40 FOCUS
District 40                                  Florida Nurses Association
http://www.geocities.com/fortyfocus/

Editor's Note by Cheryl Cusimano

Welcoming New Graduates

District 40 was recently invited to speak to the December 2004 graduating class of PBCC about the benefits of being an FNA member. Beverly Andreoletti, Sophie Caras, and I attended.  What a rewarding and gratifying experience!

The students sat on the edges of the seats as we shared war stories of OR back in the day, graduating from a Diploma Nursing program and the legal aspects of Nursing.

We successful recruited 25 new FNA members, quite an achievement.

Dr. Judy Campbell has invited us to speak to the graduating classes of 2005. We feel very honored to be a part of their transition into the “Real World” of nursing.

Congratulations new graduates and welcome to FNA District 40!

Membership Chair Message 
By Beverly Andreoletti

NEW MEMBERS:

Deborah Baacke-Austin, RN, Wellington
Beth Dorrian, RN, Fort Lauderdale
Kathy Faber, RN, Delray Beach
Luz Fresses, RN, Lake Worth
Cheryl Lacy, RN, Boca Raton
Sharon Mortimer, RN, Boynton Beach
Anita Olson, RN, Boynton Beach
Debra Powers, ARNP, Lake Worth
Deborah Scaglione, RN North Palm Beach
Kimberly Schmidt, RN, Wellington

Volume 19, Issue 1                               Jan-Mar 2005	August 2000

Presidents Message by 
Debbie Hogan

With the District Elections approaching, FNA District 40 is grateful to the dedicated Officers who have served for the past 2 years (and more!), and is looking for candidates to run for office on the District Board!  You have the skills we need to keep District 40 involved in representing the needs of nurses throughout Palm Beach County. Think about running for office. Here is some information on the responsibilities of the different offices:
o	The President presides @ all meetings of the Board, and is an ex-officio member of all Committees, except the Nominating Committee.  He/she also serves as Delegate-at-Large to the FNA Convention.
o	Continued on page 2

Vice President and Historian Message 
By Rosalie Morrissey

Inside this Issue: 
1       President's, Vice President’s, and Membership Chair 
         Messages, Editor’s Note, and New Members
2       Research Updates and Local News
3       Calendar of Events, Announcements, and Educational
         Resources

Med Watch - The FDA Safety Information and Adverse Event Reporting Program
T04-60 
December 17, 2004
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is advising health care professionals about a new warning for Strattera, a drug approved for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in adults and children. The labeling is being updated with a bolded warning about the potential for severe liver injury following two reports (a teenager and an adult) in patients who had been treated with Strattera for several months, both of whom recovered. 
The labeling warns that severe liver injury may progress to liver failure resulting in death or the need for a liver transplant in a small percentage of patients. The labeling also notes that the number of actual cases of severe liver injury is unknown because of under-reporting of post-marketing adverse events. 

FNSA NEWS: By Carol Alexander 

The Annual Carol Alexander NSA Day held at Palm Beach Community College (PBCC) the Nursing Student Association of PBCC on February 22, 2005 was a huge success. Not only do the officers of the NSA but the Planning Committee for this event deserve much praise and appreciation for their hard work. This was truly a celebration of the Student Nurse with support of NSA advisors, Debby Copeland and Lynn Erickson.
 
The Program started with an early morning Welcome by FNSA President, Bob Elliott. Bob is active at the local, state and national level. He is truly respected by his peers and acknowledged for his leadership. He has proven himself a worthy role model as he pursues a career in Nursing.

An animated presentation of Fluids and Electrolytes was presented by Marlene Hurst-Monroe, RN, MSN, CCRN, FNP. This was a presentation that combined knowledge, passion and technology that made a difficult subject easier to comprehend. Many student stated, “This was the first time that I enjoyed” hearing about this difficult subject. A supply of disks was provided for those wanting to revisit the experience at a later time. 

Theris A Touhy, BSN, MSN, ND discussed Transitions from RN to BSN a program designed for the advancement of the Associate Degree nurses to a Baccalaureate Degree in nursing at Florida Atlantic University (FAU). This is knowledge pertinent to all graduates who are degree seeking in nursing. The AAS degree is the first step on the professional ladder of nursing and all students at PBCC are encouraged to seek advanced degrees in Nursing. PBCC articulates with many state schools, but FAU is the primary recipient of AAS graduates in Nursing from PBCC. 

The second national speaker was Edward Briggs, MS, ARNP-C with Assessment, Tips & Tricks.
Mr. Briggs was brought back by popular demand as his presentation of Physical Assessment lends itself to constant use in today’s health care environment. He is able to combine essential points of assessment making this essential procedure, required in the care of every client, comprehensive and efficient. His tips include tricks to put the client at ease while providing the health care professional the necessary information to plan appropriate care.

The remainder of the day began in the courtyard where everyone was entertained by the PBCC Jazz Band during a box lunch gala provided by the Interclub Council. Vendors tables were accessible as were the Allied Health care programs including Dental and Massage therapy. Of course, there were fundraisers and everyone got to spend their free dollar bills. 

The major event of the afternoon was the “roasting” of Dr. Judy Campbell by Joanne Militello, Vice President Liaison to the NSA Board of Officers. Doctor Campbell is retiring this summer after a distinguished 35 years on the Nursing Faculty. A plaque and bouquet of long stemmed American Beauty roses were accepted by Dr. Campbell followed by a brief speech of farewell.

Joanne Masella, RN, BSN, MSN, EdDc, Manager of the RN Nursing Program at PBCC, ended the program by paying tribute to Dr. Campbell’s distinguished career. Over the years, Dr. Campbell has been the recipient of many awards both locally and statewide. Ms. Masella acknowledged Doctor Campbell as a “Teacher of Excellence” who will be missed by students and faculty as she ends her career at PBCC.

The day ended with acknowledgements of faculty advisors, Deborah Copeland and Lynn Erickson (both members of FNA District 40) and once again, I felt both humble and proud that this day has been designated Carol Alexander NSA Day in my honor. 

Congratulations Carol

President’s Message (Continued):

o	The First Vice-President acts as assistant to the President, and serves as the Program Chair. He/she also serves as a Delegate-at-Large to the FNA Convention.
o	The Second Vice-President acts as assistant to the First Vice-President, and serves as Membership Chair. He/she serves as an alternate Delegate-at-Large to the FNA Convention.
o	The Secretary keeps the minutes of all the meetings of the Association and send notices about the meetings to the members.
o	The Treasurer receives the dues and monitors the funds of the Association and chairs the Finance Committee.
o	Directors (4) participate in the decisions made by the Board.

The following Committees also can provide input to the Board: Media, Legislation, Membership/Sunshine Program, Finance and Scholarship.

As you can see, there are a number of ways you can contribute your talents. If you are interested in running for office, please contact any of the Board Members, or email Cheryl @ CCusiLNC@aol.com

Make your New Years’ Resolution to become involved in District 40, and enjoy all the professional support your colleagues can give!!

Announcements

Nominees 
Needed:

District 40 is looking 
for nominees for the 
“Nurse of the Year” 
who will be honored by
Palm Healthcare 
Foundation.
Anyone interested in 
nominating a colleague, 
please contact Debbie Hogan at 
capitallass@hotmail.com

 

WHAT IS FNA DOING FOR PUBLIC HEALTH NURSES?

FNA has reached an agreement with the State of Florida for a 6% increase in wages. This will be implemented in two stages. November 1st and December 1st.  Members have the opportunity to ask questions or get further information from FNA headquarters. Barbara Lumpkin is working with the Department of Health to get additional compensation for employees who provide essential services during a disaster.

- Judy Davies

Infection Control
Joint Commission infection control standards address the surveillance, prevention and control of infection. In November 2003, the Joint Commission approved revised infection control standards to be implemented in January 2005. The new standards retain many of the concepts embodied in existing standards, but sharpen and raise expectations of organization leadership and of the infection control program itself. For 2004, the Joint Commission added infection control as National Patient Safety Goal No. 7. 
In 2003, the Joint Commission released a Sentinel Event Alert on preventing infection control related sentinel events, and issued a call to accredited health care organizations to report nosocomial infection sentinel events to the Joint Commission's Sentinel Event Database. (A nosocomial infection is an infection acquired by a patient in a health care organization.)
**********************************************************The purpose of FNA as outlined by the Bylaws of the Association shall be to:
1.	Foster high standards of nursing practice; 
2.	Promote the professional and educational advancement of nurses; 
3.	Promote the welfare of nurses to the end that all people may have better nursing care. 
**********************************************************
LEGISLATIVE UPDATE
By Barbara Lumpkin
HB 629/SB 1452 and HB 1009 are bills that if passed will put new barriers on nurses and nurse practitioners in Florida.  I have mentioned both of these bills in my last two reports but I don't get any indication from legislators that they are hearing from nurses in their districts to oppose either bill. I have tried over the years to be honest and to not overreact to legislative proposals but each of these bills is a direct attack on the nursing profession. If you care about the future of the Nursing Profession in Florida please ask your legislators to oppose these bills. Detailed Talk Sheets are attached and I beg you to contact your legislators asking them to oppose these two bills. In every other state restrictions on nurses are being lifted but these proposals put new restrictions on nurses and nurse practitioners. Share this message with your nursing colleagues and ask them to support their profession by writing to their legislators to ask them to oppose these bills. Please review the attached Talk Sheets and write factual and courteous letter to your legislators asking them to oppose each of these bills.    Those of you who are Nurse Practitioners should speak to your supervising physician and share the attached Talk Sheets with him or her.    

Scholarship Information
Applications are Available for 2002 Tylenol Health Education Scholarships

Deadline: April 30, 2002
McNeil Consumer & Specialty Pharmaceuticals, makers of the Tylenol family of products, has announced that students preparing for health-related careers can apply for one of 160 grants from the Tylenol Brand Scholarship Fund.
This year's fund will total $250,000, including ten grants of $10,000 each and 150 grants of $1,000 each. To be eligible, applicants must be pursuing an undergraduate course of study in the fall of 2002 at an accredited two- or four-year college, university, or vocational-technical school. This includes those students currently enrolled in an undergraduate course of study and who have one or more years of school remaining. 

Scholarship recipients will be selected on the basis of leadership in their community and school activities, grade point average, and intended focus on healthcare-related areas of study. The Citizens’ Scholarship Foundation of America, Inc., a national, nonprofit educational support and student-aid service organization administers the program. Complete guidelines and applications are available at the Tylenol Web site: http://www.tylenol.com/

For additional RFPs in Health, visit:
http://fdncenter.org/pnd/rfp/cat_health.jhtml

More scholarship Information
For information on the Johnson & Johnson scholarship monies visit their web site at www.discovernursing.com  These scholarships are for nurses entering the profession and for nurses seeking advanced degrees to teach nursing to others.

And don’t forget the Tenet monies for nursing education at FAU and the HCA funds for the Nursing Program at PBCC.