Defining the Value of Belonging to a Professional Society
- Mon, 1/11/10 - 2:43pm
- 2 Comments
- 1943 reads
How many times have you been told, "Join a professional society, the benefits are great." However, how many of you have declined the offer? Or did you join, but fail to participate?
Our professional societies are a wellspring for professional development. They are a forum for us to acquire timely knowledge, improve our clinical skills, build strong professional relationships and give us access to experts in our field. They are our professional leaders for education, research promotion, practice guidelines, and healthcare policies. All of these benefits translate into the delivery of high quality patient care.
However, today the value of our professional societies reach beyond these traditional benefits. Our professional societies currently function as our professional and patient advocate with policymakers about the healthcare coverage crisis and healthcare reform. It is extremely important for us to be proactive in the political and legislative arena. Advocating for the patients we serve, promoting public health issues, partaking in the development of healthcare policy and protecting our cardiovascular profession is imperative.
I encourage you to join one of the professional societies for cardiac electrophysiology. Here’s how to do it:
1. Select a society to join.
b. Discuss the society with your colleagues
c. Some societies to consider are the following:
ii. The Heart Rhythm Society, www.hrsonline.org
iii. The Society of Invasive Cardiovascular Professionals, www.sicp.com
2. Evaluate the membership benefits.
b. Electronic access to publications and educational sessions
c. Newsletters
d. Peer-reviewed journal
e. Annual Scientific Sessions meetings
f. Membership fees
g. National activities
h. State and regional activities
3. Evaluate the role the society plays in healthcare policy.
b. Patient advocacy, including working with lawmakers for patient access to care
c. Payer advocacy
d. Working with the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
e. Leader in healthcare reform
4. Become active.
b. Introduce yourself to others
c. Volunteer for a special interest task force or committee
d. Contact your state legislator on issues related to healthcare policy
e. Submit an abstract for the annual scientific sessions
Melanie Gura, RN, MSN, CNS, FHRS, FAHA is the Director of Pacemaker & Arrhythmia Services at Northeast Ohio Cardiovascular Specialists in Akron, Ohio.
Membership is expensive if you fail to take advantage of the benefits and don't engage with other members.
Through other members I have been able to find best practice and discuss the concerns in a field that is changing faster than we can keep up if we don't communicate with our colleagues.
I am a member of the Heart Rhythm Society and the American Association of Critical Care Nurses. I enjoy the education available through both of them.
If there is one thing that I would like to see increase, it would be more welcoming and active local chapters of the Heart Rhythm Society for allied professionals.
Reply to this comment »Thank you for your comments. Heart Rhythm Society has been offering regional one-day programs for nurses and allied health professionals. Here is the link for your review http://www.hrsonline.org/Education/Courses/APReg/index.cfm. The Society would also welcome suggestions for potential locations. Please send your suggestions regarding local educational programming needs to the Society's Director of Education, Ericka Turner, eturner@HRSonline.org. Also, HRS has established an AP Leadership Group whose task is to determine additional programs and services that can be developed for nurses and allied health professionals. Melanie
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