2010 ANNUAL EDUCATIONAL CONFERENCE DRAWS RECORD ATTENDANCE
NANN's 26th Annual Educational Conference was a winner!! A record-breaking 1000-plus neonatal nurses convened in Las Vegas to take advantage of outstanding opportunities for education, networking, and fun. Neonatal nurses are clearly seeing the value of participating in the premier neonatal nursing conference and availing themselves of all that NANN offers. The conference featured more than 55 educational sessions aimed at clinicians, managers, advanced practice nurses, and educators, as well as 57 poster presentations on a wide variety of topics. Drawing on lessons from the airline industry, John Nance, in the opening keynote address, presented insights into processes to improve the safety and reliability of health care. The closing session by Rick Kirschner empowered and entertained listeners by offering strategies for improved communication. The vendor display-the largest in the last decade-offered attendees the opportunity to see and discuss the latest products from an extensive array of exhibitors. The NANN bookstore was buzzing with activity. Two hot new products, Developmental Care of Newborns and Infants, second edition, and Neo-Care Cards, were top sellers. Get these and other great products at http://www.nann.org.
WELCOME TO NEW NANN BOARD AND NANNP COUNCIL MEMBERS!!
Following the conference, Elizabeth (Lisa) Damato and Julianne (Julie) Dahl began their 2010-2012 terms on NANN's Board of Directors, and Susan Reinarz, MSN, RN, NNP-BC, assumed her new role as president.
The National Association of Neonatal Nurse Practitioners (NANNP), a division of NANN, is the unifying voice of neonatal nurse practitioners (NNPs) and is governed by the NANNP Council. Terri Cavaliere, who was appointed to the council in March 2010 to fulfill the vacancy left by Debra Sansoucie when she became NANNP Council chair, has now begun her term as the elected representative of District 1 (Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Puerto Rico, Rhode Island, and Vermont), and Bridget Cross began her term as the representative of District 4 (Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Dakota, and Texas).
NANN CONGRATULATES THE 2010 AWARD WINNERS
The recipient of the Robyn Main Excellence in Clinical Practice Award is Deanna Speicher, a staff nurse at Central DuPage Hospital in Winfield, Illinois. She is chair of her unit's clinical practice council and is past chair of the unit's policy and procedure council. Deanna is a unit preceptor and a Neonatal Resuscitation Program instructor, and she is valued for her clinical expertise and dedication. She is involved in unit education, quality improvement, and the unit's shared governance, and is known for providing meticulous care to her patients. Deanna is a family advocate who encourages parents to attend weekly rounds and promotes relationship-based care. She is an exemplary role model and patient care advocate.
This year's Navigator Award recipient is Pam Spivey, a neonatal clinical nurse specialist at Levine Children's Hospital in Charlotte, North Carolina. Her nominator states that Pam "thrives on encouraging, teaching, and mentoring other nurses." For example, Pam meets weekly to mentor the unit discharge nurse as she is developing and implementing new standards of care. She has also put into place a new committee to facilitate more effective discharge rounds. Through Pam's guidance, babies are leaving the NICU several days earlier. Pam says this about the mentoring process: "I think the key to mentoring is to find out what that person is passionate about and then to fuel that passion with encouragement and empowerment. I love seeing young nurses find their own unique strengths and then watching them flourish in the nursing role."
Shakira Henderson, winner of the Leadership Award, is a staff nurse at South Miami Hospital in Miami, Florida. Shakira has been instrumental in promoting a learning environment on her unit through teaching, training, and coaching. She assisted in developing a breastfeeding initiative, advocated for specialized training for certification in lactation support, and developed an evidence-based program to assist with lactation in the NICU. Because of Shakira's dedication to excellence in practice, her unit now has an active breastfeeding committee consisting of 3 nurse-counselors who see more than 50 mothers a month for lactation consultations. In her nominator's words, Shakira has had an "overwhelming impact on her patients and staff and on her unit's reputation."
Kristine Karlsen, recipient of the Neonatal Nurse Practitioner Excellence Award, is an NNP at Primary Children's Medical Center in Salt Lake City, Utah, but she is best known as the founder and national director of the S.T.A.B.L.E. Program. The S.T.A.B.L.E. Program was developed to meet the educational needs of healthcare providers who must stabilize newborns who become ill and require specialized care. S.T.A.B.L.E. education is critical to the mission to reduce infant mortality and morbidity and to improve the future health of children and their families. More than 190 000 students have completed the program, and more than 33 000 students complete a learner or provider S.T.A.B.L.E. course worldwide each year. Kristine is one of the few PhD-prepared NNPs in the country and one of an even smaller number who have had an impact on neonatal care worldwide.
Lynette Johnson received the Research Abstract Award for her paper presentation "Regionalization of a Safe Sleep Program." Lynette is the neonatal outreach coordinator at Helen DeVos Children's Hospital in Grand Rapids, Michigan. She has been involved in neonatal nursing since 1987 and has been a NANN member since 1993. She is NCC-certified and is a Basic Cardiac Life Support instructor, a Neonatal Resuscitation Program regional trainer, and a S.T.A.B.L.E. lead instructor. Lynette says, "I love working with healthcare providers in our region to ensure that regardless of where a neonate is delivered, he or she is resuscitated, stabilized, and transported according to the highest standards of care."
Laura A. Stokowski, recipient of the Distinguished Service Award, is a staff nurse at Inova Fairfax Hospital for Children in Fairfax, Virginia. A member of NANN since its inception in 1984, Laura has served in many roles in the association over the past 26 years, including director-at-large on the NANN board; Research Committee member and chair; and author, reviewer, column editor, and editorial board member for Advances in Neonatal Care. She has also served as NANN's representative to several national groups and is currently co-chair of NANN's Health Policy and Advocacy Committee, where she has been instrumental in moving NANN's advocacy agenda forward. Laura's service to NANN has been almost continuous throughout her entire nursing career. She is someone who can be counted upon to complete at the highest level possible any project or role assigned, and her dedication to the mission and vision of NANN is unquestionable. Her nominator says, "She serves as an outstanding role model for her staff nurse peers, as well as demonstrating to those outside the profession the value that professional nurses can bring to any endeavor. Her expertise is respected by all who have worked with her."
The Delaware Valley Association of Neonatal Nurses serves neonatal nurses from 31 institutions in southeastern Pennsylvania, southern New Jersey, and Delaware. In 2009, the Delaware Valley Association of Neonatal Nurses hosted 6 educational events, including a joint meeting with the Philadelphia Perinatal Society, a full-day conference, a journal club breakfast, 2 educational dinner meetings, and a membership appreciation dinner. In addition, chapter members participated in 7 community outreach activities and donation projects and hosted a lunch for families staying at the Ronald McDonald House in Wilmington, Delaware. Communication with members occurs through their Web site, the chapter's Listserv, and Preemie Press, a quarterly newsletter. The Delaware Valley Association of Neonatal Nurses supports its members by presenting a professional development award, a practice development award, and an international nursing award each year.
Individual Chapter Project Awards
Chapter Communications
Central California Association of Neonatal Nurses
Community Service
Southeastern Michigan Association of Neonatal Nurses
Educational Offerings
Central California Association of Neonatal Nurses
Fundraising Efforts
Southeastern Michigan Association of Neonatal Nurses
Membership Recruitment and Retention
Southeastern Michigan Association of Neonatal Nurses
PRODUCT SPOTLIGHT: NEW DEVELOPMENTAL CARE OFFERINGS FROM NANN
To encourage education in developmental care, NANN launched a new developmental care product line at the 2010 conference, including a book published by NANN, the new Neonatal Developmental Care Specialist designation, and 27 Continuing Nursing Education learning modules.
* Developmental Care of Newborns and Infants: A Guide for Health Professionals, 2nd edition. A comprehensive guide to developmental care, with updated and expanded content, this book is a valuable resource for every NICU and may be used in preparation for the test for the Neonatal Developmental Care Specialist designation (see later).
* Neonatal Developmental Care Specialist designation. The Developmental Care Specialist designation, a new professional development option for nurses and other neonatal care providers, recognizes advanced knowledge and incorporation of developmental care principles into caregiving. The designation is granted upon successful completion of an online test demonstrating expertise in developmental care.
* Developmental Care Continuing Nursing Education learning modules. This series of 27 online Continuing Nursing Education modules on various developmental care topics provides an excellent preparation for the test for the Neonatal Developmental Care Specialist designation. Select individual modules to purchase or take advantage of the complete set at a reduced price.
To purchase these products or obtain more information, visit http://www.nann.org.
NANNP NEWS
NANNP held its Third Annual Faculty Summit at NANN's 26th Annual Educational Conference in September. Attendees participated in a panel discussion moderated by Debra Sansoucie, EdD, APRN, NNP-BC, regarding NANNP's 2008 Position Statement on the DNP (DNP) Degree.
According to the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN), the Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) movement seeks to produce the most competent nursing clinicians possible to meet the changing demands of the nation's complex healthcare environment. This movement gained intensity in 2004, when AACN published its Position Statement on the Practice Doctorate in Nursing, which called for moving the level of preparation necessary for advanced nursing practice from the master's degree to the doctoral level by 2015.
The dialogue regarding the DNP degree that took place at the faculty summit was enlightening and thought-provoking. The group's consensus was that much more discussion was needed and that a greater number of our neonatal colleagues must be included in the conversation. NANNP's next steps toward reviewing and possibly revising the association's 2008 position statement include (1) surveying the NANNP membership, NNP faculty members, and NANN e-mail discussion groups to determine attitudes toward transitioning to the DNP as a terminal degree for the profession, and (2) forming a task force to evaluate current evidence and trends regarding the DNP as a requirement for entry into practice.
PLAN AHEAD FOR NANN'S 2011 ANNUAL CONFERENCE
Do not miss NANN's 27th Annual Educational Conference: "Exploring the Science and Practicing the Art of Neonatal Care," September 14 to 17, 2011, at the Caribe Royale Hotel and Convention Center in Orlando, Florida.