The Alaska Nurse - Vol. 62 No. 4 - December 2012

The Official Publication of the Alaska Nurses Association Circulation 7,700 to every Registered Nurse, Licensed Practical Nurse and Student Nurse in Alaska

Volume 62 • No. 4

December 2012

APNA Chapter Arrives in Alaska!

Page 4

Heart of Alaska Nurse

Page 5

New AaNA Board of Directors are pictured. From left, Susan Walsh, President, Jane Erickson, Director at Large, Colleen Bevans, Greater Alaska Director, Donna Phillips, Labor Council Representative, Janet Pasternak, Director at Large, Jennifer Hazen, Staff Nurse Director and Kristen Fahey, Secretary.

Alaska Nurses Association General Assembly Leaders and members of the Alaska Nurses Association (AaNA) and the association’s Labor Program gathered early Sunday morning, Nov. 11, at the Anchorage Crown Plaza Hotel to welcome incoming members of the board of directors and to vote on resolutions and changes to bylaws during the association’s annual General Assembly Meeting. The room was packed with more than 60 nurses in attendance.

With more than 1,000 Nurses Association members spread out across the state, the General Assembly is an opportunity for the membership to come together and chime in on the association’s organizational structure and operations for 2013.

It also serves as a chance to get acquainted with fellow nursing professionals and learn what it means to be a member of the Association.

Members received a mailed invitation, and the meeting was publicized on the AaNA’s new Facebook page, launched earlier this year.

Ballots for voting in six new members of the board of directors were mailed out to members and counted by the Anchorage League of Women Voters, prior to the gathering.

Finally, Susan Walsh, President recognized the outgoing board of directors for their time and contribution to the Association. Also, Donna

Phillips, Labor Council Chair recognized Michelle Marshall, MSN, RN, and presented her with the 2012 AaNA Service Award for her contribution to AaNA and to the nursing profession as a whole.

Ms. Marshall has served the AaNA for 10 years as a member of the Labor Council, Board of Directors, Continuing Education Director, and chair of several Statewide Nurses Conferences. She has also been a longtime advocate for safe patient handling.

2012 AaNA General Assembly Resolutions NOVEMBER 11, 2012 ANCHORAGE, ALASKA    AANA TO PROMOTE SAFE PATIENT HANDLING AND AVOIDING INJURIES TO WORKERS LEGISLATION Whereas nurses working in health care facilities perform patient handling tasks as part of their every day care responsibilities; and Whereas if the patients are not lifted and repositioned properly it places them at risk of skin breakdown and injuries from falls; and

Presort Standard US Postage

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current resident or

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General Assembly Resolutions continued on page 13

AANP AND ACNP Merger

Page 8

ALASKA RESPOND: Plans for 2013 LeMay Hupp, R.N., Coordinator, ALASKA RESPOND For 2013 ALASKA RESPOND has several exciting projects planned. Some volunteers are assembling a “Volunteer Pocket Guide” which is a quick reference guide to be used in a public health emergency or disaster. In addition, several exercises are planned including ALASKA RESPOND participation in a Southeast Alaska and 2014 Alaska Shield full scale exercises. The 2014 Alaska Shield exercise will be a scenario based on the Great Alaska Earthquake, coinciding with Alaska Respond continued on page 4

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

Membership Application . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

Editorial. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

August 2012 University of Alaska Graduates . . . 10

APRN Consensus Model Coming . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

Board of Nursing Update. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

Nurses in the News. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

Resources. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

ANPA Update. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

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

Two Receive Grants from the ANF . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

2013 Annual Convention . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14

The Alaska Coalition . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

Regional Telemedicine Conference Set. . . . . . . . 14

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

Page 2 • Alaska Nurse

December 2012

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 aknurse@aknurse. org. 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, Patricia Senner at aknurse@aknurse.org.

by Susan Walsh, BSN, RN

nurses. As our experienced nurse legislative committee members will I have just returned from the Alaska tell you, there are always unexpected Nurses Association’s House of Delegates (sometimes unpleasant) surprises that and already I am hard at work planning crop up during the legislative session. for the coming year’s work for the High on the Board’s priority list Association. Just in this past week for action is providing nurses in the Association has commented on Alaska with continuing education draft regulations regarding delegation opportunities. It has been several promulgated by the Alaska Board of years since we have had a statewide Medicine, responded to a request by the nurses conference, and we are Governor’s Office section of Boards and committed to seeing this happen Commissions regarding appointments again. We will be polling our to the Board of Nursing, and made Susan Walsh, President members as to what type of CE comments on the Alaska Health Care AaNA Board of Directors opportunities they would like to have Commission’s 2012 Strategic Plan. made available here in Alaska and and Bargaining Unit The resolutions passed by the AaNA developing CE offerings from these Representative for House of Delegates are included in this needs.

Ketchikan issue of the Alaska Nurse. The Board of Like the country as a whole, the Directors will be meeting in December to develop an Board is committed to fiscal responsibility and action plan for the coming year based on the issues frugality. Under improved management, we are outlined in the resolutions. committed to using your dues more judiciously than The legislative committee is meeting with in the recent past. the Association’s lobbyists to try to anticipate The new Board is also committed to being open, legislation that the Association will be working transparent and fair in their deliberations and on in the session that starts in January. As of this actions. We look forward to working with all nurses, writing, the three big topics we see are funding no matter what setting they work in, to promote the for health care services, safe patient handling, practice of nursing and provide our patients with and the consensus model for advanced practice high quality patient care.

RESPOND? Our purpose is to identify and mobilize licensed Alaska healthcare professionals to serve as volunteers in a disaster or public health emergency.

Happy Holidays to all of our dedicated Alaska Nursing Professionals.

For more information and to register online visit us today.

Celebrating 25 Years of Service

Registered Nurses North Star is Alaska’s premier behavioral health provider that specializes in helping young people with life’s challenges. Our programs at North Star work with the family and the community to help facilitate optimal growth and nurturing throughout times of childhood adversity. Our goal is to help young people get on a track that leads to a life of youthfulness—the life that child and adolescents deserve.

North Star is seeking registered nurses to join an outstanding nursing department. The registered nurse is responsible for delivering quality general and psychiatric nursing care to patients with emotional or psychiatric disorders; serves actively and constructively as a member of the multi-disciplinary treatment team, supporting the organization and program philosophy of care; ensuring the safety and well-being of each patient. Must be licensed as a Registered Nurse in the State of Alaska.

Sign on bonuses currently offered for all Full-Time & Part-Time new hires

To apply, please visit www.northstarbehavioral.com and go to the employment section.

Follow the instructions to apply online.

www.akrespond.alaska.gov

Materials may not be reproduced permission from the Editor.

without

written

Editor: Lynn E. Hartz, MSN, FNP lhartz@alaska.com Contributing Editor: Candice Hughes, BSN candicerhughes@gmail.com AaNA Board of Directors President: Susan Walsh, RN Vice President: Secretary: Kristin Fahey, RN Treasurer: Jennifer Hazen, RN

President’s Message

ARE YOU READY...

TO

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 every March, June, September and December.

North Star Behavioral Health is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

Directors: Rural Director: Greater Alaska Director: Colleen Bevans, RN Staff Nurse Director: Directors at Large: Shelley Burlison, RN Jane Erickson, RN Janet Pasternak, LPN Labor Council (designee): Donna Phillips, BSN, RN Student Nurse Liaison: Past President

AaNA Labor Council Chair—Donna Phillips, BSN, RN Vice-Chair—Deni Callahan, BSN, RN Secretary—Susan Walsh, RN Treasurer—Colleen Bevans, RN Directors: Julie Eib, RN Lila Elliott, BSN, RN Janet Hilleary, RNC PAMC BU Rep.—Jennifer Hazen, RN Soldotna BU Rep.—Shelley Burlison, 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 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.

www.aknurse.org

Published by:

Arthur L. Davis Publishing Agency, Inc.

December 2012

Alaska Nurse • Page 3

APRN Consensus Model Coming National regulatory, educational, credentialing and professional associations have all signed on to the Advanced Practice Registered Nurse Consensus Model published in 2008.

• 16 states are at or nearing completion of implementation of the model and other states are in various stages of implementation.

• The Alaska State Board of Nursing and Alaska Nursing Action Coalition are among those Alaska organizations interested in implementing the consensus model here and Alaska CRNA regulations have already been modified toward that end.

• Those advanced practice nurses interested in networking, providing input and staying up to date on events should contact their state organization.

Contact people: Alaska Nurse Practitioner Association Tracey Weise tracey.wiese@gmail.com AK Affiliate of the American College of NurseMidwives (AK-ACNM) Zelda Collett-Paule zeldacnm@gmail.com

Editorial

Change Happens

by Lynn Hartz, Editor As you can see in this issue of the Alaska Nurse, change has happened once again to the Alaska Nurses Association.

This has been a tumultuous year for the Association as evidenced by the report of the general assembly and the resolutions passed. By the time you get this Lynn Hartz newsletter in January, Alaska Nurse editor I am sure events will have continued to unfold.

I cannot pretend to give a perfect and unbiased explanation for why an Executive Director and five members of the Board of Directors resigned and a whole new group from the ‘union’ was voted into power. There are about 900 bargaining unit members who are members of AaNA; there are about 100 members who are ‘professional’ members only.

Alaska Association of Nurse Anesthetists Sarah Moore akana49@gmail.com AK Affiliate Clinical Nurse Specialists Carrie Doyle carriedoyle@rocketmail.com

Since the AaNA started organizing Providence Hospital in the early 1990’s and had to have a separate Labor Council with bargaining unit members (a union), two separate views of AaNA seem to have evolved: some believed AaNa was a professional association with a union attached, others believed AaNA was a union with professional activities attached. It was probably the old-timers who were around before the union started who continued to believe that the AaNA was primarily a professional association, but as the union members completely overwhelmed the non-union members with numbers and money, the two different beliefs were on course for a headon collision. That is what has happened. At the time of this writing, the AaNA Board of Directors is composed of all union members. Susan Walsh, the new President and others on the Board say they would like to see non-labor nurses return to the board and an input from a variety of nurses.

This is consistent with a union with professional activities attached but not exactly what I signed up for.

I am one of those old timers and it is time for me to go. It has been a greater pleasure than I can possibly say to be editor of this newsletter for 8 years and I will miss all of you that it has been my pleasure to work with.

Homer Senior Citizens, Inc. needs Nurses!

RN—FT management for 40-bed assisted living facility LPN—FT Casual 3935 Svedlund St. Homer, AK 99603 (907) 235-7655

Sitka – an opportunity for a new lifestyle We invite you to come work with us and enjoy the Alaskan Way of Life in our beautiful island community in Southeast Alaska. Sitka is located on the west coast of Baranof Island in the Tongass National Forest, the largest rain forest in the United States. Moderate temperatures allow a variety of outdoor activities including fishing, hiking, cycling, boating, kayaking and hunting. Our friendly town has many community organizations and a broad selection of cultural, educational, recreational and inspirational activities as well.

We are seeking Registered Nurses to serve these areas:

Acute Care and Emergency Room Surgery Labor and Delivery Part-time and Full-time positions are available. We offer competitive wages and excellent benefits. Sitka Community Hospital is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

Human Resources Dept.

209 Moller Avenue Sitka, Alaska 99835 Phone: (907) 747-1736 Fax: (907) 747-1760 Kfink@sitkahospital.org

BE A PART OF OUR REPUTATION ALASKA REGIONAL POSITIONS Alaska Regional Hospital is looking for compassionate healthcare professionals who share our patients-first philosophy and appreciate our commitment to investing in employees’ quality of life. We offer flexible schedules, career advancement opportunities, and competitive benefits which may include a signing bonus, relocation allowance, tuition reimbursement and student loan repayment.

Nursing positions are available in the following areas: • Nursing Director, Women’s Services • CVSU • Emergency Department • ICU CCU • Labor & Delivery • NICU

• Operating Room • Obstetrics Postpartum • PDU • Progressive Care Unit • Recovery • Registry

For more information on job opportunities please contact our recruiter at 907-264-2065 or visit our website at www.alaskaregional.com.

Page 4 • Alaska Nurse

December 2012

APNA Chapter Arrives in Alaska!

Nurses in the News Joy Zimmerman Golden, ANP has been chosen President-Elect for the Pacific Coast Reproductive Society. The society is a multidisciplinary specialty organization involved in continuing education of professionals in reproductive medicine. This will be the first time an RN has been President of the Society. The website is www. pcrsonline.org.

Health Treatment Nurse The Anchorage School District is seeking applicants for the position of Health Treatment Nurse. Health Treatment Nurses provide individualized, skilled nursing service to students with medically complex needs. They also provide care and management of medically fragile and technology dependent students in the school setting. Applicants must hold current Alaska RN licensure. Prior acute care nursing experience is helpful.

The American Psychiatric Nurses Association (APNA) welcomed the recently formed Alaska chapter of APNA. Congratulations were extended to the chapter’s newly elected Board of Directors: Arlene Briscoe will serve as President, and the remaining board members, Leanne Barske and Bernice Carmon.

For more information on updates and future APNA-Alaska chapter events, visit the chapter’s website at www.APNA.org.

The Seattle STD/HIV Prevention Training Center

The successful candidate will serve as a valuable member of the Anchorage School District team!

This position offers an attractive salary and benefit package. For a complete listing of the minimum requirements and position responsibilities, please visit our website at www.asdk12.org. To apply, please visit our website and submit an online Classified Job Application.

Anchorage School District Human Resource Department 5530 E. Northern Lights Blvd Anchorage, Alaska 99504 Phone 907-742-4116 www.asdk12.org

presents

STD Update

with Optional Clinical Practicum May 22-23, 2013 in Anchorage, AK Location TBA

Save the Date

13.5 Continuing Education Credits available (9.7 pharmacology at the advanced practice level)

Alaska Respond continued from page 1 the March 27, 1964 50th anniversary. During the exercise, ALASKA RESPOND will help set up and staff the Alaska Medical Station.

The Alaska Medical Station is a Federal Medical Station that was gifted to the State of Alaska. The station has 250 beds to assist in a hospital surge capacity, treat chronically ill that can’t be independent in time of disaster and/or support a quarantine mission by isolating persons suspected of exposure or affected by a contagious disease. The three semi-truck loads of supplies contain enough for three days of care and are very well organized. All the boxes are color coded and 4 foot square to help guide spacing for the cots. These “portable” medical stations have been invaluable in disaster response around the U.S. such as Hurricanes Sandy, Katrina and Rita.

This course is designed for clinicians in Alaska who diagnose and treat patients with sexually transmitted infections and provides participants with training in the most recent advancements in the epidemiology, diagnosis, and management of viral and bacterial STDs.

For information as it becomes available, visit us online or call:

www.seattlestdhivptc.org

(206) 685-9850 • seaptc@u.washington.edu

There are many opportunities for continuing education hours and/or volunteer hours in the coming year. If you are interested in learning more about any of these projects or working with other licensed health care providers to develop plans and meet the disaster response needs in Alaska, please go to: www.akrespond.alaska.gov and sign up.

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To learn more about the U.S. Army Reserve Health Care Team, visit us at www.healthcare.goarmy.com/alaska. © 2010. Paid for by the United States Army. All rights reserved.

NSRH is a Joint Commission accredited facility with 18 acute care beds, 15 LTC beds serving the people of the Seward Peninsula and Bering Straits Region of Northwest Alaska. A new hospital is under construction opening in 2012!

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December 2012

Alaska Nurse • Page 5

Heart of the Alaska Nurse

by Marianne Schlegelmilch

Nancy Schupp RN, MN, FNP, AOCN

Nancy Schupp lives in Fairbanks, Alaska.

When I first began to ask Nancy Schupp questions about her nursing past, the response was that of ordinary interest in participating in this project. Soon, however, she began sending more and more information—enough, it seemed, to begin an entire book just on her multi-faceted story. For this Fairbanks nurse practitioner, who now specializes in cancer treatment, and who is an Advanced Oncology Certified Nurse (AOCN), the telling of her story was morphing into a reflection of her career that can only be described as a cleansing process.

I can appreciate that, for I have taken that journey myself. It is almost as if we nurses spend our whole lives working and learning and putting our learning into practice until one day, we sit back and say something along the lines of, so this is what I’ve done and this is what it means.

Perhaps the recent death of her colleague, J.M. Carroll M.D, prompted her to reflect on her place in nursing, or perhaps it is just time.

Here is the story of Nancy Schupp, in mostly her own words: I was born and raised on the borders of the two wealthiest counties in the U.S., Fairfield (Greenwich, Connecticut) and Westchester County, New York. One grandfather was a bridle path caretaker and the other was a chauffer.

There were 14 of us in the house, two sisters marrying two brothers. My parents had seven children and my three cousins were with us, too. I benefitted from a well-financed primary education and was able to get a State Regional scholarship

Locations we Service: • Angoon • Craig • Haines • Hoonah • Hydaburg • Juneau • Kake • Kasaan • Ketchikan • Klawock • Klukwan • Pelican • Petersburg • Sitka • Skagway • Thorne Bay • Wrangell • Yakutat

to Cornell University, New York, Hospital School of Nursing (CUNYH) and a Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Grant for the graduate work/FNP program at University of Washington.

The most inspirational nurse would be my CUNYH Dean, Eleanor Lambertson. I was president of my class and started a newspaper and got to know her quite well. She encouraged leadership in going beyond the current medical and nursing models of the time with her focus on prevention, family and community.

Nancy talks of her clinical experiences in working with newborns brought in from all over the country to New York Hospital—an opportunity that allowed her to see some of the rarest of conditions. She tells of doing clinicals at Harlem Hospital for Pediatrics. In all, she describes the unique educational opportunity of being able to access clinical experience at some of the most highly regarded hospitals in the country. She writes: We had a very wide range of clinical experience ranging from working in settings like door to door public health nursing in South Bronx, pediatrics in Harlem Hospital, as well as the extremely challenging psychiatric experiences at Bellevue Hospital, to gaining even more clinical experience at the Sloan Kettering Cancer Hospital, and our elite home, New York Hospital. I got my RN, BSN in 1973.

As I was finishing at Cornell, NYH, I was looking for a way to advance and to be of the most use in a small town rural area. I was aware of Kentucky Frontier Service, but Dean Eleanor Lambertson steered me to the only two Masters FNP programs.

They were University of Washington in Seattle and Chapel Hill in North Carolina. They were both in their first year. I was 21 and ready to go west.

Alaska was in my head back then as well, but I really had no idea about village life until I got there.

Right after graduating, I drove my Ford Pinto across Canada to Seattle and worked in a nursing home while waiting for graduate school to start.

She talks of augmenting her clinical experience while in Seattle by working in Seattle’s skid row neighborhood health center the whole time she was working on her FNP Master’s Degree and tells of seeing a lot of active diptheria there.

Later, while working in Alaska, Nancy would again become familiar with the social and health ramifications of diphtheria while living along the original Iditarod Trail—home of the 1925 Serum Run—and would meet five of those original mushers who carried the lifesaving Diptheria anti-toxin to help quell the emerging epidemic in

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RNs – OB & OR

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Nome and surrounding areas; Billy McCarty, Edgar Nollner, Charlie Evans, Edgar Kallands, and Harry Pitka.

Nancy goes on to relay that one of the most vivid memories of that skid row time was of getting grabbed from behind by a large drunken man on the nearby wharf. She happened to be there, trying to come up with the subject for her Master’s thesis when the incident occurred.

Nancy ultimately completed her thesis under the title of an Enthnography of Patrons of a Neighborhood Tavern based on this and other observations and studies surrounding a particular bar in that area.

In spite of the fact that alcoholism was the dominant subject in her Master’s thesis, Nancy goes on to point out that her real understanding of the disease would come slowly over the next 37 years. She explains in part: I’ve been affected by people’s alcoholism every day, in part because of caring for children born from generations of individuals with fetal alcohol effect. I first saw children neglected and abused in my experiences at New York City Hospitals and in public health, but saw more abuse and neglect of children while working on the far end of the Olympic Peninsula, and later as an FNP when I moved back to Alaska.

We fostered our first baby, who was from Kaltag, in 1977, then fostered about 20 more. We adopted two children, both with Fetal Alcohol Syndrome.

We have been involved with their siblings and children. The youngest in my house is age 12, but we have six other grandchildren.

Backing up to 1973, Nancy describes how, while still at UW, she was introduced to the National Health Service Corps (NHSC). She writes: They got me a Student Medical Association stipend (unusual, since I was a nurse), and sent me to work in Yakutat and Unalaska. I was 22. Yakutat was a beautiful setting with the bay, the ocean, the glaciers and mountains. Although everything in the clinic was so new, it wasn’t well set up.

There, I had my first flight in a small aircraft, taking a 23-year-old woman, a mother of three, from Yakutat to Juneau. She died in the Bartlett ER from diabetic coma and seizures. It was pretty traumatic.

In Unalaska, Lou Hahn, the male resident RN, had a better set-up, although it was in an upstairs apartment covered with Playboy Magazine centerfolds. At the time, Lou and his family lived on the Dutch Harbor side just before the bridge, and he took a boat to work or to deal with any crisis on the Unalaska side.

Heart of the Alaska Nurse continued on page 6

Page 6 • Alaska Nurse Heart of the Alaska Nurse continued from page 5 The Russian Orthodox Church there and its onion dome were intact. Pillbox sentry points from WWII were in the same visual field as the triple cross on the churchyard gravesites.

One day, Lou and I took off in a skiff, going far out into Dutch Harbor to a huge Japanese fishing ship that had been out to sea. Despite being afraid of heights, I climbed a rope ladder that was dangling about thirty or forty feet above that part of the Bering Sea and climbed up to the deck of the ship. They had come hundreds of miles to deliver this man with a broken leg.

There were dozens of Japanese men hanging off the deck to watch, and taking our pictures. They hadn’t seen a woman in over six months. My head skimmed the ceiling as I made my way to the room where the man was laying. We eventually got him ready for the 800-mile flight to Anchorage.

Once finished with the job in Alaska, Nancy went back to Washington State where she continued to gain more NHSC and Public Health Service experience by working in the far end of the Olympic Peninsula in Forks, Washington, rotating for two years between the communities of LaPush and Clallum Bay. She writes: After getting more experience during my relatively independent years in Forks, Lapush, and Neah Bay from 1974-76, I was asked by NHSC doctors to transfer to Galena, Alaska, the third Alaskan NHSC site at the time.

By then I had been delivering babies, dealing with logging and auto accident victims, dealing with everyday practice, being the ER respondent in the local hospital, as well as doing public and general health on the reservation at LaPush.

After the first ten months back in Alaska and now stationed in Galena, Steve Kriebel M.D, who was just out of his Family Practice Residency, who Nancy describes as someone who was ready to teach, arrived with his family to join her. She tells how she welcomed his arrival, since she had experienced some difficult moments working alone before he came. She was 24 at the time.

From then until 1990, Nancy worked in the middle Yukon/Koyokuk River area, living in Galena, and regularly traveling to Ruby, Hughes, Huslia, Kaltag, Koyokuk, and Nulato. She writes: The nearest highway was 300 miles away.

Tanana Hospital was open, but still 200 miles away.

It was a blessing to be thrown back in time where subsistence was still the primary means of living in most of the villages. It was 1976, but most were without electricity, plumbing, radio, TV, and telephones. The clinics were still small rented log cabins, which were mostly near the river, and that

Screening Saves Lives • • •

Will you help Alaskan women by reminding them to get their regular breast cancer screening?

Encourage your patients to call today

1-800-410-MAMM (6266)

December 2012 drifted with snow in the winter.

We participated in life given from the rivers.

LOTS of stories from those days! Life was so different, and remote care in primarily Athabascan communities was a God-directed honor and challenge, learning as much as you gave. We enjoyed the lifestyle and fostered and adopted children that are still a part of our daily lives.

We shared a satellite radio with New Zealand and other parts of the world for one hour a day to do “Medical traffic.” I flew on some of the emergencies, too. The only communication was between the pilot’s radio, and the agent in Galena who could call a doctor in Fairbanks, Anchorage or Tanana.

We made a model sub-regional center and pushed the envelope of care in the smaller villages with assistance provided by middleaged Athabascan women with remotely attained elementary education.

There were always the issues of travel, weather, trauma, and answered prayer. My most significant influence on others was the difference I made by consistency of caring and sharing with the Athabascan (Koyukon) villages of Galena, Ruby, Koyokuk, Kaltag, Nulato, Hughes and Huslia.

Kristen, my youngest daughter, as a little girl, went with me on field trips, medivacs, after hours calls, helped out with home visits to the elderly and participated when I taught EMT classes.

Later, Nancy would make a dramatic shift in her nursing career. Here, she describes the person who inspired that change: My most inspiring medical role model was J. Michael Carroll MD, who I worked for/with from 1990 until he died April 1, 2011. He was the first oncologist in the state and, I believe, one of the best physicians, pulling everyone up to his high standards. He lives on in many ways, and after following his patterns all those years, I think of his approach to people and medical problems every day. It was in 1990 that Dr. Carroll asked me to join him in Fairbanks, where I made the extreme switch from rural care to a private practice dealing in very intense oncology care and internal medicine.

Though now living near Ester and working in Fairbanks, Nancy Schupp will always carry a part of Interior Alaska in her heart.

My story is actually the stories of other people, the mutual influence we have on each other. I lived amongst the Koyukon people. I was as enriched by the people and lifestyle as much as I gave in return.

I soaked up the stories of the older health aides.

I taught and supported them, but they each shared so much with me.

She relays bits and pieces of those stories— stories of people dying of the flu epidemics of 1918

All the Alaskan adventure, without (much) snow!

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and 1922, stories told to her by the elders of the area. She tells of hearing of arranged marriages, and of women in labor having their hands tied to poles above their heads, delivering their babies hundreds of miles from Tanana Hospital.

She talks of learning how to hunt, how to handle a dog team, how to fish for survival, how to build a super-insulated house. She tells of Agnes Jimmie who died just months before she turned ninety.

I spent more time with her than anyone. I was at her home, went berry picking, and was there with her in the nights when she was visited by long dead family members and Jesus.

She was crossing through time before her passing as well as shifting back to stories of the nomadic life in canvas tents—setting her husband’s leg with birch bark, and taking him hundreds of miles by sled.

The Koyukon people shared their spirit belief, mixed with a connection with the animals and land—as well as their Christianity. RESPECT * LISTEN * LEARN. Working on the edge both geographically and professionally pushes you to the cliff where you can’t do it without help from the Divine.

One night, as we hovered over a baby with hours of unrelenting seizures, Nulato CHA, Pauline Peters, muttered, “Where is God when you need him?” We said our silent prayers and the seizures stopped.

Just as I got back from Koyokuk, CHA, Julia Dixon, reported a toddler with a monopoly piece shaped like a Scotty dog caught in his throat. I prayed the entire flight back to Koyokuk, where she then met me at the airstrip. With the help of a scope and a miracle, that metal dog came popping out.

I prayed over patients and in frightening flying conditions. Help came in various forms.

In January 1989, we had three straight weeks of temperatures between minus 55 and minus 86. Planes could not safely fly. People throughout the Koyokuk region prayed. Normally we had urgencies or emergencies daily, which required transportation by air. We made it through. It was a silent three weeks as I walked to the clinic across the frozen lakes with just my frosted eyelashes showing.

I am prompted by Nancy’s words to think of my own scary situations, and of times when I, too, had prayed for the strength and the help to hold things together for those under my care. Suddenly, I envision all the nurses of Alaska standing upon a figurative map of our state, beneath the big dipper as the northern lights swirl across the sky—each a small speck going about their work. I am reminded with this image, that even though alone, we are not alone, and that even though our work is big, that we as individuals are small—and that our aching backs and our caring hands are guided by a force much greater than our individual selves—a force that Nancy Schupp describes as Divine and that others may describe even more specifically as God, or whatever their personal vision of a higher power might be.

Nancy Schupp talks of wanting to write a book of stories of her years working in Alaska. I hope that she does, just as I hope I can be in line to buy the first copy.

And, finally, I am drawn to the conclusion that if there is a Heart of the Alaska Nurse, then Nancy Schupp must surely be a major force that helps it to beat.

A note from the author: This will be the last issue in which my column Heart of the Alaska Nurse will appear. It has been my privilege to donate my work to honor nurses in this way and I thank those who trusted me with their stories and Schlegelmilch those who told me so often how much the column meant to them. It makes me smile to know that so many of those very special stories had a chance to be told.

Much appreciation to Alaska Nurse editor Lynn Hartz for all of her substantial assistance in sharing my vision to honor nurses. Marianne

December 2012

Alaska Nurse • Page 7

ANPA Update 29th Annual Conference Fall Conference - 2012 The Alaska Nurse Practitioner Association (ANPA) held their 29th Annual Fall Conference at the Anchorage Marriott September 20-22, 2012.

Some 175 nurse practitioners were in attendance over the three day conference that focused on primary care and provided continuing education credits in pharmacology and patient management.

ANPA 2012 Nurse Practitioner of the Year Jyll Green

ANPA Advocate of the Year Theresa Isaac

Jyll Green, FNP on left is congratulated by Christy Potter, Past President ANPA. Green is the owner of myHealth Clinic.

Theresa Isaac, ANPA Conference Administrative Assistant for 5 years was honored for her outstanding service to the organization.

Special Award to Sally Coburn

Love Those Regulations!

New officers announced for 2012-2013; President Robin Bassett – Robin has been an RN for over 24 years. She has been working at the Alaska Native Medical Center for the last 10 years as a Captain in the United States Public Health Service. She has been an advanced practice Family Nurse Practitioner for a little over 2 years, specializing in Nephrology at ANMC. She is the mother of two teenage daughters and has been married to her husband David for 22 years. She was recently profiled by the University of Alaska in their newsletter.

President Elect – Rachael Carlson Rachael is an FNP working at the Kidney and Hypertension Clinic of Alaska.

Secretary – Tracey Wiese, FNP-C, SANE-A Tracey manages the ANPA website, and intercepts communication that comes in through the ANPA phone or email. She also initiates PR activities, especially during Nurse Practitioner Week.

Treasurer – Dianne Maythorne, ANP Dianne has been an RN for over 15 years. She works for the Sunshine Community Health Center.

She is finishing her second year of advanced practice. When not working, her extraordinarily busy life is completed by her husband, a recreational sled dog team, and a huge Tennessee Walking Horse named Jupiter.

In addition to the honorees pictured, Angelia Santiago, an FNP student from UAA was awarded a $2500 scholarship.

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Christy Potter congratulates Sally Coburn, FNP, on right. Coburn was honored with a special award in appreciation for her 20 years of volunteer work as site manager and arranger for the ANPA annual conference. All that great food, smooth functioning technical equipment for speakers and contracts with the hotel is by virtue of her hard work.

The current and past two presidents of ANPA discuss Alaska state regulations with the Executive Administrator of the Alaska State Board of Nursing. From left, Robin Basset, 2013 ANPA President, Nancy Sanders, PhD, RN, AK Board of Nursing, Linda Holmes 2011 ANPA President, Christy Potter, 2012 ANPA President.

There is a new organization starting that will represent ALL nurses in the state of Alaska.

ALASKA PROFESSIONAL NURSES ORGANIZATION “Advocating for ALL nurses in the Last Frontier” Boise State is a progressive learning-oriented, student focused university dedicated to academic excellence. At Boise State you will find an academic community that values diversity and prepares students to become leaders in nursing.

Please check the following: _____ I am interested in joining the new organization. _____ I am interested in becoming involved in the start of this organization. _____ I could be a “representative” to help communicate with nurses in my geographic area or specialty. _____ I am interested in getting more information about the organization.

For over 55 years, the School of Nursing has been recognized as the largest Nursing program in Idaho promoting excellence in teaching, research, and service.

A variety of courses and program options are available to fit your needs: • A student-friendly RN-BS program taught entirely online for nurses who want to complete their BS degree in nursing.

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Focused on nursing care of populations. Nurses manage and coordinate; yet few programs prepared us to look at aggregates of populations to make data based decisions.

We invite you to contact us to determine if Boise State’s School of Nursing is the right fit for you.

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Name (print) _____________________________________________________ Address __________________________________________________________ City ______________________________________ Zip Code ______________ Email (please print clearly) __________________________________________ Telephone # ‘s: (Home) _____________________________________________ (Cell)_______________________________ (Work)_______________________ Please email this information to: alaskapno@gmail.com or mail this form to: ALASKA PROFESSIONAL NURSES ORGANIZATION, 200 W. 34th Ave. #118, Anchorage, AK, 99503 Thank you!

Page 8 • Alaska Nurse

AANP and ACNP Merger

by Karen Fell, RN

From left, the AANP AK Representative, Dianne Tarrant symbolically clasps hands with Lois Rockcastle, the ACNP AK Representative.

The boards of directors of the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners (AANP) and the American College of Nurse Practitioners (ACNP) have approved the terms of the agreement for merging the two organizations, which is subject to the approval of AANP membership. The voting process is currently underway, with results expected to be published on Monday, November 19. If approved by membership, the effective date of this historical merger will be January 1, 2013. It is proposed that the name of the merged organization will be the American Association of Nurse Practitioners.

The consolidation of the two organizations is intended to promote, shape and direct policy for nurse practitioners while empowering the nurse practitioner community to function from a position of greater strength, unity and visibility.

With combined resources and knowledge, the American Association of Nurse Practitioners will be well-positioned to capitalize on growth in the demand for nurse practitioners as providers; shape and direct nurse practitioner policy and legislative priorities; achieve the goals and objectives of nurse practitioners; provide resources for

grant writing, education and research; increase public awareness about issues faced by nurse practitioners; and, finally, secure international growth opportunities as a profession.

If the merger is approved, leadership of the combined organizations will include Dr. Angela Golden, current President of AANP, who will maintain her Presidency following the consolidation. Dr. Ken Miller, the current ACNP President-elect will become President-elect. It is anticipated that the current ACNP Chief Executive Officer, David Hebert, will become CEO of the combined organization.

At the 2013 annual membership meeting, the AANP President and the ACNP President-elect will begin serving as co-presidents. They will remain in this capacity until the 2014 annual membership meeting, at which time the ACNP appointed co-president will become the president of the AANP while the current AANP president will become the immediate past president.

Current members of either the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners or the American College of Nurse Practitioners will be treated equally under the American Association of Nurse Practitioners. Membership categories and benefits are currently being reviewed in light of the merger to determine how to effectively blend any differences in order for members of both organizations to maintain a positive and productive relationship.

Continue to watch for developing news about the merger which can be easily accessed through either the American College of Nurse Practitioner website (http://www.acnpweb.org) or the American Academy of Nurse Practitioner website (http://www.aanp.org). Both websites welcome member comments and questions about the merger…so let your voice be heard!

If you have further questions, please contact Dianne Tarrant, APRN, FNP-BC (Alaska representative to AANP) at dltarrant@uaa.alaska. edu (907-786-4596) or Lois Rockcastle FNP-BC (ACNP) at tundracare@alaska.net.

[Karen Fell is an FNP student at UAA working with Professor Dianne Tarrant and AANP.]

December 2012

Two Receive Grants From The Alaska Nurses Foundation

by Tina DeLapp, RN, EdD. The Alaska Nurses Foundation is pleased to announce the 2012 grant recipients.

Funding will enable Penny Pieper to adapt the Kids in the Kitchen (KITC) Program which has been implemented in Bethel to an on-line downloadable format. KITC, as implemented in Bethel, was developed in partnership with many community organizations to address childhood hunger and nutritional deficiencies identified through community assessment in Bethel.

Adapting the format to one appropriate for online delivery will make the program accessible to villages throughout the Y-K Delta – and beyond.

The grant was submitted in response to requests from villages in the region. Look for an article in a future issue of the Alaska Nurse on project outcomes.

Also funded was a historical research by Dr. Maria Sistrom, Associate Professor of Nursing at UAA. Dr. Sistrom will use historical research methods to illuminate the history and experiences of nurses who practiced in the Bristol Bay region in the past, examining their motivations for moving to Bristol Bay to practice and describing their experiences while practicing in the region.

The project will build on a previous study of nurses currently residing and practicing in Bristol Bay. Dr. Sistrom plans to report the results of her research in several venues, including a future edition of the Alaska Nurse.

Funding of grants by the Alaska Nurses Foundation is possible because of generous contributions from members of the Alaska nursing community. Initial funding for the Foundation came from public health nurses who opted to direct a settlement they received from Premera Blue Cross in the 1980s to create the Foundation; those funds remain in an investment account and the proceeds are used to fund grants. In addition, the proceeds of the Silent Auction held at the Alaska Public Health Nursing Conference have been directed to the Foundation three times in recent years, most recently in 2012! Finally, funds derived from membership dues and contributions help to fund grants. Current members of the Alaska Nurses Foundation will soon be receiving a reminder of dues renewal. If you are not a current member of the Foundation, consider joining now; you can do so by sending your dues of $20, or any higher amount, to the Alaska Nurses Foundation, P. O. Box 244471, Anchorage, AK 99524-2271 [Ms. DeLapp is the retired Director of the UAA School of Nursing and Professor Emerita.]

FULL TIME NURSE POSITIONS are available in the following areas: • Anchorage • Fairbanks • Seward • Wasilla • Positions Available Now! • RN • LPN • Nurse Supervisor • Informatics Nurse • Week-on / week-off work schedule available • Free CEUs through CE Direct / Nursing Spectrum • 15 hours of personal leave accrued monthly • Excellent Health, Vision, and Dental Benefits • 11 Paid Holidays per year

For positions available in your area visit us online and

APPLY TODAY! www.workplace. alaska.gov For questions about Workplace, please call 1-800-587-0430 For questions regarding nursing positions, please call, Joyce DeGroot, Nursing Director 907-269-7302

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December 2012

Alaska Nurse • Page 9

The Alaska Coalition

Group Forms to Address IOM Recommendations on the Future of Nursing

by Tina DeLapp, RN, EdD. In 2011, the Institute of Medicine released a report entitled Future of Nursing: Leading Change, Advancing Health. The report was initiated in response to the passage of the Affordable Care Act, and is considered by many to be the most influential document impacting the nursing profession in recent history. The Report culminated in eight recommendations.

In July of this year, a group of Alaska nurses and a representative of the Alaska chapter of AARP came together to look at ways of addressing those recommendations. Alaska is the last state to form such a Coalition; the other 49 states have all formed active coalitions, some as early at 2010.

The efforts to establish coalitions to address the IOM Recommendations have been supported, in some cases financially, by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) and AARP. In Alaska, Coalition formation and work has been supported by a generous donation from the Rasmussen Foundation directed through the Alaska Nurses Foundation.

The eight recommendations were to “serve as a blueprint” to 1) ensure that nurses can practice to the full extent of their education and training, 2) improve nursing education; 3) provide opportunities for nurses to assume leadership positions and to serve as full partners in health care redesign and improvement efforts, and 4) improve data collection for workforce planning and policy making (IOM, 2011, p. 1). After extensive discussion and brainstorming, the group working to form the Alaska Coalition selected two of the IOM recommendation on which to focus and are in the process of completing an application to the RWJF for recognition as an official coalition within the RWJF Future of Nursing: Campaign for Action; eventually, funding to support Coalition activities may be available through RWJF. The two recommendations on which the Alaska Coalition will focus include the following: Recommendation 1: Remove scope of practice barriers. (This would enable advanced practice registered nurses to practice to the full extent of their education and training.)

Recommendation 7: Prepare and enable nurses to lead change to advance health.

(This will enable members of the nursing workforce to assume leadership positions across all levels.)

Nurse co-leaders have been identified to coordinate the activities of the Coalition, and represent Alaska nationally. A Steering Committee has been formed to coordinate activities focused on implementing the two recommendations; the committee is co-chaired by Julie McNulty, Nurse Director at the Alaska Native Medical Center and member of the Alaska Coalition of Educators in Health Care, and Debbie Thompson, former Executive Director of the Alaska Nurses Association. The Steering Committee will coordinate the activities of two committees that will focus on developing strategies for implementing the two selected recommendations.

AARP Alaska is serving as the Coalition’s nonnursing partner.

Short and long term goals have been formulated for both recommendations. With regard to the removal of scope of practice barriers, the short term goal is to clarify the Alaska Nurse Practice Act and associated regulations and develop materials to education Alaska Nurses on scope of practice, including delegation. Ultimately, the long term goal is that all APRNS (Nurse Practitioners, Clinical Nurse Specialists, Nurse Midwives, and Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists) are recognized and authorized to practice to their full scope of practice and to their level of education.

Ultimately the goal in relation to leadership is to establish an Alaska Center for Nursing Excellence; it is anticipated that the Center will explore evidence based and best leadership practices; identify funding sources; create CE offerings; and develop a leadership internship and a structured mentoring program. In the short term, the goal is to identify nurse leaders committed

to developing an Alaska Center of Nursing Excellence.

The decision to focus on Recommendations 1 & 7 does not suggest that the developing coalition is not concerned about the remaining six recommendations. It was based on the recognition that other entities are already working on efforts to advance the other IOM recommendations.

Specifically, Recommendation 2: Expand opportunities for nurses to lead and diffuse collaborative improvement efforts. Those involved in forming the coalition to date believe that leadership development must precede action of this recommendation and further that, once formed, the Center for Nursing Excellence can facilitate this recommendation.

Recommendation 3: Implement nurse residency programs. Various forms of nurse residencies have already been established, both for new graduates and for nurses seeking to change their practice area, both within institutions and collaboratively, across institutions.

Recommendation 4: Increase the proportion of nurses with a baccalaureate degree to 80 percent by 2020. It was recognized that the UAA School of Nursing is already working to increase access to baccalaureate completion and that the RNBS program is currently delivered across the state in a completely on-line format. Faculty are currently examining curricular approaches to

making the transition from associate degree to baccalaureate preparation completely seamless.

Recommendation 5: Double the number of nurses with a doctorate by 2020. The UAA School of Nursing is currently in the process of gaining approval of its new DNP program, with implementation of the program anticipated for 2014.

Recommendation 6: Ensure that nurses engage in lifelong learning. While only a start toward addressing this recommendation, the continued competency requirements of the Alaska Board of Nursing are a start toward achievement of this recommendation. Further, this is a recommendation that a Center of Nursing Excellence would be equipped to address.

Recommendation 8: Build an infrastructure for the collection and analysis of interprofessional health care workforce data. This is currently underway by an already existing Task Force.

Once the Coalition receives formal recognition as a state Coalition, participants will focus their efforts on the two recommendations selected for implementation within Alaska. As a formally recognized Coalition, Alaska will also have the opportunity to network with and benefit from the lessons learned within other coalitions across the country. Stay tuned for progress reports.

Individuals interested in additional information may contact tdelapp@ak.net.

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 ❑ 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) Reduced

Special

AaNA Only Anchorage

Monthly

$17.50 $9.00 $4.75

& Fairbanks Yearly

$204.00

All Other

Monthly

$16.87 $8.20 $4.10

Locations

Yearly

$196.50

$102.00

$98.25

$51.00

$49.12

For monthly credit card payments subtract $.50 per month ____________________________________________________________ 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

To get involved check off any of the boxes below: Name: ____________________________________ E-mail: ___________________________________

❑ Reduced Membership—Not Employed

Dues Full

 Monthly payment

_________________________________ _____/_____ $_______ ______________________________________ Card Number Expiration Amount Signature

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. ❏ 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

Page 10 • Alaska Nurse

August 2012 University of Alaska Nursing Graduates

December 2012

RN to BS Program Graduates

photo courtesy of Lisa J. Seifert/ lisa@seifertphoto.com

photo courtesy of Lisa J. Seifert/ lisa@seifertphoto.com

Keynote Speaker at the ceremony was Christie Artuso, EdD., RN, CNRN, Director, Neuroscience Services, Providence Alaska Medical Center.

Baccalaureate Degree Program Graduate, Emily E. Swanson gives a thumbs up to friends & family.

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

Additional honors were bestowed on three graduates:

Baccalaureate Degree Program Graduates

Amanda M. Smith – Director’s Award earned by the student with the highest GPA. Julie Fritz – Spirit of Nursing Award determined by faculty vote for the student they feel demonstrates the spirit of caring, science, love of learning, and compassion.

Mary Werner – 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!

Carol P Baca Kaitlyn V Bausler Marei A Benton

Nathan J Randall Cathy L Robinson Isabel V Saettone Rheyvie Mahal P Bullecer Maribel A Sanchez Kristin M Butler Joseph P Sanger Jessica M Downey Tawny D Schaf Debra A Ferguson Sara J Schisler Julie D Fiess Amanda L Schwankl Patrick O Flint Drew Shannon Michael R Fritz Mariacelia M Simmons Debika Ghose Amanda M Smith Hilary A Hutson Shameeka N Smith Janet R Ifland Amber C Stevens Amanda R Keever Kendra P Stier Jennifer R Lichtenberg Emily E Swanson Krystal F Lumbao Nizzandra Tanuvasa Ann M Marsh Naiara C Taylor Kelly L Mittal Sarah H Torgerson Monica R Negaard Mary T Werner

Letitia Benson, RN Danica Broerman, RN Brent Clark, RN Lauren Habel, RN Heather Jacobson, RN

Amanda Lee, RN Kimberly Martinez, RN Mary McDonald, RN Connie Moore, RN Lisa Zimmerman, RN

Master’s Degree Program Graduates Bella Barrows, RN Chair – Dr. Barbara Berner, PhD Thesis, Family Nurse Practitioner ‘Trait Anxiety in Baccalaureate Clinical Nursing Students’ Dorothy Kinley, RN Chair – Dr. Patricia Lynes-Hayes, PhD Thesis, Nursing Education ‘Student Nurse Experiences with Staff Nurse Incivility in Clinical Settings’ Nicole Kopacz, RN Chair – Dr. Betty Predeger, PhD Project, Family Nurse Practitioner ‘Experiences of Alaskan Parents with Children Hospitalized for Respiratory Syncytial Virus Treatment’

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Arlette, VA RN

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Application on page 9 or join online at www.aknurse.org

December 2012

Alaska Nurse • Page 11

Board of Nursing Update FAQs about the Board of Nursing Audit Process THE MISSION OF THE ALASKA BOARD OF NURSING 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. One way to protect the public is through renewal of CNAs, LPNs, RNs, CRNAs and ANPs licenses every 2 years. LPN renewals ended September 30, 2012, RN licensing and ANP/CRNA authorization renewal period ended November 30, 2012. At the time of renewal, each licensee is certifying that he/she has completed their continuing competency requirements.

The Board invites everyone to attend our quarterly meetings. The Board meets in Anchorage in January and July, Juneau in April and Fairbanks in October. There is also an 800 number to listen to all of the meeting or to the Agenda topic you are interested in hearing more about. Public comment is the time in the agenda for anyone to address the Board about an issue.

No decisions are made during public testimony but it is an opportunity to address your concern to the Board. The public comment period is Thursday and Friday morning from 9:05 to 9:35 a.m.

The Alaska Board of Nursing met in Fairbanks in October 2012. The LPN position on the Board is currently vacant. Contact Boards and Commissions in the Governor’s Office for more information about nominating someone for this position.

Question 1: How many licensees get audited?

For license categories with fewer than 3,000 licensees – 10% get audited.

For license categories with more than 3,000 licensees – 5% are audited.

Twenty five percent of ANPs are audited.

In 2012, the following numbers of licenses were audited: • LPNs = 102 selected • RNs = 546 selected • ANPs = 199 selected RNs and ANPs were notified after renewals ended on 11/30/2012.

Question 2: I received a letter saying I am audited. Do I have to comply?

For licensees that are chosen for audit, you must comply with 12 AAC 02.960(e) which states: (e) A licensee selected for audit under (c) or (d) of this section will be notified by the department. Within 30 days of notification, the licensee shall submit to the department, documentation to verify completion of the continuing competency activities claimed on the statement submitted with the application for license renewal. The documentation must include a valid copy of a certificate or similar verification of satisfactory completion of the continuing competency activities claimed that provides (1) the name of the licensee; (2) the amount of continuing competency credit awarded; (3) a description of the continuing competency activity; (4) the dates of actual participation or successful completion; and (5) the name, mailing address and signature of the instructor, sponsor, or other verifier.

Left to right: Board members Kevin Dougherty, Public Member, Denise Valentine, RN, ANP and Dr. Nancy Sanders, Board of Nursing Executive Administrator.

Question 3: What if I certified that I had completed the requirements, but I didn’t?

12 AAC 02.960 (i) For professions licensed by the department, the department will consider the licensee’s failure to comply with the department’s request for records under (e) of this section as grounds for imposition of disciplinary sanctions to the extent allowed under AS 08 and this title.

Question 4: What happens if I don’t send in my audit documents or I send in partial documentation?

Finding meaning in your work is more than fate. It’s Providence.

The Board of Nursing staff is responsible for notifying you that you are audited. You have 30 days to comply. If you don’t comply, or send in only part of the documentation, the Board staff will send a second letter. At this point, you have 15 days to comply. If you again fail to fully comply with the audit, your “case” is sent to the Paralegal for the Division. She then begins a process of attempting to get your documentation. If that process does not work, a consent agreement with the Board is drawn up.

Question 5: Consent agreement, what do you mean consent agreement?

A consent agreement will be initiated which is an agreement between the nurse and the Board to pay a civil fine for failing to comply with the continuing competency requirements that are in regulation. The civil fines have recently changed. At the October 2012 Board of Nursing meeting, this motion passed.

On a motion duly made by Erin Evans, seconded by Thomas Hendrix, and carried unanimously, it was RESOLVED that the Board of Nursing for the State of Alaska, under authority 08.01.075(a)(8) establishes the following civil fines against licensees who do not meet continuing competency regulations per Article 6 or 12 AAC 44.825: • A fine of $2,500 for ANPs and CRNAs, • $2,000 for RNs, • $1,500 for LPNs, and • $500 for CNAs. This motion goes into effect beginning with the 2012 renewal audit cycle.

The Board of Nursing is continually updating regulations that all licensees must adhere to. An up to date copy of the statute and regulations is always available on the Board’s web site www.nursing.alaska.gov. The Board also suggests that licensees periodically review the Board meeting minutes to learn of new regulations and other topics the Board has discussed.

The Executive Administrator for the Alaska Board of Nursing is Dr. Nancy Sanders. Please feel free to contact Dr. Sanders at the Alaska Board of Nursing for any questions you have regarding your professional practice. Her telephone number is 907-269-8161 and her e-mail is nancy.sanders@alaska.gov.

Providence is calling.

We’re looking for Registered Nurses to answer the call.

At Providence, we believe that nursing is more than just a great job. It’s a calling. You owe it to yourself to find out what makes Providence different.

$10,000 Sign On Bonus for Full Time OR RN Staff positions Additional nursing positions available in:

Adult Critical Care Cath Lab Emergency Department eICU

Labor & Delivery NICU Operating Room Primary Care

Answer the call. www.providenceiscalling.jobs Or call (907) 212-6400 for more information.

Providence Health & Services is an equal opportunity employer.

Page 12 • Alaska Nurse

December 2012

Resources Scholarships/Funding/ Volunteer Opportunities/Nominations Alaska: Scholarship— ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■

Announcing the David E. Knox Memorial Nursing Fellowship Are you a current nursing student committed to practicing in rural Alaska? If so, you are eligible to apply for tuition assistance from the David E. Knox Memorial Nursing Fellowship offered by The Alaska Community Foundation. This scholarship honors the memory of David Knox, a longtime Sitka resident and Sitka Community Hospital nurse, who understood the complex medical care issues facing small Alaskan communities. His family and friends established the fellowship in his memory as a way of providing continued support for the rural medical community. Successful candidates

ALASKA NURSES ROCK! Join our ADVENTUROUS and COMPASSIONATE team delivering health and social services to communities above the Arctic Circle!

Maniilaq Association in Kotzebue, AK is seeking: Inpatient/ER RNs, Nurse Educator Long Term Care RN & CNAs Family Practice NPs & ANP/CNM

will embody the same nurturing compassion, detailed organization, high technical standards and devotion to health care for which Knox was known.

The scholarship opens for applications on February 1, 2013 and the deadline for the scholarship applications is April 1, 2013. Awards will be announced at the end of April. The Fellowship will award up to $2,500 to a nursing student who agrees to practice as a nurse/RN in a small Alaskan community (less than 50,000 residents) for a minimum of one year. Applications and more information are available online at www.alaskacf.org/scholarships.

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

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

National: General Resources – Guidelines/Websites: CDC committee OKs amended MMR vaccine recommendations The CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices unanimously supported new measles, mumps and rubella vaccine recommendations for certain patients with HIV and post-exposure treatment recommendations for patients, including infants, who are at risk of measles complications. The proposed changes include a recommendation for revaccination in perinatal HIV patients who were vaccinated before effective antiretroviral therapy.

[10/31/13 AANP Smartbrief] ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■

CDC backs pertussis vaccinations to protect mothers, babies The CDC’s Advisory Committee for Immunization Practices is now recommending all pregnant women be vaccinated against pertussis, or whooping cough, to decrease the number of cases in infants. The recommendation calls for vaccination during the late second or third trimester. [AANP Smartbrief 10/25/12] ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■

EXCELLENT BENEFITS, AMAZING CULTURE & COMMUNITY! Apply Now: https://www.vscyberhosting.com/maniilaq ?s contact tiffany.west@maniilaq.org (206) 304-4552

Alaska Children’s Services

USPSTF: FINAL RECOMMENDATION ON MENOPAUSAL HORMONE THERAPY

The U.S. Preventive Service Task Force issued its final recommendation statement on menopausal hormone therapy for the primary prevention of chronic conditions. To view the recommendation and the evidence on which it is based, please go to: http://www. u s p r e v e n t iv e s e r v i c e s t a s k f o r c e.o r g /u s p s t f / uspspmho.htm.

The final recommendation can also be found in the online edition of Annals of Internal Medicine.

Alaska Island Community Services is seeking a qualified

RN Care Coordinator at the TideLine Clinic in Wrangell, AK

Guidelines recommend bone health advice for teen girls The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists released its osteoporosis guidelines on Tuesday, recommending that teen girls get advice on bone health and lifestyle factors that may raise their risk of fractures or osteoporosis. The group also issued recommended daily allowance for calcium and vitamin D for women at various ages. The guidelines were published in the journal Obstetrics & Gynecology, September issue. [8/27/12 AANP Smartbrief] ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■

USPSTF issues updated obesity guidelines The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force has released new guidelines on obesity, urging primary care providers to screen patients for the condition and connect them with diet and exercise resources if necessary. The guidelines are similar to those issued in 2003, but include new evidence, the panel said. “The good news is that even what you might consider to be modest rather than radical weight loss has tremendous health benefits,” said task force member Susan Curry of the University of Iowa College of Public Health.[6/16/12, AANP Smartbrief] ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■

Alaska Medicare Questions Alaskans helping Alaskans get more out of their Medicare We provide one–on–one counseling to Medicare beneficiaries and their families.

We also teach how to spot and report Medicare errors, waste and fraud.

Questions? Contact us: In Anchorage: 907-269-3680 • Toll–free in Alaska: 800-478-6065 • Email:hss.medicare@alaska.gov Jeanne Larson and Judith Bendersky, MPH http://www.hss.state.ak.us/dsds/medicare/

Contact Valerie Jensen at 874-2373

bringing hope to troubled young lives

REGISTERED NURSES

Simplify your nursing research....

We are seeking nurses who will make a significant contribution to the health and wellness of youth in our residential psychiatric treatment program.

• be part of an interdisciplinary treatment team • facilitate medical interventions • assess behavioral / health needs of our youth

$3,000 signing bonus Contact Rob Morris (907) 346-2101 or r_morris@akchild.org www.akchild.org

Look ahead . . .

Nursing Newsletters Online Read Your State Newsletter Online!

Your future begins here . . .

RN-BS Program—Completely Online!

Alaska Children’s Services is a private non-profit organization and is accredited by the Joint Commission.

We have been educating Alaska’s nurses for more than 40 years!

nursingALD.com

Call today! 907-786-4550

Access to over 10 years of nursing publications at your fingertips.

Contact us to advertise in this publication or online!

To learn more visit www.uaa.alaska.edu/school of nursing Alaska RN license required - All prerequisites may or may not be online

December 2012

Alaska Nurse • Page 13

General Assembly Resolutions continued from page 1 Whereas there is no safe way to manually lift a physically dependent patient; and Whereas patients are tending to weigh more while the average age of nurses increases; and Whereas lift and transfer assistance devices exist but are not always readily available to nurses; and Whereas studies have shown that humans cannot lift and turn heavy patients over extended time periods without incurring back, shoulder and neck injuries; and Whereas nursing personnel are among the highest at risk for musculoskeletal disorders according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, and worker’s compensation claims reveal that nursing personnel have the highest claim rates of any occupation or industry.

Therefore be it resolved that the Alaska Nurses Association will work to draft legislation that will hasten the adoption of proven strategies – including lift devices – that assist healthcare workers to maneuver patients in a way that is safe for both the patient and the healthcare worker.

The AaNA will work with their lobbyist and other interested parties to find sponsors for such legislation and work for its passage.

Therefore be it further resolved that the Alaska Nurses Association will seek willing partners in this effort to include but not limited to the Alaska State Hospital and Nursing Home Association.

X Adopted

Not Adopted 





AANA TO MONITOR CHANGES TO THE ALASKA NURSE PRACTICE ACT Whereas there is a need for periodic changes to the Alaska Nurse Practice Act to keep it current with the change health care environment; and Whereas the Alaska Board of Nursing has identified areas in the statue that they feel need improvement; and Whereas Alaska in many ways has a model Nurse Practice Act. Therefore Be it Resolved that AaNA, through their Board of Directors, Labor Council, Professional Practice Committee and Legislative Committee, will monitor proposals brought before the Alaska Legislature to modify the Nurse Practice Act and will take any action necessary to maintain a statute that promotes the practice of nursing in Alaska.

X Adopted

Not Adopted 





RESOLUTION TO PROVIDE A DEFINED BENEFIT OPTION FOR ALASKA’S RETIREMENT SYSTEM Whereas, Legislation passed by the Alaska State Senate during the 2011-2012 legislative session would have established a new Tier V defined benefit option for public employees that would cost the same as Tier IV; and Whereas, both the state and private actuarial experts agree that the changes made in the legislation ensures that the new Tier V program is Cost Neutral as compared to Tier IV; and Whereas, this Legislation would provide a defined benefit program for both future and current Tier IV employees by allowing employees to select the retirement program that works best for them; and Whereas, the legislation was designed to ensure that the two programs are Cost Neutral by proposing changes to the Defined Benefit system offered to new employees under the new Tier V system; and Whereas, new Tier V defined benefit (DB) employees will pay a greater share of their salary into the system than the prior DB employees in Tiers I, II and III; (8% of salary); and

Whereas, new Tier V (public employees retirement system) Tier IV (teachers retirement system) employees will only receive health insurance coverage after a full career in public service, (25 for teachers, police and fire / 30 years for all others); and

higher wages, health insurance, overtime pay, pensions, safer working conditions, paid holidays, job security, severance pay, paid vacations, maternity leave and a host of other protections, making America the standard for the rest of the world, and

Whereas, new Tier V employees who do not work a full career are eligible for health insurance coverage after reaching Medicare Age eligibility; and

Whereas, workers in non-“right-to-work” states make an average of 18% more annually than their counterparts in “right-to-work” states, and

Whereas, new Tier V employees will pay a graduated percentage of the health insurance premium in retirement based upon years of service; and

Whereas, not one of the 21 “right-to-work” states is among the top 15 states that have the highest average annual pay; in addition, not a single “right-to-work” state has a pay level above the national average, and

Whereas, new Tier V employees health insurance premium percentage is a variable rate that will be reviewed every five years during employment and adjusted to ensure that no unfunded liability is created by the Tier V health insurance program; and

Whereas, jobless workers suffering through the catastrophe of unemployment are treated better in free bargaining states than those in “right-towork” states. On average, the unemployed in free bargaining states receive 20% more in weekly benefits than their counterparts in “right-to-work” states.

Whereas, adoption of a new Tier V retirement program would provide a secure pension option for new employees in the same manner as prior DB Tiers; and

Meanwhile of the 15 states with the highest level of weekly benefits, all of them are free bargaining states, and

Whereas, the new Defined Benefit system will offer less health insurance benefits in retirement than prior programs requiring the new system to be called Tier V; and Whereas, the Defined Contribution (Tier IV) program would be available for those employees who prefer the DC option in planning for retirement; and Whereas, all financial cost that may be incurred

by Tier IV employees transferring to Tier V retirement program would be paid by the employee; and Whereas, providing an option between DB and DC will attract and retain qualified professionals to a career in public service since they can select a retirement option that works best for the employee; Therefore, be it resolved: Alaska Nurses Association continues to support the creation of a Defined Benefit Option for new public employees so they can choose either a Defined Contribution (Tier IV) Plan or a new Defined Benefit (Tier V) Program as passed by the Alaska state senate during the 27th legislative session, Be it further resolved: this resolution be sent to the Governor and members of the Alaska State Legislature for action during the 2013-2014 legislative session.

X Adopted

Not Adopted 





A RESOLUTION OPPOSING SO CALLED RIGHT-TO-WORK LEGISLATION IN ALASKA Whereas, “right-to-work” destroys one of the fundamental principals of workplace democracy by denying workers the right to negotiate a union of security clause into a collective bargaining agreement, whereby all workers who receive the benefits of union representation agree to share the costs of maintaining their union, and Whereas, under so called “right-to-work,” labor and management cannot bargain over the issue of union security. As a result, free loaders duck their financial obligation to support their union, but will receive all benefits. Meanwhile, their coworkers who pay their dues are forced to subsidize them. Over time the financial support for the union erodes along with the union’s ability to adequately represent the workers in dealing with employers and servicing the collective bargaining agreements under its supervision, and Whereas, so called “right-to-work” is really about obliterating the unions financially so they will not have the resources to protect their members, and Whereas, labor unions have brought America’s workforce the 8-hour workday, paid sick leave,

Whereas, worker compensation benefits are higher in free bargaining states, with injured workers in “right-to-work” states getting 20% less in maximum weekly benefits for temporary total disability than injured workers in free bargaining states, and Whereas, workers in “right-to-work” states suffer job fatality rates far above those in non-“right-towork” states, because there are fewer unions to help enforce job safety standards. For example, of the 20 states with the highest rates of on-the-job fatalities, 15 (75%) were “right-to-work” states.

Among the 15 states with the lowest on-the-job fatality rate, 14 (93%) were free bargaining states.

Now, Therefore be it Resolved that members of the Alaska Nurses Association, General Assembly and leadership pledge to vigorously oppose any “rightto-work” legislation introduced in Alaska.

X Adopted

Not Adopted 





ALASKA NURSES ASSOCIATION GENERAL ASSEMBLY WHEREAS, the Alaska Nurses Association endeavors to represent the professional, political, and collective bargaining concerns of the Registered Nurses in Alaska; and WHEREAS, the AaNA Labor Council is the “insulated” arm of the Alaska Nurses Association charged with overseeing the AaNA collective bargaining program; and WHEREAS, approximately 97 percent of the AaNA annual revenue is received from nurses represented by the Association’s three collective bargaining units, Providence Registered Nurses, RN’s United at CPGH/Heritage Place and Ketchikan Registered Nurses; and WHEREAS, it is the belief of the Labor Council that the entire AaNA will benefit if all facets are aware of each other’s goals, priorities and expectations within the appropriate restraints imposed by “insulation” (the non-union members have no influence on how the Labor Program spends dues collected or policy development); THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED THAT the Alaska Nurses Association General Assembly hereby establishes a yearly training for elected leaders to facilitate understanding of their role as Board & Labor Council members in having authority of running a professional organization and a union; BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED THAT the newly elected Board of Directors and Labor Council will participate in a joint discussion to explore necessary changes to the AaNA business structure to meet the needs of a both professional practice and a labor relations program.

X Carried

Failed

Page 14 • Alaska Nurse

December 2012

Upcoming Events Alaska State Board of Nursing – Upcoming Meetings Jan. 16-18, 2013 Anchorage agenda deadline April 3-5, 2013 Juneau agenda deadline July 10-12, 2013 Anchorage agenda deadline October 23-25, 2013 Fairbanks agenda deadline Jan. 22-24, 2014 Anchorage agenda deadline

Dec. 26, 2012 March 13, 2013

2013 National Nurse Practitioner Health Policy Conference Sponsor AANP and ACNP February 24-26, 2013 L’Enfant Plaza Hotel 480 L’ENFANT PLAZA, SW Washington, 20024 go to AANP.org

June 19, 2013

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Oct., 3, 2013

2nd National Nursing Ethics Conference 2013 The American Nurses Association is pleased to be a Gold Level Sponsor for the 2nd National Nursing Ethics Conference hosted by Ethics of Caring.

The conference will be held at the Universal Hilton in Los Angeles March 21-22, 2013.

Dec. 30, 2013

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.

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

Let Every Woman Know www.leteverywomanknow.com Dedicated to Gynecologic Cancer Education and Awareness in Alaska Feb. 1, 2, & 3 in Anchorage, Alaska

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

International Council for Nurses 25th Quadrennial Congress May 18-23, 2013 Melbourne, Australia “Equity and Access to Health Care” www.icn2013.ch.

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Save the Dates!

AANP 28th National Conference June 19-23, 2013 The Venetian® and The Palazzo® & Sands® Expo and Convention Center Las Vegas, NV ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■

Alaska Nurse Practitioner Association 30th Annual Conference September 12-14, 2013, Anchorage Marriott ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■

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

7th Annual ANA Nursing Quality Conference™ The ANA Nursing Quality Conference™ brings together nursing professionals from across the globe with a passion and commitment for improving nursing quality. This is your opportunity to meet them, share experiences and connect with others.

Feb. 6 to 8, 2013 Hyatt Regency Atlanta Stay up to date at www.NursingQualityConference.org!

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The UAA Office of Health Programs Development and AHEC will be partnering with the Northwest GEC to bring 10 weeks of high quality trainings to Alaska for free via Virtual Classroom to Western Washington, Montana, Alaska and Wyoming.

The series is designed for healthcare providers including physicians, physician assistants, nurse practitioners, physical and occupational therapists, nurses, psychologist, social workers, pharmacists, and other interested professionals giving community-based providers working in the field of aging access to valuable information without traveling.

January 8 – Arthritis – Carin Dugowson, MD, MPH January 15 – Oral Health – Susan Jeffrey, DDS, PhD January 22 – Atrial Fibrillation – Michael Chen, MD, PhD January 29 – Substance Abuse – Ron Jackson, MSW, LICSW February 5 – UTI (Urinary Tract Infections) – Jane Miller, MD February 12 – Acute Care – Elizabeth Phelan, MD, MS

February 26 – Hypertension – Thuan Ong, MD, MPH March 5 – Stroke – David Tirshwell, MD, MSc March 12 – Suicide – Steven Vannoy, PhD, MPH If you are interested in being a host site for this series or just want to participate, contact Geri Heiner at 907-786-6591 or glheiner@uaa.alaska.edu to be placed on a list serve to receive up-to-date information.

Women’s Cancer Survivor Course Alaskan debut of the nationally recognized Foundation for Women’s Cancer inspirational survivor workshop, 8 am to 5 pm, Saturday, February 2nd Survivors, their families, and medical professionals, free.

“Dancing with N.E.D.” a premiere full-length movie and live music by the N.E.D. band a tribute to Alaskan women survivors and those who died of GYN cancers Beartooth Theatrepub, Sunday 7:30 pm to 10 pm, February 3rd

Continuing Education Opportunity!!!!

February 19 – Physician Orders for Life – Sustaining Treatment (POLST) Wayne McCormick, MD

Arts Weekend in Spenard Hosted by the Spenard Chamber of Commerce Art walk and auction featuring art by survivors, care providers, families, and community members touched by cancer.

Sponsored by the Spenard Chamber of Commerce, February 1, 2, & 3

Rhythm Heals Concert No Evidence of Disease, N.E.D., a nationally recognized rock’n roll band, featuring Alaska’s own Dr. Joanie Hope as lead vocalist will rock the house at the Taproot, February 2nd in the evening

2013 NWGEC Health Internet Series Tuesdays 3:00 pm-4:30 pm

Regional Telemedicine Conference Set Billings, Montana, December 6, 2012 “Healthcare providers, patients, administrators and those who are interested in learning more about Telehealth will have an opportunity to meet and network at our annual conference,” said Bob Wolverton, Program Director of the Northwest Regional Telehealth Resource Center (NRTRC). “As healthcare reform takes center stage, Telehealth will provide a means of meeting the challenges presented by the changing environment,” he added.

The conference features educational opportunities, an informational exhibit hall, nationally-recognized speakers and a “great venue for networking among providers, patients, payers and folks new to Telehealth who need to learn about this exciting delivery system,” according to Wolverton. Conference Dates are March 18-20, 2013.

The conference is structured to provide information and education to direct care providers, hospital administrators, patients and technical staff members.

“The Conference is an opportunity for people from all aspects of the telemedicine world to come together, share successes, strategize how to meet challenges and understand that they are not alone,” Nancy Vorhees, COO of Inland Northwest Health

Services and Chair of the NRTRC Advisory Board said. “NRTRC is here to support Telemedicine and to provide education and assistance to Telehealth providers,” she added, “The educational offerings at the conference are tailored to a wide range of skills and disciplines within the Telemedicine field.”

Speakers scheduled to appear include American Telemedicine Association President Stewart Ferguson, Nationally-recognized patient advocate Dave deBronkart, known as “e-Patient Dave,” Nirav Desai of Hands On Telehealth, James Bush, MD, and a number of nationally- and regionally-know presenters in the two educational tracks, Technology and Administrative/Clinical.

NRTRC is a source of technical assistance, education and resources for Telehealth providers throughout a seven-state region in the Northwestern United States. “We do so much of our interaction electronically,” said Wolverton, “but we felt that a chance to meet others who practice Telemedicine or who are interested in the discipline face-to-face would be valuable.” With that in mind, NRTRC set out to hold a regional conference.

For further information, log on to the conference website, www.nrtrcconference.com or e-mail Martha@nrtrc.org.

December 2012

Alaska Nurse • Page 15

A road less traveled often leads to discovery.

CHART YOUR OWN COURSE AT FAIRBANKS MEMORIAL HOSPITAL

Join us at the newest medical center, in Alaska’s fastest growing economy.

We are highly ranked in patient satisfaction and core measure scores.

•

FT Operating Room RNs

•

FT Labor and Delivery RN

•

FT Endo RN

•

FT Experienced Med/Surg RN

•

FT ED RN

•

FT ICU RN

•

FT Sterile Processing Tech

Competitive wages with exceptional benefits package including Medical/ Dental/Vision/Life, 401k with Employer match, Paid Time Off, relocation and sign on bonus.

Adventure awaits. Imagine the possibilities. Skiing, hiking, camping and fishing make Alaska a pleasure-seeker’s dream.

Fairbanks Memorial Hospital is located in the foothills of the Brooks Range in the second largest city in Alaska – the perfect jumping off point for exploring the state. We at Fairbanks put the patients first and remain steadfast in our commitment to providing the highest quality healthcare to our friends and family.

Opportunities available for Nurses!

If you’re looking for a career with great benefits that

makes your future a priority, look to Banner Health.

Visit www.BannerHealth.com or call 1-888-303-5402.

Please reference keyword “Alaska Careers” when applying.

ALASKA ARIZONA CALIFORNIA COLORADO NEBRASKA NEVADA WYOMING EOE/AA Banner Health supports a drug-free work environment.

Page 16 • Alaska Nurse

A balanced lifestyle...

December 2012

Bartlett Regional Hospital

...is just what the doctor ordered.

Quality Healthcare • Quality Lifestyle We’re committed to being the best community hospital in ALASKA. A history of service. A supportive community. We provide quality health care and health promotion for the people of JUNEAU and communities of Northern Southeast ALASKA. We have openings available in many areas:

• Nursing Administration • Surgical Services • Obstetrics - Bartlett Beginnings Join the Alaska VA Healthcare System!

• We are now recruiting and hiring health care professionals (ANP, RN, LPN, OR Nurse Manager) • Join the nation’s largest health care delivery system.

• Excellent benefits • Call 907.257.4750 or visit www.vacareers.va.gov • Nurse Recruiter, Margaret Balster, 907.257.4819

• Critical Care Unit • Medical and Surgical

For complete job descriptions, and to apply online go to: www.bartletthospital.org or call Human Resources at: 907-796-8418 or 888-668-9962