Editor's Notes
Association membership pays off
Sunday, March 22, 2009
Like many health care professionals, Ora D. Williams thought she was too busy to join the Atlanta Black Nurses Association. Now as president, she’s glad she made the time.
Williams has worked with nurses to raise awareness about health risks among African-Americans. She’s been trained for leadership and practiced those skills. She has encouraged and helped young nursing students and has shared workplace issues and ideas with nurses in different settings.
Williams says she has gained much more than she has given.
She participated in National Black Nurses Association Day on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., and is proud to be at the forefront of health care reform.
In today’s roller-coaster economy, joining a professional association is a sound investment, said Elizabeth Wysong, director of human resources technology for Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta.
“You want to get involved and start building your network, because there are so many benefits for yourself and your career,” she said.
When she was working in her first job, Wysong joined the Society for Human Resource Management to network and learn about her profession.
“I found it to be a tremendous opportunity to meet people who were similarly focused and wanting to learn the same things I did,” she said.
Networking with human resource professionals gave Wysong added support for challenges on the job. She knew other professionals who could offer different perspectives and advice. Membership also gave her insight into industry trends, as well as career development and job opportunities.
You can join, go to meetings and listen to speakers, but to get the most from any association, it’s important to be actively involved, said Tom Darrow, principal of Talent Connections, an Atlanta-based professional and recruiting firm. Volunteering for a committee or a project is the best way to make friends and learn.
“When you join an organization, be intentional about your involvement and seek out roles that match your skills and abilities, or ones where you can learn new skills,” Darrow said.
Nursing and allied health organizations are good places to network with colleagues, earn career-enhancing certifications and find mentors.
Peggy Hutcheson is president of the Odyssey Group, an HR consulting firm, and a national board member of the American Society of Training and Development. She’s a passionate supporter of association membership; it honed her skills and opened doors in business.
“I met people that I would never have met otherwise — people whose books and articles I’d read in graduate school — [and] became friends,” Hutcheson said.
Her advice: “Let people see what you can do and, as long as you’re learning something, you’ll see career growth. Start by committing to short-term projects where you can see results, and then follow your passion.”
CELEBRATING NURSES
Nurses, mark your calendar. The 2009 ajcjobs Nursing Excellence Awards luncheon will be May 6 at Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre in Atlanta from 11:30 a.m. to
1:30 p.m.
WSB-TV news anchor Jovita Moore will host and Vikki Locke, co-host of B98.5’s “Steve and Vikki Morning Show,” will give the keynote address.
Best of all, 10 Georgia nurses will be honored for their outstanding work.
For information about the event, go to Celebrating Nurses.
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