The nursing profession has evolved over the years from simply giving nursing services in health facilities to playing a crucial role in society through the management of various complicated illnesses like cancer. Nurses also play various leadership roles, therefore need additional skills and knowledge to complement their skills in nursing. Nurses also need to advance their careers like any other professionals. These developments have created the need for nurses to have personal affiliations and professional networks. Professional networking and personal alliances are of particular importance since they provide avenues for nurse leaders to exchange ideas, express themselves and build relationships with people from other fields.
Professional networking helps nurses find employment. Research findings by Yale University show that 70% of nursing jobs are found through employee referrals (Schmidt, 2017). This research paints a clear picture of the importance of personal affiliations in finding nursing jobs. Recruitment departments rely on referrals to find qualified nurses for their facilities. Professional networking is, therefore, a reliable approach for nurse leaders seeking employment or those aiming to find employment for others.
Delegate your assignment to our experts and they will do the rest.
Networking provides opportunities for nurses aiming to advance their careers. For starters, careers advancement requires knowledge on the job one is going into. Interaction with other nurses already on the job will aid in gaining some level understanding about the job. Nurses seeking to advance their careers through joining more specialized units or rising to leadership ranks can depend on networking for referrals as well gaining knowledge that can be helpful in their endeavours. Additionally, personal affiliations and networking are avenues for nurse leaders to keep up with advancements in the medical field (Khanum, Naz, Asso, Brüggemann, & Heideman, 2016, p. 22). Nursing associations organize workshops and seminars provide a great learning experience for nurses.
In conclusion, networking and personal affiliations are opportunities for nurses to influence the medical sector (Schmidt, 2017). Nurses spend a lot of time with patients, giving them a chance to make observations and make recommendations. They may also share ideas through their associations, resulting in better patient care. Therefore, every nurse leader must have personal affiliations and also to build professional networks.
References
Khanum, S. S., Naz, N., asso, G. T., Brüggemann, O. M., & Heideman, I. T. (2016). The Use of Networking in Nursing Practice—An Integrative Review. . Societies, 6(3) , 22.
Schmidt, K. (2017). 5 Reasons Nurses Should Engage in Professional Networking. Retrieved November 30, 2017, from BluePipes Blog: http://blog.bluepipes.com/5-reasons-nurses-should-take-professional-networking-seriously/
