Professional nursing bodies have had a well-established, collective history of advancing the nursing profession through career development, advocacy, and continuing education. The purpose of this review paper is to provide a historical overview of these entities, leading up to the formation of specialty nursing associations and the emergence of the Association of Women's Health Obstetric and Neonatal Nurses (AWHONN). The Association of Women's Health Obstetric and Neonatal Nurses is a leader in research, education, and advocacy in the field of women's health, obstetric, and neonatal nursing that has focused on promoting the health and well-being of women, newborns, and their families for the past fifty years.
Keywords: AWHONN; Associations; Historical overview; Nurses; Nursing; Organizations; Professional nursing bodies; Specialty association.
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