April 2014 FNPN Newsletter Bullets

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:

• From the Board of Directors
• Legislation Updates
• FNPN Conference Update
• Exposing the Elephant Among Us
• Around the State and Around the Nation
• Education Updates
• Membership Update
• Job Announcement
• FNPN PAC Update
• News You Can Use

Quote of the Month

"Coming together is a beginning; keeping together is progress; working together is success."

-Henry Ford

From the Board of Directors:

HB 7113 PASSED OUT OF COMMITTEE - BIG WIN FOR NPs!

A great day for NPs in Tallahassee related to the passage of HB 7113. This bill originally focused solely on the continued operation of trauma centers at Regional Medical Center Bayonet Point in Pasco County, Blake Medical Center in Manatee County, and Marion County's Ocala Regional Medical Center. This morning the House Health & Human Services Committee had this bill on the agenda and our FNPN political strategists and lobbyist were able to get an huge amendment tacked on to include nurse practitioners - basically adding on the full House Workforce Bill and all in HB 7071! It passed today!! Only 2 NO votes in the committee. More about this later as we get more details, but for now a big thank you again to Dr. Pigman and all involved to make this happen. Early this week FNPN discussed strategy with House leadership on our workforce issue. The House leadership amended several bills together in hopes of making several issues more palatable to the Senate. FNPN lobbying and legislative team greatly appreciates all supporters for getting this done after all these many, many years of being told NO! Finally, a good thing to help Floridians achieve quality, affordable healthcare!

Legislation Update:

Jean Aertker-VP Legislation

Your FNPN legislative team has been working very hard helping legislators know our practice and our needs and this 2014 session. This is the first positive supportive bills for NPs we've seen in YEARS! With over 10K Primary Care NPs in our state, we are looking for a few more FNPN members to help us cover all the regions and work with the team. What does it entail? Minimal to busy involvement depending on your availability and reading your emails to keep current. Occasionally an office visit to a legislator or help create letters/talking points or do a press release or interview! We will be helping you all the way. So reply to this message and we will enroll you on the team! It's a great way to network and be involved. Looking forward to a win this year in Tallahassee! Share your talents with us to help us remove practice barriers!

Jean Aertker, VP Legislation
draertker@gmail.com
(813) 787-3175 cell

Visit our 2014 legislative page for more legislative updates Click Here

FNPN Conference Update:

Mark your calendars and invite your colleagues to the 11th Annual FNPN educational conference! Our theme this year is "Freedom to Practice: Charting our Course". The conference will be held Friday & Saturday August 22 & 23, 2014 @ the beautiful Wyndham Buena Vista, Orlando. Register early for this action packed event that will include the new Florida mandatory licensure requirement! In addition to an all-star line-up including national speakers, we are once again putting a call out for abstracts to be considered for our poster presentation that was a huge success last year. If interested, please forward abstract to either George Smith gperaza-smith@southuniversity.edu or Cindy Parsons cparsons1@prodigy.net

Exposing the Elephant Among Us...

Pamela Johnson-Membership Chair

As the profession of nursing evolves nurses must ask themselves tough questions. Sometimes, there are no simple answers that will satisfy us. During difficult times, we must sustain ourselves by compromising. Not compromising values, or falling short of goals, but by being honest with ourselves.

Recently, I had to ask myself a few tough questions, like, "Why do I pay money to belong to a professional organization? How and why did I choose Florida Nurse Practitioner Network (FNPN)?" Having served other professional organizations, representing nursing within this state, and nationally, my decision centered on nursing and advanced practice. I wanted to belong to an organization sensitive, understanding, and supportive of the nursing community, but goal directed effecting advanced practice nursing.

Florida Nurse Practitioner Network is the first Advanced Registered Nurse Practice organization in Florida created in 2002, to address education and political concerns of Nurse Practitioners throughout this state. Back then the Advanced Practice Council met under the umbrella of the Florida Nurses Association (FNA). The Advanced Practice Council of FNA was effective, but some Advanced Practice Nurses felt the concerns of Nurse Practitioners warranted special attention. With great pains and a lot of nurturing, many nurse practitioners supported formation of the Florida Nurse Practitioner Network.

Today, many of Florida Nurse Practitioner Networks Board of Directors and members maintain membership within the Florida Nurses Association. Florida Nurse Practitioner Network and Florida Nurses Association aligned with Florida Association of Nurse Midwifes and the Florida Association of Nurse Anesthetist to form Florida's Coalition of Nurse Practitioners in 2008.

In January of each year, Florida Nurse Practitioner Network's Board of Directors revisits our five year strategic plan.

Since 2012 FNPNs Strategic Goals are to:

• Shape and promote advanced practice nursing in Florida in the context of the ever-changing health care environment and in consideration of the diversity of patient populations.
• Articulate as the authoritative resource and voice for issues of advanced practice nursing in the state of Florida.
• Improve the health of citizens of Florida by ensuring the ongoing professional growth and development through the provision of educational activities for advance practice nurses.
• Utilize strategic planning to assure statewide leadership for advanced practice nursing.
• Satisfy individual and group members and organizational stakeholders.
• Deploy programs that maximize organizational resources that are fiscally sound.

You too have chosen to belong to one or more professional nursing organizations. What was the primary reason you joined a nursing organization? Florida Nurse Practitioner Network remains dedicated to the profession and members as voice on tough issues addressed legislatively and through the coalition sharing our intended strategy.

Every Board Member is a volunteer! We are not compensated employees of a corporation. Every penny received through membership dues is accounted and available for review. We spend money to pay a salary for a part time staff person, a part time lobbyist, cover cost of annual meeting, pay portions of expenses to bring key national nursing representatives into Florida when needed to speak before organized groups interested in Advanced Practice Nursing, and if available, we do reimburse the Board of Directors and in state members for travel expenses.

All funds generated through FNPN's Political Action Committee (PAC) are kept separate from general operating funds (membership dues). PAC money is only spent to support political actions decided by the members and the Board of Directors. We want members to know they are a part of a greater whole. The whole consists of a community of nurse practitioners serving various populations throughout Florida.

Stop following, complete an application, and jump in!! JOIN Florida Nurse Practitioner Network...stabilize the course!

Around the State and Around the Nation:

The Bill O'Reilly Fox News show

On March 4th, Dr. Ezekiel Emanuel, author of the book Reinventing American Health Care was interviewed on The Bill O'Reilly Fox News show. Here is a link to that interview where Emanuel responds to recent Obama care polls. O'Reilly was very disparaging to the retail clinics staffed by NPs ad PAs. He says he is not sowing fear in Americans but just asking the "hardest questions I can think of!" His comments reflect a lack of knowledge about the excellent care and educational preparation of both disciplines. Please view the clip and email your comments to Mr. O'Reilly. Perhaps NPs should educate Bill O'Reilly and ask him a few hard questions!! Email O'Reilly, the master of spin at: oreilly@foxnews.com

The Health Wagon:

If you missed this show, take time to watch "The Health Wagon" that started in 1980. Fellow NPs Teresa Gardner and Paula Meade, long-time AANP members are featured on the program and it has had rave reviews. The Health Wagon is where the poor of Western Virgina, Kentucky and TX get much needed care by these dedicated NPs. Scott Pelley, of 60 Minutes reports and is in awe of these nurses! We are too! Good work Teresa and Paula and all who work to help Americans in need of health care! Click Here

VOLUNTEER IN YOUR OWN COMMUNITY, IT'S A GOOD THING AND YOU ARE NEEDED!

Education Updates:

April 27th

UNDERSTANDING X-RAYS: Abdominal, Renal, and Brain Imaging

• Sunday, April 27 2014 at 8:00am ET in Jacksonville, FL

April 30th

The NPF and DNA Psoriasis Symposium

• Wednesday, April 30 2014 at 7:00am ET in Lake Buena Vista, FL

May 1st

National Lipid Association Annual Conference

• Thursday, May 01 2014 at 3:00pm ET in Orlando, FL

May 2nd

FL-GAPNA 2nd Symposium May 2 & 3, 2014

• Friday, May 02 2014 at 3:30pm ET in Orlando, FL

May 19th

ANCC Family Nurse Practitioner Review Course

• Monday, May 19 2014 at 8:00am ET in Jacksonville, FL

May 20th

NADNP 3rd Annual National Conference

• Tuesday, May 20 2014 at 8:00am ET in Clearwater Beach, FL

May 25th

DMG CME Memorial Day Cruise

• Sunday, May 25 2014 at 4:30pm ET in Port Canaveral, FL

May 31th

Psych Congress 1-Day Regional Meeting

• Saturday, May 31 2014 at 7:30am ET in Fort Lauderdale, 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:

Pamela Johnson-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
• $45.00 - Student / Retired Member
• $120.00 - NP Group Member
• $120.00 - Organization Member

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!

FNPN PAC Update:

As voters, we are in a position to support the candidate of our choice by promoting their campaign not only on Election Day but by participation and promotion of the candidate's campaign promises.

Advanced practice nurses in Florida have not been able to practice to the full extent of our scope of practice and education because of political restrictions imposed on us in the House and Senate.

Our PAC committee will be traveling throughout the state to raise money and participate in fund raising efforts to build OUR VOICE in the Florida political arena. We will also support the candidates that support our issues by monetary contributions to their campaigns.

We need your help! Money is Power!! A brilliant legislative session is expected and we are closer than ever to reach our goals. We have a lobbyist working with us. We are well informed and networked in Tallahassee. She keeps the constant flow of information current. We cannot achieve our goals with this disruption of policy and politics! Without you, your patients, family and community support we are invisible. Become a member of the FNPN PAC Committee.

Consider your commitment to our profession. We are ARNPs in private practice, hospital settings, colleges, universities and clinics throughout the state! We are YOU !

If each person in our membership donated $10 and asked 5 more people to donate $10 we would be on our way to political success! We have a membership of 4,300 ARNPs in Florida. We are solid, we are YOU! To make a contribution please Click Here

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.

Send us your articles:

It is wonderful to spotlight Nurse Practitioners and highlight happenings in your area. Please submit names and events to floridanpnetwork@gmail.com. FNPN newsletter welcomes your input!

Tobacco Free Florida Week, April 21-25

While more than 75% of Florida's health care providers regularly ask patients about tobacco use, only half report regularly assessing tobacco users' readiness to quit or assisting them with a quit attempt, according to a 2012 survey.

Therefore, Florida's Surgeon General Dr. John Armstrong is urging health care providers and tobacco users to Team Up to Quit with Tobacco Free Florida. Research shows that tobacco users who work with a health professional are much more likely to quit and achieve long-term success than those who try to quit alone.

We would like your help in making your members aware of this important initiative and the free quit resources available through Tobacco Free Florida. Some of those resources include the Florida Quitline, an online program, and in-person classes. Tobacco users can also receive free FDA-approved nicotine replacement therapy.

For more information:

• Press Release
• Fact Sheet
• Statement from State Surgeon General

Coming Soon - Debuts Nurse Week May 7, 2014: The American Nurse explores some of the biggest issues facing America - aging, war, poverty, prisons - through the work and lives of five nurses. It is a documentary that will change how we think about nurses and how we wrestle with the challenges of healing America. Jason Short drives up a creek to reach a home-bound cancer patient in Appalachia. Tonia Faust runs a prison hospice program where inmates serving life sentences care for their fellow inmates as they're dying. Naomi Cross coaches patient Becky, an ovarian cancer survivor, through the Caesarean delivery of her son. Sister Stephen runs a nursing home filled with goats, sheep, llamas and chickens where the entire nursing staff comes together to sing to a dying resident. And Brian McMillion, an Army veteran and former medic, rehabilitates wounded soldiers returning from war. Premiering in Washington D.C. on May 7 and releasing nationwide immediately after, The American Nurse is an important contribution to America's ongoing conversation about what it means to care. Watch the VIDEO Trailer NOW

The Florida Department of Health,

Division of Medical Quality Assurance will now verify a practitioner's continuing education record in the electronic tracking system at the time of renewal. This program is part of our commitment to expeditiously license health care professionals who meet statutorily mandated standards of competency

The CE/CME@ Renewal program is being implemented in two phases to provide a smooth transition for all licensees and CE providers. During this phase, the Department encourages licensees to start learning about the Continuing Education Electronic Tracking System and reporting course completion. Licensees will be prompted, but not required, to self-report missing CE hours when they renew their license.

In Phase 2, the mandatory phase, all required CE hours must be reported to the Continuing Education Electronic Tracking System to renew a license. Once Phase 2 has begun, you must have reported course completion before your license can be renewed. The Department encourages licensees to login to the tracking system before applying for renewal to ensure their information is complete and accurate. Verifying compliance before renewal is key to a seamless renewal experience.

Please see the chart below for the Optional and Mandatory reporting cycles for your Profession.

CE Broker is the official CE Electronic Tracking System for Florida's healthcare professionals and the Florida Department of Health. There is no cost for you to create a basic account, although additional subscription options are available to best meet your needs. The CE Electronic Tracking System is designed to simplify CE reporting for you. This easy and convenient system will help you gain peace of mind by tracking your CE history and digitally storing your hours and certificates. After your CE hours have been reported and verified, the licensure renewal process is quick and easy.

To learn more about CE/CME@ Renewal, please visit www.FLHealthSource.com