American Psychiatric Nurses Association

American Psychiatric Nurses Association
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American Psychiatric Nurses Association
Many professional associations in nursing play a fundamental role in shaping the nursing profession. As Morin (2021) reveals, they maximize the nursing profession’s influence on healthcare policy and system, ultimately promoting patients’ welfare. One such association is the American Psychiatric Nurses Association (APNA), which provides membership to nurses in the psychiatric-mental health specialty. Its mission and purpose are to provide leadership in promoting psychiatric-mental health nurses, improving mental health care for culturally diverse individuals and populations, and shaping health policy for the delivery of mental health services (APNA, n.d.a).” APNA has unified the voice of psychiatric-mental health nursing by developing positions on vital issues, disseminating current knowledge, and collaborating with critical stakeholders to enhance the assessment, diagnosis, and treatment of mental health conditions. It is guided by the following core values to achieve its mission and purpose: inclusivity, collegiality, empowerment, innovation, integrity, stewardship, and transparency (APNA, n.d.a). Membership in the APNA is associated with several benefits, such as opportunities for continuing education, access to resources and educational programs, and connection to a broad psychiatric-mental health nurses community (APNA, n.d.b). This membership is vital in ensuring that psychiatric-mental health nurses are current on evidence-based resources.
Networking is essential for nurses, both in general and specialty practice. According to Goolsby and Knestrick (2017), networking provides nurses with access to evidence-based practice resources and programs, new opportunities for collaborative research, support from like-minded nurses facing the same challenges, and opportunities for career development and policy activism. Further, it allows nurses to expand their circle of influence to create an even greater impact through their voice and professional practice. Nurses specializing in psychiatric-mental health require professional networking to ensure they are current on issues in mental health, including opportunities for career growth and education, as well as current information on the best practices in treating mental health conditions. Thus, they can significantly benefit from the networking provided by the APNA. APNA provides networking opportunities in two ways. One, it has an online tool known as the "member bridge," which connects the members and allows them to share expert knowledge (APNA, n.d.b). Members share tips, information, and advice through an all-purpose discussion platform on the member bridge. They also join communities that give them access to resources and discussions. The member bridge also gives its members opportunities to become mentors or mentees. Two, the APNA offers a digital membership with the American Nurses Association (ANA) (APNA, n.d.b). Through this membership, its members can network with nurses from other...