Authors
- Rodriquez, Les MSN, MPH, RN, ACNS-BC, APRN
Article Content
"Tomorrow Belongs to us" was my President's Address at the 2013 National Conference. The underlying premise of this presentation was that the future is owned by the clinical nurse specialist (CNS). We are the change agents of healthcare and the leaders of evidence-based practice and the advancement of nursing practice. During that address, I spoke about CNSs being at the forefront of nursing and the leaders of tomorrow. Clinical nurse specialists have been proving their value to society since the 1960s when Hildegard Peplau envisioned the role. One way for the CNS to further validate ourselves in this time of care is with the Affordable Healthcare Act (ACA). It is projected that by the close of 2015 a quarter of the population of the United States will be receiving Medicaid benefits.1 Twelve of the 15 highest-income states have chosen to participate in Medicaid expansion, whereas only 6 of the 15 lowest-income states have chosen to expand Medicaid. Depending on your geographic location, this may be a prime opportunity for the CNS to demonstrate cost avoidance as cost control becomes tighter.
The CNS of the future is one that will be adaptable to an ever-changing healthcare environment. As technology advances and nursing staff will deliver more complex care, the CNS will be required to adapt to this rapidly changing environment. Although there is concern that the CNS does not have a future, this is far from true. The other advance practice roles of the nurse anesthetist, nurse midwife, and nurse practitioner are not as future focused and specialty focused and has the ability to affect care at the population level in the same manner that the CNS does.
It is our duty to effectively communicate our role and the value of our role to the stakeholders in our organizations. Besides the chief nursing officer, it is very important to get to know the chief financial officer. This individual who represents the dollars and cents of the organization can become one of the greatest advocates for the CNS, especially once he/she understands the cost avoidance or cost savings that a CNS can bring to an organization. In order to do this, you must be able to connect with these stakeholders and make evident the value that you bring to the organization not only in dollars and cents (or sense), but also in quality improvement. I provided several examples during my address of CNSs around the country who are doing great innovative work. And inventive effort is what CNSs are doing all the time. I used the example of Kathleen Vollman and her development of the Vollman Pronator for advancing care in the patient with adult respiratory distress syndrome; Brenda Thompson and her 10-year journey in the development of a congestive heart failure clinic that now sees over 1500 patients a year; the development of a protocol that prevents admission of these patients during acute events and allows these patients to be involved in their care and have acute care provided for them in the outpatient setting, thereby saving dollars for admission; and then there was Dr Linda Humphries in Fort Worth, Texas, who developed a citywide protocol for the standardized care of patients with sickle cell disease where length of stay was decreased from an average of 30 days to 5 days during an episode of crisis. These were just a few examples of projects that CNSs are performing and knowing that there are many more that I haven't even heard about.
Science Fiction screen writer Patrick Barry once wrote, "the oppression of evolution is revolution."2 The CNS is at a point of evolution, and at times it feels as though our evolution is being oppressed by various barriers such as other organizations, physician colleagues, and governmental agencies. But in order to evolve, we must become involved in overcoming those barriers. We must lead change in our organizations, become involved in the legislative process, and proudly publish the outcomes that we are achieving. It is only through each one of us as individuals that we as an organization can grow and become what we are destined for. The CNS is the leader of yesterday, today, and tomorrow, for tomorrow belongs to us, and only if we plan to take the step forward into tomorrow will tomorrow belong to us.
References
1. Saving T. Reforming Medicaid in light of ACA expansion. Trib Talk. http://tribtalk.org/2014/06/17/Reforming-Medicaid-in-light-of-the-ACA-Expansion. Accessed June 17, 2014. [Context Link]
2. Barry P (writer), Rhodes MR (director). Angel One Star Trek The Next Generation [Episode 14]. 1988. [Context Link]
ANA ANNOUNCES NEW ELECTION RESULTS: CLINICAL NURSE SPECIALIST TO VICE PRESIDENT POSITION
Vice President of the American Nurses Association (ANA) Board of Directors, Cindy R. Balkstra, MS, RN, ACNS-BC, believes in strength of position and commitment to passion. Her more than 25 years of nursing and leadership experience is a testament to these core values (http://www.ana.org).
NACNS's NEW MANAGING DIRECTOR
NACNS's new managing director, Jonathan Uitto, is taking the torch passed on from Jason Harbonic, who served as managing director for NACNS since 2012. Jonathan joins the NACNS and Fernley & Fernley leadership in extending his appreciation to Jason his hard work and dedication to NACNS. The transition took place earlier this month. Jonathan is not new to NACNS, he previously worked with a number of NACNS committees. He is working with volunteer leaders and members to become reacquainted with NACNS activities. Jonathan will continue working closely with NACNS's executive director, Melinda Mercer Ray, MSN, RN.
Jonathan previously served as associate director for NACNS (2010-2012), which provides a strong foundational background on which to build. He has since worked with several professional societies, including healthcare groups, at a management level. In his own words: "The opportunity to serve and lead different types of organizations has provided me valuable experience that I look forward to sharing with NACNS. I am excited to return to the association in this new capacity and look forward to help advance NACNS's mission: To enhance and promote the unique, high value contribution of the clinical nurse specialist to the health and well-being of individuals, families, groups, and communities and to promote and advance the practice of nursing."
Jonathan is a graduate of Drexel University in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, where he earned his bachelor of science degree with a major in business administration in finance. He has been at Fernley & Fernley since 2008, where he has served in a variety of association management roles. He is also active in the association management professional community and is a member of both the American Society of Association Executives and the Mid Atlantic Society of Association Executives (MASAE), where he serves on the Membership Committee. Jonathan will be speaking at the MASAE annual conference this December, copresenting a workshop entitled "Engagement Tactics and Evaluation: Measuring the Efficacy of Varied Approaches."
NACNS's current associate director, Courtney Cook, will continue in her current capacity. In addition, to Jonathan and Courtney, the association is also supported by a number of Fernley & Fernley professionals serving in a variety of capacities, from Accounting to Meeting Planning.
STAND AND BE COUNTED: CLINICAL NURSE SPECIALIST CENSUS
With the retirement of the Health Resources and Services Administrations national nurse survey, the responsibility for data collection has been shifted to the states and other entities. NACNS has continued to assess the practice and interests of our membership through our NACNS member survey. We recently completed another round of this survey in fall 2013. Being concerned about the lack of national-level information about the CNS role, NACNS has launched a CNS Census. This SurveyMonkey-style tool is designed to capture demographic, practice, and education data on those that complete the survey. Different from the NACNS member survey, we will be partnering with other organizations and will ask our members to forward the link for the CNS Census to any and all CNSs whom you know. We want to hear from as many individuals that identify themselves as CNSs and/or were educated as CNSs. We are less interested in their current, specific job title. We want to see how those with CNS education and experience are contributing to the healthcare system. Results of the CNS Census will be published in the Clinical Nurse Specialist: The International Journal for Advanced Nursing Practice. The survey will be open until December 31, 2014. In order to take the survey, go to http://www.nacns.org and look for the button on the homepage.
CENTRAL INDIANA ORGANIZATION-CLINICAL NURSE SPECIALISTS, INC: RECOGNITIONS TO CELEBRATE
The Central Indiana Organization of the Clinical Nurse Specialists (CIO-CNS) recently elected new Board Members for 2014-2015. Congratulations to the new board:
The mission of CIO-CNS is aligned with National Association of Clinical Nurse Specialists (NACNS). CIO-CNS exists to enhance and promote the unique, high value contribution of the CNS to the health and well-being of individuals, families, groups, and communities and to promote and advance the practice of nursing in Central Indiana.
Other area CNSs recognized for their contribution to nursing practice include the following:
Michelle Deckard, MSN, RN, ACNS-BC, CCRN-CMC, and Jean Balaguras, MSN, MBA, ACNS-BC, CCRN-CSC, were awarded 2014 Individual Circle of Excellence Awards from the AACN.
Jennifer Embree, DNP, RN, NE-BC, CCNS, has been accepted as participant in the Sigma Theta Tau International Nurse Faculty Leadership Academy.
Janet S. Fulton, PhD, RN, ACNS-BC, FAAN, was named one of the top 100 graduates for leadership in healthcare transformation by her alma mater, The Ohio State University, College of Nursing.
Kathleen M. Hanna, PhD, RN, CNS, was presented the prestigious Clinical Nurse Specialist Researcher of the Year Award from the NACNS.
Cheryl Crisp, PhD, RN, PCNS-BC, CRRN, received the IUPC Excellence in Diversity Award for her work with children and adults with disabilities and their families.
Jennifer Kitchens, MSN, RN, ACNS-BC, CVRN, was selected by the NACNS Board of Directors, to receive the annual CNS Preceptor of the Year Award.
Mary Sitterding, PhD, RN, CNS, CNRN, has been awarded the 2014 Excellence in Leadership Award granted by Sigma Theta Tau International, Alpha Chapter, Indiana.
Sue Story, MSN, RN, AOCNS, was awarded the 2014 Sigma Theta Tau International, Alpha Chapter Research Grant, for her dissertation research entitled, "Malglycernia in the Hospitalized Acute Myeloid Leukemia Patient."
CELEBRATE THE NACNS 20th ANNIVERSARY IN 2015
Yes, it has been 20 years! And the NACNS Board of Directors is planning on recognizing and celebrating our history and success throughout the 2015, but specifically at the NACNS 2015 Annual Conference. The theme for this meeting is: "The Clinical Nurse Specialists: The Essence of Transitional Health Care." This meeting is being held at the Loews Coronado Bay Resort in San Diego, California. This meeting hotel will allow for an excellent educational experience as well as relaxation and exploration of beautiful Southern California. The hotel offers 3 pools, a sand beach, and a spa. So plan now for a 20th-anniversary celebration that will allow you to take care of your mind and body! The Loews Coronado Bay Resort caters to relaxation and will allow all of us to learn, network, and relax. Coronado Island is a 10-minute cab ride from downtown San Diego. This will give everyone the best of both worlds-shopping and restaurants in San Diego and pampering and beautiful views on Coronado Island. Do consider extending your trip by a day to appreciate the beauty of this area.
2014 NACNS SERIES WEBINAR: Cutting-Edge Information for the Clinical Nurse Specialist--Register for Next Session!
Coming Up Next: September 24, 2014-CNS Competencies: Taking the Lead in Clinical Alarm Management. Hear from national CNS leaders in clinical alarm management. Speakers for this session will be from NACNS's Alarm Fatigue Taskforce. This session will be designed to help the CNS address this issue in their facility and discuss different methods and strategies to make change.
Registration Fees: Single Webinar: Member $45, nonmember $60, student $30. To register, go to http://www.nacns.org. For any questions, e-mail mailto:[email protected].
Upcoming Dates and Topics for Future Webinars: September 24, 2014 CNS Competencies: Taking the Lead in Clinical Alarm Management November 12, 2014 The Cutting Edge of Diabetes Management-Pharmacology CE offered December 10, 2014 CNS Competencies: Positioning Yourself to Close the Clinical Alarm Gap
Times for all sessions: 3:00 pm eastern/2:00 pm central/1:00 pm mountain/12:00 pm west coast
*1.0 Contact hours will be awarded for each session.
This continuing nursing education activity was approved by the PA State Nurses Association, an accredited approver by the American Nurses Credentialing Center's (ANCC's) Commission on Accreditation. Criteria for successful completion include attendance at minimum and completion of an evaluation form. The planning committee members and speakers have declared no conflicts of interest. Approval of the continuing education activity does not imply endorsement by the provider, ANCC, or PA State Nurses Association.