The Mississippi RN - June 2018
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Page 6 • <strong>Mississippi</strong> <strong>RN</strong> <strong>June</strong>, July, August <strong>2018</strong><br />
Rebecca Cagle, PhD, FNP-BC, PMHNP-BC<br />
Director, Council on Advanced Practice<br />
Several events of late have prompted me to<br />
reflect on professionalism in nursing and advanced<br />
practice nursing. Whether one is a new graduate<br />
from an advanced practice program or a seasoned<br />
nurse practitioner, I ask each this question: do you<br />
have a career resolution to develop and maintain<br />
professionalism throughout your career? Is it in your<br />
five year plan? Often while in nursing school we develop<br />
plans, be they individual or business. Sometimes once<br />
the goal of graduation, certification and licensure has<br />
been obtained, the long term plan gets set aside for<br />
being thankful for a NP job and learning the tasks to<br />
survive in this health care business. As requirements<br />
for certification and indeed licensure are changing,<br />
and with additional certification requirements varying,<br />
one can become bewildered and confused. Has anyone<br />
had the experience of finding out too late their basic<br />
Report from Council on Advanced Practice<br />
Do You Have Professionalism as a Career Resolution?<br />
Rebecca Cagle, PhD,<br />
FNP-BC, PMHNP-BC<br />
life support credential has expired and you cannot work until it is current? With<br />
all you were keeping up with, you simply missed the basics. Has anyone received<br />
an unfavorable patient and family satisfaction survey report to realize that despite<br />
your skill and knowledge, you were not perceived as professional or caring to a<br />
patient or family?<br />
Hands Only CPR<br />
Hattiesburg Clinic, Laerdal, and the <strong>Mississippi</strong> Nurses’ Association hosted<br />
a Hands Only CPR event for the public at Hattiesburg Clinic on April 10th.<br />
Attendees encouraged each other as they learned how to successfully administer<br />
Hands Only CPR. We extend our sincere appreciation to instructors Paul<br />
Thompson, <strong>RN</strong> with Laerdal and Sandi Arnold, MSN, <strong>RN</strong> with Hattiesburg<br />
Clinic.<br />
A conversation I had this week with a man who was quite satisfied with his<br />
new PCP, a nurse practitioner, reminded me of the importance of presence and<br />
professionalism, caring for and caring about our patients. He mentioned that he<br />
had not really had a PCP since his doctor had left the primary care setting for<br />
a practice as a hospitalist. He had gotten very sick during the winter and had<br />
need for a PCP. He selected a local NP, whom he did not know, but she was from<br />
his area. As he put it “she is the only provider I may ever need.” He described<br />
how competently she had assessed and treated him with appropriate diagnostic<br />
tests and medications. She even called to see if he was improving the next day.<br />
He felt that his health was cared for, but also that he as an individual was cared<br />
about as a person. I beamed with pride for our discipline as this was a former<br />
student of mine of years past. She was still keeping the common touch and was<br />
linked with her purpose many years after becoming a NP. She was the ultimate<br />
professional by keeping professionalism in the focus, along with CEUs and skills<br />
competencies.<br />
Consider taking a moment to sit down, reflect, and look at several areas in<br />
the next five years. <strong>The</strong> areas will naturally include requirements for licensure<br />
and certification, but also areas of career job goals, overall professional goal, and<br />
professional service to patients and fellow health care providers, be it medical<br />
mission trips or academic/mentoring roles. <strong>The</strong> one thing we know for certain<br />
is that we cannot do everything all the time or at the same time necessarily. We<br />
need to look at the season that we are in and the season we want to reach that<br />
is our preferred one. We must find a way to keep ourselves connected to our<br />
inner purpose of serving our patients. I have of late given up television and social<br />
media as a distraction to keeping myself balanced, focused, and on task. I am not<br />
suggesting that you should do this. You know what you need to be healthy.<br />
Professionalism can be improved through many avenues. Professional<br />
development through membership, service in a particular office locally, statewide,<br />
or even nationally can help us remain connected to the cause. What is your<br />
plan to give back and serve? We can all serve through membership in MNA. We<br />
may also consider running for office. Might you want to be a local MNA officer<br />
in preparation to becoming a state wide board member for MNA? Likewise<br />
presenting your knowledge and expertise to fellow NPs to obtain those CE hours<br />
can be a goal. Sometimes we have a need for a particular CE offering that we<br />
don’t have locally, but what can we do to make that CE happen? MNA is always<br />
working to meet the needs of the NPs in all nursing roles. Let us know your need<br />
and we will make an effort to schedule your requested topic.<br />
Lastly, on a rather personal note, I lost a family member and mentor this past<br />
month. She was my Aunt Jo. She was a nurse. She was my first nurse to work with<br />
as a NP in the clinic. At the age of 43 with six children, she went to LPN school.<br />
She graduated third in her class and made a perfect score on her boards. She was<br />
the epitome of nursing for as long as she worked. She was born to be a nurse,<br />
some might say. She always kept her patient as her focus. She advocated for the<br />
patient and simply did her job. She helped all that she could for as long as she<br />
could. She always looked and acted professionally.<br />
She was the most practical and professional nurse that I have known. I am<br />
who I am because of who she was. She used her talents and abilities despite<br />
challenges to make the world a better place for those about her. Thank you Joyce<br />
Ann Stephens, LPN for being professional and caring for and about people. Can<br />
the same be said of us? Do we inspire others to our profession because we are<br />
professional nurse practitioners?<br />
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