PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT OF NURSING PROFESSIONALS
American Association of Critical Care Nurses (AACN)
AANC is the largest nursing specialty organization globally. It is a nonprofit organization
that offers critical care nurses opportunity for professional and personal development in the
provision of care. The organization provide critical care certification resources, networking for
nurses, conferences, and continuing education. It is determined to promote innovation,
accountability, collaboration and leadership. It is purposed to increase proficiency in the
provision of evidence-based critical care (Bosslet et al., 2015). It intends to elevate the nursing
practice to excellence in critical care in light of committed professionals who offer mentorship
programs to colleague nurses.
The organization mission states that ''Patients and their families rely on nurses at the most
vulnerable times of their lives. Acute and critical care nurses rely on AACN for expert
knowledge and the influence to fulfil their promise to patients and their families. AACN drives
excellence because nothing less is acceptable (Moss, Good, Gozal, Kleinpell, & Sessler, 2016)."
AANC visions; ‘'dedicated to creating a healthcare system driven by the needs of patients and
families where acute and critical care nurses make their optimal contribution (Moss, Good,
Gozal, Kleinpell, & Sessler, 2016).''
Being a member of AANC presents a variety of advantages. Members earn free unlimited
hours in the online continuing education program. They can obtain transcript records and
certification in continuing education. The members benefit by receiving AANC resources such
as practice alerts, journals, reference cards and conferences that boost their knowledge and skills
in critical care. Members are also put into groups of professionals for mentorship and career
development (Moss, Good, Gozal, Kleinpell, & Sessler, 2016).
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT OF NURSING PROFESSIONALS
Networking
Professional networking is the platform of connection, interaction and relationship
between professionals of particular specialties. It is essential for nurses to network because it
offers them better opportunities in the profession. Networking in the field of critical care enables
nurses to secure jobs in various places around the world through employee referral programs. It
supports the nurses in career development through the acquisition of fundamental knowledge and
ideas to make educational progress and take over leadership positions. It keeps the nurses
updated with the current trends and dynamics in nursing (Kearney-Nunnery, 2015). Through
networking, the nurses could influence changes in healthcare systems by borrowing ideas and
implementation of new evidence-based critical care practices.
AANC creates networking opportunities by organizing timely conferences for
professionals to meet and interact. The conferences build interpersonal relationships, inspiration
and motivation for development in critical care specialty. The organization aligns new members
into professional groups that are committed to interaction and guidance in the specialty. It has
created an online platform whereby organizational members freely exchange information
regarding patient care. The platform also enables members to post their research works and
academic writings to update the colleagues on current trends in patient care and the evolution of
healthcare systems under the influence of technological advancements. It guides the publishing
of critical care journals in which professionals get to interact in writings and sharing of studies
(Cherry, & Jacob, 2016).
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT OF NURSING PROFESSIONALS
Informing members of changes
The organization is supportive of the nursing training institutions by guiding curriculum
development in the sense that students get to receive updated knowledge on critical care before
they graduate and join other professionals. Thus, AANC integrates the changes in healthcare
practices into the nursing curriculum to inform learners and teachers on the current knowledge.
The organization features data reports and publication on the changes in critical care
interventions emanating from research activities. Timely nursing reports keeps all the
professionals updated and influences them to appreciate and implement the changes to improve
patient health outcomes. The organization releases recommended practice guidelines and
experiences recurrently into the clinical settings. It has a panel of experts that draft the required
principles and procedure manuals that should be followed in the critical care units. In case of any
changes, the organization is obliged to circulate new recommendations. The organization also
organizes workshop pieces of training for members to learn new skills and techniques in the
provision of critical care (Cherry, & Jacob, 2016). The members earn the opportunity to share
with experts and other members during the training sessions. Conferences introduced by the
organization serves as an excellent platform to inform members of the changes in healthcare and
practices in managing patients.
Opportunities for continuing education and professional development
Progressive educational advancement and career development present the nurses with
different opportunities in nursing. The nurse could rise to top leadership in the hospital or
organization level. Academic qualifications are critical requirements for recruitment and
appointment to administrative positions. The highest educational qualification stands a better
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT OF NURSING PROFESSIONALS
chance of securing the position (Koto‐Shimada, Yanagisawa, Boonyanurak, & Fujita, 2016).
Professional development increases the job opportunities for the nurses; the demand for their
services rises from interest parties due to the knowledge and skills attached to them. Professional
development an assurance of job retention; individuals who have made progress in their
education and specialized in a particular clinical field receives acknowledgements and
promotions. Continuing education and professional development create an opportunity for salary
increments; it commands pay rise as an appreciation of the experience, knowledge and skills
being integrated into the healthcare setting (Weglicki, Reynolds, & Rivers, 2015). It improves
job performance and innovations. It enhances the quality of care delivery through the use of
research findings in the management of patients
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT OF NURSING PROFESSIONALS
References
Bosslet, G. T., Pope, T. M., Rubenfeld, G. D., Lo, B., Truog, R. D., Rushton, C. H., … & Au, D.
H. (2015). An official ATS/AACN/ACCP/ESICM/SCCM policy statement: responding
to requests for potentially inappropriate treatments in intensive care units. American
Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, 191(11), 1318-1330.
Cherry, B., & Jacob, S. R. (2016). Contemporary nursing: Issues, trends, & management.
Elsevier Health Sciences.
Kearney-Nunnery, R. (2015). Advancing Your Career Concepts in Professional Nursing. FA
Davis.
Koto‐Shimada, K., Yanagisawa, S., Boonyanurak, P., & Fujita, N. (2016). Building the capacity
of nursing professionals in Cambodia: Insights from a bridging programme for faculty
development. International journal of nursing practice, 22, 22-30.
Moss, M., Good, V. S., Gozal, D., Kleinpell, R., & Sessler, C. N. (2016). A Critical Care
Societies collaborative statement: burnout syndrome in critical care health-care
professionals. A call for action. American journal of respiratory and critical care
medicine, 194(1), 106-113.
Weglicki, R. S., Reynolds, J., & Rivers, P. H. (2015). Continuing professional development
needs of nursing and allied health professionals with responsibility for prescribing. Nurse
education today, 35(1), 227-231.
