The Value of Your CANP Membership, President’s Message

Karen Ketner, NP

As the current economic crisis drags on, we have all become much more aware of getting the biggest bang for our buck.  We are spending less and watching our dollars. What better time to reflect on the value of one of the most important professional purchases you can make, your CANP membership.

Webster’s Dictionary defines value as relative or assigned worth or importance.  How does membership in CANP become an important, highly worthy aspect of your professional life?  To answer this question, I digress to reviewing our core ideology and our envisioned future.

For you to feel that you MUST be a member of CANP, we know we have to offer you membership benefits that will add to your practice.  Our core purpose is “to enable and support Nurse Practitioners in bridging the gaps in healthcare to meet the needs of the patient”.  CANP strives to meet this goal every day through the hard work of our committees who are supported by our Board of Directors, our Executive Director and the staff at AMG.  As an organization, CANP approaches projects and issues keeping our core values of commitment to integrity without compromise, unwavering compassion and respect, taking responsibility and NEVER giving up in the forefront.

So what are the goals we have envisioned that will have you feel you belong to an organization dedicated to adding to and improving your practice, an organization dedicated to offering you value for your membership every day?  The description of our goals includes the following:

• We will transform the delivery of healthcare.  The public will understand the meaning and value of Nurse Practitioner care.  Consequently, consumers will demand Nurse Practitioner participation in their care.
• We will actively participate in and shape legislation to improve access to healthcare.  We will remove all legislative and regulatory barriers to practice.
• We will serve as the role model for professional collaboration.
• We will set high standards for Nurse Practitioners practice, and Nurse Practitioners will effectively articulate their professional role in healthcare.

When one imagines a professional future where we practice in an environment in which these goals have been met, I cannot imagine supporting a more valuable endeavor than the work of CANP.  Joining, renewing and encouraging your colleagues to join gives CANP the resources we need to keep offering Nurse Practitioners of all specialties in California value; a highly worthy and very important addition to your professional life that will add to your practice.