www.aknurse.org The Official THE Publication of the Alaska Nurses Association. Circulation 9,000. Distributed to every Registered Nurse and Licensed Practical Nurse in Alaska. Volume 64, Issue 2 • April/May 2014 The Legislative Issue PB THE OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF THE ALASKA NURSES ASSOCIATION THE OFFICIAL PUblication OF THE AlaSKA NURSES ASSOCIatION 3701 E Tudor Rd., Ste. 208 • Anchorage, AK 99507 907.274.0827 • www.aknurse.org President’s Letter Published bimonthly: Feb., April, June, Aug., Oct., Dec. Jana Shockman, RN, CCRN-CSC Materials may not be reproduced without written permission Alaska Nurses Association President • Anchorage, AK from the Editorial Committee: Contact [email protected] Advertising: Contact [email protected] • 907.223.2801 AaNA BOARD OF DIRECTORS Wow, we have been busy these past working diligently to plan the Alaska Nurses • President: Jana Shockman, RN, CCRN-CSC few months working for nurses in Alaska. Association Fall Conference, set for October • Vice President: Members of the Labor Program attended 3rd and 4th. The General Assembly will be Jane Erickson, ADN, RN, CCRN the AFL-CIO Legislative Fly-In to Juneau in held on October 5th. Save the Dates! The • secretary: early February and two weeks later, another Editorial Committee has planned the next Kristin Fahey, RN • treasurer: group of us traveled to Juneau for the Nurses several issues of The Alaska Nurse. Future Jennifer Hazen, BSN, RN Legislative Fly-In. Nurses from the Alaska issues will spotlight such subjects as wounded • staff Nurse Director: Nurse Practitioner Association, Alaska School nurses, rural nursing, and military nurses. Arlene Briscoe, RN-BC Nurses Association, and Alaska Affiliate of the In this issue of The Alaska Nurse we • rural Director: Julie Serstad, MSN, BSN, RN American College of Nurse Midwives joined are kicking off three new regular features. • Greater Alaska Director: with AaNA to collaborate on presenting a “Did You Know?” will be a recurring column Colleen Bevans, RN united message to the Alaska Legislature. focusing on an aspect of nursing or the • labor Council Chair (desiGnee): We were able to speak with Governor Sean Association that may be unfamiliar to some Donna Phillips, BSN, RN • directors At LarGe: Parnell and state legislators from the Senate nurses. “Meet the Board” will focus on Shelley Burlison, RN-BC and House about issues important to nurses. introducing the members of the Alaska State Janet Pasternak, BA, BSN, RN Board of Nursing. The next feature is one that Paul Mordini, MS, BSN, RN-BC The Fly-In was a great success and proof of Kimberly Kluckman, RN how we are stronger when we speak with a is near and dear to me: “A Touch of Heart.” Yvette Le Sueur, BSN, RN united voice. I and other members of AaNA Every nurse has a different reason for getting • student Nurse Liaison: have testified on behalf of nurses on bills into nursing. All of us stay in nursing because Vanessa Glenn • Past President: before the legislature on topics such as of a genuine desire to help people and make a Susan Walsh, RN cyberbullying, chemical safety, temporary difference. All of us have or have had a special AaNA Labor Council health care workers, and updates to nursing person who inspires us. Maybe it was your first • chair: statutes. It has been a whirlwind legislative nursing instructor, a mentor, a family member, Donna Phillips, BSN, RN • Vice-chair: session with 20 more days to go. or a special patient. This feature will tell the Jana Shockman, RN, CCRN-CSC The Alaska Nurses Association inspirational stories of Alaska’s nurses. • secretary: represented nurses with booths at the The Alaska Nurses Association is working Janet Pasternak, BA, BSN, RN Citywide Career and Job Fair and at the on behalf of all nurses in Alaska: hospital • treasurer: Jennifer Hazen, BSN, RN American Heart Association Go Red for nurses, rural nurses, public health nurses, • directors: Women Luncheon. At the Go Red Luncheon I long-term care nurses, clinic nurses, military Arlene Briscoe, RN had the privilege of having a short chat with nurses, nurse educators, advanced practice Lila Elliott, BSN, RN Yvette Le Sueur, BSN, RN Mark McEwen, the keynote speaker. Mark nurses, student nurses, school nurses, home Jane Erickson, ADN, RN, CCRN told the story of how heart disease and stroke health nurses, and specialty care nurses. In • PaMC BU ReP: have affected him and his family. The story of the center of the magazine you will find a Jennifer Hazen, BSN, RN his stroke and recovery touched me deeply. membership card. If you are not a member, I • soldotna BU ReP: Shelley Burlison, RN-BC Our Professional Practice Committee encourage you to become a member today. • KETCHIKAN BU ReP: completed and presented a white paper There are multiple levels of membership and Susan Walsh, RN on Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome. The I am certain we have the right fit for you. This • affiliate OrGanizations: Alaska Affiliate of the American College of Nurse-Midwives Education Committee and Special Events is your opportunity to strengthen the voice of Alaska Home Care & Hospice Association Committee are finalizing the details for nurses in Alaska. Alaska Association of Nurse Anesthetists our Nurses Week event on May 9th and are Alaska Nurse Practitioner Association Alaska School Nurses Association Alaska Clinical Nurse Specialist Association author Guidelines for the Alaska Nurse Inside This Issue The Editorial Committee welcomes original articles for publication. Preference is given to nursing and health-related topics in Alaska. Authors are not required to be members of the AaNa. 2 President’s Letter 12 Alaska’s Nurse Legislators forMat and subMission: Articles should be Word documents in 10 or 12 point font, single or double spaced. There is currently no 4 AFL-CIO Legislative Conference 14 Did You Know? limit on the length of the article. Include the title of the article and headings if applicable. Author’s name should be placed after the title 5 Nurse Practitioner of the Year 16 Workers’ Compensation Board with credentials, organization and/or employer and contact information. Authors must identify potential conflicts of interest, whether of financial or other nature and identify any commercial affiliation if applicable. 6 Legislative Fly-In 16 A Touch of Heart All references should be listed at the end of the article. Photos are encouraged and may be sent as a .jpg file, as an email attachment or 8 Legislative Update 18 Mental Health First Aid on disc. Photographs send to the Alaska Nurse will become property of the AaNA. We hope that we will be sent copies, not originals, and prefer 10 Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome 18 Meet the Board emailed files. Photos should be provided with a caption and photo credit info and be high resolution. Be sure to double check the spelling, grammar, and content of your article. It is highly recommended that you 12 Nurses Support Heart Health 19 Calendar of Events have a colleague review your article before submission. Prepare the article as a Word document and attach it to an email to [email protected]. You may also mail the article on disc to: The cover Photo: Alaska nurses chat with Senator Lisa Murkowski at the Legislative Fly-In. Twenty-six nurses alaska nurse, aana, 3701 E Tudor road, suite 208, anchorage, AK from across Alaska along with participants from a variety of statewide nursing organizations participated 99507. If you have any questions, please email [email protected]. in the annual Nurses Legislative Fly-In in Juneau. See story page 6. Photo by Brian Wallace Photography 2 THE OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF THE ALASKA NURSES ASSOCIATION www.aknurse.org 2 THE OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF THE ALASKA NURSES ASSOCIATION THE ALASKA NURSE • APRiL/MAy 2014 3 LABOR LINES Labor Nurses Visit Juneau for Annual AFL-CIO Legislative Conference by Jane Erickson, RN, CCRN, AaNA Vice President addressed attendees next. Born and raised labor agreements to be involved in gas On February 5th and 6th, a well-organized in Yakutat, Mallott outlined his pro-worker, pipeline talks. group of nurses from the Alaska Nurses pro-union, and pro-Alaskan-hire stance. Like Gubernatorial candidate Bill Walker Association Labor Program spent time in the Department of Labor, Mallott says he stressed the importance of resource Juneau for the annual AFL-CIO Legislative is dedicated to hiring Alaskans for Alaskan development and Alaskan hire, explaining Conference. Mornings were spent in meetings construction jobs such as the gas pipeline. that Alaska needs to act like the owner of its learning of labor-related legislative issues, while Senator Mike Dunleavy, Chairman of the resources. afternoons were reserved for Capitol visits. Senator Labor and Commerce Committee Joe Balash, Commissioner of the We first heard from the AFL-CIO Labor informed attendees of Labor and Commerce Department of Natural Resources also spoke Lobbyists’ Panel: Don Etheridge, Barbara Committee priorities. Dunleavy explained that in favor of Alaskan hire, and explained that Huff-Tuckness, Fate Putman, Paul Grossi, Tom he comes from a long line of union workers he is working with gas buyers to determine Brice, and Cindy Spanyers, which covered and has devoted his entire career to education. the viability of mining natural gas. moving bills in the Legislature. Dianne Senator Dunleavy emphasized the need for Attendees also heard Berta Gardner Blumer, Commissioner of the Department of factual data and testimony on legislation in the deliver a legislative research report Labor and Workforce Development delivered Labor and Commerce Committee. on the cost of school vouchers, while a Department of Labor Update, assuring We then attended Capitol visits with Representative Mike Chenault delivered his attendees that the Department of Labor is our local representatives and senators. I was update from the Speaker of the House.