West Virginia Nurse
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WEST VIRGINIA NURSE “Nurses working together for a healthy West Virginia” The official publication of the West Virginia Nurses Association Quarterly publication distributed to approximately 19,600 RNs & LPNs in West Virginia. July, August, September 2021 Volume 22 • No. 3 Inside: PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE Dear WV Nursing Colleagues, at the beginning, true leaders are not afraid to fail. We President’s Message ............ 1, 6 learn from our failures. Executive Director’s Message ....... 2 As I’m writing my presidential If being a legislative leader in your district is address, it is the Memorial Day something you would be interested in, contact the Editor’s Column ................. 3 Holiday weekend. I have deep central office. There can be more than one legislative Helping Breastfeeding Parents gratitude as I reflect on the leader in each district and we are happy to include you Navigate the COVID-19 Vaccine ultimate sacrifices of veterans as a legislative leader and help you succeed. with Podcasting ............. 4-5 who died protecting and During the legislative session we worked to find defending our country. financial assistance for nurses who exhausted PTO 2021 WVN Deadlines ............ 6 Memorial Day is also the early in the pandemic due to furlough, illness, or Informed Consent ............... 7 official kickoff to summer, family emergencies. After those funds were gone, they attending parades, and Joyce Wilson became sick with COVID or were quarantined because of WVNA 2021 Fall Elections: planting our gardens. My exposure and were off without pay. Some still have not Meet the Candidates ........... 8 flowers and vegetables are now in the ground and one been able to return to work and are relying on things like of my favorite sayings is “She who plants a seed in the GoFundMe accounts to make ends meet. These nurses On the Front Lines with ground and waits has hope.” I look forward to fresh were not eligible for worker’s compensation unless they West Virginia School Nurses ....... 9 vegetables every year and I know that a successful could prove they contracted COVID at work, and they The states and the public are garden takes hope and a lot of work. Gardening has were not eligible for unemployment because they were grateful for WVNA and all nurses .. 10 also taught me from my failures. My greatest lesson not available for work. is learning to not be afraid of failure. I love being in my We started the process of looking for help for our Nightingale Tribute ............... 11 garden because it slows me down and I have time to colleagues by going to Governor Justice to ask for CARES Conferences & Meetings ........... 11 think. What I’ve been thinking about mostly for the past Act money: that is, the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and year or so is leadership. What makes a good leader? A Economic Security Act of 2020. Gov. Justice was not able Summary of the 2021 West good nurse leader? to assist, expressing that CARES money was mandated Virginia Legislative Session ........ 12 In my reading and listening to lectures of leaders, for other WV projects. The Governor’s office suggested what I have learned is that a leader must be trusted and to us that we ask the BON to help by setting up a grant Membership Update ............. 12 must be their authentic self. It is the job of the leader using the surplus of money in their account that comes Future of Nursing WV Update ...... 13 to create a culture of safety so that others can speak on from nursing licensure fees. Historically, a large amount issues of conflict. Good leaders know that conflict does of Board of Nursing funds has been “swept” into general ANA General Assembly: not have to bring defensiveness. If there is a culture of revenue. Preview from the Voting Delegate .. 13 safety, voicing conflict can bring dialogue and conflict We continue to meet with the Board of Nursing on Pediatric ICU Stay Can Be Scary, resolution. this issue. During the 2021 legislative session, we had Lonely Experience – For Parents ... 14 Nurses are natural leaders; building a culture of our bill introduced in the House of Delegates. It passed safety so that a patient and their family trusts us is the the House Finance Committee and passed “on the floor” An Ethic of Justice Viewed through foundation of the nurse-patient relationship. Listening is (that is, passed the whole House) with 97 delegates the Lens of an Ethic of Care ....... 15 natural to us nurses. In listening to our patients, we learn voting for it. Unfortunately, the bill died in the Senate what is conflicting them. Then we do the second thing Finance Committee. We will continue to work on passing that comes naturally to us: patient education. legislation to help nurses in need. We continue to have Nurses as leaders also know that everyone’s life meetings with the legislative committee of the BON to experience and perspective is different. We care for our reconcile the surplus of monies in their account. patients with respect to their perspective as well as our During the month of May, we celebrated National own. Fine line leadership skills. Nurses Month with Zoom and Facebook Live events Being a member of the WVNA requires a different every Tuesday night, featuring guest speakers and sort of nursing leadership skills. We are building trusting drawings for prizes. It truly was a great event for the relationships with legislators, and we respect that WVNA. Here’s a summary: Presort Standard their perspectives are different from ours. We US Postage look for common ground, for a positive place to Week 1: Self Care PAID work from. Ian Avis, BSN, RN WVUSNA President, presented the Permit #14 Nurses listen to each other. Legislative leaders WVUSNA Resolution, “In Support of Meeting Nurses’ Princeton, MN current resident or 55371 play an essential role at this grassroots level. Self-Care Needs to Improve Patient Outcomes”; They bring information to the association about Lori McComas Chaffins, BSN, RN, spoke on the WV RN concerns of nurses working in each district of the Board’s Nurse Health Program; state, such as concerns around issues that hinder Aila Accad, MSN, RN, with Aila Speaks, led us in a West Virginia citizens having access to care. They self-care Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT) tapping also bring ideas for new legislation that could exercise. enhance nursing in West Virginia. Not all our President’s Message continued on page 6 legislation is successful the first time, but as I said Page 2 West Virginia Nurse July, August, September 2021 Executive Director’s Message Julie A. Huron At this point in my work with nurses, I can easily see who WVNA Executive Director will be on a national platform in the future, and I want to help to connect you. If you are reading this and you are saying West Virginia Nurse As I am writing this, I have “YES, this is me…Contact me! Connecting nurses makes my Official Publication of the been preparing for ANA’s 2021 soul shine and inspires my spirit.” West Virginia Nurses Association Virtual Hill Day tomorrow. This Respectfully, I am pleased to say that the millennials are P.O. Box 1946 | Charleston, WV 25327 is when nurses from across the here and they are quickly making an impact on our state Phone: 866.986.8773 or 866.WVNURSE country meet with our U.S. nurses’ association. They are vocal, they are responding to Email: centraloffice@wvnurses.org senators and congressional our calls for action, they are connecting, have suggestions representatives to share and they work quick. We put together a PRIDE month in Webpage: www.wvnurses.org ANA bills. We ask for the two calls and a flurry of email and text messages. The WVNA legislators’ support and for Celebrates PRIDE month CE lineup has been fabulous and Published quarterly every January, April, July and October for the West our representatives to sign on the response of WV nurses has been positive and engaging. Virginia Nurses Association, a constituent member of the American as a co-sponsor. It’s effective Because of our engaged membership committee and Nurses Association. to establish a rapport with our Julie A. Huron our newly formed DEI committee our last two events The opinions contained herein are those of the individual authors and do representatives, and it helps us have included Facebook Live events, great prizes, new not necessarily reflect the views of the Association. to keep in communications with them throughout the creative ways to engage with WV nurses. This is not me, it’s WV Nurse reserves the right to edit all materials to its style and space year. We interchange these experiences when we meet a coordinated effort with nurses that want to be a part of requirements and to clarify presentations. with our West Virginia senators and delegates and share something great! I am grateful for the energy that flows from nursing stories and the experiences that our patients everyone! The saying, “your vibe attracts your tribe” is real. WVNA Mission Statement have. This fall we will hold a virtual nursing conference on The mission of the WVNA is to support WV nurses and to work for a healthier West Virginia. Every season of the year we have a different focus. October 21. It will be like our March Virtual Policy Summit and During the first quarter of the year, we are heavily will include a day of education, nursing awards, scholarships WVNA Executive Board focused on West Virginia’s legislative session, policy, for nursing students, a poster presentation, sponsorship President: Joyce Wilson joycewilsonfnp@gmail.com and bills that affect nurses and the health of West opportunities, and exhibitors.