Many Factors Weighed in Selecting NTI
Abstracts
Members
of the 2003 NTI Work Group are (from left)
Amy
Schueler, Mary E. Holtschneider, Robin
Watson, Deborah
Greenlaw, Cynthia Klein, Judy Lang, Dennis
Cheek, Maggie
Carriker and Carol Puz.
By Mary
E. Holtschneider, RN, BSN, MPA
NTI Work
Group
Anyone who
has attended AACN’s annual National Teaching
Institute and Critical Care Exposition knows
that a variety of educational offerings on a
range of different topics are offered.
However, many more abstracts are submitted
each year than can be accepted. For example,
the field of approximately 525 abstracts
submitted for NTI 2003 had to be trimmed to
100 that will actually be presented.
How are the
topics chosen? The process is lengthy and
intense.
As soon as
one NTI ends, the selection process for the
next one moves into high gear when the NTI
Work Group convenes during the summer to
review the abstracts submitted for oral
presentations. Represented on this volunteer
group are various practice roles, including
staff RN, educator, manager and advanced
practice. In addition, the group reflects
diversity with respect to clinical
expertise, as well as a mix of adult-focused
and pediatric-focused members.
The other
members of the 2003 NTI Work Group are Amy
Schueler, RN, MS, CCRN, CNP, (chair), Maggie
Carriker, RN, MSN, Dennis Cheek, RN, MSN,
PhD, Deborah Greenlaw, RN, MS, CCRN, Cynthia
Klein, RN, MSN, NP, Judith Lang, RN, BS,
CCRN, and Robin Watson, RNC, MN, CCRN. The
board liaison is Carol Ann Puz, RN, BSN,
CCRN, and the staff liaison is AACN Program
Development Specialist Bonnie Baker, RN, MHA.
However,
even before the work group begins its review
of the proposals, expert members of the NTI
Abstracts Review Panel have reviewed and
rated them. This rating considers such
questions as whether the content, purpose of
the presentation, key concepts and expected
outcomes are clearly stated. The review
panelists then recommend presentations for
further review by the NTI Work Group, which
makes the final decisions on what to include
in the NTI program.
Most of the
525 abstracts submitted for NTI 2003 were
excellent. However, because of the limited
time and space availability, only 100 could
be chosen. There are myriad reasons why an
abstract would not be selected for the NTI
program.
Clarity
Needed
The abstract
might not be written clearly and concisely
enough. The review panelists and the work
group might agree that, though the topic is
excellent, the abstract does not explain in
sufficient detail what the presentation will
cover. Unfortunately, the abstract as
submitted is all that the work group has to
judge when selecting a topic for inclusion.
Relevance
Important
The topic
might be more appropriate for another
conference. In order to balance the NTI
offerings, the work group must have a
variety of topic categories, including
cardiovascular, GI, endocrine, renal,
trauma, leadership development, computer
usage and personal growth. Because AACN
resources are focused on the critical care
and progressive care environments, the group
tries to pick topics that will best meet
these educational needs. For example, though
a trauma-focused abstract that has to do
with immediate stabilization of a traumatic
injury in an emergency department might be
an excellent topic, it would be more
relevant at a conference that focuses on
emergency patient care.
Variety
Essential
Having a
balance and variety of topics is essential.
For example, choosing all cardiovascular
topics would not serve the purpose of NTI.
Some years, many excellent cardiovascular
abstracts are submitted; however, only a
small number can be accepted.
Greater
Need Weighed
Finally,
because NTI attendees represent many
hospitals, geographical areas, practice
areas and experience levels, a greater
number of abstracts that are more general
and that will meet the needs of a broader
audience are chosen each year. Abstracts
that focus on highly specialized topics may
not be selected if there will be a limited
number of attendees who would be interested
in that topic.
Tips for
Writing a Successful Proposal
Have you
wanted to submit an NTI speaker proposal,
but aren’t sure how? Have you submitted an
abstract that wasn’t selected? There are
resources that can help you.
For tips on
writing an abstract, visit the AACN Web site
at
http://www.aacn.org
> NTI. Scroll down to the “Speaker
Information” area to find a wealth of
resources, including an article titled
“Writing a Winning NTI Educational Session
Abstract.”
In addition,
the NTI Work Group will present a session
titled “How to Write an NTI Abstract” at the
2003 NTI, May 17 through 22 in San Antonio,
Texas. You can also e-mail questions about
the process to the NTI Work Group at
AskNTIWorkGroup@aacn.org. A member of the
group will respond within three working
days.
The deadline
to submit speaker proposal abstracts for NTI
2004 is May 15, 2003.
If you have
additional questions, contact AACN Program
Development Specialist Bonnie Baker, RN, MHA,
at (800) 394-5995, ext. 537; e-mail,
Bonnie.Baker@aacn.org.
Web-Based Orientation Program Now in Place
With Inaugural Users
The
Essentials of Critical Care Orientation has
gone mainstream, with several hospitals
already implementing this newest critical
care education program from AACN. Designed
to teach the fundamental elements of
critical care nursing, the program is
entirely Internet based. Its self-paced
format allows nurses new to critical care to
work through each module at their own speed,
while tracking features enable the educator
to view their progress. Comprehensive,
scored module exams provide detailed
feedback to both students and educators to
ensure that important concepts are
understood.
Early
adopters of the ECCO program include:
• Denton
Regional Medical Center, Denton, Texas
• Harris
Methodist Ft. Worth, Ft. Worth, Texas
• Sherman
Hospital, Elgin, Ill.
• U.S. Naval
Hospital, Yokosuka, Japan
• VA
Hospital, West Palm Beach, Fla.
For an
overview of the program, check out the
online demos now available on the AACN Web
site at
http://www.aacn.org.
Click on the Essentials of Critical Care
Orientation link. You can learn how to
navigate through the program, view sample
slides and see the management features
offered by the program.
Continuing Education Scholarships Help With
NTI Expenses
Do you want
to attend AACN’s National Teaching Institute
and Critical Care Exposition in San Antonio,
Texas, in May, but aren’t sure how you would
cover the cost? Why not apply for a
continuing education scholarship to offset
the expenses?
Three types
of scholarships are currently available.
Advanced Practice Institute participants are
also eligible for these scholarships.
Vision
Partners
The AACN
Vision Partners program grants $1,000 each
to 10 pairs of NTI participants. One partner
must be an AACN member, who will share the
NTI experience and benefits of AACN
membership with the other partner, a
nonmember who has not previously attended
the NTI. The nonmember also receives a
one-year AACN membership.
The
nonmember partner should be able to share a
different perspective with his or her
partner, such as a different cultural or
ethnic viewpoint or another discipline or
clinical practice along the continuum.
The Vision
Partners scholarship application asks the
partners to describe how they expect to
benefit from the learning experience and
networking at NTI. They will also commit to
continuing to develop the partnership after
they return to their workplaces.
Dale
Medical Products Scholarships
Dale Medical
Products, Inc., continues to support
education scholarships for AACN members who
are striving to balance their professional
lives with family obligations. Applicants
must demonstrate that without the
scholarship assistance they would be un able
to attend the conference. Applicants
describe how attending the NTI or API will
assist them in reaching their professional
goals.
AMN
Healthcare Scholarships
AMN
Healthcare will support a new series of
continuing education scholarship for nurses
from groups that are underrepresented in
nursing, including ethnic minorities, and
for nurses who have developed successful
programs involving underrepresented groups.
Applicants
must describe how attending the NTI or API
will help further their professional goals
and demonstrate that they would not be able
to attend the conference without the
assistance.
AMN
Healthcare is the parent company for six
travel nurse companies: American Mobile
Healthcare, Medical Express, Preferred
Healthcare Staffing, Nurses Rx, Healthcare
Resource Management Corporation and
O’Grady-Peyton International.
Apply by
Feb. 1
Feb. 1 is
the deadline to apply for these continuing
education scholarships. The dates of the NTI
and API are May 17 through 22.
To receive
an application, call (800) 899-2226 or AACN
Fax on Demand at (800) 222-6329. Request
Item #1099. The application is also
available online at
http://www.aacn.org
> membership > Awards, Grants, Scholarships.
Silent
Auction Is a Fun Way to Grow the Scholarship
Endowment
As you look
ahead to San Antonio, Texas, and AACN’s 2003
National Teaching Institute and Critical
Care Exposition, you will want to also be
thinking about one of the most popular and
fun events—the Silent Auction.
Set to enter
its third year, the Silent Auction is just
one of the ways that funds are raised for
the AACN Scholarship Endowment Fund.
Unless
otherwise stated for a particular auction
item, everyone who attends the NTI can
participate in the Silent Auction bidding,
including participants, speakers,
exhibitors, staff, family and friends.
If you would
like to donate a gift to the silent auction
or have questions, contact the Development
Office at (800) 394-5995, ext. 513 or 505.
AACN awards
$150,000 in academic and continuing
education scholarships each year. These
include the BSN Completion and Graduate
Educational Advancement Scholarships. AACN
also supports scholarships awarded through
the National Student Nurses Association to
beginning nursing students.
Scholarship Appreciation
Each year,
AACN awards approximately $150,000 in
academic and continuing education
scholarships. The recipients represent
diverse needs and backgrounds. Following are
excerpts from just some of the many
communications AACN received from recipients
of 2001-02 scholarships.
I am very
excited about my new career endeavor and am
looking forward to starting the educational
process. In this time of high educational
costs, this scholarship is very helpful and
sincerely appreciated.
Joanne M.
Williams, RN, BSN, CCRN
Franklin,
Mass.
I am very
excited about beginning my pursuit in the
master’s program. Receiving the scholarship
has only heightened my desire. Thank you
again. The financial assistance is greatly
appreciated.
Kathie
Galias, RN, BSN
Cary, Ill.
Annual
Audit Shows Solid Financial Position
AACN’s
annual Financial Report to the Membership
for 2001-02 is presented below. This annual
report, audited by Deloitte & Touche,
reflects that the association remains on
sound financial footing, despite a loss in
value in AACN’s investment portfolio due to
the stock market slide during the period
from July 1, 2001, through June 30, 2002. As
a result, AACN was able to continue to
pursue its strategic goals:
• Develop
the highest quality education and practice
resources.
• Contribute
to the advancement of critical care nursing
science.
• Address
and protect the interests of members and
make positive contributions to the
advancement of the nursing profession.
• Provide
high-quality programs and services
responsive to member needs.
• Provide
opportunities to volunteer and contribute to
the association and the profession.
• Establish
a comprehensive and dynamic resource
development program to support the mission
and vision of the association.
• Ensure
effective organizational infrastructure and
operating systems.
• Develop
and effectively manage financial resources.
The
Highlights
Following
are some of the highlights of
accomplishments during the fiscal year:
• Developed
the Essentials of Critical Care Orientation,
which was launched in August, to teach the
basics of critical care in a standardized,
efficient, computer-based manner.
• Launched
phase I of the ICU Survey, a comprehensive
profile of critical care units across the
country. The survey will provide
foundational knowledge for AACN to add
weight to the Value of Nursing initiative
and to efforts to secure a role in decision
making.
• Developed
partnerships that included serving as a
member of the steering committee of A Call
to the Profession: Nursing’s Agenda for the
Future; participating in the American
College of Chest Physicians Capitol Hill
Caucus; supporting Johnson & Johnson’s
Campaign for Nursing’s Future; and accepting
an invitation to serve on the JCAHO
Development of the Critical Care Core
Measures Set.
• Began a
comprehensive study of practice for critical
care nursing that will assist in ensuring
the relevance of the current certification
examinations and future test development by
AACN Certification Corporation.
Volunteer
Outcomes
Following
are some of the outcomes reported by AACN’s
volunteer committees:
• The
Advanced Practice Work Group expanded the
educational resources available through the
Advanced Practice Institute and made
recommendations regarding the API’s
marketing, content and speakers. The group
also reviewed the recently released Scope of
Practice and Standards of Professional
Performance for the Acute and Critical Care
Clinical Nurse Specialist and supporting
documentation and made recommendations for
the development of an advanced practice
mentoring database.
• The
Education Work Group developed a quality
improvement plan for continuing education
activities in accordance with accreditation
standards and laid the groundwork for
significantly streamlining the Program
Planning Guide.
• The Ethics
Work Group developed the “Family Conference”
pocket reference and reviewed and updated
the Ethics Committee Handbook.
• The
Leadership Development Work Group presented
several NTI educational sessions intended to
develop the ability of critical care nurses
to influence decisions at the bedside. The
work group also presented the core content
at the Nursing Management Congress.
• The
Nominating Committee reviewed the
qualifications for AACN and AACN
Certification Corporation leadership
positions and, following interviews,
presented candidates for election to the
AACN Board of Directors, the AACN Nominating
Committee and the AACN Certification Board
of Directors. The group also updated the
AACN Nominee Handbook and Application.
• The NTI
Work Group reviewed abstracts and developed
the educational program for NTI 2002, for
which the “Ask the NTI Work Group” question
and answer forum was developed for the NTI
Web site.
• The Nurse
Manager Think Tank was established to
articulate strategies to address the role
and needs of nurse managers and the role of
AACN in meeting these needs.
• The
Progressive Care Task Force was established
to examine the changes in critical care
nursing and the continuum of care beyond the
critical care unit.
• The Public
Policy Work Group drafted three new fact
sheets: “Nurse Advocacy,” “Prescription Drug
Coverage” and “Medical Errors.” The group
also outlined a tool kit for chapters and
members to use to promote the value of
nursing, recruitment and retention.
• The
Research Work Group continued the “Myths and
Realities” series in AACN News, selected the
2003 distinguished research lecturer and
awarded seven research grants totaling
$43,500.
On the
Agenda
Following is
a report by AACN board member Carol Ann Puz,
RN, BSN, CCRN, on discussions and actions
that took place during the AACN Board of
Directors conference call on Sept. 18.
Agenda
Item: Chapter Adviser Charges
The board
approved formal charges for the Chapter
Advisory Team, whose volunteer members lead
chapter collaboration and development in
AACN’s 19 regions. Following are the
charges, effective for the 2002-03 advisers
who began their work July 1:
• Serve as
an AACN liaison and spokesperson to AACN
Chapters and leaders in their regions.
• Establish
an ongoing mechanism for communication with
chapter presidents and other chapter
leaders.
• Work in
partnership with AACN national office staff
to identify individual chapter strengths and
needs so that new and existing chapters can
be better supported and serviced.
• Develop
and mentor local chapter leaders for future
chapter and national leadership roles.
The charges
were developed in collaboration with the
Chapter Advisory Team. These annual charges
add additional structure to the volunteer
position and establish a basis for
evaluating the annual performance of the
individual and team.
This role is
important to achieving and maintaining a
partnership between the local and national
levels of AACN and in developing future
association leaders.
Agenda
Item: Excellence in Collaboration Awards
The board
approved a new set of Circle of Excellence
awards that will focus on innovative
contributions to collaborative practice.
These awards will recognize nurse-physician
collaboration, nurse-administration
collaboration and nurse-family
collaboration, as well as the
multidisciplinary team collaboration that
has been recognized in the past. The
expanded collaboration awards replace the
Innovision Award, which granted funds to
partnerships that included an AACN member, a
healthcare provider organization and a
community group. Highlighting collaboration
in this way recognizes nurses who use their
voices to influences others.
Agenda
Item: Visionary Leader Awards
The board
approved designating several awards,
including the Lifetime Membership award,
Honorary Membership Award, AACN-Marguerite
Rodgers Kinney Award for a Distinguished
Career and Pioneering Spirit Award, as the
AACN Visionary Leader Awards. The board
believes that the Visionary Leader
designation will enhance the prestige of
these awards, which are presented to
individuals who have obvious ties to AACN’s
vision of a healthcare system driven by the
needs of patients and their families. In
addition, the annual Distinguished Research
Lecturer Award will be added to this
category. Grouping this award with the other
Visionary Leader honors is an opportunity to
better recognize sustained contribution to
AACN’s mission and vision through acute and
critical care research.
Log in
to Conduct Business With AACN Online
Members, Past
Customers Already Have Their ID Numbers
If you are a
member or have conducted business with AACN
in the past, you are already set to take
advantage of AACN’s new online “e-business”
convenience. In fact, you already have the
ID number and the password you need.
Here’s how
it works:
ID number
AACN will
assign each user an ID number that, along
with a password, allows access to the
system. For members, the ID number is the
same as their membership number. Nonmembers
who have purchased products or registered
for conferences can use the number that
appears on the materials they have received.
Only new customers should be assigned an
identification number and a password the
first time they use the system.
Note: Please
use your existing number. Logging on with a
different number will result in duplicate
records. If you don’t have your number, call
(800) 899-2226 between 7:30 a.m. and 4:30
p.m. (PST) or e-mail aacninfo@aacn.org,
including your name and address for
verification.
Password
Once you
have your ID number, you will need a
password. Initially, this will be up to the
first 15 characters of your last name.
Please change your password after you log on
for the first time.
Give It a
Try
The process
is easy, so visit the AACN Web site at
http://www.aacn.org
and try out this new system. In addition to
ordering products, registering for
conferences, and ordering and renewing
subscriptions online, members and customers
can now update their personal demographic
information and check on the status of their
orders.
Influencing Practice Is ‘All About You’
Have the
challenges you face in today’s patient care
environment hampered your ability to
influence your practice? Guided by the
expertise of three national-level volunteer
groups, AACN has developed a resource
designed to help nurses in all types of
roles maximize their potential for
influencing aspects of both their
professional and personal lives.
Titled It’s
All About You: A Blueprint for Influencing
Practice, this tool focuses on
self-awareness, dialogue, conflict
resolution and navigating change as the
skills nurses need to exert influence. These
skills were identified in a survey of 700
nurses at AACN’s National Teaching Institute
and Critical Care Exposition in 2000 in
Anaheim, Calif., as essential to exert
influence. The 2000, 2001 and 2002 AACN
Leadership Development work groups then
developed the blueprint to help acute and
critical care nurses to communicate, educate
and identify strategies that affect their
professional growth, their collaborative
skills, their ability to deal with difficult
situations and their power to bring about
change.
To order
It’s All About You: A Blueprint for
Influencing Practice, call (800) 899-2226 or
visit the AACN Bookstore online at
http://www.aacn.org
> Bookstore. Request
Item
#120635. The price is $10 ($12 for
nonmembers).
On the
Road
AACN
frequently takes its show on the road, as
representatives of the AACN National Office
exhibit at conferences throughout the
country. Following is the schedule of
upcoming exhibits:
Jan. 30-Feb.
3 Society of Critical Care Medicine, San
Antonio, Texas
April 23-27
National Student Nurses Association,
Phoenix, Ariz.
If you are
attending any of these conferences, stop by
the AACN exhibit to visit with your National
Office team.
AACN
exhibits to promote the association’s
presence, increase professional visibility
and service our constituents through
products and services.
Write
a CE Article for AACN News
AACN is
seeking nurses or other healthcare
professionals who are interested in
submitting articles to be published as
continuing education offerings in AACN News
and on the AACN Web site, or for use as a
monograph.
Send
abstracts to Marianne Martineau, Education
Resource Specialist, AACN, 101 Columbia,
Aliso Viejo, CA 92656. Additional
information is available by calling (949)
362-2000, ext. 361.
Public
Policy Update
The
Issues
1. Patient
Safety—Bills Clear House Committees
2.
Bioterrorism Preparedness—Nurse Team to Aid
Federal Response to Disaster
3. Nursing
Shortage—HHS Grants Money for Shortage
4. Nurse
Reinvestment Act—Appropriations in Doubt
5. Nurse
Support—Loan Forgiveness Program Included in
Bill
6. Disaster
Response–Study Finds Urgent Need for
Training
7. Staffing
Ratios—California Issues Proposed
Regulations
Patient
Safety
Status:
Patient safety legislation has been passed
by both the House Energy and Commerce Panel
and the House Ways and Means Committee.
The Patient
Safety and Quality Improvement Act (HR 5478)
would provide for a healthcare errors
reporting system to protect information and
improve patient safety and quality of care.
It would ensure accountability by raising
standards and expectations for continuous
quality improvements in patient safety.
The bill
would fund Health and Human Services grants
to hospitals and other healthcare providers
to invest in information technology that
would promote patient safety and quality of
care and reduce medical errors. For example,
the funds would assist facilities in
upgrading information systems to more
efficiently and accurately store and share
data within their own facilities and with
other tiers of the healthcare system.
The 1999
Institute of Medicine report, titled “To Err
Is Human,” which stated that medical errors
in hospitals are the eighth leading cause of
death in the U.S., was the impetus for the
proposal.
The Patient
Safety Improvement Act of 2002 (HR 4889)
would clarify the extent to which medical
information would be protected in lawsuits.
Both of
these House bills are intended to enable
healthcare providers to report medical
errors to national databases without undue
fear of reprisal. Providers would be able to
voluntarily submit errors data to
private-sector patient safety organizations
for collection and analysis.
In addition,
the Patient Safety Improvement and Medical
Injury Reduction Act (SB 3029), introduced
by U.S. Sen. Edward Kennedy (D-Mass.), would
authorize more than $250 million in grants
in fiscal year 2003 for research related to
reducing medical errors. The grants would be
available for community partnerships to
improve healthcare, for computerized
physician order entry and informatics
systems and for patient safety research. HHS
would also establish grants to encourage
patient safety research. Additional
provisions include the creation of a Center
for Quality Improvement and Patient Safety
at the Agency for Healthcare Research and
Quality and a new limited federal
evidentiary privilege to promote reporting
of medical errors.
The full
text of these bills is available online at
http://thomas.loc.gov.
AACN’s
Position: AACN, which supports the
development of measures that promote patient
safety and reduce medical errors, is
currently reviewing these bills.
Bioterrorism Preparedness
Status: The
government plans to federalize thousands of
nurses in the event of a major public health
disaster or terrorist attack, under a new
memorandum of understanding between HHS and
the American Nurses Association. The
memorandum calls for establishing nursing
teams in Boston, New York, Philadelphia,
Atlanta, Dallas, Chicago, Kansas City,
Denver, San Francisco and Seattle as an
integral part of the federal medical
response if officials deem mass vaccinations
necessary.
The
agreement designates nurses for the first
time as an operational component of the
National Disaster Medical System, a joint
mobilization network of HHS and the
Department of Defense. HHS has outlined
goals to help the new response teams become
operational, including offering support in
the areas of development and organization,
administrative management, training, and
program development and delivery.
Information about joining the National Nurse
Response Team is available online at
.
Nursing
Shortage
Status: More
than $8.4 million in agency grants to
address a worsening nursing shortage and a
lack of diversity in the workforce have been
awarded by the Health Resources & Services
Administration.
The White
House has requested approximately $100
million, $7 million more than released last
year, in educational grants for the Health
Resources and Services Administration in
FY2003. However, if Congress and the
president rely on continuing resolutions to
fund the government through the end of the
year, agency funding would be maintained at
FY02 levels, delaying the increased
allocation.
Nurse
Reinvestment Act
Status: Also
in budgetary jeopardy is the Nurse
Reinvestment Act (PL 107-205), which was
signed into law by President Bush in August.
The act authorizes nursing education
scholarships, loan repayment programs and
magnet facility support. Congressional
Democrats acceded to a GOP demand to
authorize “such sums as necessary” for the
programs rather than a set amount, leaving
in doubt how much or even if legislators
will appropriate funding this year.
AACN’s
Position: AACN supports an initial annual
commitment of $250 million for programs in
the Nurse Reinvestment Act. Along with other
nursing organizations AACN is strenuously
lobbying Labor and HHS appropriators to
include the funding in this year’s spending
bill. To contact your legislators to urge
funding, visit AACN’s Legislative Action
Center at
http://www.aacn.org
> Public Policy.
Nurse
Support
Status: U.S.
Sen. Tom Harkin (D-Iowa) has introduced the
Teacher and Nurse Support Act (SB 3008) to
encourage individuals to enter the teaching
and nursing professions. To address the
nursing shortage, the bill would create a
loan forgiveness program under the
Department of Education.
Under the
bill’s provisions, an individual who is
employed as a full-time nurse for five
consecutive years in a clinical setting or
as a member of a nursing faculty at an
accredited school of nursing would be
eligible for loan forgiveness of up to
$17,500. Eligible individuals would include
graduates of a diploma, associate degree or
collegiate school of nursing, both
baccalaureate and graduate programs, and
those who hold a valid, unrestricted nursing
license. To read the text of the legislation
online, visit
http://thomas.loc.gov.
AACN’s
Position: AACN supports this legislation
and, as a member of the Americans for
Nursing Shortage Relief coalition, worked
with Harkin’s staff to include nursing
faculty in the bill.
Disaster
Response
Background:
A new report by the Federation of American
Scientists finds that U.S. emergency
response personnel lack the training
necessary to deal with a terrorist attack
involving weapons of mass destruction, and
that only a coordinated interagency approach
using new information technology can make up
for the shortfall.
The study
finds that federal planners are not taking
advantage of new information technologies,
many developed and deployed by the
Department of Defense, to train the more
than 5 million emergency responders in the
U.S. It also finds that physicians, nurses,
emergency medical workers, police and fire
officials feel unprepared for a weapons of
mass destruction emergency, need to be
trained quickly to respond to such events
and should have continuous access to
refresher courses. The full report can be
found online at
http://www.fas.org.
Staffing
Ratios
Status:
California Gov. Gray Davis has issued
proposed regulations to govern minimum
nurse-to-patient ratios for hospitals. The
regulations, establishing the nation’s first
nurse-to-patient ratios, are due to take
effect by Jan. 1, 2004.
The proposed
ratios are based on a number of factors
grounded in information collected by state
regulators during unannounced visits in May
to 80 acute care hospitals and 10
state-operated hospitals.
Only
intensive and critical care, acute
respiratory care, coronary care, well-baby
nursery, neonatal care unit and operating
rooms currently have minimum ratios. The
proposed ratios cover all other areas of a
hospital, including medical-surgical wards.
The proposed ratios vary from 1-to-1 in a
trauma unit to 1-to-6, which would be
reduced in a year to 1-to-5, in
medical-surgical units.
“While the
regulations contain sufficient flexibility
in the type of nurse to be used, we believe
that the staffing mix will continue to be
determined by nursing scope of practice and
patient acuity,” said California Department
of Health Services Director Diana Bonta.
California hospitals are currently staffed
with approximately 18% licensed vocational
nurses and 82% registered nurses.
Although
many hospitals already meet or exceed the
proposed standard, an additional 5,000
nurses are projected to be needed to fully
meet the new standard.
Following
hearings, the DHS plans to establish an
advisory group of major stakeholders to
discuss issues that arise as the regulations
are implemented and to guide it in the
development of criteria to measure the
effectiveness of the regulations. Comments
must be received no later than 5 p.m. on
Dec. 6. Additional information on the
proposed nurse-to-patient ratios can be
found on the DHS Web site at
.
At
Your Fingertips: Four AACN Clinical Pocket
References Are Now Available for Use on Your
PDA Devices
Two
additional AACN pocket references are now
available for use on Palm OS PDA devises. In
addition to the two pocket references
released last month, “Cardiac Medications”
and “Laboratory Values,” “Infectious
Diseases” and “Pediatric Critical Care”
pocket references have been added.
The
“Infectious Diseases” pocket reference
provides diagnosis and treatment of various
infectious diseases in the ICU, as well as
commonly used intravenous antimicrobials,
cerebrospinal fluid analysis and CDC
references.
The
“Pediatric Critical Care” pocket reference
includes information on normal vital signs,
development, isolation precautions,
equipment information, fluid replacement and
calculation, assessment of dehydration in
infants and children, and medications.
To order
these two new references, visit the AACN PDA
Center at
http://www.aacn.org
> Bookstore > AACN PDA Center > Specials >
What’s New. The price is $7. Additional
electronic pocket references are being
developed.
Try the
Tutorials
While
visiting the AACN PDA Center, be sure to
explore the tutorials that are designed to
help nurses understand the utility and
convenience of the PDA in nursing practice.
Each tutorial contains actual screen images
from PDA software applications and depicts
detailed information on numerous clinical
nursing software programs that will
complement and enhance nurses’ efficiency in
caring for patients at the bedside.
The first
lesson, titled “Choosing a PDA for Nursing
Practice,” presents helpful information on
selecting the PDA that is right for you.
“PDA Software for Clinical Nursing Practice”
explores the abundance of nursing software
programs specific to critical care and
advanced nursing practice. “Griffith’s
5-Minute Clinical Consult and Davis’ Drug
Guide for Nurses” takes you through a
clinical scenario and demonstrates the
comprehensive content contained in these two
PDA applications.
CCRN
Practice Exams
You can also
purchase the CCRN adult, neonatal and
pediatric CCRN Practice Exam Questions for
the PDA. Designed for devices using Palm OS
operating systems, these programs allow you
to tailor your learning in a variety of
ways. You may customize your test by
selecting a specific category, such as
cardiovascular, renal, pulmonary and
synergy, or take the entire exam in either
sequential or random order. Results are
depicted as both percentage and number of
correct answers, and sorted by clinical
category, which gives you immediate feedback
on your performance and areas for further
study.
Each
practice exam PDA software program is $22,
and is immediately downloadable from the
AACN PDA Center.
Exhibit Prospectus and Sponsorship
Opportunities for NTI Now Available
The Exhibit
Prospectus and Sponsorships Opportunities
brochure for the 2003 National Teaching
Institute and Critical Care Exposition is
now available from the AACN Exhibits
Department.
Exhibitors
will include technical products (healthcare
equipment, devices, supplies and
pharmaceuticals), educational resources
(publications and training materials),
nonprofit healthcare organizations, market
research firms and career opportunity
exhibitors (hospitals, healthcare
facilities, colleges and universities, and
travel nurse companies). Exhibit space
applications are accepted on a first-come,
first-served basis.
NTI 2003
exhibitors may also sponsor educational
programs, satellite symposia, events,
conference area and official giveaway items
and offer continuing education at their
display. Print advertising opportunities are
available in the official Program and
Proceedings book and in the daily newspaper.
Online opportunities, including a “featured
exhibitor” option, are available on the NTI
Web site at
http://www.aacn.org
> NTI.
To request
an exhibit prospectus, sponsorship brochure
and exhibits-related information, contact
the AACN Exhibits Department (800) 394-5995.
Ask for Colin Riegle (ext. 509), Heidi
Boydstun (ext. 373) or Randy Bauler (ext.
366).
Critical Links Membership Campaign Tops
1,000
AACN’s
Critical Links membership recruitment
campaign has topped the 1,000 mark, with a
total of 1,230 new members recruited as of
the end of September. The number includes
308 new members who joined AACN as part of
the campaign during September.
The 120
individuals who participated in the campaign
in September introduced 220 of their friends
and colleagues to the benefits of AACN
membership.
Continuing
to lead in the individual recruitment effort
were Kathleen M. Richuso, RN, MSN, of Chapel
Hill, N.C., with 20 new members recruited;
Caroline Axt, RN, MS, of Oakland, Calif.,
with 16; and Beverly C. Maloney, RN, CNS,
MSN, AA, of Bay Village, Ohio, with 15.
However, adding substantially to their
numbers during September were Sharon
McSorley, RN, BSN, of Westfield, N.J., who
added six new members to bring her total to
14; Mary A. Bryant, RN, MSN, MBA, CCRN, of
Sparks, Nev., who recruited nine new members
to bring her total to 11; and Doris J.
Strother, RN, MSN, CRNP, of Birmingham,
Ala., who added seven new members to bring
her total to 11.
Others who
jumped into the campaign with substantial
numbers during September were Cynthia A. Noe,
RN, BSN, of Albany, Ga., with 12; Julie N.
Liberio, RN, MSN, CCRN, of Naperville, Ill.,
with 11; Sylvia B. Naldoza, RN, BSN, CCRN,
of McAllen, Texas, with 10; Teresa T.
Solberg, RN, MS, MN, CCRN, of Vermillion,
S.D.; Maria Molar Haque, RN, BS, BSN, CCRN,
of Plano, Texas, with six; Holly L.
Weber-Johnson, RN, BSN, of Pflugerville,
Texas, with six; and Marcia J. Stahovich,
RN, ADN, CCRN, of Solana Beach, Calif., with
five.
The
Rewards
The
individual recruiting the most new members
by the time the campaign ends April 30 will
receive a $500 American Express gift
certificate.
All
individual campaign participants receive an
AACN pocket reference when they recruit
their first new member. After that,
individual recruiters receive $25 gift
certificates toward the purchase of AACN
resources when they recruit five new members
and $50 AACN gift certificates when they
recruit 10 new members. Each month, members
who have recruited at least one new member
during the month are also entered into a
monthly drawing for a $100 American Express
gift certificate.
The
individual winner in the monthly drawing for
September was Anthony Farmer, RN, MSN.
In addition
to the $500 American Express gift
certificate, the top individual recruiter is
eligible for the first-, second- and
third-place prize drawings for (1st prize)
round-trip tickets for two to anywhere in
the continental U.S., including a five-day,
four-night hotel stay; (2nd prize)
round-trip tickets for two to anywhere in
the continental U.S.; and (3rd prize)
four-day, three-night hotel accommodations
at a Marriott Hotel.
All the
recruiters need to do is make certain that
their name and AACN member number are
included on the new members’ application
forms.
Below are
the individual recruitment results as of
Sept. 30.
Who
Recruited New Members During September?
Julianna W. Abatiell, RN, MS, CCRN
Janet Marie Adams , RN, MSN, CCRN
Judy
D. Antonioni, RN, BSN
K.
David Bailey, RN, MSN, CCRN, CNAA
Linda I. Ball, RN, BSN, CCRN, CEN
Christine M. Banta, RN, BSN, CCRN
Robert Bassalin, RN, BSN
Betty Bauguess, RN, ADN
Lydia C. Bautista, RN, BSN, CCRN
Michael F. Beshel, RN, BSN, CCRN,
CEN
Philicia J. Bianco, RN
Amy
Elizabeth Bibson, RN
Katherine O. Blee, RN, BS, MSN, CCRN
Colleen Bonnet-Wyllie, RN, ADN, CCRN
Marylee R. Bressie, RN, CNS, MSN,
CCRN,
CEN
Mary
A. Bryant, RN, MSN, MBA, CCRN
Giovanna R. Buford, RN
Patricia E. Casey, RN, MSN, MS
Maria Sheila B. Casilao, RN
Annamma M. Chacko, RN
Kimberly A. Clark, RN, BSN, CCRN
Gordon W. Collins, RN, BA, CCRN
Marcia Darner, RN, ADN
Terri D. Davari, RN, BSN, CCRN
Therisa B. Davis, RN
Erica C DeBoer, RN, BSN
Judy
A. Derozier, RN, BS, CNA
Marie A. Eidam, RN, MS
Doreen M. Elitharp, RN, BSN, AA,
CCRN
Jewell D. Ellis, RN, BSN, AA, CCRN-R |
Joung Sun Evans, RN, BS, CCRN
Anthony E. Farmer, RN, MSN
Carolyn A. Fernandez, RN, MSN, CCRN,
CS,
CEN
Elaine R. Fetzer, RN, BSN, CCRN
Valerie G. Finney, RN, BS, BSN, CCRN
Dorrie K. Fontaine, RN, DNSc, FAAN
Diane E. Fritsch, RN, MSN, CCRN, CS
Cleotilde Joy Gatti, RN, BSN, CCRN
Ronald D. Gerlach, RN
Faith Diane Giersdorf, RN, BSN, MBA,
CCRN
Carol Guyette, RN, BSN, CCRN
Maria Molar Haque, RN, BS, BSN, CCRN
Monica C. Harper, RN, BSN
Jane
L. Hartman, RN, MS, CCRN
Eileen Hellwig Stoll, RN, MSN, CCRN
Lori
D. Hendrickx, RN, EdD, CCRN
Melissa C Hicks, RN, ADN
Carol M. Hinkle, RN, MSN, BA, CCRN
Mary
E. Holtschneider, RN, BSN, MPA
Theresa Hudak, RN
Louisa K. Kamatuka, RN, MSN, CCRN,
CS
Lori
E. Kennedy, RN, BSN, CCRN
Anne
M. Klahre, RN, BS, BSN
Victoria L. Knapp
Debra L. Knight, RN, BSN
Marcia Ann Kummer, RN, AA, CCRN
Eunice F. Lasala, RN, MS, MSN, CCRN
Mary
A. Lawson, RN, BSN, CCRN
Nanda Lerchbaum-Nwokocha, RN, ADN,
AA,
CCRN, CEN |
Faith S. Lewis, RN, ADN
Julie N. Liberio, RN, MSN, CCRN
Laura L. Lipp, RN
Michael S. Loga, RN, BSN, CCRN
Jeanne M. Long, RN, CCRN
Debra L Lovell, RN, BSN
Naomi L. Lungstrom, RN, MN, BS
Renee McHugh, RN, BSN, BS
Sharon McSorley, RN, BSN
Ruth
G. Melvin, RN, BSN, CCRN
Inocencia G. Mendoza, RN, BSN
Rachel E. Monday, RN
Eufemia O. Mora, RN, BSN, CCRN
Debra Moroney, RN, MSN
Janet F. Mulroy, RN, MSN, CCNS, CCRN
Dorothy Muskovin, RN, BSN
Sylvia B. Naldoza, RN, BSN, CCRN
Maureen E. Newton, RN, BSN
Cynthia A. Noe, RN, BSN
Jeannette Orr, RN
Nida
Tan Paz, RN, BSN
Kathleen Klein Peavy, RN, MS, CCRN
Kristine J. Peterson, RN, MS, CCRN,
CCNS
Myra
K. Porthouse, RN, ADN, CCRN, TNS
Michele Quinlan, RN, BSN
Jennifer L. Randolph
Lovelia Irvena Reese, RN, MSN, CCRN
Margaret Riley, RN, BSN, CCRN
Susan M. Roberti, RN
Elin
Roberts, RN, MSN, CCRN |
Victoria L. Robinson, RN, BSN, CCRN
Catherine P. Rodgers, RN, ADN, CCRN
Barbara C. Rogers, RN, BSN
Susan K. Rossetti, RN, BSN, CCRN
Orlando Scott, RN, ADN, CCRN
Lindsey Shank, RN, BSN, CCRN
Rikki D. Simpson, RN
Cara
E. Sirgo, RN, BSN
Sharnel A. Smith, RN
Barbara A. Smith, RN, ADN, AA
Teresa T. Solberg, RN, MS, MSN, CCRN
Barbara T. Sommer, RN, MA, CEN, CNA
Martha A. Sorensen, RN, BSN, BS
Marcia J. Stahovich, RN, ADN, CCRN
Carolyn E. Steed, RN, MN, CCRN
Theresa Stevens, RN, MS, CCRN, CCNS
Doris J. Strother, RN, MSN, CRNP
Elizabeth I. Talley, RN, BSN
Rebecca K. Tantama, RN, MA, CCRN
Linda C. Thomas, RN, MSN, CCRN
Angela Deniese Thompson, RN, ADN
Teresa L. Turton, RN, ADN, CCRN
Pam
Wagers, RN, BSN, CCRN
Elissa Marie Walsh, RN, BS, BSN,
CCRN
Sonja Warren, RN, MSN
Holly L. Weber-Johnson, RN, BSN
Linda L. Weston Kramer, RN, BSN,
CCRN
Angela M. Williams, RN, CCRN
Helene D. Winstanley, RN, MS
Carolyn M. Womack, RN, BSN, CCRN |
Who Is
Leading the Campaign?
15-20 New
Members
Kathleen M.
Richuso, RN, MSN 20
Caroline Axt,
RN, MS 16
Beverly C.
Maloney, RN, CNS, MSN, AA 15
10-15 New
Members
Victoria L.
Robinson, RN, BSN, CCRN 14
Sharon
McSorley, RN, BSN 14
Cynthia A.
Phelps, RN, BSN, CCRN 13
Kathryn A.
Steinke, RNC, MS 13
Michael F.
Beshel, RN, BSN, CCRN, CEN 12
Elaine B.
Boseman, RNC, CCRN, CLNC 12
Paulita D.
Narag, RN, ADN, CCRN 12
Diane M.
Casperson, RN, BSN, CCRN 12
Cynthia A.
Noe, RN, BSN 12
Mary A.
Bryant, RN, MSN, MBA, CCRN 11
Pam
Zinnecker, RN, CCRN 11
Lauretta M.
Joseph, RN, MSN, CCRN, NP 11
Donna B.
Sabash, RN, BSN, CCRN 11
Doris J.
Strother, RN, MSN, CRNP 11
Yvonne
Thelwell, RN 11
Julie N.
Liberio, RN, MSN, CCRN 11
Teresa T.
Solberg, RN, MS, MSN, CCRN 10
Sylvia B.
Naldoza, RN, BSN, CCRN 10
Anne M.
Klahre, RN, BS, BSN 10
5-10 New
Members
Susan M.
Roberti, RN 9
Theresa
Stevens, RN, MS, CCRN,CCNS 8
Nancy D.
King, RN, MSN, CCRN, ANP, NP 8
Carol M.
Hinkle, RN, MSN, BA, CCRN 7
Pauline J.
McNeece, RN, MSN, CCRN 7
Joni S.
Herman, RN 7
Lindsey
Shank, RN, BSN, CCRN 7
Erin Irene
Hutchison, RN 7
Patricia E.
Casey, RN, MSN, MS 6
Maria Molar
Haque, RN, BS, BSN, CCRN 6
Denise
Guaglianone-Buonocore, RN, MSN, 6
CCRN, CS, ACNP, APRN
Dorothea S.
M urphy, RN, CCRN, CNRN 6
Holly L.
Weber-Johnson, RN, BSN 6
Therisa B.
Davis, RN 6
Marcia J.
Stahovich, RN, ADN, CCRN 5
Geneva D.
Llewellyn, RN, CNS, MSN, CCRN 5
Jacqueline
J. Johnson, RN, MA 5
Joan F.
Baker, RN, MSN, CCRN, CNRN 5
Lynn Smith
Schnautz, RN, MSN, CCRN, CCNS 5
Sandra
Mejia, RN 5
Inocencia G.
Mendoza, RN, BSN 5
Philicia J.
Bianco, RN 5
Wendi Nopper,
RN 5
Scene
and Heard
AACN
continues to seek visibility for our
profession and the organization. Following
is an update on recent outreach efforts:
Our Voice
in the Media
• The
September issue of RN magazine featured
excerpts from the August AACN News
“President’s Note” column by AACN President
Connie Barden, RN, MSN, CCNS, CCRN. She
addressed the importance of nurses using
their “voice” to inform others about the
essential role nurses play in providing care
for their patients.
• The
National Alliance for the Primary Prevention
of Sharps Injuries has petitioned the FDA to
post and disseminate its Needlestick Safety
Device List, a compilation of technologies
that reduce or eliminate healthcare workers’
exposure to needlestick injuries and avoid
the risk of acquiring a life-threatening
disease. Many state health departments and
clinical organizations, including AACN, are
already distributing the advisory and list.
AACN is an organizational member of NAPPSI.
The full list is available online at
www.nappsi.org/safety.shtml. Business Wire
posted the NAPPSI announcement on Sept. 19.
• NTI was
featured in the July/August issue of Premier
Inc.’s Tech Horizons, which includes
“technology briefings for healthcare
professionals.” The issue highlighted many
products that were introduced at AACN’s
National Teaching Institute and Critical
Care Exposition in May in Atlanta, Ga.
• On Oct. 2,
Business Wire published an AACN news release
announcing the launch of the Essentials of
Critical Care Orientation, a Web-based
educational tool for novice nurses. GE
Medical Systems, the first corporate sponsor
of the resource, also featured ECCO on its
company’s Web stock page.
Our Voice
at the Table
• On Sept.
4, Suzanne Burns, RN, MSN, RRT, ACNP, CCRN,
FAAN, a member of the AACN Board of
Directors, attended a National Coalition on
Healthcare conference in Washington, D.C.
Titled “Improving Quality of Care in
Intensive Care Units Through Best
Practices,” the conference highlighted
examples of best-practice quality
initiatives to demonstrate dramatic
improvements in the quality of care. Topics
included the use of integrated data systems,
end-of-life care, protocol development/use
and telemedicine.
• On Sept.
7, AACN President Connie Barden, RN, MSN,
CCNS, CCRN, spoke at the “Bridging the Gap”
conference, cosponsored by the Three Rivers
Chapter of AACN, Pittsburgh, Pa., and the
Suspension Bridge Chapter, Wheeling, W.Va.
Barden delivered the keynote address, titled
“Nursing in La Vida Loca.”
• Sept. 12
through 14, Suzanne Prevost, RN, PhD,
chair-elect of the AACN Certification
Corporation Board of Directors, and
Certification Director Carol Hartigan, RN,
represented AACN at the American Board of
Nursing Specialties assembly in Denver,
Colo. Prevost was appointed to serve as
cochair of the ABNS Research Committee.
Bonnie Niebuhr, a former AACN national
office employee, was appointed as the new
executive director for ABNS. ABNS advocates
for consumer protection by setting standards
for nursing certification programs and
establishing policies and procedures for
their review and approval. In addition to
AACN Certification Corporation, 20 other
nursing certification organizations are
members of ABNS, representing nearly 500,000
nurses certified in various specialties.
• On Sept.
16 and 17, Carol Puz, RN, BSN, CCRN, a
member of the AACN Board of Directors,
attended the Nurse Fest Conference hosted by
the Lehigh Valley (Pa.) Chapter of AACN.
Speaking on the “Value of Certification:
Trends for the Future” at the group’s CCRN
luncheon on Sept. 16, Puz emphasized the
importance of knowledge validation and
elevating the awareness of certification to
patients, families and consumers. On Sept.
17, she delivered the keynote address,
titled “Becoming a Star Performer … the
Right Ingredients.”
• On Sept.
19, Puz and fellow AACN board member Susan
Yeager, RN, MS, CCRN, EMT, spoke at the AACN
Region 9 meeting in Cleveland, Ohio. Puz’s
presentation, titled “Who We Are,”
emphasized AACN’s “voice” initiative. Yeager
spoke about the importance of regional
collaboration in recruiting and retaining
AACN members.
• On Sept.
20, AACN Board Treasurer Dave Hanson, RN,
BSN, CCRN, EMT-P, spoke at the Emergency
Nurses Association Scientific Assembly in
New Orleans, La. He was a co-presenter of a
session titled “Emergency & Critical Care
Nursing Practices: Creating a Synergistic
Foundation” with Damon Cottrell,
president-elect of the Dallas County Chapter
of AACN. They addressed the differences
between emergency and critical care nursing
and identified ways in which emergency and
critical care nurses can collaborate to
build a synergistic practice foundation.
• On Sept.
26, Barden spoke at the “Reflections on
Critical Care” conference, sponsored by the
Peninsula Chapter of AACN, Williamsburg, Va.
Her keynote address was titled “Bold Voices,
Our Future, Let’s Talk.” She also spoke on
“Families—Just Who Do They Think They Are?”
On Sept. 27, she attended AACN’s Region 4
meeting that was sponsored by the chapter.
• On Sept.
26, Hanson spoke at the “New Directions
Critical Care 2002” conference at the
University of Wisconsin, Madison. He gave
the keynote address, titled “The Unique
Contributions of Critical Care Nurses:
Weaving Our Stories in the Tapestry of
Life.” His speech celebrated the courageous
acts and unique contributions that critical
care nurses make to the health and
well-being of critically ill patients and
their families. In addition, at a breakout
session titled “Critical Care Nursing: Then,
Now and Always,” Hanson discussed the
historical perspective and future direction
of critical care nursing. He also spoke at
the final breakout session, titled “Care of
the Cardiac Patient in the ED: No Time for
Shoulda’s, Woulda’s, Coulda’s.” This session
gave participants valuable clinical
information for safely and effectively
treating the cardiac patient in the
emergency department setting.
If you or
your chapter is planning to reach out to the
media or other groups to promote critical
care nursing, we’d like to know. E-mail your
information to
aacnnews@aacn.org.
Soundbites
Make your
voice—and the voice of critical care
nursing—heard by participating in the Voice
Project, an effort by AACN to amplify the
voice of nursing in public forums. This
initiative is tied to the theme of AACN
President Connie Barden, RN, MSN, CCNS, CCRN,
“Bold Voices—Fearless and Essential.”
Q. If you
had the opportunity to communicate to the
world why critical care nurses are
essential, what would you say?
Critical
care nurses are essential in creating a
caring environment for the patient and the
family in an arena that is often overwhelmed
by numerous technological innovations.
Machines, monitors, etc., are only tools
used to keep nurses abreast of changes in
the patient. The relationship the critical
care nurse establishes with the patient and
the family is often the turning point in the
outcome of the patient.
Mary Walker,
RN, MSN, CCRN
Converse,
Texas
Q. What do
you do to continually renew your passion for
nursing?
I
continually read and learn, and challenge
myself to be the best that I can be in my
profession. I also talk about what I do with
others and because, I love what I do, I
think the positive message about the nursing
profession comes through. I find that I can
educate others outside of the field about
what nurses really do.
Mary Ernst,
RN, MSN
Miami, Fla.
Make Your
Voice Heard
To
participate in the Voice Project, visit the
AACN Web site at www.aacn.org > Voice
Project. A variety of questions will be
posed throughout the coming year, and the
responses of members will be used in several
ways, including as part of AACN’s messaging
to the media, legislators and other key
healthcare influencers.
Myth
Versus Fact: Setting the Record Straight
About Professional Liability Insurance
Myth: The
coverage my employer provides is sufficient.
I don’t need additional insurance.
Fact: Your
employer-provided coverage may be limited.
You can’t
rely solely on the liability protection
provided by your employer. In fact,
purchasing your own professional liability
insurance is recommended, even if you have
limited coverage through your employer.
Otherwise, you could find yourself paying
attorney fees, court costs and loss of wages
out of your own pocket. Following are some
of the reasons you should not rely solely on
employer-provided coverage:
• Your
employer’s policy may have gaps.
• A suit may
be filed after you have terminated
employment.
• You may
not be covered for actions that take place
outside the workplace or outside of your job
description, or when established procedure
was not followed.
•
Employer-provided coverage is shared with
your coworkers, employer and the entity.
• A
consolidated defense usually represents the
interest of the employer, not you.
To make
obtaining individual coverage easier, AACN
sponsors a professional liability insurance
plan for its members. For additional
information, contact Marsh Affinity Group
Services, a service of Seabury & Smith, 1440
Renaissance Dr., Park Ridge, Ill.
60068-1400; phone, (800) 503-9230. Or, visit
the AACN Web site at
http://www.aacn.org
> Membership > Benefits > Personal
Resources.
In the
Circle: Award Recognizes Multidisciplinary
Team Collaboration
The
following are excerpts from exemplars
submitted in connection with the
Multidisciplinary Team Award for 2002. Part
of the AACN Circle of Excellence recognition
program, this award recognizes
multidisciplinary teams that clearly
practice key principles of collaboration and
multidisciplinary practice. In addition to
the team receiving $2,500 earmarked to fund
projects, individual recipients were given
public recognition and a personalized
plaque.
Acute
Coronary Syndrome Team
New York,
N.Y.
New
York-Presbyterian Hospital
Columbia
Presbyterian Medical Center
The Acute
Coronary Syndrome Team at New
York-Presbyterian Hospital, Columbia
Presbyterian Medical Center, was formed to
decrease length of stay and increase quality
of care.
The
departments of cardiology and emergency
medicine collaborated in writing a diagnosis
and treatment protocol, which classifies
patients who present to the emergency
department with chest pain into one of four
levels. Based on the level of the patient,
goals and tests are recommended.
Implementing
a hospitalwide protocol was a huge
undertaking for our large urban institution.
Nurse practitioners were hired to coordinate
the project and to evaluate the chest pain
patients in the ED. Representatives from the
departments of nursing, medicine, case
management, administration and the
laboratory were brought in to implement the
protocol and evaluate progress.
We have
reduced the length of stay for patients who
present to the ED with chest pain by more
than one-and-a-half days. We have shown an
increase in the number of appropriate
patients who undergo cardiac catheterization
and have shown an increase in the number of
patients with more atypical chest pain who
receive stress tests.
All members
of the team met weekly before and for
several months after the protocol started.
We continue to meet every two weeks to
review outstanding cases. We also look for
solutions to problems we encounter. It is a
continuing effort to look for areas within
the hospital that need improvement and ways
for our team to collaborate to find answers.
Because of
the success of the Acute Coronary Syndrome
Team, two other multidisciplinary teams are
currently being formed.
MICU
Hantavirus Care Team
Albuquerque, N.M.
University of New Mexico Hospital
Hantavirus
cardiopulmonary syndrome is a rare, deadly
disease that was first recognized in 1993
during an outbreak in the Four Corners
Region of the Southwest.
The
complexity of this disease process, high
mortality rate and an increasing number of
cases led to the formation of a
multidisciplinary team at the University of
New Mexico Hospital. This team of nurses,
physicians and ancillary staff provides a
collaborative approach to patient care
resulting in a positive impact on patient
outcomes.
When the
medical ICU attending physician notifies the
charge nurse about a patient who possibly
has Hantavirus, an immediate activation of
resources is initiated. If it appears that
the patient is ill enough to be placed on
extracorporeal membrane oxygenation, the
attending physician also notifies the ECMO
attending physician, who advises the
coordinator and the perfusionist to standby.
The cardiothoracic attending surgeon and his
surgical heart team are put on alert to
insert the ECMO cannulas, and the blood bank
and the pharmacy are notified to provide all
necessary products.
After ECMO
is initiated, the ECMO nurse and the MICU
nurse implement clinical inquiry and
judgment to guide them in their care plan.
The goals, which change based on
physiological needs, always focus on
maintaining a state of equilibrium. When the
patient improves and is weaned off ECMO, the
MICU team takes over care and provides
monitoring to assess for signs of acute
decompensation or detrimental effects of the
early course of the illness. During
convalescence, the team works with
dieticians, physical therapists and social
workers to optimize recovery of these
patients.
We hope to
continue our multidisciplinary approach in
the care of these patients, and we are proud
of our efforts in improving the outcomes of
patients with Hantavirus.
5LM
Cardiovascular Surgical Telemetry Unit
Milwaukee, Wis.
St.
Luke’s Medical Center
Have you
ever worked with a nursing staff that
consistently rises to new challenges and
moves beyond hospital walls? This is the
staff of 5LM. Caring for patients with an
implanted ventricular assist device resulted
in the staff taking on challenges that
stretched their practice.
Initially,
VAD patients were required to stay in the
ICU until heart transplantation. With
advances in technology, patients could
return home to wait for the transplant. This
change required patients to become
responsible for VAD management.
It was
determined that a telemetry unit could best
prepare patients for home. To prepare for
this population, the staff received
education and developed standards of care
and care plans. The staff realized that they
would have to anticipate patients’ discharge
needs sooner.
Before a
patient could be discharged, demonstration
of VAD management was required. Part of this
requirement included a hospital pass with
nurse accompaniment. Because of this, nurses
attempted to simulate the home setting in
the hospital. It became apparent that
ancillary therapists were needed.
Therapists
became VAD trained, allowing patients to
leave 5LM for therapies and exercise. When
it was time for the pass, the nurse
partnered with the patient and family to
decide what to do. Although most patients
chose to go home, others went to a
restaurant, movie, ballpark or even a
casino. In addition to patients going out on
pass, the staff arranged for celebrations of
special occasions, such as a 21st birthday,
a wedding ceremony and a “boys’ night only”
poker party. The bond between patients
deepens, and patient care moves beyond the
confines of the hospital.
AACN
and CCRN Items on Sale
Are you
looking for a special gift for your favorite
critical care nurse? Check out the special
items on sale from AACN. For example, while
supplies last, you can save more than 20% on
scrub and polo shirts that bear either the
AACN or CCRN logo.
Scrub
Shirts: $15-$18 (nonmembers $17-$20)
AACN Polo
Shirts: Women, $17.75 (nonmembers $19.75);
Men, $20-$25 (nonmembers $23-$27)
CCRN Polo
Shirts: Women, $17.95 (nonmembers $19.75);
Men, $22-$26 (nonmembers $25-$28)
Or, how
about a CCRN pen or pen and pencil set?
CCRN pen: $7
CCRN pen and
pencil set: $10
To order,
call (800) 899-2226 or visit the AACN online
Bookstore at
http://www.aacn.org
> Bookstore
> AACN Product Catalog > Specials & What’s
New. The sale prices are good through Nov.
30.
December Critical Care Nurse Focuses on
Families
• Families
of the Critically Ill (theme)
•
Family-Centered Critical Care
• Family
Presence During Resuscitation
• Obstetric
Critical Care
• Why
Families Say “No” to Organ Donation
• The SF-36
Quality of Life Instrument
Subscriptions to Critical Care Nurse and the
American Journal of Critical Care are
included in AACN membership dues.
Looking Ahead
December
2002
Dec. 1
Deadline to apply for the AACN Distinguished
Research Lecture Award for 2004. For more
information, contact Clinical Practice
Associate Dolores Curry at (800) 394-5995,
ext. 377; e-mail,
dolores.curry@aacn.org.
January
2003
Jan. 15
Deadline to apply for the Philips Medical
Systems-AACN Outcomes for Clinical
Excellence Research Grant. To obtain a
grants handbook, visit the AACN Web site at
http://www.aacn.org
> Clinical Practice > Research or call AACN
Fax on Demand at (800) 222-6329. Request
Document #1013.
Jan. 15
Deadline to apply for the AACN Clinical
Inquiry Grant. To obtain a grants handbook,
visit the AACN Web site at
http://www.aacn.org
> Clinical Practice > Research or call AACN
Fax
on Demand at (800) 222-6329. Request
Document #1013.
February
2003
Feb. 1
Deadline to apply for the Datex-Ohmeda-AACN
Research Grant. To obtain a grants handbook,
visit the AACN Web site at
http://www.aacn.org>
Clinical Practice > Research or call
AACN Fax on Demand at (800) 222-6329.
Request Document #1013.
Feb. 1
Deadline to apply for the AACN Critical Care
Grant. To obtain a grants handbook, visit
the AACN Web site at
http://www.aacn.org
> Clinical Practice > Research or call
AACN Fax on Demand at (800) 222-6329.
Request Document #1013.
Feb. 1
Deadline to apply for the AACN Mentorship
Grant. To obtain a grants handbook, visit
the AACN Web site at
http://www.aacn.org>
Clinical Practice > Research or call AACN
Fax on
Demand at (800) 222-6329. Request Document
#1013.
Feb. 1
Deadline to apply for the AACN Certification
Corporation Research Grant. To obtain a
grants handbook, visit the AACN Web site at
http://www.aacn.org
> Clinical Practice >
Research or call AACN Fax on Demand at (800)
222-6329. Request Document #1013.
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