Welcome to this issue of the American Heart Association's (AHA) Council on Cardiovascular Nursing (CCVN) Department. This section is intended to introduce new members to the Council, foster old friendships, and entice potential members to join. The following is a sample of the activities that engage the Council, its leadership, and members. It is my pleasure to open this section with a message from our new Council President, Dorothy Launza, PhD, RN, FAAN, FAHA.
CVN Council-Chair's Report
Welcome to the Council on Cardiovascular Nursing. As I begin my term as Chair of the Council, the Council Leadership members and I want to express our appreciation to our Council members for your continued support. Membership and active involvement in AHA's CCVN provides nurses with a wealth of resources (see Internet page and hot links), an opportunity to make a contribution towards improving the cardiovascular and stroke health of our nation, and a mechanism for increasing knowledge and enhancing professional growth. Our Council is one of 13 councils in AHA and our goal is to support AHA's mission to "reduce disability and death from CV disease and stroke." This goal is accomplished through knowledge generation and dissemination and our members contribute to this goal through active participation in writing/co-writing Scientific Statements and practice guidelines. We also actively promote consumer utilization of our services through such programs as "Get with the Guidelines." Also, a new pilot project "National Call-in Day" was implemented September 27th under the leadership of Dr Lynn Braun. This project provided a mechanism for women to call in with their heart-related questions and speak to nurses who handled the phone calls. There are so many ways CCVN nurses contribute to improving cardiovascular and stroke healthcare. If you are not a member of the Council, I invite you to get more information and consider joining. You can learn more about our Council and its activities through Council Connections, on the CCVN Web page (http://www.americanheart.org/presenter.jhtml?identifier=1148).
Warm regards,
Dorothy M. Lanuza, PhD, RN, FAAN, FAHA
Communications and Membership Committee Update
The 2006 calendar year will continue to highlight four outlets for communication; the CCVN Web page, which offers the latest news of the Council, the Council Connections newsletter, that highlights news and communications from the CCVN leadership, and this section of JCN, which targets information for both new and prospective members. Additionally, the Council has developed a relationship with the American Journal of Nursing to provide updates and activities in their journal. All of these outlets focus on activities, awards, and special events within the CCVN.
Volunteers are always welcome, and for those of you who are interested, we invite you to check in at http://www.americanheart.org.
American Heart Association/American Stroke Association Professional Membership
Remember, as a Premium professional member of AHA you are entitled to all the member benefits, some of which are access to career resources, a savings on national meeting attendance, online access to professional journals and textbooks, access to all clinical updates as well as all the AHA/ACC practice guidelines. Premium professional, Early Career, and Student/Trainee members are eligible for significant discounts on the print editions of all 5 of the AHA scientific journals, including Circulation! A new resource available to our members will be access to the fifth edition of Cardiovascular Nursing, an award-winning textbook by Woods et al, which will be posted online. If you are not already a professional member, it is easy to join at http://www.americanheart.org/presenter.jhtml?identifier=634 or call 1-800-787-8984 and do it today! And remember, when joining the AHA, be sure to sign up for the Council on Cardiovascular Nursing as your Council of choice.
Abstract Submission Deadline
It is time to submit your abstract for the 2006 Scientific Sessions abstract submission. This year the online submission opens March 15, 2006 and closes on May 27. Visit the abstract submission Web site for guidelines and access to information on how to write a good abstract (http://scientificsessions.americanheart.org/portal/scientificsessions/ss/submita).
It's Time to Apply for Awards
A special salute to Janet Long, MSN, ACNP, who was awarded the 2005 CCVN Award for Clinical Excellence. This award is granted to a nurse who has demonstrated outstanding patient care by contributing above and beyond basic job requirements in one or more of the following areas: cardiac rehabilitation, lipid, hypertension management, patient and family counseling, acute care and delivery, patient and family education, and outpatient care delivery. Additional information on eligibility and nomination requirements can be found at [email protected].
The deadline for nominations and applications for 2006 awards is June 2006, including the Stroke Manuscript of the Year Award and the Early Clinical Nursing Award, are approaching. The following are a list of the other awards:
Council on Cardiovascular Nursing
Prevention Subcommittee
One of the many great committees that make up the CCVN is the Prevention Committee that serves as AHA's panel of experts on prevention as it relates to cardiovascular disease and stroke. The committee's mission and responsibilities include:
* Update AHA on prevention activities and proposed initiatives
* Propose prevention-related sessions for AHA Scientific Sessions
* Develop scientific statements and/or conferences centered around preventing cardiovascular disease and stroke
* Develop skill sets and factors needed for nurses to facilitate prevention activities
For those interested in learning more about the Prevention committee and its activities, please contact Suzanne Hughes, Chairperson, at [email protected].
Upcoming Events
* Obesity, Lifestyle, and Cardiovascular Disease Symposium, January 18-20, 2006.
* International Stroke Conference-Gaylord Palms in Kissimmee, FL, February 16-18, 2006.
* 46th Annual Conference on Cardiovascular Disease Epidemiology and Prevention in association with the Council on Nutrition, Physical Activity, and Metabolism, March 2-4, 2006.
* 7th Scientific Forum on Quality of Care and Outcomes Research in Cardiovascular Disease and Stroke, May 7-9, 2006.
Important AHA and CCVN Web links can be found on our website: http://www.americanheart.org.