Wow!! 2 years have flown by and I am entering into my final year as President of PSNCB. It has been a busy 2 years. We have set some lofty goals, and I hope that in my final year we will be a few steps closer to beginning the application process for accreditation by the American Board of Nursing Specialties.
We all need goals and challenges; something to strive for, to stretch out a little further, grasp at, and not let go. Let's all stretch out just a little further. Let's all take a step out of our comfort zone. Have you become complacent in your practice and your professional growth? What type of practice are you working in? What courses do you attend at meetings? Do you attend only those that apply directly to your current practice setting? If so, why? Why not stretch out and learn something new? If you work day in and day out in a reconstructive pediatric setting, how about taking a course on breast reconstruction or non-invasive facelifts. Oh!! I know, the kids don't need breast reconstruction or facelifts just yet. But wouldn't it be interesting to keep up to date on different aspects of plastic surgery. I'm not sure, "but my boss sent me to this meeting, and I only work in aesthetics, therefore I can only go to sessions that pertain to what I do," is a valid excuse to not take courses in other areas of the field. After all, when you studied for the certification examination, you needed to know all aspects of Plastic Surgical Nursing. The scope of our nursing specialty involves caring for everyone from neonate to the elderly, reconstructive and cosmetic, while working in the OR, office clinic or hospital. Should we not continue to challenge ourselves once we've become certified? After all, certification in a nursing specialty demonstrates concern for accountability to the general public for nursing practice excellence and to enhance quality patient care.
Therefore, I challenge all of you, step out of the box and take a course in an unrelated practice area. "Try it, you'll like it!!" Just remember, 30 contact hours must be specific to plastic surgical nursing. Examples of accepted contact hours are as follows: Post-operative Education for the Breast Reconstructive Patient, Nursing Care in the Elderly Patient Population Undergoing Facelift Procedures, and Breast Cancer: What Next, Mastectomy and Reconstructive Options. General courses consist of Advanced Cardiac Life Support, Caring for the Elderly, and Weight Loss Management. These are all general topics that nurses in many different areas may use to demonstrate proficiency in the nursing arena.
I am proud of my accomplishments and achievements as a CPSN. I have attended courses in all aspects of the plastic surgery nursing arena and I enjoy learning about the areas that I do not work in on a routine basis. I challenge all of you, my fellow CPSNs to do the same. Step out of your current comfort zone. Step out of the box and back into the broad scope of practice that our nursing specialty stands for. Your breast augmentation patient may have a newborn baby with a cleft lip, an aging parent with a decubitus ulcer, a sister with a mastectomy, a neighbor with a burn, or a husband with a traumatic hand injury. Fortunately, she will have you with your ongoing clinical expertise and ability to provide skilled nursing care and support for all of these people. That's what being a CPSN means!!
Sue Kunz, BS, RN, CPSN
President, PSNCB