Happy 2012 Journal of Trauma Nursing Readers! As we begin a new year, I thought it would be good time to review our organizational mission, vision, and values statements, and how we incorporate these into our society and our daily professional lives:
Mission: The Society of Trauma Nurses (STN) is a professional nonprofit organization whose mission is to ensure optimal trauma care to all people locally, regionally, nationally, and globally through initiatives focused on trauma nurses related to prevention, education, and collaboration with other health care disciplines. The STN's advocates for the highest level of quality trauma care across the continuum. We accomplish this through an environment that fosters visionary leadership, mentoring, innovation, and interdisciplinary collaboration in the delivery of trauma care.
Vision: The STN will become the premiere nursing organization in the world for advancing the nursing care of injured patients.
Values: collaboration, education, innovation, leadership, mentoring, and prevention.
Have we accomplished our vision? A vision is defined as an image or a concept, a prophecy, or a revelation. Visions are concepts yet to be realized in many ways, but for STN, the vision to be the premiere organization for nursing in the care of the injured patient is fast becoming a realization. Our accomplishments are many and growing.
STN NATIONAL CONFERENCE
In the year 2011, we set new attendance records at our national conference in San Antonio, Texas, and the 15th Annual Conference in Savannah, Georgia, promises to be as exciting and filled with topical information on current trends in trauma. The brochure is in the mail and on the STN Web site. Register soon.
The mission: ... trauma education, prevention, collaboration, leadership, mentoring; the STN has strong relationships with other leading trauma organizations: The American College of Surgeons-Committee on Trauma, the American Trauma Society, the Trauma Center Association of America, and many more in the works. Injury prevention, membership opportunities, educational forums, and mentorship options were highlighted in the journal's last edition and details are also available on the Web site.
STN LISTSERV
The STN trauma ListServ is 1 of the avenues I have yet to highlight in detail, but it encompasses the mission of the STN. It provides education, injury prevention, and leadership opportunities, and is the best forum for collaboration for the trauma professional. The STN listserv provides a wide range of topics on daily basis, ranging from trauma activation fees to the debate of electronic trauma tri-flow use.
In this era of Medicare fees and reimbursement issues, nursing shortages, and quality of nursing care; initiatives from The Joint Commission; core measures, performance improvement, and patient safety, the listserv provides a forum for giving and receiving information on all walks of trauma care and beyond. It is used not only by trauma nursing professionals but also by database experts, education gurus, and legislative aficionados. Along with the Journal of Trauma Nursing, the STN listserv provides a wealth of information and knowledge that mirrors many leading nursing organizations. In the past months, here is a sample of the topics and discussion issues that hit the listserve in recent weeks:
* Trauma finance-how to assess your trauma program viability
* Upcoming trauma educational courses: including trauma program manager course, Trauma Outcomes & Performance Improvement Course (TOPIC) opportunities, Advanced Trauma Course for Nurses (ATCN), courses, and upcoming trauma conferences across the United States and in surrounding countries
* Trauma database inclusion criteria, the latest blood transfusion information, venous thrombosis prevention, pediatric care protocols, pain management tools, and cervical spine clearance
* Health care reform, rib fracture protocols, health care reform, rib fracture protocols, patient health information privacy concerns versus need for follow-up to referring facilities, and prehospital agencies.
The vision and mission of the STN are alive and thriving; be a part of our future and join in our many endeavors. Have a safe and prosperous New Year.
Remember to visit the STN Web site: http://www.traumanurses.org/ and mark your calendars for the 15th Annual STN conference in Savannah, Georgia, with preconference sessions on April 11, 2012, and the annual conference starting April 12-13, 2012. Savannah is the fourth largest city in Georgia and is an important Atlantic seaport. It was also the host for the sailing competitions during the 1996 Summer Olympics. We look forward to seeing you all there!