The Alaska Nurse - Vol. 60 No. 4 - November 2010

The Official Publication of the Alaska Nurses Association Circulation 7,400 to every Registered Nurse, Licensed Practical Nurse and Student Nurse in Alaska

Volume 60 • No. 4

November 2010

ANPA 2010 Annual Conference

Page 3

Evidence-Based Nursing is Here to Stay

Keynote Speaker Returns to Alaska With Message of Change

Geneva Craig, Ph.D., CAN-RN-BC. Clinical Program Coordinator at Rogue Valley Medical Center in Medford, Ore.

Geneva Craig, AaNA conference keynote speaker and past resident of Alaska for 30 years, returned to tell nurses that “technology has pushed us forward.” Evidence-based nursing (EBN), defined as a process that involves critical evaluation of research-based information that is applied to patient care, is being promoted through funding by the federal government. Craig encourages nurses to, “learn about EBN now and start thinking about appropriate steps to get it started where you work.” She advised that nurses not wait for administrations to make mandates from the top down but to start now and get involved. She notes there is power in nursing, especially when nurses pull together. Successful adoption of EBN will mean that nurses from different generations, baby-

Heart of the Alaska Nurse

Page 6

New Clinic Opens in Skagway

Page 9

Evidence-Based Nursing continued on page 4

AaNA General Assembly Sets Priorities for 2011 The 2010 General Assembly of the Alaska Nurses Association met Sunday, October17, 2010 at the Anchorage Marriott. Election results were announced for the AaNA Board of Directors and the Labor Council. Eight resolutions were passed.

The resolutions guide the Association through the year in legislative and policy efforts.

Newly elected to the AaNA Board of Directors are: Pam Embler—Vice President Michelle Marshall—Secretary Linda Worman—Greater Alaska Director Shelly Burlison—Rural Director Stacy Allen—Director-at-Large Patricia Barker—Director-at-Large

Joe Peacott, an AaNA Boardmember who leaves the Board this year, has ably acted as secretary during General Assembly meetings for years, managing to add, delete and modify resolutions and bylaws during meetings with skill and verve.

Elected to the AaNA Labor Council are: Donna Phillips Colleen Bevans Janet Hilleary Deni Callahan Lila Elliott

The complete text of the resolutions follow.

Please feel free to submit any comments or questions to the Alaska Nurses Association at 907274-0827.

AaNA General Assembly continued on page 10

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Resolution #1—Priorities for the 2010 Alaska Legislative Session Be it resolved that for the coming year the following will be the priorities for the Alaska Nurses Association’s legislative efforts: Monitoring for any proposed amendments to AS 18.20.400; Support incentives and loan forgiveness for students in health occupations including basic and advanced nursing education; To ensure safer workplaces and to encourage safe patient handling; Ensure the Alaska Nurse Practice Act is not amended in such a way as to harm the practice of nursing; Monitor activity pertaining to Title Protection that would prohibit the right of nurses with doctorate degrees to use the title doctor; Support efforts to change AS 47.05.30047.05.390 on the model of New Mexico legislation Section 29-17-5—Criminal History Screening, in order to make this statute more just and less onerous for Alaska health care workers;

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Inside This Issue President’s Message . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

Diaster Training Anyone? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

ANPA 2010 Annual Conference . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

New Clinic Opens in Skagway . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

Nurses in the News . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

Volunteer Opportunity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

Heart of the Alaska Nurse . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

Former AaNA Executive Director on Probation . 9

Congratulations Graduates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

Membership Application . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

Alaska Board of Nursing Update . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

Resources . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13

The Future of Nursing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

Upcoming Events . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14

The AaNA Vision Empowering Alaska nurses to be dynamic leaders, powerful in both the health care and political communities.

Page 2 • Alaska Nurse

November 2010

Author Guidelines for the Alaska Nurse The editorial committee welcomes original articles for publication. Preference is given to nursing and health related topics in Alaska.

Authors are not required to be members of the Alaska Nurses Association.

Format and Submission Articles should be Word documents in 10 or 12 point font, single or double spaced.

There is currently no limit on the length of the article. Include the title of the article and headings if applicable. Author’s name should be placed after the title with credentials, organization and/or employer and contact information. Authors must identify potential conflicts of interest, whether of financial or other nature and identify any commercial affiliation if applicable.

All references should be listed at the end of the article. Pictures in black and white or color are encouraged and may be sent

as a jpg. file, as an email attachment or on disc. Photographs sent to the Alaska Nurse will become property of the AaNA. We hope that we will be sent copies, not originals and prefer emailed files. Photos should be provided with a caption and photo credit info and be high resolution. Be sure to spell check, grammar check and second check the article, any website addresses, references or phone numbers. It is recommended you have a colleague review your article before submission.

Prepare the article as a WORD document and attach it to an email to lhartz@alaska. com. If you do not have WORD, try pasting the text of the article directly into the body of the email. You may also mail the article on disc to Editor, AK Nurse, Alaska Nurses Association, 3701 East Tudor Road Ste 208, Anchorage, AK 99507. If you have any questions email the Editor, Lynn Hartz at lhartz@alaska.com.

President’s Message Choices, Elections, and Leadership Opportunities for Nurses

By Nancy Davis, RN, MS, President, Alaska Nurses Association As we near press deadline for the AKNurse, we are only three weeks from the national elections, always a critical time for everyone to practice good citizenship and vote. We have just passed the deadline for mailing in votes for the Alaska Nurses Association. Our Association Ballot included excellent candidates for all the offices and we are deeply grateful for those nurse members who agreed to stand for election to the Board of Directors and the Labor Council. We had some offices with one candidate plus the additional option of “Write In.” A year ago, I wrote about the goal of having each office contested with at least two candidates for each vacant seat. We did not meet that goal this year even with a great deal of outreach and encouragement to members to stand for election. We must do better as a professional organization. Joining the leadership of our state nurses association is a good opportunity to explore your own leadership talents and to contribute to your profession in a collective way. There are so many things the association can accomplish with active membership and an expanding vision that new leaders can bring. So I won’t belabor the point; only encourage you to step up, pitch in and take us to new heights as the best nurses association anywhere.

That brings me to a very important recent event: the Institute of Medicine (IOM) and Robert Wood Johnson(RWJ) report on the The Future of Nursing: Leading Change, Advancing Health* just released October 5, 2010. This consensus paper points out how critical nurses are in transforming our health system for the future. The report cites the potential impact of over 3 million nurses in America who are on the front lines of providing health care to individuals, families and communities. The report asserts that “Working on the front lines of patient care, nurses can play a vital role in helping realize the objectives set forth in the 2010 Affordable Care Act, legislation that represents the broadest health care overhaul since the 1965 creation of the Medicare and Medicaid programs.” The committee identified some barriers that must be overcome for nurses to realize this vital role and “developed four key messages:” • Nurses should practice to the full extent of their education and training.

• Nurses should achieve higher levels of education and training through an improved education system that promotes seamless academic progression.

• Nurses should be full partners, with physicians and other health care professionals, in redesigning health care in the United States.

• Effective workforce planning and policy making require better data collection and information infrastructure.”

The report continues “the United States has the opportunity to transform its health care system, and

nurses can and should play a fundamental role in this transformation. However, the power to improve the current regulatory, business, and organizational conditions does not rest solely with nurses; government, businesses, health care organizations, professional associations, and the insurance industry all must play a role. Working together, these many diverse parties can help ensure that the health care system provides seamless, affordable, quality care that is accessible to all and leads to improved health outcomes” Doesn’t this just make you want to get out in front with all those diverse parties and add nursing’s knowledge and wisdom to the discussion! Nurses bring an important perspective to improving health care and patient services. Who else spends 24/7 at the bedside in our health facilities, or spends more time talking with and listening to patients and families? In some small communities is there anyone else with the education and experience of the nurse who is accessible and available ?

There are many analogies for where we now find ourselves as nurses: at a crossroads, on the brink of discovery, at the forefront, in the right place at the right time, holding the perfect lottery ticket, or the perfect poker hand. Never has nursing been so well positioned to influence critical decisions on health care and patient care. The cat is out of the bag: nurses are a vital part of the future of health care.

So in case you find yourself wishing that ‘they” would make better decisions about the work we do or the responsibilities we have, I challenge you to actively participate with “them.” Assert your leadership as a nurse and look for avenues to strengthen nursing’s voice in the debate. Be on a committee at work, Join your professional nursing organization. (Membership has never been more affordable since we now can directly join the Alaska state nurses association and, if you choose, also other national nursing organizations.) You can run for office in the Alaska Nurses Association. You can be an active participant in legislative work. Alaska Nurses voices were heard loud and clear during the past legislative session on excessive work hours and the importance of safer patient care.

In closing, whenever you get the chance, VOTE. Join your professional association, run for office, keep nurses in the forefront of decision-making on health issues. Make the future of nursing a brighter one for nurses and patients! *For more information on the IOM Report, click on the hot link below at the online version of The Alaska Nurse at aknurse.org, or type in iom.edu/ nursing. Your search engine should take you to the report: h t t p : // w w w. i o m . e d u / R e p o r t s / 2 0 1 0 / The-Future-of-Nursing-LeadingC h a nge -Adva nc i n g-He a lt h.a spx?ut m _ medium=etmail&utm_source=Institute%20of%20 Med ici ne&ut m _ca mpa ig n=10.05.10+Repor t++The+Future+of+Nursing&utm_content=New%20 Reports&utm_term=Non-profit

An official publication of the Alaska Nurses Association, 3701 East Tudor Rd., Ste. 208, Anchorage, AK 99507. Tel: 907/274-0827. Web site: www.aknurse.org. Published quarterly.

Materials may not be reproduced permission from the Editor.

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Editor: Lynn E. Hartz, MSN, FNP lhartz@alaska.com AaNA Board of Directors President: Nancy C. Davis, RN, MS Vice President: Pam Embler, RN, MSN Secretary: Michelle Marshall, RN, MSN Treasurer: Donna Phillips, RN, BSN Directors: Labor Council (designee): Susan Walsh, RN Rural Director: Shelley Burlison, RN Greater Alaska Director: Linda Worman, D.M., RN, PHN Staff Nurse Director: Mary Stackhouse, RNC, CLNC Directors at Large: Stacey Allen, RN, BS Patricia Barker, RN Carol Widman, RN, BS, BSN vacant AaNA Labor Council Chair—Mary Stackhouse, RNC, CLNC Vice-Chair—Donna Phillips, RN, BSN Secretary—Joe Peacott, RN Treasurer—Sharie Morton, RN Directors: Colleen Bevans Janet Hilleary Deni Callahan Lila Elliott Vacant PAMC BU Rep.—Joe Peacott, RN Soldotna BU Rep.—Velinda Albrechta-East, RN Ketchikan BU Rep.—Susan Walsh, RN Affiliate Organizations: Alaska Chapter of the American College of Nurse Midwives Alaska Home Health and Hospice Association Alaska Nurse Anesthetists Association Alaska Nurse Practitioner Association Alaska School Nurses Association Forensic Nurses Association, Alaska Chapter Executive Director: Debbie Thompson, BSN, RN, CNOR For advertising rates and information, please contact Arthur L. Davis Publishing Agency, Inc., 517 Washington Street, PO Box 216, Cedar Falls, Iowa 50613, (800) 626-4081, sales@aldpub.com. AaNA and the Arthur L. Davis Publishing Agency, Inc. reserve the right to reject any advertisement. Responsibility for errors in advertising is limited to corrections in the next issue or refund of price of advertisement.

Acceptance of advertising does not imply endorsement or approval by the Alaska Nurses Association of products advertised, the advertisers, or the claims made. Rejection of an advertisement does not imply a product offered for advertising is without merit, or that the manufacturer lacks integrity, or that this association disapproves of the product or its use. AaNA and the Arthur L. Davis Publishing Agency, Inc. shall not be held liable for any consequences resulting from purchase or use of an advertiser’s product. Articles appearing in this publication express the opinions of the authors; they do not necessarily reflect views of the staff, board, or membership of AaNA or those of the national or local associations.

November 2010

ANPA 2010 Annual Conference

The 27th annual conference of the Alaska Nurse Practitioner Association (ANPA) was held September 16-18 at the Anchorage Marriott. Nurse practitioners from around the state met to attend clinical sessions and the business meeting held on the second day of the conference.

Theresa Isaac, ANPA administrative assistant welcomes participants.

One striking aspect of the 2010 conference was the distribution of dramatically less paper – we have gone green! Visit our website, www.alaskanp. org, for paperless membership applications and renewals, updates to the Alaska NP Directory, and conference registration and speaker handouts when the fall rolls around again. If you are an Alaska nurse practitioner, even if you’re not a member of ANPA, please visit our website to submit your contact information to the Directory; we are no longer printing paper NP Directories.

And while you’re there, please consider joining!

Also newly into the digital age is our Facebook group, titled “Alaska Nurse Practitioner Association.” Come join our group, and strike up a discussion! Facebook membership is required but free.”

Poster sessions were presented by UAA graduate nursing students on the last day of the conference.

The students were available for questions and discussions with participants.

Catherine Butler presents her project, “Implementation of an Assessment Tool Used to Evaluate Alaskan Providers’ Knowledge, Beliefs, Self-efficacy, and Practice of Current Guidelines for Pediatric Obesity Management.”

Karen Niedermier, Secretary of the Association says, “We had an excellent fall conference in midSeptember, full of first-rate speakers and colleagues.

We encourage Alaska NPs to participate in planning the 2011 conference; watch your email box for meeting information.

New this year, active members of the education committee will receive one free day registration at the fall conference!

Retiring ANPA President, Maggie Barnett, brings group to order!

Linda Holmes, new ANPA President ‘rings’ in the educational sessions.

New officers were announced for the 2010-2011 term: President, Linda Holmes; President Elect, Christy Potter; Treasurer, Lee Ann Eissler and Secretary, Karen Niedermier. Amber Orellana, a second year UAA FNP program student was awarded a $1,000 scholarship by the Association.

Ann Glasheen, WHNP, received the ANPA Nurse Practitioner of the Year award. Ann is a 19 year resident of Bethel and is the Prenatal Care Manager at the Yukon Kuskokwin Health Corporation. She started her career as a labor and delivery nurse and has been a nurse practitioner since 2004.

Your new Nursing Career starts here.

Visit our nurse recruitment website.

www.nursingALD.com

Alaska Nurse • Page 3

Lois Rockcastle (lt.) congratulates Ann Glasheen 2010 NP of the Year.

Barbara Berner, EdD, FNP, recently named the interim Director of the UAA School of Nursing was awarded the ANPA Advocate of the Year Award.

The Advocate award is not one routinely given but reserved for special contributions to Barbara Berner, the profession. Dr. Berner EdD, FNP, FAANP has devoted herself to promoting the growth of the nurse practitioner specialty since the beginning and in its formative years served as the President of the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners. She has served as President of the ANPA for four terms and been either a chair or committee member of numerous professional committees both in the ANPA and the Alaska Nurses Association. Dr. Berner also served on the state Board of Nursing. She has recently been active in working to transition the School of Nursing to offering a Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) for nurse practitioners.

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november 2010 Evidence-Based Nursing continued from page 1

Notice

Audio CD’s of recent Alaska Board of Nursing Meetings Now Available at the AaNA Office Call 907-274-0827 for copies and information Brought to you by the Alaska Nurses Association

boomers, Gen Y and Gen X’ers will have to embrace and learn from each other.

Hugging the conference sign is Michelle Marshall, MSN, Conference Director who in real life is the Asst. Program Manager at Reproductive Health Clinic, MOA. With her is Donna Phillips, a Providence Alaska Medical Center nurse and a member of the AaNA Board of Directors.

The annual conference, sponsored by the Alaska Nurses Association, took place October 15-16 at the Anchorage Marriott. Over 115 nurses per day attended. Three educational tracks were provided; clinical nursing, leadership/management and integrative medicine. Local and national speakers were featured with topics diverse as “Evidencebased wound care” to “A comprehensive naturopathic approach to menopause.”

Student nurses Ellie Farmer (lt.) and Jessie Westin (rt.) applaud a session speaker. The UAA BSN students are in their 4th semester of nursing studies.

The ever popular Nurses Night Out/Student Mentoring Night took place Saturday at the conclusion of the conference. This year the theme was “Monster Mash.” There was good food, good music, lot’s of costumes and fun for all the party goers who attended.

Paul Mordini, MS, shows his piratical side at the “Monster Mash.’ Mordini, VicePresident of the AaNA Board of Directors completed his term in October.

The next AaNA Statewide Nursing Conference will be in the fall of 2012. A resolution passed by the 2010 House of Delegates changes the conference from annual to every other year. The conference will also grow to a three day format.

Tapia Hansen, UAA BSN student, holds a theme basket donated for a silent auction held on the second night of the conference. Profits from the auction will be used to establish a UAA student nursing scholarship. Hansen wishes all potential employers to know that she is “hirable next summer!”

Notice to AaNA Members—You Are Not Getting Your Email Over half of listserv email from the Alaska Nurses Association to Members are being blocked by email guards. If you wish to receive important updates and information in a timely manner, please check your junk email settings and make sure that Donna@aknurse.org is an approved address.

If you have not been getting email updates and information from the Alaska Nurses Association, or if your address has changed and you are a member, please contact Donna Phillips at Donna@aknurse.org or call 907-274-0827.

November 2010

Alaska Nurse • Page 5

Nurses in the News Governor Parnell appointed Erin Pringle, MSN, RN to the Board of Nursing. The seven-member board regulates and approves applications for licenses and permits. Pringle, of Anchorage, is a registered nurse at Alaska Regional Hospital in the preoperative unit. She is also an assistant professor at the University of Alaska School of Nursing A.A.S. program. She has 12 years of service in the U.S. Air Force Nurse Corps and has participated in medical mission trips to Africa and Nicaragua.

Pringle has been appointed to a seat reserved for a registered nurse and the appointment must now be confirmed by the state legislature. [news release from Office of the Governor, 8/26/10]

State Award for Excellence. Dr. Coopes is the medical director of the Pediatric ICU at the Children’s Hospital at Providence Alaska Medical Center, Anchorage. She has been an advocate of nurse practitioners for years, particularly in the acute care setting. Dr. Coopes has supported and personally funded placing an NP in an expert teaching role with attending physicians, family practice residents, medical students, nurses health aides and emergency medical services personnel in Anchorage and other communities statewide.

The Advocate State Award for Excellence is given annually to an individual who has made a significant contribution toward increasing awareness and acceptance of NPs.

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2010 American Academy of Nurse Practitioner Awards Kathryn Sexson, MS, ANP was presented with the AANP Nurse Practitioner State Award for Excellence for 2010. Sexson owns Denali Family Health in Anchorage. She is an active member of her profession serving in elected office in ANPA and as a preceptor for UAA graduate students. In addition to full-time clinical practice, Kathryn is in the doctoral program at the Oregon Health Sciences University. The AANP State Award for Excellence is given annually to a nurse practitioner that has demonstrated excellence in NP clinical practice.

B.J. Coopes, MD was given the 2010 Advocate

After a brief semi-retirement, Lynn Hartz, FNPBC has returned to women’s health care practice with George Stransky, MD and Elizabeth Crow, MD. Consultations and referrals are welcome. OBGYN Associates are at 4231 Lake Otis Parkway, Anchorage , AK 99508, 907-562-2965.

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Dixie Orsini Nursing Scholarship Awarded Fairbanks District 4 Nurses Association awarded the Dixie Orsini Scholarships recently to Leah Johnson RN and Jenny Brady RN. Both nurses are working towards their Master’s Degrees leading to Nurse Practitioner qualification. Ms. Johnson is enrolled at Johns Hopkins University and will graduate in December. Ms. Brady and her family live and work in Fairbanks, and Jenny combines work here with study at UAA. The scholarships are awarded to Fairbanks area

residents enrolled in university programs leading to degrees in nursing, and nurses who may be enrolled in various continuing education programs to fulfill job requirements. Scholarships in amounts from $500 (“Encouragement Grants” for beginning students) to $2000 have been awarded every year since 1990. Previous awardees are now employed in nursing in Fairbanks and elsewhere.

The fund is named for Dixie Orsini, who was an active member of the Fairbanks Nurses Association whose family and friends established the scholarship fund after her death in 1984.

The scholarship board gives special consideration to applicants who have received scholarships in the past, and those who may not meet criteria for other nursing scholarship programs.

For more information, or to make a taxdeductible contribution to the Fund, contact Ruth Benson RN at (907) 479-6912.

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November 2010

Heart of the Alaska Nurse

By Marianne Schlegelmilch Who is the Alaska Nurse?

Underneath the titles and the hard won credentials, who is the person who makes up the Alaska Nurse?

In this new series, Heart of the Alaska Nurse, we will meet some of the women and men—both young and old—working, retired, or still students— who form the unique and always interesting ranks of caregivers who are the Alaska Nurse.

Heart of the Alaska Nurse Ron and Winnie Roggenbuck

Winnie and Ron in front of Mt. McKinley No wonder, that with the long hours, stressful life and death encounters, immense responsibility, missed holidays, and the pressures of night and weekend shifts, the love that nurses need for themselves can sometimes be elusive.

That is not the case for Ron and Winnie Roggenbuck. Not only have they each spent the better part of a lifetime working in the field of nursing, but the two are happily married—to each other.

Now together almost twenty-seven years, both readily agree that their love grows stronger with each passing day, just as both agree that there were times that they never imagined they would know such joy.

Back in the 1970’s Winnie was happily married, a happiness that was shattered when her then husband developed lymphoma. Not one to sit idly on the sidelines, Winnie studied to become an LPN so she could better care for her husband at home. When they moved to Nome, Alaska, that

home suddenly became a small apartment, so she decided to put her newly completed nursing education to work as a staff nurse at Norton Sound Regional Hospital in Nome.

While working as an LPN, Winnie realized how much she loved being a nurse. One day, the hospital sponsored speakers to address the nursing staff. One of the speakers was an RN who also happened to be an Alaska Native. This RN spoke about her background, and how she had desperately wanted to become a nurse even though at the time it seemed to be an impossible goal.

She went on to describe how she took that goal as her personal challenge, pursuing it even though at times it seemed elusive. Winnie says that the woman, “was a wonderful speaker: alive with her achievement and the certainty that anyone who set their mind to it could reach the same goal.”

Winnie goes on to explain that she felt as though she were alone in the room with that speaker— that each word was spoken just for her. She tells of how, even now, so many years later, she can remember that deciding moment and knowing that she would follow in that nurse’s footsteps.

After her husband died, Winnie decided she would do just that. She moved to Anchorage and began attending the UAA School of Nursing fulltime, in her own effort to pursue her nursing dream. Soon, thereafter, she met Ron. Winnie’s closest friend, Joan, was working at Providence Hospital in the Orthopedic Unit where Ron was also working. Ron was going to have his tonsils out soon, and Joan felt he would not get proper medical attention at his bachelor home, living with two male roommates, so she invited him to recuperate at the home that she and Winnie shared. “And the rest,” as Winnie says, “is history!”

Winnie completed her studies to become an ANP. From then until her retirement in 1998, she had a private practice in Anchorage that focused on women’s health care. During that time, she was also First Surgical Assist to the physician with whom she worked. Winnie sums her career up this way: “Nursing brings a special joy to my heart! Doing my best to help others improve their physical health and trying to lift their spirits have always defined nursing for me.” ~~~ Ron, on the other hand, first became a nurse in the early 1980s. After he was discharged from the Marine Corps in 1971, he used his GI Bill to get a degree with a double major: Pyschology and Philosophy. Shortly after that, though, he became interested in nursing. He went back to school and eventually began his nursing career working in a

small hospital in Hillsboro, Wisconsin. One day, fate led him to visit a friend in Alaska. Being an avid fisherman, he was—as his wife tells the story—“immediately hooked!”

Once in Alaska, Ron took a nursing position in the Orthopedic Unit at Providence. Then along came that needed tonsillectomy and the temporary move to recover at the home of a co-worker, where he met Winnie, the woman he would later marry.

They bought an old FAA duplex in downtown Anchorage, which they completely remodeled into a single family home.

Ron still had more schooling ahead of him, though. He decided to complete the RN Track Program at UAA and went on to pursue his Master’s Degree in Nursing. Once his education was completed, Ron began work as an ANP at the VA in Anchorage. His initial position there was in the Medical Clinic, but after several years, he helped to create the Outreach Program for homeless veterans.

As Ron tells it, during that time he and a social worker would drive through town and find the Anchorage homeless veterans in their camps, on the streets, or wherever they happened upon them.

The homeless were then assisted in accessing various services available to them through the VA. As Ron says when asked about the success of the program, “I’d say it was successful and it certainly was appreciated.”

Several years later, Ron transferred to the Mental Health and Addictions Treatment Program within the VA where he worked almost exclusively with veterans suffering from PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder). There are many combat veterans in Alaska today who would readily attest to the fact that Ron provided caring and nurturing support to them in time of need. Their stories are as touching as their need is great. For many veterans, their hearts have begun to heal because of the work Ron did in helping them. ~~~ Today Ron and Winnie Roggenbuck are both retired—although Ron recently studied for and relicensed as an RN. They still live in the beautiful home they remodeled together.

I suppose the heart of this story is that nurses are of such good heart. In spite of all the sacrifices they make, and the personal sufferings they endure, still, in the end, it is their hearts that pull them through—their hearts so giving that they have the ability to join together to fill the needs of both themselves and all those they help along the way. Somehow, perhaps as a reward for their dedication, or maybe as an overflow of their abundant compassion—perhaps even as a counterbalance to their ever-faltering backs— perhaps like Alaska nurses Ron and Winnie Roggenbuck, those who become nurses are blessed with extra strong hearts that help carry us all together through life.

A Diploma nurse, Marianne Schlegelmilch has spent more than forty years working as a registered nurse.

Although she is the author of five books of Alaska fiction (Solo Flite, Coho Waterboy, Raven’s Light, Gaston’s Crow’s Nest, and Feather From Schlegelmilch a Stranger), she says that she will “always first and foremost be a nurse.”

She thinks her fellow nurses will be interested in knowing that she began writing in earnest to relieve the stress of working in critical care—a field she worked in over twenty years, and that she considers writing to be art. The series, “Heart of the Alaska Nurse” is her tribute to her chosen profession of nursing expressed in her chosen art form of writing. If you feel there is any student, active or retired nurse you know who personifies the heart of the Alaska nurse, please contact lhartz@alaska.com and your story may be one that is featured in this exciting new series.

November 2010

Congratulations Graduates!

[The following is an excerpt from an address given by Debbie Thompson, AaNA Executive Director, to the graduating nursing class at UAA, Friday, August 13, 2010.]

Graduates, congratulations to each of you on your great achievement. I welcome you to the nursing profession as a colleague. Each day you will Debbie Thompson, have the opportunity to touch BSN, RN, CNOR someone’s life; it may be a patient; sometimes it will be a patient’s family member; it will also be your co-workers.

Each day you will be called on to make decisions that will change lives in an instant. You will be granted a privilege that few people know.

You will be there for the most poignant and beautiful moments of life, whether to assist in a birth or hold the hand of one dying. You are now a member of one of the most trusted professions in the United States.

With this trust comes tremendous responsibility.

Never forget that your knowledge and your assessments, your decisions and your actions will change lives…sometimes in a matter of minutes, and sometimes in a nano-second.

I have been a nurse for 34 years. I love my profession, probably more today than I did the day of my pinning ceremony. It is my hope, today, that as I reflect on my 34 years as a nurse, my experiences and insights will be helpful to you. I hope that you can use these examples to give you guidance, set an example, and be inspirational to some of you.

Each of you will find your own path. I would like to tell you a bit about how I found my path.

I began my career at a small rural hospital where I worked in every area and was a night supervisor just 3 months after graduation. Then, I moved to a regional medical center to work in the ICU, the Heart Catherization Lab and then on to the Operating Room where I spent the bulk of my 34 years.

Today, I have a new role in nursing. In 2008 I became Executive Director of the Alaska Nurses Association. In this role, I am an advocate and ambassador for nurses, at an individual level and as a policy maker. As I did on graduation day, I still think of my nursing career with optimism and bright expectation.

Today, graduates, it is your turn. You face a future of optimism and bright expectation. As you close one door, you walk through another.

From this day forward the safety net is gone. No longer will the professor oversee your work and monitor your every move. Today, you are a fully trained nurse. You leave academia and enter the real world of nursing. In this world, you make the assessments. You know the answers, or you will find the answers.

You may find yourself wishing you had paid more attention in a certain class, or to a certain instructor, or even been more faithful to your study group. Do not despair. We have all had these thoughts. I remember wondering how my professors could have turned me loose on an unsuspecting public. What the heck were they thinking?

You are now in the real world of nursing; do not get me wrong, you will have support but, you will be the practicing nurse who will now have real patients, a code of ethics that you need to live up to and a nurse practice act that you need to know and practice within, as well as being responsible for the entire care of your patients.

You will be looking up diseases, disease processes, medications, medication actions, interactions and side effects, symptoms and psycho social actions and reactions because you are the one responsible for noticing a change however subtle or blatant that could ultimately save someone’s life.

I am here, today, to tell you that it will-be-okay.

It will be a lot of work and more studying than you have been doing, but it will be worth it. Make no mistake. You are well-prepared. You received an excellent education at the UAA School of Nursing.

You had high quality instructors who are some of the best in the country. You put the time and hard work in and you jumped every hurdle. You know more than you think you do. And, what you

don’t know, you will learn on the job or through additional study—no, don’t put your text books away. You are on the brink of wearing them out.

You will also learn in another very important way.

You will learn from your peers.

Today, I throw out a challenge, by way of one last assignment for each you. (And, just when you thought you were done with assignments).

Your assignment is to identify a nurse mentor.

As you get out on your first job, look for that nurse who “has it all together”, who makes time for others, and puts themselves out to help other nurses. Look for that nurse who takes great pride in the profession. This is the nurse mentor.

Nurse mentors are easy to spot. They are the nurses who go out of their way to welcome and help you. A nurse mentor will ask if you have questions or need assistance. A nurse mentor will let you watch a procedure or task that does not come along often and talk you through the task.

Even though the safety net of academe is gone, the nurse mentor will provide another safety net.

These mentors are inspirational. They understand nursing as a profession and will welcome you as colleagues. The nurse mentors will save you from mistakes, and sometimes, they will let you make mistakes. You will learn from your mistakes and your mentors will help you overcome them and resolve them. A good nurse mentor will not be afraid to teach you by sharing the stories of their own mistakes.

Your assignment is to identify at least one nurse mentor early on. Then, use the nurse mentor’s example to enhance your practice. Drink deeply from their well of knowledge and experience.

Then, ultimately your responsibility is to be a nurse mentor to nurses who come behind you.

You may ask, why be a nurse mentor? Isn’t there enough to do just in the very practice of nursing?

I will tell you why. The nurse mentor looks back with gratitude and forward with optimism and bright expectation. The nurse mentor embraces the profession. The nurse mentor practices with high standards and excellence. The nurse mentor is committed to safe patient care. The nurse mentor is not afraid to admit he or she does not have all the answers. But, the nurse mentor knows how to get the answers and will not be afraid to use his or her books as well as the latest technology. The nurse mentor shares his or her knowledge with peers including brand new nurse colleagues. The nurse mentor makes a difference every single day.

This is the nurse I want you to find. More importantly, this is the nurse I want you to be.

I have been a nurse since 1976 and I can tell you that I learn something new everyday. Technology has put our profession in a constant state of flux.

New equipment, new procedures, new treatments and new medications are constant. I believe that keeping abreast with changes in the profession keeps us from becoming stagnant. So, keep abreast.

Don’t be afraid to learn and use new technologies and modalities.

Also, entering the profession brings the responsibility of advocacy and professionalism.

Donate some time and talent to the causes you hold dear. And, give back to the nursing profession. The nursing professor that gave the talk in my senior ethics class and also at my pinning ceremony said these words. “ The profession of nursing will come into its own when and if nurses are willing to stand united and advocate for their own safety, wages and safe practice as strongly as they advocate for their patient’s rights and safe care.” I have never forgotten those words as they laid a foundation for my professional life. To me, that nurse spoke volumes even beyond the actual words she said: Never be content with the ways things are. Ask, is there a better way, does evidence support the new or old path? Strive to be the best you can at your job. This attitude keeps our profession alive and vital. Do not settle for someone else’s definition of nursing practice. Do not rely on others to make the nursing profession “right,” Stand up and be heard as we stand together to affect change. Advocate for your patients as well as for your profession; then for yourself as a nurse.

I encourage each of you to become a member of your State Nursing Association, to have a voice in policy making that will affect your career, to bring your new ideas, your energy and knowledge to the house of nursing. Together we will maintain a strong nursing profession.

Alaska Nurse • Page 7

Now, back to that assignment—finding and being a mentor—I would like to leave you with a story about one of my first mentors—Shirley Wojack.

Shirley had a confidence in my abilities that I did not see nor recognize. Shirley would not let me back away and give into fear of the unknown.

Shirley pushed me beyond my comfort zone, forced me to use my education. Shirley gave me confidence to go beyond my fear. Shirley supported me in doing a procedure I did not believe I could do but that she knew I was capable of. That is what a great nurse mentor does. And in the process, patients are well-served.

You are nurses now. Welcome to the profession.

May you have long and satisfying careers. Go to work and reap the benefits that nursing has to offer!

August 2010 University of Alaska Nursing Graduates

The University of Alaska, Anchorage conferred degrees on the following students in August.

Additional honors were bestowed on three graduates: Fallon N. Andrews – Director’s Award earned by the student with the highest GPA Brandi R. Segraves – Spirit of Nursing Award determined by faculty vote for the student they feel demonstrates the spirit of caring, science, love of learning, and compassion.

Jessica T. Daniels – Peer Award conferred by the senior class to a fellow classmate who has completed their nursing studies while balancing the daily demands of life.

Our best wishes and congratulations to you all.

Welcome to our profession!

Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) Fallon N. Andrews Tanya R. Aus Bronwen E. Brugge Adam M. Carpenter Martha R. Christenson Jessica T. Daniels Ashten S. Glaves David S. Graham Carmen L. Hamilton Tabatha A. Harps Mary Lou G. Harris Sarah J. Harvey Chelsi Y. Hennessey Danielle M. Heyl Casy L. Knapp

Cheryl A. Lestenkof Jing Chung Liu Valerie A. Mullican Karla R. Nash Marina A. Nedom Kasey L. Panhuise Tracy L. Pride Christopher A. Pyatt Kim R. Richardson Marisa M. Rincon Chelsea D. Royal Tracey L. Saephan Brandi R. Segraves Vesal Suon Andrea L. Zavacky

RN to BSN Graduates Cheryl L. Fevurly, RN Heather L. Gilbert, RN Rachel L. Grieme, RN Cindy L. Hardy, RN Amanda Wilhelm, RN

Master of Science (MS) Marianne Johnstone-Petty, FNP

Page 8 • Alaska Nurse

November 2010

Alaska Board of Nursing Update

Report on License Renewals

by Nancy Sanders, Executive Administrator Renewals for LPNs concluded on September 30, 2010. The on-line process worked well from the Board’s perspective. Seven hundred sixty eight (768) LPNs renewed which is approximately 70% of those licensed.

There is no way to determine why only 70% of the LPNs renewed. I can only speculate. One statistic that is interesting to consider is that only 75% of the licensed LPNs had an address in Alaska. Are these travel nurses? Another thought is that many LPNs might have continued their education to become RNs. If so, hooray!

By the time you read this message RN/ANP/ CRNA renewals will have concluded. As of this writing (10/15/2010) 2,877 RNs, 275 ANPs and 37 CRNAs have renewed.

The Board of Nursing is interested in feedback related to your experience renewing your license(s), especially the online renewal experience and the decision to go paperless. The paperless aspect is that the Board did not send you a paper license after renewal. Please feel free to contact me at nancy.sanders@alaska.gov, at 2698161 and then press 0, or by mail at the Board of Nursing, 550 W. 7th Ave., Suite 1500, Anchorage, AK 99501.

The Future of Nursing

by Beth Farnstrom, RN , Chairperson & Nancy Sanders, RN, Executive Administrator, Board of Nursing Beth Farnstrom, Chair and Nancy Sanders, Executive Administrator of the Alaska Board of Nursing attended the August 2010 National Council of State Board of Nursing meeting in Portland, Oregon. The keynote speaker was Susan Hassmiller, R.N., PhD, F.A.A.N. who spoke on the topic of The Future of Nursing. One of her suggestions was for nurses to conduct research which can document how nursing and highquality patient outcomes are good for public safety.

This reinforces the mission of the Alaska State Board of Nursing which is to actively promote and protect the health of the citizens of Alaska through the safe and effective practice of nursing as defined by law.

Dr. Hassmiller quoted the Carnegie Foundation Report which says “Today’s nurses are undereducated for demands of practice.”

She suggests redesigning education to make the curriculum relevant and to teach students to think, make critical judgments and create solutions. The redesign of education may include a nurse residency program and address the lifelong learning that is needed. As you are aware the Alaska Board of Nursing includes continuing education as one of the 3 ways to meet the continued competency requirement to renew your license.

Nursing is ongoing and a changing profession.

Additional education results in nurses that keep up with new knowledge to help increase their competency. For the continuing competency requirement, the Board of Nursing expects a nurse to select an educational course that increases their level of knowledge, to learn evidenced based information and to incorporate the information into their nursing practice. A nurse needs to make their course selection relevant to their practice.

Nurses that have chosen to certify in their specialty area are required to make appropriate course selections to further this expertise. Nurses should also consider expanding their knowledge by obtaining higher educational degrees.

Dr. Hassmiller stated that nurses are not perceived as leaders and yet nurses should be taking the lead in the national health care reform.

No one knows health care better than nurses.

Nurses are the experts and need to be recognized as leaders. Nurses need to get involved. Volunteer to be on committees, hospital boards and boards of other organizations in which you have an interest.

Know your legislators and offer to give them the information they need when they are deliberating health issues. Go even farther and run for public office. Nurses are well respected by the public and this respect can translate into power for change.

Dr. Hassmiller mentioned that the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation presented the question: thinking about the next five to ten years, how much influence do you think each of the following

professions or groups of people will have in health reform in the United States? According to Nursing Leadership from Bedside to Boardroom, 75 percent of opinion leaders say government officials will have a great deal of influence in health reform in the next five to 10 years, compared to 56 percent for insurance executives, 46 percent for pharmaceutical executives, 46 percent for health care executives, 37 percent for doctors, 20 percent for patients and 14 percent for nurses. Nurses were ranked low and yet nurses are the largest number of health care providers. Recognition of nurses’ contributions by opinion leaders is lacking.

According to Nursing Leadership from Bedside to Boardroom, large majorities of opinion leaders said they would like to see nurses have more influence in a large number of areas, including reducing medical errors and improving patient safety (90%); improving quality of care (89%); promoting wellness and expanding preventive care (86%); improving health care efficiency and reducing costs (84%); coordinating care through the health care system (83%); helping the health care system adapt to an aging population (83%); and increasing access to health care (74%).

Nursing Leadership from Bedside to Boardroom reported that opinion leaders believe that nurses could take on more leadership in improving health status and delivering health care services by making their voices heard, having higher expectations and accountability, improving the perception of nursing, having improved access to continuing education or pursuing advanced degrees, having better pay, benefits and incentives, and improving nurses’ relationships with physicians.

The stage is set by the passage of the National Health Care Reform Act. Nurses need to get involved and be an active participant in the implementation of this legislation. Nurses are the expert and are going to be delivering the care to keep the public safe. Nurse leadership is needed now.

The Board of Nursing encourages nurses to attend the their quarterly meetings or to attend telephonically. Another way to keep up with important announcements from the Board of Nursing is to go to the Board of Nursing website at www.nursing.alaska.gov and sign up for the List serve and for copies of regulation changes to be sent to you.

References Benner, P., Sutphen, M., Leonard, V., & Day, L. (2009) Educating Nurses: A Call for Radical Transformation.

Available at http://www. carnegiefoundation.org/publications/educatingnurses-call-radical-transformation.

Nursing Leadership from Bedside to Boardroom: Opinion Leaders’ Perceptions - RWJF (2010).

Available at http://www.rwjf.org/pr/product. jsp?id=54350

November 2010

Disaster Training Anyone?

by LeMay Hupp Nurses are discussing their various continuing education units from Alaska Nurse Alert System (ANAS) events or ANAS volunteer activities in this licensure period. For next year, I hope to have a “library” of CEU events available for check out. There are some exciting opportunities on the horizon for both continuing education and volunteer hours within the ANAS system.

As this newsletter goes to print, the “Basic Disaster Life Support” (BDLS) course will be established in Alaska.

ANAS, the training coordination site, with major support from the State of Alaska Emergency Programs, have collaborated for this worthwhile project. If you are an ANAS volunteer, you will receive information on future training dates for this eight hour class with certification.

ANAS, along with its partner American Red Cross Alaska, will be offering an eight hour class “Sheltering Operations for Nurses.” If any of these educational offerings sound interesting to you, perhaps it’s time to become an ANAS volunteer!

Other options around the state for volunteer opportunities and education related to disaster response are: COMMUNITY EMERGENCY RESPONSE TEAMS (CERT) which will train you in five response skills: Fire Safety, Light Search and Rescue, Team Organization, and Disaster Medical Organization and the ALASKA DISASTER MEDICAL ASSISTANCE TEAM (DMAT) which deploys to disasters outside the state with supplies and equipment to provide medical care. DMAT meets monthly for training.

If you wish to join the Alaska Nurse Alert System or participate in one of these valuable programs, please call the Alaska Nurse Alert at 274-0827.

Former AaNA Executive Director Gets Three Years Probation for Embezzlement Tom Renkes RN, Executive Director of AaNA from October 2007 to August 2008, pled guilty to a federal charge of embezzlement of AaNA funds in April 2010. He was sentenced to three years probation in U.S. District Court in July. In addition to probation, Renkes was fined $2,000 and ordered to pay the AaNA restitution of $22,547 which is the amount fraudulently obtained plus interest. In addition, Mr. Renkes is banned from working with a union organization for 13 years.

According to current AaNA President, Nancy Davis, “The actions of Mr. Renkes, a fellow RN and our Association’s Executive Director, were a terrible breach of trust of our members. The additional policies and checks and balances that have been put into effect will prevent this from ever happening again. We are grateful that the courts ordered restitution and corrective penalties for the harm Mr. Renkes caused to Alaska nurses.”

Alaska Nurse • Page 9

New Clinic Opens in Skagway

Volunteer Opportunity —YOU CAN HELP

by Carol Borg, ANP Medical Director, Dahl Memorial Clinic

Brother Francis Homeless Shelter’s Caring Clinic is looking for medical providers willing to donate a few hours of service each month to those who are most in need.

• Hours & days are flexible • Any day of the week, mornings, afternoons or evenings • As many or as few days a month as you wish • Providers must have their own liability insurance

Left to right—Lynne Cameron ANP – Dispensary Manager/Risk Manager, James Lepich, ANP and Carol Borg – Medical Director pictured in front of the new Skagway health care clinic.

Over one hundred people attended the open house celebration for Dahl Memorial Clinic’s new facility on June 26, 2010. The beautiful new building was built with funds from the Denali Commission, EA & Jenny Rasmuson Foundation and the Municipality of Skagway. The building had been in the planning stages with the Skagway community for over 6 years before the doors were finally opened and ready for business on March 18, 2010.

Highlights of the open house included a salmon BBQ with all the fixings and live music by local musicians. A tour of the clinic was provided by the staff for members of the community and visiting dignitaries from the Denali Commission, the Rasmuson Foundation and SEARHC Consortium.

The clinic was also blessed by spiritual leaders of the Tlingit tribe.

Dahl Memorial Clinic has been a federally funded Community Health Center since 2007. It is staffed by three nurse practitioners—as pictured— Lynne Cameron ANP-Dispensary Manager and Risk Manager, James Lepich ANP, and Carol Borg ANP- Medical Director. Three medical assistants round out the medical staff at the clinic.

Dahl Memorial Clinic provides cradle to the grave primary care services for the community.

Staff are also available and on call 24/7 for after hours emergencies. The clinic has full digital x-ray capabilities and is able to perform many lab tests on site to provide immediate feedback for the highest quality of care.

We are proud of the high quality of care we provide at the clinic and our beautiful new facility and are proud to show it off!

The Caring Clinic is an expression of the living out of Brother Francis Homeless Shelter’s mission to “serve the homeless with dignity, care and compassion, with an emphasis on moving guests toward self-sufficiency.” Recognizing that access to health care services is an essential factor in reaching the goal of self sufficiency, the Caring Clinic is an all volunteer run clinic providing basic medical care services, health education and referrals to the homeless population of Anchorage.

Job Description Volunteer medical providers at the Caring Clinic are physicians (MD, DO, DPM, DDS), Nurse Practitioners, Physician’s Assistants or Registered Nurses with a valid, current State of Alaska license and liability insurance and who have completed the Catholic Social Services Volunteer Application including Criminal Background Check.

There are no expectations regarding the level of care that will be provided with the exception that each provider is expected to limit her/his health care services to those allowed within the scope of their license. Beyond this limitation, it is up to each provider to only provide those services which she/he feels comfortable and appropriate to provide. Triage and healthcare protocols are available in the clinic.

In addition, there are no expectations regarding the number of days, hours or patients that providers are to see. Days, times and number of patients are entirely up to the provider. We do ask that if for some reason you are not able to make a pre-scheduled clinic time that you call BFS to let them know, however, there are no expectations that you will find a replacement.

If interested or have questions, please call: Heidi Hurliman, ANP, Volunteer Coordinator at Clare House and Brother Francis Caring Clinics Ph 907-230-7958 or colemans@acsalaska.net

Page 10 • Alaska Nurse AaNA General Assembly continued from page 1 Work to improve Alaska’s disaster preparedness and; Ensure efforts to expand the number of Alaskans who can obtain reasonably priced health insurance through support of funding for the expansion of Denali KidCare program and supporting new and innovative programs that would make health insurance affordable for most, if not all Alaskans.

Resolution #2—AaNA Support to Eliminate Mandatory Overtime Whereas, the shortages of available and experienced nurses has increased the use of mandatory overtime in US health care facilities to solve staffing problems; and Whereas, this practice is pushing nurses beyond their capacity to work safely and to provide appropriate, quality care for their patients, is eroding job satisfaction, and is negatively impacting the ability to recruit and retain nurses; and Whereas, studies have found the likelihood of making an error is 3 times higher when nurses work shifts lasting 12.5 hours and longer; and Whereas, other studies have found that working

november 2010 more than 12 hours a day increases the injury hazard rate by 37% and working more than 60 hours a week increases the injury rate hazard by 23%; and Whereas, nurses are capable of determining their capacity to work beyond their predetermined, regular work schedules and expected to exercise their critical judgment in determining their ability to provide safe patient care.

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Alaska Nurses Association will continue to support AS 18.20.400 which bans nurses from working more than 14 consecutive hours unless provided for in the Statute THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that the Alaska Nurses Association continue to educate nurses about the hazards of working overtime, in terms of patient safety, nurse safety from injuries, and legal jeopardy to the nurse THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that the Alaska Nurses Association will diligently work to make sure each nurse knows and understands the reporting mechanism for AS 18.20.400 THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that the Alaska Nurses Association work collaboratively with employers to identify ways to staff their facilities without the use of mandatory call and extended work hours beyond 14 hours.

Resolution #3—Health Care Worker No Lifting Resolution Whereas, health care occupations are among the very highest risk for back injuries according to the Federal Bureau of Labor Statistics (FBLS); and Whereas, back injuries contribute to a worldwide nurse shortage, and it is estimated that by the year 2020 there will be a shortage of 400,000 nurses in the United States alone according to the University of Washington Health Sciences Center (UWHSC); and Whereas, back injuries result in loss of time from work, chronic discomfort and leaving the healthcare workforce; and Whereas, concerns about the potential for back injury may also dissuade people from entering the healthcare industry; Whereas in order to recruit into healthcare and retain an adequate healthcare workforce, addressing the potential of back injury is a necessity; and Whereas technological advances have provided for mechanical lifting devices that are easy to use and safe for patients; Whereas, studies have shown that in order to reduce nurse and healthcare workers’ back injuries and reduce patient injuries, “no lift” policies and use of mechanical lifts and engineering safety controls should be implemented at hospitals and healthcare facilities; and Whereas the Coalition for Healthcare Worker and Patient Safety (CHAPS) is a national organization comprised of many groups concerned for Healthcare worker safety, therefore be it Resolved that the 2010 AaNA General Assembly supports a culture of no manual lifting, and be it further Resolved that the AaNA BOD will appoint the Labor Council Safety Officer as liaison to work with the National group CHAPS and be it further Resolved that the AaNA CHAPS liaison design and promulgate a statewide education campaign to establish no lifting policies in all hospitals and healthcare settings and throughout the great state of Alaska; and be it further Resolved that the AaNA work to pass appropriate legislation at both the State and Federal levels.

Resolution #4—Resolution on Influenza Vaccinations for Registered Nurses and other Healthcare Providers Whereas, seasonal influenza is a serious illness with high rates of mortality and morbidity; and Whereas, seasonal influenza is preventable by vaccination; and Whereas, seasonal influenza vaccination rates of healthcare providers is unacceptably low at less than 50% annually; and Whereas, efforts to increase vaccination rates through education have failed to significantly increase vaccination rates of registered nurses and other healthcare providers; and AaNA General Assembly continued on page 11

November 2010 AaNA General Assembly continued from page 10 Whereas, registered nurses and other healthcare providers can transmit influenza to their vulnerable patients, their co-workers and their families; and Whereas, registered nurses can acquire influenza from their patients and co-workers, becoming ill and needing time off to recover, thus stressing healthcare staffing amidst the nursing shortage, Therefore, be it resolved, that the Alaska Nurses Association (AaNA) supports implementation of influenza vaccination programs for registered nurses and other healthcare providers that aim for 100% vaccination rates, but that also provide an “opt out” provision, Further, be it resolved, that the AaNA encourages health care organizations to provide influenza vaccinations to registered nurses and other healthcare providers with direct patient contact at no charge and at convenient locations.

Resolution #5—Resolution on Statewide Nurses Conference Whereas, the Alaska Statewide Nurses Conference has been successful in providing continuing education for nurses across the state for many years; and Whereas, attendance at the yearly conference continues to increase among attendees, vendors and sponsors; and, Whereas, providing a yearly conference that is affordable for all nurses has become difficult to plan due to limited availability of hotels and other conference sites; and Whereas, negotiating both dates and costs has become increasingly difficult due to the short planning period of one year; Therefore be it resolved, that the annual Alaska Statewide Nurses Conference become a three day event every other year in the year of nursing relicensure. This will allow the Continuing Education committee to negotiate with hotels and other places with conference rooms large enough to accommodate the number of nurses that have been attending this conference. During the offyear of the event, a smaller contact hour retreat, sponsored by the Alaska Nurses Association, will be provided at local areas.

Resolution #6—Resolution on Association Co-sponsorship of CE Events Whereas, the Alaska Nurses Association wants to be the “go to” organization for nurses in the State of Alaska, and Whereas, the Association is going to become a Provider unit of contact hours within the next six months, Therefore be it resolved, that the Alaska Nurses Association become a co-sponsor of conferences and educational events offered to nurses by organizations that do not have a lead nurse planner and cannot otherwise provide contact hours to nurses for their event. There would be an agreement with such organizations that the Association would be able to provide membership applications to the nurses that attend such cosponsored events. There may also be a charge for providing co-sponsorship of such events.

Resolution #7—Resolution on Polybrominated Diphenylethers (PBDEs) Whereas, PBDEs are toxic, endocrine-disrupting flame retardant chemicals added to plastics, foam products and textiles; and Whereas, prenatal exposures to PBDEs at levels commonly found in households have been shown in studies to be associated with adverse neurodevelopmental effects in young children; and Whereas, people living in North America have levels of PDBEs that are 10-40 times higher than individuals living in Europe or Japan and people living in northern regions are particularly vulnerable to PBDE exposure; and Whereas, safer and economically viable alternatives are available and are already being used by some manufacturers of computers and other products; and Whereas, the American Public Health Association and International Association of Fire Fighters have urged the phase-out of PDBEs and other harmful chemicals when safe alternatives are readily available;

Alaska Nurse • Page 11 Therefore be it resolved, that the Alaska Nurses Association supports the passage of SB295.

Resolution #8—Resolution on Disaster Ethics Whereas, Alaska has great potential to experience disasters such as earthquake, volcanic eruption, flooding, wildfires, tsunami and major disease outbreak; and Whereas, Alaska’s vast geography, isolation and vulnerability have an impact on interstate and intrastate movement of assistive personnel and resources with reliance and dependence on air delivery; and Whereas, large-scale disasters can quickly overwhelm even the most sophisticated of health care systems; and Whereas, other states have dealt with ethical issues of licensed health care workers and resource allocation during a disaster; and Whereas, licensed health care professionals in Alaska have only a “Good Samaritan” law for protection out of the normal work day; and Whereas, health care professionals (HCPs) and regulatory bodies must confront the need to alter ways in which health care is administered; more specifically, maximizing the number of lives saved may require prioritizing scarce equipment, supplies, and personnel, providing care in

nonconventional settings and potentially changing thresholds for critical care; and Whereas, in a disaster individual health care professionals (HCPs) may be forced to make independent decisions to prioritize scarce resources; and Whereas, the weight of such decisions has the potential to cause great stress and significant liability concerns for HCP’s as evidenced by the legal actions taken after the 2005 Gulf Coast hurricanes; these decisions can introduce significant legal and professional implications if not addressed in advance.

Therefore be it resolved that, the AaNA shall support legislation directed at remedying this problem, and shall support individuals and organizations that bring this issue to legislation; and, Therefore be it resolved that, the AaNA shall distribute this resolution to all members to better educate and prepare them to encourage discussion and future legislation to protect health care workers assisting in the time of disaster and, Therefore be it resolved that, the AaNA calls upon all members to take this resolution to their worksites to distribute and discuss these issues, Therefore be it resolved that, this resolution, upon passage, be released to state and regional broadcast, print media and Internet sources.

Page 12 • Alaska Nurse

November 2010

Membership Application Advancing and Supporting the Profession of Nursing Integrity Professionalism ~ Advocacy Empowerment~ Representation

Membership Categories

AaNA Collective Bargaining Full Members (PAMC, CPH & KGH) contact AaNA (907)274-0827 Full Membership—Employed Full-time or Part-time Reduced Membership—Not Employed Full time student New graduate from basic Nursing Education program, within first six months after graduation (first year only), or 62 years of age or over and not earning more than Social Security allows.

Special Membership—62+ years or totally disabled (not employed)

Dues

AaNA Only Anchorage Monthly (*EFT) & Fairbanks Yearly

Full

Reduced

Special

$17.50 $204.00

$9.00 $102.00

$4.75 $51.00

All Other Monthly (*EFT ) $16.87 $8.20 Locations Yearly $196.50 $98.25 For monthly credit card payments subtract $.50 per month

$4.10 $49.12

____________________________________________________________ Last Name/First Name/Middle Initial ____________________________________________________________ Street or PO Box City/State/Zip

______________________________ Home Phone

____________________________________________________________ Employer Name Unit City/State/Zip

______________________________ Work Phone

____________________________ RN License Number/State

__________________________ FAX Number

_______________________________ E-mail Address

Payment Method—see above for categories and amounts Check—Please make checks payable to the Alaska Nurses Association MasterCard or Visa—available for:  Annual payment

 Monthly payment

_________________________________ _____/_____ $_______ ______________________________________ Card Number Expiration Amount Signature Monthly Electronic Dues Payment *EFT is the monthly Electronic Funds Transfer Plan Amount =Yearly dues / 12 months + $.50 per month service charge See EFT description - 1/12 of your yearly dues will be withdrawn from your checking account monthly along with a monthly service fee. Please: (1) read and sign the below authorization form and (2) enclose a check for the first month.

AUTHORIZATION to provide monthly electronic payments to the Alaska Nurses Association (AaNA): This is to authorize AaNA to withdraw 1/12 of my annual dues and any additional service fees from my checking account designated by the enclosed check for the first month’s payment. AaNA is authorized to change the amount by giving the undersigned thirty (30) days written notice. The undersigned may cancel this authorization upon receipt by AaNA of written notification of termination twenty (20) days prior to the deduction date as designated above. AaNA will charge a $5 fee for any return drafts. ________________________________________ Signature for EFT Authorization

To get involved check off any of the boxes below: Name: ____________________________________ E-mail: ___________________________________ Informational E-mail ❏ Various Nursing Information—If you would like National, State and Local nursing information e-mails from AaNA on a weekly basis. ❏ Action Alerts—If you would like political action alerts for National and State legislative issues involving nursing and health care issues.

Taskforce Members Taskforce members will receive requests to work on a variety of projects on nursing issues, and may choose to participate in only the projects that interest them. ❏ Health and Safety Issues—Taskforces will consider safety and health issues of nurses and patients. ❏ AaNA Event Planning—Taskforces will plan events such as the AaNA Fall Retreat, open house events, AaNA General Assembly, or other events for AaNA members. ❏ Other interest? Let us know what you would like to work on:______________ AaNA Committees ❏ Legislative Committee—Actively involved in reviewing and coordinating strategy and testimony for legislative issues related to health and nursing. Works closely with the AaNA Lobbyist. Usually meets on the third Tuesday of the month. ❏ Conference Planning Team—Participates help plan the Alaska Statewide Nurses Conference. Roles include working with program planning, marketing, vendor and sponsor recruitment and onsite assistance. ❏ Alaska Nurse Newsletter Editorial Board— Members work with the editor to recruit articles and pictures for the quarterly newsletter. The current editor is Lynn Hartz. ❏ Professional Nursing Practice Issues— Members will consider issues relating to AaNA’s policy on RN practice and other professional issues.

Return Get Involved form, application and payment to: AaNA, 3701 E. Tudor, Suite 208, Anchorage, AK 99507 • Questions? (907) 274-0827 or (800) 811-2576

November 2010

Alaska Nurse • Page 13

Resources Scholarships/Funding/Award Nominations:

General:

■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■

Final rule defines core meaningful use mandates for providers The final rule on meaningful use of health information technology requires doctors, nurse practitioners and other eligible professionals to meet 15 core objectives, plus five out of 10 measures chosen by the provider to qualify for Medicare or Medicaid Electronic Health Record (EHR) incentive program, see www.cms.gov and search for EHR Incentive Programs-Meaningful Use. [source: AANP Smartbrief, 7/19/2010]

National Health Service Corps Currently, the NHSC is a network of more than 10,000 primary health care professionals and sites that serve the most medically underserved regions of the country. To support their service, the NHSC provides clinicians with financial support in the form of scholarship and loan repayment.

The NHSC Loan Repayment Program is recruiting fully trained physician assistants and nurse practitioners to provide culturally competent, interdisciplinary primary health care services to underserved populations located in urban and rural areas across the country. In return, the NHSC LRP assist clinicians in repaying their educational loans worth up to $145,000 for 5 years of service (this includes an initial 2-year service contract award for $50,000 and additional amendment awards for eligible clinicians) to provide basic health care services in an area of need. You may be able to pay off all your health professions student loans through the NHSC. Visit the NHSC Web site at http://www.nhscjobs. hrsa.gov to search thousands of job opportunities at NHSC member clinics nationwide. As of April 2010, there are over 2,000 job opportunities for NPs and PAs. Make a difference in the health of an underserved and vulnerable community. Visit us online for more information at http://www.nhsc. hrsa.gov, or call us at 1-800-221-9393.

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Alaska Epidemiology Bulletin Overview of the Alaska Violent Death Reporting System available at: http://www.epi.alaska.gov/ bulletins/docs/b2010_21.pdf July 20, 2010 Summary of Violent Deaths—Alaska, 2004-2008 available at: http://www.epi.alaska.gov/bulletins/ docs/b2010_22.pdf July 20, 2010 CDC Alaska Health Advisories for Alaska by email If you would like to obtain CDC Health advisories specific to Alaska by email, send an email to beth.funk@alaska.gov with ADD on the subject line of the email. You will be added to the listserve.

• Once signed up, you will received CDC HANs as well as Alaska-specific messages.

• Individuals can also sign up by going to http://www.epi.alaska.gov/. In the left column is an icon labeled “Public Health Alerts – sign up now.” Just click on the icon and register to receive our AK PHAN (Alaska Public Health Alert Network) messages.

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Diabetes Numbers At-A-Glance Booklet Available Free Based on American Diabetes Association clinical recommendations, this handy pocket guide provides a list of current recommendations to diagnose and manage pre-diabetes and diabetes.

Publication date 3/01/2010. Available online for download or to order at http://ndep.nih.gov/ publications/PublicationDetail.aspx?PubId=114 .

If that is too much to type, just find National Diabetes Education Program (NDEP) online and search for the booklet.

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nurse and so plays a key role in staff development as well. The NPD specialist employs and engages a broad range of in-depth knowledge and skills in education theory and application, career development, leadership, and program management. This is the most succinct one-volume guide to an expansive and complex practice specialty that must be responsive to such dynamic issues as globalization, practice environments, evidence-based practice, and nursing and healthcare technologies. www.nursesbooks.org ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■

Kids Count Data Center Includes hundreds of measures of child wellbeing state by state and nationally. In overall ranking for 2010, Alaska comes in 38 out of 50….

Just go to www.datacenter.kidscount.org ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■

FDA Patient Safety News PSN is a monthly video news show for health care professionals. It covers significant safety alerts, recalls, new product approvals, and offers important tips on protecting patients. Read the complete stories and watch or download the video program at www.fda.gov/psn. Many of these PSN stories contain video footage and demonstrations that may be especially useful to clinicians and educators in health care facilities and academic institutions. [AANP Smartbrief 7/26/2010]

ANA releases newly revised Nursing Professional Development: Scope & Standards of Practice Nursing professional development (NPD) is critical to the nurse’s lifelong learning. As a practice specialty, it facilitates those lifelong continuing education activities for the individual

Visit aknurse.org Online CE Nursing News “Alaska Nurse” on the web Alaska nursing links Job Listings And More!

Page 14 • Alaska Nurse

November 2010

Upcoming Events Parish Nurse Health Ministry Preparation Course Dates: January 13, 20, 25, February 3, 10, 17, 24,March 1, 17, 24, 31 and April 7, 2011 Time: 5:00-9:00 pm.

Place: Providence Alaska Medical Center For more information, please call 212-5053 Or go to the website: http://www.providence. org/alaska/mission/parishnursing.htm To register, go to the educational calendar ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■

Alaska State Board of Nursing— Upcoming Meetings January 19-21, 2011 Anchorage agenda deadline Dec. 29 April 6-8, 2011 Juneau agenda deadline March 16 The Alaska Board of Nursing has a list-serve that is used to send out the latest information about upcoming meetings, agenda items, regulations being considered, and other topics of interest to nurses, employers and the public. To sign up for this free service, go to www.nursing. alaska.gov Choose the “Subscribe Now” box, just above Board Staff information.

Inquiries regarding meetings and appearing on the agenda can be directed to: Nancy Sanders, PhD RN, Executive Administrator Alaska State Board of Nursing 550 West 7th Ave, Ste 1500, Anchorage, AK 99501 Ph: 907-269-8161, fax 907-269-8196, email nancy.sanders@alaska.gov To attend by audio conference call 907-269-8161 for access number.

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“Heating up Nursing Quality” 5th Annual NDNQI Conference The 2011 NDNQI® Conference takes place at the Hyatt Regency Miami on Jan. 26 to 28, 2011.

It is the annual meeting place where conference attendees build valuable relationships with other attendees and find opportunities to preview the latest research as it relates to addressing organizational performance to improve patient outcomes. For more information visit www. ndnqiconference.org.

American Academy of Nurse Practitioners 26th National Conference The Venetian/The Palazzo in Las Vegas, June 22 to 26, 2011 www.aanp.org ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■

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Women’s Health 2011: The 19th Annual Congress April 1–3, 2011 Washington, DC Crystal City, VA Environmental Toxins and Reproductive Health Point Counterpoint: The Mammography Controversy Obesity Management in Women: Implications for Practice Bioidentical Hormones: Just the Facts Presented by Journal of Women’s Health and VCU Institute for Women’s Health In collaboration with National Cancer Institute, NIH Office of Research on Women’s Health, American Medical Association, American Medical Women’s Association For further information, please contact womenshealth2011@liebertpub.com ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■

Alaska Nurse Practitioner Association’s 28th Annual Conference September 15-17, 2011 Anchorage Downtown Marriott www.alaskanp.org or 907-222-6847 ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■