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FNPN December Newsletter

Posted over 12 years ago by Regina Pommer

Good Morning!

We would like to bring you up to date on what’s new in your own backyard of Florida.  In this newsletter you will find the following: 

Contents

 

Quote of the Month: "He who has health, has hope; and he who has hope, has everything."

        - Thomas Carlyle

Happy Holiday

We are truly grateful for our members and community advocates. As the holidays approach, we would like to thank you for your time, donations, and community support that positively impact the Florida Nurse Practitioner Network each and every day.

FNPN 2012 Elections

It is time once again to cast your vote in the election process for the Florida Nurse Practitioner Network. This year, the positions of Vice President for Legislative Affairs, Secretary, and Membership Director are ready to be voted on. Voting is restricted to one vote per member. Members must be current in their 2011 membership dues which will be reviewed by the election committee to ensure validity of all votes received.

Our current election committee, chaired by Gail Fox from West Palm Beach is currently available to answer any questions about the candidates nominated this year. Despite our current nominees being uncontested, write in candidates are always welcome. Please visit the following link to cast your vote (Click Here). We hope you will take a moment to cast your vote in the 2011 cycle. Elections will commence beginning December 7, 2011 and run through midnight January 7th, 2012

Candidates for FNPN Board of Directors

Vice President for Legislative Affairs
Debra A. Friedrich, DNP, ARNP- BC, CLS

Debra has been a practicing Family Nurse Practitioner for over 10 years. She is also a board certified clinical lipid specialist who developed and manages West Florida Lipidology in Bradenton. Debra is Assistant Professor and Director of the FNP concentration at the University of South Florida. She teaches health policy to graduate students at USF and has been an invited participant as a fellow in the AANP leadership fellowship program. Debra has continued to be active in Legislative and leadership issues related to Nurse Practitioners and would welcome and value the opportunity to serve our profession in the role.

Secretary
Cindy Parsons, DNP, ARNP-BC, FAANP

FNPN is a vital organization to advanced practice nursing in the state of Florida. If elected I will devote my time and energy to the continued growth of FNPN. I will also work with the Board of Directors to strategically plan so that the resources of the organization are focused on activities that will improve the practice environment for NP's, enhance the quality of health of Floridians and increase public awareness of the value of NP's in health care.

Membership Director
Armando Riera, MSN, ARNP, BC

Education Updates:  

Feb 02   Dorothy M. Smith Nursing Leadership Conference at University of Florida

Thursday, February 02 2012 at 11:00am ET in Gainesville, FL

Please check for important educational opportunities posted on our website at www.fnpn.org.

Job Announcements!

There have been many new job postings around the state on our web site at www.fnpn.org  for those of you that may have an interest. On our new website, the most recent postings are on the front page. A new feature will allow postings to be visible for 90 days. Please feel free to pass this along to your colleagues who may be interested in it as well, or who may have an interest in finding out more about our network.  For those of you that have found jobs on our website, please be sure to let us know!

Do you know an employer who might find the FNPN Job posting a worthwhile site? If so, please be sure to tell them about the website and the fact that on average 20 or more jobs are posted each month.  The traffic to our website is incredible and we have more and more folks seeking employment through this site than ever before.  Let them know you saw it on the FNPN Website!

Membership Update

Armando Riera-Membership Chair 

Dear Members, 

In order for us to have our voices heard in Tallahassee, we will need to increase our membership, at the same time working hard to retain current members.   One of our goals this year will be to actively work on recruiting new members to FNPN to make our organization stronger. 

Renewal Reminder-Membership in FNPN runs on an annual basis Jan-Dec. Please renew your membership today. Membership in FNPN can be as a group or individual member.

Individual members belong and receive many benefits as part of their membership-frequent communication during the legislative session (or special sessions), a paid lobbyist based in Tallahassee, access to posted job opportunities, access to posted upcoming conferences and many more benefits. If you belong to your local NP group you are not an FNPN member until you join FNPN individually, group and individual membership are two separate levels of membership. I encourage you to visit our newly redesigned web page today www.fnpn.org and while you're there you can renew online.

Group Presidents- please renew today and continue to be an integral part of our growing organization. We value our group members as this creates a vital network of NP groups throughout the state. These groups help disseminate information about trends, issues and changes impacting NP's at the state and national level. As a group member we will also assist with conference planning and obtaining approval for CEU's if offered. We will also assist with promoting your conferences and activities and can provide assistance or link you with support in web design.

FNPN now has several options for membership:

  • $70.00 - New Member /Renewing
     
  • $120.00 - 2 Year Membership Special (Through December 2013)
     
  • $45.00 - Student / Retired Member
     
  • $80.00 - 2 year Membership Student/Retired (Through December 2013)
     
  • $120.00 - NP Group Member
     
  • $120.00 - Organization Member
     
  • Student Group Membership "First Year Free!"

To pay by check click here

To pay by credit card click here

As the Chair of the Membership Committee I am always open to suggestions and new ideas. If you have any questions, please contact me. This year, when joining/renewing, we also ask you to consider ‘bringing a friend’ to the registration table and helping build our organizations to where they should be. With the numbers of Advanced Practice Nurses nearing 15,000 in Florida, we should have a strength that can overcome any push from our medical community. We hope you will let us nurture that side of you if you need it and engage those around you to do the same. Please be sure to contact us should you have questions about legislation, membership, education and more. Our Executive Assistant, Regina, is always available either by phone, computer and even skype!

Thank you in advance for all your support.

Respectfully,

Armando Riera, MSN, ARNP-BC
FNPN, Membership Committee Chair
ARiera@jhsmiami.org

 

From your AANP Representative

Doreen Cassarino MSN, ARNP, FNP-BC, BC-ADM

Our legislators need to hear from us regarding authorizing the patients of nurse practitioners to become beneficiaries in the Medicare Primary Care ACO program.  This is a serious problem that they have the power to fix, but they need to take action.

Please take a few moments to contact your legislators. 

Click on the link below for a prepared letter that you can personalize and send with just a few simple clicks. Click Here

ACO Fact Sheet: Click Here

Thank you and have a safe and joyous holiday season!
 
FNPN PAC Update

The purpose of the FNPN-Political Action Committee (PAC) is to promote the ARNP profession through advancing the outcome of political issues or legislation. This is accomplished by contributing to the support of worthy candidates for State or Local offices who we believe have demonstrated their support of the principles to which this professional organization is dedicated. To further their purpose the PAC is empowered to solicit and accept these voluntary personal contributions (up to $500 per year per person). These contributions are used to attempt to influence the selection, nomination, or election of any individual to any State or Local office. Your decision to make a PAC contribution will help to continue our efforts wherever possible. Contributions can be made @ www.FNPN.org via Pay Pal…or your check payable to FNPN-PAC. Let’s make things happen together! Thank you for your support!!

          

Around the State and Around the Nation

Mark Your Calendar for FNA Lobby Days

FNA Lobby Days is early this year due to Legislative Re-districting.   Lobby Days will be held January 17 and 18 in Tallahassee.   We will be at the same hotel as the past two years but we are planning some interactive learning sessions to better prepare you to interact with legislators and with the media.  Alisa Snow, our lobbyist is a former report and the owner of a PR firm and she will share some insights and help participants develop new skills to help push nursing's agenda forward.   We invite returning participants as well as some who have never participated in this enlightening experience. Walk the historical walls of the Capital and the State Buildings and meet with your legislators to make your voice heard.  If we don't speak for nursing, no one will!   Make plans today.  The online registration will be available soon, but the form can be downloaded from the resources page of the FNA Website.  Hotel Reservations can be made at 800- 228-9290 and ask for the FNA rate. 

 

Use of retail clinics skyrockets

The use of retail medical clinics is rising swiftly, and a new study finds the clinic users tend to be younger, wealthier and in better health overall than their peers who went to a physician's office or an emergency room for care. Read more

 

Nurses Rank As Most Trusted Profession Yet Again

Nurses maintained their dominance atop Gallup's annual poll on trustworthy professions, topping the list for the 12th time in the 13 years they have been included as an option.

The survey was conducted Nov. 28 to Dec. 1 among a random sample of 1,012 adults representing all 50 states and Washington, D.C. When asked to rate the honesty and ethical standards of nurses, 84% responded with "very high" or "high," while 15% responded "average" and only 1% responded "low" or "very low."

The 84% positive response is tied for the highest rating nurses have achieved; they received the same rating in 2001, 2006 and 2008. The only year nurses did not finish first in the survey since their inclusion was 2001, when firefighters took the top spot in the wake of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.

Medical professions abounded at the top of the list of 21 professions, with pharmacists (73% positive response) and medical doctors (70%) rounding out the top three. The lowest-rated professions, with a 7% positive response, were car salespeople, lobbyists and members of Congress.

"Americans are as positive as they have ever been about those in medical professions, though the public has always held doctors, nurses and pharmacists in high esteem," Gallup noted in a news release.

"The public's continued trust in nurses is well-placed, and reflects an appreciation for the many ways nurses provide expert care and advocacy," American Nurses Association President Karen A. Daley, RN, PhD, MPH, FAAN, said in a news release. "Major national policy initiatives also show trust in nurses. The Affordable Care Act and the Future of Nursing recommendations call on nurses to take more leadership roles and collaborate fully with other professionals in providing essential healthcare to a growing number of people who will have greater access to services."

ANA noted a recent high-profile legal case that underscored the commitment nurses demonstrate to patient safety and quality. In 2009, two Texas nurses reported a physician at their hospital for unsafe practices. The nurses withstood intimidation and criminal charges, and held firm to their principles (http://bit.ly/tMRplh).

When the legal battles concluded in November, four individuals involved with bringing charges against the nurses were either convicted or pled guilty to misuse of official information and retaliation.

To read the full results of the Gallup poll, visit http://bit.ly/rPpNGF.

News You Can Use

The Florida NP Network has taken the next step to keep our members informed. Keep abreast of changes in your practice around the state and around the nation. You can join us today on Facebook under Florida Nurse Practitioner and Twitter under FloridaNP. We hope to hear from you.

Nursing Education and Loan Repayment Program (NELRP) 2012 Application Cycle Now Open! The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), Bureau of Clinician Recruitment and Service (BCRS), announced this afternoon that the 2012 application cycle for NELRP opens today and will remain open through February 15, 2012.

NELRP offers Registered Nurses (RNs), advanced practice registered nurses, such as Nurse Practitioners (NPs), and nurse faculty an opportunity to repay 60 percent of their outstanding qualifying educational loans in exchange for a two-year service commitment at a Critical Shortage Facility (CSF) or an accredited school of nursing.

This year, the program has been modified to adapt to changes in the nursing profession and to ensure support for communities with the greatest need.

For 2012, the program is reserving up to half of the award funding for NPs; the remaining funding will continue to support RNs and nurse faculty.

As in previous years, NELRP is expected to be competitive. If there are more qualified applicants than available funding, NELRP will prioritize applications based upon the following criteria: 

  • Nurses at CSFs: Preference will be given to nurses based on the greatest financial need, the type of facility, and the mental health or primary care Health Professional Shortage Area (HPSA) designation. For more information on CSFs, HPSAs and funding preferences, review the Application and Program Guidance Click Here
     
  • Nurse Faculty at Schools: Preference will be given to faculty with the greatest financial need and to faculty working at schools of nursing with at least 50 percent enrollment of students from a disadvantaged background. 

The deadline to apply to NELRP is February 15, 2012 at 5 pm ET. To learn more about NELRP eligibility and requirements, Click Here 

Nurse Practitioners Identified as Primary Care Providers Authorized to Provide Intensive Behavioral Therapy for Obesity

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has announced that evidence concludes that intensive behavioral therapy for obesity is reasonable and necessary for the prevention or early detection of illness or disability and is appropriate for individuals entitled to benefits under CMS Part A or enrolled under Part B.  Click below to obtain further information regarding guidelines and authorized primary care providers. Click Here 

Expanding the Scope of Practice for Advanced Registered Nurse Practitioners and Physician Assistants Would Generate Fiscal Savings While Enhancing High Quality Medical Care

To read more on this Click Here 

The Number of Nurse Practitioners and Physician Assistants Practicing Primary Care in the United States

In 2010, approximately 56,000 nurse practitioners and 30,000 physician assistants were practicing primary care in the United States, according to research commissioned by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. To read more on this please Click Here