Without a doubt, the lifeblood of the National Association of Clinical Nurse Specialists (NACNS) is its members. The work of the NACNS is supported by both volunteers and paid professionals including the management staff, consultants, and the executive director. But the range and variety of work required for the members cannot all be provided by the paid staff-much of this work is based on the clinically relevant expertise provided by our volunteers. The member volunteers on the committees, taskforces, and board have an enormous impact on the health of this organization, and by extension their work and outputs help to support the membership as a whole. I was playing with the Economic Impact of Volunteers calculator to assess the economic value volunteers contribute to the organization.1 This calculator uses the Independent Sector rate of $23.56/volunteer hour. Based on my estimate of time provided by the members who serve on committees, taskforces, and the board, we are providing approximately $89 660 of service to the organization. I doubt that anyone who volunteers actually gets paid at this rate, so if we were to calculate this service at a medium pay rate, the economic value is closer to $269 000.
Here at the beginning of 2017, I want to take this opportunity to thank the volunteers for their contributions to the organization and by extension to the membership. The Affiliate Committee, led by Sue Davidson (Oregon; and double past president of NACNS), with Elissa Brown (California), Susan Eardley (Washington), Jane Lacovara (Arizona), Stephanie Moore (Oklahoma), Amy Myers (Arkansas), and Linda Hoke (Pennsylvania; Board Liaison), conducted a survey of the state and regional organizations that affiliate with NACNS. The Education Committee, led by Lola Coke (Illinois) and cochair Julie Darmody (Wisconsin), along with Melissa Craft (Oklahoma), Jennifer Embree (Indiana), Lynn Mohr (Illinois), Elizabeth Pincus (New York), Monica Sousa (Connecticut), and JoEllen Rust (Indiana; Board Liaison), have been evaluating data on CNS programs and identifying curricular and programmatic needs. The Legislative/Regulatory Committee, led by Melanie Duffy (Pennsylvania; and past president of NACNS and co-editor of the 2016 CNS Toolkit published by Springer) and cochair Jennifer Colwill (Ohio), along with Chris Donaghey (Indiana), Susan Dresser (Oklahoma), Beth Hundt (Virginia), Carolyn Horne (North Carolina), Jennifer Meecha (North Carolina), Brenda Moffit (Kansas), Amanda Shrout (Pennsylvania), Helen Taggart (Georgia), and Linda Thurby-Hay (Virginia; Board Liaison), have developed the Public Policy Agenda for NACNS and are updating the Leg/Reg Toolkit. The Membership Committee, led by Tom Blanchard (Massachusetts) and cochair Teresa Morrison (Florida), along with Erica Fischer-Cartlidge (New Jersey), Denise Lyons (Pennsylvania), Debra Mann (Georgia), and Tracy Chamblee (Texas; Board Liaison), are reviewing membership survey data and preparing the new members orientation program at the annual conference. The Practice Committee, led by Anita White (Ohio) and cochair Deborah Messecar (Oregon), along with Sarah Barry (Oregon), Martha Biddle (Kentucky), Tamera Brown (Indiana), Heather Cuevas (Texas), Stacy Jepsen (Minnesota), Patricia Rosier (Massachusetts), Jerithea Tidwell (Texas), and Yvonne Dobbenga-Rhodes (California; Board Liaison), are working on a cost of outcomes toolkit that they will present at the annual conference. The Research Committee, led by Cynthia Bautista (Connecticut) and cochair Kathleen Zavotsky (New Jersey), along with Ana-Marie Gallo (California), Jennifer Manning (LA), Mary Fran Tracy (Minnesota), and Susan Fowler (New Jersey; Board Liaison), have been developing research recommendations for the organization and are working to update the Web page resources. The Summit & Educators' Forum 2016 Planning Committee included Sharon Horner (Texas; president of NACNS), Tracy Chamblee (Texas; director of NACNS), Lola Coke (Illinois; chair of Education Committee), and Janet Fulton (Indiana; editor of CNS Journal). The Summit & Forum attendance increased by more than 50% over last year and had lively discussions and solicited input from attendees on a number of educational topics that is informing work of the Education Committee. Last but not least is the 2017 Conference Planning Committee that is led by Barbara Hill (Georgia), along with Diane Barkas (California), Jean Christopher (Ohio), Jane Lacovara (Arizona; also on the Affiliate Committee), Denise Lyons (Pennsylvania); Maureen McLaughlin (Massachusetts), Kristin Negley (Minnesota), Elizabeth Pincus (New York; also on the Education Committee), and Elizabeth Scruth (California). The results of their work will be seen at the annual conference-and I hope to see all of you there.
The NACNS establishes taskforces to address specific issues of concern to CNSs. The taskforces are designed to work quickly and produce reports or resources for the organization and the membership. The Chronic Care Taskforce was established in 2014 with Julia Senn-Reeves (Kentucky) and Mary Hansen (Oregon) serving as chair and cochair of this group, along with Lori Dambaugh (New York), Cynthia Kollauf (Wisconsin), Cheryl Lillegraven (Iowa), Renee Martin (Washington), Renada Rochon (Texas), Ludmila Santiago-Rotchford (Delaware), Judy Dusek (Kansas), Mitzi Saunders (Michigan), and Jane Swartz (Indiana). The Chronic Care Taskforce reviewed the extensive literature, presented their preliminary recommendations, and are currently writing a white paper on the needs of persons with chronic conditions. The Malnutrition Taskforce was established in 2014 with a grant from Abbott Nutrition to focus on the nutritional needs of the hospitalized adult. The Malnutrition Taskforce, led by Susan Smith (Texas), along with Tracy Chamblee (Texas; and now a Director on the NACNS Board), Karie Falder-Saeed (Texas), Kelly Haight (Ohio), Melanie Schuster (Pennsylvania), Mary Waldo (Oregon), and Hea Lan Yoon (California), conducted an extensive literature review, surveyed CNSs on their malnutrition knowledge and practices, and will present results at the annual conference and in a white paper. The DNP Taskforce was established in 2013 and led by Carol Manchester (Minnesota; and past president of NACNS), along with Melissa Craft (Oklahoma), Ruth Lindquist (Minnesota), Rachel Moody (Indiana; and past president of NACNS), Cynthia Padula (RI), Linda Scott (Illinois), and Patti Zuzelo (Pennsylvania; and past president of NACNS), to review the extant literature and guidelines and to develop a position statement on DNP education for the CNS. The Statement on Practice & Education Taskforce was established in 2015 and led by Carol Manchester (Minnesota; and past president of NACNS), along with Sherri Atherton (Oregon), Kathy Baker (Texas), Niloufar Hadidi (Minnesota), Mary Beth Modic (Ohio), Mary Fran Tracy (Minnesota), and Jane Walker (Indiana), to revise and update the 2004 Statement. This group held a forum at the 2016 conference to obtain feedback to their preliminary questions based on literature reviews, and they have now divided the work into 3 main tasks to facilitate progress on each part of the new statement. The Research Priorities Taskforce was established in January 2016 and is led by Jan Foster (Texas), along with Cynthia Bautista (Connecticut; and chair of the Research Committee), Kathleen Ellstrom (California), Peggy Kalowes (California), Jennifer Manning (LA; also on the Research Committee), Tracy Ann Pasek (Pennsylvania), and Costellia Talley (Michigan). This group held a forum at the 2016 conference to gather feedback on their preliminary review of the literature to clarify the priorities, and they have distributed a survey to the members for their feedback on the proposed research priorities. The Family & Lifespan Competencies Crosswalk Taskforce was convened in summer 2016 to do the systematic cross-check of these competencies against the available guidelines, competencies, and formal examinations as a final quality check of this work. The Family & Lifespan Competencies Crosswalk Taskforce is composed of 3 volunteers from NACNS committees including Lola Coke (Illinois, chair of Education Committee), Ann-Marie Gallo (California, member of Research Committee), and Jerithea Tidwell (Texas, member of Practice Committee), along with outside representatives of accreditation organizations. The Opioid & Pain Management Taskforce was established in summer 2016 in response to the national crisis in opioid addiction and deaths to identify resources for CNSs for pain management and reduction or prevention of substance misuse disorders. The Opioid & Pain Management Taskforce includes Beth Ashmore (North Dakota), Jeannie Burnie (Ohio), Cindy Klaess (North Carolina), Marti Michel (Indiana), Pat Rosier (Massachusetts; also a member of the Practice Committee), Michael Urton (North Carolina), and Phyllis Whitehead (Virginia).
As you can see, we have many fabulous and hardworking volunteers whose contributions are sustaining the organization and advancing the cause of CNSs! Their work illustrates the important contributions CNSs make to improve the health of the people and the organizations they serve. When the 2017 call for volunteers comes out in May, please consider how you can contribute to these important efforts. Please join me in thanking all the volunteers who are providing their time, expertise, and talents to NACNS and to the membership.
1. Calculating the Economic Impact of Volunteers. The Points of Light Organization. 2016. http://www.pointsoflight.org/tools/volunteercalculator. Accessed November 7, 2016.
NACNS 2017 WEBINAR SERIES*
The launch of the NACNS 2016-2017 webinar series started off with an excellent topic on Capnography followed by a second topic in April on meeting the needs of the Diabetic Child and Family. The theme for 2016-2017 is pharmacology and technology.
Upcoming Webinars:
January 12, 2017 Malnutrition and Pharmacology: Implications for CNS Practice
February 7, 2017 CNS Best Practices to Impact Outcomes in Patients With Chronic Conditions Resulting in Reducing Healthcare Costs
March 23, 2017 Medication-Taking Across the Care Continuum: Implications for CNS Practice
Webinars will now be held monthly and will provide CE at a reduced price of $25.00 for members. Nonmember price $60 and students $30. Group pricing is available, please e-mail mailto:[email protected] for specific group size information. Webinar Pricing has been restructured for 2016-2017. To register, visit the NACNS Web site.
*Your purchase of the webinar includes access to the national-level, CNS-specific continuing education and 1 person's CE. If multiple individuals are listening to the webinar, the CE will be available for only 1 attendee. If you wish to register a group on 1 call-in line, please contactmailto:[email protected]. A group discount will be given for each additional CE on a single line.
All webinars have been archived for later viewing. E-mail mailto:[email protected] to order an archived webinar. Listen at your leisure and apply for CE certificate.
NACNS ANNUAL MEETING-REGISTER TODAY!
NACNS is heading south in March 2017 for the NACNS Annual Meeting, which will be held in Atlanta, Georgia, on March 9-11, 2017, at the Loew Atlanta Hotel. This event will be an amazing combination of cutting-edge speakers, professional networking, and fun! The theme is Tomorrow Belongs to Us: The Clinical Nurse Specialist Conquering Change in the Healthcare Environment. Registration to open! More information available online at http://www.nacns.org/html/conf-2017.php
2016 CNS OF THE YEAR
NACNS presented its Clinical Nurse Specialist of the Year Award to Mary E. Lough, PhD, RN, CNS, CCNS, CNS in critical care at Stanford Health Care in Stanford, California, at the 2016 Annual Conference.
"It is our great honor to present the CNS of the Year Award to Dr Lough," said NACNS 2016-2017 President Sharon Horner, PhD, RN, MC-CNS, FAAN. "Her commitment to improving patient care, ensuring family involvement in care, and educating and mentoring nurses are without parallel. She is deeply involved in a range of activities that not only are advancing and improving patient care, but also ensuring that other healthcare providers understand, participate, and benefit from those advancements."
Lough is a member of the interdisciplinary intensive care unit (ICU) continuous quality improvement committee at Stanford Health Care and participates in multidisciplinary rounds in the ICU. She is also a team leader on a project with the national Comprehensive Unit Safety Program to improve care of mechanically ventilated patients. One of her key initiatives is aimed at improving communication between patients' families and the ICU healthcare team. She is a staff member on the ICU Patient Family Advisory Council and has worked with staff nurses to develop a brochure for families that explains the purpose of a family meeting.
Lough is a long-time coeditor of a series of critical care nursing textbooks that are widely used nationally and internationally. Her latest book, Hemodynamic Monitoring: Evolving Technologies and Clinical Practice, received second place in the 2015 AJN Book of the Year Awards, in the category of critical care and emergency nursing. Lough is also a clinical professor in the Department of Physiological Nursing at the University of California, San Francisco's School of Nursing and regularly mentors CNS master's degree students for a 6-month residency in critical care.
2016 PRECEPTOR OF THE YEAR
NACNS presented the Clinical Nurse Specialist Preceptor of the Year Award to Brandee Ann Wornhoff, MSN, RN, CNS-BC, a CNS at Hendricks Regional Health in Danville, Indiana.
"Preceptors are crucial in helping CNS students develop into the leaders they will be in healthcare," said NACNS 2016 President Sharon Horner, PhD, RN, MC-CNS. "Brandee not only supports her students in clinical settings, but also helps them with leadership and professional development, encouraging them to join professional organizations and to speak at special events. We are pleased to honor her with the CNS Preceptor of the Year Award."
Wornhoff has been a preceptor through Indiana University School of Nursing since 2008 and is also an adjunct faculty member at the school. Her colleagues and students nominated her for the award. One nominator wrote, "While her passion lies within critical care, her willingness to support CNS students from all areas is equally important. 'It's about the work,' is one of her inspiring lines that she shares to future CNSs around the state. Her ability to listen to students question and freely express their ideas is one of her greatest strengths as a coach and mentor."
A student wrote that Wornhoff's "ability to teach, influence, and to create a positive learning environment runs deep. Through her instruction, she demonstrates knowledge, strong patient and family advocacy, and exceptional critical-thinking skills."
2016 RESEARCHER OF THE YEAR
NACNS presented the Clinical Nurse Specialist Researcher of the Year Award to Maureen Greene, PhD, RN, ACNS-BC, ACNP-BC, clinical associate professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and clinical nurse specialist-intensivist and nurse research coordinator at Wheaton Franciscan-St Joseph Hospital in Milwaukee.
"Maureen's skill at understanding and translating research evidence to improve healthcare delivery is exemplary," said NACNS 2016 President Sharon Horner, PhD, RN, MC-CNS, FAAN. "She is committed to helping staff nurses and others appreciate the importance of evidence-based practice and implement it to ensure the highest-quality healthcare. In addition to being an expert at conducting nursing research, Maureen is a role model for graduate and doctoral students, a coach to nursing staff in pursuing scientific inquiry, and an inspiration to all who witness her ability to advance nursing practice through her research presentations and publications."
As a nurse research coordinator, Greene provides guidance on nursing research through Wheaton Franciscan-St Joseph hospital's institutional review board. She chairs the hospital's Nursing Research Council, providing mentoring and instruction on research to student nurses, staff nurses, and other health professionals.
Among her contributions to nursing research are assisting in conducting a multisite study on delirium screening and intervention; coordinating a demonstration project with the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) on continuity of care for senior patients that influenced CMS's care standards and reimbursement rates; serving as the principal investigator on numerous studies, including beta-testing computer programs and equipment to drive construction and layout of hospital rooms to improve compliance with hand hygiene; and leading a multiyear project to increase nurses' skill, comfort, and sophistication with evidence and research methodology.
AFFILIATE NEWS
Central Indiana Organization of Clinical Nurse Specialists
The Central Indiana Organization of the Clinical Nurse Specialists (CIOCNS) recently elected new board members for 2017. We anticipate continued growth and accomplishment while supporting the mission of CIOCNS for the practice of nursing in Indiana. Congratulations to the newly elected board:
President: Kerista Hansell
President-elect: Ann Allison
Immediate past president: Jennifer Woodard
Treasurer: Debbie Ferguson
Secretary: Brittany Waggoner
Board members: Diane Doty and Brandee Wornhoff
Veteran's Affairs Virtual Affiliate
Kathleen Dunn, spinal cord injury/disorder CNS at the VA San Diego Health System for 28 years, is retiring on January 31, 2017.
Paula Muehlbauer, oncology CNS at the VA San Diego Health System, has published a chapter in a new cancer nursing textbook: Muehlbauer PM, Callahan A, Zlott D, Dahl BJ. Biotherapy. In: Cancer Nursing Principles and Practice. 8th ed. Yarbro CH, Wujcik D, Holmes Gobel B, eds. Burlington, MA: Jones & Bartlett; 2016:611-651.
Reggie Horwitz, critical care CNS at the Durham (North Carolina) VAMC, had been board certified as Adult Gerontology CNS (AGCNS-BC) and granted official Clinical Nurse Specialist recognition from the North Carolina Board of Nursing.
Ann H. Busch, liver transplant CNS at the Portland (Oregon) VAMC, presented her research, "Glucocorticoid Use and Bone Mineral Density Changes in Orthotopic Liver Transplant Recipients," at the International Transplant Nurses Society 2016 Symposium, October 15, 2016, in Pittsburgh. Pennsylvania.
*This activity has been approved for contact hours by the Alabama State Nurses Association. The Alabama State Nurses Association is accredited as an approver of continuing education by the American Nurses Credentialing Center's Commission on Accreditation. Each webinar is worth 1 CE credit. [Context Link]