved in professional organizations by joining a student-specific organization first, such as the NSNA. Additionally, consider joining the ANA as a student subscriber. ANA student members receive access to robust digital resources, ANA publications, an online community for student nurses, and a Welcome to the Profession kit.

Other organizations may also offer discounted membership fees for nursing students. Research the ones you’re interested in to discover what they offer student members.

Once you’ve joined an organization, start tapping into its resources right away. Depending on what the nursing association offers, you might participate in online community discussions, join a mentorship program, and attend virtual or in-person events.

Build a Foundation for Your Career at Northeastern

Northeastern University empowers nursing students to embrace excellence through collaboration and a commitment to continuing professional development. As an ABSN student, you’ll learn leadership skills and nursing interventions, and you’ll prepare to deliver compassionate care.

Our ABSN program enables you to launch your new career in as few as 16 months with three start dates per year. Enjoy small class sizes, faculty mentorship, and diverse clinical placements.

Request information today to learn if the ABSN program is right for you.