It is Wednesday night and my youngest daughter Abigail and I are glued to the television watching the American Pickers. If you have not watched the show, American Pickers is about two guys from Iowa (Mike Wolfe and Frank Fritz) who travel and search the back roads, junkyards, and barns of America, looking for hidden gems that they can purchase low and then resell high. Basically when they "pop" or buy something, they then try to double the purchase price when they sell. When comparing the cost of your NAON membership to the pickers buying philosophy I thought, if the American Pickers were nurses would they "pop" or join NAON.
If you are like most people when asked what something is valued, your mind clicks into math mode and immediately calculates the worth on the basis of something monetary, placing a numerical value on it. But value can be defined beyond monetary worth. One's definition of value can be expressed as something that has importance, worth, or usefulness. Value could also be something that gives a person an advantage or a gain. Using all of the aforementioned descriptions, there is great value in being a member of NAON. When talking to colleagues who may be looking at the cost of membership only in monetary terms, what is the value of membership? Is it worth the cost? I would say that you cannot afford not to be a member of your professional organization.
Nursing, specifically orthopaedic nursing, is my passion, but it actually was not my first major in college or career choice. Initially I went to college with plans of going to law school and majored in business administration with an emphasis on business law. I remember learning in Economics 101 about economic value and how an object can help generate or increase revenue or worth. When comparing what your NAON membership brings to what a nonmember would pay for those same benefits, membership is a great bargain with numerous advantages that can add value to your career. Membership in NAON can have an economic impact like helping distinguish your resume, as membership speaks to your dedication to your profession. For example, I was offered my current position, clinical coordinator orthopaedics, in a large part because of my orthopaedic nursing certification (ONC) and NAON membership. My certification got me in the door, what I had learned as a member proved valuable during the interview process in getting the job.
When joining NAON in 1999, I did not really know or understand all of the values that came with membership. Basically I became a member to receive the discount on the ONC exam. Like a lot of members of professional organizations, I was a check book member, receiving the Orthopaedic Nursing Journal, reading some of the articles and completing some of the continuing educations credits offered. I realized the value of my certification but not the value of membership in NAON. By becoming involved with a chapter and attending Congress the value of my membership increased. Not only was I exposed to great educational sessions but also was able to meet and begin networking with orthopaedic nurses and physicians across the country. Those contacts and resources that I made and that you can also make are a major benefit of membership that is hard to place a value on and can be an invaluable resource.
As you can see, there is value in being a member of NAON. Professional associations are a great place for networking, continuing education, volunteering and camaraderie with like-minded people who are passionate about their profession or specialty. Networking and industry contacts are one of the many values of membership that is hard to put a price on. Nonetheless, what do you value as a member or volunteer? Could it be the strength and unity that NAON provides in working toward common goals? Maybe you place value on all of the educational opportunities such as NAON Congress, American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, ONC Review courses, webinars, or in the Orthopaedic Nursing Journal. Or, could it be having the ability that only members have to post questions and receive feedback from your peers in the special interest groups. Members have the capability in the special interest groups to solve problems in one of the four specialized forums, education, clinical practice, research, or leadership/management, or they can post a general question to their peers.
Webinars that are offered by NAON showcases one of the many benefits that you receive free of charge with your paid membership. Webinars help fulfil continuing education requirements and can empower you with knowledge or skills that may make you a better nurse and a valuable resource to your employer. NAON currently offers six free webinars with your membership, whereas nonmembers can view and participate for $35 each. If all six webinars were purchased, the total cost would be $210, but you the member are able to attend and participate in this great resource free. The Orthopaedic Nursing Journal that you are now reading would cost $90 to subscribe to, but you the member are able to enjoy it for free. With only these two free benefits of membership, you the member have already more than doubled your return on the cost of membership and have already exceeded the "picker" goal, but there is still more value added to membership.
When looking for other free benefits that members receive, I was able to find several more with just a few minutes of searching on NAONs website. If you have not visited the NAON website lately, I encourage you to log on and see what you have been missing. For example, The Scope and Standards of Orthopaedic Nursing Practice, $50 to nonmembers, is a free download to you the member. The Clinical Practice Guidelines are another example of the value of membership of which you might not be aware. Free with membership, and $100 each for nonmembers, the three Clinical Practice Guidelines, Surgical Site Infection Prevention, Peripheral Nerve Blocks in Upper and Lower Extremity, and Thromboembolic Disease Prevention, can be downloaded and implemented into your practice. A quick calculation of the value of membership listed in this article would total $650. As a matter of fact, with free perks, and discounted prices on items like the Core Curriculum for Orthopaedic Nursing, Congress and other resources members can get nearly $1,800 of products and services for around $840.
A professional organization such as NAON has to constantly find ways to add value for the cost their members pay not only in dues but also in time. NAON is an organization that is made of many volunteers who have both common and individual needs. As President and a member of the Executive Board, we must be concerned with the number of members we have as well as the overall experience and quality of value they receive. You the member can also add value to your membership by being active and getting involved in local and national programs offered or sponsored by NAON. Being a member of your professional organization or NAON is really just basic economic sense.
Whatever your definition of value, monetary, advantage, or usefulness, NAON can only grow if you the member share your time and talents to help us in that growth. Looking at the list of benefits that comes with your NAON membership, from discounts, free webinars, peer support, and networking opportunities, the benefits far out way the cost of the $125 I paid for membership. I think you would agree, if nurses were Pickers, they would definitely "pop" on joining NAON.