It’s no secret that people join associations for networking.

True, education and access to resources also are key contributors. But, connecting with professional peers, joining niche solution groups, and learning from trusted individuals who express similar mission and purpose goals will always be near the top of any “reason for membership” list.

There’s another reason for membership that isn’t as celebrated or discussed, however. Influence. You may not realize it, but your influence as a leader in your professional circles grows when others see the high-quality groups you choose to be in.

Your peers see you take part. They know the amazing work you’re doing. Inevitably, they connect those dots and want to know more. This is where your influence and leadership matters a whole lot.

According to a recent survey by Marketing General, the overall recruitment channels that garner the most new members for associations are, in order from third to first:

3. Meetings (IMSH and SimOps, for example) - 34%
2. Email - 62%
1. Word of mouth - That’s YOU! - 69%

From this, we can say that, yes, it is important for nonmembers to attend IMSH. After all, IMSH (and SSH events in general) are a great way to “show” what SSH members and the society are all about! But, it’s vital that our members have those small-group, in-network, and one-on-one conversations with non-members about their membership experience and share what SSH has meant for them professionally, or even personally.

There are no stronger ambassadors than our members for healthcare simulation and SSH. I believe that fully!

We know how valuable you are to SSH and your own professional circles. As you’ve grown in your simulation role/department, others in healthcare have been watching. The big-picture benefit in that is the value of simulation in patient care and patient safety is becoming better recognized by the day. How exciting is that!

Also exciting, speaking of benefits, next week, on Tuesday, June 7, at 1 p.m. ET, the SSH Membership Department will host “Rise Up!” – a webinar detailing how SSH’s member benefits will elevate your professional development. Register here, learn, and you will also be able to tell others in your circles about benefits and opportunities that might apply to them, too!

As we near the midpoint of 2022 and our attention turns toward Healthcare Simulation Week in September and both the SSH Research Summit and IMSH in January, this is the perfect time for all of us to encourage our healthcare peers and networks to dive deep with SSH. They have time to “get to know the place” before celebrating the healthcare simulation industry and then seeing it all come alive in person in Orlando!

Please help spread the word about the SSH Membership Benefits webinar, and please share on social media what SSH has meant to you in terms of professional development support. Hashtag your posts with #whatSSHmeanstome. We want to hear your stories and share them!

We’ve had a great start to 2022. Here’s to a strong back half of the year and beyond!

Sincerely,

Jennifer L. Manos, MBA, MSN, RN
SSH Executive Director