Resources
Nursing Resources
Nursing changes constantly, from degree requirements to licensing rules, and the demand keeps climbing. The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects registered nur…
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Nursing changes constantly, from degree requirements to licensing rules, and the demand keeps climbing. The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects registered nurse employment to grow about 5 percent from 2024 to 2034, faster than average for all occupations. As the population ages and chronic conditions rise, nurses will be needed well beyond hospitals and physicians' offices, and new technology will keep reshaping the work.
Below are more than 100 resources covering nursing school and careers: professional organizations, credentialing bodies, continuing education, financial aid, research tools, forums, blogs, and more. Use it to find a professional home, research help for a school project, support for burnout, or a place to ask other nurses a question.
Professional Organizations
American Association of Nurse Practitioners https://www.aanp.org/
The largest professional organization for NPs, with six membership categories and access to conferences and educational resources.
The American Assembly for Men in Nursing http://www.aamn.org/
Professional support and advocacy for men in nursing, with a focus on leadership and the issues that affect male nurses.
American College of Nurse-Midwives http://www.midwife.org/
Represents certified nurse-midwives and certified midwives. Membership includes student and career resources, networking, and research and industry updates.
American Forensic Nurses http://www.amrn.com/
Founded in 1983, AMRN partners with law enforcement across Southern California. RNs can complete continuing education on topics like chain of custody and forensic evidence collection.
American Holistic Nurses Association http://www.ahna.org/
Supports more than 4,600 members and educates the public about holistic nursing. Benefits include continuing education and research resources.
American Nurses Association http://www.nursingworld.org/
Focuses on credentials, practice, ethics, policy, and safety. Members get webinars, publications, conferences, and savings on liability insurance.
American Nursing Informatics Association https://www.ania.org/
Around since 1982 and dedicated to advancing nursing informatics through education, research, and networking.
National Black Nurses Association http://www.nbna.org/
Founded in 1972 and built around collaboration, from a community health model to partnerships, with 12 programs, an annual conference, and several nursing awards.
National Association of Hispanic Nurses http://www.nahnnet.org/
Works to give Hispanic nurses equal opportunity and improve care for Hispanic patients. More than 3,000 members get leadership development and continuing education.
American Association of Critical-Care Nurses https://www.aacn.org/
More than 100,000 members. Offers professional certification, clinical resources, and educational programs.
National League for Nursing https://www.nln.org/
Counts more than 1,200 schools as members. One of the strongest advocates for nursing education, with everything from student exam services to networking.
National Federation of Nurses http://www.nfn.org/
A labor union working to improve working conditions for RNs and patient outcomes, partnering with other organizations to strengthen the nursing voice.
Nurses Organization of Veterans Affairs http://www.vanurse.org/
Advocates for VA nurses nationwide. Members get scholarships, educational partnerships, and a mentorship program.
American Society of Registered Nurses https://www.asrn.org/
Founded in 2003 to promote activism and innovation. Members get networking, seminars, conferences, and leadership opportunities.
National Nurses United http://www.nationalnursesunited.org/
The largest union and professional organization for RNs, with campaigns on staffing ratios and Medicare for All. Founded in 2009, it now has roughly 225,000 members.
AFT Healthcare http://www.aft.org/healthcare/
More than half its members are RNs, including 15,000 school nurses. Works with patient advocacy leaders and community groups to reshape U.S. healthcare.
Association of periOperative Registered Nurses http://www.aorn.org/
Represents more than 160,000 perioperative nurses with education, a peer-reviewed journal, and leadership programs. Scholarships and grants run through the AORN foundation.
American Association of Occupational Health Nurses http://aaohn.org/
Focuses on professional development, public outreach, and advocacy. The site also includes a job search engine.
Association of Rehabilitation Nurses http://www.rehabnurse.org/
Offers educational programs, advocacy initiatives, scholarships, and internships.
Association of Nurses in AIDS Care http://www.nursesinaidscare.org/
Educational resources, networking, and career support for nurses in HIV/AIDS care, with six membership levels from Active to Retired.
Nursing Credentialing
National Council of State Boards of Nursing https://www.ncsbn.org/
Made up of state nursing boards, NCSBN developed the NCLEX-RN and NCLEX-PN exams and works to promote regulatory excellence.
American Nurses Credentialing Center http://www.nursecredentialing.org/
Known for extensive certification options across specialties, from acute care to pain management. ANCC also accredits continuing nursing education.
NCSBN Portal https://portal.ncsbn.org/
A test prep portal with NCLEX resources, test plans, testing location details, and tips on what to expect on exam day.
American Nurses Credentialing Center: Credential Display Guide http://www.nursecredentialing.org/DisplayCredentials-Brochure.pdf
A short PDF on the preferred order for displaying your nursing credentials and which ones to use.
American Nurses Association: Understanding Credentials http://www.nursingworld.org/
Mary C. Smolenski breaks down the "alphabet soup" of credentials, explaining the six types and what to do when you hold several.
National League for Nursing: Certified Nurse Educator https://www.nln.org/
Nurse educators can earn the Certified Nurse Educator (CNE) credential, which measures their knowledge and skills.
Continuing Nursing Education
Nurse.com http://ce.nurse.com/
More than 750 continuing education courses across webinars, seminars, audio, video, and text. Useful for fulfilling state CE requirements.
American Nurses Association http://www.nursingworld.org/
A major proponent of continuing education, with a full section of the site devoted to courses, webinars, and conferences for members.
American Nurses Association Knowledge Center https://learn.ana-nursingknowledge.org/
Workshops, certification prep, and educational materials on topics like work-life balance and leadership.
Lippincott Nursing Center http://www.nursingcenter.com/ceconnection
A large collection of CE courses searchable by specialty, clinical category, topic, or journal, plus an app for learning on the go.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention http://www.cdc.gov/learning/
Courses on current public health issues through the CDC Learning Center.
Financial Aid and Scholarships
Sigma Theta Tau International http://www.nursingsociety.org/advance-elevate/careers/nursing-scholarship-opportunities
A starting list of organizations that fund nursing students, from the Honor Society of Nursing.
National League for Nursing https://www.nln.org/professional-development-programs/grants-and-scholarships
Research grants and scholarships for advanced nursing degree students, aimed at promoting nursing education research.
Barbara Rhomberg Excellence in Nursing Scholarship https://www.b4brands.com/br-nursing-scholarship/
Awards $1,000 each year to a nontraditional nursing student pursuing an undergraduate degree.
Meland Foundation http://melandfoundation.org/
Awards $2,000 to $5,000 annually to nursing students pursuing an NP degree. Requires an essay and other materials.
American Association of Colleges of Nursing http://www.aacn.nche.edu/students/financial-aid
A long list of resources, from general scholarship information to loan repayment facts.
NURSE Corps Scholarship Program http://www.hrsa.gov/loanscholarships/scholarships/nursing/
Pays for school in exchange for at least two years of work in a nursing shortage area after graduation. Open to diploma, undergraduate, and graduate students.
Nurse Corps Loan Repayment Program http://www.hrsa.gov/loanscholarships/repayment/nursing/
Helps RNs repay school loans in exchange for working in an underserved U.S. area.
American Assembly for Men in Nursing http://aamn.org/scholarships/
Scholarship availability varies by year, with awards that have ranged from $1,000 to $5,000.
ExceptionalNurse.com http://exceptionalnurse.com/scholarship.php
Awards several scholarships of $250 to $500 each year to full-time nursing students with disabilities.
American Association of Critical-Care Nurses https://www.aacn.org/membership/
Provides limited scholarship funding to nurses who pursue continuing education.
History of Nursing
American Association for the History of Nursing http://www.aahn.org/
An educational resource working to deepen interest in the history of the profession.
University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing http://www.nursing.upenn.edu/
A deep resource on nursing history, with articles on the history of hospitals, pediatrics, and home care.
National Women's History Museum https://www.nwhm.org/blog/the-evolution-of-nursing/
The "Evolution of Nursing" article spotlights Mary Ann Bickerdyke, Phoebe Levy Pember, Linda Richards, and others.
Villanova University https://www.villanovau.com/resources/nursing/the-history-of-nursing-as-a-profession/
Traces nursing from Florence Nightingale through both World Wars to the profession's legacy.
American Nurses Association: History http://www.nursingworld.org/history/
The ANA's own origins and how it has grown over more than a century.
American Red Cross http://www.redcross.org/about-us/history/red-cross-american-history/nursing
How Red Cross nurses have served the public, then and now.
Nursing Education
American Association of Colleges of Nursing http://www.aacn.nche.edu/about-aacn
Sets standards for nursing education and works to improve healthcare and build support for the profession.
National Student Nurses' Association http://www.nsna.org/
Helps members move into professional practice with career guidance and other resources.
National League for Nursing https://www.nln.org/
"The Voice of Nursing Education" supports faculty and leaders with networking, professional development, and research grants.
Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing http://www.acenursing.org/
Accredits certificate and degree programs that meet its standards. Look for ACEN approval when choosing a school.
AACN Cultural Competency Toolkit http://www.aacn.nche.edu/education-resources/cultural-competency/
A cultural competency guide for nursing faculty, with a toolkit for undergraduate and graduate students.
U.S. National Library of Medicine: Citing Medicine https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK7256/
A reference guide for citing books, conferences, and other materials in nursing research.
Nursing Forums
Nurse.org http://www.nurse.org/
A review community built for nurses, by nurses. Find out what it is really like to work at a given hospital.
AllNurses.com http://allnurses.com/
A Q&A forum for RNs, with career advice and stories from the floor.
MightyNurse.com http://www.mightynurse.com/ask-a-nurse-forums/
Open to nurses, CNAs, and LPNs for questions, advice, and the occasional funny story.
EverydayNurses.com http://www.everydaynurses.com/
A community focused on caring for your patients and yourself.
NurseConnect http://www.nurseconnect.com/
More than 1,000 conversation threads, covering everything from nurses in the media to the student journey.
Career Resources
American Mobile http://www.americanmobile.com/
A travel nursing agency with career development resources, including certification info, articles, and advice.
Sigma Theta Tau International http://www.nursingsociety.org/why-stti/
Conferences, a social network, and international reach for building professional and leadership skills.
Association for Nursing Professional Development http://www.anpd.org/
Webinars, a professional journal, best practices, and an annual convention.
Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society (HIMSS) http://www.himss.org/
A hub for nursing informatics professionals, with job listings, networking, salary guides, and education.
DiscoverNursing.com https://www.discovernursing.com/
Support and guidance for nurses at every stage, from student to seasoned pro.
American Nurses Association Career Center http://jobs.ana.org/
A job board plus articles, webinars, newsletters, and a digital kit for new grads.
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics http://www.bls.gov/ooh/healthcare/registered-nurses.htm
Federal data on nursing pay, job prospects, work environment, and risks.
ANA Nursing Standards http://nursingworld.org/
The ANA's professional standards and positions on issues from staffing to social media.
Medscape: Patient Safety http://www.medscape.com/resource/patientsafety/
Patient safety news and the latest medical updates.
World Health Organization: Nursing http://www.who.int/topics/nursing/en/
Strategic directions for nursing, plus work on mental health and primary care case studies.
National Student Nurses' Association: Career Planning http://www.nsna.org/CareerCenter/CareerPlanning.aspx
Insider tips in the free "Welcome to the Profession" kit, plus job opportunities.
NursingJobs.com https://www.nursingjobs.com/
A broad job board covering permanent placements through travel assignments.
Travel Nurse Source https://www.travelnursesource.com/
Tools, resources, and job placement for travel nursing.
Nursing Research
Elsevier ClinicalKey for Nursing http://www.confidenceconnected.com/products/clinicalkey-for-nursing/
Connects RNs to the evidence they need for decisions about patient care and workflows.
Ovid: Nursing journal http://ovid.com/site/catalog/journals/1666.jsp
Access to Nursing, one of the top publications for professional nurses.
American Journal of Nursing http://journals.lww.com/ajnonline/
An award-winning series on evidence-based practice and how to implement it consistently.
Arizona State University Nursing Library Guide http://libguides.asu.edu/nursing/
Books, journals, and dozens of research resources.
San Francisco State University http://libguides.sfsu.edu/nursing/
A hub of materials supporting nursing education and research.
UCLA Library http://guides.library.ucla.edu/nursing/
Research resources spanning health, politics, genetics, and genomics.
McMaster University http://hsl.mcmaster.libguides.com/nursing/
A step-by-step approach to nursing research, from question formulation to theory.
National Institutes of Health Clinical Center http://www.cc.nih.gov/nursing/
The role of clinical research nurses in patient care and data collection, plus NIH job openings.
Interagency Collaborative on Nursing Statistics http://www.iconsdata.org/home.html
Promotes the generation and use of data and research on the nursing workforce.
Nurse Burnout
National Nurses United http://www.nationalnursesunited.org/
How nurses are coping with growing workloads and staffing shortages, and what support is available.
Rasmussen College http://www.rasmussen.edu/degrees/nursing/blog/nursing-burnout-why-it-happens-and-what-to-do-about-it/
How to avoid burnout by setting boundaries and processing emotions.
U.S. National Library of Medicine https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK2668/
Scholarly research on how working conditions drive nurse burnout.
University of South Florida http://www.usfhealthonline.com/resources/career/signs-you-are-experiencing-nurse-burnout/
The four early signs of burnout and tips for managing it.
Everyday Health http://www.everydayhealth.com/news/why-americas-nurses-are-burning-out/
The real sources of burnout, from 12-hour shifts to high-pressure environments.
Blogs, Journals, and News
Medscape: Nurses http://www.medscape.com/nurses/resource/
Free access to original medical content, conference coverage, nursing news, and more than 100 medical journals and textbooks.
Off the Charts (American Journal of Nursing) https://ajnoffthecharts.com/
The AJN blog, covering what is most troubling, important, and provocative in nursing and healthcare.
Lippincott Nursing Center http://www.nursingcenter.com/
More than 50 nursing journals plus guides, newsletters, and a CE tool.
Truth About Nursing http://www.truthaboutnursing.org/
Works to change how the public sees nursing, with resources and tools for advocacy.
Evidence-Based Nursing http://ebn.bmj.com/
Research studies and reviews relevant to practice, plus a blog, podcasts, and debate topics.
MinorityNurse.com http://minoritynurse.com/
A career resource hosting a large diversity-focused nursing job board, plus free articles and advice.
National Institute of Nursing Research https://www.ninr.nih.gov/
The latest in nursing science, from pediatric palliative care to data science.
Nurse Author & Editor http://naepub.com/
A peer-reviewed publication, founded in 1991, on writing, publishing, and editing in nursing.
Dear Nurses http://dearnurses.blogspot.com/
Resources for improving clinical and communication skills, drawn from daily life as an RN.
RTConnections http://blog.rtconnections.com/
Renee Thompson on nurse bullying and professional development.
Online Journal of Issues in Nursing http://www.nursingworld.org/ojin/
A peer-reviewed publication on current topics in practice, education, and the healthcare sector.
MDLinx Nursing https://www.mdlinx.com/nursing/feeds.cfm
RSS feeds covering nursing topics from cardiology to women's health.
The Nerdy Nurse http://thenerdynurse.com/
Brittney Wilson on nursing, technology, and health IT.
The Nurse Ethics Blog https://nursingethicsblog.com/
Two PhDs working through nursing ethics, from duty to patients to pay disparity and labor disputes.
Journal of Professional Nursing http://www.professionalnursing.org/
Published by the AACN on emerging trends in nursing education, from student success to accelerated online BSN programs.