List of Prominent Nursing Organizations

Nursing organizations exist to both advance as well as protect the interests of nurses as well as the profession itself. Nursing programs are meant to prepare driven, budding nurses for a life committed to the career of nursing, whereas nursing organizations are meant to give nurses a support group of sorts, where they can rest assured that fellow colleagues and coworkers are looking out for them.

Some nursing organizations may even wander into the nursing education field, but only insofar as them providing educational materials or even workshop opportunities to their members. Prominent nursing organizations are able to attract a lot of members based on name and reputation alone. Nursing organizations exist both at the national level as well as the state level.

One reason for joining a prominent nursing organization is the wealth of benefits that nurses, including those who have completed online nursing programs, can receive just by joining up. One of the benefits of joining is the amount of money and time that nurses will save because of the services and products that membership will bring them. These services and products are things nurses already use in the private as well as professional lives. For example, nurses, such as those who have completed online LPN programs, who become members, will get discounts on credit cards and all kinds of insurance policies. Another benefit that is more interesting for those looking to advance their nursing career is the discount that some organizations provide them for online RN programs.

American Nurses Association

One of the oldest nursing organizations in the U.S. is the American Nurses Association, which started out as far back as 1896 as the Nurses Associated Alumnae. It was then renamed in 1911 as the American Nurses Association. The primary objective of the American Nurses Association is to represent registered nurses across the U.S., which it does by way of its 54 constituent member associations. This nursing organization is concerned with coming up with certain standards in the nurse jobs practice, advocating for the rights of nurses in their workplace, and pushing for the general and economic welfare of nurses across the country.

National League for Nursing

Another prominent nursing organization is the National League for Nursing, which was founded in 1893 under a different name: the American Society of Superintendents of Training Schools for Nurses. This organization holds the distinction of being able to call itself the first nursing organization in the U.S. The main objective of this organization is to promote excellence in nursing education, such as in an LPN program, and it is the preferred organization for nurse leaders and faculty in nursing education. Typical members of this group include nurse educators, healthcare agencies, curious members of the public, and even education agencies.

California Nurses Association/National Nurses Organizing Committee

The California Nurses Association/National Nurses Organizing Committee was established back in 1903 and is an organization for registered nurses. In a broader sense, it is one of the fastest growing professional and labor organizations in the U.S., featuring 86,000 members in home health agencies, clinics and hospitals across all 50 states. Some of the actions that have brought this organization attention include advocating for guaranteed healthcare by expanding Medicare to all Americans, arguing for some of the most favorable (from a nurse’s perspective) collective bargaining contracts for registered nurses, and sponsoring innovative laws that protect nurses. Over the past 15 years alone, this organization has seen growth of 400 percent.

The Honor Society of Nursing, Sigma Theta Tau International

The Honor Society of Nursing, Sigma Theta Tau International, exists to better the health of people by improving the scientific base of research conducted in nursing. An international organization for nursing, it can boast that it is the second-largest on Earth with a membership of about 125,000. It was founded in 1922, and its main purpose is to advance the learning, the knowledge and the professional evolution of nurses who want to make a difference in the health of people across the globe. It is known as one of the very first organizations to fund nursing research in the U.S., and it has its headquarters located in Indianapolis, Indiana.

Oncology Nursing Society

This organization is known for being a nonprofit, membership organization that has more than 37,000 registered nurses, who have completed an RN program, as well as other healthcare professionals who are all dedicated to the administration of oncology nursing. Other principles that this nursing organization stands for are excellence in patient research, education and care. This organization is relatively young, going back only to 1973, when the first National Cancer Nursing Research Conference was held. After becoming officially established in 1975, the Oncology Nursing Society went on to become a leader in cancer care, growing to some 231 chapters across the U.S. and 27 special interest groups. Since the mission of the Oncology Nursing Society is to advocate for excellence in cancer care and in oncology research, this organization provides education as well as information to nurses across the whole world. Finally, this group also is active at supporting advocacy actions at the local, state, federal and even international level.

There are many prominent nursing organizations across the U.S. and also across the whole world. Many of these prominent nursing organizations provide advocacy for and protection to the nurses who are members of these organizations; these groups also have mission objectives, which usually are based on educating people about a specific area of nursing or establishing rigorous standards of excellence in the field of nursing. Many members of these nursing organizations are part of the nursing occupations themselves, although some organizations do allow non-nurses and members of the public to join up. Nursing schools create new nurses and professionals every year, and once these nurses go about establishing their nursing career, it is imperative for them to consider joining some of these nursing organizations for the protection and the advocacy of both their professional as well as private interests. The cost of joining such organizations is relatively very reasonable.

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