Scene and heard.

Our Voice in the Media

The Wall Street Journal (Dec. 13, 2006)--"Why Quota for Nurses Isn't Cure-All." Mary Pat Aust, AACN clinical practice specialist, was quoted as saying, "Mandated staffing ratios are a quick fix to a very complex issue ... Preset ratios can't address the specific needs of a specific group of patients at a specific time."

Men in Nursing (December 2006)--"Sky's the Limit: Certification: Get It Now" addressed the benefits and history of certification and included a quote from Lt. Col. John Nergas, an Army nurse. He said, "The AACN Certification Corporation's clinical nurse specialist certification exam has a significant impact on my overall readiness and preparation. I was more focused and confident in my ability to treat patients." The article concluded that "his sentiments describe the true benefit of certification."

Arizona Business News (Dec. 8, 2006)--"Project at ASU's College of Nursing and Healthcare Innovation Targets Better Patient Care." "In addition to creating a new 'Center for Professional and Clinical Excellence' based on the AACN Synergy Model, nurses' practices and patient outcomes will be enhanced through a variety of activities."

Star-Ledger (Dec. 21, 2006)--"Morristown Memorial ICU Wins Top Award" announced that this hospital's ICU received AACN's Beacon Award for "its work in treating patients and their families." The article also listed the criteria for earning a Beacon Award.

Hospitals & Health Networks (December 2006)--"Staffing Watch" included a paragraph about Critical Care Nurses' Work Environment: A Baseline Status Report, a national survey of critical care nurses conducted by the Bernard Hodes Group, Nursing Spectrum and AACN.

Advance for Nurses (Dec. 18, 2006)--"AACN Announces Local Beacon Awards" noted that the adult ICU at Baystate Medical Center in Springfield, Mass. and the B10I/CCU at Hartford Hospital in Hartford, Conn. were recipients of this award and that they "demonstrate the very best in nursing practice."

CHOC Foundation for Children (October 2006)--"Making a Mark" included a section on retention and noted that "in a recent national survey conducted by AACN, nurses ranked 'a healthy work environment' and 'enduring optimal workforce development and staffing' as the two most important workplace issues."

Kansas City Nursing News (Dec. 5, 2006)--"30 Years as CCRN: Research ICU Nurse Is One of 42 CCRNs in the U.S. to Maintain Credential Since It Was Established." "For her entire 33-year career, Peggy Sandels, RN, BSN, CCRN, has worked in ICU at Research Medical Center" (Kansas City, Mo.), and she has consistently maintained her CCRN certification since 1976.

St. Anthony's e-Newsroom (Dec. 1, 2006)--"St. Anthony's ICU Receives Beacon Award" included a quote from Barbara Meacomes, RN, MSN, ICU nurse manager. "What makes the Beacon Award so special is that it was a team member-driven initiative ... This award demonstrates the team's dedication to our service excellence standards and our values of Trust, Dignity, Respect, Responsibility and Excellence." Patricia Sizemore, vice president of patient services, said "St. Anthony's is honored to have received this prestigious award."

Medical Ethics Advisor (Dec. 1, 2006)--"Nurse Presence Growing on Hospital Ethics Committees." The article noted that a manual developed by the American Society for Bioethics and Humanities (ASBH), 'Core Competencies for Health Care Ethics Consultation,' in use by hospital ethics committees nationwide, was created by a task force that included members of AACN."

Dermatology Nursing (Dec. 1, 2006)--"Authentic Leadership." The concept of authentic leadership was addressed in detail, and included several references to AACN's Standards for Establishing and Sustaining Healthy Work Environments. "AACN recommends that organizations provide education for leaders to grow and mature in ways that will help them to be authentic leaders. Also, leaders should be appropriately positioned to accomplish this work. The perception of lack of authenticity can be precipitated by an organization that does not facilitate and support the movement toward healthy workplaces."

Florida Center for Nursing (September 2006)--"The Value of a Healthy Work Environment" is an in-depth look at five programs that address the work environment. The Fourteen Forces of Magnetism, the Nine Principles and Elements of a Healthful Practice/Work Environment, and the Twelve Nurse-Friendly Hospital Criteria, as well as AACN's Six Essential Standards were explained and compared. The report concluded that "with an honest, open approach, determine the organization's strengths, weaknesses and opportunities. If resources are limited (human and/or financial) it may be necessary to address the opportunities using a phased approach."

Our Voice at the Table

Karen Harvey, RN, MSN, AACN certification specialist, attended the NDNQI Data Use Conference in Las Vegas, Nev. This was ANA's first National Database of Nursing Quality Indicators (NDNQI) conference, and the latest research from NDNQI was presented to the more than 900 participants. Other issues included the differences between Magnet and non-Magnet hospitals, characteristics of the nursing workforce and patient outcomes, and RN satisfaction and retention.

Beth Hammer, RN, MSN, APRN-BC, AACN board member, was a guest lecturer at Concordia University Wisconsin, on the topic of "Assessment of the Cardiovascular and Lymphatic Systems." Her presentation included references to educational tools available through AACN. The audience consisted of graduate students in the adult, geriatric and education tracks.

Mary Holtschneider, RN, BSN, MPA, immediate past AACN board member, spoke about the "AACN Healthy Work Environment Initiative & the Beacon Award" at the Lessons in Leadership Series: The Healthy Workplace Imperative conference at the School of Nursing, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She co-presented with AACN members Rebecca Johnson and Cory Miller, who also discussed AACN's Beacon Award.

Maria Shirey, RN, MS, MBA, CNAA, BC, FACHE, AACN Certification Corporation board member, presented "Creating a Magnet Workplace Culture: Evidence-based Nursing Leadership Practice" to the MSN students in nursing administration at Indiana University School of Nursing in Indianapolis. Her presentation emphasized the leader's role in advocating for the value of certification as a key component of the professional practice model required to meet the Magnet standards.

Janie Heath, PhD, APRN-BC, ANP, ACNP, past AACN board member, represented AACN at the American Association of Colleges of Nursing's National Stakeholders' Meeting to revise the Essentials of Baccalaureate Education for Professional Nursing Practice. The purpose of this meeting was to define the competencies that are necessary for baccalaureate education for professional nursing practice in the 21st century.

Holtschneider, Jan Teal, RN-BC, MSN, CCRN, chapter adviser for Region 5 (N.C./S.C.), Beth Martin, RN, MSN, CCNS, CNRN, former AACN Certification Corporation board member, and Debby Greenlaw, RN, MS, CCRN, NP-C, AACN Certification Corporation board member, presented an AACN national update at the 4th annual Down by the Boardwalk conference, presented by the Coastal Chapter and held in Myrtle Beach, S.C. They discussed healthy work environments, certification news, the Beacon Award, NTI and practice alerts.

Holtschneider represented AACN at a board meeting of the Commission on Accreditation of Medical Transport Services. The board reviewed policy changes and also finalized "Accreditation Standards--7th Edition 2006," which is available for download on the CAMTS Web site; www.camts.org.

Holtschneider spoke on "Creating Healthy Work Environments: Applying the AACN Standards to Everyday Practice" at the 16th Annual Cardiac Teaching Day, sponsored by The Rochester Heart Institute, Rochester, N.Y.