For a limited time, NANN is offering a $35 discount on your annual membership dues for first-time NANN members. This offer expires on April 15, 2010, and most likely will not be extended. Annual dues are normally $99. Information about NANN can be found at their website, www.nann.org. The discount is only being given if you join by telephone by calling Member Services at 800-451-3795.
Also, if you mention that you are a member of the Chicago Chapter, you will receive an additional $5 discount. That brings your total discount to $40!
If you are interested, please hurry so that you don't miss this exciting offer!
Melissa White was described by her nominator as being, "a real triple threat - Her clinical skills, both technical procedures and fund-of-knowledge are superb. Her parent interactions are a model for her colleagues, both NNPs and MDs. And her academic achievements are superb." Melissa is a neonatal nurse practitioner at the University of Chicago's Comer Children's Hospital where she is also Manager of the NNP Program in the Level III Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. Melissa is a leader and role model for nursing and has an extraordinary record of service to her profession.
Lisa Festle, MSN RNC-NIC CCNS has been a neonatal nurse for over 20 years and currently works at Loyola University Medical Center's Level III neonatal intensive care unit in Maywood, IL. In addition to her responsibilities in the NICU, she serves as the Co-Coordinator of the NICU Education Council and also the NICU Magnet Committee. Those who nominated her describe her as "paying exquisite attention to every detail when providing care." Lisa is Master's prepared and certified as a Clinical Nurse Specialist, and uses this knowledge to care for the sickest of patients. She has chosen to remain at the bedside sharing her compassion with her patients and their families.
CAANN would like to thank those of you who participated in the 2009 March of Dimes March for Babies. Nine members responded to CAANN's challenge to participate and each received a donation of $10 into their banks from CAANN.
Despite the best efforts of all those that participated, the March of Dimes March for Babies is $3 million short of its fundraising goal! Several million dollars in research grants funded by the March of Dimes have already been cut and that looks to be just the beginning if additional funds aren't raised. The March of Dimes says that if every participant donated an additional $20, the goal would be met. If you were a participant or if you know someone that was, please consider making an additional donation of $20 to help the March of Dimes meet its fundraising goal so that they can continue to support research and programs that help moms have full-term pregnancies and babies begin healthy lives. If you would like to donate, the link to the March of Dimes March for Babies site on our home page is still active.
Eighty members and guests attended CAANN's Neonatal Infection Update on February 3, 2009, in the Stritch School of Medicine at Loyola University Medical Center. Our speakers included Kenneth Alexander, MD, PhD, Associate Professor of Pediatrics at the University of Chicago, and Terri Russell, DNP, APN/NNP-BC, Coordinator of the NNP Program at Rush University College of Nursing and NNP at the University of Chicago Comer Children's Hospital. Topics included "Sorting Out Antibiotics: A Systematic Approach to Antibiotic Selection," "Problem Infections in the NICU," and "Nosocomial Infections: Killing the Bugs or Improving the Procedures?"
Our next meeting will be Tuesday, May 19, 2009, at Loyola University Medical Center. We will be discussing Ethics in the NICU.
Volunteering at Ronald McDonald House
National Nurse Practitioner Credential Changes
New Credentials effective May 1, 2008
RNC-NIC(for RN's certified in Neonatal Intensive Care Nursing)
RNC-LRN(for RN's certified in Low Risk Neonatal Nursing)
For Neonatal Nurse Practitioner's:
The American Nursing Credentialing Center (ANCC) put out a formal proposal to national nurse practitioner certifying bodies to change nurse practitioner credentials to a standardized national format. ANCC carefully reviewed the impact of changing the credentials, exploring how the credential could have the most impact on the nurse practitioner profession and their recognition in the health care system. The title APRN is used in over 17 states to recognize advanced practice nurses. They felt a change could provide for a nationwide consistency and simplification for the public and state boards of nursing.
Over 6,000 advanced practice nurses were surveyed in the fall of 2006. The survey results indicated that they felt simplification of credentials, recognition of the role of the NP and recognition of the specialty was needed. A follow up survey of 4700 nurse practitioners was completed to choose the specialty and role combination credential.
The recommendation by the ANCC is that the following credential and format be used by all certifying bodies:
The use of NP (Stresses the role):
The use of the specialty (example: neonatal nurse practitioner):
The use of BC for board certification (equality with our physician partners):
NNP-BC