Vicky Byrd, BA, RN, OCN

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1 MNA Awards Page 2 The Montana Nurses Association Foundation (MNAF) was launched at our annual convention October 2017 hosting a silent auction with great success. Many nurses donated to our foundation and the foundation has recently invested those donations to begin meeting our mission and purposes. MNAF is excited to spread the word across the state of Montana THE OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF THE MONTANA NURSES ASSOCIATION Quarterly publication direct mailed to approximately 17,000 RNs and LPNs in Montana. that donations (100% tax deductible) can now be accepted and used to support our mission below. MNAF will leverage the strength of our organization and our MNA members to drive excellence in practice and education, and ensure that the history, voice and vision of professional nurses in Montana thrives. MNAF helps our communities through charitable grants and helps nurses improve the lives of patients and their families locally and throughout the state. February 2018 Vol. 55 No. 1 Executive Director Report Montana Nurses Association Foundation (MNAF) 501c3 Vicky Byrd, BA, RN, OCN Purposes: from our articles of incorporation Charitable Educational Grants to licensed registered nurses Awards scholarships Provide continuing education grants Historical record preservation Stimulate and promote the professional development of nurses Areas of Interest Elevating the image of nursing Improving health Strengthening leadership Generating new knowledge and policy Fostering philanthropy To contribute to the Montana Nurses Association Foundation contact Jill Hindoien at or Jill@mtnurses.org. Mission Resume Preparation, Cover Letter, & Job Interview Page 12 current resident or Presort Standard US Postage PAID Permit #14 Princeton, MN The Montana Nurses Association Foundation (MNAF) is the charitable and philanthropic branch of the Montana Nurses Association (MNA), with a mission to preserve the history of nursing in Montana and contribute, support and empower the professional nurse in Montana. Please visit MNA s constantly updated websites! Enjoy a user friendly layout and access to more information, including membership material, labor resources, Independent Study Library, a new Career Center for Job Seekers & Employers, and more downloadable information. Like us on Facebook Follow us on Twitter

2 Page 2 Montana Nurses Association Pulse February, March, April 2018 PULSE SUBMISSIONS We are gathering articles that are relevant and appealing to YOU as a nurse. What is happening in your world today? Is there information we can provide that would be helpful to you? The Pulse is YOUR publication, and we want to present you with content that pertains to your interests. Please submit your ideas and suggestions to Jennifer. Jennifer@mtnurses.org PUBLISHER INFORMATION & AD RATES Circulation 18,000. Provided to every registered nurse, licensed practical nurse, nursing student and nurse-related employer in Montana. The Pulse is published quarterly each February, May, August and November by Arthur L. Davis Publishing Agency, Inc. for Montana Nurses Association, 20 Old Montana State Highway, Montana City, MT 59634, a constituent member of the American Nurses Association. For advertising rates and information, please contact Arthur L. Davis Publishing Agency, Inc., 517 Washington Street, PO Box 216, Cedar Falls, Iowa 50613, (800) , sales@aldpub.com. MNA and the Arthur L. Davis Publishing Agency, Inc. reserve the right to reject any advertisement. Responsibility for errors in advertising is limited to corrections in the next issue or refund of price of advertisement. Acceptance of advertising does not imply endorsement or approval by the Montana Nurses Association of products advertised, the advertisers, or the claims made. Rejection of an advertisement does not imply a product offered for advertising is without merit, or that the manufacturer lacks integrity, or that this association disapproves of the product or its use. MNA and the Arthur L. Davis Publishing Agency, Inc. shall not be held liable for any consequences resulting from purchase or use of an advertiser s product. Articles appearing in this publication express the opinions of the authors; they do not necessarily reflect views of the staff, board, or membership of MNA or those of the national or local associations. WRITER S GUIDELINES: MNA welcomes the submission of articles and editorials related to nursing or about Montana nurses for publication in The PULSE. Please limit word size between words and provide resources and references. MNA has the Right to accept, edit or reject proposed material. Please send articles to: jennifer@mtnurses.org CONTACT MNA Montana Nurses Association 20 Old Montana State Highway, Clancy, MT Phone (406) Fax (406) info@mtnurses.org Website: Office Hours: 7:30 a.m.-4:00 p.m. Monday through Friday VOICE OF NURSES IN MONTANA MNA is a non-profit, membership organization that advocates for nurse competency, scope of practice, patient safety, continuing education, and improved healthcare delivery and access. MNA members serve on the following Councils and other committees to achieve our mission: Council on Practice & Government Affairs (CPGA) Council on Economic & General Welfare (E&GW) Council on Continuing Education (CCE) Council on Advanced Practice (CAP) Political Nurse Leadership Award MNA Awards Friend of Nursing Award MISSION STATEMENT The Montana Nurses Association promotes professional nursing practice, standards and education; represents professional nurses; and provides nursing leadership in promoting high quality health care. PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT Montana Nurses Association is accredited as an approver of continuing nursing education by the American Nurses Credentialing Center s Commission on Accreditation. Montana Nurses Association is accredited as a provider of continuing nursing education by the American Nurses Credentialing Center s Commission on Accreditation. Political Nurse Leadership Award Caitlin Shipp ASN, RN, CMSRN Missoula, MT Not Pictured: Economic & General Welfare Council Achievement Award James Fredrickson BSN, RN Bozeman, MT Advanced Practice Registered Nurse of the Year Award Melinda Truesdell, APRN Miles City, MT RN to BSN Online Program MSN Online Program No Campus Visits Enroll Part or Full Time Liberal Credit Transfers Nationally Accredited No Thesis Required No Entrance Exams Classes That Fit Your Schedule Competitive Tuition Consult our website: Call or nursing@uwgb.edu Friend of Nursing Award Julia Brennan Department of Labor Friend of Nursing Award Kathy Schaefer (with Jon Schaefer) Retired - MNA CE Specialist If you wish to no longer receive The Pulse please contact Monique: mheddens@aldpub.com If your address has changed please contact Montana Board of Nursing at: MNA Staff: MNA Vicky Byrd, BA, RN, OCN, Executive Director Pam Dickerson, PhD, RN-BC, FAAN, Director of Professional Development Mary Thomas, BA, RN, RN Professional Development Associate Caroline Baughman, BS, Professional Development Associate Robin Haux, BS, Labor Program Director Amy Hauschild, BSN, RN, Labor Representative Sandi Luckey, Labor Representative Leslie Shepherd, BSN, RN, Labor Representative Jill Hindoien, BS, Chief Financial Officer Jennifer Hamilton, Administrative Assistant Board of Directors Executive Committee: Board of Directors President Lorri Bennett, RN Board of Directors Vice President Terry Dutro, MSN, APRN, AGPCNP-BC Board of Directors Secretary Chelsee Baker, BSN, RN Board of Directors Treasurer Linda Larsen, RN-BC Board of Directors Member at Large Jennifer Taylor, BSN, RN, CCRN Board of Directors CPGA Bobbie Cross, RN Board of Directors CE Debby Lee, BSN, RN-BC, CCRP Board of Directors CAP John Honsky, APRN Board of Directors EGW Jennifer Tanner, BS, RN, CCRN, NREMT Council on Practice & Government Affairs (CPGA) Jack Preston, BSN, RN Karen Fairbrother, BSN, RN, DNC, CDE Abbie Colussi, RN Anna Ammons, BSN, RN, PCCN Anita Doherty, RN Council on Professional Development (PD) Sandy Sacry, MSN, RN Cheryl Miller, MSN, RN-BC Gwyn Palchak, BSN, RN-BC, ACM Sarah Leland, BSN, RN, CMS Emily Michalski-Weber, MSN, RN-BC Abbie Colussi, RN Megan Hamilton, MSN, RN, CFRN, NR-P Janet Smith, MN, MSHS, RN Cheryl Richards, MS, BSN, RN-BC Council on Advanced Practice (CAP) Chairperson Elect-CAP Deborah Kern, MSN, FNP Secretary-CAP Nanci Taylor, APRN Member at Large-CAP Barbara Schaff, FNP-BC Member at Large-CAP Keven Comer, MN, FNP-BC Council on Economic & General Welfare (EGW) Delayne Stahl, RN, OCN Krystal Frydenlund, RN, CCRN Rachel Huleatt, BSN, RN Lisa Ross, RN, CCRN Questions about your nursing license? Contact Montana Board of Nursing at:

3 February, March, April 2018 Montana Nurses Association Pulse Page 3 Know your Rights in 30 minutes or less! Over the past few months representing our members, it reminded me that our Labor Department needs to continue to educate all of you on what your rights are under your contract. Especially your Weingarten Rights! Learn these rights and encourage your coworkers to learn these rights! As bargaining unit members, your involvement with your local is determined by how much you want to be involved and an easy way to do so is to be a nurse advocate/support representative. It is a small commitment with a large impact! We have created an easy, in 30 minutes or less conference call presentation (so you can participate from anywhere) on how to be a nurse advocate/support representative. This short, easy presentation will educate you on what you are allowed to do and say (it s almost impossible to ask a question that is not helpful and impossible to make a mistake), and most importantly, that as a nurse advocate/support representative, you are there to support a co-worker. Know your Weingarten Rights! Before discussing your Weingarten Rights, you must understand what an investigatory interview is. An investigatory interview is when you are questioned by your manager or director about any issue that you are, or may have been, involved with that could possibly lead to disciplinary action. This can include tardiness, overtime, patient complaints, peer complaints, etc. You should ask at the beginning of the meeting, Is this a meeting that can lead to disciplinary action? If they answer Yes then you have the right to ask for representation. If they say No and indicate that you don t need anyone, listen carefully to what is being discussed. If it starts to feel like it could lead to discipline, you have the right to invoke your Weingarten rights. Know the Rules! Under Weingarten Rights and when an investigatory interview occurs, the following rules apply: 1. The employee must make a clear request for union representation (requesting a nurse advocate/support representative) before or during the interview. The employee cannot be punished for making this request. (Note: Do not ask the employer, do I need union representation? It is up to you to make the statement that you want union representation.) Remember, management is not an appropriate representative, so if they offer you the nursing supervisor or someone else to sit with you, that is not adequate. You either need a local unit leader, or nurse support/advocate representative, or any other union member/coworker to act as your representative. MOST IMPORTANTLY, you have the right to a reasonable amount of time to obtain representation AND SUPPORT! 2. After the employee makes the request, your employer must choose among three options. The employer must either: 1. Grant the request and postpone any further questioning until an union representative arrives and has a chance to consult privately with the employee; or 2. Deny the request and end the interview immediately; or 3. Give the employee a choice of: 1) having the interview without representation, or 2) ending the interview. *If your employer denies your request for union representation and continues to ask you questions, this is considered an unfair labor practice under the law. If this occurs, you have the right to refuse to answer and you cannot be disciplined for a refusal to answer questions without union representation. Remember to say I will listen, but I will not provide any comment until I can get union representation. * Why do you need representation and support? While your representative cannot disrupt the interview, your employer must allow them to speak and provide assistance. Additionally, your representative should take detailed notes of what all present parties say at the meeting. These notes and second set of eyes and ears can prevent later disputes about what was said at the meeting. Your MNA Labor Representatives can provide you and your local with Weingarten cards and flyers with easy to access information on your rights! Call your MNA representative and request the 30 minute or less conference presentation! Weingarten Rights Labor Reports and News Robin Haux, BS Labor Program Director If this discussion could in any way lead to my being disciplined or terminated, or affect my personal working conditions, I respectfully request that my Union Representative, Officer, or Steward be present at this meeting. Until my representative arrives, I choose not to participate in this discussion. When Your Employer Notifies You of a Meeting... * Immediately ask your Supervisor/Manager/Director: What is the purpose of the meeting? Will I be asked questions which may possibly lead to discipline? Will I be asked questions which require me to defend my conduct? If the meeting is investigatory or answers may lead to discipline: #1 Respectfully inform your employer you are invoking your Weingarten Rights & will need to have your Union Representative present during questioning. #2 Quickly arrange for your Union Representative to attend the meeting. Invitation to the 2018 MNA Labor Retreat Save the date and plan on attending the 2018 Labor Retreat- April 15th, 16th and 17th at Chico Hot Springs located in Pray, MT. The Annual MNA Labor Retreat is an awesome event at which attendees gain valuable knowledge and contact hours with an opportunity to meet and network with other MNA nurse labor leaders from around the state. This special event is designed for nurses covered under a collective bargaining agreement from across the state. If you are active in, or interested in collective bargaining and your Union, or want to enhance your knowledge, skills and communication related to advocating for your patients, your colleagues and safer environments please check out the MNA website for the Labor Retreat agenda or ask your MNA Labor Representative for more details! Amy Hauschild, BSN, RN, Labor Representative This year s Labor Retreat will include presentations about strategies designed to demystify and compare health insurance coverage, education on how to use social media to communicate effectively within our local units, how to more successfully advocate for nurses and patients by using tools and rights you have through your Union, and to improve our nurses abilities at the bargaining table with community engagement. I have personally attended more than twenty MNA Labor Retreats and with each event, the bar raises on the impact it makes to those who attend. The event is designed for all ranges of knowledge and skill in the collective bargaining arena. First time attendees are warmly welcomed and encouraged to come to Chico and see what it is all about. It is a true retreat and wonderful networking experience! I probably do not need to iterate the multitude of attributes Chico Hot Springs has to offer, though for those interested, I must draw attention to the natural spring hot wadda, chilly beverages, 4 star food and welcoming casual atmosphere. Please see the MNA website for more information about the content and registration for the 2018 Labor Retreat. See you there!! Montana Nurses Association Districts Rev (08/2000)

4 Page 4 Montana Nurses Association Pulse February, March, April 2018 The Strength of Your Union A union s strength to accomplish any task, be it holding a Union Meeting, bargaining a contract, or making major improvements in current nursing practice, is truly based on how active and engaged its members are. Sounds simple enough, right? Ok so how do you encourage activism in your union? That my friends is THE question!! The basis for ANY type of activism, no matter how Labor Reports and News Leslie Shepherd, BSN, RN, Labor Representative miniscule or earth shattering, starts the same way, with effective communication. Communicating with your membership is the single, most important way to promote activism and engagement. Whether you work in a facility with 10 nurses or 600. Effectively reaching out to your membership is a key component in being a productive union. In this electronic age, communication can be quick and complete with the click of a button. Nurse Unions all over the state are utilizing threads, text messaging, and creating their own Local Facebook groups to help encourage discussion and teamwork among their members. Developing and maintaining an organized internal method of communication takes time and effort, but the platform for collaboration it creates will inform and empower nurses throughout your facility. It is vital to foster an open flow top-down, bottomup communication, where every nurse has access to discussing their issues with union leadership. It is these issues, brought forward by union members, which drive the changes to your contracts and the actions of your union. If you don t have a local unit Facebook page, start one now! Need help? Let your labor reps know and we can assist in getting you started! That is where your power comes from, the voices of your nurses, the actions of your union. DIRECTOR of NURSING Good Samaritan Society Mountain View Manor in Eureka, MT is seeking an RN for the position of Director of Nursing. Competitive Salary. Full Benefits. 5 Star Rated Skilled Nursing and Rehab Center. Call for more information or apply online at good-sam.com/mountainview EOE/AA Employer As you re likely aware by following recent news, the culture of making sure there are consequences for those who commit sexual assault seems to be improving rapidly. It s not a moment too soon either. According to the National Sexual Violence Resource Center, one in five women and one in 71 men will be raped at some point in their lives. Sexual assault, which falls short of actual intercourse, is at alarming Sexual Assault at Work Sandi Luckey Labor Representative rates as well. One in four women and one in six men will be sexually assaulted in their lifetime. Possibly even worse, eight percent of rapes occur while the victim is at work. Because nursing is a predominantly female workforce and most rape victims are women, it s possible these percentages are higher among nurses. Recently I attended an educational presentation alongside the staff working in one of our Montana hospitals. As we talked about preventing violence in the workplace one of the attendees asked about the inclusion of sexual assault. She told the story of a patient, an older man, who had come in for an x-ray, and when alone in the room with a young, female Technician the patient sexually assaulted her. She didn t know what to do other than her job, so she completed her work and later broke down in tears and told her co-worker what had happened. Neither had ever heard their hospital mention any support or complaint process for sexual assault so they didn t think there was any path for recourse. Over the next week the patient returned two more times for more x-rays and the same Technician had to enter a room alone with the man that had sexually assaulted her and he violated her again each time. Sexual assault is a crime and the behavioral deviant is the assaulter. As much as we ve been urging nurses to change the culture in nursing by calling the police and reporting workplace violence, we must also call and report sexual violence to both the employer and the police. The employer has to be given the opportunity to take protective action. In the case of the Technician, the employer had no idea it had happened and therefore had no opportunity to refuse care, remove the victimized Tech from the situation and bring a Security Officer in, report the crime to police, Dahl Memorial Healthcare Association, Inc. SEEKING INDIVIDUALS INTERESTED IN LONG-TERM EMPLOYMENT Available Immediately Registered Nurse Full-Time Sign on Bonus Included Dahl Memorial offers competitive wages and benefits, which include but are not limited to educational opportunities, insurance, retirement, and paid time off, for all full time positions. Dahl Memorial is a small family oriented facility that thrives on family values. We offer nurses the opportunity to hone their leadership and patient care skills to include Emergency, Med Surg, and Long Term Care. If you are interested in working in a fun, family style environment, please call Patricia Rogers or Melissa Lovec at or visit our website at and download our application and submit it to Dahl Memorial Healthcare Association, Attn: Melissa Lovec, PO Box 46, Ekalaka, MT etc. Because the police were never called, the criminal keeps a clean record that leaves him free to assault again without concern for consequence and the Technician bares the weight of being violated silently. Research proves victims are not alone. Working together, all nurses can defend the nursing profession from the invasion of sexual assault by taking the same zero tolerance approach we ve taken for other forms of workplace violence. Report it to the employer. Report it to the police. Report it to your union or professional association. If you ve followed the hashtag #metoo where women across the country are telling their stories of sexual assault, it has revealed something very interesting. Many of them have the same attacker. It seems those who would commit sexual assault often, do so again and again. Nurses are self-sacrificing by nature, so if you remove yourself from the equation and think of reporting as an act of protecting the next woman or the next man from being victimized by the same attacker, then perhaps we can increase the reporting of sexual assault and improve the degree of protection available for healthcare professionals that spend their careers in very close quarters with hundreds or even thousands of patients and family members a percentage of whom will commit deviant acts. Sexual assault often happens so fast. It s very common to freeze in the moment. Therefore, it s helpful to practice what you ll say like.. I m offended by your behavior. Back away. I ve signaled security. Or even just yelling the appropriate code so co-workers hear and the attacker is caught off guard. Practice distracting motions that give you an opportunity to escape the space. Inevitably, some attackers will not be deterred by these actions so read your employer s policies related to violence and if they seem insufficient, start the conversation to update them. Know your reporting chain of command and the counseling available to you through your Employee Assistance Program or health insurance coverage. If you need more information you ll find guidelines at the American Nurses Association website, nursingworld.org or by contacting MNA for educational opportunities. Defending the honor and security of those working in healthcare is primarily on the shoulders of those who hold the positions. It s essential that nurses stick together and lead the way so no one is harmed in the way that young, female Technician was and so that everyone can feel confident in having support for reporting sexual violence.until there are no more stories to tell. PLEASE JOIN OUR TEAM! Montana State University-Northern has Assistant Professor Nursing tenure track positions open for Spring 2018 and Fall Teach nursing courses in both the ASN (on campus, Havre, MT) and the RN to BSN (online) nursing programs. The ASN program requires teaching didactic lectures, laboratory skills, and clinical courses for the advanced medical surgical specialty areas, maternal, pediatric, and or mental health nursing. The position will teach approximately 24 semester credit hours of classes per year. For an application and position descriptions, please visit: For information, please contact MSUN HR Manager Suzanne Hunger at hr@msun.edu

5 February, March, April 2018 Montana Nurses Association Pulse Page 5 Exerpts from ANA Montana Nurses Association Approved Providers MNA thanks all of the Approved Provider Units we work with for their commitment to advancing and promoting quality nursing practice through continuing nursing education. Acute Care Education Vancouver, WA Alaska Division of Public Health Anchorage, AK Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium Anchorage, AK Alaska Nurses Association Anchorage, AK Alaska Regional Hospital Anchorage, AK Alzheimer s Resource of Alaska Anchorage, AK Bartlett Regional Hospital Juneau, AK Benefis Healthcare Systems Great Falls, MT Billings Clinic Billings, MT Bozeman Deaconess Hospital Bozeman, MT Cardea Services Seattle, WA Central Peninsula General Hospital Soldatna, AK Cheyenne Regional Medical Center Cheyenne, WY Community Medical Center Missoula, MT Evergreen Health Kirkland, WA Fairbanks Memorial Hospital Fairbanks, AK Kadlec Regional Medical Center Richland, WA Kalispell Regional Healthcare System Kalispell, MT Kootenai Health Coeur d Alene, ID Mat-Su Regional Medical Center Palmer, AK Montana Health Network Miles City, MT Mountain Pacific Quality Health Helena, MT MT Geriatric Education Center of UM Missoula, MT North Valley Hospital Whitefish, MT Pacific Lutheran University Tacoma, WA Partnership Health Center Missoula, MT Providence Alaska Learning Institute Anchorage, AK Providence Healthcare Spokane, WA Providence St. Patrick Hospital Missoula, MT South Dakota Nurses Association Pierre, SD South Peninsula Hospital Homer, AK St. Alphonsus Health System Boise, ID St. James Healthcare Butte, MT St. Luke s Health System Boise, ID St. Peter s Health Helena, MT St. Vincent Healthcare Billings, MT UF Health Shands Hospital Gainesville, FL Wisconsin Nurses Association Madison, WI Wrangell Medical Center Wrangell, AK Mount Grant General Hospital Acute RNs and SNF RNs & LPNs Eligible for HRSA NurseCorps Loan Repayment Great Benefits including Retirement! $5,000 Sign On Bonus! Relocation Assistance New Grads Welcome! For more information, please visit or call ext. 266 or fax resumes to

6 Page 6 Montana Nurses Association Pulse February, March, April 2018 Professional Development Department Continuing Education and Professional Development: What s the Difference? Continuing nursing education activities are defined by the Association for Nursing Professional Development (ANPD) and the ANCC Primary Accreditation program as learning activities intended to build upon the educational and experiential bases of the professional RN for the enhancement of practice, education, administration, research, or theory development, to the end of improving the health of the public and RNs pursuit of their professional career goals. Professional development is defined by ANPD as the continuous, active participation in activities that assist in developing and maintaining competence, enhance professional practice, and support achievement of professional goals (p 64). The conceptual model developed by ANPD includes orientation/onboarding, quality improvement, competency development and Pam A. Dickerson, PhD, RN-BC, FAAN Director, Continuing Education maintenance, collaborative partnerships, role development, and lifelong learning as part of nursing professional development. On the basis of these definitions, it is clear that professional development encompasses continuing education, but continuing education is only a part of the broader field of nursing professional development. Therefore, when we engage in continuing education activities, we are supporting our professional development, but there is more to our continuous development as healthcare providers than meeting requirements for continuing education as specified by our licensure and certification bodies. What do you do for your own professional development, besides continuing education? Examples might include serving on a quality improvement or ethics committee, participating in an evidence-based practice or research project, reading professional journals or blogs, writing an article for publication, taking graduate or post-graduate classes, and presenting an educational activity at a workshop or conference. The mission of MNA, as stated in bylaws, is to promote professional nursing practice, standards, and education and support quality health care. Functions of the association include promoting standards of nursing practice, adherence to the ANA Code of Ethics for Nurses, influencing legislation and health policy, stimulating research, promoting networking, and promoting and providing for the continuing professional development of nurses, among other things. All of these functions fall under the definition of professional development, and extend well beyond continuing education. Nursing professional development is a specialty practice recognized by ANA, having its own scope and standards of practice developed by ANPD and approved by ANA, and offering its own certification through the American Nurses Credentialing Center s Commission on Certification. In recognition and support of MNA s work to support and enhance the overall professional development of nurses, we are making changes in the language we use to define our roles. Previous Language Continuing Education Department Council on Continuing Education Director of Continuing Education Continuing Education Specialist RN Continuing Education Specialist New Language Professional Development Department Council on Professional Development Director of Professional Development Professional Development Associate RN Professional Development Associate These changes reflect MNA s ongoing commitment to quality in professional development, adherence to nursing professional development standards, and our desire to support you throughout your professional journey. Please reach out to us to let us know how we can help you best! References: American Nurses Credentialing Center. (2015). Primary Accreditation Provider Application Manual. Silver Spring, MD: Author. Harper, M. & Maloney, P. (2016). Nursing professional development: Scope and standards of practice, 3rd ed. Chicago: Association for Nursing Professional Development. Congratulations to Kalispell Regional Healthcare: Recipient of ANCC Accreditation with Distinction for Nurse Residency Program The Kalispell Regional Healthcare (KRH) Nurse Residency Program has been awarded Accreditation with Distinction by the American Nurses Credentialing Center s (ANCC) Practice Transition Accreditation Program, the highest recognition awarded by the ANCC s Accreditation Program. KRH is the first healthcare system in the state of Montana to be awarded this distinction and one of 30 ANCC accredited programs in the United States. This designation will help to recruit and retain high caliber nurses at KRH and validates that the program meets and exceeds evidence-based quality standards. Accreditation was achieved under the leadership and direction of Mandy Pokorny, Program Coordinator, who stated that: Accreditation is an important step for our nurses. It shows that we are consistently meeting all national standards and criteria necessary to transition newly licensed nurses into practice. This process has been a lot of work and a true pleasure to be a part of. It takes a village to create a successful environment for our nurses transitioning into the profession, and I am proud to see that we are heading in the right direction. Collaboration is key and I can t speak highly enough of the good work and support from our Executive Leadership Team, Nursing Directors/Managers, Expert Clinical Nursing Staff, Clinical Educators, Preceptors, Interdisciplinary Teams, Human Resource Partners, and Academic Partners. We look forward to continuing to grow and refine our program in the upcoming years. Please join MNA in congratulating Kalispell Regional Healthcare for its successful accomplishment of achieving ANCC accreditation with distinction! Happy National Nurses Week! May 6 12, 2018 That research paper isn t going to write itself. Visit to gain access to issues of official state nurses publications, all to make your research easier!

7 February, March, April 2018 Montana Nurses Association Pulse Page 7 Annual Veterans Care Conference Support Quality Care Care is improved when members of the healthcare team work together to address patients needs. This is particularly important with vulnerable populations, including veterans, who have unique needs depending on when and where they served. All who attended the Seamless Health Care for Our Veterans Conference in Helena on November 9th, 2017, learned from faculty passionate about sharing their expertise on taking care of veterans in a way they deserve. Session topics included case studies reflective of outcomes of various military conflicts, opioid overdoses among veterans, military sexual trauma, recognizing indicators of suicide, assessment and treatment of insomnia, and navigating the VA system. Jointly provided by MNA and the Veterans Health Center at Fort Harrison, this interprofessional conference is an annual event focused on building knowledge and skills for healthcare providers who care for our veterans Mary Thomas, BA, RN, OCN RN Professional Development Associate in the civilian environment. Fifty seven people attended this year s event, including student nurses. Continuing education credit was available for nurses, social workers, occupational therapists, and respiratory therapists. Participant feedback included these comments: This has been an excellent conference. Every presentation was educational and interesting! With a better understanding of the veteran population, I feel that I am more comfortable with referring veterans to the VA services. I plan to use this learning activity to strengthen my practice by knowing the right questions to ask, what resources to use and what signs and symptoms to watch for. Great conference, thank you for letting us be a part of it! Made me love the VA even more and I hope to work there someday soon! Very useful training to bridge the gap between the private sector and the VA. I now have resources available that I was unaware of before. I feel better educated on approaching and delivering care to the veteran population. Please plan now to be with us for our 2018 conference! Increase your knowledge, strengthen your practice, become a team player to support quality care for veterans by attending the annual interprofessional conference, Seamless Health Care for Our Veterans! Watch for upcoming course information and registration in the Pulse and on our website, See you in Helena on November 7th, 2018! Montana Nurses Association Dues Structure Thank you members for asking about our Montana Nurses Association (MNA) dues structure and the breakdown. As I have received a few calls and s over the past 6 months, I am hoping this answers some of the questions you have had. Additionally you can always me at vicky@mtnurses.org. Here are the percentages of our budget communicated at our 2017 annual convention and we will continue to report off and be accountable to the Montana nurse members every year at convention (and in between). Our overall budget was allocated as follows: 45% personnel-mna employs 10 staff with 9.25 FTE and our main product is service. Budgetary and fiscally responsible recommendations are to keep personnel costs 50% or lower so we are pleased with this. Service includes representing nurses for contract negotiations, assisting with unfair labor practices, representing nurses in discipline, providing accredited contact hours through our professional development department (ex: annual convention, legislative day, labor retreat) and advocating at state legislature just to name a few. 8% overhead-mna building, cars, power, phones etc. 47% member services (non-staff costs this is money we put into our nurse members)-sponsoring MNA members to attend the American Nurses Association (ANA) Quality conference yearly (all-expense paid); covering members cost to attend our board and council meetings and any requested MNA engagements; covering cost for our state nurse member leaders to attend state and national meetings; covering costs for our member delegates (elected) to participate in the ANA assembly (ANA business) and delegates (elected) to the American Federation of Teachers/ Nurses and Health Professionals (AFTNHP) convention (AFTNHP business). Member services also include legislative campaigns as identified by MNA nurses for example our Your Nurse Wears Combat Boots and pursuing global signature authority for our Advance Practice Registered Nurses (APRNs) who enjoy independent practice. These are just a few of the examples. We also invest money as directed by the MNA board of directors (active MNA members) to maintain solvency as a non-profit business. We are affiliated with two national nursing organizations, first is the ANA, and with our MNA professional association membership, an ANA membership is included. We all enjoy a joint MNA/ANA membership and all registered nurses living and working in Montana are eligible to join. Second, for our collective bargaining (CB) members only, we are affiliated with the AFTNHP and is exclusively for collective bargaining (union) members. Here is a Monthly breakdown of our current full member dues structure. This was shared at the 2017 convention to show members how their monthly dues are allocated. MNA Monthly Dues Breakdown! Collective bargaining Non-collective bargaining ANA (American Nurses Association) $12.17 $12.17 MNA State Districts (rebates assist with convention and member education) $1.00 $1.00 MNA Local Unit (dues back to local units for member activities) $1.00 MNA Mobilization Fund (dues for national labor affiliation and solidarity fund investment $12.50 MNA (dues for operations/service members) $36.13 $36.13 Total MNA/ANA Monthly dues $62.80 $49.29 The MNA mobilization fund pays our labor affiliate dues at the state and national level. We also (from history long ago) invest a small portion of collective bargaining mobilization funds, designating these funds for any future national collective bargaining dues increase and/or support for any state and local emergent situations. The E&GW (Economic and General Welfare) Council are CB nurse members elected by those members covered by a collective bargaining agreement and if needed, can approve use of those funds. I am confident for many years we will not have to have a significant dues increase as we experienced three years ago. Prior to that for over eight years there was (on average per year) less than 1% dues increase and for several years there were none, challenging our association to provide the member engagement and services you deserve. Plan ahead and come to MNA labor retreat. It is focused on CB members and is held at Chico Hot Springs (has for over 30 years) April 15th evening until noon on April 17th, Many local units cover the entire cost for their members. Our annual MNA convention (this is when we hold MNA elections) is October 3, 4, 5th, 2018, is for all members and held here in Helena. This 2018 year we will be hosting a candidates panel asking those legislative candidates, who are running for state and national positions, questions from the nurses across the state on issues relevant to our practice, our patients, and our community. Many districts and some locals cover all the cost for this event as well. There is accredited contact hours awarded for each event, usually around eight for the labor retreat and up to 12 from convention. Additionally, we have an annual APRN conference (March) where nurses are able to obtain Rx contact hours for their prescriptive authority and our newest interdisciplinary annual event (November) on strategizing how to care for our Montana Veterans who are seen in every setting across our state. I have been an MNA member since 1988 and will always belong to my professional nurses association. I was also an MNA collective bargaining nurse for 26 years prior to accepting this position as executive director in the professional association I love. This may be more than you wanted to know but as a fellow MNA nurse and nurse leader, I am open and transparent and want our members to be proud of their association and proud of their support to our Montana nurses.

8 Page 8 Montana Nurses Association Pulse February, March, April 2018 Montana Nurses Association (MNA) remains bipartisan and sustains advocacy and support addressing healthcare and other legislative issues through our MNA Government Relations Platform, our legislative platform, approved by the MNA membership. MNA is the recognized professional organization, which lobbies for nursing practice issues to protect the practice of Vicky Byrd, BA, RN, OCN professional nurses and also protect the public in all areas of health care. MNA focuses on the issues surrounding nurses and all that affects healthcare. A review of our MNA Mission Statement reflects this commitment. MNA mission statement: The Montana Nurses Association promotes professional nursing practice, standards and education; represents professional nurses; and provides nursing leadership in promoting high quality health care. I am also calling attention to some of the very progressive and forward thinking positions of our MNA Government Relations Platform, approved by the MNA House of Delegates October 2017 (italics below). Encompassed in our government relations platform, these selected positions drive our communications with those who have an effect on healthcare to include local, state, and national leaders and organizations. For full Government relations platform go to Here are highlights from our platform related to healthcare for all: Improve access to quality, cost effective health care by developing and/or supporting public policies which: Respond to the needs of the unserved and underserved populations by promoting access to health care and healthcare coverage. REGISTERED NURSES... EARN YOUR BACHELOR OF SCIENCE IN NURSING (BSN) DEGREE ONLINE! ADMIT BOTH FALL AND SPRING SEMESTERS Key program features: Allows RNs to receive their four-year degree at a distance Fully accredited by the ACEN Earn college credit for current Registered Nurse State Licensure Legislative Corner Communicating the Political Climate-focusing on issues not party Application process is ongoing. Application submission is due October 1st for Spring semester and May 1st for Fall semester. For info: or or nursing@minotstateu.edu. Be seen. Be heard. Identify or develop alternative health care delivery systems that are cost-effective and provide quality health care. Remove barriers (financial, governmental, regulatory, and/or institutional) that deny access to appropriate/qualified health care providers and approved medical standard of care treatments. Advocate for legislation that is transparent and bipartisan and support policies that can achieve evidence based real healthcare reform. Promote community and world health by collaborating with other health professionals to promote health diplomacy and reduce health disparities. Protect human rights by developing and/or supporting public policies which: Promote access to appropriate health services. Preserve individual rights to privacy. Promote, debate and have consideration of ethical dilemmas in health care Protect the environmental health of individuals and communities through: Acknowledging, supporting and addressing environmental impacts on the health of Montanans. Actively engaging with national organizational affiliates in addressing environmental health issues in our nation. Identify the nurse s primary commitment is to the patient, whether an individual, family, group, community, or population. Protecting and promoting the future healthcare and nursing practice through: Actively engaging in legislation that supports professional scope of nursing practice to the full extent of individual education and training. Actively promoting programs and efforts that encourage educational progression of professional nursing at state and national levels. Representation on boards, committees and advisory groups which influence the future of the nursing profession and the future of our state and national healthcare system. Engaging with healthcare partners and associations to work collaboratively to ensure healthcare as a right for all American populations. Correctional Nursing, the best kept secret in Nursing. At CoreCivic, we do more than manage inmates, we care for people. CoreCivic is currently seeking a Clinical Supervisor, RN required, Full Time and PRN RNs and Full Time, Part Time, and PRN LPNs at Crossroads Correction Facility in Shelby, Montana who have a passion for providing the highest quality care in an institutional setting. This is your opportunity to make a satisfying career even more rewarding. We have a passion for providing the highest quality care. So, we take care of our people with competitive wages and great benefits! Medical, Dental, Vision, Life, & Disability 9 Paid Holidays 401(k) Retirement Savings Plan Free CEUs Paid Training Free Uniforms Newly licensed graduates welcome! To start your meaningful career in correctional healthcare, visit us online today and explore our open opportunities. Apply today at jobs.corecivic.com or contact Cyndy at Utilizing our government relations platform as a guide, MNA has reached out and will continue to reach out to our US Congressmen, for feedback and collaboration on nursing and healthcare issues. We have communicated concerns regarding the recent tax bills and the current Tax Cuts and Jobs Act law and the effects these changes in law (or any law for that matter ex: ACA repeal) will have on healthcare, our nurses and our citizens. Our concerns frequently align with MNA s national affiliates, the American Nurses Association (ANA) and the American Federation of Teachers/Nurses and Health Professionals (AFTNHP). MNA is able to provide input and be a part of the process to evaluate and learn about the consequences new laws, being made at the national level, have on our state. I want to share (below) three evidence based communications we utilized and assisted with from our national affiliates (relevant based on date of the articles). I have previously shared these communications with both of our US Senators and our US House Representative in regards to the tax bills, while being mindful of our legislative platform. I. FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: December 18, 2017 CONTACT: Shannon McClendon, shannon.mcclendon@ana.org Veronica Byrd, veronica.byrd@ana.org STATEMENT: American Nurses Association Strongly Opposes the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act Massive tax bill will significantly reduce the number of Americans with health insurance Silver Spring, MD The following statement is attributable to Pamela F. Cipriano, PhD, RN, NEA-BC, FAAN, president of the American Nurses Association (ANA), in response to the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. The American Nurses Association is deeply concerned about the devastating impact that the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act will have on health care in this country. Under the guise of a promise to slash taxes for corporations and middle-class Americans is a clear intent to dismantle the Affordable Care Act (ACA), which has helped nearly 16 million Americans obtain health coverage. It is also no secret the actions that will be pursued to make up for the inflated deficit caused by this tax bill will be the cutting of essential anti-poverty programs as well as Medicare and Medicaid. Eliminating the ACA s individual mandate will lead to an estimated 13 million fewer Americans having health insurance. The resulting domino effect will be negative health outcomes, higher costs, and fewer individuals with access to critical primary care and preventive services. This is irresponsible and further proves that health care is being handled like a political game to be won at any cost. Frustratingly, this bill was pushed Legislative Corner continued on page 9 Valley View Home is looking for qualified NURSES to join our team! Openings are available for caring and compassionate RNs on our night shifts to provide our residents with personal and individual care. We offer competitive wages and a generous benefit package. Please visit our website and apply at: valleyview1.net

9 February, March, April 2018 Montana Nurses Association Pulse Page 9 Legislative Corner continued from page 8 With the help of CHIP, American children have Other changes in federal policy being discussed to access to critical health care services that accompany the tax changes would lead to deep cuts include routine checkups, immunizations, doctor in Medicaid, Medicare and income security programs visits, prescriptions, dental and vision care, that would create a financial crisis for our state, inpatient and outpatient hospital care, laboratory dramatically reducing funds available for Montana and x-ray services, and emergency services. residents on Medicaid, CHIP, Medicare, food benefits, CHIP has helped reduced the rate of uninsured Pell Grants and our veterans. American children by roughly 5 percent. American Nurses Association through without input from patients, consumers, or health care experts, including the country s 3.6 million registered nurses, whom the public ranks as the most honest and ethical profession. Amid numerous failed attempts to repeal and replace the ACA, ANA voiced strong opposition to legislation that would threaten health care affordability, access, and delivery for millions of people across the nation. ANA will continue to advocate for a health system that ensures universal access to a standard package of essential health care services for all citizens and residents. II. December 18, KEY TALKING POINTS: Tax Cuts and Jobs Act and the Children s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) OVERVIEW Please feel free to customize and tailor these talking points when speaking to key audiences about the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act and the Children s Health Insurance Program (CHIP). The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act The American Nurses Association is deeply concerned about the devastating impact that the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act will have on health care in this country and strongly opposes the bill. There is clear intent to dismantle the Affordable Care Act, which has helped nearly 16 million Americans obtain health coverage. The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act eliminates the Affordable Care Act s individual mandate and will result in an estimated 13 million fewer Americans having health insurance as well as negative health outcomes, higher costs, and fewer individuals with access to critical primary care and preventive services. Funding for essential anti-poverty programs, Medicare, and Medicaid will be significantly cut to make up for the inflated deficit that will be caused by this tax bill. The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act is being pushed through without input from patients, consumers or health experts, including the country s 3.6 million registered nurses, whom the public ranks as the most honest and ethical profession. The American Nurses Association (ANA) has voiced strong opposition to legislation that would threaten health care affordability, access, and delivery for millions of people across the nation. The American Nurses Association will continue to advocate for a health system that ensures universal access to a standard package of essential health care services for all citizens and residents. The Children s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) The American Nurses Association urges congress to move quickly on funding reauthorization for the Children s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) - a federal-state program that provides health insurance to 9 million children in the U.S. Federal spending authorization for CHIP ran out on September 30th and 16 states Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Nevada, California, Texas, Arizona, Colorado, Utah, Minnesota, Virginia, Pennsylvania, Florida, Massachusetts, Delaware, and New Hampshire anticipate running out of funding by the end of January III. Dear Montana Senators and House Representative, November 1, 2017 Montana Nurses Association and affiliate AFT/ Nurses and Health Professionals support tax policies that are based on a fair share distribution of taxation; encourage job creation, assist the working poor and middle-class achieve economic security and dignity; and provide adequate revenues to support social services, government investment in our communities and access to affordable health care for children, families and the elderly. The tax plan released by President Trump and GOP leaders in September 2017 would cost $2.4 trillion in revenue over 10 years, according to the non-partisan Tax Policy Center. This plan: Eliminates the state and local tax deductions that allow Americans to deduct from their federal taxes the amount they pay in state and local taxes; Eliminates the estate tax, which affects only those estates valued at more than $5.5 million; Gives the top 1% in America 80% of the tax breaks by year 10, cutting their taxes an average of $207,000 a year; Cuts corporate taxes, giving large corporations and businesses a $2.6 trillion tax cut 70% of corporate tax cuts benefit wealthier Americans. Increases the tax burden on middle class taxpayers - 3 out of 10 middle-class taxpayers (making $55,000-$93,000) in America would pay $1,300 more in taxes, on average, by year 10; Pays for these tax cuts by cutting government revenue by $2.4 billion over 10 years, leading to massive cuts in public services. A proposal to eliminate state and local tax deductions would put pressure on state and local budgets that now support our schools and local services. Nearly 44 million Americans in all 50 states currently use the state and local tax deduction, which help many families achieve home ownership and economic security. Repealing the state and local taxes would raise taxes for 23% of Montana taxpayers, and make it more difficult for our state to raise the revenue needed to adequately fund public services such as our schools. Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy Instead of meeting the needs of working and middle class Americans, current GOP proposals would cut social and economic programs in order to give tax cuts to large corporations and the wealthy through the elimination of the estate tax, which benefits those with estates of more than $5 million; and the lowering of corporate taxes while maintaining loopholes and creating a massive new loophole for wealthy individuals through a change in the top pass-through tax rate. In Montana, the proposed tax cuts would: give 57% of the 2018 tax cuts to our richest 1%,- only 5,300 Montana taxpayers. 14% of households would get a $1,510 tax increase, on average, in % of households making $38,400 to $60,400 would get a $670 tax increase, on average. 24% of households making $60,400 to $99,300 would get a $1,230 tax increase, on average. In summary, instead of focusing on tax cuts that benefit only the wealthiest in our country at the expense of the majority of American families, we ask that you support comprehensive tax reform that: Preserves state and local tax deductions Closes corporate loopholes and ensures that large corporations and Wall Street pay their fair share of taxes Maintains and expands vital health programs like Medicare and Medicaid Makes the wealthiest pay their fair share Sources and files/ /fs_tax-reform_ pdf Joint statement by MNA and AFTNHP November 17, 2017 LTC RN Supervisor (FT) 2 LTC LPN/RNs (FT) Visiting Nurse RN (Per Diem) ROUNDUP MEMORIAL HEALTHCARE is a 25-bed critical access hospital with an integrated provider clinic. We are seeking dedicated and compassionate individuals with excellent communication skills and a team spirit. WE OFFER a competitive salary and benefits package including employer-paid health, long-term disability, and life insurance as well as a 401k match, and PTO, sick leave, and floating holidays. Vision, dental, accident, and cancer insurances, and FSAs/ HSAs available for purchase. To apply, send your resume/app. to rd St. W., Roundup, MT 59072; fax Apply online: For more information, contact HR: mclement@rmhmt.org; M/F disabled & VET EEO/AA Employer. To apply visit or call Kylie at (406) Home Care Nurses Partners in Home Care is a nationally accredited, not-for-profit, fullservice home care agency located in spectacular Missoula, Montana. We recruit registered nurses for our Hospice and Home Health programs to serve clients in their homes. Additional information can be found at: HomeCare.org

10 Page 10 Montana Nurses Association Pulse February, March, April 2018 Career Sphere From the bedside to the boardroom: Are you ready to serve? By Connie Mullinix, PhD, MBA, MPH, RN; AnnMarie Lee Walton, PhD, MPH, RN, OCN, CHES; and Diana Ruiz, DNP, RN, APHN, CCTM, CWOCN, NE-BC Reprinted from American Nurse Today Use the skills you have and learn new ones to advance health care and your career. You re educated and prepared to lead in safety and quality. You re at the bedside caring for patients and working to improve care. However, decisions about the allocation of resources for caregiving are made at the board level, and there s a dearth of nurses in board positions. Why? A nurse s insights The late nurse leader Connie Curran told the story of a nurse on a hospital board asking significant questions when financial cuts were needed. The proposed solution was to discontinue pharmacy services in remote parts of the facility during off shifts. The nurse board member asked, Who would go to the central pharmacy when patients need medications in the middle of the night? The answer: The nurses. Her next question: Who will do the nursing care while the nurse is transporting the medicines? By the end of the conversation, the board realized that the proposed budget solution would actually increase costs. Because of her intimate knowledge of bedside care delivery and her understanding of the relevant systems, this nurse board member prevented her hospital from making a costly mistake. Clearly, the nursing voice is critical at the board level to help hospitals make effective, financially viable and sustainable healthcare decisions. What s stopping you? So why don t nurses serve on hospital boards? Do policymakers not appreciate the value nurses can bring, or are nurses not stepping forward to join? If they re not stepping forward, is it because nursing culture is built on serving in the background? Or do nurses think they don t have the competencies needed for board service? In The Atlantic, authors Kay and Shipman state, Evidence shows that women are less self-assured than men and that to succeed, confidence matters as much as competence. Most nurses are women, so Kay and Shipman s conclusions could easily apply to nurses who don t seek board positions. However, findings of a recent study of board effectiveness showed that a greater number of women on a board results in better, more wellrounded decisions. One investment firm tracks the number of women on companies boards and offers to invest funds in those that have more women and thus greater returns on investments. According to Joy and colleagues, The correlation between gender diversity on boards and corporate performance can also be found across most industries from consumer discretionary to information technology. Get ready to serve In the video Sentimental Women Need Not Apply: A History of the American Nurse, producers Garey and Hott suggest that the first trained nurses were chosen because they were hard workers, stayed in the background, didn t call attention to themselves, and were subservient hardly characteristics for board service. This history may have set the stage for nurses not seeking positions where their insights are needed. Skills, skills, skills For the benefit of patients and the financial health of hospitals and other healthcare organizations, boards need to harness the safety, quality, and evidencebased practice knowledge of nurses; nurses need to join healthcare agency boards. To achieve this national goal, nurses also need to become more aware of the skills they already possess that translate well into board service. For example, nurses are experts at communication and reading nonverbal cues. They re good at establishing relationships, making others feel comfortable, using data for decision making, and, as we re often reminded by the yearly Gallup Poll, perceived as honest and ethical. Walton and Mullinix developed a list of boardreadiness skills that can help you assess your ability to work successfully on a board. A single individual can t be expected to have all the skills, but you can check yourself against this list of overall competencies. Understand the difference between management and governance. Comprehend financial statements presented to board members each time they meet. Possess social etiquette proficiency for business conducted in social settings. Know Robert s Rules of Order so you can contribute to accomplishing the board s work. Bring influence and work to gain power. Possess negotiating skills. Speak comfortably in public. Where are you strong and where do you need more refinement? If you re deficient in any area, don t let that stop you from serving; take the time to hone your skills. (See Get ready to serve.) Patients and healthcare organizations deserve your expertise at the bedside and in the boardroom. Count and be counted Ready to be counted as someone who wants to serve? Visit the national Nurses on Boards Coalition website ( and let boards know you want to serve. If you re already serving, you can help the Future of Nursing: Campaign for Action reach its goal of 10,000 nurses on boards by 2020 by visiting to make sure you re counted. Ultimately, nurses serving on boards provide a voice for and improve the health of their communities across the country. If you d like to serve on a board but don t feel you have a complete skill set, take advantage of these resources. The nursing voice is critical at the board level to help hospitals make effective, financially viable and sustainable healthcare decisions. Connie Mullinix is an associate professor in the department of nursing at the University of North Carolina Pembroke. AnnMarie Lee Walton is a postdoctoral fellow at the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill, School of Nursing. Diana Ruiz is the director of population & community health in the Medical Center Health System in Odessa, Texas. Selected references American Hospital Association. Spenser Stuart/ AHA Healthcare Leadership Team Survey. April 1, Webinar.pdf Garey D, Hott LR (producers). Sentimental Women Need Not Apply: A History of the American Nurse [DVD]. Los Angeles: Florentine Films; Hassmiller S. Taking the first steps to serving on a board. American Nurse Today. 2012;7(11): Hassmiller S. The top five issues for nursing in December 3, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. Institute of Medicine. The Future of Nursing: Leading Change, Advancing Health. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press; Joy L, Carter NM, Wagner HM, Narayanan S. The bottom line: Corporate performance and women s representation on boards. Catalyst Line_Corporate_Performance_and_Womens_ Representation_on_Boards.pdf Kay K, Shipman C. The confidence gap. The Atlantic archive/2014/05/the-confidence-gap/ Mason DJ, Keepnews D, Holmberg J, Murray E. The representation of health professionals on governing boards of health care organizations in New York City. J Urban Health. 2013;90(5): Norman J. Social issues: Americans rate healthcare providers high on honesty, ethics. Gallup. December 19, americans-rate-healthcare-providers- high-honestyethics.aspx Walton A, Mullinix C. Increasing the number of oncology nurses serving on boards. Clin J Oncol Nurs. 2016;20(4): Financial statements AME Learning: Finance for Board Service This online, self-paced course gives you the tools and vocabulary to understand the language of finance. The program includes: 10 to 30 hours of online, interactive, self-paced content Straightforward instruction on how to read and analyze financial statements. To access the program: 1. Go to nursesonboards. 2. Purchase the PIN for $ Follow instructions to log in to the course. Note: Once purchased, the tutorials are time-limited and available for 2 years. Etiquette Pagana KD. The Nurses Etiquette Advantage. 2nd ed. Indianapolis: Sigma Theta Tau International; Robert s Rules of Order Zimmerman DP. Robert s Rules in Plain English. 2nd ed. New York: Harper- Collins; Negotiating Fisher R, Ury WL, Patton B. Getting to Yes: Negotiating Agreement Without Giving In. New York: Penguin Books; Governance vs. management Biggs EL. Healthcare Governance: A Guide for Effective Boards. 2nd ed. Chicago: Health Administration Press; Presentations and public speaking Humes JC. Speak Like Churchill, Stand Like Lincoln: 21 Powerful Secrets of History s Greatest Speakers. New York: Three Rivers Press; Power and influence Sullivan EJ. Becoming Influential: A Guide for Nurses. 2nd ed. Boston: Pear- son; 2013.

11 February, March, April 2018 Montana Nurses Association Pulse Page 11 Communication to Montana Nurses Association from Senator Jon Tester I am sharing below a communication from Senator Tester as he defends his recent no vote on the temporary funding bill and why. I believe it is important for us to be informed and as of the writing of this article (Jan 29, 2018) I am forwarding his talking points which are in alignment with our legislative platform regarding access to health care. We continue to work with those who work with us and Senator Tester has proven himself with MNA by reaching out and supporting healthcare issues important to us and was demonstrated last year by his support of our Your Nurse Wears Combat Boots legislative campaign where he actually presented twice across the state. MNA continues to ask both Senators and our Representative in Washington for their talking points defending their actions as it applies to our healthcare and patients and will continue to do so. Senator Tester continues to champion nurse and healthcare issues and communicates with our office regularly. Senator Tester Defends Montanans- Communication to MNA Senator Tester on why he did not vote for a 17 day budget and continues to hold congress responsible for not passing a long term budget. Senator Tester took a principled stand against both Chuck Schumer and Mitch McConnell, to demand a better budget deal for Montana as he sees these actions important to do what s best for our state. Responsibly funding the government for the long-term, not just another couple weeks Addressing more than just CHIP; but also funding for Community Health Centers which serve tens of thousands of Montanans Congress has failed to pass long term budget since October 1st Tester continues to push for bipartisan work to pass a long term budget that addresses our military, reforms our immigration system, and meets the needs of Montana and rural America Senator Tester championed and cosponsored the bipartisan bill for CHIP and feels it should have passed long before now and not be attached to this short-term budget continuing resolution, that didn t include any funding for Montana s community health centers. Prior to the shutdown Senator Tester offered a bill to keep the government open and address long term common sense solution for the budget but Senator McConnell blocked that proposal. Tester believes we need to pass a budget that funds the Children s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) and prevents our community health centers from closing, provides long-term certainty for our military, and makes our borders stronger. Funding the government with emergency spending bills for only a few weeks at a time is irresponsible, creates uncertainty and compromises our community health clinics. Without funding they have to freeze the hiring of doctors, dentists, nurses and care managers and holds on establishing any future rural community health clinics raising anxiety for the clinics, staff, and patients. Senator Tester voted against both parties and both party leaders because their bill leaves Montana s rural health care behind. Director of Nursing Miles Community College is looking for a problem solver with management experience and strong human relation skills to serve as Director of Nursing. The salary range is $69,000 to $71,000. Application Process: To apply for this position, please send a cover letter, resume, list of three references, transcripts, and a completed MCC application to Kylene Phipps, Executive Director Human Resources & Compliance, Miles Community College, 2715 Dickinson Street, Miles City, MT or you may your application materials to humanresources@milescc.edu. Position is open until filled. For further information about this employment opportunity and a MCC application please view our website at Miles Community College is an equal opportunity employer By Rachel Rockafellow, MSN, RN, BCCCN (Board Certified Continence Care Nurse), Bozeman, MT Anyone who has been in healthcare for any period of time knows the speed of changes coming at health care providers of any level is escalating. Building skills to be resilient in these fast changing times is essential. While this book is specifically written for physicians, many of the principles apply to nurses and others in the health care workforce. The perspectives of Drs. Wolf and Gillis come from the reality that many of us have idealized views of providing excellent care that can put us at odds with the profit-driven health care system and adversely affect our spirits. Finding ways to either continue to provide the excellent care we demand of ourselves while also meeting our heart values, or deciding whether to find another way to live meaningful lives, perhaps in another field, are both explored. Spoiler alert: These two women have found different ways to stay in medicine and be a positive force for life balance. Recommendations to take the time to reflect on what it is we truly enjoy about our careers versus what makes us crazy helps identify those things we may be able to change and those we cannot. Finding our voice by suggesting positive solutions rather than complaining is a good place to start. As is coming to Book Review The Other Side of Burnout Solutions for Health Care Professionals by Melissa Wolf, MD and Shaun J. Gillis, MD We are looking for passionate and caring nurses to join our team. RN Inpatient Nursing Full Time or Part Time Competitive salary, great benefit package, student loan repayment and relocation expenses available. Please contact the HR department at (406) for more information. RNs, LPNs, CNAs FT/PT All shifts available Sign On Bonus Available! Big Sandy Medical Center, Inc Critical Access Hospital, Longterm Care Facility and Rural Health Clinic. peace and changing the stories we tell ourselves and learning to manage those things that are challenging us, ie. Electronic Health Records. I recently heard a nurse say, If I could earn this much money doing something else, I d be out of here, but I can t afford the pay cut. This makes me wonder about what her health and happiness are worth to her, and her attitude certainly is not a pickme-up for her coworkers! Sometimes, people feel trapped, but there are always other options if they are just willing to re-examine the issue. Dr. Wolf made drastic changes in her spending to be able to live on less, while Dr. Gillis changed her thoughts about going to work to fundraise and support her family rather than being ungrateful. She also adjusted her thoughts about being on call from one of dismay to one of appreciating the fact that her being on call allowed her colleagues the time to enjoy their life interests just as they do for her when they cover call. This allowed her to feel better about her call responsibilities! The advice offered is practical and realistic and covers many other aspects of working in a health care setting. I recommend this book as both a preventative and post-burnout read for nurses. The book is available for $15 from the Bozeman Health Gift Shop (406) or amazon.com. It s a wise investment in your career and a great gift for any colleagues who may need a boost. 166 Montana Ave. East Big Sandy, MT (406) FMDH is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer Full Time Acute Care/ED Registered Nurse Sheridan Memorial Hospital Association is located in the community of Plentywood, Montana situated in the rolling plains of northeastern Montana. Our rural, family focused community offers a great quality of life with ample opportunities for outdoor enthusiasts. Our economy is diverse and is supported by a strong foundation of agricultural and ranching. If you are looking for a quiet and relaxing place to live, look no further. Up to $5,000 recruitment/retention bonus Relocation Assistance Up to $14,000 Student Loan Repayment Health Insurance Must possess an unrestricted license in the State of Montana or other Nursing Compact State. New graduates welcome. To apply contact: Troy McClymont 440 West Laurel Ave. Plentywood, MT tmcclymont@sheridanmemorial.net Phone: Fax: NURSE Corps loan eligible site. Visit

12 Page 12 Montana Nurses Association Pulse February, March, April 2018 Resume Preparation, Cover Letter, & Job Interview INTRODUCTION It has been reported that Montana is facing a shortage of practicing nurses and nursing educators as baby boomers age and as veteran nurses get close to retiring. In response to this shortage, nursing education is attempting to speed up the training of nurses to meet the upcoming expected shortage. To help meet the nursing shortage, numerous traveling nurses are now in demand. With our current concern for health care costs and local expertise, now (more than ever), we embark on a journey of discovery as we mutually assess the upcoming talent and abilities of nursing students. Many practicing registered nurses, also, are Carolyn Taylor Ed.D, MN, RN willing to learn the expert skills to help meet the current health care demand. Nursing resumes are now improved by inclusion of personal health care talents, employment interests, and commitments to high technological skills (such as Telehealth). GOAL The goal of this article is to remind student nurses and practicing nurses as to the recommended content of self-presentation documents and expected behaviors, e.g. resume, cover letter writing, and interviewing techniques. Whereas, a resume is usually the preferred application document to a new health care position, the possible request for a Curriculum Vitae (CV) will require more elaboration as to a nurse s educational background, abilities, and skills. A request for a CV Summary requires a shortened version of a CV. RESUME PREPARATION The word resume is a French word meaning short story, brief overview, or summary. The content can be developed and presented as a paper document or retained online. It is to show accomplishments, skills, work history, health care abilities, interests, and goals to be presented in one or two pages. Clearly identify why a chosen health care facility/organization should hire you. Prepare a resume to be a personal document that is designed to identify a desire and readiness to become an ambassador for health care standards by performing learned nursing behaviors. The resume is a recorded history of health care work and nursing interests! Online documentation of resume content is an option for updating employers. The health care resume should include your: 1. Name and credentials (New graduate/lpn/rn). 2. Personal contact information (phone(s), mailing address, ). 3. School attended, graduation date, work availability. 4. Philosophy of health care/nursing (I believe.) 5. Goal(s) related to health care employment (short and long term). 6. Talents, interests, skills, abilities, and accomplishments (e.g. care planning, leadership, medical/surgical, psychiatric, pediatric, emergency, teaching, counseling, etc.) 7. Flexibility in learning and performing in new health care situations. 8. Work history of nursing behaviors starting with the most recent. (Do not include employment that is not health related.) 9. Knowledge of and ability to use specific decision-making resources on a phone and computer. 10. References with contact information (At least one academic, one clinical preceptor, and one personal.) 11. Ability and willingness to learn new nursing ideas, information, processes, and behaviors. 12. Desire and willingness to be an effective and loyal member of the healthcare team. 13. Interest in the functioning and success of the facility/organization. There are numerous resume formats that can be used to present the above information in print or online. The format type is not as important as the readability of the format. Be succinct and honest. Online examples are available for personal style selection. (Google: Format for Resume ) Your accomplishments are usually related to ten (10) accomplishment categories. When listing your accomplishments, start each accomplishment with your choice of an action verb in past tense (see examples in parenthesis for each category). Follow your selected action verb with your specific action/experience(s) relative to the verb. (See one example per category.) 1. Getting results (Achieved, Expanded, Expedited, Improved, Integrated, Obtained, Qualified, Realized, Renovated, Restored) Example: Improved the senior nursing students course on telehealth concepts. 2. Problem solving (Analyzed, Created, Detected, Diagnosed, Formulated, Investigated, Recommended, Remedied, Solved, Synthesized, Theorized) Example: Formulated nursing care plans to meet the objectives of the nursing course. 3. Quantitative (Appraised, Audited, Budgeted, Compiled, Converted, Inventoried, Maximized, Reconciled, Recorded) Example: Budgeted for the new nursing coordinator position. 4. Communicating (Adapted, Communicated, Composed, Demonstrated, Educated, Interpreted, Justified, Negotiated, Reinforced, Substantiated, Synthesized) Example: Demonstrated the accurate process of breast examination. 5. Helping (Advised, Alleviated, Assured, Counseled, Enabled, Enhanced, interceded, Prescribed, Rehabilitated, Served, Validated) Example: Counseled new registered nurses regarding computer access. 6. Planning (Administered, Commissioned, Determined, Developed, Evaluated, Formulated, Identified, Prepared, Researched, Revised, Strategized) Example: Prepared patients for outpatient surgery. 7. Organizing (Activated, Assessed, Authorized, Classified, Coordinated, Designed, Logged, Organized, Scheduled, Sought, Suggested) Example: Suggested the waiting room be reorganized to provide patient privacy. 8. Executing (Administered, Completed, Conducted, Distributed, Entered, Operated, Performed,) Example: Completed all final nursing exams with an average accuracy score of 90%. 9. Supervising (Analyzed, Assessed, Compared, Developed, Established, Inspected, Modified, Prohibited, Regulated, Revised, Updated) Example: Modified the nursing goals for the assisted living unit. 10. Leading (Chaired, Conducted, Directed, Founded, Hired, Initiated, Managed, Mentored, Originated, Supervised) Example: Chaired the student nursing advisory committee. (Google: Images of Verbs for Resume bing.com/images) To the nursing instructor and clinical preceptor: Usually, the new nursing graduate s resume preparation begins at the onset of the second year of nursing education, not as a portion of a course at the end of a nursing education. All nursing students are different each with unique individual interests and abilities. Help the student recognize their health care talents! Verbally commend welldefined talents and encourage and suggest health care opportunities that will support these recognized talents. Encourage students to be willing to place these talents, interests, and abilities on their resume. You never know nursing students with continued excellent in-facility clinical preceptors (after graduation and registration) could serve in an outstanding way to meet the specific nursing needs of their own communities and possibly help replace the need for so many traveling nurses! COVER LETTER Your unique and specifically tailored letter should accompany each online resume or typed resume. Send the cover letter to the attention of the specified hiring manager. Keep a copy of the cover letter. The format should be an approved letter format. Letter formats are available online for your choosing. The cover letter can be a typed copy or prepared and retained online not handwritten. Following the inside address, state the job specific title or job general category. Your contact information is not necessary, as personal contact information is to be stated on the resume, and it encourages the reading of the resume. The content of the first paragraph should introduce yourself by name and, possibly, a power declaration (see below). Refer the reader to the enclosed resume for his/her review. Refrain from using long paragraphs, untrue statements, salary recommendations, negative comments, unimportant information, stepping stone to future goals, qualifications you do not have, excuses for leaving past work or education, arrogant comments, or begging for work. Regardless of the information provided or the format selected, correct spelling of every word and sentence structure is a MUST! Have another cohort read the letter to help with potential spelling errors and clarity of your message. Power Declaration: This is a personal statement of job commitment as an introductory or closing statement. The statement is specific to each submitted resume. It will declare to the employer in a powerful way what you can/intend to bring to the facility/organization unique skills that surpass most other contributions by other potential employees. Start with a statement of your education, experience, or significant contribution (see the comment before the comma). Add to the sentence the positive outcome as a result of these significant contributions. For example: 1. As a new registered nurse within the State of Montana, I will energize and support the problem-solving activities of the facility/organization. 2. As a practicing and successful registered nurse of 12 years, I will share a history of positive nursing interventions that will promote facility/ organizational success. 3. As a nursing instructor in an acute clinical situation, I will be an available source for clinical teaching and nursing process activities that will improve educational outcomes. 4. As an advanced-practice nurse, I will increase the health care opportunities for community members. At the end of the cover letter, write a thank you for the opportunity to apply for the position and consideration for employment. Close the cover letter by selecting an appropriate word(s) followed by a comma. For example: (Suggestions for closure) 1. Sincerely, 2. Best regards, 3. Yours truly, 4. Respectfully, 5. Thank you, For example: (Do not use for closure) 1. Emotional emojis (e.g. smiley face) 2. Love, 3. Take care, 4. Best wishes, 5. Cheers, 6. Warm regards, INTERVIEW This experience for any potential nursing employee (nurse) can be most enlightening as it is to the individuals doing the interview. The interview can Resume Preparation, Cover Letter, & Job Interview continued on page 13

13 February, March, April 2018 Montana Nurses Association Pulse Page 13 A friend of mine recently posted on Facebook this quote, The profession of nursing is a TRIBE, complete with its own customs, cultures and more. - Jo Ellen Koerner I agree, don t you? If you agree, what are your particular customs and culture in your workplace? Yes, I am bringing it all back around to health and wellbeing and all that stuff, but just think for a moment; what kind of culture and customs Statewide Nursing News To my TRIBE - Happy 2018 Joey Traywick, CMSRN, BS Kinesiology does your TRIBE allow? Is the culture aligned with our values? Do our customs align with what we SAY we believe in? Deep thoughts, I know, but rather than 2018 performing just the way 2017 did, I would like to ask everyone reading this note, whether you consider nursing a tribe or not, to reflect on your culture and customs and evaluate whether or not they align with your values. What do you value? Are your customs and culture aligned with those things you value? Pretty straight forward. But if this was the last thing I ever got to say to you, I would hope you would Resume Preparation, Cover Letter, & Job Interview continued from page 12 occur in front of a group of existing employees/ board members and/or individually with a specified employee/administrator. Whereas, the interview process provides information to the facility/ organization about a nurse, it provides the nurse information about the personality of the interviewing employees, the working relationships between employees, and the employee s understanding of discriminatory/nondiscriminatory questions. Come to the interview with knowledge about the mission, philosophy, and goals of the facility/ organization. An on-line access of information about the facility/organization is usually available. This is your opportunity to describe your abilities and focus on your strengths that can support and meet the goals of the facility/organization. Highlight your important accomplishments and how it relates specifically to the job. Know the job for which you are applying. Match your job qualities and strengths with the job expectations desired by the interviewer(s). If you come unprepared for the interview, it tells the interviewer that you are probably not prepared for the job! Come to the interview looking professional, poised, and with a sense of confidence. The most common unexpected and open-ended question by an interviewer during an interview is: Tell me about yourself. (The answer is NOT: Well, what do you want to know!? ) Your response should be strictly formal, related to your passion, experience, or even, if you are so inclined, presented with a sense of humor; however, it should be thoughtfully considered before the interview. Even though the written resume is very important, a job interview is usually required and becomes the determinant of employment. The nurse s knowledge about how he/she should and intends to respond to this question is the telling aspect of job readiness. It is important for the nurse to ascertain and prepare for an effective response to the above stated question because the interviewer is trying to covertly determine the answer to: 1. How well does this nurse handle him/ herself under scrutiny and in an unstructured situation? 2. How confident and articulate is this nurse? 3. How quickly does this nurse intellectually process an unexpected question? You want the interviewer to think: WOW, THAT IS THE BEST ANSWER I HAVE EVER HEARD! The employer should know that one of the unspoken questions of the potential employee might remember me as someone who aligned his values with his customs and culture wherever that may be. I recently changed jobs from being a bedside RN in the hospital to being the clinical manager for home health services at Riverstone Health in Billings. Big shift. No more nights. No more every other holiday packages. No more lots of stuff. But I am bringing my values and aligned culture and customs along with me. Soon, they will hear the diatribe of no sugar challenges and 7 minute workouts. Soon, they will see that I am more than their cheerleader, I am on the field too. My challenge to all of you is just this; that in 2018 you would bring the culture and customs of values that are ALIGNED with our tribe to WHEREVER you may find yourself this year. Our values do not align with a culture that eats its own. Our values do not align with a work environment that allows the custom of physical violence on our healthcare workers. Our values, when aligned with our culture and customs, are one of the most powerful forces in our modern society. (Please reference the RN that was arrested for refusing to draw blood on a patient that could not give consent) Take a stand. Fight to establish our shared values with YOUR culture and customs in Bring health and hope. Give light. Pour joy all over. Repeatedly offer kindness. Take care of YOU, then others. be whether the interviewer has read his/her resume because of the questions asked by the interviewer. It is important to realize that the scrutiny process is not to be questioned but allowed (with grace) to spontaneously happen. Intellect, ability, education, and recognition by the employer as a high achiever candidate with talents to provide success is not always the determining factor for employment. There are many unspoken and personal covert reasons that determine employment. REGARDLESS BE GREAT AT WHATEVER YOU CHOOSE TO DO OR WHAT UNEXPECTED PATH YOU HAVE BEEN GIVEN!! Recommended Reading Available at leadershippoweronline.com: JOB INTERVIEW: HOW TO GET IT RIGHT: (Reading this document is a must before a job interview to help understand the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission s enforcement regarding employment discrimination.) JOB DESCRIPTIONS: DEVELOPMENT & APPLICATION (THE ART OF THE DEAL): Published in the MNA Pulse, May, 2017, Vol. 54, No. 4. Carolyn Taylor, Ed.D. M.N. R.N. carolynrtaylor21@yahoo.com THANK YOU FOR YOUR CONTRIBUTIONS! A. Peterschick, Advanced Care of Montana, Billings, Montana and M. Smith, Fallon Medical Complex, Baker, Montana. Join us in Billings! REGISTER TODAY Improving the way clinicians diagnose, treat, manage, and educate their patients. Clinical STD Update April 5, 2018 Billings, MT CNE/CME Available For more information: uwptc.org uwptc@uw.edu APRN Corner Danielle Howa Pendergrass NP, will be the key-note speaker at the 2018 Montana Nurses Association Annual APRN Pharmacology Conference March 2-3 at the Great Northern Hotel in Helena Montana. She will speak about the Culture of Health and how NP s can go about building healthier communities. She offers services to over 20,000 underserved women in Carbon, Emery and Grand Keven Comer MN, APRN, FNP-BC Counties. She lives in rural Price, Utah where she owns and operates Eastern Utah Women s Health. Danielle is one of twenty nurses named as a Breakthrough Leader in Nursing by the Future of Nursing: Campaign for Action, a joint initiative of AARP and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. She was featured in AARP and is the recipient of several leadership awards. She recently served as the Utah State Representative for the American Association of Nurse Practitioners, is a nurse consultant for the Center to Champion Nursing in America and is an active member of the Utah Action Coalition for Health. As a Campaign Outreach Advocate for the Culture of Health, she delivers effective and action-oriented presentations about building a culture of health to diverse audiences. Danielle is most proud of the impact she has had on her community. She is an authentic and engaging speaker, who will inspire you to take action! If you haven t yet signed up for the conference, get on line and sign up at www. mtnurses.org. Additional conference topics include Sleep Apnea, Women s Health, Diabetes, Endocrine, Mental Health and Pediatrics just to name a few. It is always great reconnecting with fellow APRNs and making new contacts. Encourage your fellow NPs to attend. This is a wonderful way to get the latest updates regarding patient care and NP practice. There will be 11.5 Pharmacology Credits available. Barb Schaff, DNP, is currently attending the AANP Policy Conference in Washington DC and she will update us on national issues affecting NPs, patient care and practice issues. As always, please contact me with any APRN questions or concerns. Keven.comer@gmail.com NURSES NEEDED Sign on Bonus Available RNs/LPNs Full Time and Part Time Primarily responsible for direct nursing care to the Residents as well as supervises the day to day care provided by the CNA s and NA s to ensure the highest quality of care is provided to our residents. Ability to work in a fast paced environment, effectively communicates with Physicians, Unit Managers, and staff as needed. Sign on bonus is available gensrud@blnrc.com

14 Page 14 Montana Nurses Association Pulse February, March, April 2018 The RN-BSN Track: Does it matter? Joyce Lechlinski, BSN, RN That is the question that now runs through my mind. I m a registered nurse. I am also of the babyboomer generation and just turned 56. Oddly enough, I have also just graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in Nursing (BSN) after having started it nearly twelve years ago. To say it has been a long journey with lots of bumps in the road, is unmistakably true. That story is for another time. I m glad I m done. No more long nights, no more worrying about deadlines or trying to word things just right so there are no misunderstandings, misspellings, or incorrect grammar. Now I have some free time to read something other than nursing texts and research papers. But somehow there is a feeling of being let down, especially since my family, my employers and I have made many sacrifices. Shouldn t there be something of a WOW! factor? I m not able to attend any ceremonies since I have done my BSN online from another state and it is winter, so the roads can be treacherous. I m also oncall and can t be further than an hour away because of it. It took me so long to accomplish this degree, I didn t think about sending out graduation notices to friends and family because they were also aware of how long it has taken. I didn t want to have to say, Hey, I m finally done! It just didn t seem appropriate. So instead, I ve been wondering, Was it all worth it? That question can easily be answered in one word, but if you knew me better, you would just smile and say, R-i-i-i-ght! Growing up, I was never a great student. I had difficulty learning and essentially was taught how I could learn to learn. Distractions and noise were too much for me and I was always a why? student. Teachers were not always wanting to explain in detail, nor did they have the time. As I got older, I would be asked to leave the classroom. Where I was supposed to go, I never knew. I excelled in some things; I loved helping little kids with their learning (especially those that didn t smell so good, or came from homes that were questionable); and I loved art. Those are not the type of classes that got you noticed for college scholarships. It seemed to me that the smart people or the financially well off got the scholarships. That just didn t seem right. Why did they need the help in going further in their education? Wasn t it those kids who struggled that needed more teaching? Wasn t it those kids from single parent hard working homes that needed the scholarships more? I just didn t get it! So, right out of high school I began working full time, making money and going nowhere. I had fun, made a whole lot of bad decisions, and had a lot of first experiences with little thought of the future. That changed when one of my employers made some changes and required the employees to become certified. That meant, online classes and passing tests. Oh my, did I struggle. Lots of tears were shed for that certificate, but what it did for me was much more than increase my hourly wage. It gave me confidence that perhaps I was smart enough to go to college. I assume that college at 40 years of age is not easy for anyone. But for me, with newly found confidence (which still was not a lot), being from a very small town and now going to a college that had four times the people in it than my hometown, I was a bit overwhelmed. Then there were all the placement tests that I didn t pass. I had a long way to go before I could even start taking college classes that counted towards anything. Slowly and painfully, it started coming together and I ended up enrolled in nursing (not my dream job I might add). The Associates Degree in nursing took a lot from me emotionally. I have not had the desire to recommend nursing to any young person because of it. My classmates and I were more than positive that the instructors had a vendetta against student nurses and they lived to weed us out of the program. They could have been a lot more nurturing and caring. Instead, they were down-right vicious. That isn t to say that there weren t some good times, but when all I can remember is spending nearly 12 hours a day each weekend studying and watching one person after another fail, it leaves a sad feeling in my soul. I m not sure what possessed me to go for my BSN. I think it had something to do with the American Nursing Association asking that all ADNs become BSNs by the year At any rate, I did start then stop, start, then stop again. It went on like that for the entire 12 years. Let s face it, life gets in the way and the older one gets the harder it is to stay motivated when you have a family, a fulltime job, and other commitments. More than anything the BSN program allowed me to grow personally. I would like to say that it helped me professionally as well, but time will be the indicator on that. Personally, however, it has expanded my world view, allowed me to widen my perspective on my own community and interactions with it, and has made me a kinder and more empathetic human, looking for opportunities to help anyone, but especially those who are considered socially marginal. That is also why I love nursing. I used to believe that nursing had lost its perfection and that it was no longer holistic; that it had become more technical and buried under the documentation trail. In some ways that belief is still valid, but because of having continued through the BSN program, I am the one who has changed. I will not allow myself to look or practice nursing without being holistic. I will remind myself, the patient, and my co-workers, that it is the patient who has the right to self-determination. I will educate on end of life issues when others are uncomfortable with addressing these issues. I will remember that I have a life too. I m not stuck in a career field that is without challenges, creativity, or resistant to change. I find that nursing is not inclined to be technical nor bent on being drug-pushers. In the realm of higher education, one finds nurses who are like-minded in being that voice or that body that changes the world; and those who strive to be more than submissive to the status quo. I don t know what I was expecting from my BSN experience. At this time, I certainly don t know what my diploma will do for me hence forth, but I do know that I will be forever changed. Back to the question, Was it worth it? The answer is, Yes, it does matter National Sample Survey of Registered Nurses HELP! Nurses play a critical role in the lives of patients across the country. That is why the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services is dedicated to providing you, policy makers, and researchers with the most comprehensive data on U.S. registered nurses and nurse practitioners. To accomplish this, we need your help. Please support and encourage participation in the 2018 National Sample Survey of Registered Nurses (NSSRN). This vital national survey is the primary source of data on the nursing workforce, the largest group of healthcare providers. The Purpose of the Study The NSSRN will gather up-to-date information about the status of registered nurses in the U.S. These data will be used to describe the registered nurse population at both the national and state level, so policymakers can ensure an adequate supply of registered nurses locally and nationally. Data Collection The NSSRN will be sent to over 100,000 registered nurses in March of Nurses will be able to fill out the survey electronically or through a paper questionnaire. It is imperative that nurses participate and send back as soon as possible. The Survey Contractor HRSA has contracted with the U.S. Census Bureau, the leading statistical federal agency in the United States. Census has assembled a team of expert survey methodologists responsible for gathering the lists of licensed RNs, constructing the national sample, and administering the survey by mail, and on the internet. Did you Know? Did you know employment settings change as nurses age? The vast majority of registered nurses under 30 years old work in hospitals, but over 50 percent of registered nurses 55 years or older work in non-hospital employment settings. Information like this from the NSSRN survey helps policymakers and healthcare leaders plan for future staffing needs. The Survey Results We plan to release the public use file from the 2018 study by January A report from the 2008 study is available at Endorsements The following nursing organizations have endorsed this survey. The National Council of State Board of Nursing and individual state boards of nursing have generously provided mailing lists for the survey. American Academy of Ambulatory Care Nursing American Association of Colleges of Nursing American Association of Nurse Anesthetists American Nurses Association American Organization of Nurse Executives National Association of Hispanic Nurses National Black Nurses Association, Inc. National Council of State Boards of Nursing National League for Nursing National Organization of Nurse Practitioner Faculties

15 February, March, April 2018 Montana Nurses Association Pulse Page 15 Don t forget to check out our CNEbyMNA Website for Continuing Education opportunities. It is constantly updated with new Webinars and Courses for your continued learning! *Montana Nurses Association is accredited with distinction as a provider of continuing nursing education by the American Nurses Credentialing Center s Commission on Accreditation* SAVE THE DATE * APRN 2018 Pharmacology Conference * Helena, MT ~ March 2 nd & 3 rd 2018 * Labor Retreat * Chico, MT ~ April 15 th, 16 th & 17 th 2018 * MNA Convention * Helena, MT ~ October 3 rd,4 th & 5 th 2018 * Seamless Health Care for Our Veterans* Helena, MT ~ November 7th, 2018 *Transition To Practice* Helena, MT ~ January 27 Th & 28 th, 2019 Has your contact information changed? New name? New address? New phone number? New address? To update your contact information, please or call Montana Nurses Association: jill@mtnurses.org or Workplace Wellness Cardiac Considerations for Nurses Nutrition for Nurses Is Your Compassion for Nursing Stressing You Out? Women s Health and Fitness Prostate Cancer: Education and Outreach Sleep Like a Baby PRESENTED BY Happiness as a Contributor to Health Webinar Series MEMBERSHIP MATTERS! Montana Nurses Association would like to invite you to join us today! BENEFITS INCLUDE: EMPOWERING RNs TO USE THEIR VOICES IN THE WORKPLACE IMPROVING PATIENT CARE HAVING INPUT REGARDING WAGES & BENEFITS CONTINUING EDUCATION OPPORTUNITIES LEGISLATIVE REPRESENTATION Call or today jill@mtnurses.org (406) Applications also available on our website. mtnurses.org Recovery/Work Life Balance Infection Control/Immunizations Mindful Practice for Nurse Mental Health Patient Care Topics Creativity and Innovation in Decision-Making: From Bedside Nursing to C-Suite Developing Critical Thinking and Clinical Judgment Skills The Fine Art of Care Coordination Managing Symptoms & Side Effects of Long Term Treatments for Cancer Professional Practice Topics Moral Distress: Addressing the Challenge in Health Care Practice Multigenerational Challenges: Working Together in Health Care Whose Job Is It, Anyway? The Nurses s Role in Advocacy and Accountability For CE Providers Outcomes and Objectives: When, What, and How The Quest for Quality Outcomes Webinar 1: Strategies for Learning Activities The Quest for Quality Outcomes Webinar 2: Selecting Provider Unit Outcome Measures The Quest for Quality Outcomes Webinar 3: Provider Unit Outcomes: Data Collection and Analysis Nurse Planner Webinar: Educating to Achieve Quality Outcomes

16 Everyone Deserves A Job They Love!! Let Us Help Today, Call Prairie Travelers is recruiting Traveling Healthcare Staff in Montana, North & South Dakota Registered Nurses (Hospital, ER, ICU, OB and LTC) Licensed Practical Nurses Certified Medication Aides Certified Nurse Aides Full-Time and Part-Time Prairie Traveler s Commitment to our Staff Excellent Wages Health Care Benefits Travel Reimbursement Annual Bonus Paid Lodging Zero Assignment Flexible Work Schedules Cancellations 24/7 Staff Support Varied Work Settings APPLY TODAY Prairie Travelers Recruitment Department 130 3rd Street South, Suite 2 Glasgow, MT For an application or more information, visit BUILD A CAREER - MAKE A DIFFERENCE Undergraduate Degree Options Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) degree Accelerated BSN degree for post-baccalaureate students Graduate Degree Options ADRN to Masters Degree BSN to Masters Degree Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP) Psych Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP)