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Critical Care Nurses Gather to Learn and to
Network
Approximately 400 critical care nurses from
across the United States participated in
AACN Fall Regional Meetings, where they had
the opportunity to network with colleagues
in their areas as well as local and national
leaders of AACN. Special educational grants
from AACN industry partners Siemens Medical
Solutions and Stryker Medical allowed for
representatives of AACN�s national
leadership team to attend almost all the
regional meetings.
Although the
events of Sept. 11 temporarily suspended
travel and forced a shift in the overall
plans for meetings in some regions, all
proceeded, with present and past AACN
leaders from the immediate areas stepping in
to meet with the local nurses.
In most of
the 19 regions, the Chapter Advisory Team
representative gave a presentation on the
local issues and resources available to
chapters. In addition, a national office
staff member provided an update on Value of
Nursing initiative, and a member of the
national AACN Board of Directors shared
information about AACN�s strategic goals and
what the association has been doing for its
members.
Many of the
organizers adopted President Michael L.
William�s theme of a �Journey of
Rediscovery: Looking In and Reaching Out� as
the theme for their regional meetings.
Members who attended regional meetings said
they appreciated discovering more about AACN
and left with a sense that they are a
valuable part of AACN and its success.
Here�s what
some of the critical care nurses who
attended a regional meeting had to say:
�I learned
good ways to promote AACN and recruit
members.�
�I enjoyed
hearing from the board liaison about what
National is doing to promote AACN.�
�It was not
only an informative day but also lots of
fun.�
�It opened
my eyes to the many facets of AACN.�
�It was a
wonderful opportunity to visit with the
president.�
�It was an
excellent way to network, exchange ideas and
meet other chapter members.�
�It helped
to remotivate me as a chapter leader.�
�The
speakers were very enthusiastic.�
�I thought
the diversity of participants added to the
overall meeting.�
�It was a
great way to learn more about what AACN has
to offer and the support that is available.�
�It spoke
well to how local chapters can contribute to
National�s goals.�
Exploration
Theme Chosen for Leadership Development
Workshop
Journey of
Rediscovery: Exploring the Landscape of
Leadership� is the theme chosen for the
Chapter Leadership Development Workshop at
NTI 2002 in Atlanta, Ga. The daylong
workshop is scheduled for Sunday, May 5.
The theme is
in keeping with that of AACN President
Michael L. Williams, RN, MSN, CCRN, which is
�Journey of Rediscovery: Looking In and
Reaching Out.�
Participating in the workshop will be the
president-elect or another leader nominated
by AACN chapters.
In addition,
past leaders who are attending the NTI will
be invited to participate and share their
experiences.
The NTI is
scheduled for May 4 through 9.
What's
on Tap
Arizona
The Greater
Phoenix Area Chapter will present �Different
Strokes for Different Folks� on Feb. 7,
2002, at the VA Medical Center, ACA
Building. For more information, contact
Debbie Milillo, RN, BSN, MSc, at (480)
661-8310.
The Greater
Phoenix Area Chapter will present a CCRN
review on April 18 and 19, 2002, at the YWCA
of the USA in Phoenix. For more information,
contact Debbie Milillo, RN, BSN, MSc, at
(480) 661-8310 or Faye Dodd, RN, at
dogimomi@earthlink.net.
Illinois
The Greater
Chicago Area Chapter will present �CHF
Update� on Feb. 5, 2002, in Chicago, Ill.
For more information, contact Lori
Marcantonio at (847) 854-8358; e-mail,
gcac_aacn@yahoo.com.
The Greater
Chicago Area Chapter will present �End of
Life Nursing Care in the ICU: Symptom
Management to Legal Issues� on March 5,
2002, at Our Lady of the Resurrection
Hospital, Chicago. For more information,
contact Lori Marcantonio at (847) 854-8358;
e-mail,
gcac_aacn@yahoo.com.
The
Northwest Chicago Area Chapter will present
its 28th annual Midwest Conference on March
11 through 13, 2002, in Arlington Heights,
Ill. A preconference will be offered on
March 10. For more information, contact Joy
Speciale at (630) 766-1596; e-mail,
nwcac@juno.com
Indiana
The Greater
Evansville Chapter will present a CCRN
Review Course at St. Mary�s Crescent Rooms
on Jan. 17, 21, 24, 28 and 31 and Feb. 4 and
7. For more information, contact Lynn
Schnautz at (812) 450-7172 or Kathy Burton
at (800) 852-7279, ext. 0329.
The
Northeastern Indiana Chapter will present a
dinner recognizing critical care nurses and
honoring CCRNs on Feb. 25, 2001. For more
information, e-mail Marie Hamrick at
nursemdh@aol.com
or Mary Lou Snouffer at
INRNICU@aol.com.
The Greater
Evansville Chapter will join Deaconess
Hospital and the University of Southern
Indiana in presenting the �Heart of
Cardiovascular Nursing 2002 Seminar� on
March 7, 2002. For more information, contact
Lynn Schnautz at (812) 450-7172 or Ellen
Wathen at (812) 450-7249.
The Greater
Evansville Chapter will present its 10th
annual �Critical Care Challenge� on April
11, 2002, at St. Mary�s Manor. For more
information, contact Lynn Schnautz at (812)
450-7172, Kathy Burton at (800) 852-7279,
ext. 0329, or Marlena Thweatt at (270)
521-6033.
Missouri
The Greater
St. Louis Chapter will present its 20th
annual symposium, �Critical Care Trends for
the New Millennium,� on March 7 and 8, 2002,
at the America�s Center, St. Louis, Mo. For
more information, contact Anne Vigil at
(314) 353-6064 or Karen Zahn at (314)
843-5045.
The
Southeast Missouri Chapter will present
�CCRN Cram Review� on March 19 and 20, 2002,
at Southeast Missouri State University, Cape
Girardeau, Mo. For more information, call
(573) 339-0551; e-mail,
moxleys4@midwest.net.
New
Jersey
The Jersey
Shoreline Chapter will present �Pediatric
Respiratory Care� on Jan 23, 2002, in Tinton
Falls, N.J. For more information, contact
Ryn Fernandez at (732) 462-6976; fax, (732)
462-0132; e-mail,
rynfern@aol.com.
The Northern
New Jersey Chapter will present �Critical
Care Skills for Non-ICU Nurses� on Feb. 2,
2001, in Paterson, N.J. For more
information, contact: Janice Wojcik via the
chapter voice mail at (973) 905-7205;
e-mail,
janice.wojcik@gte.net.
The Jersey
Shoreline Chapter will present �Critical
Care Systems/CCRN Review� on March 14 and
15, 2002, at the Greystone Manor in
Freehold, N.J. For more information, contact
Ryn Fernandez at (732) 462-6976; fax, (732)
462-0132; e-mail,
rynfern@aol.com.
The Northern
New Jersey Chapter will present �Options in
Critical Care Nursing 2002� on April 11 and
12, 2002, in Fairfield, N.J. For more
information, contact Janice Wojcik at (973)
905-7205; e-mail,
janice.wojcik@gte.net.
North
Carolina
The Heart of
the Piedmont Chapter will present a CCRN
preparation course on Jan. 24 and 25, 2002,
in High Point, N.C. For more information,
contact John H. Jeffries at (336) 878-6000,
ext. 2543; e-mail,
jjeffries@hprhs.com,
or Karen Caviness at (336) 878-6066.
Does your
chapter have a program or special event
coming up? Send the information to AACN
News, 101 Columbia, Aliso Viejo, CA 92656;
fax, (949) 362-2049;
March 1 Deadline to Apply for the
President�s Award for Chapters
Remember:
Applications for the 2002 Circle of
Excellence President�s Award for Chapters
are due March 1, 2002.
This annual
award will go to the chapter or chapters
that best exemplify the theme of �A Journey
of Rediscovery: Looking In and Reaching
Out,� chosen for the year by AACN President
Michael L. Williams, RN, MSN, CCRN.
Chapters
chosen for this recognition will receive a
monetary award. Recognition of these
exemplary efforts will also be provided in
the annual Circle of Excellence awards
publication and at AACN�s National Teaching
Institute� and Critical Care Exposition, May
4 through 9, 2002, in Atlanta, Ga.
For more
information about the Circle of Excellence
President�s Award for Chapters or to obtain
an award application, call (800) 899-2226.
Request Item #1011.
Advisory Role Offers Many Challenges and
Rewards
By
Roberta A. Kaplow, RN, PhD, CCNS, CCRN
Chapter
Adviser, Region 2
Have you
ever wondered what members of the Chapter
Advisory Team in each of AACN�s 19 regions
do? As a CAT representative serving Region 2
(New York) for more than two years, I can
attest to the challenges and rewards this
role offers. As the annual Call for
Volunteers goes out (see page 3), I would
like to share some insight into the CAT
experience.
AACN
delineates the following accountabilities
for chapter advisers:
� Acting as
ambassadors for the association in
supporting and advocating for AACN�s
mission, values and vision.
�
Articulating AACN positions to chapters and
providing feedback on chapter operations and
regional issues.
� Annually
assessing and evaluating the changing
environments of chapters and their
structure.
� Fostering
the development of new chapter leaders.
� Assisting
chapters with their day-to-day chapter
operations.
The
commitments of the chapter advisers are:
� Attending
annual CAT meetings.
� Traveling
within their assigned regions, as needed.
�
Participating in conference calls.
� Regularly
communicating with the National Office and
the CAT board liaison.
� Routinely
listening to assigned voicemail boxes at the
National Office.
� Routinely
communicating with chapter leaders within
the assigned region.
� Responding
to requests for information from chapter
members, chapter leaders and the AACN
national office staff.
Serving as a
CAT representative has been gratifying.
Meeting and networking with the chapter
boards and members and experiencing their
collective and individual enthusiasm is
impressive. The ideas generated by members
to serve their nurse colleagues and their
communities are astounding. Working with
them to help make these ideas realities is a
rewarding experience.
In meeting
with chapter boards, I find that a central
theme emerges. In their quest for
excellence, they are hard on themselves and
seem to find it difficult to celebrate their
successes. For example, the leadership of
one chapter expressed disappointment that
�only 145� people attended a chapter
educational program that was sponsored by a
pharmaceutical company. I am certain that
many of you are astounded, as I was, that
this attendance was a disappointment. One of
my quests as a CAT member is to help
chapters recognize the wonderful
contributions they make and to pat
themselves on the back when they do a good
job.
Similar
thinking has been evident at the Chapter
Leadership Development Workshop at the NTI
the past two years. At one point,
participants were asked to create a poster
recognizing a chapter achievement during the
past year. As facilitator at my table, I
witnessed the difficulty participants had
with this activity. However, with prompting,
all participants eventually came to
appreciate and share several of their
success stories.
Coordinating
the annual Fall Meeting in their regions has
been another responsibility of the CAT
representatives. According to program
evaluations in several regions, these
meetings have been successful in promoting
networking among chapter members; expanding
knowledge of AACN and the responsibilities
of chapters; providing opportunities to meet
with members of the national AACN Board of
Directors and national office staff;
enhancing the ability to see chapters in a
different light; sharing information on how
chapters are successful; helping chapters
learn how to improve and how the National
Office can help; and discussing issues.
The CAT role
has been personally rewarding, partly
because of the opportunity to work and
network with the national board, staff and
other CAT members. Receiving up-to-date
information on AACN�s initiatives and issues
helps me to disseminate important
information to chapters.
The board
liaisons�Debra Byram, Connie Barden, Kathy
McCauley and Bertie Chuong�who have served
during my tenure as a CAT representative,
are an inspiring group of role models, and
my CAT colleagues are a great group of
nurses. Our work is not only inspiring but
also fun. We share clinical information and
problem solve as work situations arise.
Having them as colleagues is like having a
nationwide clinical resource available.
In addition,
my knowledge of public policy has increased
dramatically as a CAT member and my
leadership competencies (i.e., ambassador
and intellectual skills) have developed. The
latter has been helpful in both my personal
and professional activities. The lessons I
have learned will last a lifetime. The CAT
role is pivotal for chapters, and I hope my
contributions to AACN parallel the benefits
I have received while serving in this role.
Chapter Advisers Needed in 10 Regions
The Chapter
Advisory Team plays a vital role in
supporting and linking local AACN chapters
and the national leadership team. AACN is
currently inviting past chapter presidents
to apply for the CAT position in 10 of its
19 regions. Positions are open in Region 1
(Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New
Hampshire, Rhode Island, Vermont), Region 2
(New York), Region 3 (Delaware, New Jersey,
Pennsylvania), Region 7 (Florida), Region 8
(Michigan, Wisconsin), Region 9 (Indiana,
Ohio), Region 13 (Iowa, Minnesota,
Nebraska), Region 14 (Kansas, Missouri),
Region 16 (Montana, North Dakota, South
Dakota, Wyoming) and Region 18 (Alaska,
Idaho, Hawaii, Oregon, Washington).
CAT
representatives serve staggered terms of
between one and three years. In addition to
face-to-face meetings, CAT members
participate in conference calls, communicate
with chapter leaders in their regions and
the National Office, and utilize electronic
media and online communication tools and
databases.
If you think
you may be interested in the CAT position in
your region, but have questions, contact
Dennis Maggi at (800) 394-5995, ext. 339.
The deadline to apply is March 1, 2002.
A
Community Concern
Members
of the Central Ohio Chapter of
AACN, Columbus, Ohio, participated in
the American Diabetes Association Walk
in October 2001 to promote the visibility
of critical care nursing in their community.
In addition to walking, chapter members
provided blood pressure screening and
follow-up recommendations based on
American Heart Association guidelines.
Shown here are chapter President-elect
Shirlien Metersky (left) and chapter
Secretary Diane Sanders.
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