Nurse Newsmakers
Total Page：16
File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb
The Official Publication of the Alaska Professional Nurses Organization Volume 2 • No. 1 Circulation 7,800 to every Registered Nurse, Licensed Practical Nurse and Student Nurse in Alaska March 2014 One of Our Own March of Dimes 2013 Nurse of the Year Lahdenpera Inducted into Alaska Awards Women’s Hall of Fame Page 3 by Lynn Hartz and Marianne Schlegelmilch (WSU) when she learned that Dr. Hudson, her 70-year-old advisor, had assigned she and the only On February 28, V. other female student in her class extra and more Kay Lahdenpera, MPH, difficult courses than he had given to the men. Taylor New CEO at RN was inducted into Apparently, as Kay relays it, he was of the mindset Alaska Regional the prestigious Alaska that, “girls shouldn’t be in medicine.” Hospital Women’s Hall of Fame Not, then, one to question authority, Kay Page 5 with the newest Class of dropped out of college as did the other female 2014. Lahdenpera, one of student—a woman who Kay describes as much the three founders of the smarter and more academically accomplished Alaska Professional Nurses than she was at the time. As far as Kay knows, Organization, accepted the other female pre-med student never returned the honor in person at a to a career in medicine and instead dropped out ceremony at the Loussac of WSU. Apparently she, like Kay, did not feel it Spotlight on the Area V.K. Lahdenpera, Library in Anchorage. appropriate to question the obvious attempts of 2014 Health Education The Alaska Women’s their advisor to derail their educational path, Center Hall of Fame was initiated and so she left medicine forever—a move Kay in 2009 spurred by a celebration of Alaska’s fifty recalls as being a sad loss to a promising future in Page 8 years of statehood. The collaborative project by a medicine for all. number of statewide women’s groups is to honor With one door closed, Kay transferred to the in perpetuity, “women whose contributions have University of Washington. She entered the 5-year influenced the direction of Alaska.” Lahdenpera Swedish Hospital, UW nursing program where joins such luminaries as Carol Comeau, she graduated in 1961. Kay left college after her forming the basis for the way she would choose to Chancellor Fran Ulmer, Sen. Lisa Murkowski, 4th year and hitchhiked, touring Europe for a year practice the art of nursing. The difference in work Elizabeth Peratrovich and last year, her own before returning to Washington after her travels to pace and approach between the west coast and the friend and public health nurse mentor, Arne Beltz. complete her 5th-year in the nursing program. east coast was one of her first glances at looking at The honorees are categorized by their area of It is fitting that Kay became an Alaskan nurse. both nursing and life with a broader perspective. achievement. Kay Lahdenpera was recognized Aside from spending the better part of her career At Bellevue, she worked per diem on the psych for her legacy in Public Health Nursing . In a practicing in Alaska, she is an Alaskan by birth. and medical floors. The time was the 1960’s—an telephone interview to the Florida condominium She also comes from a background of pioneering era before computers, care plans, directives, and a where she now resides, Lahdenpera stressed that Alaska medical professionals. Her grandfather time when nurses spent the majority of their time the team approach was central to her success was a practicing dentist in Juneau in 1907. It was with an abundance of patients working directly in her 45 year career in public health, ”Nursing there that he met Kay’s grandmother, a nurse at the bedside. There she covered two floors. She is like clothing styles, it comes in cycles, I was who arrived from Seattle where at the age of emphasizes that there was an atmosphere of real trained in working as part of a team and I do hope 17 she “ran a local hospital in Seattle. “ Thus, collaboration. the team approach returns to nursing.” for granddaughter Kay, some type of career in “The med students, interns—everyone helped medicine seemed almost genetically driven. each other. There was mutual respect. Even the The Early Years As a young nurse, Kay left Seattle, WA for the patients helped.” Juneau born, third generation Alaskan, Kay big city. Not just any big city, but the big city: New From Bellevue, she went on to another very Lahdenpera, started her nursing career in the York, New York. There she worked at Bellevue pivotal job in her career where she worked at St. 1950’s by studying to become a physician—a Hospital in the heart of the city, a career choice surgeon to be exact. She was two years into pre- whose realities came as a shock, but would end up One of Our Own continued on page 2 med studies at Washington State University Presort Standard US Postage PAID Permit #14 Princeton, MN The Bulletin Board ...................... 4 Membership Application.................. 9 current resident or 55371 Nurse Newsmakers ...................... 5 Congratulations 2013 Graduates .......... 10 Alaska Respond ........................ 6 The Graduate Page ..................... 11 Board of Nursing News Flash.............. 6 APN Scope of Practice Update ............ 12 Alaska Nurses Journey Forward Together: Health Facts About Alaska’s Youth......... 12 Notes from the Road ................... 7 Up and Coming Event & CE Calendar . .13 AK Nurses Foundation Announces Are You in the Know? ................ 14-15 Grantees ............................ 7 Page 2 • Alaska Nursing Today March 2014 One of Our Own continued from page 1 10’s state family planning clinics. The Colposcopy Project became a training ground for nurse Barnabas House, a temporary shelter run by the practitioners and medical residents in Anchorage Episcopal Diocese and which housed healthy, providing valuable clinical experience as well but abused or neglected wards of the state. The as enabling women with abnormal Pap smears ages of the children were 3-13. Kay calls it “little to be evaluated. The colposcopy clinic is still in internationalville.” existence in the Reproductive Health Clinic at the At St. Barnabas House, she learned the Municipal Health Department and by now, the importance of being fair, helpful, and non- number of women served by the clinic is well past authoritative to her “little assistants,” who came a thousand. to relish their role in helping their nurse. Besides She is quick to deny any suggestion that being working for a physician named Dr. O’Regan, who a manager left her detached from her patients. Contact AKPNO she credits with never making a misdiagnosis, Kay is clear when stating that she was a “working Alaska Professional Nurses Organization and who reportedly trained Dr. Spock and cared manager.” In talking more with her, the work part, 2922 Yale Drive for many famous people, she recalls her 5 years it seems, forms some of her fondest memories. Anchorage, AK 99508 at St. Barnabas House as a true labor of love and To this day, Kay Lahdenpera loves working www.akpno.org one of the most fulfilling jobs in her career. She is with troubled youth. She has taught sex education in high schools, held family planning clinics in equally proud that Dr. O’Regan wanted her to stay, The Alaska Professional Nurses Organization is a but for Kay it was time to move on. churches, developed and worked in programs for statewide nursing society dedicated to improving homeless and runaway youths, and states that the health of all Alaskans through fostering nurse she loves working with low income women and leadership and excellence in nursing practice. teens—especially multi-national clients. She has even assisted other states in implementing family Board of Directors planning public health programs. President Barbara Berner EdD, APRN, In 1998 Kay collaborated with the nonprofit FNP-BC, FAANP Vice President Mary Stackhouse CLNC agency – Alaska Youth and Parent Foundation, Secretary LeMay Hupp MPH Executive Director to establish the Municipality Treasurer Debbie Thompson BSN, CNOR of Anchorage, Department of Health & Human Services, Reproductive Health Clinic satellite Directors at Large clinic in the Downtown Transit Center. In 2007 Pat Dooley BSN, CHPN, MHSA this Clinic received a national award from The Patricia Barker BSN, NCSN National Association of County and City Health Tina DeLapp EdD, RN, FAAN Officials as a creative and unique public health Newsletter Editor: clinic. Lynn Hartz MSN, ANP [email protected] In 2005, while serving on the Board of Directors for the Alaska Youth and Parent Foundation (AYPF), she watched as their shelters Articles Author Guidelines: Lahdenpera in the 1960’s. Program Manager of in Anchorage closed due to lack of funding. She Alaska Nursing Today welcomes original articles Family Planning, Borough Health Department, continued her role as volunteer Executive Director for publication. Preference is given to nursing Anchorage. and health related topics in Alaska. Authors must for 5 years in order to keep the AYPF, POWER identify potential conflicts of interest, whether Program alive. This program was the first teen Her grandfather needed someone to take him financial or of other nature and identify any outreach program run by teens in the state and it commercial affiliation if applicable. Resources, from Seattle to Anchorage, and so she returned was recognized as a national model for runaway including websites should be listed at the end of in 1965, taking a job at the Borough Health homeless and troubled youth to encounter a safe the article. Photos may be sent as a .jpg file and Department as a public health nurse. In 1967 environment, shelter, health and social services. become the property of AKPNO.