2016 MS YB 16_Web

2016 Mississippi Nurses’ Association Annual Convention
Position of Director, Council on Advanced Practice Nursing
Candidates who have qualified for this position:
Rebecca Cagle, PhD, FNP-BC, PMHNP-BC
Biographical Profile: Rebecca Cagle has trained and worked at every level of nursing. Beginning as an
LPN and completing a PhD, she is highly motivated to maintain competency and
safety in all. She has been a NP for twenty years and is board certified as a FNP
and PMHNP by ANCC. In regard to Advanced Practice, she directs the only APC
Fellowship in the state and is currently in the process of obtaining accreditation from
the National Nurse Practitioner Residency and Fellowship Training Consortium for
that program. In the development of the free-standing APC Fellowship, separate
from the physician residency program of FMRC, she worked with both the BON and
MNA in providing the best quality didactic offerings and with the APC providers
of NMHS in providing the seasoned NP/expert clinical experience. Rebecca’s goal
is to have all APCs working to their highest possible level in a safe and consistent
manner to provide the level of care to meet the health needs of Mississippians.
Statement of Intent: If elected as Director of the Council on Advanced Practice, I would seek to expand
statewide what I have started here at NMHS. I would seek to obtain the best and
brightest to help provide support of all APCs. Though well trained in schools of
nursing to become advanced practice nurses and to provide safe, quality care to
the people of Mississippi, the mainlining of competency begins when the initial
competency is obtained. Schools of Nursing do an excellent job in providing that
initial competency by taking the RN to the advanced practice level. However,
to follow the continuum of novice to expert, all APCs need additional training
throughout the lifetime of a career in order to maintain current and acquire additional
competencies as the health status of the individuals and technology and innovations
require. The NP needs to know how to maintain the skill and the documentation of
the competencies. Every individual APC is responsible and accountable for their
own practice. It is exceptionally wonderful if employers are able to support the
NP in this journey of lifelong learning through a program of support. At NMHS, in
addition to moving the APC Fellowship into a free standing program, a committee
of APCs from the system (six hospitals and 30+ clinics), has been established to
oversee the practice of the APCs in regard to issues and concerns internally. This
committee meets quarterly. A Leadership Development Institute was developed
a few years back to allow experienced APCs to continue leadership training with
CEU’s provided. Continuing education clinical presentation evening programs
with a meal and a speaker has been implemented for all area NPs, employees or
not, for free. Fifty-five percent of primary care in northeast Mississippi is provided
by nurse practitioners. NPs are a necessary and important part of the health care
delivery system and need support in the competency process by all who are able
and willing to provide the safe, quality care that every Mississippian deserves.
The importance of membership in professional organizations is critical and the
dues and fees for the APC fellows are covered by the program.
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