Dana
Carvey Headlines NTI Participant/Exhibitor
Event
Get up close and
personal with the Church Lady-or, perhaps,
even the "likes" of George Bush or Regis Philbin-as Emmy-award winner Dana Carvey
brings his unique brand of comedy to AACN's
2003 National Teaching Institute and
Critical Care Exposition.
Carvey will
headline the annual NTI
Participant/Exhibitor Event. He will be
joined by Super Diamond, a Neil Diamond
tribute band whose performance is more of an
experience than a concert.
The
Participant/Exhibitor Event is set for
Wednesday evening during the NTI, which is
scheduled for May 17 through 22 in San
Antonio, Texas. The event is sponsored by
exposition exhibitors.
A repertory
member of "Saturday Night Live" for seven
seasons, Carvey won an Emmy Award in 1993
for Outstanding Individual Performance in a
Variety or Music Program and received the
American Comedy Award as Television's
Funniest Supporting Male in 1990 and 1991.
In addition to
the Church Lady, Carvey is known for his
characters as Hans the bodybuilder, as Garth
the excellent cohost of "Wayne's World" and
as Weekend Update's Grumpy Old Man. He has
also received accolades for his comedic
impersonations of political figures,
including ex-President George Bush, H. Ross
Perot, Jerry Brown, David Duke and Bob Dole.
He also does impersonations of George Burns,
Johnny Carson, Jimmy Stewart, John
McLaughlin, Mickey Rooney, Casey Casem and
Regis Philbin.
Carvey's film
credits include "The Road to Wellville," "Clean Slate" and
"Trapped in Paradise."
Learning
Partners Get an Inside Look at AACN Board
AACN Board Learning
Partners
were joined by their board
mentors at the November
board meeting. Pictured
(from left) are Susan Yeager,
Monica Simpson, Melissa
Hutchinson and Kathy McCauley.
Editor's
note: AACN's Board Learning Partners program
is designed to provide selected members the
opportunity to attend a meeting of the AACN
Board of Directors and learn more about AACN.
Learning Partners, who may be asked to
gather data prior to the meeting to
strengthen discussions and strategic
agendas, provide feedback and communicate to
the membership regarding their experiences.
In November, Melissa Hutchinson, RN, ADN,
BA, CCRN, of Bothell Wash., and Monica
Simpson, RN, MSN, CCRN, of Coral Springs,
Fla., attended the four-day board meeting as
learning partners in Costa Mesa, Calif.
Following are their accounts of the
experience.
Learning to
Use Voice
By Melissa
Hutchinson
When I was
notified that I had been selected to be an
AACN Board Learning Partner, my life-as a
mother, student, wife and night-shift ICU
nurse-suddenly felt different, maybe even a
little better! I was being offered the
opportunity not only to attend the fall
meeting of the national AACN Board of
Directors, but also to offer input as a
practicing, bedside nurse.
I had applied
for the position when the "Call for
Volunteers" was published in AACN News. I
was eager to network with the leaders of
AACN and to observe the board members in
action. I wanted to know how and why AACN
policies and plans come about. The process
of prioritizing issues and establishing
organizational goals had always seemed
mysterious to me.
My preceptor for
the meetings was Kathleen McCauley, a
third-year member of the AACN Board of
Directors. As an experienced board member,
she was able to provide me great insight
into the board activities and participants.
As a result, I always felt I was part of the
group and that I was lucky to have her as my
guide and mentor.
The meetings
were eye opening, to say the least. A wide
variety of topics were covered, including
leadership, NTI planning, goal setting,
marketing, motivational training and change
facilitation. Brain-
storming
sessions were organized to produce the top
three initiatives that AACN will pursue in
the near future. The discussions were not
only interesting, but also contained
information that I could bring back to my
hospital and chapter and share with my
colleagues.
In addition, I
had the opportunity to meet some people who
had previously only been heroes in my mind.
The names that I had seen published, the
"experts" in certain areas, suddenly had
faces. Here I was shaking their hands and
sharing dinner with them.
Seeing the
camaraderie that was involved in the board
processes was a positive experience. Truly
positive energy was shared. No one ever
said, "That will never work." No negative
attitudes were expressed, a refreshing
change from what we sometimes encounter at
the bedside. Clearly, each person there was
contributing fully, and the interactions I
witnessed were invigorating. No idea was too
small; no person unimportant. I was
motivated and replenished. In fact, I could
not wait to return to my hospital with the
renewed energy and the power to use my voice
to create change.
My experience
with the board made me realize that my voice
is important, strong and necessary. I highly
recommend this volunteer experience to
others. It has shown me the importance of my
singular voice and the power of my voice
when joined with others. Through AACN's
vision and guidance, we can bring about a
positive and needed change in our
profession.
Sharing
Viewpoints
By Monica
Simpson
My experience as
a Board Learning Partner was great. I was
treated as one of the group and encouraged
to participate in all discussions.
My mentor was
Susan Yeager, a second-year member of the
board. Because she had also once been a
learning partner, she was well prepared to
mentor me. So that I would know what to
expect, we communicated prior to the meeting
via e-mail and the telephone. During the
meeting, Susan answered my questions and
provided background information about the
agenda items. When not in meetings, we
networked with other board members and AACN
national office staff. I felt fortunate to
have the opportunity to meet and dialogue
with all the attendees including Wanda
Johanson, the CEO. We both felt that they
were interested in our thoughts and ideas.
It was an extremely supportive environment.
Although the
agenda was full, the meetings went smoothly.
Both Johanson and President Connie Barden
kept us on task, while ensuring that
everyone had a chance to have their opinions
heard. Because all decisions required
consensus, there was opportunity for
discussion if anyone was uncomfortable with
a decision.
There was also
time to get to know these national AACN
leaders in a more relaxed setting. At the
farewell dinner, as everyone said their
good-byes, it was obvious that they
genuinely like and respect each other.
I felt fortunate
to have been invited to this particular
meeting, where the issues were chosen that
AACN would stress through the use of bold
voices in the following years. I was
thrilled to contribute my ideas. More
importantly, I am delighted that AACN is
being more proactive regarding issues that
affect nurses and their patients by using
bold voices. This, to me, constitutes the
beginning of a new AACN.
AACN Links
to Smallpox Information Resources
AACN is closely
following President Bush's plan to vaccinate
thousands of Americans against smallpox,
beginning with registered nurses and other
healthcare professionals who would be called
upon to respond to an outbreak.
To keep updated
and to ensure that the interests of critical
care nurses are represented, AACN national
office representatives have participated in
conference calls conducted by the Department
of Health Services and Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention. While the logistical
details and timelines for the plan are being
developed, the latest and best data sources
regarding the issue, including clinical
practice links, have been compiled and are
available on the AACN Web site at
http://www.aacn.org.
For additional
information, call AACN's Practice Resource
Network at (800) 394-5995, ext. 217.
Use Online
Resources to Become a Grassroots Activist
Get involved!
You can easily track legislation and contact
your elected representatives through AACN's
online Legislative Action Center at
http://www.aacn.org
> Public Policy. This tool to enhance
grassroots activism features an "action
alert" regarding key legislation, such as
enactment of the Nurse Reinvestment Act, as
well as a database of elected officials,
both nationally and by state.
Download or view
the status and a brief summary of pertinent
nursing legislation, with information posted
within 24 hours of public availability. At
the same time, you can connect with elected
officials, agencies and organizations.
E-mail members of Congress, the president
and other government officials; find
legislators by a ZIP code or name search;
and find out how legislators voted on
identified issues. Compose your own messages
or send messages prewritten by AACN.
ECCO Seen
as the Educational Wave of the Future
Hospitals around
the country continue to adopt AACN's newest
educational program, the Internet-based
Essentials of Critical Care Orientation, for
a variety of reasons. Allina Hospitals &
Clinics, one of the most recent
organizations to implement ECCO, considers
the program the educational wave of the
future.
Allina, which
offers services and programs to communities
in Minnesota and western Wisconsin, has a
workforce of more than 22,000 employees who
provide a continuum of care from disease
prevention programs to technically advanced
inpatient and outpatient care, medical
transportation, home care and hospice
services. Eight of Allina's 11 hospitals-
Abbott Northwestern Hospital, Buffalo
Hospital, Mercy Hospital, Owatonna Hospital,
St. Francis Regional Medical Center, River
Falls Hospital, Unity Hospital and United
Hospital-started using ECCO in January.
According to
Heather Froehlich, RN, MSN, CCRN, learning
and development specialist for St. Francis
Regional Medical Center, a few key factors
led to the decision to implement ECCO.
"In the past, Allina has offered a course for new critical
care nurses three to four times a year," she
explained. "Eight hospitals in the group
would come together and start with AACN's
printed Orientation to the Care of the Acute and Critically Ill Patient to
define the course content. While this was helpful, it still required a lot
of resources to put together and present. It also meant hiring nurses to
coincide with when the classes were offered."
The nursing
shortage caused some changes to this
educational practice, because it was
becoming necessary to hire new critical care
nurses at times when classes were not
offered. Although the Allina educators
videotaped their course presentations to
offer as an independent study option, the
learning experience wasn't ideal. They
needed an educational option that would
allow them to start critical care nurses as
soon as they came through the door.
Deciding to
re-think the program, the group network
began searching for available cutting-edged
resources that would make offering the
classes easier and less resource intensive.
"All hospital
sites were in agreement that practicing at a
national standard was extremely important
when choosing our educational solution,"
Froehlich said. "We didn't want our
curriculum to reflect only regional practice."
While surfing
the Web, several educators discovered the
ECCO program. In Spring 2002, Froehlich and
another educator at Abbott Northwestern
Hospital decided Web-based education would
give them the flexibility to present a
comprehensive critical care course at the
moment it was needed. When Froehlich
discussed Abbott Northwestern's desire to
use ECCO with Shauna Libsack, Allina's
director of educational services, reviewing
its application across the health system
seemed a natural extension.
"This Web-based
program will serve the needs of the entire
system, enabling each site to present
current, up-to-date information," Froehlich
commented. "The content updates and
revisions that are included by AACN will
allow each educator to stay on top of
critical care knowledge and bedside practice
changes that occur every couple of months,
without relearning information and reworking
the course.
"With this
solution, we can offer a structured orientation into critical care written
to national standards that will always be on the cutting edge."
"From a business
perspective, the staffing shortage does not
allow us to pull a large number of nurses
off the floors and units to teach like we
used to," said Libsack. "This is a reality
of our current situation. Using ECCO is one
way that a single educator can manage a large number of students without
putting additional stress on the level of staffing."
Froehlich
agrees. "Even if an educator is not an
expert in an area, the educator can read
through the content first and can then guide
students through the content without
difficulty," she said.
The educators at
St. Francis Regional Medical Center are
creating a "cookie cutter," template
approach to design a standard model for
critical care nursing orientation using ECCO.
"We went through
and identified those modules appropriate to
our facility based on our patient population
and are developing our orientation template
accordingly. Once we finish designing the
template, our job in providing orientation
in the future will be easier," Froehlich
said.
One modification
she quickly made was to set aside some time
to debrief with students after they complete
their daily time within the program.
"This debriefing
time gives me an opportunity to go over the
information with them, to say it in lay
terms to reinforce what they learned and to
elicit information from them to make sure
they understood the concepts as well as
giving the students a chance to ask
questions," she explained.
Initially, the
reaction from students toward the ECCO
program concept was less than positive,
Froehlich said. However, once they began
using the program, their fears quickly
subsided.
"The program
really is easy to navigate. I have been in
critical care for 15 years and this is a
much nicer way to learn. I would recommend
this program to other hospitals," she said.
Libsack added,
"We like this electronic method of learning
so much that we are looking at implementing something similar for our
emergency room nurses. We are hoping to see other areas going into this type
of education."
For more
information about ECCO, visit the AACN Web
site at
http://www.aacn.org;
call (800) 394-5995, ext. 8870 or e-mail
ecco@aacn.org.
Who Is Using
ECCO?
California
Naval Medical
Center San Diego
Regional Health
Occupations Resource Center-Butte College
Stanford
University Hospital
Florida
Broward
Community College
Lee Memorial
Health System
VA Hospital,
Miami
VA Hospital,
West Palm Beach
Illinois
Sherman Hospital
Kentucky
University of
Kentucky
Massachusetts
Good Samaritan
Medical Center
Minnesota
Allina Hospitals
& Clinics
Missouri
Cox Health
System
Montana
Benefis
Healthcare
New Hampshire
Mary Hitchcock
Memorial Hospital
New Jersey
Atlantic City
Medical Center
Pennsylvania
Dubois Regional
Medical Center (a beta test site)
Texas
Denton Regional
Medical Center
Harris Methodist
Ft. Worth
Presbyterian
Hospital
Utah
St. Mark's
Hospital
Virginia
Northern
Virginia Community College
Washington
Kadlec Medical
Center
Northwest
MedStar
Providence St.
Peter Hospital
Wyoming
Campbell County
Memorial Hospital
Japan
U.S. Naval
Hospital, Yokosuka, Japan
New
Membership Recruitment Campaign Nears 3,000
As AACN's
Critical Links membership recruitment
campaign headed into the new year, the
number of new members recruited since the
campaign began May 1 neared 3,000. The 400
new members recruited during January brought
the overall total to 2,730.
The individual
recruiting the most new members in the
campaign will receive a $500 American
Express gift certificate.
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 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 December
was Laura Boehm, RN, BSN, CCRN.
All recruiters
need to do is make certain that their name
and AACN member number are included on the
new members' application forms.
Continuing to
lead the campaign by recruiting 50 new
members is Cynthia A. Noe, RN, BSN, of
Albany, Ga. Others who have recruited 20 new
members or more are Julie N. Liberio, RN,
MSN, CCRN (36), Caroline Axt, RN, MS (34),
Kathleen M. Richuso (31), RN, MSN, Diane M.
Casperson (23), RN, BSN, CCRN, Elaine B.
Boseman (22), RN, CCRN, CLNC, and Lydia C.
Bautista, RN, BSN, CCRN (20).
Following are
the individuals who recruited new members
during December.
James L.
Askew, RN, BSN, CCRN, EMT-P
Stephanie A. Baker, RN
Sean G.
Barclay, RN, BSN, CCRN
Jennifer
A. Basler, RN, MSN, CCRN
Maria E.
Black, RN, MSN, CCRN, APRN
Laura B.
Boehm, RN, BSN, CCRN
Elaine
B. Boseman, RN, CCRN, CLNC
Carole
A. Boucher, RN, MSN, CCRN
Janiece
Brooks, RN
Michael
Shane Bryan, RN, BS, BSN
David H.
Bryant, RN, BSN
Kathleen
M. Burton, RN, BSN
Barbara
K. Buss, RN, ADN, CCRN
Diane M.
Casperson, RN, BSN, CCRN
Michael
Chalot, RN, ADN, CCRN
Garrett
Chan, RN, MS, CEN
Pamela
J. Chapman, RN, MSN, CCRN
Leanne
T. Cimato, RN, BSN
Cristiana Ortolani Clark, RN, BS,
BSN
Tammy L
Coffee, RN, BSN
Katherine Colbert, RN, ADN, BS, CCRN
Heather
Lynnette Coleman, RN, BSN
Lesma
Colquhoun, RN, ADN
Sue Ann
Crisp, RN, BS, BSN
Kanika
N. Cunningham, RN
Bonnie
L. Curtis, RN, ADN, CCRN |
Michael
W. Day, RN, MSN, CCRN
J.
Suzanne Deaton, RN, BSN, AA, CCRN
Josi N.
Dehaven, RN, BS, BSN
Mary T.
Demana, RN, CCRN
Lori L.
Desmond
Amy L.
Donnellan, RN, BSN
Amy Dzur,
RN, BS, BSN
Bev
Farmer, RN-C, MSN, CCRN
Janet M.
Forrest, RN, ADN, CCRN
Wendy
Karan Franzino, RN, BS, BSN
Robert
Welch Galbreath, RN, ADN, BS
Cathy
Mary Gallo, RN, BSN, MBA, CNA
Fidel
Muncal Gonzales, RN, ADN
Dean L.
Grisham, RN, BSN, AA
Janis
Marie Hammond, RN, ADN
Lynette
B Hartley, RN, BS, BSN
Sheryl
K. Hasper, RN, BS, BSN
Katie C
Hengstenberg, RN, BS, BSN
D.Scott
Hennard, RN
Janice
L. Hickman, RN, MSN, CS
Lucille
Hicks, RN, BS, CCRN
Mary P.
Hicks, RN, BSN, CCRN
Carol M.
Hinkle, RN, MSN, BA, CCRN
Kathleen
Holdeman, RN
Matt
Holicky, RN
Lynne P.
Holliman, RN, BSN, CCRN
Mari L.
Hoover-McGarry, RN, CEN
Gretchen
L. Hunt, RN, ADN, CCRN
Natacha
Jean-Noel, RN, BSN
Lucy Ha
Yon Joo-Castro, RN, BS, BSN
Louisa
K. Kamatuka, RN, MSN, CCRN, CS
Kathy M.
Ketchum, RN, MS
Nancy D.
King, RN, MSN, CCRN, ANP, NP
Colleen
M. Kipina, RN, BSN
Becky J.
Koenigs, RN, ADN, CCRN
Jayne M.
Korevec, RN, MSN, CCRN, ARNP |
Jenneine
A. Lambert, RN, MN
Doris V.
Levin, RN, MS, CNA
Julie N.
Liberio, RN, MSN, CCRN
Susan
Lincoln, RN
Sandra
Loose, RN, BSN, BA
Elizabeth Lopez, RN, BSN
Lee A.
Ludwigson, RN, ADN, CCRN
Chad Jay
Lueders, RN, BS, BSN
Theresa
Roxanne Macfarlan, RN, BS, BSN
Teresa
Maly, RN, ADN, AA
Annamarie Mandacina, RN, BS, BSN
Kimberly
S. Martin, RN, MSN, CCRN
Nuria M.
Martinez, RN, BSN, CCRN
Julie A.
McCorkle, RN, BSN, MS, ACNP
Elizabeth L. McGarr, RN, ADN, BA,
CCRN
Margaret
B. McHenry, RN, ADN
Mary G.
McKinley, RN, MSN, CCRN
Padab
Mcwhorter, RN, BS, BSN
Eugenia
I. Millender, RN, BS, BSN
Patricia
Miller, RN, BS, CCRN
Wanda
Joyce Murphy, RN, MN, MS
Martha
L. Musielak, RN, MSN, NP
Sylvia
B. Naldoza, RN, BSN, CCRN
Laurie
A. Nickles Mack, RN, ADN, CCRN
Marvin
C. Nufable, RN, BS, BSN
Mandy B.
O'Brien, RN, BSN, AA
Glenn
Patrick O'Connor, RN, BS, BSN
Mary
Ellen O'Donnell, RN, BS, BSN
Patricia
G. O'Leary, RN
Joanna
R. Olson, RN
Marilyn
Waleska O'malley, RN, ADN
Donna M.
O'Neill, RN, ADN, CCRN
Akshat
Patel, RN, BS, BSN
Lori
Pawlow, RN, ADN
Myra K.
Porthouse, RN, ADN, CCRN, TNS
Whitney
A. Pratt, RN, BS, CCRN
Georgiana L. Przybylek, RN, BS, BSN,
CCRN |
Jennifer
L. Randolph
Romeo
Resurreccion, RN
Bonnie
Anne Rice, RN, MSN, CCRN, CCNS, ARNP
Kathleen
M. Richuso, RN, MSN
Marni D.
Robbins, RN, BSN
Kelly
Ann Roy, RN, BS, BSN
Kathryn
Ann Ryan, RN, BS, MN, NP
Donna B.
Sabash, RN, BSN, CCRN
Annette
Marie Samame, RN, BS, BSN
Julia
Ann Schrage, BS, BSN
Dee D.
Schultz, RN, BSN, BA, CCRN
Lindsey
Shank, RN, BSN, CCRN
Earlene
W. Shealy, RN, ADN
Thelma
Anne Smith, RN
Lynn
Smith Schnautz, RN, MSN, CCRN, CCNS
Theresa
Stevens, RN, MS, CCRN, CCNS
Carlette
H. Stewart, RN, BSN
Doris J.
Strother, RN, MSN, CRNP
Jan H.
Teal, RN, BSN, CCRN
Carolyn
Terrell, RN
Richard
Kelly Thompson, RN, ADN, AA
Patricia
J. Tompkins, RN, MN, MS, NP
Stephanie M. Vaccaro, RN, BSN, CCRN
Mary R.
Vaders, RN, ADN, AA
Valerie
S. Vogeler, RN, BSN, CCRN
Alina
Vorobeychik, RN, ADN
Gregory
B. Webb, RN, BA, CCRN
Betheen
M. Weed, RN
Patricia
R. Wells, RN
Paul H.
Williams, RN, ADN, BA
Irma G.
Williams, RN, CCRN
Robert
Aaron Worden, RN, BS, BSN
Jackie
S. Yon, RN, MS, CCRN, CCNS, NP
Pam
Zinnecker, RN, CCRN |
Member
Recruiter Just Kept �Spreading the News'
Grand Prize
Drawing Led to Trip to New York City
Kathy Graham found herself
on the steps of the Metropolitan
Museum of Art in New York City
after winning the grand prize drawing
in AACN's Critical Links membership
recruitment campaign for 2001-02.
By Kathy
Graham, RN, BSN
Accompanied by
my mother, I visited New York City in
December-all because I helped share the
experience of being a member of AACN with my
colleagues. The trip was part of my reward
as the grand prize drawing winner in AACN's
Critical Links member-get-a-member campaign
for 2001-02.
As a member of
the Atlanta Area Chapter, which helped to
support the campaign by purchasing bulk
memberships, I sold those memberships to new
and renewing members for $78. For that fee,
local membership (a $15 value) was free.
"Selling" others
on AACN membership was easy, once I
recounted the benefits, such as local
educational meetings, two great
journals-Critical Care Nurse and the
American Journal of Critical Care-discounted
prices on products and services, and the
opportunities to network. I wanted my peers
to experience these benefits as well.
I found out at
AACN's National Teaching Institute and
Critical Care Exposition in Atlanta, Ga.,
that I was the grand prize winner. Everyone
kept asking if I had read the NTI News
conference daily yet. As a member of the
host chapter, I had been busy. When I
finally had a chance to read the paper, I
immediately thought: "New York in December."
My mother and I
had a wonderful adventure. We stayed in a
beautiful hotel, built in the 1920s and
within five blocks of Times Square and two
blocks of 5th Avenue! We shopped, attended
plays and visited the museums. Simply put,
we had the best vacation ever!
In the
Circle: Award Recognizes Community Service
Editor's
Note: The Marsh-AACN Community Service Award
recognizes significant service by acute and
critical care nurses who make contributions
to their community, either as individuals or
in groups. Recipients of this award for 2002
were provided complimentary registration to
NTI 2002 in Atlanta, Ga., or chose up to
$500 toward speaker fees for an educational
symposium. Following are excerpts from
exemplars submitted in connection with this
award, which was cosponsored by Marsh
Affinity Group Services, a service of
Seabury and Smith, Inc.
ICU Education
Team
Portsmouth,
Ohio
Southern Ohio
Medical Center
The Love Your
Heart Program uses five interactive stations
to help kindergartners learn how their
hearts work. For example, at the Feel Your
Heart station, the children learn how to
palpate a pulse and use a Doppler. At the
Exercise Your Heart station, they learn how
exercise keeps their hearts healthy. At the
Hear Your Heart station, they learn the
rhythm of heart beats through interactive
play with drums. They also have the
opportunity to learn how a stethoscope is
used to hear the heart beat. At the Feed
Your Heart station, children learn about the
food pyramid and how to make healthy
choices. While at the See Your Heart
station, they use bulb syringes and red
colored water to visualize the heart's
pumping mechanisms. They also study various
heart models.
To tie the
program together, we incorporated the Wizard
of Oz theme, chosen because the Tin Man is
in search of a heart. One of our team
members dresses in the full costume of the
Tin Man. Throughout the day, he joins groups
and interacts with the children. At the end,
we gather the children together for a
closing program where the Tin Man gets a
real heart. This successful Love Your Heart
was completed by 600 kindergartners!
Elizabeth
Hupp, RN, MA
Morgantown,
W.Va.
West Virginia
University Department of Surgery
While working
with the university's cardiac surgeons, I
became aware that families needed a place to
stay while their children were undergoing
heart surgery or treatment for other
illnesses.
Parents who
traveled long distances were asking about a
Ronald McDonald House. To help get the
project started, I set up a meeting with the
chairman of pediatrics and a social worker.
Following a community-wide meeting in August
1986, we were able to establish a nonprofit
organization and obtain our federal
tax-exempt status. By Spring 1987, we
officially became a licensed Ronald McDonald
House through the McDonald's Corporation.
Through major fund-raising efforts, we broke
ground for the project in Spring 1989.
As we watched
the progress of our dream becoming reality,
various committees prepared for the actual
opening. In Summer 1990, we put the
finishing touches on the 16-bedroom,
14,000-square-foot house and held one last
fund-raising event so the major donors could
see the finished product. The grand opening
was on Oct. 9, 1990, and the first families
were admitted the next day. It was truly a
community and statewide effort. I have
served as secretary of the board since the
beginning and am still active on the board.
Mark R.
Kurland, RN, BSN, CCRN
Dallas, Texas
Medical City
Dallas
The day, June 5,
2001, was exceptionally hot as I prepared to
ride my bicycle more than 100 miles in
support of AIDS research and treatment. This
was the first of seven times that I would
ride 100-plus miles in 21 days that would
cover 1,838 miles and touch the lives of
people living in and between San Francisco
and Los Angeles, Raleigh and Washington
D.C., Minneapolis and Chicago, and New York
and Boston.
To meet the
physical challenge, I spent months training.
I also carefully examined the current
clinical services and research regarding HIV
and AIDS-related therapies so that I could
speak intelligently to people willing to
listen. In the process, I raised $11,000 in
private donations. The unfortunate truth is
that in the cities and towns that lie
between large urban centers, scores of
people are unaware of the true facts about
HIV and AIDS. They need health education
brought to them in a comprehensive yet
nonthreatening way.
When speaking
along the way to church groups or at
community centers and senior centers, and to
elementary, middle and high school students,
I identified myself as a critical care
nurse. The students had many questions as
well as personal experiences to share with
me. The experience was amazing as I looked
into the eyes of strangers and knew that
they believed me about this important and
meaningful information and that I made a
difference. I was grateful to be able to
apply outside the hospital the intelligence,
compassion, communication skills,
spirituality, honesty and desire that are so
basic to critical care nursing. It was easy
to return to my unit with a sense of
satisfaction and purpose.
Apply by
April 1 for Educational Advancement
Scholarships
The deadline to
apply for AACN Educational Advancement
Scholarships for the 2003-04 academic year
is April 1.
These
scholarships are available to members who
are completing baccalaureate or graduate
degree programs in nursing. Recipients of
these BSN Completion and Graduate Completion
educational advancement scholarships are
awarded $1,500 per academic year.
Applicants for
these scholarships must be RNs, be members
of AACN and have a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or
better. They must be currently working in
critical care or have worked in critical
care for at least one of the last three
years.
Applicants for
the BSN Completion Scholarship must have
junior or upper division status for the fall
semester. Applicants for the Graduate
Completion Scholarship must be currently
enrolled in a planned course of graduate
study that leads to a master's or doctoral
degree. At least 20% of the scholarships are
allocated to qualified, ethnic minority
applicants.
Scholarship
funds may be applied toward tuition, fees,
books and supplies, as long as the recipient
is continuously enrolled in a baccalaureate
or graduate program accredited by the state
board of nursing in the recipient's state.
For more
information or to obtain an application for
a BSN Completion or Graduate Completion
educational advancement scholarships, call
(800) 899-2226 and request Item #1017, or
visit the AACN Web sitehips.
Get a PDA
�Laboratory Values' Pocket Reference for
Free
Through Jan. 31,
AACN will include the new "Laboratory
Values" electronic pocket reference for Palm
OS free of charge with the purchase of any
handheld device that runs the Palm OS
system. AACN now offers six new electronic
versions of the popular laminated clinical
references for Palm OS.
For help in
determining which PDA device is right for
you, a tutorial titled "Handheld Devices for
Healthcare Practitioners" is available in
the PDA Tutorials section of the PDA Center.
For details, simply visit the PDA Center
online.
The Janus
View
Conversations with critical care leaders
Janus (Jay . nus):
The Roman god with two faces,
one looking
ahead, one looking back
Editor's
note: All that we do is rooted in our past,
and we have much to learn from the leaders
who have gone before us, paved the way and
laid the foundation. To strengthen this
connection, current members of the AACN
Board of Directors are interviewing some of
our past leaders. For this month, board
member Deborah Laughon, RN, BSN, MS, CCRN,
DBA, interviewed Susan F. Goran, RN, MSN, a
member of the AACN board from 1993 to 1996.
Goran is now the clinical nurse specialist
for a 38-bed telemetry unit and a 10-bed ICU
at Southern Maine Medical Center, Portland,
Maine. In addition to serving as a staff
educator, she is responsible for
establishing and validating standards of
practice.
Laughon: Tell me
about your experience as an AACN board
member.
Goran: Overall,
the experience was a positive one that left
me with lasting friendships and an awareness
of the important contributions critical care
nurses make every day. During my three-year
term, I felt closely connected to nursing
and the healthcare issues, primarily through
the interactive discussions with the board
members. As a result, I was able to more
clearly see the "big picture" of not only
the healthcare issues and trends, but also
the varied solutions and strategies being
implemented across the country. Many
resources were available to keep us
informed, which helped tremendously when
making decisions.
I will never
forget my AACN board experience. It helped
make me who I am and showed me how I can
make a difference. The lessons I learned and
the experiences I had will forever be a part
of me.
Laughon: What
challenges did you face during your time on
the board?
Goran: The
transition off the board was tough. I missed
the things that were so much a part of my
life as a board member-the traveling and
spending time with experts in critical care
from across the U.S., and the time with the
friends I had made.
While on the
board, I had changed roles from a manager of
the ICU to a position in staff development.
The change actually made fulfilling my board
responsibilities and managing my
professional responsibilities easier. As a
manager, juggling both roles was a
challenge. The staff development role also
made balancing my job and life easier. Of
course, having a supportive husband helped.
My colleagues were also very supportive and
pleased when I was elected to the board.
However, being gone became more stressful.
Before I left and after I returned from by
board responsibilities, I had to do more to
make sure I was doing my part.
Laughon: How
have you stayed connected to AACN?
Goran: Mainly
through my friendships. We have faithfully
met on a regular basis over the years. I am
also very involved in my local AACN chapter,
the Southern Maine Chapter. I got my initial
start with AACN through my chapter and still
enjoy the local connections, educational
offerings and time to discuss practice
issues. For a period of time after my term
ended, I did little more than attend the NTI
and read AACN News and the AACN journals. I
always find the information in them very
useful.
I also teach
CCRN review courses and strongly support the
certification process. The goal of my ICU is
that at least half our nurses will be
certified by 2004. Seeing the growth in the
staff as they prepare and achieve this goal
is rewarding.
Laughon: What do
you see as the most critical issues facing
our profession today?
Goran: The
global issue is lack of resources, the
prospect of not enough staff or fiscal
resources within the institution to provide
the care our patients need. Organizations
face tough challenges in determining where
they utilize their limited resources. Often,
the decisions indicate significant deficits
in the staff's perspective, yet they might
be the right ones for the institutions
long-term growth, profitability and services
for the community. An example of this was a
recent layoff of staff in our community,
followed shortly by an announcement of plans
to build a large addition to the facility.
The staff had a hard time understanding the
choice made by administration.
One of my roles
is to listen to staff members' concerns and
help them understand how decisions are made.
I do this by building context to achieve
understanding. I feel I have been able to
develop these skills partly because of the
years I spent on the AACN board.
I help the staff
nurse hear the issues, and understand and
appreciate the value that direct care brings
to patients. This help gains trust and
acceptance of change. I am fortunate because
the environment I currently work in is
within a small organization, where the
administration is involved with the staff.
It is common to see the CEO sitting with
staff in the cafeteria.
Laughon: AACN's
current strategy emphasizes the importance
of using bold voices to support or discuss
controversial or critical issues facing our
profession. How do you see yourself using
this concept?
Goran: I use a
bold voice when I speak to critical care
nurses in my role as an educator about
successful strategies. For example, I
emphasize the importance of the
multidisciplinary team in promoting
comprehensive patient care and limiting the
use or tolerance of negativity in the work
environment. I find that telling stories
helps the audience to connect. To introduce
my educational programs, I use Mr. Toad's
Wild Ride as an analogy to discuss the
events impacting today's healthcare world
and to emphasize the importance of defining
the work environment as a pleasant place to
be.
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
� AACN Practice
and Research Director Justine Medina, RN,
MS, was interviewed for an article that
appeared in the Dec. 15 issue of the
Washington Times. Medina was quoted as
saying: "Hospitals have become critical care
units. You don't go to a hospital today
unless you are critically ill� " She noted
that salaries have not been rising as fast
as the demand for nurses, which means that
the pay for experienced nurses is not
substantially higher than that of starting
nurses. Saying that staffing ratios should
be based on patients' needs and the
education and competency of nurses, Medina
said that AACN is concerned about fixed,
patient-nurse ratios, such as those called
for under new California legislation. She
also noted that preliminary data presented
in a study by University of Pennsylvania
researchers show that nurses working 12 to
16 consecutive hours are subject to the same
kinds of safety concerns as pilots flying
long distances without sufficient rest.
� A growing
number of news outlets have used information
from a Dec. 11 AACN news release titled "New
Data Reveals Nurse Certification Key
Component of Patient Safety and Recruitment
and Retention Programs," which announced
AACN's White Paper on the benefits of
certification. Among media using the
information were PR Newswire, AP Alert
Labor, CBS MarketWatch, Finance.Canada.com,
NewsAlert.com, Biz.Yahoo.com, AHAnews.com,
AONE eNews Update, NurseZone.com, Nurses.com
and HospitalNetwork.com.
� The "AACN
Update" section in the December issue of RN
magazine featured excerpts from the AACN
News "President's Note" column by AACN
President Connie Barden, RN, MSN, CCNS, CCRN.
In the column, Barden discussed the
healthcare cultures that attract and retain
nurses. The section also included
information about "It's All About You: A
Blueprint for Influencing Practice," an AACN
resource that helps nurses maximize their
potential, and an "Ask AACN" item on
nurse-to-patient ratios.
� Randy Bauler,
AACN exhibits and sponsorships director, was
quoted in an article titled "Making
Unconventional Deals" that appeared in the
December issue of Medical Meetings magazine.
Bauler discussed factors in negotiating
meeting and exhibit space rental with
convention centers with respect to planning
for AACN's annual National Teaching
Institute and Critical Care Exposition.
� AACN Public
Policy Specialist Janice Weber, RN, MSN, was
interviewed about the nursing shortage for
an article that appeared in the Nov. 13
issue of the Tennessean. Weber noted that
the shortage is "particularly serious in the
specialty areas of nursing, such as critical
care, which require advanced skills." Noting
that critical care nurses are specially
trained to help patients whose health
problems may be life threatening, Weber said
the number of requests for traveling and
temporary critical care nurses to fill gaps
across the country has skyrocketed.
Our Voice at
the Table
� CEO Wanda
Johanson, RN, MN, represented AACN at a
meeting of the steering committee for
Nursing's Agenda for the Future in December
in Pittsburgh, Pa. The committee prioritized
the strategies to address nurse staffing and
shortage issues, affirming the importance of
innovative delivery systems, economic data
to support the value of nursing and the
evolution of educational structures to
ensure that future nurses are highly
prepared. The committee also agreed to fund
and undertake a project to bring forward
research data on nursing's value to the cost
and quality of healthcare. This data is
essential in demonstrating to key
influencers that expert nursing practice
positively affects the bottom line. Since
the program's inception, AACN has been one
of the leading organizations in Nursing's
Agenda for the Future. AACN is committed to
ensuring the voice of critical care nurses
is prominent within the community of nursing
and in finding solutions to nursing issues.
� Ram�n
Lavandero, RN, MSN, MA, AACN director of
development and strategic alliances,
represented the association at the Clarian
Health Partners rollout of a new
professional advancement program for nurses,
based on AACN's Synergy Model for Patient
Care. The rollout was in December in
Indianapolis, Ind.
� Lavandero and
Johanson represented AACN at a December
planning meeting in Denver for the Nurse
Manager Leadership Collaborative with the
American Organization of Nurse Executives
and the Association of periOperative Nurses.
� Lavandero
attended the fall meeting in Dallas of the
American Heart Association's national
Membership Marketing and Communications
Committee, of which he is a member.
� "Bold Voices;
Our Future; Let's Talk" was the title of a
presentation by Barden at a seminar on "Critical Care for the Seasoned
Professional" in December at Delray
Community Hospital, Delray Beach, Fla.
� Roberta Kaplow,
RN, PhD, CCNS, CCRN, a member of the AACN
Certification Corporation Board of
Directors, spoke in December at DeKalb
Medical Center, Atlanta, Ga., on "The
Synergy Model: A Model to Optimize Patient
Outcomes." Her presentation was at the
center's "Lunch & Learn" morning lecture
series, which is provided by the faculty at
nearby Emory University for nursing
administrators and staff members from a
variety of units at area hospitals.
� Barden was an
invited guest at the American College of
Chest Physicians Board of Regents meeting in
November in San Diego, Calif. She was joined
by Johanson and AACN President-elect Dorrie
Fontaine, RN, DNSc, FAAN, at ACCP's annual
scientific meeting, also in San Diego.
Barden served on a panel with Maurene
Harvey, RN, MPH, CCRN, FCCM, president of
the Society of Critical Care Medicine, and
Sid Braman, MD, president of ACCP, to
discuss "Medical Innovations and Cost
Containment in the ICU."
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.
Submit a
Speaker Proposal for NTI 2004
Learning
Connections Also Available
May 15 is the
deadline to submit speaker proposal
abstracts for AACN's 2004 National Teaching
Institute in Orlando, Fla. In addition to
clinical, advanced practice and other
educational topics, proposals that address
the skills critical care nurses need to
influence their practice and the care of
critically ill patients are encouraged.
Learning
Connections Mentor Sessions
Nurses
interested in presenting at NTI 2004 can get
some help through Learning Connections
speaker mentor opportunities that pair
novice and experienced speakers.
Five special
Learning Connection NTI sessions are
scheduled each year. The novice and mentor
must be identified in the submitted speaker
proposal abstracts.
Speaker proposal
packets can be obtained by calling AACN Fax
on Demand at (800) 222-6329 (Request
Document #6019) or by visiting the AACN Web
site.
Make a
Difference! Apply for National Volunteer
Positions
Are you
interested in becoming a national volunteer
for AACN? Would you like to have a hand in
shaping the way in which your colleagues and
the general public understand our healthcare
system and the critical care nursing
profession? Would you like to contribute to
ensuring excellence in education, research
and practice for critical care nurses?
By contributing
your time and expertise to a volunteer
group, you assist the association to remain
one of the boldest voices in the healthcare
arena, further realizing our vision of a
healthcare system driven by the needs of
patients and their families in which
critical care nurses make their optimal
contribution.
AACN members
volunteer their time and services in a
number of ways, with opportunities catering
to the most diverse interests and time
availabilities.
To longtime
members, the volunteer opportunities may
look different than in previous years as
AACN implements some key enhancements to the
program. For example, to optimize the
volunteer experience and ensure that
volunteer work is in line with AACN's
strategic plan and mission, we will now
offer volunteer opportunities at different
times throughout the year. This new model
will allow AACN to expand the number of both
short- and long-term volunteer opportunities
available to its members. In addition, the
program will be able to address the specific
needs of the association in a more timely
manner to ensure the most up-to-date
volunteer opportunities and create volunteer
experiences that are more manageable in the
busy lives of our members.
If you are
interested in becoming a volunteer for AACN,
simply complete the application below or
apply online. The application form is also
available via Fax on Demand at (800)
222-6329. Request Document #1521. Please
include a cover letter addressing the
contributions you believe would enhance the
work of the volunteer group to which you are
applying. If you are applying for more than
one group, include a cover letter for each
group or address each group in the same
cover letter. In addition, you will need to
include a copy of either your curriculum
vitae or resume.
The deadline to
apply for volunteer opportunities is March
1. The volunteer terms associated with the
positions listed here are effective July 1,
2003, through June 30, 2004.
Coming in
the March Issue of the American Journal of
Critical Care
� Advances in
the Understanding of Clinical Manifestations
and Therapy of Severe Sepsis: An Update for
Critical Care Nurses
� Frequency and
Documentation of Oral Care Interventions in
Critical Care
� Critical Care
Nurses' Beliefs About and Reported
Management of Anxiety
� Subjective
Perceptions and Physiological Variables
During Weaning From Mechanical Ventilation
Subscriptions to
Critical Care Nurse and the American Journal
of Critical Care are included in AACN
membership dues.
Looking
Ahead
February 2003
Feb. 28 Deadline
for chapters to nominate a chapter leader to
participate in the Chapter Leadership
Development Workshop at NTI 2003 in San
Antonio, Texas.
March 2003
March 1 Deadline
to apply for AACN national volunteer group
positions. Apply online or obtain the
application form via
Fax on Demand at (800) 222-6329. Request
Document #1521.
March 1 Deadline
for chapters to apply for the President's
Award for Chapters, part of AACN's Circle of
Excellence recognition program. The
application form is available online
April 2003
April 1 Deadline
to apply for BSN Completion and Graduate
Completion educational advancement
scholarships. To obtain an application, call
(800) 899-2226 and request Item #1017, or
visit the AACN Web site.
April 8
Early-bird deadline to save on NTI 2003
registration. For more information or to
register, call (800) 899-2226 or visit the
NTI Web site.
April 30 AACN's
Critical Links membership recruitment
campaign ends.
May 2003
May 15 Deadline
to submit speaker proposal abstracts for NTI
2004 Orlando, Fla. To obtain a speaker
proposal packets, calling AACN Fax on Demand
at (800) 222-6329 (Request
Document #6019) or visit the AACN Web site
May 17-22
National Teaching Institute and Critical
Care Exposition, San Antonio, Texas. For
more information, call (800) 899-2226 or
visit the NTI Web site
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