Convergence: How Nursing Unions and Magnet are Advancing Nursing

Historically, unions and professional associations such as the American Nurses Association have been adversaries in the fight to represent the best interests of the nursing profession.

We reviewed the literature on the evolution of nursing unions, nursing's historical unease about unions, the Magnet designation in nursing, the tensions between the unions and Magnet, the core values and commonalities they share, and the obligations of nursing as a profession.

Refocusing on the advancement of our profession provides a positive pathway in which the collective efforts of nursing unions and professional initiatives such as the Magnet designation converge during these turbulent times for our profession.

The single, central organizing idea of nursing-where nursing unions and Magnet converge-is the pivotal role of nurses in delivering high-quality patient care. The often-maligned dialectic between unions and Magnet has advanced and not hindered the nursing profession.