The Florida Nurse - December 2014

OFFICIAL BULLETIN OF THE FLORIDA NURSES FOUNDATION 

Volume 62 • No. 4 CIRCULATION 264,000 TO EVERY REGISTERED NURSE & NURSING STUDENT IN FLORIDA December 2014 

Mission Statement 

Serve and support all Registered Nurses through professional development, advocacy 

and the promotion of excellence at every level of professional nursing practice. 

Ebola: Evidence of Need for a Strong 

Professional Association 

Ed Briggs, PhD, ARNP 

As I write these words, the events surrounding 

Ebola are rapidly evolving. Two nurses have 

become infected with the virus and the exact 

mode of transmission is still unclear. Agencies at 

the local, state, and national level are scrambling 

to confront this growing threat while news media 

are covering the crisis, many stoking the fires of fear and confusion. 

Amidst this chaos, the American Nurses Association (ANA) and the 

Florida Nurses Association (FNA) are working to calm fears, ensure public 

safety, and advocate for nurses. Pam Cipriano, ANA president, and Willa 

Fuller, executive director of FNA, have appeared on many local and national 

radio and television programs addressing this crisis, calming fears, and 

providing up to the minute facts about the crisis. They have represented our 

profession admirably and advocated tirelessly for the safety of the public and 

healthcare workers. They have also reminded us of the human loss of those 

afflicted with the disease. 

ANA has joined the American Medical Association and the American 

Hospital Association to call for the Centers for Disease Control to release 

unambiguous guidelines on what precautions are necessary to protect 

healthcare providers. (The importance and influence of this union of entities 

cannot be understated.) They have also coordinated their efforts and shared 

their resources with state affiliates to disseminate vital information as 

broadly as possible. 

ANA and FNA have assumed lead roles to disseminate appropriate 

resources to ensure nurses are informed about the crisis with the hopes to 

empower nurses and prevent further transmission of the virus to healthcare 

providers. Included in these efforts was a Webinar to nurses addressing the 

Ebola crisis and provided our members with facts about the virus and what 

is needed to protect themselves and the public. 

FNA’s response has included the formation of a working group of nurses 

experienced in the public health arena to develop strategies to educate the 

public, legislators, and healthcare providers. The FNA board and lobbyists 

are reaching out to legislators and other healthcare leaders to advocate for 

policies and positions that ensure the safety of healthcare providers and 

the public. 

As I write these words, I cannot forecast how this crisis will develop nor 

estimate the impact it will have on our state. The one thing I can confidently 

predict is that your professional association will be working tirelessly 

to ensure the safety of healthcare workers and the public. We will stand 

united in combating fear and ignorance and will be a continued information 

resource for our profession and the public. 

It is my hope that you will join us in these efforts. We have learned from 

prior experiences that when crisis strikes nurses are prepared to lead the 

response. The efforts of ANA and FNA to the Ebola crisis are clear evidence 

of this. But our strength lies in numbers and our power lies in unity, so 

please stand with us to face this crisis. 

2015 FNA Advocacy Days 

March 24-25 *Marriott Residence Inn * Tallahassee 

current resident or 

Non-Profit Org. 

U.S. Postage Paid 

Princeton, MN 

President’s Message. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 

Permit No. 14 

Notes from the Executive Director ................2 

Student Forum ............................3-4 

Legislative Update ...........................5 

Research Request ............................6 

LERC/Professional Practice Advocacy .............7 

Regional News ........................... 8-10 

2014 Membership Assembly ...................11 

Partners in Nursing ........................12-13 

Members in the News ........................14 

It’s Our Honor - A Collier County Honor 

Flight Nurse’s Story ........................15 

Our Own Worst Enemies ......................16 

Self-care for Nurse Spotlight. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18

Page 2 The Florida Nurse December 2014 

Creativity and 

Innovation Abounds… 

Membership Assembly 2014 

Owned and Published by 

Florida Nurses Foundation 

1235 E. Concord Street, 

Orlando, FL 32803-5403 

P.O. Box 536985, Orlando, FL 32853-6985 

Telephone: (407) 896-3261 

FAX: (407) 896-9042 

E-mail: info@floridanurse.org 

Website: http://www.floridanurse.org 

Office Hours: 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., 

Monday thru Friday 

Willa Fuller, RN 

With over 400 Nurses and nursing students in 

attendance, the 2014 FNA Membership Assembly 

is in the history books. With inspiring and 

educational sessions highlighted by nationally 

known speakers, the sessions were both engaging 

and enlightening. All of the presentations invited 

participants to think differently and incorporate 

new approaches to their work. We wish to thank 

Dr. Dan Pesut, Dr. Teddie Potter and Barbara 

Blakeney for bringing their ideas to our annual 

meeting. 

We were thrilled to honor 14 nurses for their 

outstanding contributions to nursing. They are as 

follows: 

• Maria Seidel- Mary Cash Award 

• Guillermo “Billy” Valdez- Nurse Educator 

Award 

• Mark Welz- Undine Sams Award 

• Bonnie Sklaren- Barbara Lumpkin Award 

• Mary Ruff- Registered Nurse Practice 

Award 

• Linda Howe and Joan Castleman- Heather 

Scaglione Award 

• Betsy Fernandez- Advanced Practice 

Nursing Award 

• Teri Lynn Bianchi & Danell Deberg- 

Community Action Award 

• Theresa Morrison- Nursing Research Award 

College of Nursing 

PhD Now 

Online 

Learn Where You Live 

This 60-credit hour online program 

is mediated with synchronous and 

asynchronous communication, and 

two annual intensives in Orlando. 

apply by: January 15 

classes start: Summer 

RN-BSN, RN-MSN, MSN and DNP also available online or hybrid 

Ranked No. 24 of best online graduate 

programs by U.S. News & World Report 

nursing.ucf.edu | 407.823.5489 

• 4 West Unit- Shands at UF-Promoting an 

Environment for Excellence in Nursing 

Practice 

• Representative Cary Pigman-Legislator of 

the Year 

• Carol Gentry- Communications/Media 

Award 

These nurses were honored with a plaque 

and by the applause and support their friends, 

colleagues and family members. Their names 

will be placed on the FNA Wall of Honor on the 

FNA website for the upcoming year. Their stories 

were so inspiring that one student remarked, “I 

feel like I am at the Oscars and I am among the 

“Stars” of the nursing profession.” 

In addition, to fabulous speakers that 

included outstanding FNA members, we had a 

lively business meeting which concluded with 

the passage of three reference proposals and 

substantive bylaws changes. Our Summary of 

Action can be found at www.floridanurse.org/ 

resources. 

We were thrilled with our interactive session 

on the future of the Association which we 

dubbed FNAnext. The participation by students 

was exciting and their input was excellent. 

We are proud of our longstanding inclusion of 

nursing students at our events. We have compiled 

a report which the board will be reviewing for 

action at the next meeting. 

Planning is underway for the next annual 

meeting. We invite members to get involved as 

by attending, speaking or sharing their ideas. 

Also, next year will be an election year and the 

Nominating Committee is gearing up to engage 

new leaders for the future of the organization. 

It is also never too early to bring your burning 

issues to the table in the form of a Reference 

Proposal. For some highlights of the conference, 

please enjoy the photographic montage on page 

11. See you at the next Membership Assembly. 

We are pleased to announce the association of 

Thu T. Pham, O.D., J.D. 

Member: The American Association of Nurse Attorneys (TAANA) 

Dr. Pham’s practice focuses on the 

representation of nurses and other 

health providers in investigations, 

license defense litigation, licensing and 

disciplinary issues, contracts, appeals, 

administrative hearings, regulatory 

matters, and Medicare and Medicaid 

defense. 

Dr. Pham has practiced optometry for 

12 years. She successfully ran three 

optometry clinics until she decided to 

trade her lab coat for law books. Dr. Pham enjoys sharing her knowledge 

and experience from both sides of the legal and health care spectrum by 

teaching continuing education classes for health professionals. 

By Appointment 

37 N. Orange Ave., Suite 500 

Orlando, FL 32801 

(407) 331-6620 

www.TheHealthLawFirm.com 

MAIN OFFICE 

1101 Douglas Avenue 

Altamonte Springs, FL 32714 

(407) 331-6620 

By Appointment 

201 E. Government St. 

Pensacola, FL 32502 

(850) 439-1001 

For advertising rates and information, please contact Arthur 

L. Davis Publishing Agency, Inc., 517 Washington Street, PO Box 

216, Cedar Falls, Iowa 50613, (800) 626-4081, sales@aldpub.com. 

FNA 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 Florida Nurses Foundation 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. FNF 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 FNF or those of 

the national or local associations. 

Published quarterly, March, June, September, and December 

by FNF, a constituent member of the American Nurses 

Association. 

Editor - Vicki Sumagpang, 1235 E. Concord St., Orlando, FL 

32803-5403 

Subscription available at $20.00 plus tax, per year. Members 

of FNA receive the newspaper as a benefit of membership. 

COPIES of The Florida Nurse are available on 35mm 

microfilm, 106mm microfilm, article reprints and issue copies 

through Bell & Howell, 300 North Zeeb Road, Ann Arbor, 

Michigan 48106 

Board of Directors 

2013-2015 

Officers 

Edward Briggs, DNP, ARNP-C, President 

Leah Kinnaird, EdD, MSN, RN, President Elect 

Barbara Russell, MPH, RN, CIC, Vice President 

Monte Bean, MPN, RN, Secretary 

Linda Howe, PhD, RN, Treasurer 

Directors 

Daniel Berman, DBA/HCA, RN, FACHE 

Sue Hartranft, PhD, ARNP 

Shirley Hill, BSN, RN-BC, CCM 

Deborah Hogan, MPH, RN 

Marsha Martin, RN 

Denise McNulty, DNP, ARNP 

Patricia Posey-Goodwin, EdD, RN 

Jill Tahmooressi, MSN, RN 

FNA Office 

Willa Fuller, BSN, RN, Executive Director 

Jeanie Demshar, Esq., 

Director of Professional Practice Advocacy 

Vicki Sumagpang, MSN, RN 

Director of Programs & Member Engagement 

Alisa LaPolt, Lobbyist 

Robert Levy & Associates, Lobbyist 

http://www.floridanurse.org 

Published by: 

Arthur L. Davis 

Publishing Agency, Inc. 

ATTENTION FNA 

MEMBERS! 

YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS IS NEEDED. FNA 

communicates via email throughout the year. In 

order to receive all email updates, please send 

your personal email address along with your 

name and member number to membership@ 

floridanurse.org as soon as possible.

December 2014 The Florida Nurse Page 3 

Join Florida Nurses 

Association Today! 

Tiffany Massey, RN 

This past November 

6th, as I was on a plane 

from Tampa to Oregon 

for the NSNA Mid- 

Year Conference, I was 

reading a book that I 

have been wanting to 

read since I started 

nursing school. Never 

in the past, I felt guilty 

trying to read anything 

other than nursing 

texts. The opening acknowledgment instantly 

was disturbing; speaking about the thankless and 

easily forgetful work us as nurses and student 

nurses do day in and day out at the facilities we 

work in or the homes that we are invited into. 

We all believe that from day one, we enter into 

this career, this love of helping others to do just 

that. Our goal is to ease someone’s suffering or 

support new mothers and their families in the joy 

of welcoming a new life into the world. In my brief 

time as a nurse, I am learning that it is much more 

than that. I am currently a nurse in labor and 

delivery in a small six bed unit and have learned 

and gained so much more insight into patient 

care and nursing from my patients than any book 

will ever teach me. I have learned the difference 

between sympathy and empathy for my clients; 

the difference between hurting and harming; 

and the difference between sadness and grief. 

These are lessons that must be experienced by the 

individual nurse rather than taught. 

Throughout my two years in nursing school, 

I was frequently criticized for my decision to 

specialize in a specific practice area in nursing. I 

was advised that this choice would be detrimental 

to my career. However, after three months on a 

unit where I have been blessed to observe smiling 

faces after five arduous hours of labor as well as 

experiencing the outright grief and despair of 

having to tell a mother her worst fear has come 

true in regards to the birth of her child I wouldn’t 

trade my choice for anything in the world. All of 

that being said, I encourage every nursing student, 

new graduate, and seasoned RN to stay connected 

with their passion and revisit what made you 

choose nursing to begin with. 

I also encourage everyone to become active with 

their professional organization, to get another 

view and to gain the networking and support to 

help you through the tough times as well as take 

action as it relates to those issues you feel need 

“fixing” in nursing. It is only with the voices and 

actions of nurses that this can occur. 

FNA Congratulations the 2015 FNSA Board of 

Directors elected at the FNSA Convention in October: 

Tiffany Massey 

President 

Marlen Lukatsky 

1st Vice President 

Frank Thomas 

2nd Vice President 

Macy Thomas 

Recording Secretary 

Kathy Hayes 

Corresponding Secretary 

Board of Directors 

Melissa Derringer 

Treasurer 

Region 1 Director 

Dionne Williams 

Breakthrough to 

Nursing 


Terry Tokash 

Legislative 


Ricky Bettencourt 

Community Health 

Visit floridanurse.org 

or scan for complete 

information. 


Kimberlyn Sauer-Watts 

Resolutions 


Jamal Bernard 

Membership 


Arsalan Hamid 

Nominations and 

Elections 


Kevin Morrow 

Communications 

Tiffany Massey is an RN-BSN student at Florida 

Atlantic University. She is currently a Woman’s 

Health nurse in North Florida and is pursuing her 

long-term goal of becoming an ARNP. She enjoys 

helping students with questions from class to 

questions about leadership. She enjoys fishing and 

hiking and being in nature in her free time. 

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Lilian Canamo 

I honestly thought 

that the final two years 

of nursing school would 

be dedicated to studying, 

and well, more studying. 

That was how I played 

the two years of prerequisite 

courses in 

order to gain acceptance 

into the University of 

Central Florida’s College 

Photo Credit: Steven Diaz of Nursing and it only 

made sense that such 

a case would continue until completion. But of 

FNA WANTS TO SEE YOU BLOOM 

Here are some ways that FNA is offering 

assistance to new grads: 

If you are an FNSA member & graduate after Sept. 30, 

2014, your first year of FNA membership is FREE! This is 

only applicable for 60 days post graduation. 

If you were an FNSA member, your 

second year of FNA membership is 50% 

off at $145.50. 

The ADP option (taking monthly 

from your bank account) is also 

available for FNSA grads so you 

can spread the payment out over 

the whole year! 

Membership Doesn’t Cost… It Pays! 

Questions? 

membership@floridanurse.org | 407.896.3261 

Join or renew online today at floridanurse.org 

Or scan the code below to download a 

membership application and learn more about FNA. 

Photo Credit: Michael Manning 

course, why not make it worth the ride? Add some 

loops and corkscrews to make it one to remember. 

I wanted more with nursing school, more than 

just books, I wanted to be that helping hand in 

outreach, but I just did not know where to start. 

Before nursing school started, I found myself 

joining The Student Nurses’ Association: UCF – 

Orlando and writing a resolution for the Florida 

Nursing Students Association on ovarian cancer 

awareness simply because I wanted to help the 

community. I did not know anyone with ovarian 

cancer. With this, my eyes opened to how much 

more nursing is than just acute care; it is a 

profession encompassing all areas relative to 

the community, from political action, research, 

systems management, business, and so much more. 

After the resolution passed, my cousin was 

diagnosed with ovarian cancer and my aunt 

passed away from late stage ovarian cancer as 

well. My resolution advocated raising awareness 

on the signs and symptoms for others, but lo and 

behold, I found myself advocating for a condition 

that did not affect me before. Something needed to 

be done. I wanted to teach the community about 

ovarian cancer in a way that they could remember, 

they could spread, and possibly save a life. This 

gave birth to The OVARYou Project. YOU have the 

knowledge; YOU have the power to fight ovarian 

cancer. 

The OVARYou Project is a campaign that makes 

the awareness of ovarian cancer memorable, 

trendy, and relatable to men and women in a 

manner that is easy to spread to the masses 

through methods of social media and presentations 

to schools and organizations in the Orlando area. 

The resolution and campaign has reached national 

recognition at the National Student Nurses’ 

Association Annual Conference in Nashville. 

The campaign has and continues to garner 

success, but what I really got out of doing all of 

this is not just the recognition from others, but 

ultimately my own recognition that nursing itself 

is the lending hand that heals in a multitude of 

forms. I learned that to be a nurse, one has to be a 

teacher, an innovator, and a designer, all of which 

lead to the same goal: to heal others. 

Nursing school is a rollercoaster, with its 

ups and downs, but it is an experience well 

worth the ride. I entered the ride with fear, and 

sometimes it was a bit bumpy, but I came out more 

formidable than before. Nursing school offers these 

opportunities to grow unlike any other profession, 

but it is up to you to decide how you want to ride it 

out. 

Lilian Canamo is a senior at the University of 

Central Florida’s College of Nursing. In addition 

to being the founder of The OVARYou Project, 

which has been recognized by Sparks Magazine 

and The Central Florida Future, Lilian also serves 

as the 2014-2015 President of the Student Nurses’ 

Association: UCF – Orlando Chapter.


With the 2014 

elections now in the 

rear view mirror, the 

focus of the Florida 

Nurses Association 

(FNA) turns to the 

upcoming session of the 

Florida Legislature. 

Newly elected 

members of the House 

and Senate were 

scheduled to be sworn 

into office during a 

one-day organizational 

session on Tuesday, Nov. 18. Unlike previous 

years, there will be no legislative committee 

meetings in November or December. Instead, they 

will begin the week of Jan. 5, 2015. 

The Legislature will convene its regular session 

on Tuesday, March 3, 2015. 

In the next few weeks, the FNA is encouraging 

members to meet with their legislators in their 

home districts and attend legislative delegation 

meetings. We encourage FNA members to attend 

these county-level and regional meetings which 

allow lawmakers to hear what constituents want 

them to accomplish in the upcoming session. 

We need nurses to attend these meetings 

to talk about FNA’s 2015 legislative priorities, 

which include state employee pensions and pay; 

nurse staffing committees in hospitals; and the 

ability for nurse practitioners to practice without 

a collaborative agreement with a physician. We 

also support legislation that would allow nurses 

and other healthcare practitioners to perform and 

get reimbursed for telehealth services. A full list 

of the FNA’s legislative platform can be found at 

www.floridanurse.org. 

We will again post a toolkit with talking 

points and tips for appearing before a legislative 

delegation. That information is located 

under Legislative Activities/CapWiz at www. 

floridanurse.org. Dates for the legislative 

delegation meetings are also posted and will be 

sent to FNA members. 

We anticipate that legislation will be filed in 

2015 that would allow Florida to accept federal 

dollars to make healthcare coverage available 

to an additional 800,000 to a million uninsured 

Floridians. The FNA supports this effort and 

is part of larger coalitions (Florida CHAIN, the 

Florida Hospital Association) which are promoting 

this initiative. 

Nurses can help promote FNA’s legislative 

initiatives by attending Advocacy Days at 

the Capitol (formerly called Lobby Days). It is 

scheduled for March 24 and 25 in Tallahassee. 

We will conduct webinars that will help educate 

nurses on the issues and how to lobby. Dates will 

be announced in future emails to membership. 

Other items of note: 

• A special primary election has been 

scheduled for Senate District 6 (Flagler, 

Putnam, St. Johns counties and part of 

Volusia county) for a successor to replace 

Sen. John Thrasher. He resigned to become 

president at Florida State University. The 

special primary election will be Jan. 27, 2015 

and the special general election is scheduled 

for April 7, 2015. 

• Among those seeking election to Thrasher’s 

seat is Rep. Ron “Doc” Renuart, an avid 

supporter of organized medicine, and Rep. 

Travis Hutson (R-Elkton). Paul Renner has 

also qualified to run for this seat after losing 

to another Republican during the August 

primaries for the House District 15 seat. 

• Incoming House Speaker Steve Crisafulli 

(R-Merritt Island) has made the following 

appointments: Rep. Jim Boyd (R-Bradenton) 

as Deputy Majority Leader and Whip; Rep. 

Richard Corcoran (R-Trinity) as House 

Appropriations Chair; Rep. Dana Young 

(R-Tampa) as House Majority Leader; 

Rep. Ritch Workman (R-Melbourne) as 

House Rules Chair; and Rep. Matt Hudson 

(R-Naples) as House Speaker Pro Tempore. 

• Senate President-elect Andy Gardiner has 

appointed Sen. Bill Galvano (R-Bradenton) as 

Senate Majority Leader; Sen. David Simmons 

(R-Altamonte Springs) as Senate Committee 

on Rules chair; and Sen. Garrett Richter 

(R-Naples) as President Pro Tempore. 

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This Research Posting is a Benefit of 

FNA Membership: 

Registered Nurses and Providing 

Spiritual Care 

NEIRB #: 14-182 

There is ample evidence in the literature that spiritual care provides 

increased resilience and promotes healing. Yet, in a study by Balboni et al., 

(2009) of the actual clinical spiritual care received by terminally ill cancer 

patients (N = 343), the findings show religiousness to be very important by 

67.9% of the subjects. However, 59% of the subjects indicated the spiritual 

support received from the medical team (doctors, nurses, and chaplains) was 

“not at all” (41.6%) or “to a small extent” (18.1%). 

Communication, perceptions, and limited education, have been identified 

as barriers for increasing spiritual care. By exploring these areas we hope to 

better understand if there is a need for more education related to spiritual 

care and what that education might entail. The results may be used to 

strengthen the quality of spiritual care provided where you work. 

The Theory of Spiritual Care in Nursing Practice (Battey, 2009) was used 

to create 1) a 9 module educational program designed to increase one’s 

own perception of providing spiritual care for patients, the Spirituality in 

nursing practices: A computer assisted instruction program & course manual 

(Battey, 2010) and 2) the Spiritual-Communication-Satisfaction-Importance 

(SCSI) Questionnaire (Battey, 2010) which is designed to access one’s level 

of satisfaction or dissatisfaction with their own experiences of providing 

spiritual care to patients. Both the SCSI and the educational modules will be 

used in this descriptive study. 

We are looking for nurses who meet the following criteria: at least 1 

year of direct patient care; English as a first or second language; use the 

accompanying course guide; complete the pre-test and posttest SCSI 

questionnaire; and complete nine educational modules all online. Each 

Module takes about one (1) hour to one and half (1½) hours to complete. 

Each participant will need to 1.) purchase the accompanying guide 

booklet for the educational modules for $43 using the embedded link below, 

2.) follow the link to Survey, 3.) read and sign Informed Consent, 4.) complete 

the SCSI pretest survey on the same page, 5.) then follow the link at the end 

of the survey to the educational modules, 6.) each participant can work at 

his or her own pace but must complete the 9 modules including the module 

#9 test, 7.) then follow the link, at the end back to the SCSI post test by 

December 30, 2014. 

This continuing nursing education activity has been approved by the 

American Holistic Nurses Association (AHNA), an accredited approver by 

the American Nurses Credentialing Center’s Commission on Accreditation. 

After completing the posttest, participants will be issued a certificate 

of completion and 10 CNE credits from the American Holistic Nursing 

Association for the 9-module educational program. 

If you are interested in learning more 

about this exciting opportunity, please link to 

www.askdatasystems.com/ and click on ‘To Place An Order” to purchase 

your guide booklet and follow the links to start your journey exploring 

Spiritual care. 

Respectfully, 

Bonnie Weaver Battey, Ph.D., R.N. 

Principle Investigator 

bwbattey@comcast.net 

Jeanette Plodek Ph.D., CSHN, CCAP 

Co-Investigator and Nurse Research Consultant 

405-496-8902 

jplodek@yahoo.com 

2015 FNA Advocacy Days 

March 24-25 *Marriott Residence Inn * Tallahassee


Is Your Organization Ready for an Infectious 

Disease Outbreak? 

Jeanie Demshar, Esq. 

In the wake of the 

recent Ebola scare, I 

believe it is timely and 

critical that we ask 

our readers to think 

about the following 

question: Are you and your organization ready for 

an infectious disease outbreak? I fear that, at least 

before October 2014, the responses would weigh 

heavily on the negative side of the scale. 

Our health care workers face grave risk when 

confronted with viruses like Ebola, SARS, 

Influenza, MRSA, and numerous biological agents. 

It is estimated that between 15 and 40% of the 

population will develop illness from influenza 

every year. On average, about 36,000 people per 

year in the United States die from influenza, and 

114,000 per year are admitted to the hospital as 

a result of the influenza infection (I myself fell 

victim to the flu this year). 

Whose responsibility is it to ensure the safety 

of our health care workers? My belief is that the 

responsibility lies with us all, particularly when 

anyone, anywhere in the world can be impacted 

by these life-threatening diseases. 

People are traveling more to regions where 

disease and illness thrive. At home, people go to 

work not realizing they are contagious, or they 

may feel sick but not sick enough to miss work. 

A scenario with tuberculosis (TB) illustrates 

how easy it is for diseases to spread, and spread 

quickly. While traveling for work, an employee 

begins to feel ill and develops chest pain and a 

cough. Over the next few days, he boards a plane 

for home still feeling sick and coughing regularly. 

Upon returning home, he goes to work and 

continues life as usual until he begins coughing 

blood and goes to the ER, only to find out he has 

TB. Think about the implications of this scenario. 

Everyone who has come into contact with this 

person is now at risk for contracting TB. 

Employers in the health care field must 

continually review information on infectious 

diseases that may affect their patients, employees, 

and facilities and assure company compliance 

with all aspects of the directives that may affect 

their workforce. They must also educate their 

employees to be vigilant of symptoms and healthrelated 

issues. 

We also need to understand how infectious 

diseases are transmitted. The primary routes 

are contact (direct and indirect), droplet, and 

airborne. Direct contact involves the infectious 

agent being transmitted through physical contact. 

Indirect contact occurs when the infectious 

agent is transferred to some type of object or 

surface. Droplets occur when the infected person 

coughs, sneezes, or talks, and droplets come into 

contact with the eyes, nose, or mouth of another 

individual. Finally, airborne transmission occurs 

when infectious agents can remain suspended 

in air for extended periods of time. Airborne 

transmission only occurs when the infectious 

agent is capable of surviving and retaining its 

infectious state for an extended period of time. 

What happens when an employee contracts a 

serious viral illness or disease? What can we do to 

prevent further spread? 

It is critical for employers to be proactive and 

implement preparedness protocols, including 

information on prevention, detection, and 

treatment of infectious diseases. In the event 

of an outbreak, employers should post general 

information in a common area to educate 

employees on the ongoing developments in and 

containments of the disease. 

As an individual, whether you work in the 

health care profession or not, it is important that 

you apply universal precautions and practices 

consistently with all of your patients in all work 

settings and at all times, regardless of your 

patient’s diagnosis. These include meticulous 

hand washing with soap and water before and 

after contact with a patient and the use of personal 

protective equipment when providing care. 

When you are not able to wash your hands, use 

a waterless alcohol-based hand sanitizer. This 

article only scratches the surface of what needs 

to be done to prepare for exposure to infectious 

diseases, but at least I got you thinking about a 

very important subject that affects us all. 

References: 

www.floridahealth.gov 

www.cdc.gov 

www.osha.gov 

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Shirley Hill 

Regional Director 

shill2000@att.net 

Volusia, Lake, Seminole, 

Orange, Osceola, Brevard, 

Flagler, Sumter Counties 

East Central Region Update 

We will be continuing the East Central Region 

meetings from 6:00pm – 8:00pm at the FNA 

office in 2015. Mark these dates on your calendar: 

February 19, May 21, August 20, and November 

19, 2015. We would like to send a big thank you 

to Marti Hanuschik for planning the 2014 East 

Central Region meetings, arranging the speakers 

and topics, as well as providing the refreshments. 

THANK YOU MARTI! 

Mark your calendars for another exciting 

event on Sunday, March 22, 2015! FNA and the 

Orlando Magic are pleased to offer a discounted 

game night in honor of Florida Registered Nurses 

at the Orlando Magic vs Denver Nuggets game. 

There will be a halftime presentation honoring 

nurses and nursing students. There will also be 

an opportunity to come for a continuing education 

presentation and networking event prior to the 

game. You do not need to be an FNA member to 

attend. Please join us and your colleagues! More 

information and ticket purchasing can be found at 

www.floridanurse.org under the Conferences tab. 

Happy 

Holidays 

from the Board 

and Staff of the 

Florida Nurses Association 

Marsha Martin 


mamartin74@aol. 

com 

Leon, Wakulla, Jefferson, 

Madison, Taylor, Hamilton, 

Suwannee, Lafayette, 

Dixie, Columbia, Union, 

Gilchrist, Alachua, Levy, 

Marion, Gadsen, Citrus, 

Bradford Counties 

North Central Region 

Fourth Annual Conference 

The fourth (4th) annual North Central Region 

Conference will be held on Saturday, April 11, 

2015 at the Advent Christian Village Conference 

Center in Dowling Park, Florida. Survival Tools 

for the Passionate Nurse is the theme for this 

year’s conference and the keynote speaker will 

be Cynthia Mikos. Ms. Mikos is a nurse attorney 

and a coveted speaker across our state. The 

conference will include continental breakfast, 

featured speakers, poster session, and lunch 

for $30/FNA members and $50/non-members. 

Students are invited for $20 as space allows. Six 

Continuing Education Hours will be requested 

from Florida Nurses Association (provider # 50- 

3103). 

Limited lodge rooms are available for Friday 

night for those traveling to the conference at a 

rate of $82.45/night. Reservations can be made by 

calling ACV Conference Center 386-658-5200 or 

1-800-371-8382. Visit http://www.acvillage.net/ 

for more information on the location. 

Registration, agenda, and poster criteria 

can be found at www.floridanurse.org under 

CONFERENCES and North Central Region News. 

Save the date and register early to assure your 

place at this conference. 

Dr. Dan Berman 


dberman@health 

carefutureinnova 

tions.net 

Nassau, Baker, Duval, 

Clay, Putnam, St. Johns 

Counties 

Northeast Region 

The Northeast Region of the FNA is rapidly 

growing. We held our Fall Program in November 

and it was well attended. At that time we had 

two presentations on cutting edge areas. Dr. Ed 

Briggs, FNA President, presented the workshop 

on the new rules and legal changes from the 

State Board of Nursing. Dr. Dan Berman gave a 

presentation on Nurses as Thought Leaders: A 

Career Advancement Tool. Dr. Berman was also 

the Keynote Speaker at the Jacksonville Area 

Nurse Educator’s Annual Conference. He spoke 

on Healthcare Reform and how it impacts nursing 

education. 

The Northeast Region is also planning its 

Spring Event with details to come. Dr. Berman 

is busily planning a large event with FNA and 

other nursing associations in this area with the 

Northeast Regional Health Planning Council 

designed to build nurses as healthcare leaders in 

the community. 

Patricia Posey- 

Goodwin 


ppgoodwin@uwf. 

edu 

Escambia, Santa Rosa, 

Okaloosa, Walton, 

Holmes, Washington, 

Jackson, Calhoun, Gulf, 

Liberty, Franklin, Bay 

Counties 

Northwest Region 

The Northwest region met November 6 to plan 

the February 7, 2015 Mini Conference. This will be 

the 2nd annual nursing forum. We still have room 

for members who want to be part of the planning 

committee. Contact Patricia at ppgoodwin@uwf.edu 

for more information. Northwest members: Save 

the date, February 7, 2015. 8:30-12:30. 

Exotic Morocco Tour 

MAY 9-19, 2015 Earn up to 10 CE Contact Hours! 

• Deluxe tour and accommodations 

• CE components include: 

— 2 visits to local hospitals/clinics in 

Marrakech and Fez 

— Educational activites addressing VTE, 

patient satisfaction, atrial fibrillation, 

and teamwork & communication 

FEATURED FACULTY: 

Steven B. Deitelzweig, MD, MMM 

Medical Director, Reg. Business Development 

System Chairman of Hospital Medicine 

Ochsner Clinic Foundation 

New Orleans, LA 

More info at: akhcme.com/morocco 

Questions about this CE activity? Please contact Interport at Rebecca@interportltd.net


Jill Tahmooressi 


Jill.Tahmooressi@ 

mch.com 

Broward, Monroe, Miami- 

Dade Counties 

Deborah Hogan 


capitallass@ 

hotmail.com 

Indian River, Okeechobee, 

St. Lucie, Martin, Palm 

Beach Counties 

South Region 

The South Region held its annual Columbus 

Day Legislative Event on October 13th. The 

program was a great success and example 

of extraordinary teamwork by the voluntary 

leadership council of the South Region. Debra 

Hain, serving as 2014-2015 Legislative Liaison, 

facilitated the event with Master of Ceremony, 

President Elect Leah Kinnaird. Pictures 

were taken by Marie Etienne, who served as 

photographer, certificate maker, and greeter of 

distinguished members of the audience. Peggy 

Davis coordinated the planning and the evening 

activities. Alina Diaz accepted the reservations, 

prepared an excel sheet of the registrants ahead of 

time, and helped to enlist legislative candidates. 

Ann-Lynn Denker and Bob Levy & Associates 

teamed up to coordinate the participation of and 

introduction of about six candidates and one 

incumbent who made comments regarding their 

campaign platforms prior to the one hour C.E. 

arranged by Carol Petrozella. Steadley Foster, with 

the assistance of his leadership BSN students, 

displayed the new FNA promotional video for all 

to watch while consuming the complimentary 

light dinner. The program additionally included 

an Ebola preparation PowerPoint, with permission 

to use obtained by Leah Kinnaird. As depicted 

in the photo, the event was very well attended 

with nurses from many practice areas, levels of 

training and education, as well as students. The 

FNA-PAC endorsement of Charlie Crist for FL 

Governor was recognized by a promotional table 

2014 South Region Columbus Day 

Legislative Event 

facilitated by Patricia Messmer. The 130 in the 

audience included many local nurse leaders of 

distinction such as presidents of almost all the 

minority nursing associations from the local area 

including Dean Pettigrew of Miami Dade College. 

The one hour CE, “Nurses: Essential for a Healthy 

Tomorrow was moderated by Leah Kinnaird with 

Panelists: 

• Laureen Fleck, PhD, FNP-BC, FAANP, 

Entrepreneur of Primary Care Practice 

• Maria Ordónez, DNP, GNP-BC, Director, 

Nurse Managed Memory Disorder Center 

• Mary Ann Leavitt, MS, RN, PhD Student, 

Care Coordination & Role of Nurse Navigator 

Announcements for 2015 Nurse Advocacy Days 

(formerly known as Lobby Days) was promoted 

as well as The American Nurse film that Miami 

Dade School of Nursing, the American Nurses 

Foundation, and The Charitable Trust sponsored 

Monday evening Oct 27th, 2014. There was 

continued emphasis on the right, privilege, and 

responsibility to vote. 

In addition, the South Region was represented 

at the FNA Annual General Assembly with South 

Region member and current FNA Vice President, 

Barbara Russell, inducted into the FNA Hall of 

Fame. Please hold the date for the South Region 

Annual Symposium and Award Ceremony, 

tentatively scheduled for Saturday April 25th, 

2015. 

Southeast Region 

The Southeast Region is working to develop 

programs for its members this next year, and we 

want you to join us! How can you get involved? 

We have a monthly conference call on the first 

Tuesday of each month at 8pm where we discuss 

our event planning and our members’ questions. 

In October, we sponsored a well-attended webinar 

on “Preparing for Ebola” with our speaker, 

Barbara Russell. In January 2015, we plan to offer 

a legislative forum to discuss health issues with 

our Legislators. We look forward to hearing from 

you, our regional members! 

Regional News continued on page 10 

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CAMP NURSES 

NEEDED 

Regional News continued from page 9 

We are a traditional co-ed, residential, summer camp in beautiful 

North East Pennsylvania. 

We are hiring Patient, Fun, Energetic and Flexible RNs 

for summer 2015. 

We offer a beautiful setting, great staff community and 

an 8 week experience of a lifetime. 

To inquire about joining the IHC team, please contact: 

Lauren@indianhead.com • 914 345 2155 

www.indianhead.com 

IHC – Celebrating 75 years! 

Denise McNulty 


dmcnultyrn@ 

cs.com 

Hendry, Glades, Lee, 

Collier, Charlotte Counties 

Sue Hartranft 


suehartranft@ 

yahoo.com 

Hernando, Pasco, Pinellas, 

Hillsbourough, Polk, Manatee, 

Sarasota, Highlands, Citrus, 

DeSoto Counties 

CAMP NURSE 

RNs needed for a NY Performing Arts Camp located in Hancock, 

2½ hours from NYC. Available for 3, 6, or 9 weeks and include 

room and board. Families are accommodated. 

For info call (800) 634-1703 

or go to: www.frenchwoods.com 

Camp Nurse 

Premier co-ed, family owned, resident summer camp in the foothills 

of the Berkshire Mts. in upstate NY near Saratoga, Albany, Lake 

George and Tangelwood. Join our 5 member medical team. Modern, 

well-equipped health center with hospital/trauma center nearby. 

Competitive salary, travel allowance, NY state license provided, 

room and board in a fun, caring environment. Bring your camp age 

children. 6/17-8/15. 

781-444-5520 www.schodack.com 

Camp Schodack – Warmth, Tradition, Spirit 

CAMPS 

Join the team of RNs and 1 MD at our premier private Brother/Sister Resident 

Childrens Camp, in Kent, CT. We hire 8 nurses for our first session, 6 nurses for 

our second session. We understand that nursing is an important job at camp that 

needs the proper amount of staff to run safely. You are not alone when caring for 

campers & staff. 

Available June 18 – July 23 (5 weeks) or July 23 – August 19 (4 weeks). Option 

of working both sessions. FREE CAMP TUITION OPTION FOR CHILDREN OF 

STAFF. We provide air-conditioned facility and sleeping room, board, competitive 

salary, CT state license reimbursement and travel allowance. 

PHONE: (845) 262-1090, FAX: (845) 262-1091 

EMAIL: scott@kencamp.com • WEBSITE: www.kenmontkenwood.com 

Favorite People, Favorite Place 

Summer Camp Nurses 

Camp Chateaugay, located in the Adironack 

Mountains of northern New York, seeks resident 

Nurses for 4 or 8 weeks. 

Private Co-ed camp provides room, board, and good 

salary. Must be an RN with school, ER, pediatric, 

or family medicine experience. 

Contact: Hal Lyons at 800-431-1184 or Hal@chateaugay.com 

www.chateaugay.com 800-431-1184 

Join us for a summer of memories that will last a lifetime! 

CAMP NURSES— 

MAINE! 

Maine girls’ camp seeks 2 RNs for the summer, 

June 19-August 16. Salary, travel allowance, 

room, board and laundry included. 

Look us up: www.camptapawingo.com 

Email us: jane@camptapawingo.com 

Or call: 973-275-1139 

Southwest Region 

On November 13, 2014, the FNA Collier County 

Chapter and Southwest Region hosted a Dinner 

Meeting for members and guests at the beautiful 

Carlisle in Naples. Over 80 nurses attended the 

dinner. The evening began with networking 

followed by introductions and a brief meeting. 

Southwest Region congratulated and honored 

Stephanie Vick, RN, the new Administrator 

for the Collier County Department of Health. 

Lavigne Kirkpatrick, RN, former Chair for the 

Florida Board of Nursing, presented an update 

from the Florida Board of Nursing followed by 

an enlightening presentation given by Karen 

Rollins, RN, CEO, Avow Hospice, entitled: 

“Southwest Florida Nurses: Inspiring You to 

Be the Best You Can Be…It’s All About You!” 

That evening, Southwest Region also honored 

Lavigne Kirkpatrick, Karen Rollins, and Dr. 

Denise Heinemann for their years of service to the 

nursing community. 

There will be a Dinner Meeting planned for 

Spring 2015 in the Fort Myers area. Date and 

location are still to be determined. 

Thank you to all of our loyal Members of the 

FNA Southwest Region! If you live or work in Lee, 

Collier, Charlotte, Hendry, or Glades Counties, 

please consider joining FNA Southwest Region! 

We have a great group of nurses who would 

welcome you with open arms! 

Martin Health System is a 434 bed not for profit 

organization based in Stuart, Fla. comprised of three 

hospitals, one MediCenter, a free-standing emergency 

center, and numerous outpatient centers and clinics. 

Come see why Martin is where you can 

LIVE, WORK and PLAY 

Experienced RNs 

All Locations/All Specialties/All Shifts 

Full Time & Per Diem 

Minimum 2 years acute care experience 

Visit www.martinhealth.org for more 

information and to apply online. 

Voted Best Places to work in Martin and 

St. Lucie Counties 

West Central Region Report 

The months of September and October were 

active ones for the West Central Region. In 

September, ten members attended the regional 

meeting held during the annual FNA Membership 

Assembly; seven members actively participated in 

the Membership Assembly Business Meeting. In 

October, the West Central Region cosponsored a 

candidate forum with the League of Women Voters 

and the Florida Nurse Practitioner Network. 

Topics discussed at the Region Meeting at 

Membership Assembly included an historic 

overview of the transition from districts to regions 

as well as the district activities which have 

carried over and become region events. One region 

event, the legislative forum, has been a 34 year 

tradition in Pinellas County. We spent some time 

discussing how to develop a forum in the other 

areas of the region. A large part of the meeting 

was spent on the topic of region membership and 

the types of activities and/or initiatives that would 

attract younger nurses to attend and to join FNA. 

Social media was recommended as a way to get 

the message out as younger nurses are not likely 

to attend meetings. Additionally, young nurses 

say, “I joined, attended a meeting, and nothing 

on my unit changed.” We need to find a way to 

make the events relevant. So, young nurses who 

may be reading this, what would you like to see 

from your professional organization? What would 

motivate you to join and participate in FNA 

activities? 

I would like to thank the members of West 

Central Region who attended and participated in 

the Membership Assembly Business Meeting: Sue 

Konisberg, Pat Quigley, Kumar Jairmdas, Mavra 

Kear, George Pereza-Smith, Bonnie Sklaren, and 

Lisa Fussel. Kumar authored a reference proposal 

“Increasing the Number of Male Registered Nurses 

& Advanced Registered Nurse Practitioners in the 

State of Florida.” Additionally, Lisa Fussel did 

an outstanding job as Chairperson of the Bylaws 

Committee. 

The Candidate forum held October 1, in St. 

Petersburg, FL was attended by eight candidates 

vying for state and local office. The forum was 

moderated by Trevor Pettiford, reporter for 

BayNews9, and attended by approximately 50 

interested citizens. The candidates answered 

a series of questions designed to elicit their 

positions on health care issues in FL. All agreed 

the evening was a success. 

If you have ever wanted to get involved at 

the local and state level of FNA, now is your 

opportunity! FNA will hold elections in August. I 

am term limited by bylaws and cannot run again 

as the West Central Region representative to the 

FNA Board of Directors. WE NEED YOU!


2014 Membership Assembly 

Barbara Blakeney, Centers of 

Medicare & Medicaid Innovation, 

speaking at the luncheon 

Darlene Fritsma & Sharon Parrish 

(East Central Region members) 

reviewing the bylaws 

George Byron Peraza- 

Smith giving a point 

of order during the 

business meeting 

Leah Kinnaird, FNA 

President Elect, and Dr. 

Daniel Pesut, keynote 

speaker 

Representative Cary Pigman (right) 

receiving the 2014 Legislator of the 

Year award from FNA President Edward 

Briggs (left) 

From left to right: Jean Kijek, Mary Lou 

Brunell, & Barbara Russell inducted into 

the 2014 FNA Hall of Fame 

FNSA Board enjoying the Awards Ceremony 

Dr. Teddie Potter giving 

the Interactive Endnote 

session 

Nursing Students observing the 

business meeting 

2014 Membership Assembly opening session 

Mark Welz accepting 

the FNA Staff Nurse 

Award 

South Region members enjoying the reception.


2015 Calendar 

of Events 

MARCH 22 

Orlanda Magic vs. Denver Nuggets - 

Nurse Appreciation Day 

Pre event: One (1) hour FL 

Continuing Education (provider 

#50-3103) & Nurses Networking Event 

Orlando, FL 

Details to Follow 

MARCH 24-25 

Setting the Record Straight with: 

Passion, Persistence, and Purpose 

2015 FNA Nurse Advocacy Days 

(formerly known as FNA Lobby Days) 

Residence Inn Universities 

at the Capitol 

Tallahassee, FL 

APRIL 11 

Survival Tools for the Passionate 

Nurse 

Fourth Annual North Central Region 

Conference Advent Christian Village 

Conference Center 

Dowling Park, FL 

FL Continuing Education Hours: 

(provider #50-3103) Six (6) 

APRIL 25 (tentative) 

South Region Annual Symposium & 

Award Ceremony 

Location: TBD 

JUNE 4-7 

FNA Clinical Excellence & 

Nurse Retreat 

Saddlebrook Resort, Tampa 

5700 Saddlebrook Way 

Wesley Chapel, L 33543 

ONLINE convenience, 

QUALITY education 

We Offer 18 Online Accredited 

Certificate Programs including: 

• Anticoagulation 

• Case Management 

• Clinical Simulation 

• Diabetes 

• Health Informatics 

• Health Promotions 

and Worksite Wellness 

• Heart Failure 

• Neuroscience (Coming Soon) 

• Pain Management 

• Wound Management 

PLUS: online degree programs RN-BSN, MSN, DNP 

Education in Your Own Time and Place 

USI.edu/health/certificate-programs 

877-874-4584 

D14-111193 

New Members Appointed to Board of Directors 

Please join us in welcoming two new members 

to the Center’s Board of Directors – Tina Dorsey 

and Kennetha Julien. Ms. Dorsey is a nursing 

instructor at Chipola College in Marianna, 

Florida. In addition to her experience in nursing 

education, she will contribute to our work her 

knowledge and experiences from school health, 

long-term care, and working with the FL Agency 

for Persons with Disabilities. Ms. Julien received 

her Juris Doctorate from Capital University 

Law School in Ohio and currently practices in 

Putnam County. She will be contributing an 

interesting perspective to our work as she served 

as the Program Director, State Board of Nursing 

in Colorado. Our colleague at the Florida Board 

of Nursing, Joe Baker, speaks very highly of Ms. 

Julien. Welcome, Tina and Kennetha! 

Inaugural Director Announces Retirement 

Dr. Keith Samuels, FHSA Project Director 

since its inception in 2012, has announced his 

retirement at the end of October 2014. With the 

vision to be the central collaborative force to foster 

the expansion of simulation to transform the 

education of healthcare providers to achieve high 

quality, safe healthcare delivery for all Floridians, 

Keith has brought the Alliance from a concept 

to a reality. Since February of 2014, the Alliance 

has demonstrated its ability to be self-sustaining 

through a growing membership and the offering 

of education and training events throughout the 

state. Keith’s passion for this work is evident in 

everything he does. We want him to enjoy his 

retirement but hope that he will stay connected 

with the Alliance and will continue to ignite 

others’ passion so that the FHSA achieves its 

vision. Words are inadequate, but THANK YOU, 

KEITH!! 

Interim Director Appointed 

Please join me in welcoming Dr. Laura Gonzalez 

as the Interim Director for the Alliance. Laura is 

an Assistant Professor at the University Of Central 

Florida College of Nursing with a passion for 

simulation. She is a member of the International 

Association for Clinical Simulation and Learning 

board and an active leader in the FHSA East 

Central Region. Laura’s interim role will begin 

November 1. WELCOME, LAURA! 

Leadership Action Team and State 

Implementation Grant 

The Leadership Action Team of the Florida 

Action Coalition lead by Rose Sherman, PhD (FAU 

Leadership Institute) continues in pursuit of the 

Future of Nursing recommendation: To prepare 

and enable nurses to lead change to advance 

health. With the first phase of our RWJF/Florida 

Blue State Implementation Plan coming to a close, 

the team has been busy preparing manuscripts 

and presentations in order to disseminate 

the findings. Participating in the writing for 

publication groups are: Mary Lou Brunell, MSN, 

RN, Executive Director, FL Center for Nursing; 

Ann-Lynn Denker, PhD, ARNP (SIP Director); 

Elizabeth Kostas-Polston, PhD, WHNP-BC, ARNP 

RWJF Nurse Faculty Scholar (USF); Pamela 

Medina, MA Graduate Research Assistant; and 

Rose Sherman, PhD Professor, Director Nursing 

Leadership Institute Florida Atlantic University. 

A deliverable version of the Florida SIP grant, 

Addressing Barriers in Leadership for Nurses 

in The Leadership Toolkit is now available as 

a resource on our website. Please visit at www. 

flcenterfornursing.org/FLActionCoalition/ 

SIPGrant.aspx. 

Results of the Florida Leadership survey 

are being disseminated throughout Florida 

including the FNA Membership Assembly, the 

upcoming meetings of the South Florida Nursing 

Consortium, and the FONE. Find additional 

information at the Florida Action Coalition 

website: http://www.flcenterfornursing.org/ 

FLActionCoalition. 

With a keen focus on improving the diversity 

among Florida Nurse Leaders, a Diversity Think 

Tank grew out of the Florida SIP grant’s Diversity 

Council. The Think Tank was held on October 2nd 

where Barbara Nichols, DNS (hon) MS, RN, FAAN 

(Past ANA president) facilitated a Think Tank 

with diverse nurse leader representatives from 

across Florida to develop strategies to increase 

the number of diverse and inclusive nurse leaders 

in Florida. Watch for more information from the 

Think Tank as we develop a Diversity Action Plan. 

Education Action Team 

Using a regional model developed in 2013, 

the Education Action Team has established the 

Suncoast Nursing Action Coalition (SNAC), 

including 18 academics, employers, and 

community member representatives in their effort 

to increase the number of BSN prepared nurses in 

the region. Their effort is being supported through 

a partnership with the Patterson Foundation, as 

well as several donations yielding over $2,000 

in support. Expansion of this regional model 

continues throughout the state, with groups in 

the southeast and southwest initiating additional 

partnerships. 

Practice Action Team 

Tasked with addressing scope of practice 

barriers for nurses, the Practice Action Team has 

added several new members in a variety of nursing 

fields. The institutional/cultural workgroup 

is currently developing a pilot survey to gauge 

barriers in nursing practice across the state. The 

legislative/regulatory workgroup is working 

on a project to craft a business case in Florida 

for expansion of APRN utilization. The team 

is looking forward to continuing collaboration 

with other nursing groups during this legislative 

session. 

Communication 

The FL-AC is pleased to report the launch of a 

Facebook page! With over 1,000 ‘likes’ the action 

coalition encourages nurses to follow the page to 

get up to date information on each of the action 

teams, as well as progress toward reaching the 

Future of Nursing goals throughout the nation. 

www.facebook.com/FLActionCoalition.


“FIT TO PERFORM SAFELY” 

Supervisor Skill Workshop 

Sponsored by IPN/FNA 

Florida Blue Foundation 

Awards 2014 Nursing 

Mini-Grants 

Paul Kluding 

October 16, 2014 

Email: Paul.Kluding@floridablue.com 

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Four Florida nursing 

colleges and one community foundation are 

sharing $213,617 in funding from the Florida Blue 

Foundation through a competitive Nursing Mini- 

Grant program. One of the grant projects supports 

the goals of the Florida Healthcare Simulation 

Alliance to accelerate and optimize use of patient 

simulation labs in nurse education and training. The 

other four grant projects are aligned with the goals 

of the Florida Action Coalition to improve patient 

access to quality, cost-effective health care through 

changes in nursing and health care delivery. 

The one mini-grant for simulation is: 

• University of North Florida – Duval Co. 

The four mini-grants for improving safety in 

patient care are: 

• Community Foundation of Sarasota County, 

Inc. – Sarasota Co. 

• University of Central Florida Research 

Foundation, Inc. – Orange Co. 

• University of Florida Foundation, Inc. for the 

UF College of Nursing – Alachua Co. 

• University of Miami – Dade Co. 

One of the Florida Blue Foundation’s areas of 

focus is improving the quality and safety of patient 

care. Nurses comprise the largest segment of the 

health care workforce and have a significant role in 

patient outcomes. Many of the Foundation’s efforts 

in this area are aimed at developing a well-prepared 

nurse workforce to meet the growing and complex 

health care needs of the people of Florida. 

Florida Blue Foundation enables healthy 

communities by making grants, building coalitions 

and rewarding best practices. More than three 

million people in Florida have received direct health 

services as a result of grants made to nonprofit 

organizations since our founding in 2001. Florida 

Blue Foundation is a trade name of the Blue Cross 

and Blue Shield of Florida Foundation, Inc., an 

Independent Licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue 

Shield Association. 

For more information about the Foundation, 

please visit www.floridabluefoundation.com. 

Florida Blue and the Florida Blue Foundation are 

on Facebook and Twitter. 

With speakers: Linda Smith, ARNP, MN, M.Div., CAP, CARN-AP, and 

Myrtle Greene, LMHC, CAP, ICADC 

This unique program presented by Linda 

Smith and Myrtle Greene of Florida’s Impaired 

Practitioner’s Program, will provide nursing 

supervisors with the tools to ensure patient safety 

by recognizing when a nurse’s fitness for duty 

may be in question. In addition, supervisors of 

licensees enrolled in licensee monitoring will 

learn how to support professionals through 

constructive performance improvement. 

Learning modules are designed to help 

supervisors gain confidence in their ability to: 

• Perform their role in performance 

improvement 

• Supervise a licensee in a monitoring 

program 

• Enforce their organization’s policies to 

protect patient safety 

• Take appropriate action sooner to reduce risk 

Skills and knowledge include: 

• Documenting the facts 

• Identifying risky behaviors that can lead to 

unsafe practice 

• Identifying the best course of action based 

on the level of risk 

• Correcting substandard performance issues 

early 

• Redirecting sidetracking behaviors 

The course will offer 4.0 contact hours of 

approved continuing education credit and meets 

the state training requirements for supervision 

of licensees enrolled in monitoring. Nurse 

supervisors, Employee Assistance Program 

Managers, and Risk Management Department 

Heads will benefit from this training. 

This program has been evaluated with positive 

results published in the Advances in Nursing 

Science, Vol. 35, No. 2, pp. 135-144. 

About the Speakers: 

Linda Smith, ARNP, MN, M.Div., CAP, CARN- 

AP, has held the position of Chief Executive 

Officer of the Intervention Project for Nurses 

since 1988. Linda consults with other states on 

the development, implementation, and evaluation 

of programs and speaks frequently to nursing 

groups around the country on issues related to 

impairment among nurses. 

Myrtle Greene, LMHC, CAP, ICADC, is 

Director of Operations at IPN. She has more 

than 15 years of counseling, case management, 

and private practice experience. Myrtle has 

an MA in Counseling Psychology and an MS 

in Rehabilitation Counseling. She is currently 

pursuing a PhD in Psychology. 

To learn more about bringing this valuable 

workshop to your facility, contact: Pamela 

Livingston at 800-840-2720, ext. 123 or 

plivingston@ipnfl.org. 

Previous attendees have said about this 

training: 

“Very well done and practical information.” 

“The role play portion of the training was very 

helpful to decrease anxiety and help to improve 

how to engage in the different scenarios. Extremely 

valuable training. Thank you!” 

“Very informative. Thank you for the 

opportunity!” 

“Very helpful and informative. Looking forward 

to having you come and visit our facility!” 

Kahu Malama Nurses is the FIRST 

and, to date, ONLY Joint Commission 

Certified Healthcare Staffing Services 

in the State of Hawaii. 

Join our Ohana today & feel the Aloha spirit 

Customized travel packages, because every nurse is unique. 

Call today 808-951-0111 

Kahu Malama Nurses 

invites you to work and play 

in Hawaii! 

www.kahumalama.com 

LifeStream Behavioral Center located 

in Sunny Central Florida is looking for 

Staff RN’s and 

Nursing Supervisor 

Apply online at www.LSBC.net 

“We go over and 

beyond, and that’s 

what makes us 

different at Baptist.” 

make a change. join baptist. 

850.429.6905 / joinbaptist.org 

29th Annual Conference 

Conducting Research 

in Difficult Times: 

Come Revitalize your Research Spirit 

KEYNOTE SPEAKER: Nancy Fugate Woods, PhD, RN, FAAN, 

Professor, Biobehavioral Nursing and Health Systems 

at the University of Washington 

FUNDING PANEL BREAKFAST: Panel discussion by a variety of 

funding agencies, including AHA, ANF, Department of Veterans 

Affairs, Hartford Foundation, NINR/NIH, PCORI, Robert Wood 

Johnson Foundation, STTI & Tri-Service 

February 25 – 28, 2015 

Saddlebrook Resort 

Tampa, FL 

For more information visit www.snrs.org


The Florida Nurses Foundation 

is pleased to present The American Nurse Documentary 

Save the Dates! 

All showings are at 7:00pm- Schedule subject to change: 

• Tuesday- 1/6/15 -Pensacola -(Bayou 15) - 5149 Bayou Boulevard, Pensacola, FL 

• Thursday -1/8/15- Pompano Beach 18 - 2315 North Federal Highway, Pompano Beach, FL 

• Monday- 1/12/15 - St. Petersburg- 151 2nd Ave North, St. Petersburg, FL. 

• Monday- 1/19/15- 1900 N. W. Courtyard - Port St. Lucie, FL 

• Wednesday -1/21/15 -2241 Town Centre Ave - Melbourne, FL 

• Monday -1/26/15 - 545 Hibiscus Street= West Palm Beach, FL 

Dr. Daniel Berman, 

CEO of the Center for 

Healthcare Thinking 

& Innovations, has 

been honored by the 

International Top 100 

Magazine for his success 

in leading Healthcare 

Thinking. 

Dr. Berman was 

appointed to the 

Jacksonville Community 

Foundation Committee 

on the Improvement 

of Mental Health. The 

Publically Funded Foundation is funded as a 

Public Private Partnership. They have been tasked 

by the Public Elected Representatives with the 

development of a Comprehensive Approach to 

Services for the Mentally Ill in the NE Region of 

Florida. 

The American 

Association of Nurse 

Practitioners (AANP), 

the largest national 

professional membership 

organization for nurse 

practitioners (NPs) 

of all specialties, is 

pleased to announce that 

George Byron Peraza- 

Smith has been selected 

to participate in the 

prestigious AANP Future 

Leaders Program. The 

newly launched 12-month 

program is designed to develop the next generation 

of NP leaders through a variety of initiatives that 

will provide a broad vision of the NP role in the 

current and future health care environment. Dr. 

Peraza-Smith joined 17 other participants in early 

October for an initial two-day formal training 

focusing on leadership development and other 

components of the program. 

Please call FNA headquarters at 407-896-3261 or check our website for more information at 

http://www.floridanurse.org. 

Find Your 

Purpose 

MORE THAN JUST A JOB - A CALLING 

Florida Hospital Zephyrhills has been nationally recognized by the 

American Heart Association, the American Stroke Association, The Joint 

Commission, The Leapfrog Group, and HealthGrades for excellence in 

providing top quality patient care. 

We now have open positions in the following areas: 

• Cardiac Services • Critical Care • Emergency Services 

• Women’s Health Center • Medical-Surgical • Surgical Services 

• Seasonal positions 

Full-time RNs receive: 

• Sign on Bonus or Relocation Assistance • Tuition Assistance 

• Seasonal Completion Bonus • First Day Benefits • Wellness Incentive 

To find out more about our exciting opportunities, visit our website at 

www.FloridaHospital.com/Zephyrhills/careers 

1-855-JOBS FHZ (562-7349) or FHZRecruiter@ahss.org 

HEALTH LAW ATTORNEYS 

DEDICATED TO HELPING NURSES 

FOR OVER 25 YEARS. 

LICENSURE ISSUES 

Administrative Complaints & Hearings 

Disciplinary Investigations 

Licensure Applications 

Nursing Board Issues (BON) 

Substance Abuse Issues (IPN) 

Suspensions 

etc. 

CRIMINAL DEFENSE 

Drug Diversion 

DUI’s 

Substance Abuse Issues 

etc. 

HEALTH LAW 

Employment Issues 

Medical Malpractice 

Yolanda Nitti, MSN, 

RN, an Assistant 

Professor in the 

Benjamin León School 

of Nursing at Miami 

Dade College received 

the 2014 National 

Association of Hispanic 

Nurses (NAHN) Nurse 

of the Year Award. 

Yolanda grew up in 

Brooklyn, New York in a 

predominately povertystricken 

Puerto Rican 

neighborhood where most girls either got pregnant 

or became drug addicts. Her nursing career has 

centered on Obstetrics in Hispanic and povertystricken 

communities. Because of her experience 

in multi-site obstetrical nursing units and her 

leadership in Mother Baby Birthing Simulation, 

“Noelle and Baby Hal”; she has encouraged more 

nursing students to carry on the mission of helping 

poor minority communities in the future. Yolanda 

was one of the 2013 FNA Great 100 nurses and the 

2012 March of Dimes Nurse of the Year Women’s 

Health category. 

Teri Chenot, 

Jacksonville University 

(JU) nursing professor 

and FNA member, ran the 

26.2 mile New York City 

Marathon on November 2, 

2014. The picture shows 

Teri at the starting line. 

Florida: 1834 Main Street, Sarasota, FL 34236 

T. (941) 893-3449 www.chapmanlawgroup.com


It’s Our Honor - A Collier County Honor Flight Nurse’s Story 

Johnna Dettis ARNP, Medical. Director, 

Collier County Honor Flight 

P.O. Box 8001 

Naples FL 34101 

I am a nurse practitioner and Medical Director for Collier County Honor 

Flight. How did I come to do this? I do it for the stories! It is such a treat 

to hear some of the World War Two veteran’s stories! How did this start? 

Well, upon realizing in April 2013 that there were still World War Two 

veterans alive in my area and that there was a new (2004) WW2 Memorial 

in Washington, DC, I decided that as a veteran Navy nurse I should help my 

local WW2 veterans get to Washington to see their memorial. I heard that 

Southwest Florida Honor Flight was looking for Guardians to help take the 

veterans to Washington and quickly signed up, along with my partner, Mark. 

At the Guardian and Veteran training/meeting, I fell in love with a sweet, 

smart, unassuming Navy CB (Construction Battalion) Engineer Veteran 

of World War Two, Roy, and his wonderful wife, Susie. I could not believe 

that this charming man was old enough to be a WW2 vet! He seemed my 

age! A week later, I had the honor of escorting him to Washington, and the 

pleasure of spending all day getting to know him. What a fascinating man! 

I also met Richard on this flight, Mark’s veteran, who was a bombardier 

dropping bombs all over Europe which paved the way for American and 

British foot soldiers like my dad. I cried when I looked at his itinerary and 

realized that my dad’s WW2 Army itinerary paralleled his, just a few days 

or weeks later in most of the same locations. I told Richard that he dropped 

the bombs which saved my dad and our country. Richard died three months 

after the flight of old age and his chronic kidney disease, but before he died, 

he entertained the dialysis staff and everyone he knew with his happy tale of 

his Honor Flight. 

I enjoyed this first Honor Flight so much, seeing the faces of the 90 year 

olds light up, and sometimes tear up, at the Washington memorials. In 

addition, I really enjoyed watching the veterans meet new friends who had 

the same, or similar, wartime experiences. I had such a great day that I had 

to try it again. The next SWFL Honor Flight was in September of last year. 

This time I had the pleasure of being Guardian (escort) for a dear WW2 Army 

Nurse friend whom I had met earlier in the year, Alyce. Alyce served in the 

Far East in 1945 and continued as an Army nurse through the Korean War. 

My favorite quote from Alyce is “these nurses and aides today don’t know 

what real work is. In Korea we worked for 24 hours straight, and then we 

worked some more!” At the Korean War memorial, Alyce identified the faces 

on the wall of some of her comrades. 

It was during this flight that four of us Guardians realized that the next 

SWFL Honor Flights would not be until May or June of this year, nine 

months later, due to the weather. We realized that there were at least 250-300 

World War Two veterans living in the area from Bradenton south to Naples 

who had not yet gotten to see their memorials in Washington. And only 

about 50 could be taken on each flight, so many would die before they got 

to go. We decided we had to start Collier County Honor Flight (CCHF) and 

take 50 veterans immediately, and more in 2014! So we came home, raised 

enough money quickly and flew 6 weeks later our first Collier County Honor 

Flight, a plane load of 50 veterans and 50 guardians, including my other 

dear WW 2 Army nurse friend, Kate. I served as Kate’s Guardian and the 

Medical Director for this flight. Again, I had the pleasure of getting to know 

Kate better while on the long day trip and hear some of her stories. Kate 

served in Europe and had to move her MASH hospital every five days! She 

also spoke about working around the clock many days under very primitive 

field conditions. Kate was at the Battle of the Bulge, which was one of the 

bloodiest and longest battles in history. Long after I was tired on the flight 

on the way home, Kate continued to be excited about the day and told me 

more of her stories which certainly kept me awake! 

Of course, by now I was hooked on Honor Flight, meeting amazing World 

War Two veterans and hearing their incredible stories. So when CCHF 

flight 2 rolled around on April 26, 2014, I was again on the flight as Medical 

Director. This time Laura Rutizer, a friend, local NP and FNA member, 

also served as a Guardian and really enjoyed her experience. Besides being 

an escort to her veteran, Laura helped me by taking care of an abrasion 

on another veteran’s leg while I was checking on a diabetic veteran. Her 

presence on the flight made me feel that we could handle any problems that 

came up. Fortunately, these were the only problems in the wonderful day. 

I have also been very fortunate to have a few other fantastic nurses on my 

flights who listen carefully to veteran stories while encouraging them to 

remember to eat and drink throughout the exciting day. 

On flight 2, I was extremely lucky to sit on the plane by chance next to a 

veteran who, when he found out that I was a nurse, told me he liked nurses. 

I asked him why, and he proceeded to tell me that he had been a liberator 

of the Army and Navy nurses who were Prisoners of War on a Philippine 

Island! I sat with my mouth open hearing his amazing tale. 

On September 13 we took a very full plane load of 75 WW2 vets and 75 

Guardians to Washington to see their memorials. In spite of my prayers 

for no rain, we did have a long downpour while at the WW2 Memorial. 

Fortunately we had jackets and raincoats for the veterans, but it was still a 

wet few hours. While I complained about the rain to a Marine veteran, he 

smiled and said that he had done seven Pacific island invasions and a little 

rain was nothing! 

I have learned by now with Honor Flight that these WW2 veterans were, 

and are, truly the Greatest Generation. They saved our country and the world 

and it is such an honor and privilege to take them to see their memorials. 

Our next Collier County Honor Flight was Sat October 25, and again we took 

50 veterans, and again I was very fortunate to have Laura on our flight. We 

plan more flights for next year, and will take Korean War veterans when all 

the WW2 vets have all gone. We do fundraising for the flights as each flight 

is expensive. Veterans go free of charge and the guardians do pay, but we 

Our first Collier County Honor Flight in November 2013 with 

LT Kate Nolan, WW2 Army Nurse. 

still need donations to cover over 50 per cent of the expenses of the flight. 

Honor Flights including CCHF are a 100 per cent volunteer organization, 

and we have a 501 C 3 so donations are tax-deductible. Please help us, or 

your local Honor Flight organization to take these very deserving veterans 

on their Honor Flight. Our local Nurse Practitioners of Collier County 

coalition gave donations last year and this year. It will be your honor, and it 

is certainly my honor to participate in this organization. 

Johnna Dettis MSN MPH ARNP retired after 30 years working in Public 

Health in Florida and 26 years with the Navy Reserve Nurse Corps. She 

works part-time as an ARNP with McGregor Clinic, Fort Myers FL, and serves 

as a volunteer founding Board Member and Medical Director for Collier 

County Honor Flight. The mission of Collier County Honor Flight is to honor 

local World War Two and Korean War veterans by taking them to visit their 

memorials in Washington, DC. 

Bert Fish Medical Center in New Smyrna Beach, FL is hiring 

Registered Nurses for open positions: Case Manager, Staff RN 

on Med Surg, ICU, PCU, Cardiac Cath Lab, ED. 

All positions require current FL RN license and BLS certification; most positions prefer BSN 

and previous acute care experience; see our website for requirements specific to the position. 

Positions are now open for immediate hire. Competitive salaries and comprehensive benefits 

are available. 

Florida Hospital Association has named BFMC as the “Best Hospital Workplace” for small 

hospitals for the past 4 years. Bert Fish is a 112-bed community hospital located in a familyfriendly 

beachside community. We are located 20 minutes south of Daytona Beach and an 

hour from Orlando. We are the only hospital in Florida to be a Planetree partner; our focus is on 

patient-centered care. Patients and their families come first at Bert Fish Medical Center and the 

compassionate, quality care that is given to them comes from the hospital’s dedicated 

team members. 

Visit our website for more information and to apply 

online today: www.bertfish.com 

EOE * Drug Free & Tobacco Free Workplace


Rising Above the Culture of Incivility in Nursing 

Roselle Samson- 

Mojares, MSN, RN 

There are evidences 

which substantiate 

the reasons why the 

culture of the nursing 

profession is vulnerable 

to incivility. Awareness 

may help us understand 

incivility and compel us to act wisely and in haste. 

As a practice discipline, nursing is a 

profession with an intricate social atmosphere 

(1). Interaction with people is an essential 

undertaking where most challenges and struggles 

emerge from. Healthcare is a business with 

different personalities. Conflict is an inevitable 

phenomenon. 

A postcolonial feminist discourse classifies 

people based on their race and hierarchy in society 

or institution (2). Race can be a malicious approach 

in identifying people as there are certain racial or 

cultural attributes that command social behavior. 

Race is not limited to the genetic make-up of a 

person, but more compellingly how politics and 

society define and identify a person in reference to 

actual or mythical characteristics. 

Oppressed group behavior was first portrayed 

when literature began focusing on colonized 

groups (3). Besides invading physical space, 

colonizers shoved their authority upon the natives. 

The conquered felt insignificant, doubted their 

capabilities, and developed contempt toward self 

(4). Nurses lost their autonomy and conviction 

when healthcare moved from visiting home care 

into the hospital setting (3). 

The male dominance philosophy persuades 

women to believe they are worthless but acquire 

worth only through male associations (5). Women 

are socialized to address each other as “natural 

enemies,” bonding with one another serves no 

enrichment of their essence, and women are 

incapable of coming together (5). Gender bigotry 

creates a threatening atmosphere between women 

for no cause (5). Needless to say, majority of nurses 

are women. 

Marginal people will support oppressive 

doctrines and practices in exchange for positions 

slightly above the oppressed (4). Applying the 

concept to the culture of nursing, nurses are 

considered marginal beings when they advocate 

for the oppressors at the expense of the oppressed. 

The medical model is constantly defying the 

notion that caring is greater or equal to curing. 

The inclusion of the physician’s name under the 

patient’s admission data validates the role of the 

physician, while nurses remain the unnamed 

souls who implement the care that cures the 

patient. A dilemma emerges for nurses as they 

are pulled between carrying out orders, their 

ethical responsibility to be altruistic (6), and their 

standard of practice to be autonomous (7). 

Kanter’s theory of social power asserts that 

conduct and perspectives are largely molded by 

a person’s status and circumstances (8). Human 

dynamics are underlined by vulnerability 

triggering anxiety and manifested through 

incivility. Social power can also be linked 

to “access to resources and information” (9); 

perceived or actual lack of such produce tension 

which becomes important factors in the culture of 

nursing. 

If culture is a collection of the founding views, 

goals, and structure which sets nursing apart from 

the rest; then nurses must look within and reflect 

on what truly matters to us and decide to make 

changes now, to have a voice, to stand up against 

the status quo, to prove everyone wrong, to bond, 

and once and for all banish incivility from the 

profession. 

Roselle Samson-Mojares, MSN, RN is on the 

faculty at Barry University, College of Nursing 

and Health Sciences in Miami Shores, FL. She 

teaches for the Undergraduate program in Mental 

Health and Psychiatry as well as Women’s Health 

and Maternal-Child. She received her Associate 

in Science Nursing degree from Indian River 

Community College. She earned her Bachelor’s in 

Nursing and Master’s in Nursing Education from 

Barry University. She is currently pursuing her 

PhD in Nursing from Barry University with her 

dissertation focus on “Incivility in Nursing.” 

1. Guidroz, A. M., Wang, M., & Perez, L. M. (2012). 

Developing a model of source-specific interpersonal 

conflict in health care. Stress and Health, 28, 69-79. 

2. Anderson, J. M. (2009). Toward a post-colonial 

feminist methodology in nursing research: Exploring 

the convergence of post-colonial and black feminist 

scholarship. Nurse Researcher, 9(3), 7-27. 

3. Roberts, S. J., De Marco, R., & Griffin, M. (2009). The 

effect of oppressed group behaviours on the culture 

of the nursing workplace: a review of the evidence 

and interventions for change. Journal of Nursing 

Management, 17(3), 288-293. 

4. Freire, P. (2010). Pedagogy of the oppressed (30th 

anniversary ed.). New York, NY: The Continuum 

International Publishing Group Inc. 

5. Hooks, B. (1986). Sisterhood: Political solidarity 

between women. Feminist Review, 23, 125-138. 

6. American Nurses Association (2001). Code of 

ethics for nurses with interpretative statements. 

Washington, DC: American Nurses Publishing. 

7. American Nurses Association (2010). Nursing scope 

and standards of practice (2nd ed.). Silver Springs, 

MD: Nursesbooks.org. 

8. Laschigner, H. K., Sabiston, J. A., & Kutszcher, L. 

(1997). Empowerment and staff nurse decision 

involvement in nursing work environments: Testing 

Kanter’s theory of structural power in organizations. 

Research in Nursing and Health, 20, 341-352. 

9. Kanter, R. M. (1979). Power failure in management 

circuits. Harvard Business Review, 65-75.


Actions Speak Louder 

Than Words 

Dr. Carole Kain 

Nationally Certified Mental Health Nurse Practitioner 

Kain Behavorial Health Associates 

Being a nursing student is just hard! The challenges of defining the 

nurse’s role and learning hundreds of facts, skills, and science that comprise 

our profession can seem more than overwhelming for anyone. And these 

days, many nursing students begin a nursing education as grown-ups. 

Perhaps they are married, have children, or are full-time employees. They 

aren’t abandoning any of their current roles; they are adding the student 

nurses’ role to an already full plate. It can be easy for these hopeful people to 

become disillusioned or cynical. 

How can we as a body of nurses prevent that disillusionment? You can 

provide a much needed bright light of encouragement by: 

• Inviting a student nurse to attend a conference, 

• Taking time to stop for a minute during the work day in the hospital 

or clinic when you see a student during the clinical rotations to offer a 

compliment or a word of encouragement, and/or 

• Introducing the student to other nurses on your floor. 

Mentors contribute to the overall improvement of the nursing profession 

and can have a remarkable influence on a nursing student’s career. As a 

mentor, you can provide diverse perspectives and practical insights to the 

practice of nursing. Mentors also serve as role models and informal guides 

to the healthcare field. Mentors offer formal and informal networking and 

collegiality, career guidance, advocacy, prioritization and time management 

skills, professionalism, values, passion, and fun. So next time you see 

a student nurse, take a moment out of your day to show you care because 

“ACTIONS SPEAK LOUDER THAN WORDS.” 

Please send in your Mentoring Vignettes to Vicki Sumagpang at 

vsumagpang@floridanurse.org. We look forward to hearing your stories. 

Thank you. 

Looking for the perfect 

career? 

Look no further than... 

nursingALD.com 

Find the perfect nursing 

job for you! 

Attention all Nursing Entrepreneurs, 

Small Nursing Business Owners, 

and Nurses who are considering 

being independent contractors 

The FNA Nurse Entrepreneur Special Interest Group is developing 

a Nurse Entrepreneur Boot Camp which will be offered as a series of 

Webinars. The webinars will provide contact hours and a certificate 

from FNA upon completion. The topics to be covered are: 

• Week one: Nurses finding their niche and passion as Nurse Small 

Business Owners and Entrepreneurs 

• Week two: Nurses learning what their services and products are 

and who to market their products/services to 

• Week three: The development of a beginning business plan 

• Week four: How to network and sell your services 

The lead instructor will be Dr. Dan Berman. Dr. Berman has been 

a nurse entrepreneur since 1990. He has developed, owned, and sold 

his own Home Health Agency. In addition, Dr. Dan Berman was the 

co-owner and developer of a large group practice in mental health. He 

developed and owned his own Healthcare Management Consulting 

Firm. He currently is a Nursing Executive Consultant who offers and 

speaks on a variety of subjects around the US. He also serves as a 

member of the FNA Board of Directors. 

Earn a Credential 

That’s in Demand Nationwide 

MSN 

MASTER OF SCIENCE 

IN NURSING (MSN) 

DNP 

DOCTOR OF NURSING 

PRACTICE (DNP) 

PhD 

PhD IN NURSING SCIENCE 

clinical interventions, 

health services research 

“Top 15” ranked nursing school 

Practice specialties for all interests 

State-of-the-art nursing 

informatics and facilities 

Community of scholars 

with broad faculty expertise 

Distance learning opportunities 

Seamless BSN entry- 

MSN-DNP option 

LEARN MORE. 

APPLY TODAY: 

nursing.vanderbilt.edu 

TEACHING | PRACTICE | RESEARCH | INFORMATICS 

Connect with us: 

#VUSN 

Serious 

About 

Nursing? 

Earn an accredited BSN 

in just over 3 years. 

New Miami Campus—classes forming now. 

877-336-8429 | Nursing-WCU.com 

West Coast University 9250 NW 36th Street, Doral, FL 33178-2431 

*Generally, once admitted, you will not have to apply for or wait for nursing 

courses to become available, however, students admitted under the 

“Developmental Education Pathway” will be admitted conditionally and will be 

subjected to additional application requirements. See westcoastuniversity.edu/ 

florida/BSNadmissions.html for detailed information. 

For graduation rates, median debt of graduates completing these programs and 

other important information, visit westcoastuniversity.edu/disclosures. 

Our focused Bachelor of 

Science in Nursing degree 

program is designed to be 

completed in as little as 39 

months—to help give you both 

the proficiency and leadership 

skills to advance your career: 

• Hands-On Technology—with 

a technologically advanced 

multi-lab Simulation Center to 

help you succeed 

• No Wait Lists or Secondary 

Applications*—classes start 

every 10 weeks. 

• WCU’s accredited BSN and 

LPN-BSN programs are 

approved by the Florida 

Board of Nursing. WCU is 

institutionally accredited by 

the WASC Senior College and 

University Commission and the 

University’s nursing programs 

are accredited by CCNE. 

Not all programs are available every term 

Licensed by the Florida Commission for Independent Education, License 

No. 5014. WASC: 985 Atlantic Avenue, #100, Alameda, CA 94501, 

510-748-9001, www.wascsenior.org. Commission on Collegiate Nursing 

Education (CCNE) One Dupont Circle, NW, Suite 530, Washington, DC 20036, 

202-887-6791, 

www.aacn.nche.edu/CCNE/reports/accprog.asp 

It’s Easy To See Why So Many Nurses Are 

Flocking To Lee Memorial Health System! 

Experienced RNs 

PCU, Critical Care, OR, ED, Med/Surg 

Certified Nursing Assistants 

All positions require 2 years’ acute care hospital experience. 

Generous hiring incentives for qualified candidates! 

In today’s uncertain healthcare environment, it’s unusual for an organization to launch an 

aggressive growth strategy. But that’s exactly what you’ll find at Lee Memorial Health System! 

For immediate consideration, and to upload your resume, visit 

LMHSNursing.org/FNA 

Drug/Tobacco–free workplace. EOE


Florida Nurses Association Night! 

EARN 1 HOUR OF CONTINUING EDUCATION (CE) CREDIT AND ENJOY THE GAME!! 

Sunday, March 22 @ 6:00 P.M. 

Denver Nuggets vs. Orlando Magic 

RN Package ONLY $35 or $25 (space is limited!) 

Earn 1 hour of CE, run by the Florida Nurses Association at 3:30 p.m. Then enjoy the 

complimentary Private FNA Networking Gathering at 4:30 p.m. 

• The $35 RN Package includes 1 hour of CE credit, 1 lower level game ticket and access to 

the FNA Networking Party in the arena after the CE credit course. 

• The $25 RN Package includes 1 hour of CE credit, 1 upper level game ticket and access to 

the FNA Networking Party in the arena after the CE credit course. 

Invite your friends and family to join you for a night of basketball following the CE Hour. 

• Additional Upper Level tickets for family and friends are ONLY $20 

• Additional Lower Level tickets for family and friends are ONLY $30 

*These additional $20 or $30 tickets do not include access to the 1 Hour CE course at 3:30 

p.m., but do provide access to the private FNA Networking Gathering before at 4:30 p.m. 

To PURCHASE TICKETS ONLINE 

Visit: www.orlandomagic.com/nurses 

Questions? Please Contact Vicki Sumagpang at vsumagpang@floridanurse.org 

DEADLINE TO 

ORDER 

02/22/15 

-Tickets based on 

availability 

-Event/game may 

sell out 

Orlando Magic Nurse Appreciation Night 

LOCATION 

QUANITY 

1 Hour CE Credit 

PRICE 

No CE Credit 

PRICE 

Lower Level $35/ticket $30/ticket 

Upper Level $25/ticket $20/ticket 

*100 level = lower level; *200 level = upper level TOTAL DUE: $ 

TOTAL 

Nurses: You Need To Take a 

Break! 

Denise McNulty, DNP, MSN, RN-BC, ARNP 

Nurses around the State have shared that they 

are, at times, unable to take a lunch or dinner 

break. This often comes up during discussions 

with nurses about coping with stress in the 

workplace and burnout. One nurse shared: “I don’t 

want to burden my coworkers by asking them to 

cover my patients while I take a break.” Another 

nurse stated: “I feel like I’m neglecting my patients 

if I take a break. I don’t want to be viewed by my 

peers as being selfish.” Another nurse revealed 

that she “rarely eats” when at work. She stated: “I 

just don’t have time to eat.” 

In nursing school, we all learned about 

Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs. According to 

Maslow, the very basic needs, which are the foundation for life, are food, 

air, and water. As nurses, we always make sure our patients’ basic needs are 

being met, but do we take the time to meet our own basic needs? Nurses are 

caregivers. We care for everyone around us, but the caring needs to begin 

with ourselves. How can we take care of our patients’ basic needs if we are 

not meeting our own basic needs? Some nurses feel it is their duty to give of 

themselves unselfishly often setting the stage for martyrdom which can lead 

to anger, frustration, compassion fatigue, and eventually burnout. This is not 

healthy for our minds, bodies, or spirits! Nurses have shared that they can 

work an entire 12 hour shift and forget to drink a cup of water! 

My Grandmother always said: “You need to eat to live!” This is so true. 

Nurses need to refresh and engage in self-care, which needs to begin with 

meeting our basic needs. Nurses, let’s work together to cover for one another 

so that everyone can take a break. You’ll be happier, and your patients will 

benefit from you being happier. Nurses supporting nurses! 

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2014 Clinical Excellence Exemplar 

Frank Wood, BSN, RN-BC 

Psychiatric Nurse Consultant 

Tampa General Hospital, Tampa, FL 

As expressed with my 

Exemplar “Loneliness 

& Isolation I Could Not 

Imagine,” caring for a 

patient with Trigeminal 

Trophic Syndrome tests 

all boundaries of being 

a nurse. According to a 

2013 report from CNN, 

there are less than 100 

confirmed cases worldwide 

of Trigeminal 

Trophic Syndrome. I 

can’t pinpoint precisely 

what peaked my 

interest in caring for this patient, as I felt that I 

provided all patients with the same level of care 

and respect, regardless of their diagnosis or reason 

for admission. I felt a level of sadness for her that 

I had not previously felt for any other patient. Oftused 

adjectives such as sad, downcast, gloomy, etc. 

did not accurately describe her level of depression. 

“Profound” is the only word that comes to mind. 

Through the first week of her admission, she was 

unwilling to leave her bed, refused to eat, and 

demanded social isolation. Through a total team 

effort, she began to consume her boost shakes and 

slowly became medication compliant. I would 

playfully promise her by saying “If you drink 

half of this (boost) shake, I will drink the other 

half.” Although annoyed with my persistence, 

this eventually led to verbal interaction and later 

sarcasm. Making this entertaining for me was her 

British accent. When she would tearfully say “Don’t 

look at me; I have these sores on my face that never 

go away.” Always an admirer of self-deprecating 

humor, I would try to redirect her attention to my 

own physical shortcomings. I recall responding 

one day ‘Although you have an illness now, you are 

getting better. I, on the other hand, have an ever 

growing forehead, the world’s smallest ears for the 

size of my head and eyebrows that appear like they 

are racing to the center of my face.’ She would look 

at me, pause, and then say matter-of-factly “Yea, I 

guess so.” Obviously, not who I would turn to in 

order to boost my own self-esteem, she seemed 

to enjoy that moment of not focusing on her own 

appearance. In treating her facial wounds, while 

wiping away dried blood, I would comment on new 

tissue growth, especially around the nares. 

My initial uncomfortableness was replaced 

with acknowledgment and praise for A.K.’s selfrestraint 

in scratching at her face. My most 

memorable moment occurred when she (while 

holding my hand) agreed to walk to the dining 

area and have dinner with the fellow patients. 

Unprompted, they acknowledged her presence by 

multiple sincere greetings and making room for 

her at the table. That moment was very moving to 

Nursing Stories Support 

Evidence Based Practice 

Last year, at the Clinical 

Excellence Conference, we 

incorporated the expertise 

of educator, nurse researcher 

and author Dr. Paticia Liehr 

in exploring the link between 

nursing stories and nursing 

science. Dr. Liehr has agreed to continue exploring 

this exciting idea for the Conference in 2015. We 

invite to you either self-nominate or nominate a 

colleague for this wonderful conference that is one 

of our most highly-evaluated over the past 26 years. 

We encourage stories from diverse areas of 

practice, so don’t hesitate to submit. Have you used 

your role as an educator to influence a nursing 

situation? We would love to hear your story! 

Honoring the work nurses do is essential and 

important. 

To find the forms and the guidelines for 

how to write YOUR story, go to our website at 

www.floridanurse.org/resources. Please feel free to 

call the office at 407-896-3261 with any questions. 

Deadline has been extended to February 28 for 

nominations 

observe and reminded me why I enjoy taking care 

of these special patients. From there, A.K. was on 

her way to returning to her family. I’m confident 

that without the dedicated team of nurses, doctors 

and therapists, she would not have improved to the 

point of discharge and likely passed away while in 

the hospital. In reflecting on the several weeks I 

cared for A.K. is an experience few nurses will ever 

encounter and one that I will never forget. 

Patient Update: On October 14th, I spoke to 

A.K. and husband: Unfortunately, her condition 

has regressed to where the ulcerations are again 

prominent on her face. She had recently returned 

from the renowned Mayo Clinic in Rochester, 

Minnesota, yet her husband felt “her condition 

is the same.” Unsolicited, he shared that her 

inpatient experience at Tampa General Hospital 

was “top notch” and “the best treatment she 

received since her diagnosis.” Feeling conflicted 

over his response, I offered encouragement that I’m 

hopeful she will get better again and how it was my 

privilege to take care of her. 

Frank Wood has practiced as a nurse in the 

behavioral health field for the past 10 years, 3 years 

at Tampa General Hospital and 7 years at Tampa’s 

St. Joseph’s Hospital Psychiatric Emergency Room. 

Prior to moving to Tampa, Frank worked 5 

years for Health Associates of Kentucky, Inc., as a 

Practice Operations Director. Frank served 4 years 

in the military with the United States Air Force, 

receiving Achievement & Commendation medals. 

He is a member of the Sigma Theta Tau, Inc., Phi 

Kappa Phi, Inc., and Mental-health Consultation & 

Liaison Nurse’s Association (ISPCLN). 

More than a job, it’s a passion. 

CNA, LPN, RN – Staff and Management 

For more than 35 years, Brookdale communities have provided senior 

living solutions to older persons and their families. Today we can serve 

up to 110,000 residents in 47 states with lifestyles and care options for 

All the places life can go. Brookdale communities provide customized 

solutions for each resident in a variety of community environments that 

collectively offer a broad continuum of care. This continuum includes 

Independent Living, Assisted Living, Memory Care, Skilled Nursing, 

Continuing Care Retirement Communities, Home Health, 

Therapy and Hospice. 

If you share that same Passion to serve, contact the 

following communities to learn more about these great 

nursing opportunities. 

Cypress Village, Jacksonville 

Freedom Plaza, Sun City Center 

Freedom Pointe at the Villages, The Villages 

Freedom Square, Seminole 

Lake Seminole Square, Seminole 

Freedom Village, Bradenton 

The Glenview at Pelican Bay, Naples 

Lake Port Square, Leesburg 

South Port Square, Port Charlotte 

Regency Oaks, Clearwater 

For more information about career opportunities, visit us at 

www.BrookdaleCareers.com

Page 20 The Florida Nurse December 2014

The Florida Nurse - December 2014

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