My 2 Cents

Elective Offices in ANA

How many times have you said "If I could change this in nursing I ....." Get involved in your profession and make a difference.

Are you a member of the American Nurses Association? If so, why not consider running for one of the following elective offices in 2006: President, First Vice President, Second Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer, three directors-at-large and two directors-at-large (staff nurse designated). Three seats on the ANA Nominating Committee will be open as well as 35 seats on the Congress on Nursing Practice and Economics. The deadline for submission of all nomination packets is January 4, 2006. For additional information see www.nursingworld.org.

State Nurses Convention

I was elected in my district nurses association, Southwestern Ohio Nurses Association (SONA), as a delegate for the Ohio Nurses Association (ONA) Convention, which is next week in Perrysburg, Ohio from Friday, October 7th through Sunday, October 9th.

I am excited because conventions are jammed with CE, the business of the association, and networking with nurses from all parts of the state. This will be my 3rd ONA convention and 3rd Convention as a delegate representing my local district.

I am speaking this year at the Tennessee Nurses Association convention, Oct. 22-23rd in Memphis, Tennessee. Last year, I spoke at an event sponsored by the Alaska Nurses Association in Anchorage, Alaska. Its interesting to observe the different state nurses association process and procedures for convention. Anyway.....

Have you ever attended a state nurses association convention? If so, what are your thoughts? What would you improve or change? 

Congress on Nursing Practice

I am attending the two day, American Nurses Association, Congress on Nursing Practice & Economics scheduled for September 19th and 20th in Silver Springs, MD. I am a Director on the Board of Directors of the Center for American Nurses (Center), which is an ANA affiliated organization. I am attending the Congress as a representative of the Center.

In your opinion what are the most pressing issues facing registered nurses? licensed practical nurses? I will post highlights of today's meeting on this blog tonight.

Mediation Training

I am scheduled to begin Intensive Mediation Training next week, Monday, Sept. 5th - Thursday, Sept. 8th at Capital University. I am incorporating health care alternative dispute resolution (ADR)into the services offered by my consulting firm, The Healthcare Risk Aversion Group, LLC.

I enrolled in the ADR certificate program with Capital University Law School in Columbus, Ohio. I was awarded a full scholarship. I am also planning to attend Mediation and Arbitration training sessions in the future offered by the American Association of Health Lawyers (AHLA) www.ahla.org, which will count as credit towards my ADR certificate.

Are you planning to go back to school? LPN to RN? RN to BSN? Graduate Nursing College? What are your plans? What is your dream job?

My dream job is a combination of roles, positions, and responsibilities. I would like to practice home health nursing (10%), represent, counsel, and advise nurses in licensure defense and business matters (20%), healthcare ADR (20%), speaking engagements (10%), teach legal & ethical issues to nursing students (10%), clinical consulting (20%), and practice health law (10%).