The Role of Professional Bodies in Nursing

Various professions have created a culture of forming bodies that govern their professional conduct. Traditionally, most countries have legislation that requires nurses to be part of a recognized professional body. Although most people view this requirement as a bureaucratic arrangement, it plays a significant role in career development and also in improving patient care.

Membership in a nursing organization is beneficial to the nurse and the patients. Considerably, these professional bodies consist of members who have common interests. For nurses, it gives them an opportunity to increase their professional network (Hoeve, Jansen & Roodbol, 2014). It is important to note that after graduation, there are those who join the government, non-profit organizations and others delve into private practice. What should be noticed is that these working situations have different experiences. As such, when they get a platform to share their experiences, they are in a position to learn from each other and also be exposed to new opportunities. As such, with this interaction, nurses become aware of emerging trends in their career. On the part of patient care, professional bodies are involved in the development of quality standards that are expected from every member. With such an approach, it means that patients are assured of improved care regardless of the location.

Succinctly, professional bodies are critical to the professional development of the nurse and also in improving patient care. For nurses, they get the opportunity to interact with members from other places of work. As such, that grants the chance to explore new ventures. On the part of the patients, professional bodies are involved in the development of codes of conduct, and this reduces chances of misconduct from nurses.

Reference

Hoeve, Y. T., Jansen, G., & Roodbol, P. (2014). The nursing profession: public image, self‐concept and professional identity. A discussion paper. Journal of advanced nursing, 70(2), 295-309.