Letter From the President
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school to obtain my master’s degree and then encouraged me to apply for her position when she left. But more important than her words were her actions. I witnessed her every day modeling the behaviors of someone I wanted to become: She was graceful under pressure, politically savvy and had the respect of the emergency department staff. I am just sorry that I never had the opportunity to thank her.
Two-Way Street What does it take to be a good mentee? The mentee should drive the relationship. As the mentee, you must be comfortable in communicating openly with your mentor. You must be clear about what you expect to accomplish by partnering with this person. Be committed to the
‘‘Mentoring is a brain to pick, an ear to listen and a push in the right direction.” John Crosby mentoring relationship and don’t forget to acknowledge your mentor. One of my goals as ENA president is to provide more opportunities for mentoring within our organization. We already have one great mentoring program in EMINENCE. The EMINENCE program is designed to pair ENA members with experienced Academy of Emergency Nursing fellows. AEN fellow mentors volunteer their time and talents to work with up-and-coming ENA members. This provides a wonderful
opportunity to share knowledge and experience with the next generation of emergency nurse leaders. The ENA Board of Directors has implemented a new program to pair an emerging leader with a board mentor. The mentors will spend the year helping their mentee develop their leadership goals and determine an action plan for national ENA contributions. I encourage all of you to acknowledge your mentors, find a mentor or become a mentor. Resources Loretto, P. (n.d.). Top 10 Qualities of a Good Mentor. Retrieved from www. interships.about.com Roberts, A. (1999). Homer’s mentor: Duties fulfilled or misconstrued. Retrieved from www.peermentor.net.
ENA STATE CONNECTION New Jersey ENA State Council New Jersey ENA will hold the 35th Annual Emergency Care Conference, March 13 – 15. This is the third largest emergency care conference in the nation. For more information, contact Cheryl Newmark, RN, NJ ENA media relations, at cgnrn75@yahoo.com. Share your state council and chapter news with emergency nursing colleagues from around the world in State Connection. Highlight council and chapter activities, announcements and other initiatives by submitting a short article to ENA Connection. Suggested topics include: • Volunteer opportunities to solicit, encourage and welcome members to get involved in your state or chapter • State council or chapter successes, achievements or accomplishments • Membership drive campaigns and updates • Award announcements or call for awards
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• Innovated projects, ideas or best practices Articles should be under 400 words and will be edited for length and clarity. High-resolution digital photos or images that can be scanned are welcome with your submission. State Connection also offers an opportunity to announce upcoming educational programs, state council or chapter meetings or special events in the “Meetings and Events” section. Include the following information with your submission: • State/Chapter name • Event/Conference name • Date of the event • Time • Location • Presenter(s) • Website or contact information To submit an article or event or for more information, contact us at connection@ena.org.
March 2013