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News From NACNS Headquarters

In January 2002, NACNS became more directly involved in the initiative to achieve title protection for CNSs in Pennsylvania. NACNS members Melanie Duffy (critical care CNS) and Michalena Levenduski (neonatal CNS) have participated in the work group convened by the Pennsylvania State Nurses Association to draft the language and formulate the strategy to achieve recognition of the CNS title. National Association of Clinical Nurse Specialists (NACNS) Executive Director Christine Filipovich joined the group in January to bring the resources of the national organization and to support the NACNS members already at the table representing Pennsylvania CNSs. When this issue of the newsletter was written, strategy discussion was ongoing regarding statutory and regulatory routes for title protection in Pennsylvania; however, the barriers experienced by CNSs in other states, such as certification and collaboration requirements, had been addressed. NACNS supplied language from the Statement on CNS Practice and Education for informational materials used in meetings with legislators.

 

NACNS is participating in a work group convened by the American Nurses Association (ANA) to rewrite the ANA standards for advanced nursing practice. Dr Nancy Dayhoff is representing NACNS. ANA hopes to have a draft prepared by late June for presentation at the ANA convention in Philadelphia, Pa.

 

For more information about these items, please contact NACNS headquarters.

 

NACNS Continued Participation in the Call to the Nursing Profession

When this article was written, the NACNS Board of Directors was preparing for its annual winter retreat. One important agenda item is a review of how its organiza-tional goals and activities align with strategies identified at the Call to the Nursing Profession meeting last fall to link its efforts and prioritize activities for the future within the framework of its budget and resources. As recognized stakeholders in Nursing's Agenda for the Future, NACNS has submitted a preliminary action plan centered on the distinct domains identified at that fall meeting as significant for nursing's desired future state.

 

In the domain of nursing/professional culture, the NACNS continues to update its strategic plan for consistency with its mission statement, which is to enhance and promote the high value contribution of the CNS to the health and well-being of individuals, families, groups, and communities and to promote and advance the practice of nursing. It uses membership brochures, creative membership campaigns, networking at national/regional professional meetings, Web site technology, and the CNS journal, which includes the organizational newsletter, as marketing tools to promote membership and participation in the national organization. The NACNS created an affiliate program to provide regional input from local CNS groups. It is working to enhance affiliate relationships with the addition of an affiliate development committee and to use local affiliates whenever possible as conference planning committee members and host participants at the national annual educational conference/meeting. The NACNS annual meeting serves as an educational forum for members and nonmembers regarding CNS practice and a mechanism to promote a professional culture. In looking at diversity domain, the NACNS ascertains current diversity within its membership per the organizational survey methodologies and will determine if there is a mechanism to do the same for CNS population at large.

 

In the leadership and planning domain, an identified strategy is for nursing to leverage its financial power. The NACNS annual educational conferences include healthcare economics content related to the role of the CNS (reimbursement, cost/benefit analysis, updates on healthcare economic trends). The NACNS is developing a reimbursement reference document for CNSs, targeting availability in early 2003. In the education domain, plans are underway to review, update, and/or revise the NACNS Statement on Clinical Nurse Specialist Practice and Education. NACNS is also considering strategies to promote the standardization of curriculum in graduate schools that prepare CNSs. In the recruitment and retention domain, NACNS plans to compile and provide to its membership a bibliography on the role of CNS/APN in recruitment and retention of nursing staff. This synthesis of literature can then be published in the CNS journal and/or the organization's Web site.

 

In the legislation/regulation/policy domain, NACNS has participated in Nursing Organization Liaison Forum (NOLF) meetings because it believes the organization to be complementary to other nursing or specialty organizations. NACNS highly values it participation in these collaborative efforts to represent the national voice of CNSs and to be aware of current issues. NACNS serves as a clearinghouse for information supplied by CNSs regarding state regulatory and legislative initiatives that affect nursing and CNS practice. In addition, NACNS alerts CNSs about state initiatives that will affect their practice and helps to mobilize CNS activities in support of regulations/legislation that will enhance CNS practice. At the federal level, NACNS participates in several work groups and coalitions that are addressing nursing and advanced nursing practice interests.

 

As you can see, NACNS is working hard to ensure a secure future for CNSs and for nursing. The organization needs active member participation to achieve success in its many planned initiatives. Want to help to shape the future? Get involved in your organization!

 

Research and Practice Committee and Education Task Force Activities

Sue B. Davidson PhD RN CNS

 

For the NACNS Research and Practice Committee, the year has been characterized by activities that support certification of CNSs and that expand the research related to CNSs. Two CNSs already serve as NACNS representatives on the American Nurses Credentialing Center content expert panels (CEP): Theresa Posani (Tex) on the Medical Surgical CS CEP and Barbara Hammer (NC) on the Gerontological CS CEP. Another CNS, Gail Havens DeLuca, has been nominated to serve on the Community Health CS CEP.

 

Serving on the core group of the research and practice committee are Peggy Gerard (Ill), Nancy Dayhoff (Ill), Barbara Goldberg Chamberlain (NJ), Theresa Posani (Tex), and Pat Sparacino (Calif). Each member of the core group has a leadership role in 1 of the 4 subgroups of the committee.

 

The CNS census subgroup, consisting of Roberta Dillon (Va) and Gail DeLuca Havens (Vt), refined the census for 2001. The first ever CNS Census Survey of 2000 was completed by each member at the time of yearly membership renewal or when he or she joined. Survey data enable the NACNS to create a profile of CNSs in terms of primary and secondary specialty and associated patient populations, certifications, sites of practice, title, prescriptive authority, salary, and years of practice as a CNS. Data from the first survey was reported to the board of directors this past summer; the 2001 census survey data will be featured in an upcoming article in the journal. Another subgroup, consisting of Pat Sparacino, Barbara Goldberg Chamberlain, Gail DeLuca Havens, Beverly Tidwell (Ala) and Karen Clark (Pa), will launch a Survey on CNS Practice and Outcomes, focusing on the degree to which CNSs are demonstrating competencies and outcomes described in the Statement on CNS Practice and Education, and on the impact of the nursing shortage on CNS practice. An Annual Review of the Professional and Research Literature regarding Outcomes of CNS practice will be the task of the third subgroup, which comprises Roberta Dillon, Gail DeLuca Havens, and Barbara Hammer. Their work will be reported in the journal near the end of 2001.

 

The fourth subgroup comprises Peggy Gerard, Nancy Dayhoff, Karen Clark, Kathleen Baldwin (Tex), and Beverly Tidwell and will focus on refinement of the Statement on CNS Practice and Education.

 

Building on the survey of schools of nursing conducted by NACNS in 1997, the Educator Task Force, headed by Peggy Gerard and Jane Walker (Ill), has conducted another survey of graduate nursing programs to determine what changes are now taking place in the preparation of CNSs. The preliminary findings have been reviewed by the NACNS board, and these findings will be disseminated in an upcoming article in the journal. In addition, this group is exploring the feasibility of NACNS conducting voluntary CNS graduate program review in schools of nursing. Members of this committee include Kelly Goudreau (Or), Angela Clark (Tex), Harriet Coeling (Ohio), Nancy Dayhoff (Ind), Cynthia Sculco (NY), and Bette Bayley (Pa).

 

Many thanks for the innovation, creativity, and hard work of all of the members of the Research and Practice committee, subgroups, and the Educator Task Force.

 

National Association of Clinical Nurse Specialists Board of Directors

President

 

Sue B. Davidson

 

Immediate Past President

 

Jo Ellen Rust

 

President-Elect

 

Janet Fulton

 

Vice President

 

Angela P. Clark

 

Treasurer

 

Karen Lyon

 

Secretary

 

Theresa Posani

 

Directors

 

Nancy E. Dayhoff

 

Gail Havens

 

Sally Crim Tibbals

 

Deborah Antai-Otong

 

NACNS Staff

Executive Director

 

Christine Carson Filipovich

 

NACNS

 

3969 Green St

 

Harrisburg, PA 17110

 

Telephone: 717-234-6799

 

Fax: 717-234-6798

 

E-mail: [email protected]

 

Internet: http://www.nacns.org

 

Educational Calendar

Upcoming Conferences and Seminars

April 6-10, 2002. 93rd Annual Meeting: American Association for Cancer Research. San Francisco, Calif. For more information or to register online, go to http://www.aacr.org.

 

April 17-21, 2002. National Kidney Foundations Clinical Nephrology Meeting. Chicago, Ill. For more information, call 800-622-9010 or visit http://www.kidney.org.

 

May 1-5, 2002. Oncogenomics 2002: Dissecting Cancer through Genome Research. Dublin, Ireland. For more information, visit http://www.aacr.org.

 

June 17-21, 2002. Ethics of Research with Humans: Past, Present & Future. University of Washington, Seattle. For more information, call 206-616-1864 or e-mail: [email protected].

 

August 5-9, 2002. Summer Seminar in Health Care Ethics. University of Washington, Seattle. For more information, call 206-616-1864 or e-mail: [email protected].

 

September 26-28, 2002. National Conference on Health Care and Domestic Violence. For more information, visit http://www.endabuse.org/health.

 

Note: To have your conference information included in the Educational Calendar, please send all information to the Editorial office at least 4 months before the conference date.