FIVE SERVICE ORGANIZATIONS FOR NURSING STUDENTS

Nursing Service Organizations

• One Nurse at a Time
• Nursing Students Without Borders
• National Student Nurses' Association
• American Nurses Association
• Sigma Theta Tau International

Nursing student organizations provide nursing students with opportunities that they won't find anywhere else. Many of these organizations act as serve organizations and give you the option to do volunteer work in the United States or in a foreign country. You'll also have the chance to meet nursing students in your program who are ahead or behind you. These organizations offer a number of fun and useful opportunities.

One Nurse at a Time

One of the primary organizations that you should join while in a nursing program is One Nurse at a Time. Founded in 2007, it has its main office in Seattle, Washington but also offers students and professional nurses the chance to open organizations of their own in their towns. This organization has a missionary program designed for nurses who want to help those in need but have less experience. These trips give you the chance to work in a community and gain more experience before doing a longer missionary trip later in your career.

Nursing Students Without Borders

Doctors Without Border is an organization that sends licensed doctors into areas that need medical help with the supplies necessary to care for patients. Nursing Students Without Border is a similar organization designed just for nursing students. Founded in 1999 at the University of Virginia, it grew so popular that there are now branches at a number of campuses across the country. Though some of its volunteer trips take place in the United States, the organization also provides students with opportunities to travel abroad.

National Student Nurses' Association

One of the largest nursing student organizations is the National Student Nurses' Association (NSNA). As a member of this organization, you qualify for health insurance and liability insurance once you start your career. The organization offers resources for those preparing to take their board exams to get a nursing license. It also partnered with Office Depot, which now offers members discounted prices on office supplies. Joining the NSNA also lets you get discounted rates at hotel chains like Red Roof 6 and Motel 6 as well as lower prices when you buy supplies from Scrubs & Beyond and Life Uniform. Those companies offer scrubs, shoes and other supplies for nurses and nursing students.

American Nurses Association

The American Nurses Association is one of several professional organizations open to licensed nurses, but the ANA also offers a discounted membership rate for students enrolled in nursing programs. It has a forum that is only open to members, which lets you post questions and get responses from practicing nurses. This forum is great for asking for help before taking your board exam or for finding out more about specialized areas of nursing. ANA also has a career center that offers valuable information about nursing careers and specializations within the nursing profession.

Sigma Theta Tau International

Sigma Theta Tau International is an honors society open only to nursing students. It has branches on college campuses all across the country. Once you become a member, you can log into the site with the information provided to you to gain access to all the resources available. The official website for this honors society includes information on volunteers opportunities open to student nurses, including simple things you can do online or in your community as well as group trips overseas.

Doing volunteer work while in a nursing program is a great way to gain the valuable field experience you need. While you'll do clinical rotations in college, you can work with even more patients in a volunteer program. Many of the top nursing student organizations offer volunteer opportunities for their members.

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