The Alaska Nurse - Vol. 56 No. 2 - May 2006

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The Alaska Nurse Circulation 8,000 to every Registered Nurse, Licensed Practical Nurse and Student Nurse in Alaska The Official Publication of the Alaska Nurses Association

Volume 56 No. 2

May 2006

Legislative Fly-In 2006

Spotlight: Wrangell Page 4

The annual flight South of nurses to Juneau took place March 8 of this year with AaNA nurses from around the state meeting with their legislators to educate and lobby for bills important to nursing.

In the evening, AaNA hosted a reception for legislators and the Alaska State Board of Nursing, which was also meeting at the time. [continued on page 8] Nurses In the House

Legislative Fly-In Pages 1, 8, 9

Nursing Conference Report Pages 12-14

Inside This Issue LeMay Hupp to Head Speaker of the House John Harris, R-Valdez, (in Speaker’s Chair) invited nurse representatives into House Chambers: (from l to r) Mary Luken, Providence, Anchorage; Dianne O’Connell, AaNA Executive Director; Donna Phillips, Providence, Girdwood; Susan Walsh, Ketchikan; Steve Baumgardner, Central Peninsula; Kathleen Gettys, Providence, Eagle River; Carolyn Adkins, Fairbanks; and Lonnie Hosley, Alaska Psychiatric Institute, Anchorage.

Nurse Alert System. . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 Legislative Fly-In 2006 . . . . . . . . . 1, 8, 9 Letter from the Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 Spotlight: Wrangell . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

LeMay Hupp to Head Nurse Alert System

by Dianne O’Connell, M.Div. AaNA Executive Director/Program Director Having lived through the 1964 Alaska earthquake as a child, LeMay K. Hupp, RN, BSN, MPH has been concerned with disaster preparedness for most of her adult life. So she herself determined to Be Prepared.

She prepared first by becoming a nurse in 1976, after obtaining an Associate Degree in Nursing from Anchorage Community College. She pushed on to receive her Bachelor of Science in

LeMay Hupp, RN, new coordinator for the Alaska Nurses Association’s Alaska Nurse Alert System.

Nursing in 1980 from the University of Alaska, Anchorage; and her Masters in Public Health in 1988 from Loma Linda University, Loma Linda, CA. After shorter stints with the Anchorage Community Hospital (now Alaska Regional), the Alaska Teamster Employee Service Company (doing medical evaluations of critical care clients), the Alaska Hospital and Medical Center (Alaska Regional by an earlier name); Mt. Vernon Migrant Head Start Center, Mt. Vernon, WA; and back to the what is now Alaska Regional Hospital, LeMay found the Anchorage School District and the school district found her.

She started as a substitute nurse in the fall of 1982. She has since been the school nurse at King Career Center and at Romig Middle School.

After 23 years, she retires from the school district June 19th.

Continued on page 2

News from UAA School of Nursing . . 5 Welcome New Graduates . . . . . . . . . . . 6 UAA April Graduates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 Membership Application . . . . . . . . . . 10 Rep Kelly Letter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 Nursing Conference Report . . . . . . 12-14

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

Page 2—Alaska Nurse—May 2006

LeMay Hupp Continued from Page 1 Not a woman to let too much grass grow under her feet, she has accepted the position of coordinator for the Alaska Nurses Association’s Alaska Nurse Alert System, effective April 24th. The part time position is expected to take approximately 10 to 15 hours per week. She will develop the program and manage the volunteer computer data base out of the AaNA office at 3701 East Tudor Road.

Why was she selected from among the seven excellent candidates for the position?

Well, she recently attended training at the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) in Earthquake Preparedness and Disaster Planning for schools. She assisted in writing the original Disaster Guide for the school district and was a team member for numerous disaster trainings for district staff and faculty; she served as a volunteer disaster instructor for businesses and other government agencies; she is a certified FEMA Community Emergency Response Training instructor; and she has been a past presenter at conferences for the Alaska Nurses Association and the Alaska School Nurse Association—teaching disaster preparedness.

Her list of community activities, active certifications and licensures and awards is voluminous. She has also been a volunteer “Reviewer” for the AaNA continuing education program—on and off—for ten years.

Plus she is a friendly lady—with computer skills!

For those readers who may have missed our earlier story on the Alaska Nurse Alert System, Continued on page 3

Author Guidelines for the Alaska Nurse The editorial committee welcomes original articles related to nursing for publication.

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

Format and Submission Articles should be word-processed as Word documents. 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 jpeg. 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. 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 editor@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 in a Word document to Editor, AK Nurse, Alaska Nurses Association, 3701 East Tudor Road Ste 208, Anchorage, AK 99507. If you have any questions call Lynn Hartz 907-248-4877 or email lhartz@alaska.com.

An official publication of the Alaska Nurses Association, 3701 East Tudor Rd., Ste. 208, Anchorage, AK 99507. Tel: 907/2740827. Web site: www.aknurse.org. Published quarterly.

Materials may not be reproduced without written permission from the Editor. Views stated may not necessarily represent those of the Alaska Nurses Association.

Editor: Lynn E. Hartz, MSN, FNP lhartz@alaska.com Editorial Committee: Naomi Kirkwood Foody, RN, Kodiak and Jodi Stack, RN, Fairbanks, Rebecca Bolling, RN, BS, Ketchikan, Sara M. Harvison, RN, Fairbanks AaNA Board of Directors President: Debbie Thompson BSN, RN, CNOR Vice President: J. Pauline Stubberud, BSN, MBA Secretary: Gail M. Holtzman, MSN, CCRN Treasurer: Martha Clinehens, RN Directors: Labor Council Chair: Donna Phillips, BSN, RN Greater Alaska Director: Sara M. Harvison, RN, BSN Staff Nurse Director: Geri Brady Kelly, RNC Rural Director: Nancy Davis MS, RN Director at Large: Lynn E. Hartz, MSN, ANP Julie Torres Susan Walsh, RN Lonnie Hosley, RN AaNA Labor Council Chair—Donna Phillips, RN, BSN Secretary—Joe Peacott, RN, OCN Treasurer—Carol Clausson, RN-C Sheri Whitethorn, BSN, RN, CCRN Deni Callahan, RN Ray Southwell, RN UAN Rep.—Kathleen A. Gettys, RN, BSN, BA PAMC BU Rep.—Michelle Murphy, RN Soldotna BU Rep.—Janet Hilleary Ketchikan BU Rep.—Julie Moon, RN Affiliate Organizations: Alaska Chapter of the American College of Nurse Midwives Alaska Nurse Anesthetists Association Alaska Nurse Practitioner Association Alaska School Nurses Association Forensic Nurses Association, Alaska Chapter Executive Director: Dianne O’Connell, M.Div. Advertising Rates Contact—Arthur L. Davis Publishing Agency, Inc., 517 Washington St., P.O. Box 216, Cedar Falls, IA 50613, 800-626-4081.

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.

May 2006—Alaska Nurse—Page 3

Letter from the Editor

by Lynn Hartz MSN Editor, Alaska Nurse In March of 2006 a bill was introduced in the Alaska legislature regarding nurses administering “prescribed remedies and dietary supplements” [HB 467]. By the time you read this issue of the Alaska Nurse, the votes will have been cast and the bill will either be law or returned to the no man’s land of what someone thought was a good idea.

Who speaks for nurses?

Even though the votes are in, the travels of HB 467 provide a case study on why the American Nurses Association and Alaska Nurses Association exist. Representative Mike Kelly of Fairbanks, responding to a concern from a constituent sponsored a bill authorizing nurses to administer dietary supplements in nursing facilities, assisted living homes or an Alaska Pioneers’ Home. Representative Kelly sent a letter to the Alaska Nurses’ Association, which is printed in its entirety on page 10 along with AaNA President Debbie Thompson’s reply. The Alaska Board of Nursing (BON) opposed the legislation and Cathy Giessel, BON Chairperson testified against it (see page 10 for more information). The Board of Nursing’s responsibility is public safety. Their belief that it is unsafe for the public for a nurse to administer a dietary supplement is why they testified against the bill. Representative Kelly serves the interests of his constituents: that is why he wrote the legislation. The Board of Nursing spoke for the consumer. But who speaks for nurses? We do. It is the Alaska Nurses Association the legislators come to when they want to know what the “Nurses think.”

Calling all nurses Regardless of the fate of HB 467, the supplements issue will probably come up again.

So, the Alaska Nurse has decided to host a statewide opinion survey. What do you, the nurses in Alaska think? Do you believe it is time for nurses to administer supplements along with other medications? Do you do it already? Or, do you believe nurses have no business administering substances in which they have no education or training? In the interest of consistency we are going to use the federal definition of dietary supplements*. Look on page 10 and 11 for websites for more information on this topic. We will also try to have information from various state Boards of Nursing, including Alaska at www.aknurse. aknurse.org. Responses will be collated and

shared in the next issue. This is your chance to be heard. Use it!

AaNA Opinion Survey mail to: Alaska Nurses Association 3701 East Tudor Suite 208 Anchorage, AK 99507 Please circle your response: I think adminitration of dietary supplements should be part of nursing practice Yes No Comments (Please be brief) ______________ ________________________________________ ________________________________________ ________________________________________ Or email your response to: editor@aknurse.org (you will have to write your response if you email it, use the yes, no format) * Congress defined the term “dietary supplement” in the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act (DSHEA) of 1994. A dietary supplement is a product taken by mouth that contains a “dietary ingredient” intended to supplement the diet. The “dietary ingredients” in these products may include: vitamins, minerals, herbs or other botanicals, amino acids, and substances such as enzymes, organ tissues, glandulars, and metabolites.

Dietary supplements can also be extracts or concentrates, and may be found in many forms such as tablets, capsules, softgels, gelcaps, liquids, or powders. They can also be in other forms, such as a bar, but if they are, information on their label must not represent the product as a conventional food or a sole item of a meal or diet. Whatever their form may be, DSHEA places dietary supplements in a special category under the general umbrella of “foods,” not drugs, and requires that every supplement be labeled a dietary supplement. [source, www.cfsan. fda.gov/]

LeMay Hupp Continued from Page 1 the Alaska Nurses Association applied for and received a two-year, $20,000 a year, grant from the State of Alaska to revitalize and coordinate the Nurse Alert program, a program which was initiated in 2003 but has been dormant for some time.

Alaska is one of three states which has a Nurse Alert program as part of its disaster preparedness effort. The other two states are Colorado and Georgia. A third state, Montana, is designing its program after the Alaska model.

The AaNA was part of the initial “charter group” which designed the program in 2003.

Other participating entities were the Red Cross, the Municipality of Anchorage, the Board of Nursing and the State of Alaska.

Approximately 300 nurses signed up for the program through the Alaska Nurses Association website at that time.

The plan was to be prepared for natural disasters, acts of terrorism and/or infectious disease outbreaks. None of those things occurred and the program fell into disuse.

Between Hurricane Katrina this past fall and concerns over a bird flu outbreak, it has since been determined that the program must be revitalized.

LeMay Hupp, RN, will be working closely with Sandra Woods, RN, MS, public health nursing consultant, Public Health Preparedness Program, State of Alaska. The 2003 program was a trial effort, she says. The participants learned a great deal and have several ideas for improving the renewed effort.

“We are going to have one point of contact,” says Woods, adding that under the new program the ‘volunteers’ would be hired by the state with salary, benefits and liability protection. In addition, there will be better notification for training opportunities, with some training offerings online.

Readers can find out more about the program and how to volunteer by going to the AaNA Website at: www.aknurse.org.

Page 4—Alaska Nurse—May 2006

Spotlight: Wrangell Rootbeer and Fourth of July

by Janet Buness RN, BSN The nurses of Wrangell have been making homemade root beer for sale on July 4th for over twenty years. We decided to start raising money when there was little money available in the hospital budget for nursing continuing education. We thought homemade root beer really wouldn’t cost a lot to make and we would have a good profit. Each year in the Spring all the RN nursing staff not on duty at the hospital, and any husbands, children, friends and anyone else we can muster up will meet and make root beer. We have made the root beer at the local American Legion Building for many years. We make around forty cases from root beer extract, sugar, yeast and water. The root beer then sits in someone’s relatively warm house or garage until July 4. It takes us about three hours to make the root beer if we have 8-10 people.

We have developed an assembly line technique. Over the years we have spent the money earned on education for nurses, community health education and equipment that can be used for community education. The local community plans on the yearly root beer sale and we usually sell 1,000 bottles in about five hours during the 4th of July celebration. Not bad for an island community of less than 2,000 people!

Nurses were Grand Marshalls in Wrangell’s July 4th 2005 parade.

[Ms. Buness is the Director of Nursing Services at the Wrangell Medical Center.]

Grand Marshalls included Janet Strohm (red sweater) and Representative Peggy Wilson (turquoise sweater).

May 2006—Alaska Nurse—Page 5

News from UAA School of Nursing: Meeting the Challenge of Program Expansion

by Jean Ballantyne, PhD, RN Director, UAA School of Nursing

WCGJ 6153

Looking in retrospect over the past 3+ years, we can see how far the School of Nursing (SON) has come in addressing the nursing shortage in Alaska. We could not have accomplished our program expansions without the help from other stakeholders, including the wonderful preceptors, many of whom are our colleagues in the AaNA. It has been the SON’s job to increase the supply of new nurses, a job in which I’m sure you will all agree we have earned a grade of excellent. In 2002, the University/Industry Nursing Education Task Force established the goal of doubling the number of basic nursing graduates (AAS and BS programs) by 2006. We have met this goal through hard work and collaboration with community partners. The dedication and commitment of SON faculty and staff to this project, and staff in many health care agencies has been phenomenal.

Despite a national shortage of qualified nurse-educators, particularly doctoralprepared faculty, the UAA SON has been successful in its’ recruitment efforts. We have 49 out of 51 faculty positions filled, nine faculty are newly hired in FY 2006 and three have been recruited to begin work with us in FY 2007. Faculty recruitment will be an ongoing challenge to fill remaining vacancies associated with the expansion and future retirements

In less than 4 years, basic nursing education is now available not only to more students, but to students onsite in 10 Alaska communities beyond Anchorage. This expansion project involved a “learn as you go” process for faculty with the development of a completely new delivery model for AAS education which uses a combination of video conferencing and webdelivered course content, onsite clinical experiences in the respective communities and intensive clinical rotations in Anchorage when the educational needs cannot be entirely met at the distance sites. For the BS program, the enrollment doubled by changing to a trimester model of delivery, again a whole new experience for faculty, staff and students. BS students are admitted in cohorts of 40 students, three times a year. Once a student enters the BS major, they attend school yeararound, finishing the upper division coursework in about 15 months. Overall, the capacity of the school in the AAS and BS programs increased from 96 admission slots in 2002 to 215 slots this academic year.

Preliminary data indicate that 91% of the December 2005 BS graduates intend to remain in Alaska for their first jobs. This is good news!

In addition, the recruitment and retention of Alaskan Natives into the nursing workforce has effectively doubled from 1.2% to 2.4%.

Our mission to educate well-prepared nurses goes beyond basic programs which lead to RN licensure. We also have a one-year certificate practical nursing program, which is

offered yearly in Anchorage and Fairbanks.

The program is designed for distance delivery, and is offered at other sites when there is there a need for educating PNs in a particular community and if there is an adequate cohort of students.

Finally, it is important to announce we are working on expanding our RN-BSN program and our Graduate Programs, which means additional opportunities coming for nurses to pursue advanced education here in Alaska. We offer the Master of Science in Nursing degree, with choices in 5 areas of focused study: Family Nurse Practitioner, Psychiatric Mental Health Practitioner, Community Health, Administration, and the newest track in Nursing Education. A change in the graduate program which we think will be of interest to some potential students, is the availability of the non-thesis option. Starting next year, students may opt to do a non-research project for their final scholarly work in place of the thesis. Other changes are targeted toward increasing accessibility to graduate education.

Several of the core graduate courses are offered online. The Education track is completely online and will prepare nurses who aspire to a career in teaching. With the nationwide nursing faculty shortage, we need to prepare the educators of the future!

[For more information on UAA School of Nursing Programs, contact 907-786-4550 or visit the website at http://nursing.uaa.alaska. edu.]

Page 6—Alaska Nurse—May 2006

Welcome New Graduates!

A belated but sincere welcome to the Graduates of the UAA Associate of Applied Science in Nursing Program, December 2005. Due to a mix-up, we did not include the following outreach students who come from Fairbanks, Bethel, Juneau and Ketchikan. Congratulations!

Pamela Bishop Liesl Bland Charity Charlie Donna Check Yvonne Clerc Kelly Coleman Dawn Davies Terra Dean Stefani Ellis Amy Farrell Jill Foster Yolanda Frazier Rachael Graetz Heather Harvey Sarah Holzman-Thompson Diane Hoover Theresa Howard Jay Jacobson Kaisa Johnson Nicole Lane Jamie Laws William McAnulty

Felicia McAuley Richelle McGraw Andy Moore Heidi O’Leary Kathryn Orth Diana Porter Maryellen Purschwitz Darla Ratcliff Sara Russell Bettina Shilling Lucinda Solberg Holly Stanton Judith(Brigit) Stearns Bevin Stephens Mary Stockwell-White Yvette Strong Lory Stulken Jennifer Taylor Dawn Teune Sally Whiting Penny Vavra

May 2006—Alaska Nurse—Page 7

UAA April Graduates In April, the following students graduated from the University of Alaska, Anchorage School of Nursing. The Spirit of Nursing award for the BSN class was awarded to Alina Rouk and for the AAS class to Janice McCredie.

The PEER award for the BSN class was presented to Lindsay Breithaupt and for the AAS class to Megan Sims.

The Director Award for the BSN class was given to Teanna Thompson and for the AAS class to Janice McCredie.

Congratulations to all of you for you achievement!

AAS/ADN Students: 1. Candace M. Arnould 2. Crystal L. Bailar 3. Jessica A. Barnes-Gould 4. Michelle A. Berglin 5. Angela K. Britt 6. Ronnette M. Cousin, LPN 7. Tawnya Y. Culhane 8. Christopher J. Haupt 9. Andrea M. Jingco 10. Khris Abigail Lacanilao 11. Janice K. McCredie 12. Susan M. McIver 13. Michael J. Mohl 14. Teresa R. Moll 15. Briana K. Munson 16. Melanie J. Peterson 17. Mary Ellen Pierce, LPN 18. Ellen L. Reeder (Speaker for ADN’s) 19. Darcy R. Rehkopf 20. Eue Suk Ro 21. Michelle N. Sebern 22. Tara M. Seibert 23. Megan R. Sims 24. Shawn R. Strong 25. Andrea M. Waldrop 26. Michelle M. Wernau 27. Karen B. Williams 28. Julie M. Witmer 29. Kristen M. Woods 30. Joanne M. Wyatt BSN students: 1. Cheril S. Abella ** 2. Victoria D. Ables 3. Melodee D. Anderson 4. Bethany D. Ansley 5. Karen A. Bemben (Speaker for BSN)** 6. Lindsay A. Breithaupt 7. Krista J. Butler 8. Esther L. Christianson 9. Deborah G. Christopher, RN 10. Sharon A. Darden

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Jennifer L. DeMarco Joyce A. Ekamrak Richard S. Fhlug Stefanie K. Hansen Rose Jimenez, RN Diedra M. Joseph Lisa A. Kelley Rahab W. Kiruku Gary S. Koller** Tara A. Kuzina** Jodi M. Light Kimberly A. Lynch Grace M. Marinucci Lydia Martushev** Mamie F. McMahon Deidre M. Mussman Jazelle J. Nillo Susan P. Nolte Rahly A. O’Hara Jennifer D. Owens Megan A. Owens Tasha M. Rine Alina J. Rouk** Kirsten I. Stanton** Teanna M. Thompson** Erwin A. Tieva Katelyn L. Wade Tracy J. Warren**

MS graduates: Holly S. DiMeglio, PMH, Chair Karen Kincaid, Ph.D.—“An Exploration of the Use of Social Support

by People who are Grieving the Death of a Pet” Sandra L. Mahoney, FNP, Chair Jill Janke, DNSc— “Muscle Loss in Pregnant Women on Bed Rest in the Hospital” Tonya L. Melton, FNP,** Chair Elizabeth Predeger, Ph.D.—“The Experience of Cancer Patients Having a Central Line” Kelly K. Murphy, FNP, **—2nd Masters in Psych Mental Health ** Newly inducted members of Theta Omicron Chapter of Sigma Theta Tau, the nursing honor society.

Page 8—Alaska Nurse—May 2006

Legislative Fly-In

Representative Peggy Wilson RN (R-Wrangell), sponsor of HB 271 that would limit the use of mandatory overtime for nurses in hospitals.

Kathleen Gettys and Rep. Bob Lynn, R-Anchorage.

Rep. Berta Gardner, D-Anchorage attending the AaNA reception with her son.

May 2006—Alaska Nurse—Page 9

Legislative Fly-In

Donna Phillips, Rep. Vic Kohring R-Wasilla and Kathleen Gettys.

AaNA Legislative Chair Pat Senner (left) and Laura Sarcone, CNM (right) visit with Senator Hollis French, D-Anchorage.

AaNA lobbyist John Bitney with Rep. Bill Stoltze, R-Chugiak and Leg. Chair Pat Senner. Rep. Stoltze was one of the co-sponsors of HB 271.

Laura Sarcone, CNM from Anchorage visits with Rhonda Richtsmeier, RN, MN, Chief of the Section of Public Health Nursing for the State of Alaska.

Page 10—Alaska Nurse—May 2006

Marc h 27,

2006 Debb i Alask e Thomps o a Nur ses A n, Preside n ssoci Subje ation t ct: HB 467, relati Dear ng to Ms. T dieta homp ry su HB 4 s pplem o 6 n 7 : Fairb i s a ents b a Her nks whos ill introdu nurse e c comm s are grandmo ed to res gluco only us unable ther is cu pond to a e r t s a ver amine. T d dietar o admini rently in constitue nt in he re longy y res s ter h sup st te tr non-F DA a ictive pol riction on plement is grandm rm care. pprov icy b the n of othe I h When ave drafte ed suppl y the Bo urse’s pr fish oil r a a a e an rd of ct presc substanc d HB 467 ments.

Nursi ice is due d es ha ribed t n o g v b profe regar to ssion by a ph e first gon e permiss ding al abi ysicia e thro ive f I am o l Pione willing ity to use n, this b ugh the re r the nu r appre er Home to work w common ill recogn view and ses. s b i c e z ee i nse th t es a Assoc iate cons to get nurse n this he Board . idera iation ’s tion a i o .

At nd su ssue reso f Nursing focus the end o pport lv a ft ed on from ed, and nd the helpi he day, m t h w e Ala ng th ska N ould e pat y hope is urses ient.

Than that ever yone k you can s . tay Since Rep. rely, M Distri ike Kelly ct 7, Fairb anks

Additional information on dietary supplements can be found at the following websites: An Alaska State Board of Nursing Position Paper on Dietary Supplements was unavailable at press-time, it may be available by mid-July on their website: www.nursing.alaska.gov.

Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act: www.cfsan.fda.gov/ Independent laboratory analysis: www. consumerlab.com National Institutes of Health Office of Dietary Supplements: http://dietarysupplements.info.nih.gov/health_informati on/ibids.aspx United States Pharmacopoeia (USP) and links to USP Dietary Supplement Verification Program: www.usp.org

May 2006—Alaska Nurse—Page 11

Letter to Representative Kelly April 3, 2006 Dear Representative Kelly, Thank you for your letter of March 27, 2006 soliciting the Alaska Nurses Association’s position on the administration of dietary supplements to patients by Registered Nurses.

As with many issues in health care, the issue of the safety and efficacy of dietary supplements is complex. While the general public views dietary supplements and herbal preparations as different from prescription medications, health care professionals treat both of these groups as substances that affect the human body in ways that can be both beneficial and harmful. When administering any substance to alter the body’s functioning, one needs to know the possible beneficial effects, the potential interactions with other medications the patient is taking, the potential adverse or side effects, and the effect of the substance on any illnesses the patient might have. When patients suffer from a chronic illness, the process involved in making decisions about the safety of these substances is far more complex than reading the label on the container they come in.

An example of the potential deleterious effects of dietary supplements and herbal preparations comes from my practice in the operating room. We ask all patients to list dietary supplements or herbal medications they are taking as part of our pre-operative assessment. If the patient is taking St. John’s wort, we have to delay surgery for two weeks

because this supplement increases the risk of bleeding during surgery.

There is an additional concern with these dietary supplements and herbal medications in that there is poor regulation of their manufacturing. Numerous studies have shown that the ingredients listed on the label of the bottle corresponds poorly with the what scientists find when they evaluate their actual contents. I know from experience that these pills are unmarked, and when a family brings in a container there is no way to confirm that the pills are actually what the label states they are. Prescription/legend medications have a identifier number imprinted on them.

The public generally thinks that if a physician prescribes a medication or dietary substance then the nurse has no liability if the patient becomes ill or suffers damage from taking that substance. This is not the case. The courts have repeatedly upheld that the nurse is legally and ethically responsible to confirm the safety of any substance they are directly administering to a patient.

This being said, we do feel that dietary supplements and herbal preparations can be beneficial to patients. There is a growing body of scientific research on these substances and over time we have been better able to differentiate which substances are truly beneficial and which have the potential for serious side effects. There have also been steps taken to improve the oversight of production of these substances. As of this writing the United States Pharmacopoeia (USP) has a verification process for supplements. This is a voluntary

process, and many manufacturers have submitted their products for verification (http://www.usp.org). As manufacturing oversight improves, our position on safety of administration will no doubt change as well.

You can tell from the above discussion that this issue is very complex. I have asked the Alaska Nurses Association’s (AaNA) Professional Practice Committee to investigate this issue in light of recent advances and to come up with a policy recommendation before the AaNA Board meeting. We would be happy to share these recommendations with you.

Thank you again for requesting our input on this important issue.

Sincerely, Debbie Thompson, RN, BSN President, Alaska Nurses Association [Editor’s note: at press time the Professional Practice Committee was scheduled to meet on May 1.]

Page 12—Alaska Nurse—May 2006

Nursing Conference Report

A

nchorage hosted the Alaska Statewide Nurses Conference March 30 through April 1, 2006. The Alaska Nurses Association and the Emergency Nurses Association presented the conference. Over three days 23 speakers presented topics as varied as Ergonomic Workplace Design to Flight Nursing in the Middle East.

Over 170 nurses attended the professional and social events held at the Captain Cook in Anchorage.

Shelly Cohen RN, BS, CEN was a featured speaker on leadership and management. Ms. Cohen is an educator, consultant and author who still works as a staff nurse in an Emergency Department ensuring she addressed timely issues in nursing care.

Martha Clinehens RN, American Nursing Services Inc. with Gubernatorial candidate Rep. Ethan Berkowitz, D-Anchorage at a Legislative luncheon on the second day of the conference.

May 2006—Alaska Nurse—Page 13

Nursing Conference Report

Republican Gubernatorial candidate Sarah Palin at the Legislative luncheon. Each of the three candidates who attended gave a speech outlining their concerns about the health of Alaskans and their vision for improving health care. The speakers exhibited an excellent understanding of health care issues in Alaska and expressed their appreciation for the outstanding nursing care they and their family have received through the years. John Binkley’s campaign office declined AaNA’s invitation to attend the candidate’s forum and Eric Croft had other commitments during the convention.

Shelly Deering, hard-working Conference Chair, with the Independent Gubernatorial candidate Andrew Halcro and a conference exhibitor.

Page 14—Alaska Nurse—May 2006

Nursing Conference Report Thank-you Alaska Statewide Nurses Conference Sponsors Premier Sponsor Denali Center Fairbanks Memorial Hospital Conference Sponsor Providence Health System Nurses Night Out Stryker Lunch Sponsors Alaska Regional Hospital American Nursing Services, Inc. Tot Bag Sponsor Hill-Rom

Speaker Sponsors SCIOS Providence Health System Maxim Healthcare Services Emergency Nurses Association—Fairbanks Peace Health Ketchikan General Hospital North Star Behavioral Health System Airlift Northwest Coffee Break/Welcome Reception Sponsor ASAE Mat-Su Regional Medical Center Samuel Simmonds Memorial Hospital Peace Health Ketchikan General Hospital MBNA Bank SCIOS Educational Grant Sponsor Genetech