The Role of Collaboration and Networking in Advancing Nursing: Why We Can’t Wait for Universal Consensus

Nursing has the potential to be a transformative force in healthcare, a profession capable of shaping policies, elevating standards, and redefining patient care. Yet, despite its critical role, nursing continues to lag behind other professions like pharmacy, physician assistants, or physical therapy when it comes to advocating for itself and demanding the respect it deserves. The question remains: What’s holding us back?

There’s a fundamental contradiction in how we perceive ourselves versus how we are perceived by the broader healthcare community. While nurses are often lauded as the backbone of patient care, we continue to engage in self-defeating behaviors that prevent us from stepping into our rightful place as equals in healthcare leadership. Instead of standing up as advocates for our profession, we tend to accept outdated systems, and worse, we sometimes serve as barriers to our own progress.

Breaking Free from the ‘Less Than’ Mindset

Nursing, unlike many other healthcare professions, has not consistently advocated for its value or communicated the unique outcomes it brings to patient care. We’ve fallen into the trap of taking on more and more responsibilities that others could easily manage, simply to "keep the patient safe." While this commitment to patient care is commendable, it has led to a dangerous pattern of crisis management rather than proactive leadership.

It's time to recognize that this approach not only strains our workforce but also limits our professional growth. The tendency to focus on tasks that don’t fully utilize our expertise has reinforced a ‘less than’ mindset. Until we collectively move beyond this, the nursing profession will remain undervalued, underrepresented, and underutilized in decision-making circles.

But here's the hard truth: We can’t wait for universal consensus from all nurses before we take action. We need to move forward with those who are ready, willing, and eager to disrupt the status quo.

Collaboration: The Key to Unlocking Nursing’s Potential

If nursing is to realize its full potential, we must shift our focus from task-based care to strategic collaboration. Collaboration isn’t just about working alongside healthcare teams—it's about forming coalitions with purpose. By leveraging collective intelligence, nurses can tackle the challenges that hinder our progress.

1. Intra-Professional Collaboration: We need to unite across specialties, regions, and even countries to drive forward key initiatives. There’s strength in numbers, and when nurses collaborate across fields—whether in bedside care, leadership, or education—new ideas emerge. This collaboration can enable us to make unified demands for better policies, resources, and workplace environments.
2. Interdisciplinary Networking: Nurses must expand their professional networks to include other healthcare professionals, policymakers, and technology innovators. Interdisciplinary networking exposes us to fresh perspectives and allows us to influence decision-making bodies outside the traditional nursing sphere. This not only elevates our voice but also positions nurses as thought leaders in broader healthcare conversations.

Moving Beyond Self-Defeating Behaviors

There’s an uncomfortable truth within nursing that we need to confront: some of our colleagues resist the idea of professional growth. They view advocacy, networking, and leadership as distractions from “real” nursing—direct patient care. Yet, nothing could be further from the truth. As healthcare becomes more complex, the profession must evolve to include leadership, policy-making, and innovation. Those of us who are committed to “going upstream” to fix the system, rather than constantly “rescuing people who’ve fallen in,” must push forward.

We can’t afford to wait for every nurse to embrace this vision. Not everyone will be onboard, and that’s okay. The point is to create a critical mass of forward-thinking nurses who are committed to professional empowerment. By forming strategic alliances, advocating for structural reforms, and refusing to settle for the status quo, we can change the trajectory of nursing.

Networking: The Engine for Change

Networking is more than attending events or joining online groups—it’s about building relationships that matter. It’s about creating a community of like-minded professionals who are dedicated to elevating the nursing profession. Effective networking is rooted in purpose. As nurses, we need to connect with individuals who share a vision of progress and are willing to collaborate on impactful initiatives.

1. Professional Organizations: Joining professional nursing organizations provides a platform for nurses to collectively advocate for changes that benefit the profession. Whether it’s pushing for policy reforms or influencing workplace standards, these organizations offer the infrastructure necessary for coordinated action.
2. Mentorship: One of the most powerful ways to strengthen our networks is through mentorship. Experienced nurses must take the initiative to guide the next generation of leaders, sharing their knowledge and empowering them to advocate for the profession’s future.
3. Global Connections: With the rise of digital platforms, networking is no longer confined by geography. Nurses can connect with global peers, exchange ideas, and collaborate on solutions to shared challenges. By expanding our networks globally, we expose ourselves to new innovations and practices that can help us address local problems with global solutions.

Action Over Consensus

The reality is that not all nurses will be ready for the shift toward leadership and advocacy. But if we wait for universal consensus, we risk stalling the profession’s progress. We need to act now, with those who are ready and committed. The future of nursing depends on bold leadership, strategic collaboration, and purposeful networking.

By embracing our role as influencers and change agents, nurses can become a powerful force in healthcare, driving policy reforms and redefining what it means to be a healthcare professional. The time to move forward is now, and it’s up to us to create the future we envision for the profession.

Toward, The Bright Nursing Future- Ali Fakher