2009 Board Members
At the July 2008 HPNA Board of Director meeting, four individuals were approved as board members beginning in January 2009. According to the HPNA bylaws, 50% of the board must be elected by the membership and 50% must be appointed by the board of directors. To comply with this ruling, records are kept regarding who has been elected by the membership and who has been appointed by the board. When looking at individuals who would be continuing in 2009, it was determined that only one board member needed to be elected and three additional ones would need to be appointed. Your votes elected Jody Chrastek.
It was then time to determine who should be appointed. Factors evaluated in determining appointments include geographic distribution, clinical setting of practice, variation in populations served, and so forth. Looking at the areas unrepresented in those moving forward for the 2009 board, the nominating committee members presented their recommendations to the board. We were very pleased to have such an outstanding group of candidates to evaluate. The outcome of the final appointed individuals plus the elected individual resulted in the following new board members for 2009-2011:
* Joy Buck, RN, PhD, Associate Professor, School of Nursing, Department of Health Promotion & Robert C. Byrd Health Sciences, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV
* Joan "Jody" Chrastek, MSN, CHPN, Coordinator of Pain and Palliative Services, Children's Hospitals and Clinics, Minneapolis, MN
* JoAnne Reifsnyder, PhD, A(CHPN)PRN, BC-PCM, Adjunct Assistant Professor of Public Health, University of the Sciences, Philadelphia, PA
* Regina Ritter, MSN, RN, Home-based Primary Care Staff RN, Veterans Administration
If you are interested in being considered for a board position, the criteria and application instructions can be found at http://www.hpna.org. For more information, contact the national office at 412-787-9301.
Alliance for Excellence in Hospice and Palliative Nursing Summit
In March 2008, The Alliance for Excellence in Hospice and Palliative Nursing (commonly called The Alliance) held a summit with eight invited guests, who represented oncology nursing, home health nursing, geriatric nursing, pediatric nursing, long-term care nursing, palliative medicine, research, palliative quality improvement strategy, emergency nursing, critical care nursing, and our respective member organizations. As a result of that summit, talking points and a white paper have been posted on the Web site of The Alliance.
One of the talking points from the summit included the need to communicate more effectively about who we are and what we do. To this end, The Alliance made the decision to work with Vision Media TV and develop an 8-minute public service announcement and a 2-minute advertisement that will be viewed by more than 272 million consumers nationally and internationally through public television, MSNBC, CNN, You Tube, Google, and other methods of dissemination. This is an exciting message that describes not only who The Alliance is but also what The Alliance can do for consumers. For more information, visit http://www.TheAllianceForExcellence.org.
Clinical Practice Forum
On September 5-6, 2008, the second annual Clinical Practice Forum, entitled "Taking Care of People Who Are Not Like Me," was held in Pittsburgh, PA. This conference was the brainchild of the Diversity Task Force responding to your feedback from the Diversity Survey conducted in January 2007. More than 2000 of you indicated that you needed more information about caring for individuals of all types of diversity-gender, ethnic, religious, disabilities, sexual preferences, and so forth. The event was very successful. More than 35 faculty members came together to share their knowledge. We opened with "Neighbor Aber" singing "I Like You As You Are" and closed with the Chilean Dancers. There will be additional spin-off educational products as a result of the valuable information shared at this event. As noted by President Jane Sidwell, "We have enjoyed the benefits of two outstanding regional conferences over the past two years and we look forward to planning for 2009."
HPNA Collaborates to Offer ELNEC in 2009
HPNA is pleased to announce that it has established a collaborative working relationship with City of Hope/AACN to provide three ELNEC courses in 2009 in three different cities in the Midwest and East. ELNEC has done such a wonderful job reaching hundreds of clinicians from emergency care, critical care, pediatrics, oncology, schools of nursing, geriatrics, and so forth. However, their work is just beginning to touch the tip of the iceberg. HPNA has many approved educators who have taken the ELNEC train-the-trainer courses, so why not spread our resources out to reach further? We hear all of the time that individuals in hospice and palliative care want more education, especially those who are fairly new to the field, are long-term nursing staff members, and have limited resources to expand education. The mission of HPNA is to promote improvement of hospice and palliative care through education and research. "This collaborative relationship is a perfect marriage in our eyes," says Jane Sidwell, HPNA president. "We are excited to offer this wonderful course in Minneapolis on June 25-26, 2009, in Orlando on August 13-14, 2009, and in Boston on September 24-25, 2009." For more information, go to http://www.hpna.org or http://www.cityofhope.org.
2009 HPNA Teleconferences Schedule Is Posted!
Please check the Web site (http://www.hpna.org) and click on Educational Services for the listing. The Professional Nurse Teleconference is presented on the second Wednesday of the month from 12 PM to 1 PM (EST). The Nursing Assistant Teleconference is presented on the fourth Wednesday of the month from 3 PM to 4 PM (EST). Please note that registration is accepted up to 24 hours before the teleconference. Registration cannot be accepted the day of the teleconference. If you have any questions, please contact the Education Coordinator at HPNA by phone at (412) 787-9301 or via e-mail at [email protected].
Just in Time for Scholarships
If you are a fast worker (or a practiced procrastinator), there is just enough time to complete applications for two HPNF scholarships. Applications for Fall Certification Exam Scholarships and the Spring HPNA-Sponsored Conference Scholarships are due in the HPNF office on or before December 1. The Conference Scholarship is brand new! HPNF is offering five awards of $200 each to partially cover expenses for HPNA members to attend the AAHPM/HPNA Annual Assembly in March in Austin, TX. To apply, members must be registered to attend the conference. These scholarships will be awarded at the assembly as a reimbursement of costs. Winners will be notified early in the year.
Certification scholarships are reimbursements for the cost of taking the test. There is one scholarship for each nursing examination from CHPNA through ACHPN. Members must have taken the examination during the June, September, or November 2008 windows and must provide proof of passing from the testing company to qualify.
All applications and more information are available on the HPNF Web site at http://www.hpnf.org.
HPNF Raises Funds at Clinical Practice Forum
The foundation received support from an amazing 30% of attendees at the 2008 Clinical Practice Forum entitled "Caring for People Who Are Not Like Me"! As we move toward raising awareness of the foundation, this is a very gratifying response. Almost one in three people was a donor on site, and many attendees also donate to HPNF appeals throughout the year! Another significant finding is that donors are recognizing some of their colleagues and friends as winners of scholarships and awards that the foundation offers. What better way to realize the importance of the scholarships and research grants and awards than to find out that your colleague or your chapter is a winner or even to see yourself featured in the poster? The HPNF poster and fundraising activities demonstrated the full circle of rich opportunity possible through the foundation.
All 2008 Clinical Practice Forum donations were part of the HPNF Fabulous Fun Football Game. After an intense and passionate match on the gridiron, the Oddballs fell to the Even Keels, 36 to 25. People with birthdays falling on an even date comprised the Even Keels, while the Oddballs were people with birthdays falling on an odd date. A great determination to support HPNF was demonstrated from both sides!
HPNF gratefully acknowledges corporate and foundation support for the Clinical Practice Forum from Enclara Health, Grane Hospice, Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield, Jewish Healthcare Foundation, and Quality of Life Publishing.
Online Donations
HPNF, like HPNA, was the target of a computer virus this past summer. It severely hampered our online fundraising efforts. By the time this goes to print, we expect that online donor capability will be restored. If you read this and are compelled to give a donation as your annual gift or to help to make up the deficit for being offline for an extended period, we solicit your help. Please go to http://www.hpnf.org and click on the Donate Now button. Your online donations are secure and very much appreciated. Online donations are becoming a donation method of choice by many people, so we apologize for any inconvenience that this may have caused.
It is also possible to make tribute gifts online in memory or in honor of a special person. This is available for donations from HPNA members, but it is also appropriate for members to let others donate. This is a way for them to give you a thank you gift or to honor your birthday. The donor is acknowledged with a gift receipt for tax records, and an acknowledgment card is mailed to the person being recognized-you!
Bequests
Year end and reviewing financial situation are phrases that go together for many folks. HPNF invites you to consider the Hospice and Palliative Nurses Foundation as part of your long-term financial plan as we come to the end of 2008. One way to do this is to create a bequest and designate HPNF as the beneficiary. You can request a Bequest Form from HPNF by e-mail at [email protected] or call 412-787-9301 and ask for the Director of Development.
A bequest is simple to set up, and you can let the foundation know of your plans by completing the form and sending a copy of your will (just the portion of it that names HPNF as a beneficiary). Including HPNF in your will is a great way to create a legacy for the future and continue to make a significant impact on hospice and palliative nursing for the years to come. As always, it is wise to consult your attorney or financial planner when making decisions such as these.
Gifts of Love
The 2008 Butterfly Key to Your Heart case is a great gift to give a friend or relative at Thanksgiving or other holiday times. These beautiful lavender cases are a pretty way to send the important message "Thanks for your Friendship." They are popular for colleagues, staff, family, and girlfriends. Who are the persons you know to whom you would like to send a special message of "thanks" at this important time of Thanksgiving? Orders may be placed at http://www.hpnf.org, or you may call 412-787-9301 to order by phone or to request a mail-in order form.
All proceeds from the Key to Your Heart project benefit the foundation.
2009 NBCHPN(R) Board Members
NBCHPN(R) is pleased to welcome its four newest board members for 2009. The new board members include Denise Stahl from Pennsylvania, Kristi Griffith from Texas, Karen Kochell-James from Oklahoma, and Teresa Congdon from Virginia. All of our new board members will be valuable assets to NBCHPN(R).
The 2009 NBCHPN(R) Board of Directors is as follows:
* Kerstin McSteen, ACHPN, President
* Barbara Schmal, CHPN, Secretary
* Jeanne Sergi, BS, Treasurer
* Mary Edwards, CHPN
* Susan Erlewine, CHPN
* Lyn Ceronsky, APRN
* Shiela Derrevere, CHPN
* Bette Case DiLeonardi, PhD
* Virginia Marshall, ACHPN
* Renee Tillman, CHPNA
* Denise Stahl, ACHPN
* Kristi Griffith, CHPN
* Karen Kochell-James, CHPN
* Teresa Congdon, CHPLN
Testing Windows for NBCHPN(R) 2009 Computer-Based Testing
NBCHPN(R) has made a successful transition to CBT in 2008! NBCHPN(R) will continue to work with our professional testing company, Applied Measurement Professionals, in 2009. The testing windows for 2009 will follow the same pattern as 2008 (March, June, September, and November). Please see the 2009 Candidate Handbook posted on our Web site (http://www.nbchpn.org) for further information.
2009 APRN and RN Hospice and Palliative Alternative Recertification Applications Available
2009 applications for renewal of certification through the RN hospice and palliative alternative recertification (HPAR) process are available. APNs due for renewal of certification MUST submit an APRN hospice and palliative accrual for renewal packet to renew certification. The appropriate packet and application can be downloaded from our Web site (http://www.nbchpn.org), or a packet can be mailed to you by calling the National Office at 412-787-1057.
2009 NBCHPN(R) Certification Recognition Event
NBCHPN(R) will host its Eighth Annual Certification Recognition Event during the Annual Assembly of the American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine and the Hospice and Palliative Nurses Association. The luncheon will be held on Thursday, March 26, 2009, from 12:45 pm to 2:00 pm at the Hilton Hotel in Austin, TX. Leslie Patry, manager of the certification program for the Canadian Nurses Association, will be the keynote speaker. Seating is limited to the first 250 registrants. Registration details will be posted on our Web site at http://www.nbchpn.org.
NBCHPN(R) Announces 2008 Employer of the Year Award
NBCHPN(R) takes great pleasure to announce Home Hospice in Odessa, TX, as the recipient of the 2008 Employer of the Year Award. This award is presented each year to a hospice that is currently part of the NBCHPN(R) Employer Supporter Program and has demonstrated consistent and exemplary support of certification. Home Hospice recognizes certification for nurses through several financial, formal, and professional development activities. Home Hospice has proved that their organization is indeed deserving of this special recognition. NBCHPN(R) is planning to present the prestigious award onsite to Home Hospice in 2008.