The Benefits of Networking for Nurse Practitioners
By Alex Fernandez
Explore the myriad ways in which networking can support and enrich your professional life.
Over the past couple of years, nurse practitioners (NPs) across the country have continually stepped up and delivered invaluable patient-centered care to their communities. The COVID-19 pandemic provided you an opportunity to shine and heighten awareness of the NP role locally, nationally and internationally. Yet, necessary precautions also kept many NPs apart from one another outside the workplace. As in-person events were cancelled and the increased demand for NP-delivered care made it more and more difficult to find time for collegial interactions, professional networks were strained.
Now, after supporting and sustaining your communities throughout the pandemic, it’s time to prioritize yourself and your career. Broadening your professional network is one of the best ways to be proactive in your role and support your own well-being. Investing in networking may open doors to new job and volunteer opportunities, cutting-edge information about the ever-changing health care landscape and essential strategies to improve advocacy on behalf of your patients and the NP role.
The Voice of the Nurse Practitioner® rings out louder and clearer when NPs unite. As the American Association of Nurse Practitioners® (AANP) celebrates the return of its signature in-person event for NPs of all specialties, the 2022 AANP National Conference, now is the perfect time for you to foster professional relationships and renew your work-life joy.
Broaden Your Professional Circles at Networking Events
Professional networking is the single most important thing you can do for your career, but what does that entail? Whether your goal is to simply exchange information with someone in your specialty or you want to develop strong relationships with like-minded peers, they key is to meet — and truly connect with — colleagues in your field. These connections broaden your list of contacts who can keep you informed, refer you to job openings, suggest volunteer opportunities, nominate you for professional honors or help you expand your leadership skills.
Although networking often begins at the college, university and employer levels, there’s no time or place like the present to begin connecting. Alumni groups and company mixers are great starting points to engage with colleagues — and extend to ensure you connect with colleagues of all specialties and backgrounds. Through these events, you can stay in touch with other health care professionals and learn about timely clinical updates or advancement opportunities within your own community. If you’d like to expand your professional circles even further, consider meeting your fellow NPs at an AANP conference or event.
AANP conferences are among the most popular events for NPs of all specialties and practice settings — and each is an especially memorable experience. By attending an AANP conference, you can earn a significant amount of continuing education (CE) credit and gain hands-on experience through skill-building workshops. You’ll also be immersed in a community of colleagues with whom you will build lasting memories. Consider attending the 2022 AANP National Conference in Orlando, Florida, the 2022 AANP Fall Conference or the Hospital and Emergency Procedure Course in Anaheim, California, to make lifelong friendships, develop valuable professional relationships and propel your career forward. AANP members enjoy significantly discounted registration rates on all AANP events.
Connect With Your Colleagues From the Comfort of Home
It can be difficult to stay on top of health care trends and make time to connect with others while managing your busy schedule. To meet the needs of all NPs, AANP offers opportunities to grow your professional network and share your valuable work from the comfort of home.
Virtual conferences offer a convenient and cost-effective way to learn, chat with exhibitors, meet other NPs and gain clinical insights to inform your practice without the need for travel, housing expenses or excessive time constraints. The 2022 AANP National Conference — Online is an amazing online package that allows NPs to virtually attend many of the same sessions from the in-person national conference and earn up to 80 contact hours (CH) of CE credit. Engage with presenters and colleagues alike while enjoying access to all available CE sessions at your convenience through July 27.
Get the latest AANP event updates — and join the conversation online — by following AANP on social media. There, you can connect with other NPs and industry professionals, stay current with the latest health care news and receive conference announcements. Connect with AANP on Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook and Instagram today.
Get Involved in Your Professional Organization
AANP offers you much more than exciting events. As a valuable member of a community that is more than 120,000 NPs strong, you can connect with your peers every single day of the year.
Are you interested in engaging with others who share your unique interests or clinical specialty? Designed to support discussion, document sharing, collaboration and networking, AANP Communities consist of dedicated online forums where you can instantly connect with like-minded NP colleagues and exchange information related to your area of expertise. AANP currently offers 28 member-exclusive communities that each center around a different specialty practice group or specialty interest group. Just $20 annually, each Community offers 24/7 access to timely, relevant discourse.
Beyond the traditional benefits of networking, being active in your national professional organization makes you a vital part of a movement that empowers each individual NP and strengthens the NP role. Learn firsthand how AANP has helped represent you by participating in the 2022 State of the Association Member Update. Register for this free event today to find out how your AANP membership helped shape and redefine NP-led care over the course of the past year.
Join Your Fellow NPs in Anaheim, California, This Fall
Are you ready to prioritize your social well-being, exercise your networking skills and make a strong connection with your peers? Step out, soak up some sun and interact with your colleagues in-person at the 2022 AANP Fall Conference. Ideally located halfway between Los Angeles and San Diego, this is the perfect event for you reinvigorate your mind and replenish your emotional reserves.
Whether you’d like to develop your leadership skills, bolster your professional knowledge in your current area of practice or explore new avenues of professional development, the six topical areas at the 2022 AANP Fall Conference offer something for you. Join your fellow NPs on the West Coast in Anaheim, California, for this chance to learn — and earn — more in the fall.