Candidtes for 2014 Board of Directors

It is that time again, to begin the election process for the Florida Nurse Practitioner Network (FNPN).

The leadership positions that will be open for voting this year include: 1) First-Vice President in charge of Legislative Affairs 2) Secretary 3) Membership Chair and 4) Nominating Committee members.

All nominations have been submitted, a link with an official ballot will be sent out electronically. Voting will remain open until November 13, 2013. We are looking for each of you to become more actively involved with FNPN. Your involvement is critical as we continue to grow in numbers and build bridges within and outside of our community!

Please take the time to look at your membership profile on the website, and confirm that your membership is active (full). If you have any questions about your membership, please contact us at floridanpnetwork@gmail.com

FNPN Candidates:

1st Vice President Legislative Affairs

Jean Aetker- Jean H. Aertker, DNP, ARNP, COHN-S, FAANP is Owner and Director of clinical services for Tampa Occupational Health Services in Tampa, Florida. As a business owner, she has created a successful private practice over the past 15 years. She is board certified as a family nurse practitioner and occupational health nurse specialist with over 28 years in the NP role. As the first director of occupational health at Tampa General Hospital, she developed four Nurse Practitioner managed workers compensation urgent care clinics in Hillsborough County. Building coalitions has been a career passion, and in 1999 she was selected by the ANA-F to develop and coordinate a 2-year coalition building project of free medical clinics in Florida. Dr. Aertker has taught at the university level in nursing and clinical medicine programs. She was instrumental in the development of the faculty primary care ARNP role for the University of South Florida Public Sector Medicine Program. She continues to serve as a preceptor and lecturer for several NP programs. Jean received the AANP Florida Advanced Practice Award in 1999, the University of Tampa’s Nursing Outstanding Community Service Award and the FNA Barbara Lumpkin Legislative Advocate Award for her effective work on behalf of all ARNP’s in Florida. Jean continues to be involved by connecting, visiting and encouraging Florida NP grassroots groups and would like to extend that effort to all NPs throughout Florida. Her experience and coalition building efforts will bring successful strategies for advancing our profession and legislative agenda.

Campaign Message: It is an honor to serve the membership of FNPN as a board of director since 2002. NPs must be visible, united in mission and all 12+ thousand Florida NPs need to be involved at some level. FNPN has been a strong voice for NPs for over 10 years, and our leadership has been tested and proven. Change will happen and we must be in the lead to bring positive changes in health issues in our state. I will serve the membership by continuing to be a strong advocate, take tour message to legislators and work to build more networks that support our FNPN mission and ideals.

Joan Hubball-After 15 years of full-time practice as an FNP in both Boston and now Miami, I have decided to change course in my career. I am currently enrolled in a dual masters program at Barry University in Health Services Administration and Public Health. I have had so many wonderful opportunities as an FNP to make differences in people’s lives. I have spent much of my practice geared toward the disadvantaged, the disabled, and the elderly. I have taught at the University of Miami School of Nursing; I have participated in lengthy medical missions to Haiti and India.

Now I want to take a leadership role in healthcare facilities, organizations, agencies and government policy, particularly those that are working to close the gap in healthcare disparities. The Affordable Care Act has placed primary care access at the top of the national and state agendas. NPs will need the ability to practice to the full scope of their educational preparation to best fulfill this important ACA goal. I am committed to seeking the removal of NP license restrictions in the state of Florida. The full participation of NPs in Florida healthcare will improve patient care, cost, and accessibility. I would like to lead this effort as your FNPN representative in our Florida legislature. I firmly believe that NPs should be at the forefront of comprehensive health reform.

Linda Gettinger-Dinner - Dr. Linda Gettinger-Dinner (Dr. G.) is trained and licensed as a Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner in the State of Florida. In private practice, Dr. G. is a psychotherapist and Reiki Master. Since 2003, she has been a member of the Sigma Theta Tau Nursing Honor Society. In 2008, Dr. G. became a Network Leader for the American Holistic Nursing Association for Miami-Dade County.

In academia, Dr. G. has served as a Nursing Administrator, as well as a Nursing Professor. Clearly, she understands the management and philosophy of nursing education. She is very passionate about delivering a superior educational experience to students who wish to become our future nurses. For more than 15 years, Dr. G. has been teaching students both in the classroom, online, and clinical settings. Her leadership style is transformational; she is known to be a seasoned leader in the field of nursing.

Dr. G. continues to serve as a provider of continuing education for nurses in the State of Florida via the Florida Board of Nursing for over 20 years. She has authored and published many nursing articles, some featured in the Nursing Spectrum. Also, a public speaker, particularly on motivational topics that help empower our nurses of today. She has presented for the Nursing Spectrum Career Fairs, and has been a guest speaker for the “Speaking of Women’s Health” National Annual Conference, sponsored by WPBT2.

She holds two baccalaureate degrees; Bachelor of Arts degree in Sociology from Queens College, in Flushing, N.Y,, and a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Downstate Medical Center in Brooklyn, N.Y. Additionally, Dr. G. holds two Master's degrees, a Master of Science degree in Human Resource Management from Nova Southeastern University, Ft. Lauderdale, FL., and a Master of Science degree in Nursing/ A.R.N.P. from Florida International University, N. Miami, Florida. Her doctorate in Health Science was earned in 2006 from Nova Southeastern University, Ft. Lauderdale, Florida.

It is very apparent that Dr. G. has multifaceted skills that transcend beyond the classroom. She excelled as a Human Resources Director, and assumed many key leadership positions throughout her nursing career. Her communication skills, combined with her diverse expertise, distinguish her as an outstanding candidate to serve on the FNPN Board.

Secretary:

Incumbent Cindy Parsons- As the current secretary of FNPN, I have committed my time and effort to work with the leadership to provide the structure and organization that allows a professional membership organization to serve its members. We developed opportunities for nurse practitioners to be involved in legislative changes, educational advancement and networking and patient advocacy and with a goal enhancing the health of Floridians and advanced practice nursing. If I am reelected as Secretary I commit to continue to work with the FNPN leadership to foster effective communication within the organization and from the organization to the NP community of Florida. I will also work with our FNPN leadership to assure that we remain active in the many collaborative nursing organizations that serve to foster our mission. It is imperative that our professional organization communicate and collaborate with other professional organizations to foster positive working relationships that can facilitate change and improvements for advanced practice nurses. It is vital in these times of rapid change to be proactive, flexible, and responsive to changes that occur within the health care arena, locally, state wide or even nationally. I will commit my time and effort to assuring that FNPN is prepared to lead as the professional organization for NPs in the state of Florida.

In addition I will work with FNPN leadership to foster program development that leads to a vital, energetic organization that truly represents advanced practice nurses in Florida in the realm of professional and political advocacy.

Expertise for the Office: I have served as FNPN secretary 2012-present, and have been active with the organization for 10 years. I am a Fellow of the American Association of Nurse Practitioners and have been active with AANP for many years. Many years of active involvement in local chapter, as well as serving for more than10 years on a variety of national boards (ANCC Board on Certification for Psychiatric Nursing, chair 1995-1999; American Board of Nursing Specialties 1995-2000, secretary & Member-at-large

If elected, I consent to serve and attend BOD and annual meetings.

Gerge Byron Smith- is a gerontological nurse practitioner that specializes in gerontology primary care and gero-psychiatry. He received his BSN and MSN in Nursing Administration at The University of Texas Medical Branch, Post-Masters GNP Certificate at the University of South Florida, and DNP in Nursing Education at Case Western Reserve University. He is an Associate Professor and Program Director, Post Masters DNP at Brandman University in the Marybelle and S. Paul Musco School of Nursing and Health Professions. George maintains a private practice in long-term care and with Brandon Outreach Clinic. He is the FNA representative to the Florida Coalition of Nurse Practitioners and has been appointed co-chair. He is the immediate past Treasurer of FNA and the current Treasurer of the Gerontological Advanced Practice Nurses Association. George has served as President and Secretary for the Tampa Bay Advanced Practice Nurses Association. I am committed to the mission of FNPN and believe we are at a critical junction as ARNP in Florida. We must continue to push ahead with a untied voice.

Membership:

Incumbent Pam Johnson- The past year has been rewarding and interesting. Advanced Registered Nurse Practitioners around Florida have engaged politics directing Advanced Practice Nursing. Florida Nurse Practitioner Network members stand united within local groups and as a state organization! We seek to amend statutory barriers preventing citizens from having access to additional primary care providers. In 2012, Memberships voice and financial support helped Florida Nurse Practitioner Network to pass legislation that allows Physical Therapist to act on prescriptions generated by Nurse Practitioners!!

I ask that members trust electing me as Membership Director 2013-2015, knowing that we share common interest. We want to strategically move platform of Advanced Registered Nurse Practitioners in Florida forward! We know that our education and training qualifies us as safe, effective, and efficient stewards of time and resources caring for citizens within this state.

The Director of Membership’s responsibilities expand beyond building numbers. This position requires listening to each individual, group, and associate member’s ideas as well as concerns. Then, acting as a voice within the Board of Directors, sharing holistic views of the membership. FNPN offers groups and individuals opportunity to pay one annual fee to join two organizations (FNPN and your local group). I would like to see this project through, by encouraging as many individuals to join their local Advance Practice Group and having the local group associate with FNPN as the State Representative of ARNPs in Tallahassee. This plan is in progress.

We are viable partners in healthcare; Caring caregivers. Our profession has become of asset to many businesses and there is evidence that the public trust nurses. Elect me for a two year term as Director of Membership to continue advancing our missions!

Frances M. Rankin (Sahebzamani)- As an adult nurse practitioner and faculty member at the University of South Florida for the past 18 years and a past Vice President for Legislative Affairs for the Florida Nurse Practitioner Network (FNPN), I have gained a keen appreciation for our need to outreach, recruit and retain nurse practitioners and nurse practitioner students into our major NP organizations at the state and national levels. Engaging future nurse practitioners in FNPN at the pre-professional level has the potential to significantly increase our membership; improve the attainment of our practice and policy goals and provide a venue and platform from which to socialize our future colleagues into a long, productive, career within our profession. Without a larger membership base, our ability to achieve our immediate and long-term practice and policy goals is limited. With the implementation of the ACA, it is imperative that we socialize new nurse practitioners to the practice and policy issues facing our specific practice act in Florida. If elected, my goal is to reach out to all nursing faculty and student NPs within the state of Florida to promote membership in and engagement with the FNPN.

Nominating Committee:

Donna Lester- I have been a Nurse Practitioner in Florida for 13 years. I was one of the founding members of Polk County Advanced Practice Nurses Association a few years after I moved here. I was the Secretary for 4 years followed by 4 years as President.

I was the chair for the Education committee and started the conference we hold every year. I am also one of the legislative chairs for the group. I attend the Florida AANP leadership conference every year. I was also involved with the Rally in Tally for my group attending. I would like to continue my service with FNPN and advancing the practice in Florida. Thank you for your consideration

Jeanne Abdou

Yolanda Bone