The core values of the Society of Trauma Nurses (STN) are
* Commitment to trauma care as a profession and as a specialty.
* Service to trauma patients, families, and society.
* Belief in a multidisciplinary trauma team.
* Promote visionary trauma leadership.
The following STN members are contributing to the STN's support of these core values: Juliet Geiger, MSN, RN, Executive Director, Pennsylvania Trauma Systems Foundation, was Chairperson of the Legislative Committee before being elected to the STN Board of Directors in 2009. She is the Director at Large responsible for the Legislation and Public Policy. She has "hit the ground running" and reports the following activities. The STN has been invited by the Coalition for American Trauma Care (CATC) to sit on their board. As stated on their Web site, "The Coalition for American Trauma Care seeks to improve trauma care through improved care delivery systems, prevention efforts, research, and by protecting reimbursement for appropriately delivered services. The Coalition seeks to achieve these goals through advocacy activity in both public policy arenas and in the private sector." To learn more about CATC, go to http://www.traumacoalition.org. This collaboration will provide STN members with the latest updates on legislative issues affecting trauma care and allow us to be part of the process in advising federal legislators regarding policy enhancements that serve the needs of trauma patients and trauma providers.
Juliet also reports that the STN recently signed on to a letter of support sponsored by the CATC. The letter urges provision of $12 million in FY 2010 for trauma systems. The letter also supports increases for the children's EMS program, traumatic brain injury programs, the National Center for Injury Prevention and Control at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, rural EMS, and the Preventive Health and Health Services Block Grant.
The Journal of Trauma Nursing will be publishing a "trauma systems issues" as its first issue in 2010. This issue will be a new collaborative effort between the STN and the National Association of State EMS Officials (NASEMSO). Guest editors for the issue will be Juliet Geiger, STN Board Member and associate member of NASEMSO; and Jolene Whitney, chairperson, NASEMSO Trauma Systems Managers. If you have ideas for an article for publication, please contact Juliet at [email protected] by July.
Janet Cortez, MSN, RN, Trauma Program Manager, University of Utah Hospital, is the Director at Large over Education. Janet reports that Cynthia Blank-Reid has accepted the role of chairperson of the Education Committee. Cynthia is currently a trauma nurse specialist at Temple University in Philadelphia. The Education Committee has recruited many new and enthusiastic members who are currently meeting via conference call and developing their tactical and strategic plans.
The STN Executive Board has appointed Madonna Walters, MSN, RN, as the Conference Committee Chair for the 2010 Conference. Madonna, Trauma Program Manager, St Joseph Mercy Medical Center, Ann Arbor, Michigan, was the cochairperson of the 2009 Conference and provided invaluable support and input to the Conference Committee. By the time you read this, the 2010 Conference Committee will be well into their planning for the conference being held on April 8 and 9, 2010, in Orlando.
Elizabeth Seislove, MSN, RN, National ATCN Chairperson, reports on the successful update of the ATCN course. As the ACS updated the ATLS course and manuals, ATCN followed suit and updated our course and manuals to ensure compliance with the new ATLS updates. A dedicated group of STN/ATCN directors and instructors took on this challenge, and the manuals were completed by January 2009. You will see several changes within the manual: The manual has a terrific new look to it, and the provider course as previously labeled is now called "the student course" and the instructor course is now called "the faculty course." A disaster addendum has been added to the manual as a reference and this has been based on the ATLS disaster addendum with the triage scenarios being adjusted to coincide with the disaster addendum in both the ATLS and ATCN manuals. The tests, pre and post, the skill stations, and the case scenario testing stations have been updated to meet the new content. The skill stations have new cue cards and performance requirements.
If you have not done so, all instructors and directors are required to take the manual update test that is located on the STN Web site. You can access the test by clicking in the STN Update box or to go to the ATCN section located under Education. Upon completion, a notice is automatically sent to the STN, so we have an accurate record of your status. For national instructors only-after completion of your update test, you are required to send your curriculum vitae (CV) to the STN office. All national instructors within the STN are required to have their CVs on file based upon the California CEU regulations.
Lastly, and most importantly, if anyone is interested in starting a new course or would like more information in regards to starting a new course, please visit our Web site: Go to the ATCN section where you will find folder for ATCN Start Up Information. Within that site, you will find an application that you will be required to complete and find other supporting documents to get you on your way in the process of starting an ATCN course at your facility. If you have any specific questions, please feel free to contact Elizabeth Seislove at [email protected] for national courses and Richard Henn for international course at [email protected]. We are excited about this updated course and hope that you will also share in our excitement.