Volume XXV111 Number 1 January 2007 IN THIS ISSUE... VON Nurses Helping the Public Stay on Their Feet Province Introduces New Telecare Service New School Food Guidelines Sweeping the Nation Tattoos for You? Trust Awards $55,000 ARNNL www.arnnl.nf.ca Staff Executive Director Jeanette Andrews 753-6173 [email protected] Director of Regulatory Heather Hawkins 753-6181 Services [email protected] Nursing Consultant - Pegi Earle 753-6198 Health Policy & [email protected] - Council Communications Pat Pilgrim, President 2006-2008 Nursing Consultant - Colleen Kelly 753-0124 Jim Feltham, President-Elect 2006-2008 Education [email protected] Ann Shears, Public Representative 2004-2006 Nursing Consultant - Betty Lundrigan 753-6174 Ray Frew, Public Representative 2004-2006 Advanced Practice & [email protected] Kathy Watkins, St. John's Region 2006-2009 Administration Kathy Elson, Labrador Region 2005-2008 Nursing Consultant - Lynn Power 753-6193 Janice Young, Western Region 2006-2009 Practice [email protected] Bev White, Central Region 2005-2008 Project Consultant JoAnna Bennett 753-6019 Ann Marie Slaney, Eastern Region 2004-2007 QPPE (part-time) [email protected] Cindy Parrill, Northern Region 2004-2007 Accountant & Office Elizabeth Dewling 753-6197 Peggy O'Brien-Connors, Advanced Practice 2006-2009 Manager [email protected] Kathy Fitzgerald, Practice 2006-2009 Margo Cashin, Practice 2006-2007 Secretary to Executive Christine Fitzgerald 753-6183 Director and Council [email protected] Catherine Stratton, Nursing Education/Research 2004-2007 Louanne Kinsella, Administration 2004-2007 Secretary to Consultants Jeanette Gosse 753-6060 Jeanette Andrews, Executive Director (non-voting) & Workplace Representative [email protected] Program Secretary to Consultants, Patricia McCarthy 753-6088 ACCESS, & ARNNL Trust [email protected] Contents Secretary to Consultants Colleen Jones 753-6041 [email protected] President’s Message 1 Secretary & Data Renee Butler 753-6040 Message from the Executive Director 2 Processor, Registration [email protected] ARNNL’s New Honourary Members 3 Research Assistant Julie Wells 753-6182 [email protected] Community Advisory Committees 4 Advance Nursing Practice: News & Views 5 ACCESS is the official publication of the Association of Registered VON Nurses Helping the Public Stay on Their Feet 6 Nurses of Newfoundland and Labrador. Clinical Corner 7 ACCESS is published three times a year in January, May & September. ARNNL Education and Research Trust 8 Subscriptions are available for $25.00 per year. ARNNL’s Leadership Project: An Update 9 Leadership in Professional Practice 10 Editor New School Food Guidelines Sweeping the Nation 11 Pegi Earle Creative Design Canadian Nurses Portal: NurseOne 12 Arlene Mercer, Freelance Designer Province Introduces New Telecare Service 13 Advertising Sales Tattoos for You? 14 Wanda Cuff Young Inc. Nurses of Note 15 842 Conception Bay Highway Goings On 16 CBS, NL A1X 7T4 Phone: 834-7977 Fax: 834-4650 [email protected] New Registrants Fall 2006 18 Administration Patricia McCarthy, ARNNL On The Cover: Mr. Frank Fitzpatrick attending a regular footcare 55 Military Road St. John’s, NL A1C 2C5 appointment with VON Nurse Melanie Russell, RN, BN. Phone: (709) 753-6040 Fax: (709) 753-4940 Toll Free: 1-800-563-3200 E-mail: [email protected] www.arnnl.nf.ca PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE In October I was honored and privileged to assume the role At the provincial level, your as President of the Association of Registered Nurses of Council will continue to pursue, refine Newfoundland and Labrador (ARNNL). The ARNNL is the voice and strengthen the strategic direction for registered nurses in this province and through its affiliation of the ARNNL. Our focus will be on with the Canadian Nurses Association (CNA), the voice of nurses achieving the vision: Healthy People in Iin the country. Newfoundland and Labrador through As your President, I represent you on the CNA Board of our mission focusing on excellence in Directors. My first CNA meeting was quite an experience. As I nursing, public protection, quality sat at the board table at "50 The Driveway", I was impressed by health care and healthy public policy. the work of nurses across this country; their leadership and Much of the work and deliberation of vision! The volume and depth of preparatory reading material Council, on your behalf, focuses on the Pat Pilgrim, and the scope, diversity and complexity of issues discussed were many current issues related to the RN, BN, MEd, MBA challenging. I will ensure our representatives' tradition of regulation of the profession, competency positive, effective contribution at the national level will standards, quality of work-life and advocating for healthy public continue. policy. Registered nurses remain the largest group of healthcare Health Human Resources (HHR) Planning is vital. The quality workers. Nurses will continue to be at the forefront of the of healthcare has been demonstrated to be highly correlated changes needed to effectively evolve nursing and healthcare to with the effective supply of registered nurses. ARNNL represents the 21st Century. CNA's "Toward 2020: Visions for Nursing" nursing in provincial and federal HHR initiatives which will (June, 2006) lays the groundwork for dialogue about nursing's continue to be a major focus as we move forward. part in planning for health care in the 21st Century and the role We are facing many challenges related to leadership issues nurses will play. It challenges all stakeholders to work in nursing. Nurses are concerned about lack of leadership and collaboratively to address the changes needed in education and mentorship. Nurse managers are concerned about scope of job design, and in moving the health system from an illness and responsibility and workload. ARNNL is developing a Leadership treatment model to one that focuses on "health" at the Strategy to inform and guide nurses, nurse managers and other community level. CNA advocates for Governments to invest in stakeholders on evidence based strategies to address identified improving the healthcare system by investing its leadership and issues. resources in three areas: Nurses have the competence and the credibility to positively 1. Appropriate investment in information and impact health care and client outcomes. In our province we need communication technology, as there is growing evidence to vigilantly advocate for further investment and developments that such investments improve patient safety. in Primary Health Care Renewal, the Provincial Mental Health 2. Pan Canadian Health Human Resources Planning involving Strategy and the Provincial Wellness Strategy. All of these interdisciplinary collaboration in education and practice initiatives are sound, relevant strategic directions that will as well as maximizing scopes of practice of various improve the health and wellbeing of the people of this province. disciplines. ARNNL had a reflective Annual Business Meeting (ABM) in 3. Reducing disparities and enhancing the employability of October. Dr. Marlene Smadu, President of CNA, challenged us on Canadians by addressing literacy as a determinant of "futurism" and the need for us to envision and shape the future health as well as a focusing on other determinants, such of nursing and health care. We were once more re-energized as as poverty. we networked and reflected upon our many accomplishments and initiatives and especially, the value and strength of our (L-R): Marlene Smadu, CNA President; Pat Pilgrim, ARNNL President profession. As we heard the testimonials of the three recipients and Sandra MacDonald, ARNNL Past President at of the Awards for Excellence, we were once more assured about Annual Meeting in October 2006. the real, positive and superb contribution of individual nurses in ‘making a difference’ in their care, workplace, community and profession. I look forward to working with your Council, ARNNL staff and with you as we continue the nursing journey and, together, we move our profession responsively, relevantly and effectively into the 21st Century. 1 ACCESS MESSAGE FROM THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR ARNNL Responds to or a little more than one month's operating expenses. This does not allow much room for ongoing budget Fee Increase Decision over runs. Nurses have told ARNNL through Jeanette Andrews, RN, MN surveys and other means that they have concerns about their workload and their ability to provide safe client care. A majority of nurses feel there is limited support to initiate positive change in As many of you are aware by now, Council's resolution to increase fees by $39 (over their workplaces. Nurses in long term a two year period) was not accepted by the 137 RNs who attended the ARNNL annual care have consistently stated that the business meeting held in St. John's in October 2006. (Note: the original resolution to structures are not in place to enable increase fees by $50 was amended because a proposed CNA fee increase was not accepted by them to work to their full scope of CNA voting delegates in June 2006.) ARNNL has responded to this decision by practice. It was for these reasons that implementing various strategies to generate alternate revenue and decrease the Quality Professional Practice expenditures. Environment Program was developed. In the area of revenue generation, fees for the Annual General Meeting to be held It has been clearly shown that the in St. John's in October 2007 will increase from $175 to $200 for early bird registration program can and does bring about and from $235 to $250 for late registration. positive change in the workplace. A portion of the proposed fee increase was specifically earmarked to support the Nurses have also told ARNNL that they Quality Professional Practice Environment Program. The decision has been made to support the development of a continue the program in the next budget year (2007-08) provided sufficient funding continuing competency program for can be obtained from sources external to ARNNL. ARNNL staff are working diligently registered nurses and that they want with several stakeholders to identify and apply for interim funding sources to keep the ARNNL to be more involved in advocacy program going.