Meet the Candidates 2004

Alabama Nurse, Jun-Aug 2005

Vice President (Vote for 1)

Vanessa Barlow, BS, BSN

District 5

Present Position:

ASNA Activities: District level: Secretary, Delegate

Statement of Qualifications: I am committed to the profession of Nursing and have a strong sense of where I would like to see advancements made on a local, state, and national level as related to promoting healthcare. I have served as Secretary for District V and have also served as a delegate. I have served as co-chair for convention planning and implementation and have also served as a presenter in the past. I am involved in other professional organizations and believe these can only serve to enhance my abilities to meet the obligations of the office of Vice President.

Views of the Issues: In considering this question, I think back to the reason I became a Nurse and what I dreamed of accomplishing. The primary reason that remains in the forefront of my mind is bringing comfort to those persons in need of compassion and understanding and placing no judgment on the reason the individual became ill, instead what can I as a Nurse do to make their time of need easier to deal with. In the field of nursing today, I see that those willing to provide care are graying at a phenomenal rate and inching towards retirement. I don't see that we are doing a good job of grooming the younger nurses to take up the baton when we retire. I see dwindling numbers of young people seeking to become Nurses and wonder who will be there to care for those of us that will some day find ourselves in a position of needing the very services we have provided over the course of our careers. Retention and recruitment are crucial not only for the profession but the association as well. There is a lack of participation in the profession but the association as well. There is a lack of participation in the professional organizations dedicated to Nursing and an increase in participation in outside agencies such as steel unions . . . We must examine the reason for this and bring viable options to the table. Nursing as a profession should not be split along educational or degree lines but come together as one with the same goals, objectives, and vision.

Secretary (Vote for 1)

Renee' Coker, MSN, RN

District 5

Present Position: Instructor

ASNA Activities: Chair, Nursing Emergency Preparedness Task Force, 2002-2004; Environmental Health and Safety Task Force, Secretary.

Statement of Qualifications: Have held numerous offices in professional organizations (ASNA, STTF). Responsible and dependable.

Views of the Issues: Workplace safety and the shortage of both nurses and nursing faculty are a few of the issues facing the nursing profession. As members of ASNA we can make a difference at the local and state level of how these issues are addressed.

ANA Delegate

Paula Casser, MPH, RN

District 3

Present Position: Statewide Nurse Consultant for Children's Rehabilitation Service

ASNA Activities: Commission on Professional Issues, ANA Delegate (2003-2005)

Statement of Qualifications: I've worked fulltime in nursing for over 30 years, and have been actively involved with professional organizations for nursing and rehabilitation for much of that time. I have been a member of ANA and ASNA since approximately 1980, and am an active member of ASNA District 3. I'm currently serving on ASNA's Commission on Professional Issues. I was privileged to serve as an ANA Delegate from Alabama at the ANA Biennial Convention in Minneapolis, June 2004, and will serve as a delegate in Washington, DC, June 2005. I am also an active member of the National Rehabilitation Association, and served as a delegate at the Southeast Regional National Rehabilitation Association Conference in Nashville in 2001. I serve as Treasurer of the Children and Youth Division of the Alabama Rehabilitation Association.

Views of the Issues: I think one of the most serious issues that continues to be a concern for this nation is the shortage of qualified nursing professionals. A critical shortage of nursing professionals will impact all individuals receiving healthcare in the future. All nurses must be willing to get involved in planning for the future of the nursing profession. Nurses must be willing to participate in their professional organization, advocate for nursing as a career option, and serve as role models and mentors for new nurses. It will take strong nursing leadership and participation in policy-making to assure high quality nursing care in hospitals, community, and long-term care settings in the future. Serving as an ANA Delegate would afford me a greater opportunity to participate at a national level to address issues facing nurses in Alabama and this nation.

Mary S. Lovelady, MSN, RN

District 5

Present Position: Certified Registered Nurse Practitioner, Occupational Health

ASNA Activities: County level: past vice president, past treasurer and member numerous committees; District, level: past vice president, and member of numerous committees; State level: member of numerous committees. Statement of Qualifications: My passion for nurses and the nursing profession runs deep. With 34 years nursing experience in numerous leadership roles inclusive of clinical practice, staff development, baccalaureate nursing student instruction, and various nursing administrative positions. I feel I have the expertise as well as education to actively advocate for nursing and the various nursing issues and the advancement of the various nursing issues and the advancement of the nursing profession at the local, regional, state and national levels.