|
Critical Links Drive Tops
3,000 New Members Recruited
Caroline Axt, RN, MS, of Oakland, Calif., added 13
new members to bring her recruitment total to 52 and take the lead in AACN’s
Critical Links membership drive as of the end of January. The campaign ends
March 31.
Axt seized the lead from Kathleen M. Richuso, RN,
MS, MSN, of Chapel Hill, N.C., whose 38 new members recruited since the campaign
began May 1 tied her with Delmar Imperial-Aubin, RN, BSN, of Houston, Texas, for
second place. Close behind were Ngozi I. Moneke, RN-BC, BSN, CCRN, of Freeport,
N.Y., at 34 new members recruited and Dinah Cooper, RN, CCRN, of Vanceburg, Ky.,
who debuted in the campaign with a total of 33 new members recruited.
A total of 3,384 new members have now been recruited
by individuals and chapters in this year’s campaign.
Rewards Await Recruiters
The top individual recruiter when the campaign ends
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 drawing for a $100 American
Express gift certificate. Receiving the American Express gift certificate in the
drawing for January was Cynthia C. Heroy, RN, ADN, AA, of Knoxville, Tenn.
In addition, all recruiters are eligible for prize
drawings that offer round-trip tickets for two to anywhere in the continental
United States, including a five-day, four-night hotel stay; round-trip tickets
for two to anywhere in the continental United States; and four-day, three-night
hotel accommodations in the continental U.S.
Note: To participate, recruiters must include their
membership numbers on the referral line of the membership application.
Individuals who also want their chapters to receive credit must include the
chapter name.
Making Critical Links
Following are other individuals who have recruited
five or more new members in this year’s campaign:
Judith A. Ascenzi, Stephanie A. Baker, Rachel Banks,
Lydia C. Bautista, Angela J. Bentley, Cathy L. Blonski, Jeanne Ann Bolton,
Cynthia L. Bond, Diane M. Bosen, Marylee R. Bressie, T. Lynn Brown, Megan E.
Brunson, Barbara M. Bundage, Denise Buonocore, Beverly Ann Carlson, Diane M.
Casperson, Lydia G. Casteel, Evelyn C. Coen, Deborah J. Conaway, Sandra J.
Cornish, Lori Ann Cox, Bonnie L. Curtis, Victor A. Duarte, Anne C. Dunn, Barbara
M. Eachus, Jean A. Endryck, Kathleen L. Finn, Barbara A. Foster, Deslin
Francois, Kirsten F. Fritz, Becki L. Fuzi, Katherine A. Green, Carol A. Grube,
Sharon V. Grupp, Ma. Thelma C. Herrera, Brian Hyland, Kathleen M. Johnson, Betty
C. King, Janis D. King, Rachelle M. King, Vivian M. Kish, Dawn Kregel, Rhonda
Lanclos, Maria A. Laxina, Melanie Jane Leepers, Dawn LeQuatte, Julie F. Locquiao,
Linda J. Lopazanski, Paula A. Lusardi, Jann M. McCann, Christina McCarter Cantey,
Pauline J. McNeece, Inocencia G. Mendoza, Ann L. Mercer, Julie S. Miller,
Paulita D. Narag, Joseph R. Newsome, Jennifer L. Patterson, Jill Poston, Lynn M.
Purcel, Irma N. Richardson, Susan M. Roberti, Catherine P. Rodgers, Margaret R.
Rollins, Marisue Rowe, Donna B. Sabash, Ian N. Saludares, Mary Karen Sands,
Laura B. Seay, Teresa J. Seright, Eunice K. Simmons, Lynn Smith Schnautz, Doris
J. Strother, Patricia M. Tanzi, Yvonne L. Thelwell, Deborah L. Truitt, Stephanie
C. Westbrook, Suzanne Williams, Sonia H. Wisdom, Maureen Wood, Jackie S. Yon,
Cynthia L. Zaletel,
Selecting the future leaders of AACN has never been
easier. Simply visit
www.aacn.org to learn about this
year’s candidates for the AACN Board of Directors and AACN Nominating Committee
and cast your vote by logging in with your member number and last name. If you
cannot locate your member number, call (800) 899-2226.
You are eligible to vote if you are an Active,
Emeritus, International or Lifetime member of AACN whose dues were current as of
Jan. 6, 2004. Voting closes at midnight (EDT) on April 18.
Elected individuals will begin their terms of office
on July 1, 2004. The president-elect will serve a one-year term before assuming
the presidency on July 1, 2005. The three-year terms for the directors run
through June 30, 2007. The Nominating Committee members serve one year, through
June 30, 2005.
Following are the 2004-05 candidates for the AACN
Board of Directors and the AACN Nominating Committee:
AACN Board of Directors
President-Elect
1-Year Term
Debra J. Brinker
RN, MS, MSN, CCNS, CCRN
Spokane, Wash.
Clinical Nurse Specialist
Pediatric ICU
Deaconess Medical Center
Director
3-Year Term (3 Positions Open)
Jodi E. Mullen
RN, CNS, MN, MS, CCNS, CCRN, APRN
Dayton, Ohio
Clinical Nurse Specialist
Pediatric ICU
Children’s Medical Center
Susan V. Helms
RN, MSN, MSN, CCRN
Archdale, N.C.
Critical Care Clinical Nurse Specialist
Rowan Regional Medical Center
Denise Buonocore
RN, MN, MS, CCRN, APRN, NP, APRN-BC
Milford, Conn.
Acute Care Nurse Practitioner
Bridgeport Hospital
Roberta Kaplow
RN, PhD, CCNS, CCRN
Atlanta, Ga.
Professor
Emory University
When the newly elected members of the AACN Board of
Directors take office July 1, 2004, they will join incoming President Kathleen
McCauley, RN, PhD, CS, FAAN, and returning Directors Nancy Blake, RN, MN, CCRN,
CNAA, Suzanne M. Burns, RN, MSN, RRT, ACNP, CCRN, FAAN, FCCM, John F. Dixon, RN,
MSN, Caryl Goodyear-Bruch, RN, MSN, CCRN, Janie Heath, RN, MS, CS, CCRN, ANP,
ACNP, Mary E. Holtschneider, RN, BSN, MPA, Deborah B. Laughon, RN, BSN, MS, PhD,
CCRN, and Carol A. Puz, RN, BSN, MS, CCRN.
Completing their terms on the AACN Board of
Directors are President Dorrie Fontaine, RN, DNSc, FAAN, and Treasurer M. Dave
Hanson, RN, MSN, CCRN, EMT-P, Secretary Mary Fran Tracy, RN, PhD, CCNS, CCRN,
and Susan Yeager, RN, MS, CCRN, ACNP, EMT.
AACN Nominating Committee
1-Year Term (3 Positions Open)
Natalie J. Correll-Yoder
RN, CNS, MN, CCRN
Napa, Calif.
Clinical Nurse Specialist
Queen of the Valley Hospital
Terry S. Richmond
RN, PhD, CRNP, FAAN
Bryn Mawr, Pa.
Associate Professor
University of Pennsylvania
Damon B. Cottrell
RN, CNS, MSN, CCNS, CCRN, CS, CEN
Denton, Texas
Clinical Nurse Specialist
Presbyterian Hospital of Dallas
Kathleen M. Stephens
RN, BS, BSN
Ballwin, Mo.
Nurse Educator
St. Anthony’s Medical Center
Robin L. Watson
RNC, MN, CCRN
Long Beach, Calif.
Clinical Nurse Specialist
UCLA Medical Center
AACN Election Offers Chance to
Influence Change; Voting Ends April 18
Members of the Nominating Committee are (from
left, front row) Tracey Van Dell,
Mindy Hecker, Connie Barden, Diane Byrum, Stephanie Calcasola and Julie Miller
and (from left, back row) John Whitcomb, Susan Yeager, Karen Stutzer-Treimel,
John Dixon and Suzanne Burns. Committee members Margaret Ecklund and
Wanda Johanson are not pictured.
By Julie Miller, RN, BSN, CCRN, and Diane Byrum,
RN, MSN, CCRN, CCNS
AACN Nominating Committee
When someone encourages you to vote, do you roll
your eyes and think, “What’s the point? I can’t possibly make a difference”? Or,
maybe your reaction is, “I don’t have the time. I am too busy.”
AACN President Dorrie Fontaine, RN, DNSc, FAAN, has
encouraged us to “Rise Above,” to gain new insight, arm ourselves with new
knowledge and focus on solutions that will make an enduring difference. To us,
this means rising above the way things used to be done, thought or managed.
Strike out and seek new possibilities. Find a different way and achieve a
different result. You can’t use the same approach over and over and expect
things to change. If you desire change, but don’t vote, you will have missed
your opportunity to influence change!
Take this opportunity to rise above the way it used
to be done and vote! To learn about the candidates, visit
www.aacn.org.
Online voting closes April 18. When your reminder arrives, don’t set it aside
and say I’ll get to it later. Take the time to review the candidate information.
Get to know the issues about which these candidates believe they can influence
change.
The AACN Nominating Committee reviews applications
and selects a slate of qualified candidates to present to the membership. From
this slate, new leaders will be elected to the AACN Board of Directors and the
AACN Nominating Committee. These candidates have been through an application
process that is thorough, thought provoking, soul searching and rigorous. The
Nominating Committee has selected a group of candidates who demonstrate the
needed ambassador and intellectual skills to lead AACN into the future. Honor
these candidates by taking the time to review their statements. Honor your
commitment to rise above by casting your vote for the next leaders of AACN!
Unfortunately, only an average of 10% of the more
than 65,000 members of AACN votes each year. If you signed the AACN commitment
card to use your bold voice, this is an excellent opportunity to do so! Continue
to embrace the “Bold Voice” theme of Immediate Past AACN President Connie Barden,
RN, MSN, CCNS, CCRN, and take the time to vote!
Our experience on the Nominating Committee validated
our belief that AACN is an organization that applies quality processes to
choosing their leaders. During three full days of deliberations, we realized
that choosing candidates from such an outstanding field is not an easy task. The
AACN process ensures that each candidate is compared to the highest measure of
leadership framework standards. And, the Nominating Committee continually
focuses on quality improvement to ensure that the ballot selection process
continues to meet the highest standards of excellence.
Members of the Nominating Committee for the 2003-04
are Chairperson Connie Barden, RN, MN, MSN, CCRN; Cochair Margaret Ecklund, RN,
MS, CCRN, APRN; AACN board liaisons Suzanne Burns, RN, MSN, CCRN, CS, ACNP, John
Dixon, RN, MSN, and Susan Yeager, RN, MS, CCRN, CNP, EMT; AACN Certification
Corporation board liaison Mindy Hecker; and elected and appointed
representatives Diane Byrum, RN, MSN, CCRN, CCNS, Stephanie Calcasola, RN, CNS,
MN, MS, Julie Miller, RN, BSN, CCRN, Karen Stutzer-Treimel, RN, CNS, MS, MSN,
CCI, and John Whitcomb, RN, MSN, CCRN. AACN staff liaisons are CEO Wanda
Johanson, RN, MN, and Member Relations & Services Director Tracey Van Dell, MA.
One of First ECCO Users Found
Flexibility a Key Asset
Located northwest of downtown Indianapolis, the
Richard L. Roudebush VA Medical Center provides acute inpatient medical,
surgical, psychiatric, neurological and rehabilitation care, as well as primary
and specialized outpatient services such as comprehensive cardiac care. More
than a year ago, Diana Graham, RNC, MSN, CNS, the medical center’s nursing
instructor in education services, was instrumental in helping this facility
become one of the first to adopt AACN’s Essentials of Critical Care Orientation
(ECCO) program. With the facility recently renewing its contract to continue
using the program, Graham shared some of the successes she has experienced in
the year that she has been the ECCO program manager.
After seeing ECCO demonstrated at NTI 2002 in
Atlanta, Graham started thinking about how it could help her to reorganize the
orientation classes offered to newly hired critical care nurses.
“Previously, we offered eight days of classes four
times per year and arranged for multiple speakers to present the courses,”
Graham said.
However, when there were only a few students, the
classes were cancelled because they were time consuming and required significant
preparation to arrange for the number of speakers necessary to conduct them.
“We also found that the courses did not always take
into account a student’s previous knowledge,” Graham continued. “With ECCO, we
could start whenever we wanted, regardless of the number of students, and we
didn’t have to involve other instructors. Plus, the content is from a credible
source—AACN—so we knew it was reliable.”
Graham also teaches Web-based classes through
Indiana University, so she was familiar with the methodology of online
education.
“The content of the ECCO program is very
comprehensive, and I like that AACN is monitoring and updating it regularly,”
Graham shared.
She said she hopes ECCO will become recognized as a
national standard so that nurses who complete the course can verify the critical
care education they received just by showing they completed the ECCO training.
“Some students really like the graphics, charts,
PDFs and references, and others like reading and hearing it at the same time,”
Graham said. “Students get kind of antsy if they’re looking at concepts they
already know, so they can skip ahead and move at their own pace to focus on what
each individual needs.”
Graham indicated that most students think the
content is excellent, but they don’t like sitting at a computer for long periods
of time. As a result, each Friday for five consecutive weeks, Graham schedules
seven hours for computer learning and nearly two hours for hands-on activities.
“The activity relates to the content covered so,
after learning concepts related to the cardiovascular system, we’ll go to the
MICU to work with Swan lines and monitors,” she said.
This group time together also accommodates questions
and answers. Each week, the students also spend time with their clinical
preceptors.
“The computer learning, hands-on activities and
precepting time blend together well to reinforce learning,” Graham said. “If
students feel they have significant experience in an area, they can challenge a
module by passing the exam.”
She has found that the exam is a useful tool for
identifying areas of weakness for remediation purposes and likes the detailed
feedback provided when the exam is submitted. “I really like the manager tools
to see how people are doing. I can easily verify a student’s work and progress
through the program,” Graham said.
As an added benefit, the facility has discovered a
$7,500 annual cost saving as a result of implementing the ECCO program. Graham
used an average number of 20 orientees to compare the costs of the previous
orientation structure to the new structure using ECCO. For the previous
structure, she used an average number of 10 speakers and multiplied by an
average hourly rate of $30, multiplied the 20orientees by an average hourly rate
of $20 and added some equipment costs. She compared this total to the cost of
the ECCO site license plus end-user registrations and found the savings. Graham
said,
“The more I work with this program, the more I like
it!”
The comments in this article are presented only to
share one educator’s experience with this product and do not imply endorsement
by the institution or its employees.
‘Stating’ the Facts
ECCO Now in Use in 42 States, 3 International
Sites
International sites:
˛ Alberta, Canada
˝ Kanagawa-ken, Japan
˛ San Juan, Puerto Rico
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
RN (January 2004)—The “AACN Update” featured
excerpts from the “President’s Note” column by AACN President Dorrie Fontaine,
RN, DNSc, FAAN, which appears each month in AACN News. (See page 2) “The New
Year reminds me that rising above is also a strategy of optimism” and
“communication is arguably the foundation for success in everything we do,” she
wrote. The monthly section also included an article titled “Creating a Healthy
Healthcare Environment,” which reviewed AACN’s position as presented to the
House Committee on Veterans Affairs, Subcommittee on Oversight and
Investigation. “Having the appropriate number and mix of nurses is a critical
factor in achieving positive patient outcomes in any healthcare setting. It is
especially essential for patients who are critically ill,” AACN wrote.
Nursing Spectrum (Jan. 12, 2004)—“Intensive
Caring–24/7 in the ICU” was the title of an article that quoted Fontaine
regarding family presence in the ICU. “AACN’s position is that all ICUs should
have a written policy that allows the option for family presence during
resuscitation and invasive procedures,” Fontaine said. “A policy tells everyone
who comes to a unit, whether they are there to work or to visit a loved one,
what the culture of that institution is all about. And a culture that supports
and honors family as integral to the care of their loved one in every way, is a
positive one.” The issue also included an article titled “AACN Launches Beacon
Award for Critical Care Excellence.” “Critical care units now have a recognition
program to call their own,” the article noted. According to AACN Practice
Director Justine Medina, RN, MS, AACN has established criteria based on the
literature and research to evaluate CCUs in six areas: recruitment and
retention; education, training, and mentoring; evidence-based practices; patient
outcomes; healing environments; and leadership and organizational ethics.
(Online at www.aacn.org > Beacon Award)
PRWeb (Jan. 14, 2004)—A news release announced that
MC Strategies, Inc., a leader in providing Web-based learning content, is now
licensed to offer AACN’s Essentials of Critical Care Orientation (ECCO)
educational tool. (See page 7) Maribel Rodriguez-Brogden, manager of content
acquisition and project management at MC Strategies, said, “We are very pleased
to add these important courses to our extensive online library. AACN has done an
excellent job in developing the ECCO educational tool, and we look forward to
working with them to deliver high-quality educational services to our clients.”
Nursing Management E-News (Jan. 15, 2004)—“Is Your
Hospital Unit Beacon-Award Worthy?” was the heading for information presented on
AACN’s Beacon Award for Critical Care Excellence to recognize top critical care
units across the country. The criteria for receiving the award are high-quality
standards, exceptional care of patients and families and healthy work
environments. (Online at www.aacn.org > Beacon Award)
Nephrology Nursing Journal (December 2003)—Resources
for planning palliative and end-of-life care for patients with kidney disease
were discussed. “Nursing has been instrumental in moving the EOL and palliative
care agenda forward,” the article noted, referring to the Nursing Leadership
Consortium on End of Life Care. AACN helped to organize the effort, which was
funded by the Open Society Institute and the Project on Death in America.
NPR News (Dec. 17, 2003)—Janie Heath, RN, MS, CCRN,
ANP, ACNP, a member of the AACN Board of Directors, spoke from WAMU-FM in
Washington, D.C., about the important role of acute and critical care nurses
when patients come into the healthcare system with tobacco-related diseases.
“Helping Patients Quit Smoking: Tips for a Successful New Year’s Resolution” was
the title of her presentation, which was broadcast to 340 stations nationwide.
Heath explained that recurrent hospital admissions and complications from
tobacco use can be prevented when nurses go beyond just asking if someone smokes
or uses tobacco. She provided examples of how nurses can intervene with patients
and their families by developing a plan to quit smoking. Helpful tips were given
on how to break the three cycles of tobacco addiction: physical, behavioral and
psychological.
Our Voice at the Table
CEO Wanda Johanson, RN, MN, and Fontaine joined the
presidents and CEOs of the American College of Chest Physicians, American
Thoracic Society and Society of Critical Care Medicine on a conference call to
decide on the publication venue and schedule for “Framing Options for Critical
Care in the United States.” This paper was developed by the four associations as
a basis for advocating for federal support to address the workforce shortage in
acute and critical care and to direct the combined work of the four
organizations. In addition, the leadership reviewed the recommendations outlined
in the paper: standardizing the practice of critical care, advocating for common
data sets in critical care, defining and promoting incentives to ensure a future
workforce in critical care and conducting research to define the optimum role
for critical care professionals in care delivery. They also agreed to outline
goals and outcomes to address the recommendations.
Fontaine, Wendy Berke, RN, BSN, MHA, AACN director
of professional practice, and Ramón Lavandero, RN, MSN, MA, FAAN, AACN director
of development and strategic alliances, attended the American College of Chest
Physicians’ executive committee meeting in Chicago as part of the program
planning for ACCP’s Chest 2004 conference.
President-Elect Kathy McCauley, RN, PhD, CS, FAAN,
spoke at a conference for nurse educators in Beijing, China, and then met with
Ministry of Education officials about improving nursing education in China. She
was part of a delegation led by the president and CEO of the Commission on
Graduates of Foreign Nursing Schools.
Bonnie Baker, RN, MHA, AACN program development
specialist, attended the American Nurses Credentialing Center’s Consumer Update
seminar in Washington, D.C. ANCC Executive Committee Chair Nancy DiMauro, RN,
MA, BC, presented information about ANCC’s accreditation process, including
updates on guideline changes.
Dave Hanson, RN, MSNc, CCRN, EMT-P, a member of the
AACN Board of Directors, participated in a national nursing meeting in Fort
Lauderdale, Fla., to provide feedback on a monitoring system to eliminate wire
connections between patients and monitors. This type of feedback is in keeping
with AACN’s efforts to improve patient outcomes and enhance the quality of the
nursing work environment.
If you or your chapter has reached out to the media
or other groups to promote critical care nursing, we’d like to know. E-mail your
information to
Judy.Wilkin@aacn.org.
On the Agenda
Following is a report by AACN Board Member Mary E.
Holtschneider, RN, BSN, MPA, on discussions that took place during an AACN Board
of Directors conference call in January.
Agenda Item: Public Policy
Emphasizing the importance of AACN’s participation
in the public policy arena, the board discussed how to best leverage the
opportunities to influence issues important to critical care nurses. AACN’s new
Volunteer Profile Database (www.aacn.org > Membership > Volunteer Opportunities)
is considered an excellent avenue to build on the foundation laid by the Public
Policy Work Group in the past and provide greater flexibility in addressing
specific issues as they emerge. Legislative information, including “calls to
action,” are also included on a regular basis via Critical Care Newsline.
Agenda Item: Healthy Work
Environments
The board continued its dialogue on Healthy Work
Environments, a priority issue around which AACN has launched an effort to
effect change, and the role “bold voice” has in that cause. AACN currently has a
number of projects in the pipeline that are related to the Healthy Work
Environments initiative. Included are a backgrounder, positions statements on
workplace violence and zero tolerance for abuse, and NTI sessions and posters
that focus on Healthy Work Environments.
Agenda Item: Outreach
The board continued discussions on strategies that
will help broaden its scope of influence toward meeting the needs of an expanded
realm of critical care nurses and others who contribute toward the care of
acutely and critically ill patients and their families. The new PCCN
certification exam for progressive care nurses is an example of a need that has
been identified. As part of the process, the board is examining trends and new
ways to look at customers.
What If You Needed Long-Term
Care?
As a member of AACN, you are eligible to take
advantage of group long-term care insurance underwritten by the John Hancock
Life Insurance Company.
Although the prospect isn’t pleasant, all of us
could face the devastation of being unable to care for ourselves, whether
because of aging or because of an accident or illness. The resulting financial
pressures could be more than we can bear.
That’s where long-term care insurance comes in. The
AACN Long-Term Care Insurance Plan helps to cover these types of costs in a
variety of locations, including at home, in a qualified adult day care center,
Alzheimer’s facility or nursing home. In addition, you can receive services from
trained nurses, home healthcare aides, therapists and other types of caregivers.
For more information, call (800) 708-0706 to request
the AACN Long-Term Care Insurance Enrollment Kit.
Silent Auction a Fun Way to
Support Scholarships
As you look ahead to Orlando, Fla., and AACN’s 2004
National Teaching Institute and Critical Care Exposition, you will want to also
be thinking about one of the most popular and fun NTI events—the Silent Auction.
Set to enter its fourth year, the Silent Auction is
just one of the ways that funds are raised for the AACN Scholarship Endowment
Fund.
If you would like to donate a gift to the silent
auction or have questions, contact the silent auction coordinator at
(800)394-5995, ext 8994, or e-mail
silentauction@aacn.org.
Scholarships Encourage
Advancement
AACN offers scholarships to support AACN 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. The deadline to apply for scholarships for the 2004-05 academic year is
April 1.
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.
PDA Center
The new Pocket ICU Management Guide provides
comprehensive information, from coverage about unstable ICU patients with
life-threatening disorders, such as shock, myocardial infarction, cardiac arrest
and thromboembolic disorders, to disorders presented additionally as a problem,
not simply a diagnosis. You will find sections on topics such as evaluating
fever in the ICU, recognition and management of hypoperfusion states, diagnosis
and management of barotraumas, and recognition of catheter infection. Each topic
area includes a summary that outlines proper evaluation and workup. Pocket ICU
Management is a must-have resource.
And, when you purchase this excellent PDA resource
(available for both Palm OS and Pocket PC) through AACN’s PDA Center, you can
save $10 off the $50 retail price. Pay only $40 through April 30, 2004.
15% off Pocket ICU Management and
ER/ICU Toolbox BundleWe have also bundled
this new Management Guide with an excellent essential program, the Medical
Wizard’s ER/ICU Toolbox. This Pocket ICU-ER Toolbox bundle is only $80.49,
saving you over 15% off individual prices ($94.99). Offer good through April 30,
2004.
Ultimate Drug Guide and ER/ICU
Toolbox
AACN has packaged Medical Wizards Corporation’s new
Ultimate Drug Guide for both Palm OS and Pocket PC with another great resource,
the ER and ICU Toolbox.
Based on the Davis’s Drug Guide for Nurses, the UDG
offers substantial functionality that is not available in other drug guides.
And, unlike similar products, the UDG contains the entire content of the Davis’s
Drug Guide, not just the drug information sections. Tools, such as unit
conversion calculators, are also incorporated.
By merging drug reference with calculation tools,
the UDG allows nurses to seamlessly access drug information and calculate drug
dosages for any patient. Twelve months of free upgrades come with purchase.
The ER and ICU Toolbox is a premium medical
calculator and rapid reference for emergency and critical care health
professionals. More than 13 modules are available, including ACLS protocols,
adult drips, emergency meds and fluid wizard.
Through April 30, you can purchase this ER
Toolbox/Ultimate Drug Guide Bundle for only $82.99. (Regularly listed at $94.98
when purchased separately).
AACN Annual Meeting
You are invited to join the American Association of
Critical-Care Nurses National Leadership Team at the Annual Meeting and Forum
Tuesday, May 18, 2004
Noon to 1:15 pm
Orange County Convention Center
Orlando, Florida
At this informative meeting, you will learn about
AACN’s strategic plan for the future, which includes important initiatives and
efforts to meet the needs of our members. AACN committee chairs will also report
the accomplishments of their volunteer groups. As a valued member, we hope you
will take this opportunity to ask questions, present ideas and share comments
directly with AACN President Dorrie Fontaine, RN, DNSc, FAAN, and CEO Wanda
Johanson, RN, MN.
By attending the Annual Meeting, your name will be
entered into a drawing to win prizes, including free registration for NTI 2005
in
New Orleans, La., practice resources, free
membership and AACN recognition products.
What’s in the April Issue of
Critical Care Nurse?
• Major Pelvic Fractures
• Sedation Assessment
• Prostacyclin Therapy for Pulmonary Arterial
Hypertension
• Systemic Lupus Erythematosus
• Improve Information Flow for Interhospital
Transfers
• Thyroid Storm During Pregnancy
Subscriptions to Critical Care Nurse and the
American Journal of Critical Care are included in AACN membership dues.
Looking Ahead
March 2004
March 15 Deadline for nurses interested in
participating on national-level AACN work groups or as Chapter Advisory Team
representatives.
March 22 Deadline to apply to take paper-and-pencil
version of new PCCN certification exam for progressive care nurses and the CCRN
and CCNS certification exams on May 17 during NTI 2004 in
Orlando, Fla. For more information or to register
for the NTI, call (800) 899-2226.
March 31 AACN’s Critical Links membership campaign
ends.
April 2004
April 1 Deadline to apply for BSN Completion and
Graduate Completion educational advancement scholarships. 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.
April 6 Early-bird deadline to register for NTI 2004
at discounted price.
April 18 Voting closes at midnight in annual AACN
election to fill positions on the AACN Board of Directors and AACN Nominating
Committee.
May 2004
May 15-20 National Teaching Institute and Critical
Care Exposition in Orlando, Fla.
|
