From Oregon To Maine

(Pictured: Alisa Schneider in Representative Tom Allen's Office)

During Spring Break, Alisa traveled to Maine and met with the legislative aides of Representatives Allen and Michaud. These visits are a great way of informing members of Congress about house resolution 4903. Over 14,000 bills are introduced into the House of Representatives during a session, so the best way to bring attention to proposals you want to see receive a hearing is to call and visit your elected member of Congress. Remember a constituent is a voter.

The National Nurse Team is hearing from nurses all over the United States who want to see a change in how we deliver the message of health promotion and prevention to the nation. Nurses and supporters are making appointments with their own U.S. Representatives to urge them to co-sponsor HR 4903, the National Nurse Act of 2006.

These visits are making a difference, and we anticipate there will be more than seven co-sponsors once Congress resumes the second session. Co-sponsors may only be added when the House is in session.

Congressional members are out for Easter recess the next two weeks and will be home in their district. If you would like materials about the Office of the National Nurse that can be put into a packet you can deliver to your own Representative, email teri@nationalnurse.info

The team also has a poster that can be sent via email to let your co-workers know about the campaign and function of the Office of the National Nurse.

Heart surgery patients show no benefit when strangers pray for their recovery

According to the latest study on intercessory prayer in the April 2006 issue of American Heart Journal, heart surgery patients who had strangers pray for them did not incur fewer postoperative complications.

This controversial study should generate some great blogging!!

New Class! An Evidence Based Approach to the Care of the Psychiatric Patient

Department of Clinical Education Presents:
An Evidence Based Approach to the
Care of the Psychiatric Patient
Course Description:
This 4-hour class will examine psychiatric patient care issues concerning mood disorders, schizophrenia and agitation. Through the use of interactive lecture and case studies, the participant will be introduced to evidence based treatment modalities that are applicable to care issues in BHS, the Emergency Department, and the Critical Care and Medical/Surgical Units. Class content is appropriate for healthcare providers, specifically those with RN, MFT or LCSW Certification and in Spiritual Care.
Course Objectives:
Upon successful completion of the course, the participants should be able to:
Describe the presentation of patients in the depressed and manic phases of mood disorders.
Outline appropriate in hospital management for schizophrenic patients.
Evaluate treatment plans for patients with a history of aggressive behavior.

Speakers:
Himasiri DeSilva, MD
Vinayak Shanbhag, MD
Michael Wu, MD
Shelly Aguilar, RNC
Jeannine Loucks, RNC
Christine Pierce, RNC
Coordinators:
Beth Winokur, RN, MSN, CEN
Linda Winston, MFT, CEAP

General Information:
May 3, 2006
(8:00 am-12:00 pm)
St. Joseph Hospital, Orange, California
Zoul Auditorium
$15 refundable registration fee for SJHS Staff. All others $40.
Provider approved by the California Board of Registered Nursing, Provider Number 00156. Four (4) Contact Hours will be given for this course. Administrator of the CE Program is Patti Aubé, RN, MSN. The California LVN Board will accept credits that have been approved by the California BRN.
This course has been approved by the California Board of Behavioral Examiners PCE Number 1276.

Registration For: Evidence Based Approach to Psychiatric Care – May 3, 2006
Name:_________________________________
License #:______________________________
Address:______________________________
Organization:___________________________
City/State/Zip:________________________
Position/Unit:___________________________
Home Phone:____________________________
Work Phone:____________________________
All participants should make their checks payable to St. Joseph Hospital Department of Clinical Education, and mail them along with the above registration form to 1100 West Stewart Drive, Orange, California 92868. Refunds will be given if the request is received prior to the start of the course. No refunds will be given after the course has started. A refundable $15 registration is required for all St. Joseph Hospital, CHOC, and St. Joseph Health System employees. Refunds will be given upon completion of the class.

A Window of Opportunity

Congress begins a two week recess this coming Monday, and the National Nurse Campaign begins an intense two weeks of lobbying to build momentum for HR 4903, the National Nurse Act of 2006.

Many of you have written you would like to help in this process, but have never met with your US Representative and are unsure how to go about doing this. Here are some easy step by step instructions to follow to help facilitate this and to make your visits successful.

1. First, find out who your Representative is by inserting your zip code. This website will then take you directly to the name, and by clicking on this link, you will find out the location and phone number for the office closest to you.

2. Call the office and say, "I am a constituent of Representative ___ and a supporter of HR 4903, the National Nurse Act of 2006. I would like to make an appointment to meet with Representative ___ within the next two weeks to discuss the bill to determine if Representative ___ will co-sponsor this important piece of legislation."

3. If your Representative is not available, ask for an appointment with the health policy aide. Often a meeting with the health policy aide is even more effective, since healthcare is their area of expertise.

4. After your appointment is confirmed, email teri@nationalnurse.info to receive materials, including talking points and journal editorials.

5. Print these articles in the comfort of your own home.

6. Take these with you to your visit, along with two or three supporters of HR 4903. A small group is very effective, especially if they too are voters in the Representative's district.

7. At the conclusion of the visit, ask if you can count on the Representative co-sponsoring HR 4903. If yes, great, but if unsure, ask when a good time would be to get back to their office staff.

8. Write a thank you and be sure to follow up with any information that might be helpful in answering questions that you weren't completely sure you answered as well as you thought.

9. Pat yourself on the back for a job well done and know you made a difference in helping to move the bill forward.

Save the Date!! St. Joseph Hospital's Nursing Research Council presents:

Pain Solutions:

Evidence-Based Approaches to the
Care of Persons Experiencing Pain
October 13, 2006
7:30am to 4:30pm

Keynote Speaker
Kathleen Puntillo, RN, DNSc, FAAN

For more information or to receive a brochure, please contact St. Joseph Hospital's
Clinical Education Department at 714/771-8000, ext 7495
or email Cheri.Cancelliere@stjoe.org

Orange, California

Thank You Mt. Wachusett Community College

The National Nurse Team would like to thank Mt. Wachusett Community College for sponsoring last Friday's conference on HR 4903, The National Nurse Act of 2006. Alisa and Teri especially want to thank all of the students who were in attendance. The students demonstrated excellent critical thinking skills by the questions they asked and we look forward to welcoming them to our profession.

Teri and Alisa also met with several leaders in Massachusetts and discussed ways the National Nurse Team programs could be run in their community.

If you have a conference you would like Teri and Alisa to speak at please email teri@nationalnurse.info.

The team is also interested in receiving health tips to keep Americans healthy. Be sure to send us your citation, name, title, state you live in, as well as a jpg picture in small format. Yes, student nurses are welcome to participate!

Things Always Look Up

The sour classmate (see previous post) has taken a turn for the friendly.
This only reinforces my belief in the value of kindness toward one's enemies. Refusing to meet a challenge with an equal challenge isn't selling out. Some people might mistake a lack of confrontation or self-defense as weakness. But it is not. It is only a more stealthy way of tending one's relationships.

I liken it to slipping a medicine into someone's oatmeal. Slowly the disease is destroyed from the inside out. Maybe it doesn't work every time. Maybe you need to try a few different treatments. Or maybe the disease can't be cured. But more often than not, that person you cared for will realize they can't remember why they dislike you anymore.

Sometimes yin conquers yang, if you understand what I mean.

In other news, I started my first IV today. I was totally jazzed about it all morning. And last Monday my group made one hell of a presentation. Beyond that, it's business as usual.

I'm ever the optimist.