Nursing Law & Order

Perfect Pattie: Is Perfection and Perfect Practice Still the Underlying but Unspoken Standard for Nurses?

My son Carlos is working in my law practice with me this summer. He is scanning law files into CLIO, the law practice management software (its SAAS) my law firm uses. He also assist me with project management software I am using for my law firm.

My son has worked in a variety of environments primarily retail as a teenager and young adult (21 y/o) therefore he is accustomed to a very rigid work environment where he is supervised and monitored. He asked me last week do we (meaning him and my sister Jaren who is working with me as my personal assistant; yes it the Family Feud at the Law Office of LaTonia Denise Wright, LLC) have assigned breaks?

After laughing for 5 minutes, I said "no" you don't have assigned breaks in a professional service firm, this isn't Taco Bell. (I was hungry and I wanted a fountain Pepsi from Taco Bell and something with cheese and chicken). If you are waiting for me to tell you to break it just ain't gone happen because I go hard from sun up (okay 0830) to sun down (okay it is almost 5am and I pulled an all nighter again) with running my business and practicing law.

Later we talked about making mistakes and I told him mistakes were a part of any job or position. You just acknowledge the mistakes, learn from the mistakes, and move forward. His response was "OMG, you mean Perfect Pattie makes mistakes."

Wow, my son thinks I am a Perfect Pattie. Before I fire my son (again) we are going to discuss what are the characteristics of a Perfect Pattie? Perfect Pattie to me is a double turkey burger with cheddar cheese or a cookie and ice cream sandwhich.

Are nurses supposed to be Perfect Patties?

Are you a Perfect Pattie or a Perfect Pat?

Is Perfection the unspoken but real standard of practice in nursing?

I am a work horse and I will work but that is how I was reared. You work if you want to have anything: you work for it. Period. Perfection for me was never or cannot be the standard in law practice because you will get absolutely nothing done if you fret over each and every item to point of perfection.

Is perfection really the gold standard and the expectation in healthcare with Just Culture being just another buzz word? What do you think as a nurse at the bedside?  

Charlotte's Web and Drug & Alcohol Use, Abuse, and Dependency in Nursing

Are you weaving a web so thick that not even Charlotte could manage to migrate it? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charlotte's_Web.

I am writing an e-book, the New Charlotte's Web: Deceit, Deception, and Dishonesty, Drugs/Alcohol, and Nursing's Social Policy Statement.

Deceit, Deception, and Dishonesty is part of addiction and use. I get it.

Drug and Alcohol Use, Abuse, Dependency, and Impairment is no doubt an issue in nursing. I get it.

There are alot of nurses who are abusing prescription medication but think its "okay" because I have script. There is a thin line between using prescription medication as prescribed vs. using prescription medication prior to and while at work vs. impairment regardless of whether you are working 4, 8, 12, or 16 hour shift.

However, there are competing forces with drug and alcohol use, abuse, dependency, and impairment in nursing. Yes, there is a recognition that this is disease on one end of the spectrum and on the other end of the spectrum is the public and the State Nursing Board and Law Enforcement.

Guess what's in the middle? IMO, its Personal and Professional Responsibility & Accountability.

http://www.nursingcenter.com/Library/JournalArticle.asp?Article_ID=492769

http://www.nursingtimes.net/nursing-practice-clinical-research/part-51-accountability-autonomy-and-standards/200972.article

http://ajcc.aacnjournals.org/content/19/3/296.full.pdf+html

http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1365-2648.2006.03684.x/full

http://www.aspan.org/AboutUs/PresidentsPage/ArchivedPresidentsPage/PresArchive_102010/tabid/7404/Default.aspx

http://faculty.ksu.edu.sa/hisham/Documents/Medical%20Education/English/Nursing%20Education/90.pdf

How does this apply in the workplace? Examples.

http://www.slhn-lehighvalley.org/docs/pdf/final%20professional%20practice%20model%20nov%2007%20_2_.pdf

So you know what this means? Yes, Alcohol & Drug Use, Abuse, Dependency, and Impairment are medical issues but as a state licensed nurse, you are personally and professionally accountable and responsible for your actions and inactions in accordance with American Nurses Association professional standards of practice and your State Nurse Practice Act and Board of Nursing Regulations.  

So guess what? You are a nurse and you are diverting drugs; you have a medical condition but you are accountable. You are nurse and you are showing up to work drunk; you have a medical condition but you are accountable.

You cannot be a state licensed nurse and NOT be accountable and responsible for your actions or inactions or conduct. This isn't Burger King and you can't have it your way. It works this way for most licensed professionals especially in healthcare, which is HIGHLY regulated.

The accountability and responsibility piece and the foundations for the legal, professional, and self-regulation of nursing practice is lost. This is what frustrates me is this connection is lost somewhere in the transition from nursing student to professional nurse to professional nurse and expert clinician.

Nursing schools are the new puppy and pill mills, teaching to pass the NCLEX and producing graduates who don't understand the role of personal and professional accountability and responsibility in nursing practice and the importance of legal, professional, and self-regulation of nursing practice. (Oh, snap, I guess I won't be invited to present on nursing law and rules for nursing faculty. Tear.)

This isn't picked up in the workplace of course and most nurses don't belong to a nursing professional or specialty nursing associations. So in my opinion the majority of us are showing up to work and just practicing until something happens and we are doing this without a plan for our nursing practice and without a healthy appreciation & understanding of JUST how important the legal, professional, and self-regulation of nursing practice is to our nursing practice and "the plan." 

Sections of the Nursing's Social Policy Statement: The Essence of the Profession (2010) will be required reading for ALL of my law office clients going forward.  http://www.nursesbooks.org/Main-Menu/Foundation/Nursings-Social-Policy-Statement.aspx.

If you are a law office client, take a guess what you will receive on your birthday, my birthday or around the holidays this year!!!

What's your point, LaTonia? Weave it, baby, Weave it! You can weave a web and weave it as thick, as sticky, as murky, and for as long as you can. Regardless of whether you weaved the web because of a medical condition, mental condition, etc. the "why" is a mitigating factor: you are responsible and accountable due to the professional regulation, legal regulation, and self-regulation of nursing practice.

APNs Barriers to Practice Survey by the Ohio Association of Advanced Practice Nurses (OAAPN)

See Download 5.2.2.1%20OAAPN%20Survey.

Just my two cents but the cumbersome law/rules agreed to for APRN prescriptive in authority as a "foot in the door approach" and truce between dueling medical and nursing professionals associations here in O-HI-O are more difficult to amend than initially imagined. Sometimes just "getting a foot in the door" isn't the best approach to legislation and opening the Nurse Practice Act and in hindsight maybe a "do or die" , "do it or die trying" , or "all or nothing" approach to prescriptive authority was needed here in O-HI-O.

Just compare and contrast prescriptive authority for APRNs (excluding CRNAs who of course did it the right way initially for the most part. CRNAs and their national and state prof. associations are on the ball I tell you!!!) in Ohio, Kentucky, and Indiana. Its like comparing fresh spring water and sweat tea to flat and warm Pepsi. You can drink the Pepsi if if you have to but its nothing to look forward to consuming. 

 

 

 

11th Annual Nightingale Moment, May 12, 2010 at 12noon

The American Holistic Nurses Association  invites you to Join Nurses Around the World to celebrate the    11th Annual   NIGHTINGALE MOMENT    May 12, 2010  Noon (local time)   Every Nurse around the world is invited to pause, take a moment of silence or create a healing ceremony or ritual in celebration and dedication to the heart and spirit of nursing.   We invite you and your colleagues to:   Honor Florence Nightingale and her legacy to modern nursing. Honor the strength and wisdom of our nursing mission. Reconnect with the fire and the soul, the sense of calling in nursing.  Acknowledge the interconnections and oneness of nurses in the personal, political, social, and scientific domains. Carry the vision of caring and healing into the future. Share Nightingale's legacy with the larger community.      *********************************************** For more information about the Nightingale Moment and to print out fliers for your organization and for the "Blessing of the Hands"  visit the AHNA website:  www.ahna.org

Save the Date:  November 20, 2010   "Nutrition:   What Nurses Bring to the Table"    Join National Speaker and Author Pamela McDonald for a one day conference on the health and healing effects of nutrition.   Place:  Indiana University Southeast     --more details to follow--                           Visit Pam's website for more information www.apoegenediet.com   June 2-5, 2011  AHNA National Conference - Louisville, KY  31st Annual American Holistic Nurses Association   Conference    Marriott Downtown -- Louisville, KY    June 2-5, 2011     "Holistic Nursing:  Tending to the Sacred Flow of Life"     Joan Borysenko, Ph.D.    In the early 1980's Dr. Borysenko co-founded a Mind/Body clinic with Dr. Benson and Dr. Ilan Kutz, became licensed as a psychologist, and was appointed instructor in medicine at the Harvard Medical School. Her years of clinical experience and research culminated in the 1987 publication of the New York Times best seller, Minding the Body, Mending the Mind, which sold over 400,000 copies. The 20th anniversary edition, newly revised, was published in 2007. Author or co-author of 13 other books and numerous audio and video programs, including the Public Television special Inner Peace for Busy People, she is the Founding Partner of Mind/Body Health Sciences, LLC located in Boulder, Colorado and the Director of The Claritas Institute Interspiritual Mentor Training Program. For More Information:  www.joanborysenko.com      ~~~Along with Dr. Kitty Ernst and Dr. Kay Sandor   "Kitty" will be addressing issues of the journey at the beginning of life and Kay will speak as one who walks with  those at the end of life~~~     Eunice (Kitty) Ernst, RN, CNM, MPH, DSc (hon) - Mary Breckinridge Chair of Midwifery  Dr. Ernst is the only endowed Chair of Midwifery in the United States. She is a certified nurse-midwife graduate of Kentucky's Frontier School of Midwifery with a master's degree in public health. A renowned visionary in the field of midwifery, Kitty has pioneered pregnancy and birth care advances for more than 40 years.               Kay Sandor, Ph.D., RN, LPC, AHN-BC Dr. Sandor is an Associate Professor at the University of Texas Medical Branch, School of Nursing at Galveston and An Associate Member of the Institute for the Medical Humanities.  Dr. Sandor is a licensed professional counselor and psychotherapist and is a certified advanced practice holistic nurse.  She has completed the End of Life Nursing Education Consortium (ELNEC) training, a project funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation to train faculty and practitioners in Palliative Care.  Her specialty as a nurse psychotherapist is grief and loss.

Contact the Speak of the House in Ohio to pass HB 206-the APN Schedule II Bill

The Ohio Association of Advanced Practice Nurses has asked ONA to join them in asking the Speaker of the House to pass HB 206 –the APN Schedule II Bill.

 

Your Immediate Action is Required!!  We need thousands of calls to be made before May 1st!
 
Please call or fax Speaker Armond Budish and your member of the Ohio General Assembly to ask them to pass HB 206 (APN Schedule II Bill)!

Phone Number of Speaker Budish:     (614) 466-5441
Fax number of Speaker Budish   (614) 719-0008
 
House of Representatives website to determine who your state representative is and obtain the phone and fax numbers:  http://www.house.state.oh.us/

 

Please pass this e-mail onto your colleagues.

---

Save the Date!
May 11, 2010 - Rally at the Statehouse in Support of HB 206

 

Nurses, Physicians and Patients: Join the Ohio Association of Advanced Practice Nurses and the Ohio Nurses Association on May 11th for a statehouse rally to support advanced practice nurses efforts to improve access to quality healthcare with the passage of HB 206!

 

Where: Ohio Statehouse, South Lawn (Front Street)

 

When: Tuesday, May 11, 2 p.m.

 

Who: Nurses, physicians and patients, nursing organizations, advocacy groups, legislators, media and the general public

 

Information: The Ohio Association of Advanced Practice Nurses and the Ohio Nurses Association are holding a rally to show support for nurses and the ever-increasing role they play in the health care delivery system. With a shortage of primary care physicians and the extension of health care coverage to tens of millions of currently uninsured Americans, nurses will play a vital role in providing care to the increasing number of patients who will be seeking medical services.

 

HB 206 will enhance the  APN’s ability to treat patients with schedule II controlled substances.

 

HB 206 passed the House Health Committee 14-3 last October.  It is time for the bill to be voted out of the House– all Ohioans should have access to prompt and appropriate health care!

 

* Wear your clinical attire and bring signs of support (but no signs on poles or sticks).

TeleNursing Network of the International Council of Nurses (ICN)

See this press release by the International Council of Nursing

http://www.icn.ch/PR07_09.htm

http://www.icn.ch/telenursing_network.htm

Where do you see telenursing in the future of nursing practice?

Nursing's Social Policy Statement: Public Comments Being Solicited

http://nursingworld.org/HomepageCategory/NursingInsider/Public-Comment-Nursings-Social-Policy-Statement-.aspx

Here is the cut and past from the American Nurses Association website below.

01/09/09
The American Nurses Association (ANA) Congress on Nursing Practice and Economics (CNPE) is seeking comments on the revision of Nursing's Social Policy Statement which states:

This revision of Nursing’s Social Policy Statement describes the essence of the profession by incorporating and building upon earlier thinking and writings. This social policy statement serves as a resource to assist nurses in conceptualizing their practice and provides direction to educators, administrators, and researchers within nursing. This statement also informs other health professionals, legislators and other regulators, funding bodies, and the public about nursing’s social responsibility, accountability, and contribution to health care. The description of the social context of nursing creates the foundation for understanding the definition of nursing, appreciating the purpose and use of the scope and standards of nursing practice, and valuing the elements of professional, legal, and self regulation.

If you are interested in participating in this review, please provide your comments on the draft Social Policy Stement (below) to Dr. Bickford via e-mail at [email protected] by 5:00pm EST on March 15, 2009.

Ohio Board of Nursing and Ohio Legislative Issues of Importance for Nurses

See http://www.ohnurses.org/AM/Template.cfm?Section=Legislative_Advocacy&Template=/TaggedPage/TaggedPageDisplay.cfm&TPLID=8&ContentID=1501.

This is from the Ohio Nurses Association Legislative Action Center.

Clinical Nurse Specialist Competencies

Urgent - Your feedback is requested on Core Competencies for Clinical Nurse Specialists

In May 2006 representatives from Clinical Nurse Specialist stakeholder groups were convened to participate in a National Consensus Initiative for Core CNS Competencies with the goal of identifying and reaching consensus on core CNS competencies relevant to the entry-level CNS, regardless of specialty, population, or setting.

Draft competencies and related specific behaviors have been identified. This is your opportunity to provide feedback about these core competencies, which reflect CNS practice and will guide future educational preparation. Let us know how these competency statements reflect your current practice and you academic preparation for the CNS role. We ask you to use the survey link below to provide your feedback.

Survey participants will be asked to rate competency statements and the related specific behavior statements for relevance and specificity.

You have until May 24, 2008 to complete. 

The survey can be accessed at the following link:

http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=nsURtU6cmiMgQKNp0WyFXQ_3d_3d

Thank you in advance for your feedback on this important initiative.

Turmoil Once Again in the ANA Enterprise

This is a long post.

Are you a member of a nursing professional association? If not, I am not surprised. If you follow this blog, you know I am a member of the American Nurses Association and Ohio Nurses Association however this may change after the ANA House of Delegates in June 2008.

The ANA House of Delegates provides direction to the ANA Board of Directors (or is it the other way around?) on the priorities and issues of the Association and the profession.

For the first time in my nursing career, I am considering whether or not to keep my membership in the American Nurses Association, Ohio Nurses Association, and the Southwestern Ohio Nurses Association. Its not about the dues for me, its the current and underlying turmoil with the American Nurses Association, Center for American Nurses, the United American Nurses, and State Nursing Associations.

I support the American Bar Association, not because I personally agree with all of its positions and statement. I support the ABA because it advocates for lawyers, the provision of legal services, and the rule of law. I also really like the ABA section membership publications for law practice management and solo practitioners.

I don't know if I can continue to support the American Nurses Association and the Ohio Nurses Association because of the infighting between the ANA, State Nurses Associations, the United American Nurses, and the Center for American Nurses.

I am a former Board member of the Center for American Nurses. I support and stand by the work of the Center because its relevant and needed for not only non-union nurses but it can also help union nurses. As a nurse attorney who represents individual nurses, I receive phone calls and emails from nurses, the majority of which are non-union, who need workplace support and assistance. Even with union nurses, the union assists with issues relative only to the collective bargaining agreement and these nurses need assistance.

Also my disgust with the ANA Enterprise issues involves the lack of workplace advocacy support in the Ohio Nurses Association for 2,000+ non-union nurses who support ONA but are not being serviced with state-based workplace advocacy services and products. I am one of those 2,000+ nurses non-union nurses who continue to belong and support the Ohio Nurses Association, although the majority of ONA's membership is collective bargaining and its the collective bargaining arm that uses the majority, if not nearly all of ONA's resources. There has to be a balance and as of today, in my opinion there isn't a balance.

Workplace Advocacy (non-union), Collective Bargaining (union), employment contracts, etc. are all tools for surviving and thriving in today's highly regulated workplace. Why are we still fighting? One tool isn't better than the other tool; multiple tools are needed, not just one tool.

The majority of nurses in the United States work in non-union and workplace advocacy settings. There are more than 3 million nurses (RNs, LPN, LVNs) in the United States and the majority of these nurses work in non-union environments; this is a fact.

In my opinion, I don't see these number shifting dramatically. It cost lots of money to organize a facility and most state nurses associations including the Ohio Nurses Association are not flush with cash to organize the masses and persuade nurses to join a union. A nursing strike in a state nurses association literally pushes the association to point of bankruptcy and financial ruin.  http://www.kentucky-nurses.org/. Review the article that discusses how the Kentucky Nurses Association and its union are parting ways.

Also union membership for nurses is typically tied to an organization. Gone are the days when the majority of nurses would start and finish their nursing career in one facility. You can be employed as a nurse in a union facility today and change positions next week and work in a non-union facility. Portability of licensure is the key.

Workplace advocacy support is needed and so is collective bargaining support. Non-union and workplace advocacy and collective bargaining can co-exist however I am not sure if it should be in the same association.

What do you think? Should State Nursing Associations exist purely as professional associations? Should State Nursing Associations exists as "blended" organizations, i.e. a professional association and a union? Should state nursing associations with the heavy or the majority of union membership convert to a union only status and focus only on the union activities?

There are 200,000 nurses (LPNs and RNs) in Ohio and in my opinion, the majority (50% or more) of these nurses will never be organized. Yes, I said it. The majority of Ohio's nurses will never be organized in a union. Its just not going to happen; look at the statistics, information, and the literature. ONA, which is a union and a professional association represents 6,000 via a union and 2,000 non-union. Also here, Ohio is a hotbed of union activity. We have the SEIU, NNOC, and Ohio Nurses Association here among others.

Also another thing that turns my stomach is how easy it is for nurses in one group/association/union (ANA enterprise) to say "we don't like those nurses" in this group/association/union (SEIU or CNA/NNOC) and vice versa. That's silly. We are all nurses and I don't say that I dislike a nurse because she supports the CNA/NNOC or the SEIU. 

Depending on the outcome of the ANA House of Delegates in June 2008, I will drop my membership in the American Nurses Association, Ohio Nurses Association, and Southwestern Ohio Nurses Association. I will also resign from the ANA Congress for Nursing Practice & Economics also.

I will remain a member of the Center for American Nurses and join as an individual member. I will continue my membership in TAANA, The American Association of Nurse Attorneys. I may consider joining the Kentucky Nurses Association. Why?

This is my blog and this is my opinion. I think the KNA Board made a choice that most State Nursing Association Boards don't want to consider or make. I applaud the KNA Board for making a choice. The KNA is splitting the professional association and the union. Some state nursing association executive directors and board members are happy and content to ride the fence although fence riding may not be in the best interest of the professional association, the union, and nurses in the state. Are some marriages just unhealthy?

Most executive and management level nursing professional association staff and the elected Boards are baby boomers. I have nothing against baby boomers (of course; the majority of my law firm clients are baby boomers) however in 15-20 years, I think and I am hoping the antiquated business and goverance models seen in some nursing professional associations today will be a thing of the past when Generation X and Y nurses manage and sit on the Board's of nursing professional associations. I am a Gen Xer if you haven't already guessed. 

The union vs. non-union debate is "played out" just like the entry level to practice in nursing debacle and the RN vs. LPN issue. Why are we still infighting about the same issues considering the state of healthcare and the nursing workplace? 

Most professional association staff and board members when asked "why don't nurses support your organization" have a multitude of answers and convoluted rationale for explaining the extremely low numbers. HINT. The problem is the professional association itself not the nurses who don't join professional associations.

Legal CE Track at National and State Nursing Association Seminars

I spoke this week in three cities in Illinois on legal issues in nursing. I am exhausted. I did however meet several wonderful nurses during these presentations.

One nurse asked, why aren't legal presentations scheduled more at conferences and seminars. That is a good question.

I would even propose that national and state nursing associations schedule a legal track at conferences, where nurses have the opportunity to learn about the most current legal issues impacting nursing practice.

I attend several conferences a year and there may be a legal topic here and there, but I have never attended a conference where a track is devoted to legal issues in nursing. In Ohio, Board of Nursing licensees are required to have one hour of CE on Ohio Nursing Law (Practice Act) and Rules (Board regulations) for licensure renewal. Therefore at most conferences for Ohio nurses you tend to see at least one hour of nursing law-related CE.

You might see a clinical track, educational track, pharmacological track, or a management track at a conference; what about a legal track? Do you think this is a good idea? What topics would you like to see covered?

Nursing Administration: Scope & Standards of Practice

This is from the American Nurses Association website:

The draft Nursing Administration: Scope and Standards of Practice document is available for public comment until February 20, 2008. The workgroup is interested in your comments about clarity and completeness of content. What gaps need to be addressed? Any other recommendations for improvement? Don't worry about grammatical errors. Those will be addressed in during later reviews and editing activities. Please use the online comment form to submit your comments. (See below.) If necessary, please contact ANA staff members Carol J. Bickford, PhD, RN-BC, at [email protected] [301-628-5060] or Yvonne Humes, Senior Administrative Assistant, at [email protected] [301-628-5070] for questions or other information.

****************************************************************************************

I don't think the majority of us as nurses appreciate the legal, ethical, and professional importance of the ANA Scope and Standards of Practice.

Are you familiar with the ANA Scope and Standards of Practice applicable to your practice area? To purchase see www.nursesbooks.org.

Legal Regulations & Professional Standards for Ohio Nurses

The Ohio Nurses Association updated this guide and its for sale. I ordered a copy for my reference library today. See www.ohnurses.org. for additional information.

American Association of Nurse Executives

ANNEX is a professional organization dedicated to supporting nurse executives in long-term care and its members include DONs, Staff Development Coordinators, ADONs, Nurse Administrators, Nurse Executives, and Corporate and Clinical Consultants. See http://www.aanex.org for additional information.

2007 Ohio Nurses Association Election

Please welcome the 2007-2009 ONA Board of Directors and Officers:

President Barbara Nash, Mid-Ohio District
First Vice President Diane Winfrey, Greater Cleveland District
Second Vice President Daniel Kirkpatrick, District 10
Secretary Linda Riazi-Kermani, Summit and Portage District
Treasurer Georgetta Prystash, Northwest Ohio District

Board of Directors Unstructured
Tracy Ruegg, Mid-Ohio District
Dorcas Fitzgerald, District 3

Board of Directors/Member of E&GW Commission
Paula Anderson, Mid-Ohio District
Joyce Powell, Summit and Portage District
Kelly Howard, Southwestern Ohio District

Local Unit Member, E&GW Commission
Jacinta Tucker (4-year term), East-Central District
Rose Marie Martin (2-year term), Mid-Ohio District

Nominating Committee
Karen Budd (Chair), Summit and Portage District
Mary Ellen Seiter, District 3
Annette Lavender, Southwestern Ohio District
Sally Morgan, Mid-Ohio District
Yvonne Smith, Stark-Carroll District
Julie Senita, Ashtabula District
Barbara Conn, Southern Ohio District

ANA Delegate at Large
Barbara Nash, Mid-Ohio District
Gingy Harshey-Meade, ONA CEO
Shirley Fields-McCoy, Mid-Ohio District

ANA Delegate, Unspecified
Linda Warino, District 3
LaTonia Denise Wright, Southwestern Ohio District

ANA Delegate, Nursing Service Administration
Diane Winfrey, Greater Cleveland
Susan Yoder, District 3

ANA Delegate, Nursing Education
Mary Beth Matthews
Dorcas Fitzgerald, District 3
Karen Budd, Summit and Portage District

ANA Delegate, Nursing Practice
Paula Anderson, Mid-Ohio District
Linda Riazi-Kermani, Summit and Portage District
Johanna Edwards, Summit and Portage District
Brennon Giles, Southern Ohio
Rose Marie Martin, Mid-Ohio District
Eric Williams, District 3
Joyce Powell, District 3
Jean Ansley, West Central District
Joyce Cox, Mid-Ohio District
Jennifer Cook, Southwestern Ohio District
Joylynn Daniels, Southwestern Ohio District
Sally Morgan, Mid-Ohio District
Ferlinda Powers, Mid-Ohio District
Joyce Shaffer, District 3
Kelly Christian, Southwestern Ohio District
Holly Klein, Summit and Portage District
Deborah Martz, Mid-Ohio District
Lynette Roush, Mid-Ohio District

UAN Delegates
Linda Warino, District 3
Rose Marie Martin, Mid-Ohio District
Eric Williams, District 3
Linda Riazi-Kermani, Summit and Portage District
Paula Anderson, Mid-Ohio District
Joyce Shaffer, District 3
Jean Ansley, West Central District
Jennifer Cook, Southwestern Ohio District

Center for American Nurses Delegates
Kathleen Montgomery, Greater Cleveland District
LaTonia Denise Wright, Southwestern Ohio District

For information about the Ohio Nurses Association, see its website at www.ohnurses.org.

Dues Increase Passed by ONA House of Delegates!!

I attended the ONA Convention this weekend. A dues increase was passed by the House of Delegates today. The Association will be able to hire additional staff and "do the work" of the profession with the increase in dues revenue.

I was elected by my colleagues as a delegate to the American Nurses Association House of Delegates and Center for American Nurses Membership Council both which meet in June 2007 in Washington, D.C.

If you have never attended a state nurses association convention, I would encourage you to attend. The energy throughout the convention is dynamic and there are lively discussions and debates of current nursing issues. A group of us talked to 1am this morning about current nursing issues. 

Nursing Standard of Care during Disasters

The ANA Quadrennial Policy Conference will take place June 20-22, 2007 in Atlanta, Georgia and will discuss the altered standards of nursing care during disasters.

In your opinion, what is the nursing standard of care during a disaster? Remember the nursing standard of care focuses on patient outcomes.

What are the standards of professional performance for nurses during disasters? Remember standards of professional performance focus on the nurse's clinical performance.

This is important because nursing standards of care and standards of professional performance provide a basis for determing the legal standard of care in malpractice and nursing negligence cases and may be utilized by a board of nursing to determine if a licensee practiced in a safe and competent manner in a given situation. This type of information could also be utilized in a criminal proceeding against a nurse depending on the allegations.

I am making plans to attend this conference and I hope to see you there.

For additional information see Legal Aspects of Standards and Guidelines for Clinical Nursing Practice published by the ANA in 1998.   

ANA Congress

I attended the ANA Congress on Nursing Practice & Economics meeting Sunday, September 17-Tuesday, September 19th in Silver Springs, Maryland at ANA Headquarters. I was elected to the Congress this summer at the ANA House of Delegates.

This is an exciting time for the Congress as we have over 60 elected nurse members from all over the country in different speciality areas and with varying degrees of education. I am looking forward to serving as a member for the next four years.

If you have an issue that you would like for me to bring to the Congress for discussion, please email me at [email protected]. For additional information about the ANA Congress please see www.nursingworld.org.

ANA House of Delegates

Becky Patton, an RN and member of the Ohio Nurses Association was elected President of the American Nurses Association this weekend at the ANA House of Delegates in Washington, D.C.

Three members of the Ohio Nurses Association were elected to the Congress on Nursing Practice & Economics. I am happy to report that I am one of the individuals.

Debbie Hatmaker from the Georgia Nurses Association was elected First Vice-President. Kathy Player from the Arizona Nurses Association was elected Second Vice-President. Susan Foley Pierce from the North Carolina Nurses Association was elected Secretary. Anne McNamara from the Arizona Nurses Association was elected Treasurer.

For a complete list of results see the American Nurses Association website at www.nursingworld.org.

ANA House of Delegates

I am attending the ANA House of Delegates next week in Washington, D.C. It promises to be a very interesting weekend as the delegates will elect the next ANA president, consider ANA bylaw changes, and other important work. I am also running for office in the ANA Congress on Nursing Practice & Economics.

The Center for American Nurses Membership Council Meeting follows the ANA House of Delegates this year. I am completing my two year term as a Director at Large on the Center's Board. I am not running for reelection at this time however I still plan to remain active in the Center.

This month was busier than expected however I will blog from the ANA House of Delegates and post the elections results.