Importance of Professional Association in Nursing
Nurses can benefit greatly from joining professional nursing organization. Not only does it look good on a resume to be a member of a professional organization, it is also good for one’s career. Professional nursing organizations offer career building opportunities through continuing education, scholarships, grants and certification. They also offer networking opportunities, and opportunities to advocate for patients and healthcare changes that will improve patient care. While professional organizations may cost to join, they offer lots of benefits and are well worth the money. One especially good nurses organization is the Oncology Nurses Society where oncology nurses can network with other oncology nurses, advance their career and advocate for the patients they treat.
Professional Nursing Organization
The Oncology Nursing Society (ONS) is a professional membership organization for oncology nurses. ONS is strong in career building, networking, policy advocacy, quality improvement, teaching and mentoring, and global initiatives. The area of oncology is important in medicine and nursing today because it is rapidly advancing and finding new ways to treat cancer, which then allows patients to live longer. With the advances and rapid changes in the field, it is good as an oncology nurse to have someone to discuss the changes with, know where to go when looking for resources, and know that there is a professional organization to turn to for advocacy.
The ONS (2019) mission is: “to advance excellence in oncology nursing and quality cancer care” (ONS, 2019). The vision for ONS is “to lead transformation of cancer care” (ONS, 2019). Core values of the ONS (2019) include innovation, excellence and advocacy. They advocate on behalf of people with cancer to ensure not only the quantity of their life but the quality as well. They also advocate for respect and recognition, access to education, safe working environments and fair reimbursements for oncology nurses. They also advocate for public health policy (ONS, 2019).
The Importance of Networking for Oncology Nurses
The ONS recognizes the importance of networking for oncology nurses and so they have a member directory and chapters throughout the country that can help oncology nurses connect in their regions with other oncology nurses. Networking is important for all nurses. The American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine (ACRM) (2019) cites studies done by Yale, Cornell and UCLA that show that 70% of jobs are found through networking, and the same is true for nurses (ACRM, 2019). Networking not only helps with career advancement, it also provides support systems for nurses when things do not go well. Nursing is physically and mentally challenging especially oncology nursing where patients are often sick and dying. Having others who understand the experience really helps. Networking also helps nurses to keep up with the trends and advancements in an ever changing specialty (ACRM, 2019). This helps nurses stay on top of changes that may come to their workplace.
How ONS Keeps Members Up to Date
The ONS can keep nurses up on the latest trends in many ways. First of all it has a list of resources that nurses can use. If nurses want to network with other oncology nurses, there are 35,000 members of the ONS to which they have access. They also have volunteer opportunities where oncology nurses can meet other oncology nurses and share ideas about what is going on in their field. There are also opportunities to teach and mentor, provide advocacy for patients from the hospital room to the halls of congress. The ONS is also a member of several coalitions of nurses that work together to improve patient care and access to care. They have a monthly newsletter and a website with information available any time.
Opportunities for Continuing Education and Professional Development
Continuing educational opportunities are available and updated on a regular basis through ONS. All of the courses are specifically for oncology nurses. The ONS “is accredited with distinction as a provider of continuing nursing education by the American Nurses Credentialing Center’s Commission on Accreditation. The Oncology Nursing Society is approved as a provider of continuing education by the California Board of Registered Nursing” (ONS, 2019). Being able to access this information at a website is very helpful for busy nurses.
Registered nurses (RNs) can pursue certifications in oncology nursing and advanced degrees with a specialty in oncology. ONS can help with both. The ONS also offers links to scholarships and grants for nurses who want to pursue oncology. The path an oncology nurse takes begins with the documentation of their expertise, recognition from their colleagues, scholarships or grants to pursue further education, and constant motivation and proof of continued competence.
Nursing is already a good paying job, but if a nurse adds certifications to their degree, they can make even more money. Nurse.org (2015) says, “Oncology nurses can earn hourly pay of up to $42.25 for regular shifts and $72.88 for overtime. Compensation can reach $89,510 for experienced oncology nurses” (Nurse.org, 2015). If pay is not the motivator, then working with people who are seriously ill with cancer or recovering from the disease can be very rewarding. With the advancements being made in cancer therapy, it is also an exciting field with lots of innovations.
Conclusion
The ONS is a great professional nurses organization for oncology nurses. Oncology may not be my career specialty of choice in the future, but it is interesting to me. Knowing that there are innovative ways to treat cancer and that I could be on the cutting edge of new scientific discoveries makes this field very attractive to me.
References
ACRM. (2019). Why is Networking Important for Nurses. Retrieved from American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine: https://acrm.org/rehabilitatio...
Nurse.org. (2015, August 26). Oncology nursing salaries and career opporrunities. Retrieved from Nurse.org: https://nurse.org/articles/onc...
ONS. (2019). Mission, Vision and Values. Retrieved from Oncology Nurses Society: https://www.ons.org/about-ons/...
