The purpose of this brief report is to provide a compendium of resources for communication and interaction with the Council on Cardiovascular and Stroke Nursing (CVSN), one of the 16 councils of the American Heart Association. The mission of the CVSN is to "relentlessly pursue optimal health outcomes for all through innovative nursing science and practice, lifelong learning, and a culture of diversity, equity, and inclusion in health care" (CVSN website). The CVSN is composed of 16 committees (CVSN Council Committees). The CVSN committees are listed here along with the name of the current chair:
* CVSN Membership and Communications Committee, Leonie Rose Bovino
* CVSN Awards Committee, Lola Coke
* CVSN Complex Cardiovascular Patient and Family Care Committee, Lucinda Graven
* CVSN Development Committee, Margaret McCarthy
* CVSN Early Career Committee, Ruth Masterson Creber
* CVSN International Committee, Theresa Green
* CVSN Leadership Committee, Terrie Black
* CVSN Nominating Committee, Cynthia Dougherty
* CVSN Pediatric Cardiovascular Nursing Committee, Nancy Rudd
* CVSN Mentoring Committee, Rebecca Gary
* CVSN Stroke Nursing Committee, Niloufar Hadidi
* CVSN Scientific & Clinical Education Lifelong Learning Committee, Laura Rossi
* CVSN Martha Hill New Investigator Committee, Kathryn Wood
* CVSN Articles of the Year Award Committee, Todd Ruppar
* CVSN Excellence in Clinical Practice Awards Committee, Wende Fedder
* CVSN State of the Science Nursing Symposium Planning Committee, Wendy Dusenbury
The CVSN Membership and Communications Committee is charged with facilitating both the growth of a diverse council membership and the communication of science via the council web page and Council Connections newsletter. In addition, the committees' liaisons to the Journal of Cardiovascular Nursing (JCN) submit 3 editorials per year to highlight the benefits of membership, participation in scientific sessions, and other topics of interest. The committee also invites chairs of the other CVSN committees to provide updates on activities through this column in JCN. Any member of the 16 CVSN committees can discuss an idea for this column with the CVSN Membership and Communications Committee Chair, and the JCN liaisons, Judith Hupcey and Jennifer Miller, will work with the member to develop content for the column.
There are many ways to connect with the CVSN including the CVSN website, Council Connections Newsletter, and the AHA Early Career Initiative, Early Career Voice. The CVSN website has information about CVSN and important AHA updates. In the message from the current CVSN chair, Terrie Black, DNP, MBA, CRRN, FAHA, FAAN, there are links to and descriptions of the following:
* Scientific sessions/CVSN Clinical Symposium
* International Stroke Conference (ISC)
* Fellow of the American Heart Association (FAHA)
* Early career development and mentoring
* AHA research funding opportunities
* Continuing Education Units (CEU) for educational programs
* Advocacy opportunities
* Travel grants
* Career-advancing awards
* Committee volunteer form
The CVSN Newsletter, Council Connections, is published 3 to 4 times each year. It presents highlights of council activities. These include CVSN updates, award winners, the early career corner, a list of current committee chairs, and other timely articles. The American Heart Association (AHA) also publishes a quarterly "Connections" with the latest AHA updates and news about each of the 16 scientific councils.
The CVSN Early Career Committee is an integral part of the AHA Early Career Initiative. Take a look at the Early Career Voice to "gain valuable insights on ways to leverage new science in patient care and research, secure research funding and travel awards, master the process of submitting science, and much more."
If you are an AHA member and interested in participating on any of the CVSN committees, please complete a science volunteer form and contact the committee or council chair. Please explore the many facets of CVSN via the website, CVSN Connections, or AHA Connections.