President's message: "It's a great time to be a nurse"

Georgia Nursing, Aug-Oct 2000 by Hatmaker, Debbie

Beginning this column with such a positive phrase may lead some of you to wonder whether nine months as GNA president has begun to rattle my brain. With all of the challenges we are currently facing-nursing shortage, harder work with fewer resources, workplace safety, and declining reimbursement, to name a few-one might wonder whether this is the best time to enter the nursing profession. We certainly know that with more career options available to young women, (who remain 95% of our profession) there has been declining interest.

However, I want to suggest that there has never been a better time to be a nurse and attendance at the American Nurses Association convention in June confirmed this for me. In this issue of Georgia Nursing review the information from convention as reported by our ANA delegates. You may also read about the events at the ANA website: http://www.nursingworld.org.

This issue of Georgia Nursing is our "Call to Convention" that will take place October 19-20, 2000-with the host being my home district in Athens. Let me suggest a few reasons why it's a great time to be a nurse and how your presence at the GNA convention might rejuvenate your enthusiasm for our profession.

The issue of the nursing shortage is being taken seriously by a number of health care groups. A forum at the ANA convention yielded information from nurses in a myriad of practice settings-- expect to see more about this in the near future. GNA has had many contacts from members of the press interested in the shortage and we have begun to collaborate on this issue with a number of health care organizations. This year GNA's convention has been crafted to appeal to the staff nurse-those on the "front lines" of patient care. The convention theme: Georgia Nurses: Caring into the New Century" reflects our focus on caregiving.

The hard work of nursing with declining resources is being recognized and addressed-we cannot expect to recruit new nurses to take our place (remember that the average age of the working RN is 44 years) until we deal with the work satisfaction and safety issues. A "Commission on Workplace Advocacy" has been created by ANA at the national level and we expect to duplicate this effort at the state level when GNA meets for its convention this fall. Be there to discuss what issues are affecting your practice and how your professional association can work to support you.-- Principles of safe staffing have garnered national press and we expect to take up this issue as well at our state convention.

Reimbursement and scope of practice issues continue to be a focus of our legislative efforts. How can you expect to affect change if you are outside the discussion? As various groups work to restrict the practice of-our APRNs and short-sighted efforts to increasingly use unlicensed health care workers, there has never been a better time to be a nurse-- a nurse who is actively engaged in the professional association-GNA.

Perhaps I have not convinced you that this is the best time to be a nurse. If you have recently engaged in a "gripe and moan" session with your colleagues, you are doubting my optimism. However, I contend that there has been no better time for nursing-nurses are in demand, nurses are being recognized for their expertise, nurses are being asked to participate in the problem-solving that must occur to address our practice issues. I've never felt more empowered to work for my profession. Can you name some of your recent efforts to attract persons into and retain nurses in nursing? If you cannot sit down with a new graduate nurse and explain why it's a great time to be a nurse, perhaps it's time you re-evaluate your contributions to our profession.

As you undertake this evaluation, I hope you value your decision to be a GNA member. If you are not a member, please read this issue of Georgia Nursing and see where your contribution could make a difference. Please come speak to me at GNA convention this October-tell me whether you were able to determine "it's a great time to be a nurse."

SUMMER BOARD ACTIONS

GNA's Executive Board met Saturday, May 20, 2000 at GNA Headquarters with a number of actions taken. Those actions were:

1. Charged the Facilities/Maintenance Committee to identify specific proposals on the anticipated move of GNA Headquarters to be presented by the group at the October Executive Board meeting.

2. Endorsed the U2K Campaign. Will bring this issue to the House of Delegates in October for guidance on financial support.

3. Review information concerning nurse practitioners as primary care providers and their reimbursement. Referred the information to the Cabinet on Nursing Practice and the Nurse Practitioners Council for consideration and recommendations for action.

The next meeting of the Executive Board is the Pre-convention meeting scheduled for Wednesday, October 18, 2000 at The Classic Center in Athens. Directions are printed in the Convention section of this issue of Georgia Nursing.

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