“Nurses shaping the future of professional nursing and advocating for quality health care.” The official publication of the Georgia Nurses Association (GNA) Brought to you by the Georgia Nurses Association (GNA), whose dues-paying members make it possible to advocate for nurses and nursing at the state and federal level. Volume 71 • No. 2 May, June, July 2011 Quarterly circulation approximately 105,000 to all RNs and Student Nurses in Georgia. Celebrate National Nurses Week 2011! GNA leaders attend Georgia Nursing Summit Nurses Trusted to Care Nursing Leaders prepare for RWJF/IOM Future of Nursing implementation This year, the Georgia Nurses Association would like to congratulate By Jeremy Arieh, Director of Marketing & Communications all registered nurses during National Nurses Week 2011, which takes place Nursing leaders from May 6-12. GNA would like to thank you across the state attended for making a difference in the lives of the Georgia Nursing so many patients in Georgia! Summit in downtown The purpose of Nurses Week is to Atlanta at the Loudermilk raise awareness of the value of nursing and help educate the public about the role Center this February. nurses play in meeting the health care needs of the American people. For 2011, Georgia Nurses Association the theme of National Nurses Week is Nurses Trusted to Care. (GNA) President Fran In honor of the dedication, commitment and tireless effort of more than 3 Beall, RN, ANP, BC, Chief million registered nurses nationwide to promote and maintain the health of this Executive Officer Debbie nation, GNA and ANA are proud to recognize professional registered nurses Hackman, CAE, and everywhere for the quality work they provide seven days a week, 365 days a year. Board members George Each year for Nurses Week, GNA recognizes the difference our members make Sneed, Judy Malachowski, Pictured (L-R): GNA CEO Debbie Hackman, Director daily to advance the nursing profession as a whole. We hope that all of you will Rebecca Wheeler and of Legislative/Public Policy Judy Malachowski, join us in saluting RNs in the state of Georgia and across the nation. In addition, Dr. Georgia Barkers Director of Leadership Development Georgia we hope you’ll celebrate National Nurses Week in some way. ANA has provided joined 29 chief nursing Barkers and President Fran Beall attend the several different resources to promote local celebrations. These resources can officers, 14 nursing school Georgia Nursing Summit. (Not pictured but also in be accessed by visiting http://nursingworld.org/NationalNursesWeek. For more deans, and representatives attendance were GNA Secretary Rebecca Wheeler information on National Nurses Week 2011, including a list of ways to celebrate, from 42 hospitals and and Staff Nurse Director George Sneed). visit http://www.georgianurses.org/nurses_week.htm. medical centers, who attended the successful Georgia Nursing Summit continued on page 4 PRESIDENT ’S MESSAGE had performed several tuberculin skin tests (TSTs) Networking at my workplace on some of our patients who were volunteering at one of our local hospitals. We knew By Fran Beall, RN, ANP, BC that significant snow was predicted for that Monday, and we might be closed at the 72-hour deadline for Most of us probably don’t our patients in which their TSTs needed to be read think about networking and recorded. When my colleague, Linda Thurmond, SAVE THE DATE! often, even though many of RN, told me this, I told her to call Betsy Pless, NP The 2011 GNA Nursing us engage in networking on or Chris Horan, NP over at the hospital’s Employee Conference & a regular basis. In my own Health Department, since we knew the hospital professional nursing career, would not be closed no matter how much snow might Membership Assembly networking has become accumulate, and to ask Betsy or Chris if our students second nature. While at work could come there to have their TSTs read. Linda October 19-21, 2011 this past January, however, I called and told Betsy that I had told her to ask. Atlanta Marriott witnessed a most impressive Betsy indicated that she would be happy to Northwest display of networking’s many oblige and said “If Fran is there with you, could I benefits; and even more please speak with her? I need to ask her a question Atlanta, Georgia recently, how potentially Fran Beall regarding Prescriptive Authority.” Linda handed the damaging the absence of a phone to me, and I assisted Betsy with her question, See pages 6 & 7 for more! strong nursing support network can be! Just before January’s memorable snow storm, we President’s Message continued on page 2 Presort Standard US Postage PAID INDEX Permit #14 CEO Corner ...................... Page 3 Legislative/Public Policy ........... Page 10 Princeton, MN 55371 Celebrate National Nurses Week ......Page 4 Leadership Development ........... Page 13 current resident or Names, Faces, Places .............. Page 5 Finance Matters .................. Page 13 Letter to the Editor .................Page 8 History ......................... Page 14 Nursing Practice ...................Page 9 Membership ..................... Page 15 Visit us online at www.georgianurses.org Page 2 • Georgia Nursing May, June, July 2011 President’s Message continued from page 1 then said, “Betsy, while I have you on the phone, Linda was right—there is absolutely no substitute GEORGIA NURSING perhaps you could help me with a problem of my own. for strong networking, both personally and Volume 71, Number 2 I need to have a diagnostic MRI, but in order to do so, professionally, and the best place to network is I have to know the exact model of the aneurysm clips through our professional organization. Editor: Debbie Hackman, CAE I have from my 1992 craniotomy, and whether or not On the other hand, I recently had an equally telling Managing Editor: Jeremy Arieh they are ferromagnetic, otherwise the Radiology example of what functioning in isolation can do, Department will not do the MRI. The record is over when a local nurse contacted me for advice when she GNA BOARD OF DIRECTORS Officers: 18 years old now—can you think of anyone there who inadvertently let her license lapse. She had changed Fran Beall, President could help?” Internet service providers, and somehow had not Sheila Warren, President-Elect Betsy took my information and said, “I’ll get back received a postcard from the Board of Nursing in Rebecca Wheeler, Secretary to you as soon as I can, after I talk to our Medical the mail, which she assured me she never would Jill Williams, Treasurer Information Systems (MIS) Department.” Linda was have ignored. She also works independently in her amazed at this rapid-fire networking demonstration job and doesn’t interact regularly with other nurses. Directors which had just occurred, and said, “This must be why She was ordered to stop practicing until the matter Georgia Barkers, Leadership Development Sally Welsh, Membership Development I pay my GNA dues!” was resolved. I believe her that she missed her notice Judy Malachowski, Legislation/Public Policy Within 24 hours, an extremely helpful MIS of renewal. However, I also know that GNA sends Wanda Jones, Nursing Practice specialist had obtained my entire paper record out reminders on our “Members Only E-News,” as George Sneed, Staff Nurse Director from an off-site warehouse in Atlanta. When that does my own Athens Area Chapter, when the license Dorethea Peters, Workplace Advocacy did not provide the necessary information, Chris renewal cycles come around, and had she been a Horan, another nursing colleague and GNA member, member, she would have received more than one Regional Coordinators: contacted a long-time OR employee at the hospital, Central: Margie Johnson communication about this, as well as other items of East Central: Melanie Cassity who provided the name of the vendor representative importance to nurses. North: Cindy Balkstra who supplied the Yasargil clips to the hospital. The I hear very often that “It’s too expensive to join North Central: Doris Jean Rodriguez vendor was able to provide the necessary information GNA and ANA!” My response is no...It’s really too Southeast: Kathleen Koon regarding the safety of the clips. expensive not to join, if for no other reason than to Southwest: Kimberly Gordon network with your colleagues, and to gain access to information that sometimes is vital to your career ADMINISTRATION Debbie Hackman, CAE, Chief Executive Officer and perhaps your personal life as well. Debbie Hatmaker, PhD, RN, Chief Programs Officer Jeremy Arieh, Director of Marketing & Communications Fran Beall, RN, ANP, BC, is president of the Courtney Stancil, Governance & Technology Logistics Manager Georgia Nurses Association. Bernadette Barnes, Program Coordinator Stephanie Scott, Administrative Assistant Connie Clark, Administrative Assistant Marcia Noble, CE Consultant Wendi Clifton, Staff Lobbyist Clarification Jay Morgan, Staff Lobbyist On page 6 of the February, March, April 2011 For advertising rates and information, please contact Arthur issue of Georgia Nursing, we identified Ms. L. Davis Publishing Agency, Inc., 517 Washington Street, PO Bonnie Bar as UWG School of Nursing Dean. Box 216, Cedar Falls, Iowa 50613, (800) 626-4081. GNA and the Arthur L. Davis Publishing Agency, Inc. reserve the right Bonnie Bar, MS, RN, AHN-C, is actually associate to reject any advertisement. Responsibility for errors in professor at University of West Georgia School of advertising is limited to corrections in the next issue or refund Nursing. of price of advertisement. Acceptance of advertising does not imply endorsement or approval by the Georgia Nurses Association of products advertised, the advertisers, or the claims made. Rejection of an advertisement does not imply a product offered for advertising is without merit, or that the manufacturer lacks integrity, or that this association disapproves of the product or its use. GNA and the Arthur L. Davis Publishing Agency, Inc.