District 7

Alabama Nurse, Sep-Nov 2003 by Mason, Carol, Dent, Sandra, Taylor, Charlotte, Seals, Burnell

Greetings from the Southeast corner of Alabama! District 7 of ASNA is comprised of seven counties. They are: Houston, Henry, Dale, Coffee, Geneva, Covington, and Barbour. According to the 2000 census and the Alabama Board of Nursing, the total population approximates 290,266 with approximately 2638 RNs and 1548 LPNs. Except for the counties of Dale and Coffee, all the counties border either Georgia or Florida with Houston County bordering both. So in District 7, we have a tri-state area of nursing personnel and patients. Houston County and the city of Dothan is the largest in population and nursing personnel than any of the others and have more RNs and LPNs employed than reside here. They also have the 2 largest of the 13 hospitals in the district. With the nursing shortage an ever present problem, this district as well as many others would definitely benefit from having nursing licensing crossing state lines. Where is that proposal, anyway? The only RN school of nursing in our district is at Wallace College-Dothan. The school attracts students from Georgia and Florida. The two hospitals in Dothan provide clinical experiences for students from Florida and Georgia that are being taught nursing in Alabama, Florida and Georgia. It would be realistic to think that it would make nursing more attractive to be able to work in more than one state without having to have more than one license. In District 7, our focus this year has been the nursing shortage and retention of employed nurses. In October, we participated in the Youth Career Summit for Women in Dothan along with numerous other health care facilities and educators. There were 35 high schools represented. The Mayor of Dothan, The Dothan Progress and Dothan Eagle and area health care facilities recognized nurses during National Nurses Week. District 7 has met quarterly this year at Extendicare Health Care facility. We have approximately 75 members representing our District in ASNA. We urge some of those other 2500 RNs to join us and help us make a difference in our Southeast corner of Alabama.

by Carol Mason, RN, MSN, FNP, President

Sandra Dent, President-Elect

Charlotte Taylor, Secretary

Burnell Seals, Treasurer