The Visiting Nurse Associations of America (VNAA) is committed to providing its members and the wider nonprofit home healthcare community with the most up-to-date and relevant educational and clinical resources available. As home healthcare continues to become more competitive and as legislative and regulatory measures continue to put pressure on nonprofit budgets, it is more important than ever that the VNAA provide opportunities for nonprofit home healthcare providers to advance their leadership in innovation and quality.
All VNA members receive free access to VNAA's educational teleconferences and resources, as well as significant discounts on 2 of the most widely used educational resources offered by VNAA: the Nursing Procedure Manual and the vast continuing education opportunities offered at the VNAA's Annual Meeting.
The 2008-2009 edition of the Nursing Procedure Manual, released September 2008, is a nationally recognized procedure manual targeted expressly to the needs of the home healthcare clinician. A panel of expert nurse clinicians and VNAA consultants reviews and updates the procedures every 2 years, ensuring that the highest clinical standards are met. The 2008-2009 Nursing Procedure Manual includes major clinical updates and procedural changes in the Cardiovascular, Genitourinary, Respiratory, and Skin Care sections; and presents new procedures on infusion therapy, infection control, disposal and handling of medications and infectious medical waste, and the safe use of the Gait Belt, among others.
An agency's return on its investment in a VNAA Nursing Procedure Manual is easily recouped in the staff time saved from developing individual policy and procedure manuals. Agency clinicians can focus on patient care, with the assurance that they are using the most up-to-date and recommended home care practices and techniques available. Because the Nursing Procedure Manual directly targets home healthcare clinicians, the procedures are immediately relevant to agency staff. Space is provided in the text of each procedure for an agency to apply or include state-specific requirements to complement the national requirements. The 2008-2009 edition also includes an electronic version of the Nursing Procedure Manual on CD, which allows agencies to upload procedures online for easy access to home care clinicians. A sample procedure is available online for advance review, and information on pricing and ordering copies can be found on the VNAA Website at http://www.vnaa.org.
In addition to resource guides and manuals, VNAA provides virtual and live educational opportunities throughout the year, the largest of which is the Annual Meeting held each spring. The VNAA 2009 Annual Meeting convening May 14-16 in San Antonio, TX, will continue the tradition of providing nonprofit home healthcare leaders an opportunity to connect with their peers, learn the latest industry advances and trends, preview new home healthcare products and services, and strategize for the year ahead.
This year's meeting also will feature expanded topics across educational breakout sessions including fundraising, business strategy and development, benchmarking and quality improvement, clinical operations and outcomes improvement, communications and marketing, technology in home care, legislative and regulatory initiatives, and leadership and personnel development.
Nonprofit home healthcare agencies, healthcare industry experts, and corporate partners are doing great work in their communities across the country. The VNAA Annual Meeting allows home care leaders to showcase the top innovations and share their best practices. With more than 24 breakout sessions offering continuing education certificates, it's the perfect opportunity for agency leaders and clinicians to catch up on the latest developments in their specialty or field of interest and retain current certification requirements.
Because the Annual Meeting focuses exclusively on the educational and resource needs of nonprofit home healthcare providers, attendees will find that everything from the keynote speakers to the breakout sessions to the vendors in the Exhibit Hall is directly relevant and applicable to their agency's operations and success.
The VNAA Annual Meeting is open to everyone, with members receiving a significant discount on registration fees. To learn more about the educational and networking opportunities at the 2009 Annual Meeting in San Antonio, TX, go to http://www.vnaa.org.
The VNAA will continue to provide tools, resources, and educational opportunities to ensure that VNAs and nonprofit home healthcare providers are recognized as leaders in quality compassionate care for all. To learn more about the VNAA, Annual Meeting registration, the Nursing Procedure Manual, and other upcoming educational opportunities and resources, please visit http://www.vnaa.org or call 202-384-1420.