May 2015 • Volume 26, Number 5
Nursingmatters www.nursingmattersonline.com
INSIDE: New “What If?” column
2
Opinion page
5
Heard it through the Grapevine
PAID
MADISON WI PERMIT NO. 1723
PRST STD US POSTAGE
8
Wisconsin awarded second grant by Judy Hansen, MS, BSN, RN
The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation recently announced that the Wisconsin Action Coalition, co-led by the Wisconsin Center for Nursing Inc. and the Rural Wisconsin Health Cooperative, has been awarded a second two-year grant through the Future of Nursing State Implementation Program. The $7.65 million initiative is helping states prepare the nursing profession to address our nation’s most pressing healthcare challenges — access, quality and cost. This award follows a successful first grant, “Taking the LEAD for Nursing in Wisconsin: Leadership, Educational Advancement and Diversity.” The Wisconsin Action Coalition is part of the “Future of Nursing: Campaign for Action,” a nationwide movement to improve health and healthcare through nursing. An initiative of AARP and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, the campaign includes Action Coalitions in 50 states and the District of Columbia working to implement the Institute of Medicine’s Future of Nursing recommendations. Match funding for the Wisconsin award was made possible by contributions from multiple stakeholders. “We are tremendously proud to be continuing with this program and look forward to doing even more to implement the Institute of Medicine Future of Nursing recommendations here in Wisconsin,” stated Judith Hansen, MS, BSN, and Wisconsin Center for Nursing executive director. “The work we are doing to transform nursing improves healthcare for everyone. We are grateful to the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and our many partners here in Wisconsin for this generous support.” The funding will support the next twoyear project, “Wisconsin Nursing LEADs the PACC – Partners in Action for Community Care,” which began Feb. 1. The PACC grant addresses two of the Institute of Medicine report’s key recommendations: “Increase proportion of nurses with a baccalaureate degree to 80 percent by 2020,” and “Expand opportunities for nurses to lead and diffuse collaborative improvement efforts.” Diversity will again be infused into all grant activities. Activities to advance academic progression will include annual surveys of
CONTRIBUTED
Managing the grant program will be, from left, Carol Sabel, PhD, RN, project manager; Judith Hansen, MS, RN, Wisconsin Center for Nursing executive director; Carolyn Krause, PhD, RN, Wisconsin Center for Nursing Board president; and Barbara Nichols, DNSc, MS,RN, FAAN, diversity coordinator.
Wisconsin nursing programs to monitor Bachelor of Science in Nursing completion enrollment, and development of a plan to retain associate degree students to graduate. The goal is to increase associate-degree completion by 10 percent and overall enrollment of bachelor’s-degree-completion students by 18 percent, to include 5 percent from groups that are traditionally underrepresented in nursing. A statewide media campaign will be created to promote bachelor’s-degree completion and Wisconsin nursing-education programs. To support life-long learning for nurses, the PACC project will advance previous activities with additional board-service training, and new offerings on philanthropy education. The goal for this part of the project is to provide educational sessions for no less than 50 participants, with 10 percent from minority groups. Web-based modules for board-service training and a mentor repository on the Wisconsin Center for Nursing website will also be developed. A new focus area in PACC will be the facilitation of team-based inter-professional collaboration for community-based models of care. This will include the establishment of employer-educator partnerships to develop these models. Key strategies include an
employer-educator summit, provision of educational offerings on regionally identified needs, and development of a community team-based care model for dissemination. A statewide conference on care coordination is scheduled June 12 at the Richard T. Anderson Conference Center on the Waukesha Technical College campus. Visit www.wisconsinnurses. org/education/conferences/wcn for more information. Wisconsin has been recognized as a national leader in diversity initiatives and these initiatives will continue within this project. The PACC project has also set a goal to double the number of American Assembly of Men in Nursing chapters in the state. The PACC project will be guided by an Advisory Council for both the grant work-plan and the Wisconsin Action Coalition, which will also serve to vet other related projects in Wisconsin. Leadership will be provided for the project by Judith Hansen, Wisconsin Center for Nursing executive director and project director; Carol Sabel, PhD, RN, CNE, project manager; and Barbara Nichols, DNSc (hon), MS, RN, FAAN, diversity coordinator. Molly Gottfried will serve as the administrative assistant. Contact Carol Sabel at carol@wicenter fornursing.org if interested in participating.
May • 2015
Page 2
Nursingmatters is published monthly by Capital Newspapers. Editorial and business offices are located at 1901 Fish Hatchery Road, Madison, WI 53713 FAX 608-250-4155 Send change of address information to: Nursingmatters 1901 Fish Hatchery Rd. Madison, WI 53713 Editor .......................................... Kaye Lillesand, MSN 608-222-4774 • kayelillesand@gmail.com Managing Editor .................................. Julie Belschner 608-250-4320 • jbelschner@madison.com Advertising Representative...................Andrew Butzine 608-252-6263 • abutzine@madison.com Recruitment Sales Manager ......................Sheryl Barry 608-252-6379 • sbarry@madison.com Publications Division Manager ................. Matt Meyers 608-252-6235 • mmeyers@madison.com
What if there is more to healthcare? Editor’s note This month we are starting a new food for thought column entitled “What If.” Brenda Zarth, with 28-plus years of nursing experience, will share her stories and convictions about how to improve the healthcare system by using nurses to the full extent of their education. Zarth will demonstrate how the essence of nursing – looking at the total patient, body, mind and spirit – fosters healing, is more effective and less expensive. We welcome comments and ideas. Brenda Zarth
Nursingmatters is dedicated to supporting and fostering the growth of professional nursing. Your comments are encouraged and appreciated. Email editorial submissions to klillesand@sbcglobal.net. Call 608-252-6264 for advertising rates. Every precaution is taken to ensure accuracy, but the publisher cannot accept responsibility for the correctness or accuracy of information herein or for any opinion expressed. The publisher will return material submitted when requested; however, we cannot guarantee the safety of artwork, photographs or manuscripts while in transit or while in our possession.
EDITORIAL BOARD Vivien DeBack, RN, Ph.D., Emeritus Nurse Consultant Empowering Change, Greenfield, WI Bonnie Allbaugh, RN, MSN Madison, WI Cathy Andrews, Ph.D., RN Associate Professor (Retired) Edgewood College, Madison, WI Kristin Baird, RN, BSN, MSH President Baird Consulting, Inc., Fort Atkinson, WI Joyce Berning, BSN Mineral Point, WI Mary Greeneway, BSN, RN-BC Clinical Education Coordinator Aurora Medical Center, Manitowoc County Mary LaBelle, RN Staff Nurse Froedtert Memorial Lutheran Hospital Milwaukee, WI Cynthia Wheeler Retired NURSINGmatters Advertising Executive, Madison, WI Deanna Blanchard, MSN Nursing Education Specialist at UW Health Oregon, WI Claire Meisenheimer, RN, Ph.D. Professor, UW-Oshkosh College of Nursing Oshkosh, WI Steve Ohly, ANP Community Health Program Manager St. Lukes Madison Street Outreach Clinic Milwaukee, WI Joyce Smith, RN, CFNP Family Nurse Practitioner Marshfield Clinic, Riverview Center Eau Claire, WI Karen Witt, RN, MSN Associate Professor UW-Eau Claire School of Nursing, Eau Claire, WI © 2015 Capital Newspapers
Nursingmatters
For Nursing Matters
I’ve been a nurse for 28 years and I think I’ve seen a lot. I went into nursing because I love people; I want to see them smile. I’ve always prided myself on being a good nurse and given it my best. I have often wondered, though, if there isn’t more to healthcare when I listen to my patients say they don’t feel good but their lab work comes back normal. They tell me they have had stomach pain for more than 20 years and no one can figure out why. We have accepted medications with side effects that can be severely debilitating and even cause death. I wonder about the state of healthcare; is this really the best we can do? Sandy made me think. Sandy was 29 years old; she had been admitted to the hospital for pain management and generalized weakness. After hospitalization, home healthcare was ordered to give her Physical Therapy and walker training due to severe weakness. She had burning pain associated with a rash on her arms and legs. No one knew where the rash had come from or how to treat it. Most of her lab tests came back normal. She was diagnosed with rash unknown etiology, uncontrolled pain, unsteadiness of gait, narcolepsy, hypothyroidism, depression, anxiety and gastro-esophageal reflex. She was discharged from the hospital with a Fentanyl patch, Percocet, Flexeril, Naprosyn, Dextroamphetamine, Effexor, Synthroid, Topamax, Prevacid and Zomig. She had been seen by the departments of Dermatology, Rheumatology and Infectious Diseases, but none of them could come up with a diagnosis. The final decision, she was told, was that it must be all in her head; the hospitalist ordered a Neuropsychology evaluation. I was to be her Home Health RN Case Manager, but I didn’t have any nursing visits approved by the insurance company because they didn’t have a clear diagnosis or need for teaching. My role was just to case-manage her
More than 22 doctors say there is nothing wrong with a woman deathly ill.
chart. I was intrigued by Sandy’s case, so I called her on the phone weekly to discuss her pain, rash and symptoms, and to case-manage her care. She was determined to find the cause of her pain. She had two young children and a disabled husband who depended on her, and she was not going to let them down. She thought there must be something negative written in her chart that made her doctors not want to listen to her, or maybe they thought she was crazy. She said they were tired of trying to figure out what was wrong with her. Because Sandy didn’t have faith in her current doctor, I helped her find a new primary physician. But still, the only significant finding on her initial nursing assessment was that she had not had a bowel movement in three weeks. I questioned her about this, but she said when she did have a bowel movement it took three hours of sitting on the toilet; it was painful and there was a lot of bleeding, until she finally passed a hard black rock. She didn’t want a bowel movement more frequently because of the pain. She had tried every laxative on the market and nothing worked. She did not like talking about it; she had been constipated for as long as she could remember. So her new primary MD did a thorough workup, but all her laboratory tests came back normal. We sent her to every specialist we could find looking for answers to why she had the rash and severe pain. A total of 22 doctors said she was within normal limits. The neuropsychologist said she was not crazy, that there was something physically wrong causing her rash, and to go back to her primary MD. After two months of calling her my time was up
but I wanted to lay eyes on this woman for myself and see if she looked sick. I went to see her to discharge her from my care and say goodbye. She was thin, her legs were purple and cold, she looked like a concentration camp victim and we cried. She said I was the only one who had listened to her and now there was no one else. I had nightmares of guilt and desertion for a month. I had no one I could think of to call or follow up with her care, and she was obviously dying. Then I watched the movie “The Passion of the Christ” and decided if Jesus Christ could die for me, I could make sacrifices for this woman. I couldn’t live with the guilt of desertion. I called Sandy the day after Easter and asked how she was doing. She said she hadn’t had a bowel movement in five weeks. If a Twinkie was unwrapped she would eat it, but she was too tired to open it. She was urinating once a day. Her family was waiting for her to die; every night her husband came home wondering if she would be alive. I asked if she would let me take her to a naturopathic doctor and she said yes. I called a naturopathic doctor who had been referred by a friend of a friend, and literally carried this girl to the appointment. She couldn’t remember the names and birthdates of her children; she couldn’t write her address. The naturopathic doctor looked at her and then yelled at me. As a healthcare provider, how dare I let someone sink into this state? They gave her colon hydrotherapy for a few hours and she passed a couple of large black rocks followed by a large amount of blood. After the session she did feel better. Her color was improved and she was able to walk with the walker and help. She wanted to continue. She was given a list of vitamins and herbs to take every two hours. One set was to detoxify and clean her out, and then two hours later she took supplements to build her up. She had colon hydrotherapy every day for a week; it was like watching her come back from the dead. The first day she was so weak she couldn’t think or walk by herself. The third day she talked non-stop like a cork had been pulled out of her brain. The seventh day she walked without her walker and we all cried again. It was like Lazarus coming back from the dead. Today she is happy, healthy and raising her children. Her problem was constipation, which was not seen as significant but nearly killed her. Had I taken her to the ER she most likely would have required surgery – and given her debilitated state I don’t think she could have tolerated it. She could have had IV fluids, which she may have been able to tolerate, but her kidneys were shutting down. Our healthcare system had let her down and she had no faith
continued on page 3
www.nursingmattersonline.com
May • 2015
Page 3
What if
continued from page 2
Book Review Stopping by the Side of the Road: A Tale about Dying By the Rev. Jody Whelden Reading this unique, powerful, heartwarming – and sometimes heart-wrenching – tale of dying transported me back to my days as a bedside nurse. It is a MUST-read for every nurse. But more than that, it is a must-read for anyone wishing for a beautiful, peaceful death. — Kaye Lillesand, RN, MSN, Editor of NURSINGmatters
in it. Since her constipation was chronic, her body had learned to adapt and she was stooling through the second largest organ of elimination – her skin. What was the cause of her illness? Her body was missing the lubrication she needed to move waste through her bowels. She now takes Aloe Vera capsules daily and has a frequent regular bowel movement. Due to her overall weakness and illness, she couldn’t work and was on Social Security Disability and Medical Assistance; her medications alone were more than $500/mo. Medical assistance paid for her to see 22 doctors who were not able to find the problem, but tried to the best of their ability with the tools they had. I would estimate the federal government easily paid more than $100,000, not including Social Security benefits, lost wages and stress on her family. Sandy’s naturopathic treatments cost $2,000, which I privately paid for, and she now spends about $15 per month for Aloe Vera capsules. What I learned from this case about healthcare alternatives made me nearly quit nursing. I felt like I had been in a closet my whole nursing career and someone opened the door. First I was disgusted and angry – angry with my nursing education that I didn’t know about Natural Medicine, angry that I was told it was quackery, angry with the American Medical Association and the limited education her doctors had received, and angry with pharmaceuticals that nearly contributed to her death. Sandy wanted to sue her doctors. The lawyer said he sympathized, but because 22 doctors told my patient she was fine, he would need to find a doctor to
Earn your BSN in just one night a week with Alverno’s 18-month RN-to-BSN program.
go against 22 colleagues. The lawyer also told her he had gone to Europe for his knee procedure because he could have a much better recovery time there, rather than having a knee replacement in the United States. He even said that following the procedure on his knee, he was so excited he approached an Orthopedic Surgeon in the United States to suggest we do the procedure here; the surgeon didn’t want to hear it. Doing surgery provides income and support for hospitals, and counteracts the financial drain of the chronically ill medical population admitted to hospitals. The reality is our healthcare system would not survive without money-making surgeries we perform. I realized we have a systems problem and we need an upgrade. Because Sandy did not have nausea, vomiting and abdominal distention, her constipation was not seen as significant by the physicians that evaluated her. As an infant Sandy was constipated and routinely had a bowel movement only once a week. So she didn’t see the significance of her slow bowels; she thought she must have some horrible disease. It wasn’t until her mid-20s that her system began to be unable to cope with inadequate colon function. As her body filled with toxins and waste, she developed severe burning pain. She started on narcotic pain medications, further decreasing her bowel function and increasing her constipation. Her ability to cope was overloaded. How can we stop this from happening again? Who are the Sandys in your life? Please email BrendaZarth@gmail.com or visit brendashealthplan.blogspot.com to send stories or comments.
This flexible program makes earning your BSN more manageable than ever before. • 18-month hybrid program open to women and men • Blend of online and classroom learning • One night a week alternating between online and in-class • One of the largest and most respected nursing schools in the state • One class at a time is perfect for work-life balance • 36 credits earned through nine, 8-week course blocks
Join us for an information session on June 16, 2015 Learn more: Call 414-382-6100 or visit alverno.edu/rnbsn
May • 2015
Page 4
Happy Nurses Week!
Nursingmatters
Mission changes lives – both volunteers and students Karen Klemp, RN, and Cheryl Manning, RN
Thank you. To our nurses: When we promise parents that their children are in the very best hands, it’s often your hands that we’re talking about. From all of us at Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin, thank you for your hard work, passion and unwavering dedication to the patients and families you see every day. Happy Nurses Week! chw.org
Crossing the International Date Line can be confusing. At a precise moment, today becomes tomorrow and yesterday is two days ago. Fortunately, the rest of our group’s trip from Madison to Manila, Philippines, was more understandable. There were seven volunteers in the Philippines to teach and to be taught – Karen Klemp, Carolyn Terry, Nancy Comello, Jane Krogstad, Cheryl Manning, Dr. Jamie Limjoco and her 10-year-old daughter Caiden, and Limjoco’s mother, Edna Limjoco, a retired NICU RN. We were to roll out for the first time in the Philippines the American Academy of Pediatrics global initiatives of “Helping Babies Breathe” and “Essential Care for Every Baby.” We had been invited by Vicki Penwell of Mercy in Action, a birthing center in Olongapo City. Penwell was already committed to giving mothers and babies healthy life experiences at her clinic. Penwell’s well-trained Filipino midwives were quick to pick up information to add to their practices. They were evaluating for abnormal birth conditions and starting resuscitation efforts, using mannequins and practice equipment in the neo-Natalie kits that our group had brought in our suitcases. The midwives then taught the same information
Learn Acupuncture &
Grow Your Holistic Nursing Skill Set Expand your scope of practice by learning evidence-based acupuncture & Traditional Chinese Medicine. Holistic nursing is continuously growing because patients are asking for an alternative approach to their health problems. You may be eligible for up to $14,300 in transfer/ tuition credit based on your prior nursing education.
to five healthcare workers from the local community. Those students enthusiastically received the training. Just what the American Academy of Pediatrics had hoped would happen, happened. The information is being shared across the Philippines. Penwell in turn taught the seven of us disaster preparedness for mother and infant, because the Philippines experience more natural disasters than most of the rest of the world. On average the country has 24 typhoons each year. There was an earthquake while we were there; floods are common. Philippine volcanoes have changed the country’s landscape and weather around the world. This will be knowledge we will share in the future. Besides leaving a part of our hearts there, we also left medical supplies — syringes, needles, gloves for the clinic and many newborn kits. After crossing the International Date Line on the way home, we once again weren’t sure if we were coming or going. But we were sure that we had been and went on a life-changing mission.
REGISTERED NURSES Mile Bluff Medical Center has full time and part time Registered Nurse positions available at our Crest View Nursing Home in New Lisbon and Fair View Nursing Home in Mauston.
Please apply online
by visiting our website at
www.milebluff.com or email your resume to
humanresources@milebluff.com Mile Bluff Medical Center 1050 Division St., Mauston Crest View Nursing Home 612 View St., New Lisbon
Next Quarter Begins June 27th Midwest College of 800-593-2320 or acupuncture.edu Oriental Medicine Approved by the Wisconsin Educational Approval Board and Illinois Board of Higher Education. Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine programs accredited by the Accreditation Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine, an agency approved by the Secretary of Education.
An Equal Opportunity Employer
www.nursingmattersonline.com
Page 5
May • 2015
Nurses admired — five traits Kaye Lillesand Nursing Matters editor
At the recent NURSINGmatters Career EXPO, we showed a film produced by Carolyn Jones. Carolyn followed several nurses at work for a year. When she spoke at lunch, she listed five characteristics of nurses that she observed and admired. I would like to share them with you and give you a nurse’s perspective of them. • No façade – an ability to be present A huge part of nursing is being present for the patient and family. It emanates from a deep caring about the individual and the knowledge that people know when it is real and respond accordingly. Being present helps nurses know when to be gentle or tough, patient or energetic, nutty or sweet, or whatever the situaLillesand tion demands. If a nurse tries to be someone he or she is not or to force a patient to be someone he or she is not, it does not work. Integrity and caring are crucial to good nursing care. Without it there is no satisfaction in our work and no satisfaction and
healing for the patient. • Extremely well-educated The essence of nursing is based on healing the whole person – body, mind and spirit. So a nurse’s education includes physiology, pathophysiology, mental health and illness, and spiritual health and illness. The unique gift we offer to patients is to help learn how these three parts – body, mind and spirit – are influencing one another in the healing process. Physicians are the experts in curing the body. Psychiatrists are the experts in working with the mind. The clergy are experts in working with the spirit. It is only nurses who are educated to look at all three at once so that patients can heal or have a peaceful death. • Ability to work without judgment Nurses believe in the inherent worth and dignity of human beings. The American Nurses Association’s “Code of Ethics for Nurses states,” “The need for healthcare is universal, transcending all individual
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Letter to the editor
The Home Health Planning and Improvement Act 2015 – S. 578, H.R 1342 – has been introduced for consideration by the 114th Congress. Thanks to the support from Sen. Susan Collins(R-ME) and Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY), along with Rep. Greg Walden (R-OR), Rep. Ron Kind (D-WI), and Rep. Danny Davis (D-IL), this bill if approved will amend a section of Medicare law that has kept advanced-practice nurses – a group that includes nurse practitioners, clinical nurse specialists and certified nurse midwives – from signing home-health plans of care and certifying Medicare patients for home-health benefits. These healthcare professionals coordinate the majority of skilled care for home-health patients and this outdated prohibition has led to delays in healthcare delivery. These delays in care not only inconvenience patients and their families, they result in increased cost to the Medicare system when patients are unnecessarily left in more expensive institutional settings. The Home Health Planning and Improvement Act would eliminate this barrier, permitting advanced-practice nurses to be recognized for services they are currently providing without added physician intervention. We need your help! We need you to take action and contact your member of Congress to ask them to cosponsor the Home Health Care Planning Improvement Act of 2015. Thanks for your continued support.
Ruling good for nurses
The U.S. Supreme Court’s Feb. 25 decision in a state dental board anti-competition case has far-reaching implications beyond dentistry and will have a significant, positive impact for nursing practice. It ensures nurses can work to the full extent of their education and training, unrestricted by unlawful anti-competitive interference. The American Nurses Association, which joined an amicus – friend of the court – brief in the case, is pleased the court ruled that the actions of the North Carolina Board of Dental Examiners to prevent non-dentists from offering teeth-whitening services were an unlawful attempt to suppress competition. Though the case pertained to dentistry, the association contends anti-competitive practices that restrict advanced-practice registered nurses or other healthcare professionals from practicing to the full extent of their education and training diminishes access to care for patients, increases healthcare costs and reduces healthcare quality. (The American Nurses Association) believes the court’s decision benefits consumers. (The American Nurses Association,) along with others who joined in the amicus brief, expressed concern that unsupervised state regulatory boards comprised largely of professionals practicing in the field they are regulating may be prone to act in their own economic self-interest by protecting their economic markets through methods that run counter to state policy and principles of competition. (The American Nurses Association) commends the (Federal Trade Commission’s) vigilance and pursuit of enforcement initiatives to ensure fair economic competition benefits all Americans in the healthcare sector.
differences. The nurse establishes relationships and delivers nursing services with respect for human needs and values, and without prejudice. An individual’s lifestyle, value system and religious beliefs should be considered in planning healthcare with and for each patient. Such consideration does not suggest that the nurse necessarily agrees with or condones certain individual choices, but that the nurse respects that patient as a person.” • Ability to use personal experience to make life better for others Our personal experiences help us to be empathetic rather than just sympathetic. I can immediately think of two personal experiences that reflect this. First when I was in labor with my first child thinking that if some nurse comes in here and tells me to relax – like I had suggested to women in labor – I think I’ll scream. I learned that there are many other ways to help someone in labor relax. “Would you like a backrub?” or “Can you take a few deep breaths?” are much more effective. Second, in my Pediatrics Nursing class we were taught never to take a child from a parent when admitting the child. We were to wait until the parent handed the child to us. I
always did that because I trusted our instructor. It wasn’t until I needed to admit my child that I really felt what a parent would feel like if a nurse just took the child from the parent. • Brave Whether it is working with high-tech machines, powerful drugs, mentally ill or confused patients, spiritually deprived patients, home-health patients, public-health situations, or anywhere nurses practice, it takes courage because the quality of someone’s life is dependent on the nurse’s skills and knowledge. Besides taking care of patients, advocating for them also takes courage. I know nurses who have taken on judges, attorneys, physicians, administrators, legislators and many others in positions of power in order to protect and advocate for a patient. Nurses are courageous because they believe in what they are doing and who they are doing it for! The film is being shown in some public venues and is available at americannurseproject.com – I urge everyone to see it.
Veterans bill supported by ANA SILVER SPRING, MD – The American Nurses Association applauds Rep. Sam Graves (R-MO) and Rep. Jan Schakowsky (D-IL) for their leadership in introducing the “Improving Veterans Access to Quality Healthcare Act of 2015.” The bill, H.R. 1247, allows Advanced Practice Registered Nurses who work in Veterans Health Administration facilities “full practice authority.” Full practice authority means allowing Advanced Practice Registered Nurses to practice to the full extent of their education and training, and provides a common-sense solution to the challenges associated with ensuring U.S. veterans have access to high-quality healthcare services. “This legislation will make a big difference in meeting the healthcare needs of our nation’s veterans,” said American Nurses Association President Pamela Cipriano, PhD, RN, NEA-BC, FAAN. “As the Veterans Administration works to address staff shortages that have contributed to delays in veterans’ access to care, an important first step is to remove barriers that prevent Advanced Practice Registered Nurses from providing a full range of services.” Advanced Practice Registered Nurses are advanced-practice registered nurses who have completed formal graduate education leading to at least a master’s degree in nursing, and increasingly to a doctor of nursing practice degree, in one of four Advanced Practice Registered
Nurses roles that provide primary, preventive and chronic care – nurse practitioners, certified nurse-midwives, clinical nurse specialists and certified registered nurse anesthetists. Currently, Advanced Practice Registered Nurses who work in Veterans Health Administration facilities are subject to the laws of the state in which the facility is located. While some states have removed restrictive practice regulations, in other states Advanced Practice Registered Nurses face regulations that limit their scope of practice, with veterans’ access to care suffering as a result. By recognizing these nurses to their full practice authority, the Veterans Health Administration can make the fullest use of these critical members of their healthcare workforce, maximize care delivery, and minimize waits and delays for care. The bill is consistent with the recommendations of the Institute of Medicine report “The Future of Nursing: Leading Change, Advancing Health,” and with proposals under consideration in the Veterans Health Administration. Additionally, Veterans Health Administration recognition of Advanced Practice Registered Nurses full practice authority would make the Veterans Health Administration consistent with the models already practiced by the U.S. Armed Forces, Indian Health Service and Public Health Service systems
continued on page 6
May • 2015
Page 6
Nursingmatters
Reprint in a series written by Signe Cooper and introduced by Laurie Glass in Nursingmatters
Josephine Balaty
Remembering a WWII hero This column originally appeared in Nursing Matters in August 1992 Marcia Gates 1915-1970 Two scrapbooks and other memorabilia relating to the World War II nursing career of Marcia Gates are in the archives of the Wisconsin State Historical Society. She was one of 67 nurses held as prisoners of war by the Japanese in the Philippines during the war. Gates, from Janesville, was one of five Wisconsin women held at Santo Tomas Camp in Manila; the others were Winiferd Madden of Montello and Alice Hahn of Cleveland, both nurses, and physical therapist Brunetta Keulthau of West Bend and Red Cross worker Marie Adams of Milwaukee. A graduate of Milwaukee Hospital School of Nursing, Gates entered the Army Nurse Corps in February 1941 and was sent to the Philippines – a U.S. dependency – in October of that year. She worked in two
different hospitals, but as the enemy came nearer she was sent to work in the hospital in the Melinta Tunnel in Corregidor. In spite of efforts to evacuate the nurses, Gates and her colleagues were taken May 9, 1942, by the Japanese and sent to Santo Tomas Internment Camp in Manila, where they were held for nearly three years. The camp contained more than 3,000 internees, mostly American and British. With limited supplies and equipment, and few medications, nurse internees cared for the ill in the camp’s hospital. During much of the time, Gates worked in the hospital’s laboratory. One of the scrapbooks contains an undated clipping from the Milwaukee Journal in which she was quoted as saying, “Santo Tomas was perfect for the first couple of years. We had money and a market... That lasted until the Japanese knew they were losing... Then the military took
over and it was pretty terrible... We lived on a thin rice mash that was mostly water, pigweed and the tops of potato plants for greens, and soybeans once or twice when we all came down with beriberi. “There were lots of epidemics – diphtheria, chicken pox, tuberculosis, dengue, malaria and amoeba. But I was fortunate.” After the Philippines were liberated, she returned to this country Feb. 24, 1945. She and the other nurses who had been interned were awarded the Bronze Star medal and the Presidential Citation with two oak leaf clusters. The citation for the Bronze Star noted that it was presented “for meritorious achievement while in the hands of the enemy, in caring for the sick and the wounded.” After the war, Gates’ career was in public health nursing. Her last position was on the staff of the Janesville Health Department. She died of a malignancy June 25, 1970.
Marcia Gates
An educational culture — the right angle priority. “Perhaps the nerds and the geeks need these educational skills, but in our home, they just Guest editorial: are not that important.” The basic problem with AmerOur schools face a huge ica’s educational system is not challenge today, because the that college is too expensive. Nor educational message that teachers is the basic problem that pubare trying to inculcate into their lic-school teachers are underpaid Gary Welton students is far too often dismissed or that educators are poorly at home. If you live in a subculture where trained. The basic problem with Amerieducation is not valued, it is unlikely you ca’s educational system today is that far will come to value your own educational too many children are given the implicit message at home that education is not a continued on page 7 Gary L. Welton
Veterans
continued from page 5 where veterans can now use their Veterans Health Administration health benefits under the Veterans Access Choice and Accountability Act of 2014 (P.L. 113-146). The American Nurses Association joins other national nursing organizations, representing more than 240,000 Advanced Practice Registered Nurses, in calling on members of Congress to support this important legislation. These include the American Association of Nurse Anesthetists, American Association of Colleges of Nursing, American
Association of Nurse Practitioners and the American College of Nurse-Midwives. The American Nurses Association is the only full-service professional organization representing the interests of the nation’s 3.1 million registered nurses through its constituent and state nurses associations and its organizational affiliates. The American Nurses Association advances the nursing profession by fostering high standards of nursing practice, promoting the rights of nurses in the workplace, projecting a positive and realistic view of nursing, and by lobbying the Congress and regulatory agencies on healthcare issues affecting nurses and the public.
May 6, 7, and 8: Labor and Delivery: The Latest Interventions for Childbirth Challenges May 6 – Appleton May 7 – Madison May 8 – Brookfield PESI HealthCare www.pesihealthcare.com or 800-8448260 May 8: Managing Psychotropic Medications for Older Adults University of Wisconsin-Madison Continuing Studies Madison www.continuingstudies.wisc.edu/aging or 608-262-2451 May 11: Pharmacology Updates Seminar Waukesha County Technical College Waukesha www.wctc.edu or 262-691-5578
May 12 and 13: Pediatric Problems, Emergencies and Lab Interpretation PESI Health Care Brookfield www.pesihealthcare.com or 1-800844-8260 May 22: Care That Matters: Providing Person-centered Dementia Care University of Wisconsin-Madison Continuing Studies Madison www.continuingstudies.wisc.edu/aging or 608-262-2451 June 12: Wisconsin Center for Nursing annual conference Wisconsin Center for Nursing Waukesha www.wisconsincenterfornursing.org
www.nursingmattersonline.com
Angle
continued from page 6 opportunities. We cannot expect our schools to inculcate values of learning when there is little to no reinforcement at home. The reality of life is that education and learning is not always fun. I was, and still am, an eager learner; nevertheless, some topics were uninteresting and seemed pointless when I first learned them. Some things are not intuitive; being sick and missing math class the day we were introduced to right angles, I was totally confused the day I returned to school. I could not figure out whether a right angle was the opposite of a left angle or the opposite of a wrong angle. That, of course, was an easy fix with a few questions that evening around the dinner table – an easy fix because my parents and my older siblings cared about education. No college opportunity was available to my father-in-law, but one of his primary goals in life was to enable his children to be college graduates. In order to fund this educational goal, he worked a factory job in addition to farming his own property. He only liked one of these jobs, but he worked them both because he wanted to make sure his children had every educational opportunity. In “Look Homeward, Angel,” Thomas Wolfe says, “He loved a farm better than anything in the world except a school.” My father-in-law communicated that value to his children. My father-in-law saw both his children succeed in college and recently celebrated
Page 7
May • 2015 the diplomas of all four of his grandchildren. He fostered an educational culture in which education was important. His children and grandchildren were motivated by his own continuing love of learning. President Obama has sought to increase the number of college graduates in America, and is currently proposing that federal and state governments pay the tuition for community college students. As Michael Horn recently stated in a CNN column, however, community colleges have not been particularly successful. Only 22 percent of students complete their two-year degree within three years and 28 percent within four years – in spite of the fact that tuition is already heavily subsidized. He concludes that 60 percent of tuition is already covered by federal, state, and local programs, and, for needy students, the remaining 40 percent is entirely covered by Pell Grants. Horn argues that providing free tuition will not fix the educational system. Indeed, the problem begins in American homes. When parents and caregivers communicate that education provides access to jobs and opportunities, and when parents demonstrate that college tuition is high on their list of priorities, students will come to value their educational opportunities. President Obama’s current proposal will not fix the problem unless the core issue of educational value becomes the focus. If we want to improve our educational system, creating an educational culture is the essential and right angle.
e e k W s e s r u Happy N Exceptional Faculty Top Rated Programs of Research
Largest Nursing Program in WI Top 10% by US News & World Report
85% of our Graduates stay in WI
Join UWM College of Nursing
www.nursing.uwm.edu
Page 8
WhyMSOE Undergraduate
School of Nursing?
May • 2015
Celebrate volunteer GrapeVine nurses Amanda Verbrick
• Direct entry in B.S. in Nursing • Guaranteed placement in clinical sequence • 96% graduate placement rate • Direct patient care starts as sophomore • Accelerated B.S. in Nursing for those with a BS or BA looking for a new career
Nursingmatters
In celebration of National Nurses Week, the Wisconsin Women’s Health Foundation wants to take the time to recognize our dedicated volunteer nurses of the GrapeVine Project. Since 2002, GrapeVine nurses have provided free women’s health education to more than 6,000 women in 41 Wisconsin counties. These are women who are Amanda Verbrick not connected to the health resources they need. Women who participate in the program often live in rural communities, do not have easy access to healthcare information, and might feel stigmatized by their health issues. GrapeVine-Project nurses generously donate their time and expertise by organizing community health-education sessions. They aim to connect women with the information and resources they need to truly impact their health and well-being, as well as motivate them to adopt healthy habits. Ardyce McMillen, a GrapeVine nurse from Marquette County, attested to the
personalized attention the GrapeVine program offers unit topics its audiences. Bone Health “Doctors and – Osteoporosis nurses are so busy Breast Cancer that it seems like Breastfeeding patients have less Diabetes Prevention Domestic Violence and less time with Gynecologic them, so it’s nice Cancers when we are able Healthy Aging Brain to take the time to – prevent Dementia talk to individuals Heart Health about their health Mental Health concerns during Oral Health GrapeVine sessions,” she said. “Sometimes people just need someone to listen to them.” GrapeVine sessions encourage a dialogue surrounding important health issues. The program’s volunteer nurses help women make positive lifestyle changes, gain confidence in healthcare providers and understand their own bodies. GrapeVine nurses also affect many more people than just those who attend their sessions, because women most often make healthcare decisions for their families. To reach different
continued on page 9
M.S. in Nursing
Meeting the needs of mid-management and executive level nurses, and nurse entrepreneurs who must be able to lead teams, manage financial resources, analyze large data sets, understand complex organizational systems, and ensure quality and safety, all through the lens of nursing practice.
Graduate Program Showcase May 12, 5–7 p.m.
msoe.edu • (800) 332-6763
Graduate
Health Care Systems Management
For more than 160 years, nurses have enjoyed a rewarding career at Columbia St. Mary’s. That includes all the benefits of a strong, stable organization. But our nurses are also part of a team of healthcare providers who receive our full support in delivering the highest quality and most personal care to their patients. And that means we’re not the only ones showing our appreciation for a job well done. How rewarding can it be to practice nursing at Columbia St. Mary’s? To begin to find out, visit PA S S I O N F O R PAT I E N T C A R E . O R G
www.nursingmattersonline.com
May • 2015
Page 9
Page 9
GrapeVine
continued from page 8 communities of women, current nurses have talked at churches, hospitals, retirement homes, libraries – and even a hockey rink while moms awaited their sons’ game. “It makes sense to me to reach women where they’re at,” said Sue Richards, a Dane County GrapeVine nurse. “I admit, the idea of holding a health-education session at a hockey rink sounded odd at first, but it worked! GrapeVine has provided me with some structure so that my clinical experience can translate into healthy behavior changes for women. I love being present with women as they commit to becoming advocates for their own health.” Get Involved! Anyone who is a nurse looking to give back, consider joining GrapeVine. The program is currently recruiting nurses and retired nurses to join the team to educate women about health topics that disproportionately
Ardyce McMillen was trained for the GrapeVine Project in April 2008 and has presented nine educational sessions in Reedsburg. She is a Parish Nurse at the Reedsburg Bible Baptist Church.
affect women. The GrapeVine Project is holding a conference June 1-2 in Madison to train new and existing nurses. Contact Nora Miller at nmiller@wwhf.org or visit wwhfblog.com for more information. Amanda Verbrick has a degree from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in Community and Nonprofit Leadership. She currently works at the Wisconsin Women’s Health Foundation as the program assistant to the GrapeVine Project.
OUR PATIENTS RAVE ABOUT THEM. WE DO TOO. Their passion is amazing. Their tireless energy, an inspiration. And though they didn’t get into nursing for the spotlight, we’d like to shine it on them for just a moment. Because the nurses of ProHealth Care represent the best of what people expect from us. In hospitals, clinics and even homes throughout our community, they go the extra mile to treat patients with the respect they deserve. We thank our nurses for the difference they make in everything they do. Every day. To learn about nursing opportunities at ProHealth Care, visit ProHealthCare.org/Careers.
DON’T WAIT! Get started on your RN-BSN degree this summer! 100% online • Classes begin May 18 45 S. National Ave. l Fond du Lac, WI 54935-4699 1-800-2-MARIAN ext. 7650 l www.marianuniversity.edu/apply
Waukesha Memorial Hospital Oconomowoc Memorial Hospital Rehabilitation Hospital of Wisconsin ProHealth Cancer Center Moreland Surgery Center ProHealth Care Medical Associates Clinics ProHealth Home Care AngelsGrace Hospice Regency Senior Communities
May • 2015
Page 10
Nursingmatters
Helen Bader with sons, 1963
Foundation gives grants Thank You,
Nursing Faculty & Staff In the spirit of Nurses Week, the Henry Predolin School of Nursing at Edgewood College thanks its nursing faculty and staff for their outstanding contributions to educating future nurses and nurse leaders.
Margaret Noreuil, Dean Jenna Alsteen Cathy Andrews Ruth Baier Martine Banda-Wolk Mary Elizabeth Bathum Chris Bell Lena Blakeslee Gerrie Bleifuss Mary Brueggeman Jacinda Burdon Nancy Comello Bridget Counts Pamela Crary Carrie Croft Heidi Deininger-Kinney Kathy Dineen Tom Doherty Vicki Evenson Barb Gallogly Taylor Garcia JoAnne Granquist Colleen Gullickson Erika Helmer Julie Hudziak Joan Jacobsen Mary Kelly-Powell Angela Krey
Betsy Laessig-Stary Tish Lafferty Jane Lucht Jeneile Luebke Cleary Kristen Menningen Brenda Merrell Pamela Minden Kim Moreland Tara Morris Lottie Most Quinn Mullikin Nancy Patrick Roberta Pawlak Nancy Pullen Katrina Pycha-Holst Claude Rochon Bethany Saddler Katie Selle Yulia Semeniuk Lori Severtson Beth Strauss Tracy Towne Kimberly Walker Karil Walther Britt Wanta Jennifer Weitzel Elaine Wheeler Maria Yelle
connect.edgewood.edu
Wisconsin League of Nursing Inc., which promotes nursing education to enhance the quality of health and healthcare in Wisconsin, is receiving a two-year $60,000 grant from the Helen Bader Foundation. The grant supports Wisconsin League of Nursing’s efforts to promote advanced nursing studies, with an emphasis on gerontology, in rural areas of Wisconsin. Based on an extreme shortage of nurses and individuals who are able to care for older adults, particularly in rural Wisconsin, the league will offer tuition support to individuals who will focus on gerontology as they pursue an advanced-practice nursing degree or post-master’s certificate of education degree. The program allows individuals located in rural communities who are currently employed full-time or part-time an opportunity to update their required academic degrees. Applicants are screened for evidence of intended academic enrollment via a structured validated search; tuition support is disbursed directly to the school of nursing of the applicant. Certification Nursing Scholarships to support post-graduate candidates whose intent is to seek certification in adult gerontology and advanced-practice gerontology through the American Nursing Credentialing Center will also be awarded. These scholarships will be for Generalist Specialty Certification, Clinical Nurse Specialist Certification and Nurse Practitioner Certification, all with an emphasis in Gerontology. “The (Wisconsin League of Nursing) is committed to making an impact on the future of nursing and healthcare delivery in Wisconsin,” said Maureen Greene, Ph.D., RN, CNS-BC, ACNP-BC, recent past president for the Wisconsin League of Nursing, and Advanced Practice Nurse and Researcher at Wheaton Franciscan Healthcare, Milwaukee. “Through the generous support from the Helen Bader Foundation, (Wisconsin League of Nursing) can increase the number of healthcare professionals in the field to meet the increased needs of Wisconsin’s aging community.” Visit www.wisconsinwln.org for more information. The Helen Bader Foundation also, in its fight against Alzheimer’s disease
throughout Wisconsin, recently granted $1.082 million in funding to various Alzheimer’s and aging organizations throughout the state. With an emphasis on enhancing the quality of life for older adults in rural communities, the new grants will help create, expand and bolster a variety of efforts to address various challenges that greatly improve the quality of life of Wisconsin’s aging community. Since opening its doors in 1992, the foundation has led with Helen Bader’s vision – to play a key role in supporting statewide initiatives and collaborations aimed at finding innovative approaches to assist those affected by Alzheimer’s, dementia and aging. This recent list of grant awardees represents the foundation’s continued commitment to provide an average of $1.5 million annually to support organizations that provide solutions for families struggling with Alzheimer’s disease, as well as creative- and healthy-aging projects, according to foundation officials. To date, they say the foundation has given nearly $43 million in related grants to make it the largest private funder of Alzheimer’s and aging in the state. “With the rapidly increasing number of older adults, we have been hearing from communities across Wisconsin on how to address the various health, wellness and social needs of Wisconsin’s aging community,” said Helen Ramon, program officer and manager of the foundation’s efforts to address Alzheimer’s and aging. “We at Helen Bader Foundation are continually striving to keep our home state a national leader in how we serve older adults, and we’re impressed by the dedication of individuals and communities that share that vision for an elder-friendly Wisconsin.” The foundation’s approach to addressing Wisconsin’s aging community involves working with organizations to assure that programs and resources are available to meet the increased demand for services. Visit hbf.org for more information.
www.nursingmattersonline.com
Page 11
May • 2015
BETTER TOGETHER
SM
THANK YOU TO OUR NURSING AND PATIENT CARE SERVICES STAFF FOR THE SUPERB MEMBER CARE PROVIDED EACH DAY. For a complete and accurate listing of all our patient care career opportunities, visit ghcscw.com
P.O Box 44971 Madison, WI 53717-1962 (608) 251-4156 (800) 605-4327 TDD (608) 828-4815 EOE-Minorities/Females/Disabled/Vets
ghcscw.com
Group Health Cooperative of South Central Wisconsin (GHC-SCW)
MK07-107-3(4/15)A
A new nursing tool will help school nurses deal with chronic illness.
New tool removes school-nurse isolation MADISON – Lori Anderson, the daughter of an Oconomowoc school nurse, saw the daily challenges of school nurses even as a kid: not enough time, too few resources and isolation from peers. As a clinical professor at UW-Madison’s School of Nursing, Anderson helped tackle those problems by creating a Web-based tool that school nurses in 30 Wisconsin counties and across West Virginia are now using to treat and better understand kids’ chronic illnesses. Called eSchoolLori Anderson Care, the tool allows school nurses to go online to tap into expertise from the School of Nursing and the American Family Children’s Hospital to help treat children with asthma, diabetes, severe allergies, cancer and mental health disorders. Another module, on caring for kids with epilepsy, is under development. After graduating from nursing school, Anderson recalls her first job as a school nurse in Mukwonago and the professional isolation she felt. “That feeling stuck with me, of being out in a school, the only healthcare person and people were counting on me to know a lot of things,” she said. “But I could always pick up my phone and call my mom.” In a similar – but digital – way, eSchoolCare helps school nurses stay current, confident and connected, with the goal of improving children’s health and their classroom performance. Bolstering academic success is key because children with chronic conditions are three times more likely to miss significant amounts of school and are nearly three times more likely to repeat at least one grade, compared to healthy children. “School nurses are increasingly asked to take care of kids with complex health problems,” Anderson said. “It’s not just
Band-Aids.” She said 18 percent of school-aged children have or are at-risk for a chronic health condition. The mobile-enabled eSchoolCare platform provides updated, research-based guidance on treatments in modules written in each subject area by physicians and advanced-practice nurses at American Family Children’s Hospital. The nursing modules receive independent quality reviews by national experts and are routinely updated with new information. School nurses using eSchoolCare – which has been endorsed by the National Association of School Nurses – find it a helpful, easy-to-navigate tool for nurses who are often on the move. “The videos help me teach students how to use their medications as they learn self-management skills,” said Valerie Hon, district nurse in the Portage Community School District. “The tools show how other students, similar in age, are doing. Another benefit is that I can really delve into professional development by using resources identified for each of the topics. If I have questions, I can pose them to others on the community forum, to learn how others are approaching the same topics.” The effectiveness of eSchoolCare helps remove learning barriers for kids with chronic conditions, Hon added. The program, developed with a 2011 grant from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, is now supported by school district subscriptions and gifts. Anderson hopes to expand the use of eSchoolCare. The program was in the inaugural class of Discovery to Product, which helps commercialize UW-Madison innovations. “We’re nurses, not business people, so we’re trying to figure out a business model so we can make it as successful as possible,” Anderson said. “It’s a great example of using the university’s healthcare expertise and literally taking it out into the state.”
Your commitment, dedication and compassion are an inspiration to nurses everywhere. And we are lucky to have you as part of Froedtert Health. Claim your rightful place on our legendary nursing team, and join us at the location of your choice.
Community Memorial Hospital – Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin
Founded in 1964, Community Memorial Hospital takes pride in improving the quality of life for the people of Waukesha, Washington, Milwaukee and Ozaukee counties by combining next-generation technology with highly personalized care. We enjoy a national reputation as a provider of exceptional health care services; have received many awards for innovation; Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO).
Froedtert Hospital – Milwaukee, Wisconsin
An academic teaching hospital, Froedtert Hospital is also the gold standard in nursing excellence. Our ANCC Magnet re-designation status, continuous FACT re-accreditation, make Froedtert Hospital an ideal career choice for discerning RNs.
St. Joseph’s Hospital – West Bend, Wisconsin
Built in 2005, St. Joseph’s Hospital is a full-service facility serving residents of West Bend and Washington County. St. Joseph’s Hospital provides 24-hour emergency care and is an accredited e Joint Services (CMS), an organization noted for rigorous standards in quality care and patient safety.
Community Clinics
With more than 30 primary and specialty care health centers and clinics, nursing professionals at Froedtert Health are uniquely positioned at the forefront of medical innovation.
A better nursing career is possible at Froedtert Health.
If you are committed to providing advanced, comprehensive care in a collaborative setting, you’ll WorkplaceDynamics and the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, we know that the distinct knowledge and at’s why we make it our mission to enable nursing team members to be leaders in a workplace that embraces environment.
Come seeWhat Is Possible here.
To learn more about Froedtert Health and to apply for Nursing jobs, visit froedtert.com/careers. rmative action in employment based on race, sex, disability and status as a protected veteran. We welcome protected veterans to share their priority consideration status with us at 414-777-1680. We maintain a drug-free workplace and perform pre-employment substance abuse testing.
froedtert.com/careers
May • 2015
Page 12
Nursingmatters
8th Annual
RN’s, are you looking for a new and exciting career opportunity to use your knowledge outside of a clinic or hospital environment? Our positions allow you to use your nursing knowledge in an office setting! You’ll love having your weekends and holidays free while enjoying a set work schedule!
DIABETES SYMPOSIUM of Wisconsin
A Medical College of Wisconsin CME Program
Complete our on-line application at www.wpsic.com and we will actively review your resume for opportunities that come up throughout the year! We offer competitive salary, comprehensive benefits and an opportunity to grow professionally! EEO/AA
Thursday, May 14th & Friday, May 15th, 2015 at the
Italian Community Center, Milwaukee, WI Go to http://www.mcw.edu/diabetessymposium for more info
Thank You
Home Health United Nurses Home Health United extends heartfelt gratitude to our skilled nursing team for their
exceptional
dedication, devotion & professionalism. We recognize and appreciate the
Exceptional
Care Comes Home
Providing our patients continuity of care...
Home Health Palliative Care Hospice
extraordinary efforts they extend every day to help our patients accomplish their goals for health, safety & independence.
1-800-924-2273 HomeHealthUnited.org
NURSING OPPORTUNITIES AVAILABLE We are focused on our mission - to promote optimal health and quality of life to those we serve with exceptional, comprehensive care. We offer a competitive compensation/benefit package which includes medical & dental insurance, a retirement plan with company matching contribution, and generous paid time off. Apply online at HomeHealthUnited.org Julie Jacobson • 608-241-6929 • JJacobson@hhuvns.org Fax: 1-866-553-0710
AP
Angie Stone of HyLife oral care services greets George Schmidt, 88, before caring for his teeth at Huntington Place in Janesville.
Edgerton woman takes aim at dental hygiene Stone does is wonderful. EDGERTON, WI (AP) – Angie Stone has Growing up in a large family without a an unusual combination of passions. huge calcium intake, her husband has always Her love for the elderly and her backhad problems with his teeth, Mary Jane ground as a dental hygienist has led her to Schmidt said. start HyLife, a caregiving business aimed at “I think it means a lot to George,” she addressing a problem most never consider – said. “It means a lot to me. It’s very importnursing home residents’ poor oral health. ant.” Stone’s new book, “Dying from Dirty Mary Jane Schmidt came into contact Teeth,” outlines the issue: Dependent senior with Stone through a recommencitizens aren’t being given proper dation from her husband’s Stoughoral care, and they’re dying because ton-based dentist, Richard Albright. of it. Poor oral hygiene can lead As a result, Stone has been seeing to heart attacks, lung disease and George Schmidt every week since strokes, Stone said. August 2013. Though oral care is required for “She does an amazing job,” Sugnursing-home residents, staff memden said. “She’s great with the staff bers don’t have as much training in Angie Stone here and other residents. She’s a huge the area as Stone. Certified nursing inspiration to me.” assistants receive about an hour’s Stone and George Schmidt have formed worth of oral care training, Stone said. a bond. Stone spoke to him throughout the Stone has 30 years of experience. entirety of a recent cleaning, and when he “We do oral care, but obviously staff wasn’t sleeping, he spoke back. aren’t trained to do what needs done,” said After the procedure, Stone rubbed his Melissa Sugden, Huntington Place resihand and whispered, “You did good, George.” dent-service coordinator. “She’s very thorA passion is born ough, and she’s always getting lots of things Stone had a great experience with an we don’t see.” A typical cleaning takes about 15 minutes. orthodontist back when her teeth were “all over the place,” she said. It pushed her into Stone brushes and flosses clients’ teeth and then lines their mouths with xylitol, a natural dental hygientistry. “That care changed my life,” she said. “I sugar substitute that makes it harder for was just fascinated with how having good bacteria to produce plaque. oral care, a good smile, could affect some“It seems so simple, but when you read one’s life.” my book, you’ll see why it’s not simple,” Stone’s inspiration to start HyLife began Stone said. with two women: her mother-in-law, Gladys Her eye is trained to pick up potential Stone, and her grandmother Helen Schrantz. problems, such as the broken teeth she Gladys Stone entered a nursing home found in Huntington Place resident George with lung disease. Without a dentist or denSchmidt’s mouth. With Stone’s help, he was tal hygienist on staff, Angie Stone watched able to have his problems addressed, adding as plaque built up in her mother-in-law’s quality to his life. continued on page 14 His wife, Mary Jane Schmidt, thinks what
www.nursingmattersonline.com
Page 13
May • 2015
Assistant Professor of Nursing The Henry Predolin School of Nursing at Edgewood College announces the opening for two full-time tenure track faculty positions beginning with the academic year 2014-2015. Responsibilities include teaching at the undergraduate and graduate (MSN and DNP) levels. Graduate concentrations include Nursing Administration and Leadership. Qualifications: • Earned PhD in Nursing (preferred), or doctorate in related field with a Master’s degree in Nursing; DNP may be considered • Eligible for RN licensure in the State of Wisconsin • Evidence of teaching, scholarly and community services potential • Knowledge and skills in contemporary practice issues related to the AACN Essentials • Demonstrated commitment to promoting diversity, inclusion, and multicultural competence To Apply: Send a letter of application, resume, and references to: Edgewood College Human Resources – APN1 1000 Edgewood College Drive Madison, WI 53711 www.edgewood.edu E-mail: humanresources@edgewood.edu Equal Opportunity Employer
What makes Florastor probiotics unique? Saccharomyces boulardii CNCM I-745
! y l i m a F e l o h for the W
PROBIOTIC for Daily Use
Appropriate for the entire family starting at two months of age†1 Perfect for travel and active lifestyles; it’s practical, it’s portable, and it doesn’t need refrigeration Works with antibiotics and offers more complete protection over some bacterial probiotics†2 Made with all natural ingredients that are vegetarian and gluten-free Supports a healthy immune system †3;70% of your immune system is located in your digestive tract
Contact your local representative, Melissa Stoeger, for samples and information. Phone: (541) 743-1662
Available at your local retailer †
www.florastor.com
These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.
1. Vandenplas Y, Brunser O, Szajewska H (2009) Saccharomyces boulardii in childhood. Eur J Pediatr 168: 253-265. 2. Klein SM, Elmer GW, McFarland LV, Surawicz CM, Levy RH (1993) Recovery and elimination of the biotherapeutic agent, Saccharomyces boulardii, in healthy human volunteers. Pharm Res 10: 1615-1619. 3. Martins FS, Silva AA, Vieira AT, Barbosa FH, Arantes RM, et al. (2009) Comparative study of Bifidobacterium animalis, Escherichia coli, Lactobacillus casei and Saccharomyces boulardii probiotic properties. Arch Microbiol 191: 623-630.
May • 2015
Page 14
Hygiene
continued from page 12 mouth. Her lung disease continued to worsen at an alarming rate despite the antibiotics she took, Angie Stone said. “I know her mouth played a role in infecting her lungs,” she said. “When she died, I vowed I was going to do something to help.” At the time, Angie Stone had no idea what it would be. Schrantz also entered a nursing home late in life. In two years, she lost 60 percent of her teeth, Stone said. “I buried her with no front teeth,” Stone recalled, “and as a dental hygienist, that
haunts me. It should have never happened.” At the time, Stone was seeing a client like George Schmidt once a week. In her time with him, the client never had bleeding gums, tooth decay or pneumonia, and his blood sugars were well maintained, Stone said. She said she might leave the nursing home crying if he had a bad day. It can be sad, hard work, she said, but wouldn’t trade it for anything. “I look forward to seeing them (the Schmidts), and they look forward to seeing me,” she said. “You gotta have that connectivity. If it’s in your heart and you love the population, it’s worth it.” “I love it,” Mary Jane Schmidt said of
Edgewood College Henry Predolin School of Nursing School of Nursing Simulation Education Specialist Position Description Edgewood College Henry Predolin School of Nursing (SoN) is seeking a .50 FTE nursing faculty member with expertise in clinical practice to serve as Simulation Education Specialist. Faculty member will provide oversight and teaching as well as assessment of students’ learning. The Simulation Education Specialist collaborates with faculty to develop and implement simulation-based educational experiences designed to enhance patient safety and quality in health care delivery. This person reports to the Dean, SoN. Responsibilities: Curriculum • Assumes leadership role in working with faculty and lab manager to develop curriculum for Patient Care Areas which includes health assessment, clinical skills, low, medium and high-fidelity simulation; • Determines the most effective simulation experiences to assist students in developing competencies; • Actively contributes to the development, conducting and evaluation of simulation-based experiences with particular emphasis on creating life-like scenarios for educational purposes; • Leads small group learning sessions and encourages reflection of simulation experiences. Faculty Partnerships • Collaborates with faculty to integrate simulation experiences (e.g. The Neighborhood software experiences) into the learning environment of theory courses; • Collaborates with faculty in identifying learning needs, and developing and implementing creative learning environments; • Orients new faculty, staff and students to simulation. • Collaborates with faculty in orienting new faculty to the Patient Care Areas of the SoN as well as the Center for Healthcare Education and Simulation (CHES); Knowledge, skills and abilities • Knowledge of curriculum design and evaluation; • Maintains current expertise in clinical skills and with standards of practice; • Effectively teaches with individuals and small groups; • Works collaboratively with faculty in identifying learning needs, and developing and implementing creative learning environments; • Maintains current expertise in use of equipment including but not limited to simulation models; • Possesses effective written and verbal communication skills; • Organizes, prioritizes and multitasks on a daily basis; and Operations/Management • Establishes and maintains current and long term planning, including expenditures and projected budgetary needs for patient care areas and activities. Submits plan to SoN Dean annually in preparation for budget planning; • Works collaboratively with faculty and staff to maintain safe, current, interactive, equipped learning labs.
Nursingmatters
Stone’s compassion and work. “I love her, too. She’s precious. Her personality speaks for itself.” A growing business HyLife is still in its infancy. The oral-care component of the company began last July; HyLife currently employees 10 caregivers in four Midwestern states and Florida. Families of nursing-home residents hire HyLife employees to provide oral care, Stone said. Though each of HyLife’s 10 employees is a licensed dental hygienist, they operate as certified caregivers under HyLife. That limits what they can do in terms of using equipment or removing plaque, but being trained dental hygienists gives them a leg up when it comes to thorough oral care. Should a HyLife caregiver notice a problem with a client’s teeth, he or she will notify the facility’s staff and refer the client to a local dentist, as Stone did when she found George Schmidt’s broken teeth. George Schmidt’s oral issues aren’t uncommon for people his age. Stone said dependent nursing-home residents suffer the worst oral hygiene and have the worst oral health of any population in the country. “There’s already a workforce that can handle this problem, and that’s the dental hygienists,” Stone said. “When we’re acting as caregivers, we can help put a dent in that
statistic. We can help get rid of that statistic.” HyLife hasn’t done any marketing, because its mission right now is to plant seeds and put the word out, Stone said. “Right now, we’re in education mode to really sound the alarm of what’s going on,” she said. Besides a dedication to keeping elders’ mouths clean, Stone’s company aims to offer autonomy and extra income to dental hygienists, many of whom don’t work full time, Stone said. HyLife also is a support network of like-minded professionals who can help each other when needed. Stone’s company might be small right now, but her ambitions are huge. “My dream is to have a team all over the country acting as caregivers and taking care of this population so they’re not dying from dirty teeth,” she said. People don’t always understand what Stone’s doing because it’s different. “I’m in front of the curve, and in front of the curve can be a lonely and scary place sometimes,” she said. Despite the challenges and enormous task ahead, Stone will keep pushing ahead. “In the U.S. in 2015, should people die from dirty teeth?” she said. “No. I don’t think so. We’re doing something, and we’re absolutely helping.”
RN Management in Assisted Living LPN opportunities also available
Join an organization that is a recognized leader in the industry.
Qualifications: • A master’s degree in nursing is required; DNP preferred. • Certified in Simulation Education preferred (Certified Healthcare Simulation Education (CHSE) • Current Wisconsin RN license required. • Excellent communication and interpersonal skills. • Leadership and organizational skills. • Recent teaching experience in clinical and/or nursing simulation/skills laboratory preferred. • Experience with patient simulations strongly preferred. • Computer skills in Word, Excel, and online learning systems.
Greater Milwaukee Area
Considering a change to assisted living? Seeking a management position with a progressive organization that will support your personal development? Laureate Group, a leading provider of senior housing and assisted living services in the greater Milwaukee area is seeking an energetic RN to join our team. This is a great position for someone who is looking for a good balance of both management responsibilities and care time duties. Candidates for this hands on position will be organized and results-oriented with prior supervisory/management experience. Must be able to implement systems, effectively interact with residents and families and have proven problem-solving and leadership skills. Alzheimer’s/Dementia experience preferred. Computer skills essential. This is a Full Time Day Position. Join an organization that is a recognized leader in the industry. This is a challenging yet rewarding position in a residential setting. We offer a competitive salary and comprehensive benefits package including health and dental insurance as well as matching 401(k) contributions. Apply conveniently online at www.laureategroup.com or send resume to apply@laureategroup.com
EOE
1805 Kensington Drive, Waukesha, WI 53188
www.nursingmattersonline.com
May • 2015
Page 15
Nurses inducted into 2015 Hall of Fame INDIANAPOLIS – The Honor Society of Nursing, Sigma Theta Tau International, will induct 19 nurse researchers into the International Nurse Researcher Hall of Fame July 23-27, 2015, at Sigma Theta Tau International’s 26th International Nursing Research Congress in Puerto Rico. These 19 individuals, representing the countries of Australia, Belgium, Canada and the United States, will be presented July 25, 2015, with the International Nurse Researcher Hall of Fame award and participate in a conversation with Sigma Theta Tau International President Hester C. Klopper, PhD, MBA, RN, RM, FANSA. Created in 2010, the International Nurse Researcher Hall of Fame recognizes nurse researchers who have achieved significant and sustained national or international recognition and whose research has improved the profession and the people it serves. The honorees’ research projects will be shared through the Virginia Henderson Global Nursing e-Repository, enabling nurses everywhere to benefit from their discoveries and insights. The award presentation is sponsored by Wiley. “These 19 honorees have achieved life-changing results through their research,” Klopper said. “In keeping with the Sigma Theta Tau International mission to celebrate nursing excellence in scholarship, leadership, and service, I congratulate the 2015 Nurse Researcher Hall of Fame honorees. I look forward to learning more about their contributions and sharing them with our members worldwide.” Kassie Stovell, Wiley Publishing manager for nursing, said, “We are honored to sponsor Sigma Theta Tau International’s International Nurse Researcher Hall of Fame awards and congratulate each recipient. Wiley recognizes the contributions of these 19 inductees for their outstanding research, leadership and efforts in advancing health around the world. Their insight, expertise and integrity have greatly impacted the profession and improved the lives of the patients they serve.” Sigma Theta Tau International’s annual international nursing research congress attracts nearly 1,000 nurse researchers, students, clinicians and leaders, who learn from evidence-based research presentations. The theme for the 26th congress is Question Locally, Engage Regionally, Apply Globally. Visit http://congress.nursingsociety.org for more information. 2015 International Nurse Researcher Hall of Fame Honorees Ruth Anderson, PhD, RN, FAAN Virginia Stone Professor of Nursing Duke University School of Nursing Beta Epsilon Chapter #051, Epsilon Theta Chapter #126 USA
Elizabeth R. A. Beattie, PhD, RN, FGSA Professor, Aged and Dementia Care Queensland University of Technology Phi Delta-at-Large Chapter #482 Australia Stijn Blot, PhD, MNSc, RN Research Professor Ghent University Rho Chi-at-Large Chapter #428 Belgium Wendy P. Chaboyer, BSc(Nu), MN, PhD, RN Professor, Griffith University Phi Delta-at-Large Chapter #482 Australia Greta G. Cummings, PhD, RN, FCAHS, FAAN Centennial Professor, University of Alberta Mu Sigma Chapter #304 Canada Susan G. Dorsey, PhD, RN, FAAN Associate Professor and Department Chair Department of Pain and Translational Symptom Science University of Maryland School of Nursing Pi Chapter #015 USA Carol J. Farran, DNSc, RN, FAAN Professor The Nurses Alumni Association Chair in Health and the Aging Process Rush University College of Nursing Gamma Phi Chapter #091 USA Mary Beth Happ, PhD, RN, FAAN, FGSA Distinguished Professor of Critical Care Research Director, Center of Excellence in Critical and Complex Care The Ohio State University College of Nursing Epsilon Chapter #004 USA Diane Holditch-Davis, PhD, RN, FAAN Marcus E. Hobbs Distinguished Professor of Nursing Associate Dean, Research Affairs Duke University School of Nursing Beta Epsilon Chapter #051 USA
Tonda L. Hughes, PhD, RN, FAAN Professor and Associate Dean for Global Health University of Illinois at Chicago College of Nursing Alpha Lambda Chapter #033 USA Christine E. Kasper, PhD, RN, FAAN Professor and Senior Research Scientist Department of Veterans Affairs and Uniformed Services University Nu Beta Chapter #312 USA Gail Melkus, EdD, C-NP, FAAN Professor and Associate Dean for Research New York University College of Nursing Upsilon Chapter #018 USA Christine Miaskowski, PhD, RN, FAAN Professor University of California, San Francisco School of Nursing Alpha Eta Chapter #029 USA Dianne Morrison-Beedy, PhD, FAANP, FNAP, FAAN Dean, University of South Florida College of Nursing Senior Associate Vice President, USF Health University of South Florida Delta Beta-at-Large Chapter #096 USA Karen Frick Pridham, PhD, RN, FAAN Helen Denne Schulte Professor Emerita University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Nursing Beta Eta-at-Large Chapter #053 USA Barbara Resnick, PhD, CRNP, FAAN, FAANP Professor Sonya Ziporkin Gershowitz Chair in Gerontology University of Maryland School of Nursing Pi Chapter #015 USA Barbara Riegel, DNSc, RN, FAHA, FAAN Edith Clemmer Steinbright Professor of Gerontology University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing Xi Chapter #013 USA
Margarete J. Sandelowski, PhD, RN, FAAN Cary C. Boshamer Professor University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Alpha Alpha Chapter #023 USA Antonia M. Villarruel, PhD, RN, FAAN Professor and Margaret Bond Simon Dean of Nursing University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing Xi Chapter #013 USA The Honor Society of Nursing, Sigma Theta Tau International is a nonprofit organization whose mission is advancing world health and celebrating nursing excellence in scholarship, leadership, and service. Founded in 1922, it has more than 135,000 active members in more than 85 countries. Members include practicing nurses, instructors, researchers, policymakers, entrepreneurs and others. The organization’s 499 chapters are located at 695 institutions of higher education throughout Armenia, Australia, Botswana, Brazil, Canada, Colombia, England, Ghana, Hong Kong, Japan, Kenya, Lebanon, Malawi, Mexico, the Netherlands, Nigeria, Pakistan, Portugal, Singapore, South Africa, South Korea, Swaziland, Sweden, Taiwan, Tanzania, Thailand, the United States, and Wales. Visit www.nursingsociety.org for more information. Wiley is a global provider of content-enabled solutions that improve outcomes in research, education and professional practice. Its core businesses produce scientific, technical, medical and scholarly journals, reference works, books, database services, and advertising; professional books, subscription products, certification and training services, and online applications; and education content and services including integrated online teaching and learning resources for undergraduate and graduate students and lifelong learners. Founded in 1807, John Wiley & Sons Inc. (NYSE: JWa, JWb), has been a source of information and understanding for more than 200 years, helping people around the world meet their needs and fulfill their aspirations. Wiley and its acquired companies have published the works of more than 450 Nobel laureates in all categories: Literature, Economics, Physiology or Medicine, Physics, Chemistry, and Peace. Wiley’s global headquarters are located in Hoboken, New Jersey, with operations in the United States, Europe, Asia, Canada and Australia. Visit www.wiley.com for more information.
May • 2015
Page 16
Academy launches Institute for Nursing Leadership WASHINGTON, D.C. – The American Academy of Nursing has launched an Institute for Nursing Leadership. The institute houses the academy’s work to place more nurses on governing boards, commissions and task forces, with an emphasis on federal and gubernatorial appointments and governing boards of national organizations aligned with the academy’s strategic plan. The creation of the Institute for Nursing Leadership was made possible in part by Pfizer Inc.’s $50,000 contribution that was matched by academy fellows. “We are pleased to support the Institute for Nursing Leadership,” said Pfizer Senior Director, Paula R. DeCola, MSc, RN. “Nurses have a unique perspective within our health systems that should be more pervasively channeled to advance policies and regulations that will further support public health. An imperative exists for nurses to be more fully integrated into forums where these impactful discussions are taking place The academy’s institute will increase nurse appointments to national and select state governing boards of health-related
entities, councils, commissions and task forces; prepare academy fellows and emerging nurse leaders for such appointments; and evaluate the impact and value of nurse appointments on the work of the decision-making bodies on which they serve. “The Institute for Nursing Leadership will serve as a springboard for nurses to drive positive change in healthcare and health policy,” said Academy President Diana J. Mason, PhD, RN, FAAN. “In addition to increasing nursing appointments, the institute will also seek to fill the gaps in development by connecting qualified nurses with opportunities to prepare them for leadership.” The institute will be led by a National Advisory Council comprised of forward-thinking leaders. The members of the National Advisory Council include: Angela McBride, PhD, RN, FAAN, distinguished professor & University Dean Emerita, Indiana University – Chair Stephanie Ferguson, PhD, RN, FAAN, ICN Leadership For Change Programme consultant, Nursing & Health
Policy, ICN – Co-Chair Sheila Burke, MPA, RN, FAAN, adjunct lecturer, Harvard University Darlene Curley, MS, RN, executive director, Jonas Center for Nursing Excellence Paula R. DeCola, RN, MSC, director, External Medicine Affairs, Pfizer Inc. Patrick DeLeon, PhD, JD, MPH Joanne Disch, PhD, RN, FAAN, Professor ad Honorem, University of Minnesota School of Nursing Alicia Georges, EdD, RN, FAAN, professor and chairperson, Lehman College Department of Nursing Catherine Gilliss, PhD, RN, FAAN, Helene Fuld Health Trust Professor of Nursing, Duke University School of Nursing Jan Heinrich, DrPH, RN, FAAN, associate administrator, Bureau of Health Professions, HRSA Randy Jones, PhD, RN, FAAN, director, Baccalaureate Programs, associate professor, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Ramon Lavandero, RN, MA, MSN, FAAN, senior director, American Association of Critical-Care Nurses Christopher Lee, PhD, RN, FAHA, FAAN, associate professor of nursing,
Nursingmatters
Oregon Health & Science University School of Nursing Susan Reinhard, PhD, RN, FAAN, senior vice-president, Public Policy Institute, AARP Cory Rieder, EdD, executive director and treasurer, The John A. Hartford Foundation Rita Wray, MBA, RNC, FAAN, CEO, W.E. Inc. Colleen Conway Welch, PhD, CNM, RN, FAAN, FACNM, Dean Emeritus, Vanderbilt University School of Nursing The Institute for Nursing Leadership is part of the academy’s effort as a founding member of the newly formed Nurses on Boards Coalition to reach the goal of placing 10,000 nurses on boards, commissions and task forces by 2020. The Institute for Nursing Leadership aligns with the Institute of Medicine’s report, “The Future of Nursing: Leading Change, Advancing Health,” and its recommendation on increasing nurse appointments to decision-making bodies related to healthcare. Currently, many academy fellows hold positions within federal commissions, health-system boards, and other health-related governing entities at national, federal, state and local levels.
Credentialing certification earns patent The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office has issued a patent for the American Nurses Credentialing Center Certification through Portfolio credentialing process. Certification through Portfolio provides registered nurses and advanced-practice registered nurses an alternative assessment methodology to achieve American Nurses Credentialing Center board certification with no exam required. Currently five American Nurses Credentialing Center certifications are assessed using the Certification through Portfolio method: • Advanced Forensic Nursing • Advanced Genetics Nursing • Advanced Public Health Nursing • Emergency Nurse Practitioner and
• Faith Community Nursing. Two more certifications assessed through portfolio are in development — Hemostasis Nursing and Rheumatology Nursing. “(The American Nurses Credentialing Center) has developed high-quality individual credentialing programs for more than 40 years and continues to
revolutionize nursing excellence with the patented portfolio certification,” said Linda C. Lewis, MSA, RN, NEA-BC, FACHE, and executive vice-president and chief American Nurses Credentialing Center officer. “Our renowned team of nursing talent collaborated to invent this alternative methodology that employers and nurses alike can be confident is a sound assessment
of nursing knowledge and skills. We are delighted to pioneer the next generation of certifications for the nursing profession.” The U.S. patent, issued March 3, 2015, ensures nurses can feel confident in seeking American Nurses Credentialing Center certifications through portfolio. Nurses credentialed through the Certification through Portfolio assessment are established as experts in their specialties and rank among the highest-qualified nurses in the world. “We are thrilled (the American Nurses Credentialing Center) was granted the patent for Certification through Portfolio – an outstanding demonstration of the organization’s continued innovation
continued on page 17
www.nursingmattersonline.com
Patent
continued from page 16 in credentialing,” said Theresa A. Kessler, PhD, RN, ACNS-BC, CNE, chair of the American Nurses Credentialing Center Commission on Certification and professor at the College of Nursing and Health Professions at Valparaiso University. “Through this new assessment method, (the American Nurses Credentialing Center) leads the way in offering opportunities for nurses to be credentialed for their expertise and excellence in improving healthcare outcomes.” The Certification through Portfolio application process is completed entirely online. Eligible applicants submit an online portfolio of evidence to document their specialized knowledge and skills, understanding, and application of professional nursing practice and theory. Applications must articulate performance in four domains of practice: Professional Development, Professional and Ethical Nursing Practice, Teamwork and Collaboration, and Quality and Safety. Inventors contributing to this patent include: • Nancy J. Robert, PhD, MBA, BSN, ANCC, EVP and chief product and marketing officer; • Marianne Horahan, MBA, MPH, RN, NEA-BC, CPHQ, American Nurses Credentialing Center director of certification; • Vicki Lundmark, PhD, American Nurses Credentialing Center director of research; • Diane L. Thompkins, MSN, RN, American Nurses Credentialing Center
Page 17
May • 2015
senior certification program analyst; • Stephanie L. Ferguson, PhD, RN, FNAP, FAAN, international consultant; • Karen Drenkard, PhD, RN, NEA-BC, FAAN, former American Nurses Credentialing Center executive director; • Ellen Swartwout, PhD, RN, NEA-BA, former American Nurses Credentialing Center senior director of certification and measurement services; • David Paulson, PhD, CAE, former American Nurses Credentialing Center director of measurement services; • Patricia R. Deyo, MSN, BA, RN, former American Nurses Credentialing Center product manager, certification; and • Christine Depascale, MS, former American Nurses Credentialing Center research scientist, measurement services Visit www.nursecredentialing.org/ certification to learn more about American Nurses Credentialing Center certification. Visit www.nursecredentialing.org/CertificationPortfolioRequirements to learn more about Certification through Portfolio requirements. The mission of the American Nurses Credentialing Center, a subsidiary of the American Nurses Association, is to promote excellence in nursing and healthcare globally through credentialing programs. The American Nurses Credentialing
Center’s internationally renowned credentialing programs certify and recognize individual nurses in specialty practice areas. The American Nurses Credentialing Center recognizes healthcare organizations that promote nursing excellence and quality patient outcomes while providing safe, positive work environments. In addition, the American Nurses Credentialing Center accredits healthcare organizations that provide and approve continuing nursing education. Visit www.nursecredentialing. org for more information.
GRADUATE
NURSING P RO G R A M S
Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) in Leadership Blended online!
Prepares for formal managerial, director and executive level roles.
Masters of Science in Nursing Administration and Education
The University of Wisconsin–Madison School of Nursing extends its sincere appreciation to the nurse preceptors and other health care professionals who have shared their valuable time and expertise with our undergraduate and graduate nursing students. Thank you for the formative role you play in educating future nurses and nurse leaders.
Thank you!
Post-Masters Certificates in Nursing Administration and Education
www.edgewood.edu
Contact Jenna Alsteen
608.663.4255, gps@edgewood.edu
May • 2015
Page 18
1-888-VITERBO • www.viterbo.edu/nursing • La Crosse, Wisconsin
Viterbo is ...Nursing BSN Program
• Offered on campus
BSN Completion
• Classroom format, one morning a week in four Wisconsin locations • 100 percent online format
Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) Program • BSN to DNP Family NP Adult-Gero NP • MSN to DNP For practicing NPs • Hybrid course delivery
Celebrating National Nurses Week May 6–12, 2015
Nursingmatters
Association recognizes Wisconsin The National Association of Clinical Nurse Specialists has presented its prestigious Affiliate of the Year Award to the Wisconsin Association of Clinical Nurse Specialists. The Award recognizes a National Association of Clinical Nurse Specialists affiliate that has sustained membership growth, offered educational opportunities, built clinical nurse specialist leadership, contributed to National Association of Clinical Nurse Specialists’ growth, and advanced the clinical nurse specialist role. The Wisconsin Association of Clinical Nurse Specialists has worked hard to ensure advanced practice registered nurse title protection in Wisconsin. The affiliate has a lobbyist and also conducted grassroots efforts to ensure passage of the legislation. The affiliate developed and distributed toolkits to help its members urge the legislature to support the advanced practice registered nurse uniformity act. During its annual conferences and other meetings, the affiliate regularly holds sessions and workshops on cutting edge topics. It also works to promote awareness of the clinical nurse specialist role with other health professionals and the public through a Chief Nursing Officer- clinical nurse specialist shared governance breakfast. In collaboration with a community organization, Wisconsin Association of Clinical Nurse Specialists will provide a clinical nurse specialist to lead a walk and health education activity as part of an annual
“Walk with a Doc” program. “The Wisconsin Association of Clinical Nurse Specialists has done a remarkable job of increasing awareness of the clinical nurse specialist role with health care professionals, policy makers and the public,” said Peggy Barksdale, MSN, RN, OCNS-C, CNS-BC, National Association of Clinical Nurse Specialists 2015 president. “Their outreach and education efforts are making a difference, not only for clinical nurse specialists in Wisconsin, but also for the patients they care for and in the state’s overall health care.” Founded in 1995, the National Association of Clinical Nurse Specialists is the only association representing the clinical nurse specialist. Clinical nurse specialists are advanced practice registered nurses who work in a variety of specialties to ensure high-quality, evidence-based, patient-centered care. As leaders in health care settings, clinical nurse specialists provide direct patient care and lead initiatives to improve care and clinical outcomes, and reduce costs. National Association of Clinical Nurse Specialists is dedicated to advancing clinical nurse specialist practice and education, removing certification and regulatory barriers, and assuring the public access to quality clinical nurse specialist services.
www.nursingmattersonline.com
Page 19
May • 2015
Health officer reflects on career Gina Duwe/AP
JANESVILLE (AP) – Retired Health Officer Karen Cain said officials across all health services have spent years studying Rock County’s health problems. “One thing we haven’t done a good job of doing... (is) really changing what we’re doing – because it’s easier to do the status quo,” said Cain, who retired April 10 from the Rock County Health Department. A new community health-improvement plan by the major health organizations in Rock County has the potential to help Karen Cain improve health in a county that has consistently ranked low, she said. The Affordable Care Act requires hospitals to complete a regular community healthneeds assessment, and the health department has worked with Rock County’s four hospitals to do one study. Over the next few years, organizations will be encouraged to not just have these reports that sit on the shelf, she said. “For many years, that’s kind of what happened,” she said. No health department can solve all problems itself but must rely on community partners and services, she added.
Cain will remain on the county healthneeds assessment team, now as a volunteer, working to address four problems the team prioritized: access to dental services, access to mental services, lifestyle choices and preventative health screenings. Cain had served as health officer since 2008 and worked in public health since 1977. She started at the Rock County Health Department in 1986, working for 15 years as the nursing supervisor for public health before leaving to teach. She came back in 2006 for three months to help the city of Beloit’s health department merge with the county department. She ended up staying for good. Her replacement, Marie-Noel Sandoval, started in mid-April. Cain said Sandoval is inheriting a great team of public-health nurses, sanitarians and health educators. Cain also credited the county’s board of health, which oversees the department, for being a great group of supporters. Cain reflected on her career and the future of public health. Q: How has public health changed over your career? A: When she started in 1977, seven vaccines were available for kids, compared to 15 now. “The beauty of having all those vaccines is it really has reduced disease outbreaks in children.” Health officials are finding vaccines don’t necessarily protect
for a lifetime, so they need to look at adult vaccine initiatives, she said. When the flu vaccine first came out, it was only recommended for high-risk individuals. Now officials recommend everyone be vaccinated. “The proliferation of vaccines, I think, has been really a change.” Q: What are your biggest accomplishments at the health department? A: “We have so many good public-health programs. It’s an accomplishment and it’s a challenge. I think people are more aware of the health department and health-department services.” Public health has been in the limelight a lot in the past decade for things such as H1N1 and Ebola, she said. She also pointed to improvements in restaurant inspections that cut the number of food-borne illness outbreaks reported to the health department from 40 in 19881990, to five in 2012-2014. Rather than having inspectors point out violations, they work with food-service employees to reduce violations and provide education, she said. The department also started a beach-sampling program that’s become popular because residents can see the results online to know whether to avoid a beach for safety concerns. Q: What does the future hold for public health? A: She thinks more services will be
What is the future of public-health care?
available in the community that will be seen as public health, but not necessarily run through health departments. She also predicted service changing to more population-based as opposed to home visits and individual-based services. While public health is changing, it’s sort of a “disease of the day.” “It’s no longer tuberculosis; it’s Ebola. That communicable disease is always going to be among us,” she said. Protection of groundwater and surface water also will be important, she said. She said she hopes for advocacy for public-health funding. The health department doesn’t receive state funding for programs that it is mandated to deliver, such as communicable disease follow-up, which the department spent $86,000 on last year, she said. Wisconsin is toward the bottom nationally for supporting public health, she said, though the county has made a great commitment. “As long as they’re willing to do that, they’re going to see some good things,” she said of the county.
Be part of something REMARKABLE UW Health is experiencing exciting growth and needs skilled nurses in the following areas: American Family Children’s Hospital • NICU • Pediatric Supplemental Pool (float) UW Hospital and Clinics • Emergency Department • Neuro ICU • Clinic Manager - Cancer, Hematology and Chemotherapy - Medical Speciality Clinics UW Health at The American Center • Emergency Department • Med/Surg (Overnight Care Unit)
To express interest, please contact Melissa Holman, senior nurse recruiter, at mholman2@uwhealth.org or 800-443-6164. Or visit uwhealth.org/careers to learn more.
HN-42398-15
UW Health. Remarkable Careers.
Two words to our 10,000 nurses: Thank you. NATIONAL NURSES WEEK
Celebrating
Nursing Excellence We applaud your dedication, professionalism and steadfast commitment to the patients and families we serve.
Every day, the nurses of Aurora Health Care bring the very best care to everyone they treat, offering clinical excellence delivered with unmatched warmth and compassion. What’s more, our nurses rank among the best in the nation, leading Aurora to the coveted Magnet Hospital designation. You won’t find a more dedicated group of caregivers anywhere, making an impact on our communities one life at a time.
Happy National Nurses Week, and thanks for helping people live well.
You define excellence.
aurora.org ND-42430-15
X49386c (04/15) © AHC