GWAC Critical Care Chronicle 1

GWAC Critical Care Chronicle

Volume 15, Issue 2 December 2014

The President’s Message:

Focused and On F-I-R-E! Karen Mack, MS, MBA, ACNPC, CHFN

This fall has been a time of vision, success, and

growth for the Greater Washington Area Chapter

(GWAC). The chapter has focused the flame of nursing

practice, encouraged by this theme of AACN President,

Teri Lynn “TK” Kiss as she began her term at the

National Teaching Institute in Denver last May.

If you have not had a chance to watch TK’s address,

you can catch it at

http://www.aacn.org/wd/nti/nti2014/content/pres-elect-

keynote.pcms

TK challenged AACN members to develop F-I-R-E:

Fearlessness, Inquiry, Resilience, and Engagement.

GWAC Members have exhibited our FIRE!

In September, GWAC co-sponsored (with MedStar

Washington Hospital Center) the Carol Rauen CCRN

Review Course. This was a wonderful opportunity for our

chapter to encourage certification, by assisting nurses to

overcome the fear of the testing process, with excellent

quality education at a significant discount to our

members- only $50 for a two day event.

In October, the Ebola situation became was front and

center in Washington, DC, both in the public policy arena

and in the critical care provided to those suspected of

having or suffering from the disease at several area

hospitals. GWAC responded with information resources

for our members and in coordination with our AACN

National leaders. Fears were addressed through

information and advocacy. Resilience was displayed in

critical care and emergency nurse colleagues providing

care and in our critical care nurse colleagues who

overcame the disease.

In November, the GWAC Spotlight on Critical Care

Conference, with superb engagement of the Spotlight

committee, reflected educational excellence, promoted

the chapter’s worth to industry partners, and for the first

time in several years did not incur a loss of chapter funds.

The conference podium and poster abstracts advanced the

practice of clinical inquiry. Lori Dodd, RN, BSN, CEN

served as this year’s conference chair and modeled

excellent leadership skills for our chapter community.

We enjoyed a wonderful Network Night dinner after the

conference in collaboration with our industry partner,

Zoll.

Our GWAC Board of Directors has grown and is

engaged. The chapter is now poised to implement our

mission and develop leadership succession for the

coming years. We have welcomed several new board

members who are current or recent members of the

GWAC Student Circle of Practice: Steve Mehallow,

Treasurer-elect; Theresa Cattuna, Secretary; Beth

Matusiewicz, Social Media Chair; and Andrea Useem,

Membership Co-Chair. We have also welcomed Steve

Risch, our President-elect, and chairs for our new Circles

of Practice- Jennifer Lewis, CCRN Chair; Jocelyn

Maxwell, PCCN Chair; Helen Brown, APN Chair; and

Kelly McNeil-Jones, Student Circle Chair.

Here is a list of other accomplishments for the

chapter this fall:

An annual calendar to announce programs and allow members adequate notice to attend

A successful student outreach event in VA. An open dinner meeting on December 3, 2014

at the Adventist Shady Grove Medical Campus. The GWAC email system was improved with

MailChimp. An AACN Chapter Award nomination was

submitted. The Spotlight on Advanced Practice Nursing

conference is planned for March 7, 2015 at the Bethesda DoubleTree.

GWAC’s participation in the 2015 AACN Region IV meeting is being led by Steve Risch, President-elect.

Have you considered focusing the flame of your

nursing practice through chapter leadership? GWAC is

continuing to build our leadership team. Members are

needed to serve as education committee members and

conference committee members.

In March we will be opening nominations for the

election, please consider running for office. Interested

members should email “president@gwac-aacn.org” for

more information. Come and join us- we are focused and

on F-I-R-E!

GWAC Critical Care Chronicle 2

KUDOS Alisa Olson, MSN, RN-BC, CCRN

New CCRNs MedStar Washington Hospital

Center

Sarah Bain McLaughlin, RN, CCRN

MedStar Georgetown University

Hospital

Elizabeth Stocksdale, RN, CCRN

Jackie Howell, RN, CCRN

Catherine Taylor Pence, RN, CCRN

Christina Maroun, RN, CCRN

Nate Hasbrouck, RN, CCRN

New PCCNs MedStar Georgetown University Hospital

Keri Johnson, RN, PCCN

Molly K. Southworth, RN, PCCN

Award:

Karen Mack, GWAC President, has been selected to

receive the 2015 American Association of Nurse

Practitioners (AANP) State Award for the District of

Columbia. This award is presented annually to a

dedicated nurse practitioner in each state who has made a

significant contribution toward increasing awareness and

acceptance of the NP role. She will be recognized at

the AANP National Conference in New Orleans,

Louisiana, which will be held June 9-14, 2015.

Membership Report -Carolee Beckford, RN, CCRN

4th Quarter 2014

GWAC Members by Hospital

Hospital Members

Suburban 53

WHC 44

Fairfax 21

Georgetown 20

Holy Cross 18

Alexandria 14

GW 12

Shady Grove 12

NIH 11

Howard Univ 6

Southern MD 6

VA Hospital Ctr 6

Prince William 5

WAH 5

Students 16

Others: 4 or less 69

Total 318

Need latest data

GWAC Critical Care Chronicle 3

Spotlight on Critical Care, -Lori Colorado Dodd

The 29th annual Spotlight on Critical Care conference was

held on November 1st at the DoubleTree Hotel in

Bethesda, MD. Over 150 nurses from the Greater

Washington area attended. We had an impressive speaker

lineup that included AACN President-Elect Karen

McQuillan. This year, we added a student and novice

nurse track and almost twenty students from George

Washington University and Marymount University

attended! Over 30 exhibitors attended and provided

information on the latest technologies and professional

opportunities.

Congratulations to our poster winners Charles Sederstrom

and Adelaida Dizon-Dauz! A HUGE thank you to the

Spotlight Committee for their hard work and dedication

to making this happen!

Planning for Spotlight on Critical Care 2015 will begin

soon! Email gwac.aacn@yahoo.com if you are interested

in participating on the planning committee!

The Benefits of Membership -Stephen Risch, President Elect

I am delighted to write this column for the

Critical Care Chronicle and also to serve our chapter

community as the president- elect for 2014-2015.

What does it mean to join your professional

organization? When I ask my colleagues in acute and

critical care units throughout my organization the

question “are you member of AACN and GWAC,” the

answers I typically get back are "what are the benefits,

how much does it cost and what's in it for me?" My

response is always “joining your professional

organization is the right thing to do.”

The first and most important benefit of

membership is that you are demonstrating to the critical

care community and to your organization your

commitment to your profession. You also share and

practice the same values that your professional

organization put in their mission statement “to practice to

highest standard to provide the best care.”

Advocacy is another benefit of being a member.

Your membership dues support the local chapter and the

national level to have the ability to have AACN leader s

to be at the table to shape the future of nursing. Also, it

provides the ability for AACN to provide those much

needed resources for you as a direct care nurse to

advocate for patients and their families.

Education benefits are a huge attraction for

members. You have access to many free CE modules,

articles, and webinars. You often get heavily discounted

prices for local, regional, and national conferences.

Networking, by joining your local and national

organization opens doors to make connections with

colleagues locally and nationally, to share best practices

with each other and share ideas.

An advantage to being involved in your local

chapter is participating in conference planning and circles

of practice committees. Your commitment to the local

level can allow you to take on a board of director

positions and becoming a leader in your chapter.

Membership brings us together as a community

to build relationships with one another, to support

initiatives at the local and national levels, to promote

professional development, and to enhance our leadership

skills. I have been an AACN member since 1999 and a

GWAC member since 2002. So, I challenge our

membership to ask a close colleague not only to join, but

to ask “Why they haven't you joined GWAC?”

GWAC Critical Care Chronicle 4

Welcome GWAC’s New Social Media Chair Beth

Matusiewicz

Beth is soon to be a graduate of the GWU School of

Nursing. She is already hard at work creating a GWAC

LinkedIn page in addition to the GWAC Facebook page.

Volunteers Still Needed

Are you interested in getting more involved in GWAC?

We are looking for members for the following positions:

Education Committee Members- Are you a nurse

educator or interested in becoming an educator? GWAC

needs assistance with review and upkeep of our CE

Approval Packets and documents.

Interested? Email president@gwac-aacn.org

Circles of Practice News

CCRN Circle of Practice Karen Morgan Lynch, a DNP Student at George

Washington University School of Nursing, is conducting

a research study.

You can participate in this survey to evaluate the

satisfaction of the Nurse with daily patient hygiene in the

Adult Intensive Care Units only.

This is an opportunity to give your input on both the

Basin-less bath system and the standard bath using a

basin, soap and water.

All input is valued and the final data will be presented at

GWAC and GWUH at your request.

Take a chance and assist in this Survey!!

A Raffle for FOUR $50.00 Visa Gift Certificates for

those who participate. Post-Holiday extra money!!

Drawing will be on January 25, 2015.

Winners will be notified on January 26, 2015

Survey Website:

https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/patientbathing

See page 8 for flier with additional information.

PCCN Circle of Practice Katherine Alford, a doctoral student at

University of Texas Health Science Center, San

Antonio, invites progressive care staff nurses

who meet the criteria to participate in a voluntary

confidential research study on alternative work

processes and automated medication dispensing

cabinets (AMDCs) that takes about 15 to 20

minutes to complete. Please call Alford with

your questions at 210-317-7682, or her adviser,

Sara Gill, at 210-567-3014

Advanced Practice Nurse (APN) Circle

of Practice

4th

Annual Spotlight on Advanced

Practice Nursing Conference Karen Mack, MS, MBA, ACNPC, CHFN

Spotlight on Advanced Practice Nursing will be held

Saturday March 7, 2015 from 7:30 AM-3:45PM at

the Doubletree Bethesda Hotel and Executive

Meeting Center. This annual one day conference is

designed for Advanced Practice Nurses (APN's)

including Clinical Nurse Specialists and Nurse

Practitioners, experienced critical care nurses

interested in becoming APN's. The program

highlights professional and clinical information

relevant to APN's in an era of complex care and

changing regulations. It is sponsored by the Greater

Washington Area Chapter of AACN.

Some of the planned topics are:

Keynote sessions with nationally recognized APN

leaders

HIV Education- 3 hours with ICU management, pharmacology and management of transitions of care

Transitional Care for Heart Failure Ventricular Assist Devices- Updates for

community and Non-VAD teams Encephalopathy Billing Update for Advanced Practice Providers Pulmonology

The Doubletree Executive Meeting Center is a purpose

built, dedicated business environment, ideal for

scientific programs and certified by the International

Association of Conference Centers. It features the

PURE™ allergy-friendly environment, ergonomic

chairs and glare-free work tables, exceptional lighting

and climate control, dedicated break and luncheon

space, and telephone rooms for taking personal calls.

GWAC Critical Care Chronicle 5

Parking is available at the hotel. The hotel is also

metro accessible to the Bethesda station by foot or by

the Circulator bus or Doubletree shuttle. The location

allows participants to take advantage of the restaurants

and shops in Bethesda after the meeting.

Adult (Non-Geriatric) Acute Care NPs

Important Certification Information The Consensus Model for APRN Regulation: Licensure,

Accreditation, Certification and Education (LACE),

which goes into effect in 2015, impacts certification

options for ACNPs. ACNP-Cs currently certified through

ANCC many apply to AACN for ACNPC certification by

endorsement for no fee.

Deadline: December 31, 2014.

AACN offers (and will continue to offer even after

January 2015) three options for certification renewal:

1. Renewal by Clinical Hours and CE Points

2. Renewal by Clinical Hours and Exam

3. Renewal by CE Points and Exam

After January 2015, ANCC will renew only if applicants

have the required practice hours.

This is critical in maintaining your ACNPC credential

should you stop practicing clinically.

Information available @

ACNPC By Endorsement Handbook

Late Notice of an Excellent Educational

Offering….

Nurse Practitioner Course: Introduction

to Bedside Ultrasound Expand your ultrasound skills in a single 10 hour course

designed for Advanced Practitioners.

When: Monday, January 19, 2015, 7am-5pm

Where: Holiday Inn Inner Harbor

301 W Lombard St, Baltimore, MD 21201

Cost: $600 per participant Contact: president@gwac-

aacn.org before enrolling if you would like attend as

GWAC members may receive a 25% discount.

Minimum enrollment of 10 participants.

Maximum of 30 participants.

Registration closes December 31st.

If the minimum number of participants is not met by

December 31st, registration fees will be refunded. Service

fees are nonrefundable.

Information available at

http://www.eventbrite.com/e/introduction-to-bedside-

ultrasound-jan-19-2015-tickets-14474546759

Student Circle of Practice Engaging our Students, Growing our Chapter

Students/Novices Circle of Practice, by Beth

Matusiewicz, GW Nursing Student

At the 2014 Spotlight on Critical Care

Conference a variety of excellent posters were presented.

The poster entitled Greater Washington Area Chapter of

the AACN Student Engagement: Molding Tomorrows

Leaders, specifically relates to GWAC’s Circle of

Practice dedicated to the Student Network.

The poster authors, (Kelly McNeil-Jones, Brett Dodd and

Beth Matusiewicz) outlined the importance of student

engagement in professional organizations. Embracing

our future colleagues while students, encourages

professional excellence and clinical leadership as well as

cultivates sustainable chapter involvement.

Students are able to gain first-hand experience in chapter

activities that offer team building, project management,

community advocacy, and many other quality experiences

that aid in professional growth.

Also, the opportunity to mentor, coach and encourage is a

great benefit for veteran chapter members who are

thrilled to positively impact the perspective of the new

members/colleagues.

Since 2012 GWAC’s student membership increased from

2 members to 12. Spotlight student attendance rose from

6 student members in 2013 to 21 in 2014. The Circle of

Practice dedicated to Student development has created a

network that includes consistent and focused engagement

that is expected to grow year over year, relative to the

excitement generated by this cycle of influence for the

progressive/critical care professional.

GWAC Critical Care Chronicle 6

CRITICAL CARE NURSES ARE YOU SATISFIED WITH THE DAILY HYGIENE OF

YOUR PATIENTS ?SURVEY Dates:

December 18, 2014-January 25, 2015

What does it take to keep patient hygiene at the forefront?

• You can participate in this survey to evaluate the satisfaction of the Nurse with daily patient hygiene in the Adult Intensive Care Units only.

• This is an opportunity to give your input on both the Basin-less bath system and the standard bath using a basin, soap and water.

• All input is valued and the final data will be presented at GWAC and GWUH at your request.

• Take a chance and assist in this Survey!! A Raffle for FOUR $50.00 Visa Gift Certificates for those who participate. Post-Holiday extra money!!

• Drawing will be on January 25, 2015. Winners will be notified on January 26, 2015

• Survey Website: https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/patientbathing

GWAC Calendar 2015 January 7 7:30-8:30PM BOD Meeting

14 7:30-8:30PM LIAISON Webinar

February 4 7:30-8:30PM BOD Meeting

11 Send out Call for BOD Nominees

15

President's Award Application Due

March 4 7:30-8:30PM BOD Meeting

7 8AM-3:45PM Spotlight on Advanced Practice Nursing Conference – DoubleTree

Bethesda

11 GWAC Elections Open

19 Certified Nurses Day

21 Region IV Meeting- Ocean City

31 GWAC Elections Close

April 1 Open Chapter/BOD Meeting VA (with 1 hour CE) and Elections Announced

(Open to All Members/ New Members)

May 6

7:30-8:30PM BOD Meeting

17 21st NTI San Diego

June 3

No BOD Meeting

6 12PM-4PM GWAC Leadership Development Workshop (Open to All Members/ New

Members)

GWAC Critical Care Chronicle 7

More Spotlight Photos

GWAC Critical Care Chronicle 8

December Open Chapter

Dinner Meeting

Special thanks to our host Adventist

Shady Grove Medical Center and

our exhibitor Zoll!!