Looking Inward To Keep Up With The Times

AAACN Viewpoint, Nov/Dec 2003 by Futch, Catherine J

Dear Colleagues,

We have focused our work this year on achieving the objectives necessary to meet our four primary goals: Be 'The Voice of Ambulatory Care Nursing'; Promote Professional Practice; Strengthen AAACN Resource Base; and Develop AAACN Leadership Ability and Capacity.

The third goal, to strengthen the AAACN resource base, is one of the most challenging. The objectives for this goal include broadening our membership base and retaining existing AAACN members. To achieve these objectives we must look inward and raise questions that may be difficult or even controversial. However, answers to difficult questions are what we need to move the organization to a new level of responsiveness.

There are a number of questions we can and are raising. However, there are two particular issues I would like to review with you.

First, why do we exist? Why was AAACN organized in the very beginning? When the association began, we were an organization for ambulatory care nurse leaders. The focus at that time was on developing nursing leadership skills, increasing the visibility of ambulatory care in the health care arena, and advocating for advances in the practice of ambulatory care nursing.

As time went by, we recognized the need to expand the AAACN membership to include not only nursing leaders but also practicing ambulatory care nurses, case managers, educators, researchers, and others interested in ambulatory care. Our structure began to change as we sought to involve this diverse membership in a variety of ways. In particular we evolved Special Interest Groups (SIGs) and Local Networking Groups (LNGs). The intent was to provide an interest niche for each of the different segments of our membership and to provide opportunities at the local level for AAACN members to organize and meet at regular intervals.

As we look to the future, do the SIGs and the LNGs provide meaningful opportunities for our members to meet, network, learn, and expand their involvement with the organization? When well defined and focused on a topic of significant interest, it would appear that the SIGs are meeting the needs of specific elements of our membership. Should we have more SIGs (for example a leadership SIG)? Should we find ways to more strongly link the SIGs to the AAACN strategic plan? Do they need more or less structure? We would find great value in hearing your answers to these questions, so please send an e-mail to aaacn@ajj.com and share your thoughts.

The LNGs, however, appear to be struggling and in some cases disappearing. Why? Are they being effectively supported by AAACN? Are we at a point in time when having more meetings is not necessarily a valued thing? Would we be better positioned if we offered regional educational activities? Is it OK for non-AAACN members to participate in the local networks? The real issue is that of evolving a variety of options to better meet the needs of our members at the grassroots level. AAACN's Immediate Past President Candy Laughlin is currently leading the effort to address this critical question.

The second issue I want to raise is that of membership. If AAACN is really an "Association of professional nurses and associates who recognize ambulatory care practice as essential to the continuum of high quality, cost-effective health care" (AAACN Identity Statement) then it would seem there is critical value in having and even expanding the diversity of our membership.

To be a vital and responsive organization, we need leaders to advance the organization and to mentor emerging leaders as well as to expand their own knowledge base and skill set. We need researchers who will examine the vital questions related to ambulatory care: staffing predictors, outcomes of care, effectiveness of disease state management, and issues surrounding end of life, pain management, and culturally competent care. We need practicing ambulatory care nurses who will know and understand the changing practice environment, nurses who will benefit from a variety of opportunities to expand their knowledge and skill set. We need diversity in order to better understand and value the critical elements of culturally competent care.

This much is clear: Having a broad membership base seems to be the right thing for us to do. However, it also means finding new and different ways to engage various groups in a meaningful and effective way. This often translates to meeting the needs of each group on their terms. For some it means networking and national meetings, for others it means regional meetings, on-line training opportunities, or chat rooms. What does it mean for you?

These are very important questions for the organization. It isn't OK to be silent. We need your voice... we need your brain... we need your suggestions. So please e-mail or call us and let us know what you want so we can find solutions that will provide more value for you (see back cover for AAACN contact information).

Catherine Futch, MN, RN, CNAA, CHE, CHC, is AAACN President and Regional Compliance Officer, Kaiser Permanente, Smyrna, CA. She can be reached at catherine.futch@kp.org.