President's Message
As you read this, we are moving quickly into November, and, with this in mind, I wish you a happy, satisfying holiday season!
At the time of this writing, I am anticipating attending the Seventh Biennial Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) Colloquium in Chicago, Illinois. The theme of the colloquium is Knowledge in Action: The Next Generation of Evidence-Based Practice. I am pleased to represent National Association of Clinical Nurse Specialists (NACNS) at this international gathering and am looking forward to the opportunity to meet our JBI colleagues, leaders in evidence-based practice. Many NACNS colleagues, including Dr Lisa Hopp, are involved in partnerships with JBI. Providing access to JBI resources has been a priority for the NACNS Board of Directors, and this resource has been made possible through the support of JBI leadership. The 2011 NACNS National Conference in Baltimore, Maryland, will showcase JBI resources by providing opportunities for conference attendees to attend a JBI preconference workshop to learn how to connect the best available international evidence to the point of care. I anticipate an enthusiastic response to this preconference opportunity!
The past few months have challenged the Board of Directors to consider new directions and explore strategic opportunities as we plan for both short- and long-term possibilities. The Board will meet on September 30 through October 1 at a retreat scheduled for the upcoming conference site, Baltimore Marriott Waterfront Hotel, Maryland. This retreat is critically important, and its agenda will include planning for an organizational design that supports nimbleness, efficiency, and expertise as NACNS continues to be engaged in national discussions related to health care reform, regulatory changes, and, of course, the licensure, accreditation, education, and certification work associated with the implementation of the Advanced Practice Registered Nurse (APRN) Consensus Model. I am pleased to share that Kelly Goudreau, DSN, RN, ACNS-BC, NACNS past president, is serving as the NACNS LACE (Licensure, Accreditation, Certification, Education) representative. Dr Goudreau has been engaged in efforts specific to APRN practice and regulation for many years, and her thoughtful analysis of issues is very appreciated by the Board of Directors.
The 2008 Clinical Nurse Specialist Core Competencies were posted on the NACNS Web site for approximately 3 weeks to solicit member comment. The process has been interesting and, at times, challenging. The NACNS is the steward of the CNS Core Competencies. This work will be scheduled for review in 2013 using a national process that includes a variety of stakeholders. At present, NACNS is responsible for sharing the document with other professional nursing organizations, compiling endorsements, and collecting organizational feedback to serve as fodder for discussion during upcoming review efforts. As NACNS president, I have been contacted several times throughout this process by members and affiliates interested in sharing perspectives. If I were to offer a thematic analysis of these discussions, a major theme would be "passion." Clinical nurse specialists (CNSs) passionately care about their work, their role, their patients, and their students. The Board is committed to thoughtful consideration of all feedback; rest assured that comments have been reviewed and will be considered. In the meantime, I appreciate the electronic or telephonic feedback that several of you have shared with me. Your input is valued and respected-as is your passion!
The CNS Primary Care Briefing Paper has been posted on the homepage of the NACNS Web site. This briefing paper is a collaborative effort that includes the efforts of NACNS consultant partners. There is more work to be done specific to CNS contributions to primary care efforts. I believe that there are opportunities for unique APRN partnerships that may profoundly influence patient/client outcomes. Please review the briefing paper and consider its implications for CNS practice and CNS education. Consider writing about primary care-related projects and possibilities and make explicit the role of the CNS. I encourage you to explore the possibilities.
I do have a request of you, colleagues. As NACNS president, I am receiving solicitations for expert CNSs from varying specialties. These opportunities would likely involve a change in geography for the interested CNS candidate, but the positions usually sound interesting. Bottom line: health care organizations need more CNSs prepared for a variety of practice venues, including primary care. I encourage you to consider becoming involved in CNS education. Whether you encourage a new nurse to consider the CNS role as a future possibility or nudge an MSN-prepared colleague to consider a post-master's degree CNS program of study (either at the master's, doctor of nursing practice, or PhD levels of study), please encourage nurses to consider sharing your passion for the role by engaging in CNS education.
Thank you for your membership, intellect, and passion.
News From Our Affiliates
Military Virtual Affiliate
Congratulations to LCDR Tina M. Cox, MSN, MSM, CNS, RNC, perinatal clinical nurse specialist (CNS) for passing the CNS Core Exam.
CPT Beverly Sweeney, BS, MSN, RN, CNS, APRN (CC/Community PH), recently passed the Certified Case Manager examination. She also received her M9 (skill identifier) for Army Nurse Case Manager in 2009.
Cathy Johnson, MSN, RN, APRN-BC, retired Army CNS and nurse practitioner in Alaska, has been working in a nonprofit mental health clinic that serves military families from the Ft Wainwright-Eielson USAF Base area in Fairbanks Alaska. The clinic needs an additional advanced practice nurse (CNS or nurse practitioner). Contact Cathy Johnson at 907-590-1683 for inquiries.
California Association of Clinical Nurse Specialist
The California Association of Clinical Nurse Specialists held their annual conference on April 17, 2010 entitled, "Advanced Practice: The CNS as Consultant," in Palo Alto, California. Dr Kelly Goudreau was the keynote speaker. The conference was broadcast via webinar and had participants from across California and in Japan.
Garrett K. Chan, APRN, PhD, CEN, FAEN, lead advanced practice nurse in the Emergency Department Observation Unit and assistant clinical professor at the University of California, San Francisco, in the Critical Care/Trauma Clinical Nurse Specialist Track will be inducted as a fellow of the American Academy of Nursing in November 2010. Through his sustained contributions, Dr Chan advances the practice and scholarship of emergency nurses in the areas of CNS practice, research, and evidence-based practice. He is a nationally recognized leader in integrating palliative care with emergency nursing.
Marlene Nadler-Moodie, MSN, APRN, PMHCNS-BC, a long-time member of both the NACNS and the California Association of Clinical Nurse Specialists has been elected to the office of the President for the American Psychiatric Nurses Association (APNA). The APNA is the most influential psychiatric nursing organization with more than 6800 national and international members. Marlene will begin her 3-year term of office in the role of president-elect for the first year in October 2010 at the annual APNA conference held this year in Louisville, Kentucky. The following year, Marlene will serve as president and in the subsequent year as immediate past president. Marlene has had a long relationship with APNA and was honored to have received the 2009 Psychiatric Nurse of the Year award this past October. Marlene is in active practice as a clinical nurse specialist, part time-for both Sharp Mesa Vista Hospital and Scripps Mercy Hospital in San Diego, California.
Submitted by Margaret Talley, PhD, RN, CNS
Member News
Ann M. Mayo, DNSc, RN, professor in the Hahn School of Nursing and Health Science at the University of San Diego, is the NACNS' representative on the Interagency Collaborative on Nursing Statistics. She was elected to the position of secretary of Interagency Collaborative on Nursing Statistics for a 2-year term beginning in July 2011. She also serves as NACNS data consultant on the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) annual report on Enrollment and Graduations in Baccalaureate and Graduate Programs in Nursing.
NACNS Members Inducted Into the American Academy of Nursing
Eight members of the NACNS were inducted into the American Academy of Nursing in a ceremony held Saturday evening during the 37th Annual Meeting and Conference held on November 13, 2010, in Washington, District of Columbia.
Each year, prospective fellows are nominated by 2 academy fellows, and their applications are reviewed by a 15-member Fellow Section Committee. Selection criteria include evidence of significant contributions to nursing and health care.
As Academy President Catherine L. Gilliss, DNSc, RN, FAAN, explained in her announcement letter, "Selection for membership in the Academy is one of the most prestigious honors in the field of nursing. Academy fellows are truly experts.
* Kathy Baker, PhD, RN, ACNS-BC, CGRN, is an associate professor and director of the doctor of nursing practice program in the Harris College of Nursing & Health Sciences at Texas Christian University. She is also a faculty in the Texas Christian University Center for Evidence-Based Practice and Research, a collaborating center of the JBI. She is an adult medical-surgical CNS and is a certified gastroenterology registered nurse. She has been honored with the Society of Gastroenterology Nurses & Associates' Distinguished Service Award in 2007 and received the American Association of Critical Care Nurses, Dallas Chapter, Vision Partner Award for community service to nursing in 2006.
* Amy Barton, PhD, RN, is a professor and associate dean for clinical and community affairs at the University of Colorado College of Nursing on the Anschutz Medical Campus in Aurora, Colorado. She was appointed to the Daniel and Janet Mordecai Endowed Chair in Rural Health Nursing in 2010. She serves as project director for Colorado Quality and Safety Education for Nurses, a statewide initiative funded by the Colorado Trust, and she is the National Nursing Faculty Advisor for the Josiah Macy Jr Foundation/Institute for Healthcare Improvement Open School initiative: Retooling for Quality and Safety. A 2005 Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Executive Nurse Fellow, she is currently chair-elect for the Board of the National Nursing Centers Consortium.
* Garrett Chan, PhD, RN, CNS, NP, FAEN, is a CNS in palliative care in the emergency department at Stanford Hospital & Clinics. He is also an assistant clinical professor at the University of California, San Francisco, in the Critical Care/Trauma Clinical Nurse Specialist program. He is a fellow in the Academy of Emergency Nursing in recognition of his leadership in the Emergency Nurses Association and contributions to emergency department patient care. He is a contributor to Foundations of Clinical Nurse Specialist Practice, which was authored and edited by Janet S. Fulton and Brenda L. Lyon, both past presidents of the NACNS.
* Janet S. Fulton, PhD, RN, ACNS-BC, is an associate professor at Indiana University and is the program coordinator for the adult CNS major. She is a past president of the NACNS. She served on the executive committee for the American Nurses Association Council of Clinical Nurse Specialists and was a coordinator of the CNS interest group for the Oncology Nursing Society. She is the editor of CNS: The Journal for Advanced Nursing Practice. She has published 2 seminal works on CNSs' practice: Foundations of Clinical Nurse Specialist Practice (Fulton, Lyon, and Goudreau, 2009), and the Clinical Nurse Specialist Toolkit: A Guide for the New CNS (Duffy, Dresser, and Fulton, 2009).
* Cynthia Russell, PhD, RN, ACNS-BC, is an associate professor at the Sinclair School of Nursing in the University of Missouri in Columbia. Her program of research focuses on medication adherence in adult and older transplant recipients and dialysis patients. She has been continuously funded since 2002 with a wide variety of sources and recently completed a John A. Hartford-Atlantic postdoctorate fellowship. She has been the director of research of the International Transplant Nurses Society since 2005 and is on the editorial board for Progress in Transplantation.
* Carol Sedlak, PhD, RN, CNS, is an associate professor in the College of Nursing at Kent State University. Her research focus is on orthopedics, osteoporosis prevention and treatment, and women's health. She is currently funded by the National Institute of Nursing Research to study health beliefs and osteoporosis prevention and by the National Institutes of Aging to study osteoporosis prevention in men. She is on the Advisory Board for the Online Journal of Issues in Nursing, the Editorial Board for Orthopaedic Nursing, and the Editorial Board for the National Osteoporosis Foundation's Clinical Updates.
* Maria R. Shirey, PhD, MBA, RN, NEA-BC, FACHE, is an associate professor at the College of Nursing and Health Professions at the University of Southern Indiana. She is a fellow in the American College of Healthcare Executives. In 2010-2011, Shirey will serve a second consecutive term as chair of the Board of Directors of the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses Certification Corporation. She has been appointed deputy editor of the journal Nursing Forum and named to the editorial board of Nursing Administration Quarterly. An active member of AACN since 1977, she is a recipient of the following Circle of Excellence Awards: Leadership (2002), Multidisciplinary Team for the Code Blue Team at Deaconess Hospital (2003), and the Value of Certification (2005).
* Margarete Zalon, PhD, RN, ACNS-BC, is a professor in the Department of Nursing at the University of Scranton. She is past president of the Pennsylvania State Nurses Association and currently sits on the Board of Directors. She is the president of the American Nurses Foundation. Dr Zalon's area of research is related to acute pain and the recovery of older adults after major surgery. She credits the American Nurses Foundation with starting her research career with a grant funded by the Wallerstein Foundation for Geriatric Life Improvement in 1991.
NACNS Conference Updates
The 2011 National Association of Clinical Specialist annual conference will be held in Baltimore, Maryland, on March 10 to 12 at the Marriott Waterfront Hotel. We have had an excellent response to our call for abstracts. The student call for abstracts deadline is in early December. Please encourage your students to submit abstracts and attend the conference. This is a wonderful opportunity for students to meet leaders and scholars in the CNS world.
We have 2 excellent preconferences scheduled for Wednesday, March 9: The JBI will present a 4-hour morning preconference on their Best Practices Resources. The JBI is an NACNS member resource. The second preconference, "Writing for Publication," will be held Wednesday afternoon. This was designed by the NACNS Research Committee and includes presentations by Jan Fulton, editor of the Clinical Nurse Specialist journal. The NACNS is also sponsoring a 4-hour pharmacology postconference to be held Saturday, March 12, in the afternoon. This postconference will include speakers from The Johns Hopkins and the University of Maryland.
NACNS News
The Eighth Annual NACNS Summit was held in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on July 15, 2010. The summit serves as an important mechanism for dialogue with representatives from specialty nursing organizations that serve CNSs.
Agenda topics included updates on several projects:
1. the work of our National CNS Educational Standards Task Force,
2. the CNS core competencies examination, and
3. CNS-Practitioners Contributing to Primary Care, a Briefing Paper.
Brief presentations were also made by Diane Thompkins of the American Nurses Credentialing Center with an update on CNS certification; Joan Stanley of the AACN discussed the current status of the LACE process; and Lisa Summers of the American Nurses Association presented an update on Health Care Reform.
The summit was chaired by Patty Zuzelo, NACNS president. The summit was attended by the following organizations/representatives:
Academy of Medical-Surgical Nurses
Marlene Roman
Elizabeth Thomas
Addictions Nursing Certification Board
Connie C. Mele, Chair of ANCB
American Association of Colleges of Nursing
Joan Stanley, Senior Director of Education Policy
American Association of Critical-Care Nurses
Kathryn E. Roberts, Director, AACN Board
American Nurses Association
Lisa Summers, Senior Policy Fellow, Nursing Practice & Policy
American Nurses Credentialing Center
Diane Thompkins, Assistant Director of Certification
Pat Coyle-Rogers, Chair, Commission on Certification
American Psychiatric Nurses Association
Diane M. Wieland, APNA-Secretary
Gail Stern, APNA-Board Member-at-Large
American Society for Pain Management Nursing
Nancy Eksterowicz, APN
Theresa A. Grimes
American Society of PeriAnesthesia Nurses
Chris Price, Vice President, President-elect
Susan Goodwin, Coordinator-Advanced Degree Specialty Practice Group, NACNS Liaison
Association of Community Health Nursing Educators
Joan Kub, Assistant Professor
Association of PeriOperative Registered Nurses
Marisa Tapia, Perioperative Education Specialist
Association of Women's Health, Obstetric, and Neonatal Nurses
Karen Peddicord, Chief Executive Officer
Board of Certification for Emergency Nursing
Darleen Williams, BCEN Chairperson
Tancy Stanberry, BCEN Executive Director
Competency & Credentialing Institute
Juliana Mower, Education and Credentialing Project Manager
Emergency Nurses Association
Ann Marie Papa, ED, CNS
National Association of Clinical Nurse Specialists
Anne Muller, Director
Carol Manchester, Treasurer
Melanie Duffy, Immediate Past President
Patti Zuzelo, President
Rachel Moody, Vice President
Sharon Horner, Secretary
Stephen Patten, President-elect
National Gerontological Nursing Association
Tamara Burket, Gerontological CNS
National League for Nursing Accrediting Commission
Sharon J. Tanner, Chief Executive Officer
Oncology Nursing Certification Corporation
Carol Brueggen, Oncology CNS
Society of Urologic Nurses and Associates
Saundra Seidel, Past-President, Legislative Chair
Wound, Ostomy, and Continence Nursing Certification Board
Donna Thompson
Call for News Item
If you have information you want to share about yourself, your NACNS peers, or your affiliate/affiliate peers, please send the news item to [email protected]. News items for the 2011 March/April issue are due by December 17, 2010.