4/19/2009The National NAPNAP conference held in San Diego in March was an excellent conference and the eight of us from Virginia had a great time. Hopefully more of you can attend the 2010 National conference in Chicago.
One of the big announcements at National NAPNAP was about the change in Membership. Called "One United Voice" membership is now combined for both National and State Chapters. Please see the separate article addressing this change.
As we wrap up the year, we will be having elections for Board positions for next year. Ballots will be sent via email in April. Please take a few minutes to cast your vote. We are fortunate to have two NOVA members willing to accept the position of President Elect (followed by President the next year). Thank you to Adele Young and Christine Narad for agreeing to be candidates for this position. Their bios are posted in this newsletter.
There are still a few dinner lectures scheduled for the end of the year in both NOVA and Richmond. Thanks again to our volunteers who coordinate those dinner meetings (Senecca Kirkhart in NOVA; Valre Welch and Kathy Stewart in Richmond).
If you haven't visited the web site recently, please take a look. There are a number of continuing education offerings on the events calandar (including the MD- Chesapeake Chapter of NAPNAP's full-day conference on May 7th). There are also several new job openings listed for NOVA - specifically one in a Peds GI practice and a new NP position in a Peds Infectious Disease practice.
As I finish my year as your chapter President, I'd like to say how much I've enjoyed getting to know you. It's wonderful to work with a group of dedicated professionals who share the goal of providing quality healthcare to children and families.
2/8/2009Happy 2009! I hope you all had wonderful holidays with family and friends. I'm personally counting the days till Spring. I really hate snow, ice and cold weather (believe it or not I grew up in Wisconsin!)
Both the Northern Virginia and the Richmond areas continue to have some excellent dinner meetings with lectures on a variety of pediatric topics. Thanks to the volunteers who arrange those programs.
Some members have not yet paid their renewal dues for 2008-2009. If you only paid your National NAPNAP dues, you did not renew for the Virginia Chapter - they are separate forms and checks. If you're unsure, please contact the Membership chair. Next year National NAPNAP has announced plans to change their membership policies, so that in fact when you join National you are automatically a member of your nearest state chapter. More details on that to follow after the National meeting in March. Kathy Stewart (President Elect) and I will both be attending the National NAPNAP conference in San Diego in March, so will be sharing information via email and the spring newsletter.
Thanks to all of the board members for this year. We'll be looking for a slate of officers to run for board positions for 2009-2010. Please consider serving on the board. There is only one in-person meeting, and the rest is done via email. It's a great way to learn more about the organization and to network with other NPs in our chapter. 10/21/2008 The 2008-2009 year has gotten off to a successful start, with several dinner programs held in Richmond and Northern Virginia. The program chairs are having an increasingly difficult job, as the pharmaceutical companies are in the process of changing their rules about sponsorship. Many of them will only sponsor if we apply for and obtain grants rather than going through the reps. Some will not sponsor programs that award CEU's. Many will only sponsor promotional talks about their products, with speakers of their choice. We are trying to "think outside the box" in terms of ways to continue to provide opportunities for education and networking for the Virginia NAPNAP members. On a related note, if you RSVP to attend a meeting, please try to attend. We understand that emergencies can occur, but it's embarrasing to have 7 or 8 "no-shows" when the pharmaceutical company has already committed to paying for a certain number of dinners.
The Executive Board voted to award a $500.00 tuition scholarship to a VA NAPNAP member this year for attendance at either National NAPNAP in 2009 or another area Pediatric Conference in 2009. The application is on the website under forms, and must be submitted NLT December 15th, 2008.
If you have not renewed your chapter membership for 2008-2009, please do so AS SOON AS POSSIBLE! If you aren't sure whether you've renewed, please confirm with the Membership Chair, Judy Corcoran at npjudy@hotmail.com. The budget for 2008-2009 will be sent to all members via email within the next 2 weeks for your comments and a vote. Please respond.
The latest issue of the newsletter has summaries from members who've gone on international medical mission trips - one to Haiti and one to Vietnam. If you've had a volunteer experience, either internationally, nationally or locally, that you'd like to share, please submit information to Kris McHarg ( mchargsrus@cox.net). Enjoy the fall colors and the holidays! We'll hope for a mild flu season this year!
Kris McHarg, President 7/18/2008
As we wind down our NAPNAP meetings for the summer, I want to say thanks for all the hard work many have contributed this year.
Kris McHarg, our incoming President for 2008-2009, has done an outstanding job with the web site for our chapter. She has become the official "Web Goddess," much to the amazement of her teenage children. SO be sure to check it out https://napnapva.securespsites.com. Our goal is to post any job listings that come our way, so keep checking it for updates. Joan Mulshine is stepping down as treasurer. She has been a steady presence on the board and we greatly appreciate her dedication to keeping our books straight and us fiscally responsible.
Liz Builta has smoothly transitioned us to an electronic newsletter. And we are so grateful for her work as secretary.
We had a record year for membership!! At the National conference I had the honor on behalf of the chapter to accept the Growth Award for the large chapters. (This award is given to the chapter with the most new national members). Thanks, Martha Zier for keeping our membership straight.
I think the activity that most members find the most valuable has been the dinner programs. Both NOVA and Richmond have had a full array of programs. Kudos to Betsy and Kathy in the NOVA and Richmond areas respectively for their great organization and planning.
New faces on the board include Kathy Stewart as our President Elect and Kristi Tucker will be taking over the Treasurer role. We also welcome Judy Corcoran, who will be taking over membership and Senecca Kirkhart who will be assuming responsibility for dinner programs in NOVA.
In case you are interested, the board revised the chapter bylaws. Much of the revisions were done to reflect our move into the electronic age, i.e. electronic newsletters and ballots. The revisions are attached to thie newsletter and are open for comments. We will vote to accept these bylaws at the first dinner meeting in the fall.
Enjoy your summer!! Catch up on your pleasure reading!! I am always looking for a good book to read. We will great back up in the fall for another great line up of dinner meetings. We also have designated some funds for conference scholarships. So much more lies ahead! Thanks for the opportunity to serve as your president. I sign off an pass things on to Kris!! 4/29/2008
I don't know who said the quote, but I am frequently reminded of in my professional life, "If there is one thing certain in life it is change." How true!! Having been a PNP for over 12 years there sure have been many. Just take the immunization schedule as one example. And one of my most challenging changes recently has been our office's conversion to an electronic medical record. I bring up the topic of change because the NAPNAP organization is proposing some changes as well. Recently as a chapter president I participated in a telephone survey from an independent consulting group on my thought about unification. Unification as I understand it is the concept that all national members are automatically chapter members as well. I don't want to bore you with my thoughts on this change. But NAPNAP is interested in hearing from YOU to see if this is the best for its membership. So make your voice heard. Email national your thoughts. On the www.napnap.org site there is an opportunity to provide confidential information to the consultant.
I applaud our organization for taking such steps to allow the membership to provide input. But the responsibility is now with you. Will this make NAPNAP better for you? The call to action is open until March 30th. I hope everyone in the Virginia chapter voices their thoughts. You can also share your opinions with me or Kris and we will share them at the Chapter President's meeting at the National Meeting in Nashville.
I hope to see some of you in Nashville in April. Please email me at dalbyjn@comcast.net to let me know if you plan to be there. I would love to have us get together. My parents also live in Nashville so if you need some insider information just let me know. Please take time while you are there to explore the area, it is a fun town.
This spring is elections for chapter officers and available positions include president elect (from the Richmond area), and a treasurer. We would love to hear from you if you have any interest.
Sincerely,
Jan Dalby, VA Chapter President 1/22/2008
I am glad I belong to my professional organizations, especially NAPNAP, to keep me informed of the "broader picture of health care & the role of the nurse practitioner." As a NP in a busy private practice, I very often get totally immersed in the day to day - trying to convince Mothers to vaccinate their daughters against HPV, encouraging healthy eating of at least 4 fruits and vegetables a day, as well as supporting the tearful new Mother as she doubts her ability to breastfeed her newborn. These encounters are important and I feel I can make a difference. But I must not lose sight of the events that are occurring outside my daily routine. Because some day those events may affect my role and also your role as a NP. I represented our chapter at the recent leadership meeting of the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners this past September 29th. Two issues discussed included the Doctor of Nursing Practice initiative and Standards for Nurse Practitioner Practice in retail based clinics. Yes, I have some conflicting feelings on both these issues.
As Nurse Practitioners we need to play a role in the changing landscape of health care. Accessible and affordable health care for children needs to continue to be our goal. NPs need to continue to show how we can successfully address these goals. Our professional organizations allow our individual voices to become collective and effect change. So join locally and on a national level so you can be a part of changing the landscape of health care. And let your NP voice be heard!
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"As Nurse Practitioners we need to play a role in the changing landscape of
health care" | I want to share another reflection as we enter the holiday season and as we get busy with family and social obligations and activities. When I was attending an asthma training session last month, a participant approached me at the break. She said "Jan, I have always wanted to meet you and say thanks..." These encounters throw me because my almost 50 year old brain "rolodex" isn't as fast as it used to be, and I was frantically trying to place the name and face with no success. She went on to say we had never actually met but had only talked on the phone about 10 years ago. Again, I felt lost, not recalling the call at all. She continued: "I was at a difficult time in my life, especially my career as an economist was not what I wanted and I was in the midst of career counseling. My assignment was to interview people in different jobs." She continued to share how she had called me and we talked for about 45 minutes about my job as a NP. To make a long story short, she went back to school to be a NP and has been a practicing women's health NP for the past 5 years. I would be lying if I told you I could remember our conversation but it did make me feel good I was a catalyst for someone's career as an NP. But what did impress me was that she shared that with me. So, in the spirit of the holidays, when we take a break from dinner meetings, take a moment and think of a NP who impacted your life. It could be a NP who mentored you through school or the NP who cared for you or your kids. And reach out and say thanks! Share with them how they were special to you.
Sincerely,
Jan Dalby, President, Virginia Chapter of NAPNAP |
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