The Montana Pulse - August 2019

August 2019 • Vol. 56 • No. 3 

THE OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF THE MONTANA NURSES ASSOCIATION FOUNDATION 

Quarterly publication direct mailed to approximately 19,000 RNs and LPNs in Montana. 

APRN Corner 

Page 5 

Montana Nurses Association is a PROUD supporter of HR 1309 

ANA Quality & Innovation 

Conference 

Page 7 

current resident or 

Non-Profit Org. 

U.S. Postage Paid 

Princeton, MN 

Permit No. 14 

Executive Director Report 

An iconic nurse’s historic letter is 

totally relevant today! 

This letter is being shared 

with permission and credit 

to Mary Munger, RN. It was 

written in the 1960’s best to 

her recollection when the 

Montana Nurses Association 

office was located in the 

Wheat Building, Suite 326 

in Helena. “The 

Wheat Building, 

originally owned by 

Merchants National 

Bank and once home 

to Montana Power’s 

Vicky Byrd, 

BA, RN, OCN 

offices, is one Helena landmark from 1969 that is no 

longer standing. The building was an example of the 

Chicago School of architecture” (Jacobson, 2009). 

Mary’s paper is completely relevant today as MNA 

continues to reach out to engage all Montana Nurses 

across the state of Montana, moreover, recognizing 

that it is completely acceptable to pay dues to their 

professional association for others (MNA staff) to 

advocate for them. Nurses and those staff that 

work closely with the MNA nurses, speak to nursing 

issues. Without nurse membership there would be 

Executive Director Report continued on page 5 

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www.mtnurses.org

Page 2 Montana Nurses Association Pulse August, September, October 2019 

Nurses Honor Guard 

“Nursing is an art: and if it is to be made an art, it 

requires an exclusive devotion as hard a preparation, 

as any painter’s or sculptor’s work; for what is the 

having to do with dead canvas or dead marble, 

compared with having to do with the living body, 

the temple of God’s spirit? It is one of the Fine Arts: 

I had almost said, the finest of Fine Arts.” Florence 

Nightingale 

We have all witnessed ceremonies conducted at 

funerals for veterans, law enforcement personnel, 

fire fighters, etc. Maybe they were on TV or you 

might have been there in person. Those ceremonies 

not only honored the departed, but the profession. 

Nursing is now honored in the same way with The 

Nightingale Tribute and many Montana communities 

have adopted this to recognize the person’s lifetime 

of service to others. 

The Honor Guard is comprised of two to four 

nurses wearing traditional white nursing uniforms, 

PULSE SUBMISSIONS 

We are gathering articles that are relevant and 

appealing to YOU as a nurse. What is happening 

in your world today? Is there information we can 

provide that would be helpful to you? The Pulse 

is YOUR publication, and we want to present you 

with content that pertains to your interests. 

Please submit your ideas and 

suggestions to Jennifer. 

Jennifer@mtnurses.org 

Enjoy a user friendly layout and access to more 

information, including membership material, 

labor resources, Independent Study Library, 

a new Career Center for Job Seekers & 

Employers, and more downloadable information. 

Please visit 

MNA’s constantly updated website! 

www.mtnurses.org 

CMMC is Hiring! 

RNs, visit our website at 

cmmc.health 

to learn more about our 

positions & to apply online. 

Central Montana Medical Center 

408 Wendell Ave. Lewistown, MT 59457 

406.535.6213 (fax) 406.535.4698 

www.cmmc.health 

capes and caps. A Nightingale Lamp is lit during the 

reading of the tribute to the profession. A white rose 

is placed on the casket or urn. There is a call relieving 

the nurse from duty, the candle is extinguished and 

presented to the family. 

With the help of existing Honor Guards from both 

St. Patrick’s Hospital and Missoula Community 

Hospital, we have formed an Honor Guard in Havre 

reaching a radius of 50 miles beyond Havre, thus 

calling ourselves the Hi-Line Nurses Honor Guard. 

MNA provided us with some generic nurses caps 

and Northern Montana Hospital Local Unit bought 

lamps. NMH provided us a space to keep our 

supplies as we are aware that a location with 24/7 

access is desirable. Contact was made with funeral 

homes and the ministerial association. A brochure 

was created as well as a calling list of nurses willing 

to serve. 

We are excited about this way to honor nurses 

and their families for their years of dedicated service. 

A quote from the Tribute: “You are not remembered 

by your many years as a nurse, but by the difference 

you made during those years by stepping in and 

touching people’s lives….You are hereby relieved of 

duty. Your shift is done.” 

If you wish to no longer receive 

The Pulse please contact Monique: 

mheddens@aldpub.com 

If your address has changed please 

contact Montana Board of Nursing at: 

www.nurse.mt.gov 

PUBLISHER INFORMATION & AD RATES 

Circulation 19,000. Provided to every registered nurse, licensed 

practical nurse, nursing student and nurse-related employer in 

Montana. The Pulse is published quarterly each February, May, 

August and November by Arthur L. Davis Publishing Agency, Inc. 

for Montana Nurses Association, 20 Old Montana State Highway, 

Montana City, MT 59634, a constituent member of the 

American Nurses Association. 

For advertising rates and information, please contact Arthur L. 

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

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

com. MNA and the Arthur L. Davis Publishing Agency, Inc. 

reserve the right to reject any advertisement. Responsibility for 

errors in advertising is limited to corrections in the next 

issue or refund of price of advertisement. 

Acceptance of advertising does not imply endorsement or 

approval by the Montana Nurses Association of products 

advertised, the advertisers, or the claims made. Rejection of an 

advertisement does not imply a product offered for advertising 

is without merit, or that the manufacturer lacks integrity, or that 

this association disapproves of the product or its use. MNA and 

the Arthur L. Davis Publishing Agency, Inc. shall not be held 

liable for any consequences resulting from purchase or use of 

an advertiser’s product. Articles appearing in this publication 

express the opinions of the authors; they do not necessarily 

reflect views of the staff, board, or membership of MNA or 

those of the national or local associations. 

WRITER’S GUIDELINES: 

MNA welcomes the submission of articles and editorials related 

to nursing or about Montana nurses for publication in The PULSE. 

Please limit word size between 500–1000 words and provide 

resources and references. MNA has the Right to accept, edit or 

reject proposed material. Please send articles 

to: jennifer@mtnurses.org 

CONTACT MNAF & MNA 

Montana Nurses Association Foundation 

and Montana Nurses Association 

20 Old Montana State Highway, Clancy, MT 59634 

• Phone (406) 442-6710 • Fax (406) 442-1841 

• Email: info@mtnurses.org • Website: www.mtnurses.org 

Office Hours: 7:30 a.m.-4:00 p.m. Monday through Friday 

VOICE OF NURSES IN MONTANA 

MNA is a non-profit, membership organization that advocates for 

nurse competency, scope of practice, patient safety, continuing 

education, and improved healthcare delivery and access. 

MNA members serve on the following Councils and 

other committees to achieve our mission: 

• Council on Practice & Government Affairs (CPGA) 

• Council on Economic & General Welfare (E&GW) 

• Council on Professional Development (CPD) 

• Council on Advanced Practice (CAP) 

MISSION STATEMENT - MNAF 

Preserve the history of nursing in Montana and contribute, support and 

empower the professional nurse in Montana. 

MISSION STATEMENT - MNA 

The Montana Nurses Association promotes professional nursing practice, 

standards and education; represents professional nurses; and provides 

nursing leadership in promoting high quality health care. 

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT 

Montana Nurses Association is accredited as an approver of continuing 

nursing education by the American Nurses Credentialing Center’s 

Commission on Accreditation. 

Montana Nurses Association is accredited as a provider of continuing 

nursing education by the American Nurses Credentialing Center’s 

Commission on Accreditation. 

MNAF & MNA 

Staff: 

Vicky Byrd, MSN, RN, Chief Executive Officer 

Pam Dickerson, PhD, RN-BC, FAAN, Director of Professional Development 

Mary Thomas, BA, RN, RN Professional Development Associate 

Caroline Baughman, BS, Professional Development Associate 

Robin Haux, BS, Labor Program Director 

Amy Hauschild, BSN, RN, Labor Representative 

Sandi Luckey, Labor Representative 

Leslie Shepherd, BSN, RN, Labor Representative 

Jill Hindoien, BS, Chief Financial Officer 

Jennifer Hamilton, Administrative Assistant 

Board of Directors 

Executive Committee: 

Board of Directors President 

Board of Directors Vice President 

Board of Directors Secretary 

Board of Directors Treasurer 

Board of Directors Member at Large 

Board of Directors CPGA 

Board of Directors PD 

Board of Directors CAP 

Board of Directors EGW 

Lorri Bennett, RN 

Terry Dutro, MSN, APRN, AGPCNP-BC 

Chelsee Baker, BSN, RN 

Audrey Dee, RN 

Anna Ammons, BSN, RN, PCCN 

Bobbie Cross, RN 

Cheryl Richards, MS, BSN, RN-BC 

John Honsky, APRN 

Brandi Breth, BSN, RN-BC 

Council on Practice & Government Affairs (CPGA) 

Abbie Colussi, RN 

Lisa Ash, RN, CNOR 

Anna Ammons, BSN, RN, PCCN Jennifer Miller, RN 

Loni Conley, BSN, RN 

Council on Professional Development (PD) 

Sandy Sacry, MSN, RN 

Cheryl Miller, MSN, RN-BC 

Gwyn Palchak, BSN, RN-BC, ACM Debby Lee, BSN, RN-BC, CCRP 

Emily Michalski-Weber, MSN, RN-BC Abbie Colussi, RN 

Brenda Donaldson, BA, RN, CAPA Kim Reynen, BSN, RN 

Council on Advanced Practice (CAP) 

Chairperson-CAP 

Deborah Kern, MSN, FNP 

Chairperson Elect-CAP 

Keven Comer, MN, FNP-BC 

Secretary-CAP 

Nanci Taylor, APRN 

Member at Large-CAP 

Barbara Schaff, FNP-BC 

Member at Large-CAP 

Emily Michalski-Weber, MSN, RN-BC 

Council on Economic & General Welfare (EGW) 

Delayne Stahl, RN, OCN 

Krystal Frydenlund, RN, CCRN 

Lisa Ross, RN, CCRN 

Adrienne Harrison, RN 

Questions about your nursing license? 

Contact Montana Board of Nursing at: www.nurse.mt.gov

August, September, October 2019 Montana Nurses Association Pulse Page 3 

Labor Reports and News 

Use your VOICE! Take your Local 

Pre-Bargaining Survey! 

BUILD SOMETHING 

POWERFUL TODAY 

As contract negotiations 

occur throughout the year, 

Local unit bargaining teams 

and MNA Labor staff begin 

preparations for negotiations. 

One of our favorite tools is 

a Pre-Bargaining Survey 

which allows EVERY nurse 

to provide valuable input 

into the direction of your 

bargaining teams. They 

provide information by 

departments, on important 

economic items, staffing, 

general working conditions, 

and more! The information gathered is used to assist 

and direct your bargaining team while in negotiations. 

How do we create the survey? A Pre-Bargaining 

survey is created out of pre-bargaining discussions 

with a local unit. As your labor representative begins 

bargaining discussions, they listen for the issues the 

nurses raise and create survey questions that allow 

us to gather more detailed information on how the 

majority of the local feels is the best direction to take 

at negotiations. Additionally, we review the contract 

and create questions that give the nurses the ability to 

rate what is most important and always offer an area 

that allows for open comments. The most important 

Camping. Road trips. Days 

at the lake. It is a beautiful 

time of year in Montana and 

most people want to spend 

every second enjoying it. I 

am so thankful to live in this 

amazing state, but the beauty 

and lure of the mountains can 

make it difficult to engage our 

members during this season. 

I have complied a few 

of my thoughts on how to 

continue to engage your 

members during this busy 

season. 

Robin Haux, BS 

Labor Program 

Director 

part of creating a survey is input from the 

nurses. We encourage every nurse to participate in 

the creation, drafting, and participation of the survey. 

Additionally, peer-to-peer discussions are the best way 

to encourage your co-workers to participate. 

Why is a pre-bargaining survey important? 

There are many benefits to a pre-bargaining survey. 

First, as mentioned above, it allows for your bargaining 

teams and labor staff to gather a more complete 

picture of the direction the local unit wants to take 

at their negotiations and again, allow every nurse 

the opportunity to provide input. Any opportunity 

your labor representatives and negotiating team 

can speak phrases such as: “all the nurses feel…” 

or “90% percent of the nurses want …” it helps your 

team make a better argument at the table. We cannot 

underscore the importance of each nurse taking a 

few minutes to participate in their survey. A low survey 

participation rate reduces the effectiveness of the 

survey at the table. 

When your local unit has upcoming negotiations, 

remember the importance of the Pre-Bargaining 

Survey! Ask your labor representative to help your 

local develop the survey and encourage all the nurses 

to participate! Participation is crucial towards the 

effectiveness! 

Isn’t summer just the best?? 

1. Organize around major issues: Don’t just have 

a meeting to have a meeting. Utilize everyone’s 

time wisely by having a topic, issue, or plan to 

base your meeting on. Develop an agenda to 

keep the meeting on track. Make sure you are 

asking your members to show up for important 

meetings, not meeting just for the heck of it. 

2. Meet them where they are: 10 minute meetings 

allow for quick updates before and after shifts. 

If your goal is to educate and update your 

members on a topic, the 10 minute meeting is 

golden. Reserve a meeting space in your facility 

(if possible), and hold your meetings before and 

after shift change or during breaks. Develop 

a short, focused agenda and stick to your 

timeframe. This is a great way to get information 

out there and log some face time with your 

members. 

3. Make it accessible: Utilizing social media, not 

only to publicize your meetings but also to post 

Director of Nursing 

Leslie Shepherd, 

BSN, RN, Labor 

Representative 

41 bed long term care facility 

Graduate from an accredited nursing school and 3 to 5 

years progressive experience in nursing. Must hold a 

valid Montana license as a Registered Nurse 

Application can be found at www.prco.mt.gov 

or mailed to PO Box 200, Broadus, MT 59317 

For more info call 406-436-2657 

EOE 

updates and inform your members is a fast 

and effective way to broadcast information. 

Facebook live is a great tool to utilize video 

updates on the happenings in your local or 

even hold digital 10 minute meetings. It allows 

for your union members to join meetings from 

anywhere and watch recordings anytime. 

4. Fun Family Events: Having local celebrations or 

meetings that welcome kids and families to join 

will make it easier for many members to attend. 

Extra Credit if you hold your meetings at a local 

park or lake to make it a true summer event! I 

think pot-luck barbeques are a fantastic, cost 

effective way to bring your union members 

together for a fun afternoon or evening. 

5. Respect their time: If you have difficulty rallying 

the troops during this season, don’t lose heart. 

We all need time away, time with our families, 

and time to ourselves. Time away can be 

rejuvenating and help to fire your members 

up for future meetings, collective actions, and 

working in solidarity to improve your working 

conditions. Encourage your members to take 

the time that they need, so they can come back 

stronger and ready for whatever comes next. 

So with that, I encourage you to plan wisely. Have a 

fantastic summer and stay safe out there! 

RNs & LPNs 

FT/PT/PRN – All shifts available 

Sign On Bonus Available! 

Big Sandy Medical Center, Inc 

Critical Access Hospital, Longterm 

Care Facility and Rural Health Clinic. 

166 Montana Ave. East | Big Sandy, MT 59520 

(406) 378-2188 | www.bsmc.org 

The strength that nurses 

build to use their collective 

voice to improve wages, 

working conditions, and 

patient care comes from 

spending time together. 

Time spent getting to know 

one another and form 

group opinions and goals 

is essential to building 

a powerful voice and an 

effective union. 

How Do You Engage in 

the Conversation? 

Sandi Luckey 

Labor 


Union Meetings – Most MNA union officers/ 

Staff RNs meet monthly. Some meet quarterly. 

Attending union meetings is the best way to 

interact. You can join the discussion taking place, 

bring a newly recognized issue to everyone’s 

attention, or get the latest updates on what the 

union is working on or has planned for the future. 

Professional Conference Committee/Labor 

Management Committee (PCC /LMC) are 

monthly meetings made up of half union nurses 

and half management/administration. PCC works 

on problem-solving and collaborative projects 

and can be an exciting place to move new ideas 

into new practices. Union contracts establish a 

specific number of voting members but guests are 

usually welcome to sit in and watch it happen. With 

advance notice, guests can often participate in 

the conversation as well, and if there’s a vacancy 

in voting members you may be able to become an 

assigned member. 

Social Media Pages and Groups – Many of 

the MNA Local Units have social media sites where 

members can engage in discussions, share news, 

and coordinate meetings and other activities. On 

the state level, MNA also has a Facebook page and 

interacts with members on posts and through their 

messaging service. It’s where people engage these 

days, and your nurse union is no different. 

Other means of engaging include emails and 

group emails, text messaging and group texting, 

publications like The Pulse, events like our annual 

Convention, and so much more. Our power is in 

our collective strength to move issues, to face 

challenges, and to make the world a better place 

for Registered Nurses, the families they love and 

support, and the patients for which they care. 

If you’re not a part of the conversations taking place, 

your views are missing from our goals. I encourage 

you to look for the MNA communication path you will 

choose to build something powerful today! 

We are looking for 

passionate and 

caring nurses to 

join our team. 

RN – Inpatient Nursing 

Full Time or Part Time 

Competitive salary, great benefit package, 

student loan repayment and relocation expenses available. 

Please contact the HR department at (406) 228.3662 for more information. 

http://www.fmdh.org 

FMDH is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer


Labor Reports and News 

AFL-CIO Montana Annual 

63 rd Convention 2019 

Patient Care and 

Mobilization 

MNA collective bargaining 

members, rest assured you 

were represented by two 

wonderful candidates this 

year – staff nurses Jessica 

Sneddon from Missoula and 

Jennifer Miller from Glendive! 

MNA collective bargaining 

nurses please remember, the 

AFL-CIO convention is a very 

valuable event and being an 

MNA delegate is a fun and 

rewarding position, please 

consider this position in future! 

Your delegates were well 

Amy Hauschild, 

BSN, RN, Labor 


prepared and fully participated. They even volunteered 

to attend the resolutions committee even though that 

was not their assignment (though they were invited to 

attend without vote). 

Elections for Officers took place, Al Ekblad was 

re-elected to the highest MT AFL-CIO staff position 

of Executive Secretary. Quint Nyman from Montana 

Federation of Public Employees was also re-elected to 

the position of Treasurer, MT AFL-CIO. 

Randy Tocci, Local President for Local D-239 and 

a lead warehouseman in the Three Forks Emeris Talc 

Plant was elected President of the Montana AFL-CIO. 

As many of you know, Randy’s unit was locked-out 

of the Emeris Three Forks site for several months last 

year after contract negotiations broke down. MNA and 

MNA members wholly supported our Local D-239 

union brothers and sisters by assisting them on the 

picket line, providing supplies and basically helping 

with anything they needed. 

Kim Rickard, Laborers 1686, received the 2019 

AFL-CIO Lifetime Achievement Award. Kim is the 

Business Manager for the Laborers 1686 out of 

Helena. Kim has worked tirelessly throughout her 

career supporting union workers in Montana. 

The delegates to the 63 rd convention passed 

several resolutions. I am going to iterate them by title, 

if anyone would like more detailed information, please 

do not hesitate to contact me directly and I will gladly 

provide more detail than this article space will allow! 

• Resolution Supporting Worker Safety 

• Resolution Supporting Full Employment and 

$15.00/Hr. Minimum Wage 

• Resolution Supporting the Protection of the 

Right to Organize Act (PRO Act) 

• Resolution MT AFL-CIO Support for Public 

Schools and Opposition to Privatization with 

Public Funds 

• Resolution Opposing Plans to Close Job Corps 

Civilian Conservation Centers 

• Resolution Opposing a Statewide Sales Tax 

• Resolution Opposing the Privatization of 

Worker’s Compensation 

• Resolution Recognizing Climate Change, 

Energy and Union Jobs 

As nurses, we are on the 

front lines of patient care in 

Montana. Whether in Acute 

Care, Critical Access, or 

state facilities, we are in 

the best position to know 

what our patients and their 

families need to recover and 

stay well. At the MNA, as 

the voice for professional 

nurses across the state, we 

recognize that advocating 

for our patients doesn't just 

happen when it is time to 

negotiate a contract, but every single day. 

Myles Aion 

Labor Staff 

Year after year, we are voted as the most 

trusted profession in America. When we speak, the 

community listens. It is our responsibility to make sure 

that we are speaking up when our patients are not 

getting the kind of resources they need. If you work in 

a facility with a collective bargaining agreement, you 

already have contract language and a process through 

which you can advocate for those kinds of resources. 

That may be through Labor-Management meetings or 

unit meetings. It may just be through working with the 

rest of the nurses on your unit to document and inform 

your hospital or clinic administration of shortcomings. 

Many nurses across the state do not currently 

have a collective bargaining agreement, a 

contract. However, because Montana is a justcause 

employment state, that means you have the 

professional protection to speak up for your patients 

and your coworkers. More often than not, our 

patients do not know if they are getting the proper 

and appropriate level of care. It is our responsibility 

to advocate for them when they cannot advocate for 

themselves. Trust in your expertise, your training, and 

your experience. You are the best chance your patient 

has to heal and stay healed. 

Speak with your coworkers, the nurses working 

beside you every day and night. Get together outside 

of work and talk about your vision for your floor or 

unit. Share your experiences and be a support to 

one another. Remember, when nurses speak up, the 

community listens. Together we are stronger than we 

know, and our hospitals and clinics cannot run without 

us. 

If you have questions about how to mobilize your 

coworkers to improve patient care, or if you feel as 

though you are being singled out for raising concerns, 

reach out to MNA's labor staff today. As your staff, we 

are here to support the working nurses of Montana 

and to help you make your voice heard. 

REGISTERED 

NURSES... 

Montana Ranks Among Best States for 

Nurses to Work 

Earn Your Bachelor of 

Science in Nursing 

(BSN) Degree Online! 

Admit Fall, Spring and 

Summer Semesters 

Key program features: 

• Allows RNs to receive their four-year degree at a distance 

• Fully accredited by the ACEN 

• Earn college credit for current Registered Nurse State 

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Applications to the program are accepted any time. This is 

an ongoing process. Admission to the program occurs Fall, 

Spring and/or Summer semester. 

For info: 858.3101 or 1.800.777.0750 

www.minotstateu.edu/nursing or 

email nursing@minotstateu.edu. 

Reported in Becker’s Hospital Review Online 

Montana ranked number six. Reported in Becker’s 

Hospital Review link WalletHub.com, key issues 

impacting nursing employment includes the aging U.S. 

population, the student-loan crisis and concerns about 

the future of key health policy programs. Despite those 

challenges, however, aspiring nurses have much to 

look forward to when they become licensed. Nursing 

occupations are some of the most secure careers 

with the lowest unemployment rates in the nation. In 

fact, projected through 2026, the industry is expected 

to grow at more than double the rate of the average 

occupation. 

WalletHub analysts compared the 50 states and 

the District of Columbia across two key dimensions: 

(1) opportunity and competition, and (2) work 

environment. Analysts evaluated those two dimensions 

using 21 metrics, including nurses’ average annual 

salary, monthly average starting salary and mandatory 

overtime restrictions. 

Here are the best states to work as a nurse based 

on the analysis: 

1. Oregon 

2. Minnesota 

3. Washington 

4. New Mexico 

5. Maine 

6. Montana 

7. Arizona 

8. Nevada 

9. New Hampshire 

10. Iowa 

Access more information about the metrics used for 

the analysis is available at the website: 

https://wallethub.com/edu/best-states-fornurses/4041/#methodology


Executive Director Report continued from page 1 

no legislative agenda and action, workplace support, 

practice protection, or professional development, just 

to name a few. Please take time to read this article as 

it has been retyped from thin onion paper with typos 

corrected with multiple bold types over the top of 

incorrect letters (no such thing as white out or erase 

ink in the 60’s). 

MNA appreciates you, Mary Munger, very much. 

Montana Nurses’ Association 

Wheat Building, Suite 326 

Helena, Montana 59601 

Membership – A Professional Commitment 

It is one thing to have been educated and licensed 

as an R.N., another to be employed as an R.N., but 

the mark of a real professional is a love for and 

interest in, what is happening to that profession, and 

a commitment to help it. Without taking this third step, 

Great news, The 66 th 

Montana Legislative Session 

was a success: 

Senate Bill 94: Global 

Signature Authority: 

MNA worked gathering 

consensus and Senator 

Terry Gauthier brought the 

bill forward. There was no 

opposition in the legislature 

and it passed unanimously. 

This bill helps to reduce 

barriers by granting NPs the 

authority to sign paperwork 

when the APRN has the ability within their scope 

to sign such paperwork. There are several laws 

that were just written in the past years that omitted 

APRNs from signing. Rather than try and find each 

and every law to get “APRN” added, MNA helped 

APRN Corner 

Keven Comer 

MN, APRN, FNP-BC 

without identification as a member of the professional 

nursing organization, many nurses are merely draining 

the good from the profession without adding their 

share to keep it strong and dynamic. 

What exists today as professional nursing, good or 

bad, is here because other professionals wanted to 

make it better, yes, for themselves, but also for future 

generations. What happens to nursing in the future is 

dependent on action taken by nurses today through 

their professional organization. 

The privilege of licensure as an R.N. is probably 

nursing’s most precious heritage. It is recognition 

by society that nurses have a special service to give. 

Licensure was obtained because nurses united in 

organization were able to convince the state legislature 

of the need. MNA is once again in legislation to 

strengthen the Nursing Practice Act by making 

licensure mandatory for practical nursing just as it now 

is for professional nursing. 

The content of nursing education, while 

everchanging, is a result from the work of many 

write and submit the bill that would allow APRNs 

to sign if their scope allowed. These include some 

hunting permits forms, school forms, etc. 

House Bill 98: This act amended provisions 

relating to physical and mental health evaluations 

of peace officers. Prior to the amendment, the law 

allowed only physicians to complete the exam. The 

amended section 7-32-303 now allows APRNs 

to provide these exams for peace officers. It was 

signed into law by Governor Bullock on April 17 th . 

I would recommend if you see a state form 

saying “physician-only signature,” that you copy the 

law and attach (staple it) it to the form and send it 

into the agency. If you get any questions, pushback 

or denials from the agency please reach out to me 

immediately so I can seek to remedy. If you are 

unclear about when you can sign, please reach out 

as well. Keven.comer@gmail.com 

For more information on the Bills visit www.leg.mt.gov 

nursing leaders who pooled their experiences and 

ideas within organization and set standards for schools 

of nursing to follow. These standards are under study 

within nursing organization. 

The functions performed by nurses in various 

settings have been identified and mastered by 

professionals again through organization. These 

functions and responsibilities are subject to constant 

study because of the increased demands for nursing 

service and new discoveries of medical science. 

Today’s R.N. needs to be able to take on many new 

and complex responsibilities. Good examples are 

the intensive care units and coronary care units 

in hospitals where the R.N. sits at the control of 

machines and is the barricade between the life and 

death of patients within. Her call to the physician and 

her action until he arrives, will decide the fate of the 

patient. Freeing nurses from tradition bound duties so 

that he or she can perform as this highly specialized 

specialist is one of the greatest challenges facing 

the profession. The professional organization tries to 

help nurses become aware of, and accept, changing 

concepts of practice through institutes, workshops, 

professional journals, etc., but desire to change 

depends on the motivation of the individual nurse. 

Through research financed by nurses, it is known 

that nurses are motivated when they are paid 

adequately for their services and when they share in 

making decisions about employment matters and 

which affect nursing practice – another professional 

goal. 

After twenty years of effort great progress is being 

made this past year in not only raising nursing salaries, 

but in recognition by many, including employers, of the 

right of nurses to have more to say about their working 

conditions. The key to success this past year has been 

the unity among nurses – their willingness to work 

together collectively to seek needed changes. Nurses 

are demanding and getting more equitable salaries 

and their ideas for improving nursing practice are 

also being heard. MNA is again in the state legislature 

seeking a law to protect R.N.’s and L.P.N.’s as they try 

to work collectively to improve employment practices. 

There are some poor practitioners in nursing as in 

most professions. When nurses salaries really reflect 

the value of the service, reach a professional level, 

patients can only afford to pay for the highest quality 

of care – the best nurse possible is another goal of the 

professional organization. 

The mechanics of most organizations are not very 

interesting, but they are the lifeline – the umbilical cord 

– between the nurse and the profession. Dramatic 

changes are taking place within the professional 

organization on itself to better meet the change of 

nurses and the profession. 

These major continuing concerns of the profession 

make up the substance of district, state and national 

organizational meetings. The help of all R.N.’s is 

needed to study the issues and make decisions which 

will safeguard the future of the nursing profession. 

Membership in MNA is a sure way of helping! 

(Munger, n.d.) 

References 

Jacobson, H. (2009, July 17). A Walk through Helena, 

c. 1969. Helena Independent Record. Retrieved 

from https://helenair.com/news/opinion/a-walk- 

through-helena-c/article_1b2a91f2-a817-580a-91b0- 

b8a05ae289f6.html 

Munger, M. (n.d.). Membership: A professional 

commitment. Letter. 

MNA was once again in the state legislature (2019), 

advocating to strengthen the practice of our registered 

nurses. A bill MNA was able to advocate for our 

Advanced Practice Registered Nurses was SB 94 

and states: “When a provision of law or administrative 

rule requires a signature, certification, stamp, 

verification, affidavit, or endorsement by a physician, 

the requirement may be fulfilled by an advanced 

practice registered nurse practicing within the scope 

of the advance practice registered nurse's certification; 

provided, however, that nothing in this section shall be 

construed to expand the scope of practice of nurse 

practitioners.” This signature authority bill is for all 

the APRNs, not just those that are members. The bill 

is critical for access to care issues and became law 

upon the signature from the Governor. 

This is just a prime example of the good work MNA 

does and the need for all RNs to recognize the impact 

MNA has on the profession and commit to helping that 

continue by becoming a member of their professional 

nurse association.


TO THE FOLLOWING NURSES 

WHO HAVE TAKEN ADVANTAGE 

OF THE SUCCESS PAYS OFFERING 

BY ANCC TO MNA MEMBERS! 

1. Amber Dean DNP, PMHNP-BC; certified in Psychiatric Mental 

Health and Family Nurse Practitioner 

2. Margaret Frankino RN-BC; certified in Psychiatric-Mental Health 

Nursing 

3. Holly Gumz RN-BC; certified in Medical-Surgical Nursing 

4. Carissa Petty RN-BC; certified in Medical-Surgical Nursing 

5. Rebecca Martin RN-BC; certified in Medical-Surgical Nursing 

6. Ciarra White RN-BC; certified in Medical-Surgical Nursing 

7. Jessie Cheff RN-BC-certified in Medical-Surgical Nursing 

8. Jack Crocifisso RN-BC; certified in Medical-Surgical Nursing 

9. Lisa Stricker RN-BC; certified in Pain Management Nursing 

10. Kaylee Dugan RN-BC; certified in Medical-Surgical Nursing 

& 

Janice D. Hausauer, DNP, APRN, 

FNP-BC won the AANP 2019 State 

Award for Excellence in NP clinical 

practice at the June annual AANP 

awards ceremony in Indianapolis IN. 

Janice holds faculty appointment at 

MSU College of Nursing and an active 

MNA member. 

New Member Benefit: MNA now offers certification through 

ANCC’s Success Pays ® Program 

> Reduced fee for MNA Members to obtain initial certification or 

recertify 

> No cost if you don’t pass the exam; you can also take the 

exam a second time at no cost 

> Pay only when you pass! 

> Identify your specialty practice area 

How Success Pays ® Works 

> Visit nursingworld.org/our-certifications/ to: 

• Make sure you’re eligible to sit for the exam 

• Look at the test blueprint and test preparation materials 

• Make the decision to move forward 

> Visit www.mtnurses.org and click on Success Pays ® option to 

the left and sign up for the program! 

> MNA will contact you regarding how to get the benefit. 

NursingALD.com can point you 

right to that perfect NURSING JOB! 

NursingALD.com 

Free to Nurses 

Privacy Assured 

Easy to Use 

To view all of our jobs, please go to https://www.krh.org/krhc/about/careers 

Kalispell Regional Healthcare 

310 Sunnyview Lane, Kalispell, MT 59901 

EOE-AA-M/F-VET-DISABILITY 

E-mailed Job Leads


ANA Quality & Innovation Conference 

Hope Sukut, District 3 – Attending the ANA 

conference in Florida was a definite high point in 

my short nursing career. Having newly graduated 

last spring, I didn’t know what to expect from a 

nursing conference. The facility was fantastic, the 

weather in Orlando was sublime and the conference 

was informative and inspirational. I gained insight, 

reignited motivation and made new friends at the 

three-day event showcasing the latest trends and 

technology in nursing. Particularly helpful to me were 

the general sessions and a workshop highlighting 

teamwork between physicians and nurses. It’s 

encouraging to hear what other nurses have 

accomplished for themselves and their facilities when 

they are willing to take risks to implement new ideas 

and work hard to improve outcomes for patients. 

I am so thankful that MNA made the investment 

to send me to this conference. I will attend more 

conferences in the future because of this experience. 

Holly Gumz, District 1 – Because of the 

Montana Nurse’s Association, I was one of 10 

attendees at this year’s ANA Quality and Innovation 

Conference in Orlando, Florida. Participants were 

offered a multitude of educational opportunities that 

piqued the interests of bedside nurses, including 

clinical nurse leaders and administrators. As an 

RN with less than three years’ experience, my 

goal in attending this year was to learn about new 

technologies to enhance patient outcomes in rural 

healthcare environments, including unique strategies 

to attract and retain nursing staff, specifically newgraduate 

nurses. 

This conference shed light on multiple driving 

forces influencing quality and innovation in 

healthcare. One factor permitting hospitals to meet 

core measures, allow for creativity in problem solving 

and achieve a high level of nurse satisfaction is when 

collaboration takes place between nurses, medical 

providers and administrators. 

Collaboration amongst care providers reinforces 

nursing insight and experience by including their 

thoughts and ideas into the decision-making 

process. This affects many aspects of care: 

the policies guiding our practice, the diagnostic 

equipment used to assess the patient and our 

ability to build rapport at the bedside with patients 

and family. Applying these and other conference 

discussions to unique Montana healthcare 

environments has the potential to overcome retention 

challenges and improve patient outcomes. 

Tristan Ulmer, District 4 – Thank you very 

much for the opportunity to attend the ANA Quality 

Conference in Florida. The conference was very 

motivating and encouraged us, as nurses, to grow 

and not just be ready and flexible to change, but to 

be the ones who lead the change in providing better 

healthcare. We have the ability to build up other 

nurses and create a more positive and cohesive work 

environment. The conference talked about the voice 

we have as a nurse, that our voice matters and that 

we can empower one another to use our voices, 

appropriately and professionally, to create more 

nurse leaders. We need to guide new nurses to not 

just be good, but to be the best nurse they can be. 

Thank you again, I really appreciate the educational 

opportunity and needed the encouragement. 

Randy Parker, 

District 1 – The girls 

at work asked me how 

I was picked to attend 

the ANA Quality and 

Innovation Conference 

in Orlando, FL. I simply 

stated, “I always look 

at my E-Mail from 

the MNA.” I read the 

email, filled out the 

questionnaire, and was 

chosen to attend this 

wonderful conference. 

The MNA booked the 

airfare and hotel for me 

and several nurses across Montana. They even had 

us registered for the conference. How easy is that? 

Now I could go on for days about all the different 

presentations but I am not allowed so many words. 

“Be The Spark” with 

Simon T. Bailey 

Simon will get a 

crowd fired up and 

excited to be part of 

the experience. He 

spoke about failure 

and success. Did 

you know that failure 

comes before success 

in the dictionary? Are 

you willing to admit 

your failures so that 

others may learn? 

Do we admit our 

failures to ourselves 

and realize it is not the end, but an opportunity to 

improve ourselves? When is the last time you looked 

at yourself and did any sort of evaluation? Better yet, 

are you willing to ask people close to you “What do 

I need to work on”? We may not like the answers 

we are given but are we willing to listen and improve 

ourselves so that we may better serve others? 

“Patient as CEO” by Robin Farmanfarmaian 

Robin spoke about the shifts in healthcare 

and how to diagnose, treatment and access to 

direct patient care is changing and needs to make 

changes in this world we live in. Now there will 

always be a need for Emergency rooms and family 

doctors, but what if people started being the CEO 

of their healthcare? Robin has dealt with major 

health issues since she was in her twenties but no 

doctor once said: “Robin with the rapid advances 

in health care let’s hold off doing surgery and wait 

on technology.” If they would have held out for 

advances in medicine she may still have three major 

organs. In Montana, we lack the resources that the 

bigger cities have when it comes to just ordering up 

a nurse or other specialties to come to the home. I 

have to agree with Robin in the sense that most of 

us do not think outside the box when it comes to 

healthcare and how we can take more control over 

where or how we are treated for medical conditions. 

The average patient rarely questions their doctor on 

recommended treatments or gets a second opinion. 

Robin is asking for people to take control of their lives 

and not just settle for one person's opinion that may 

affect the rest of your life. 

I want to thank Vicky and everyone at the MNA 

who helped me get to this conference. It was a blast 

and I look forward to sharing everything I learned 

with my co-workers!! 

JOIN OUR NURSING FACULTY 

City College at MSU Billings seeks: 

• Full-time Mental Health and 

Management Faculty or 

• Part-time Mental Health and 

Management Faculty and 

• Clinical Resource Registered Nurses 

to oversee students in clinical sites. 

Contact me for more information: Susan Floyd, 

Director of Nursing, MSU – Billings City College 

sfloyd@msubillings.edu | (406) 247-3073


Professional Development Department 

What’s next for nursing? Focus on 2020-2030 

We are all familiar 

with the important work 

conducted by the Institute 

of Medicine (now the 

National Academy of 

Medicine), leading to the 

2010 publication of The 

Future of Nursing: Leading 

Change, Advancing Health. 

This report detailed eight 

important requirements 

to position nursing as a 

key player in the healthcare 

system. These included: 

1. Removing scope of 

practice barriers 

Pam A. Dickerson, 

PhD, RN-BC, FAAN 

Director of 

Professional 

Development 

2. Expanding opportunities for nurses to lead 

and diffuse collaborative improvement efforts 

3. Implementing nurse residency programs 

4. Increasing proportion of nurses with a 

baccalaureate degree to 80% by 2020 

5. Doubling the number of nurses with a 

doctorate by 2020 

6. Ensuring that nurses engage in life-long 

learning 

7. Preparing and enabling nurses to lead 

changes to advance health 

8. Building an infrastructure for the collection 

and analysis of interprofessional healthcare 

workforce data 

A subsequent report published in 2015 provided 

a five-year update on progress in addressing 

these recommendations. Based on the work 

accomplished between 2010 and 2015, the IOM 

emphasized five key areas of focus for the next five 

years of the project: 

1. Removing scope of practice barriers – while 

progress has been made in this area, there 

are still significant barriers to APRN practice. 

The new recommendation was to not only 

continue efforts to remove these barriers but 

also focus on interprofessional collaboration 

to improve healthcare practice. 

2. Transforming education – significant work 

remains in the key areas of supporting 

academic advancement for nurses to obtain 

baccalaureate degrees; building sustainable 

nurse residency programs; encouraging 

advanced academic education, especially 

at the PhD level; and promoting life-long 

learning and interprofessional collaboration. 

3. Collaborating and leading – nurses must 

be present and active in supporting change 

to promote health. The report encouraged 

nurses to engage in leadership positions in 

healthcare organizations as well as other 

health-promotion venues and to actively 

engage in interprofessional collaborative 

efforts and leadership development. 

4. Promoting diversity – culturally sensitive care 

requires a culturally diverse workforce. The 

updated report recommended continued 

efforts to prioritize and promote diversity in 

nursing and other areas of health care. 

5. Improving data – major gaps remain in 

analysis of healthcare providers, including 

types of providers, where they work, and the 

roles they fill. Data collection and analysis are 

important in identifying areas of need and 

prioritizing education and practice initiatives. 

Significantly more work is needed in this area. 

Now – what about the future? Work is currently 

underway to analyze needs in the upcoming 

decade. A series of town hall meetings are being 

held to engage nurses around the country in 

considering: 

1. The role of nurses in improving health 

2. Current and future deployment across the 

healthcare continuum 

3. System facilitators and barriers to diversity in 

the nursing and healthcare workforce 

4. The role of nursing in facilitating engagement 

of individuals, families, and communities in 

shaping an evolving healthcare system 

5. Training and competencies needed for 

nurses to practice outside of the acute care 

environment and be leaders in building a 

culture of health 

6. The ability of nurses to serve as change 

agents in health care 

7. Research needed to identify ways nursing 

can contribute to eliminating gaps and 

disparities in healthcare 

8. The importance of nurse well-being and 

resilience 

Montana State University professor Peter 

Buerhaus, PhD, RN, is a member of the Future of 

Nursing 2020-2030 committee. The committee is 

led by Mary Wakefield, PhD, RN, who is the former 

Acting Deputy Secretary of the US Department of 

Health and Human Services. 

What you can do: 

Join the Future of Nursing listserv: https://us11. 

list-manage.com/subscribe?u=1dee17686e06c5e59 

6766b1df&id=b8ba6f1aa1 

Join a twitter conversation using 

#FutureofNursing2030 

You can be part of the action in shaping nursing 

and healthcare in the future!


Professional Development Department 

How Do You Prepare to Work with Veterans? 

On June 6 th , 2018, the President signed into effect 

the VA MISSION ACT for covered veterans to receive 

necessary hospital care, medical services and extended 

care services from non-VA entities or providers in the 

community. This rule became effective June 6 th , 2019. 

Veterans have very unique needs related to their 

service experience; types of physical, mental, and 

emotional situations to which they were exposed; location 

of deployment; and many other factors. We know that 

rates of illness and suicide are very high among the 

veteran population. Their families have complex needs, as 

well. 

What are the interfaces between the VA and civilian 

health care sectors? What factors impact benefits for 

veterans and their families? How can we be sensitive 

Mary Thomas, BA, RN 

RN Professional 

Development Associate 

to their needs, respectful in our care, and diligent in ensuring safe and effective 

interventions? How can we work effectively within our health care teams to meet 

veterans’ needs? 

On Thursday, November 7, 2019, MNA will offer our fourth annual conference, 

“Seamless Health Care for Our Veterans,” jointly provided with the VA 

Healthcare Center, Fort Harrison, the Montana Geriatric Education Center, 

and the Montana Primary Care Association. This conference offers a unique 

opportunity for nurses and other members of the healthcare team to learn 

information, identify resources, discover tools to help civilian and VA healthcare 

providers meet the needs of this very special patient population, and network 

with colleagues from around the state. 

It’s become common practice to ask patients, “Have you ever served in the 

military?” But what do you do with the answer to that question? Another question 

to ask a veteran is “What is the one thing you would want your doctor, nurse, 

therapist, employer, etc. to know about you as a veteran?” 

How does the answer influence your care plan and future interactions with that 

individual and significant others? 

There is a plethora of Military Culture information provided by the Bureau of 

Veterans Affairs. One resource I found was the PsychArmor Institute (https:// 

psycharmor.org) which provides critical resources to Americans so they can 

effectively engage with and support military service members, Veterans and their 

families across our nation. 

It listed 15 Things that Veterans want YOU to know: I found the following 

fascinating: 

1. We are not all soldiers 

2. Reserves are part of the military 

3. Not everyone in the military is infantry (in tanks, on patrol, etc.) 

4. Military has leaders at every level in the chain of command 

5. Military is always on duty 

6. Take pride in appearance and conduct 

7. We did not all kill someone 

8. We do not all have PTSD 

9. Those of us who do have invisible wounds of war are not dangerous or 

violent 

10. It’s hard to ask for help 

11. Our military service changes us 

12. We differ in how much we identify with the military after we leave active 

duty 

13. Our families serve with us 

14. We would die for each other and our country 

15. We all made this sacrifice for one reason: to serve something more 

important than ourselves 

Each year, conference topics are selected based on identified needs 

of providers and patients. This year’s conference will include sessions on 

Managing Pain in Addiction and Medication Assisted Recovery, Traumatic Brain 

Injury diagnosis and management and cognitive behavior therapy for PTSD, 

management of Insomnia and case management in assisting veterans and 

soldiers in accessing veterans’ benefits and care. 

The conference will be held at the Education Center in the Lower Commons 

at Carroll College in Helena on Thursday, November 7 th , 2019. We are also video 

broadcasting to host sites around this big state to bring this wonderful event to 

all interested healthcare providers. Healthcare professionals will register on the 

CNEbyMNA Website and may attend remotely in Lewistown, Glasgow, Miles 

City and Missoula. Details will be posted on the website also. All healthcare 

professionals are invited to attend! Please consider this resource for you and 

your colleagues. To register and view the agenda, go to our website at www. 

cnebymna. 

Be sure to check out our 

CNEbyMNA Website for 

Continuing Education 

opportunities. Sign up 

for upcoming events and 

online learning courses. It is 

constantly updated with new 

Webinars and Courses for your 

continued learning! 

*Montana Nurses 

Association is accredited 

with distinction as a provider 

of continuing nursing 

education by the American 

Nurses Credentialing 

Center’s Commission on 

Accreditation* 

$15.00 $15.00 

What is Your 

Learning 

Environment? 

see more 

$15.00 $15.00 

Transitions of 

Care: 

Interfacility 

Transfers 

Performing 

a Quick and 

Helpful Physical 

Assessment 

see more 

Quick Review of 

12-lead ECG 

see more 

see more 

www.cnebymna.com


Montana Nurses Association 

Approved Providers 

MNA thanks all of the Approved Provider Units we work with for their 

commitment to advancing and promoting quality nursing practice through 

continuing nursing education. 

Excerpts from ANA 

Acute Care Education 

Vancouver, WA 

Alaska Division of Public Health 

Anchorage, AK 

Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium 

Anchorage, AK 

Alaska Nurses Association 

Anchorage, AK 

Alaska Regional Hospital 

Anchorage, AK 

Alzheimer’s Resource of Alaska 

Anchorage, AK 

Bartlett Regional Hospital 

Juneau, AK 

With Distinction 

Benefis Healthcare Systems 

Great Falls, MT With Distinction 

Billings Clinic 

Billings, MT 

Bozeman Deaconess Hospital 

Bozeman, MT 

Cardea Services 

Seattle, WA 

Caring for Hawai’i Neonates 

Honolulu, HI 

Central Peninsula General Hospital 

Soldatna, AK With Distinction 

Cheyenne Regional Medical Center 

Cheyenne, WY 

Community Medical Center 

Missoula, MT 

Evergreen Health 

Kirkland, WA 

Fairbanks Memorial Hospital 

Fairbanks, AK 

Kadlec Regional Medical Center 

Richland, WA 

Kalispell Regional Healthcare System 

Kalispell, MT 

Kootenai Health 

Coeur d’Alene, ID 

Mat-Su Regional Medical Center 

Palmer, AK 

Montana Geriatric Education Center of UM 

Missoula, MT With Distinction 

Montana Health Network 

Miles City, MT 

Montana VA Health Care System 

Helena, MT With Distinction 

Mountain Pacific Quality Health 

Helena, MT 

North Valley Hospital 

Whitefish, MT 

Pacific Lutheran University 

Tacoma, WA 

Partnership Health Center 

Missoula, MT 

With Distinction 

Planned Parenthood of the Great 

Northwest and the Hawaiian Islands 

Seattle, WA 

Providence Alaska Learning Institute 

Anchorage, AK 

Providence Healthcare 

Spokane, WA 

Providence St. Patrick Hospital 

Missoula, MT With Distinction 

South Dakota Nurses Association 

Pierre, SD 

South Peninsula Hospital 

Homer, AK 

St. Alphonsus Health System 

Boise, ID 

St. James Healthcare 

Butte, MT 

St. Luke’s Health System 

Boise, ID 

St. Peter’s Health 

Helena, MT 

St. Vincent Healthcare 

Billings, MT 

UF Health Shands Hospital 

Gainesville, FL 

Wisconsin Nurses Association 

Madison, WI With Distinction 

Wrangell Medical Center 

Wrangell, AK With Distinction


Tracey Long, PhD, RN, MS, MSN, CDE, CNE, 

CHUC, CCRN 

“I hate my body.” “Where did all these ugly gray 

hairs and wrinkles come from?” “How could anyone 

find me attractive when I look like this?” “My body is 

such a burden.” 

If you’re like 97% of the American population, 

you’ve probably said something like this to yourself. 

According to a repeat survey done by Glamour 

magazine 30 years ago and updated in 2014, 

54% of women are unhappy with their body and 

80% claim the mirror makes them feel bad about 

themselves. Even men admit to body image angst; 

from 1997 to 2001, the number of men who had 

cosmetic surgery increased 256%. Unhappiness 

about body image has been reported among girls 

as young as age six. Clearly, we need to evaluate 

the messages the mirror is sending to us. 

Mirror, mirror, on the wall 

Although many of us rely on mirror messages 

as the absolute truth, we need to be aware of the 

inherent distortions the mirror may hold. Ever 

since 8,000 B.C., when the mirror made its first 

appearance, people have been evaluating their 

personal worth based on their physical appearance. 

Two opposite attitudes exist: Some people are 

fixated by their own faces, as shown by an 

obsession with “selfies.” Others declare their body 

hatred throughout the day as we often see on social 

media. We have a love-hate relationship with the 

mirror—but the mirror may not always tell the truth. 

People with anorexia nervosa see a distorted 

view in the mirror; some view themselves as fat even 

though they’re dangerously thin. The mere act of 

focusing on something, such as a nose or a mole, 

may make it look larger in the mirror. Even your 

mood may affect the way you see yourself. When 

you’re tired, angry, or anxious, the mirror may reflect 

your emotions more than your true physical image. 

What the mirror tells you 

Relying on the mirror to tell you “who is the 

fairest of them all” may not give you the whole truth. 

Despite potentially negative messages people get 

from the mirror, it can provide helpful information. 

It can tell you a lot about both the outside and 

the inside of your body. Although we focus on our 

exterior image, the mirror can provide information 

about the internal health of your body. 

Using your nursing assessment skills, take an 

objective look at your skin and hair. The skin, the 

body’s largest organ, can provide a lot of feedback 

on your sleep (or lack thereof) and nutrition. Without 

adequate vitamin intake or sun, your skin may be 

pale and flaccid; without adequate essential fatty 

acids, it may be dull or dry. Stress, overwork, and 

lack of purpose in your life may reflect in the empty 

eyes that stare back at you. 

What the mirror doesn’t tell you 

Shakespeare’s Hamlet exclaimed, “What a 

piece of work is man! How noble in reason, how 

infinite in faculty! In form and moving how express 

and admirable! In action how like an angel! In 

apprehension how like a god!” 

The mirror doesn’t tell you about the amazing 

functions of your body systems, or that you and 

your body are the most brilliant creations in the 

universe. For instance, your endocrine system is an 

amazing creation of numerous autonomic functions 

working through feedback loops of chemicals 

to regulate many systems. It also balances your 

energy levels through the thyroid gland. When is 

the last time you thanked your adrenal glands for 

helping regulate your blood pressure via cortisol 

and aldosterone? 

Thanks to auto-regulation, your body can 

maintain its temperature within the same general 

range even when the environment around it 

changes constantly. Breathing is controlled by 

tissues in your carotid arteries that track carbon 

dioxide (CO2) concentration and send messages 

to the brain’s respiratory center. Your body breathes 

faster or slower to eliminate CO2 as needed, all 

without your conscious awareness. 

Your pancreas produces both insulin and 

glucagon, which naturally oppose each other, 

What the Mirror Doesn’t Tell You 

but work in harmony to balance blood glucose 

levels. These levels affect the function of all three 

trillion cells in your body. Your glucose level rises 

in the morning to awaken you and give your cells 

energy to start the day automatically. Somatostatin 

regulates the endocrine system, balancing insulin 

and glucagon to work in complete balance without 

your attention. When is the last time you thanked 

your pancreas? 

The mirror also doesn’t tell you how well your liver 

detoxifies drugs and chemicals and maintains your 

blood glucose level when you’re asleep. Nor does it 

reveal that your immune system constantly monitors 

and patrols your blood for foreign pathogens, which 

it then kills through a complex chemical cascade. 

Does the mirror tell you that your spleen has been 

working hard to store white blood cells and recycle 

red blood cells? When did you last thank your 

spleen? 

What the mirror doesn’t tell you about your 

magnificent self is far more interesting and exciting 

than the cellulite you may glimpse in the mirror. It 

doesn’t let on that your body has innate abilities, 

such as auto-regulation, self-defense, and selfhealing. 

Your body has the ability to detect injury 

and immediately goes into repair. Your natural selfhealing 

includes the inflammatory process and 

movement of white blood cells to the site of damage 

to destroy pathogens that may have caused or 

entered the injury. Your body moves gracefully 

through tissue repair and healing autonomically, 

usually. We often treat our bodies so poorly and 

then expect them to perform without our support. 

An example is giving our bodies Styrofoam (such 

as poor food choices) and expecting it to repair like 

steel. 

The nursing reflection 

Ironically, some nurses who care for sick patients 

and help promote health and healing are unhealthy 

themselves. Research shows that occupational 

stress, poor coping behaviors, and lack of support 

create anxiety and depression in nurses. The 

longitudinal Nurses’ Health Study, which began 

in 1988, examines relationships among hormone 

replacement therapy, diet, exercise, and other 

lifestyle practices and chronic illnesses. It found 

female nurses’ health was no better than that of the 

general populace. Ideally, a nurse’s health should 

reflect their education and knowledge of the human 

body. Unfortunately, knowledge alone doesn’t 

create vibrant health. We should sing along with the 

Disney character Mulan, who asks, “When will my 

reflection show who I truly am?” 

You’re invited to join the American Nurses 

Association campaign for action improving nurses’ 

health and wellness. For more information please 

visit http://www.healthynursehealthynation.org/ and 

view the free webinar on the grand health challenge 

for nurses at https://campaignforaction.org/webinar/ 

improving-nurses-health-wellness/ 

As nurses, we can do better to reflect the true 

inner beauty of our bodies—and project that beauty 

in our lifestyles. Balancing the mirror’s messages is 

the key. What the mirror doesn’t tell you can inspire 

you to honor your body. What it does tell you can 

motivate you to care for yourself, so you can better 

model healthy behaviors for patients. 

RNs and LPNs Needed 

Glacier Care Center 

707 3rd Street SE 

Cut Bank MT 59427 

Apply at www.glaciercc.com 

Fixng the mirror’s reflection 

In our society of quick fixes and limited 

warranties, it’s easy—and often necessary—to 

replace just about everything. Most material objects 

can be replaced when they’re worn out. 

The only thing that can’t be replaced is the 

human body. We can misuse and abuse it or treat 

it with loving care. Despite the amazing advances 

of medical science (and plastic surgery), your body 

is still your physical essence. Although it comes 

with a lifetime warranty, its quality isn’t guaranteed; 

that’s up to you. Our decisions can determine our 

destiny with health. Saying you don’t have time for 

your health today may leave you with no health for 

your tomorrow. 

What does your mirror say to you? Will you listen? 

AUTHOR BIO 

Tracey Long is a Professor of nursing in Las 

Vegas, Nevada for Chamberlain and Arizona 

College. As an identical twin, she regards her twin 

sister as her better reflection. 

Selected references 

Coditz GA, Manson JE, Hankinson SE. The Nurses’ Health 

Study: 20-year contribution to the understanding of health 

among women. J Women Health. 2009;6(1):49-62. 

Dove® Campaign for Real Beauty. www.dove.us/Social-Mission/ 

campaign-for-real-beauty.aspx 

Enoch JM. History of mirrors dating back 8000 years. Optom Vis 

Sci. 2006;83(10):775-781. 

Mark G, Smith AP. Occupational stress, job characteristics, 

coping, and the mental health of nurses. Br J Health Psychol. 

2012;17(3):505-21. 

Cleveland Clinic. Fostering a better self-image. Retrieve from 

http://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/healthy_living/hic_Stress_ 

Management_and_Emotional_Health/hic_Fostering_a_Positive_Self-Image 

American Nurses Association health nurses campaign. Retrieved 

from http://www.nursingworld.org/healthynurse 

Song, M. and Iovannucci, E. Nurses Health Study. JAMA 

Retrieved from http://oncology.jamanetwork.com/article. 

aspx?doi=10.1001/jamaoncol.2016.0843 

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Statewide Nursing News 

Moral Injury VS Moral Authority 

Recently Dr. Zubin Damania 

(a.k.a. ZDOGG, MD) put a 

video online that was quite 

serious. 

Over Nurses Week, I had a 

chance to not only view it but 

to share it with audiences that 

I presented for in Montana. 

These audiences were fellow 

healthcare professionals, 

mostly RNs, that could 

completely and strongly 

empathize with ZDOGG’s 

frustrations. 

Joey Traywick, 

CMSRN, 

BS Kinesiology 

Now, if you don’t know who ZDOGG is, I would 

recommend you stop reading this and go search his 

name on the web. The guy is a RIOT. He is funny, 

intelligent and thoughtful. Most of his videos are rap song 

parodies about the day to day life of those in healthcare. 

But if you want to see ZDOGG’s more serious side, 

search for his name and the term “moral injury.” You will 

see a video about six minutes in length that lays out the 

current litany of frustrations and shortcomings of modern 

healthcare workers. 

ZDOGG suggests that we do not suffer from burnout 

but that we instead suffer from moral injury – the idea 

that we are harmed because we WANT to give the best 

care but that we are PREVENTED from doing so by a 

system that is calculating and non-empathetic about 

the plight of its patients and its care providers. ZDOGG 

goes on to suggest that we demand that our leaders 

lead and that we stop calling what we are experiencing 

“burn out” but rather call it “moral injury” because we 

are consistently injured morally when we have to decide 

between serving our employer or serving our patients. It 

is intense subject matter, especially when he mentions 

that suicide rates for physicians and nurses are higher 

than the general public. 

Frankly, I couldn’t agree more. 

Recent revelations in healthcare have ROCKED our 

ability as healthcare workers to say that we represent 

the moral high ground. From pharmaceutical companies 

found guilty of hiring exotic dancers to influence 

physicians to write prescriptions for Fentanyl to sexual 

harassment claims at the highest levels of leadership 

here at home, we are desperate for an answer as to 

WHY keep doing this line of work? Long hours, sacrificed 

personal lives and an increased sense of helplessness 

underline what ZDOGG described as moral injury. And I 

believe he is spot on. 

Yet, there is still something I read recently from Mother 

Theresa that helped me put things in perspective. You 

and I signed up for this work precisely BECAUSE of 

moral injury. And physical injury. And spiritual injury. We 

are healers of injury. In spite of the lack of moral integrity 

at the upper echelons, we heal anyway. Don’t give up. 

ZDOGG may be right but his call to action is lacking. He 

simply asks that we get mad, demand more from our 

leaders and share the video. 

Climate is affecting 

our health. Today. Here 

in Montana. Montana 

Health Professionals for a 

Healthy Climate recently 

formed to promote the 

health of Montanans by 

helping address climate 

change through education, 

science, and advocacy. Our 

first official action was to 

endorse the Climate, Health 

and Equity Policy Agenda, 

released earlier this week. 

The Climate, Health and Equity Policy Agenda, 

endorsed by 74 organizations representing more 

than half a million doctors, nurses, health systems, 

public health professionals, and patients, calls for 

urgent action and provides a roadmap for local, 

state and national leaders to act now to stop 

climate pollution, promote resilient communities, 

Climate Change 

Julia Ryder 

BSN, RN, CEN 

and support the health of all Americans. Health 

Care without Harm, representing 17,000 hospitals, 

the American Medical Association, the American 

Academy of Family Physicians, and the American 

Lung Association are among the dozens of 

organizations signed onto the policy priorities. 

The past several years has seen a surge of 

concern from the health community regarding lives 

lost due to the warming climate and the air pollution 

that causes it. But rather than just conveying gloom 

and doom, the health organizations’ Call to Action 

views climate change as the ‘greatest ‘public health 

opportunity of the 21st century.’ Many actions can 

both improve human health and reduce climate 

change. This report challenges the U.S. to embrace 

such steps. Effective changes in transportation, 

housing, land use, energy, agriculture, and other 

sectors are available, affordable, and potentially lifesaving. 

The Call to Action identifies ten recommendations 

from the health care community. 

For example, using public transportation where 

available or bicycling/walking for short errands lends 

significant health benefits and lessens greenhouse 

gas emissions that help heat up our planet. The 

promotion of farmers markets boosts the purchase 

of local products, improves the sense of community 

important to mental health, and lowers emissions 

from transportation. Transitioning to renewable 

energy saves lives by decreasing air pollution and 

lowers greenhouse gas emissions. Similar actions 

are already occurring, but health providers say the 

pace of transformation needs to be quicker. 

Equity is ‘central to climate action.’ As with 

many health conditions, climate hurts certain 

populations more: children, the unborn, pregnant 

women, the elderly, indigenous peoples, lowincome 

people, outdoor workers, and those with 

chronic diseases. All these populations are wellrepresented 

in Montana. Physicians and other 

healthcare professionals feel a moral responsibility 

to safeguard the vulnerable and contend that U.S. 

climate policies and investments can serve to 

alleviate current injustices. 

Like the majority of Americans, the health 

community advocates for meeting and 

strengthening the commitments made by the United 

States in the Paris Climate Accords. Doctors, 

nurses, and other healthcare professionals want to 

optimize health for their patients and other members 

of their communities. Climate Change represents 

a threat to the substantial improvements in public 

health of the last century. We must minimize the 

threat and promote the opportunities. 

Montana Access 

to Pediatric 

Psychiatry Network 

Stacy Luke, MAPP-Net Program Specialist 

In September 2018, the State of Montana 

received a federal grant from the Health Resources 

and Services Administration in to expand access 

to pediatric psychiatry. The Montana Access to 

Pediatric Psychiatry Network (MAPP-Net) grant 

strives to support primary care providers serving 

children and youth in their communities with 

mental healthcare needs through education and 

consultation. 

Project ECHO, a hub-and-spoke model out of 

the University of New Mexico, began in March 

2019. An expert Hub team consisting of a Child and 

Adolescent Psychiatrist, Psychiatric Pharmacist, 

and Psychotherapist meet twice per month with 

primary care providers across the state utilizing 

the online platform Zoom. A member of the Hub 

team delivers a 15-20 minute didactic. Then, any 

participating primary care provider can present 

a de-identified case to receive recommendations 

from their peers across the state and the Hub team. 

Primary care providers wishing to participate can 

enroll on the Billings Clinic Project ECHO website. 

There is no cost to participate. 

A toll-free access line will be established in 

Fall 2019 for primary care providers to call and 

consult with a Child and Adolescent Psychiatrist 

during daytime business hours. Billings Clinic is 

contracted with the state to staff this phone line, 

so consultations will be with Montana-based Child 

and Adolescent Psychiatrists. This is a provider to 

provider call, and patients do not participate. More 

information about this line will be disseminated 

as it becomes available. There will be no cost for 

primary care providers to participate in this service. 

If you are interested in receiving additional 

information about the services available to primary 

care providers through the grant, please contact 

Stacy Luke 406-444-3529 sluke@mt.gov. Stacy can 

schedule a visit to your clinic to meet with providers 

or add your name to the stakeholders list to receive 

updates, including the access line information when 

available. 

Stacy Luke 

MAPP-Net Grant 

406-444-3529


COMPASSION: CARING THAT TRULY MAKES A DIFFERENCE 

THE CURRENT STATUS OF THE ACT OF COMPASSION 

This morning the news 

proclaimed the placement 

of nets on each side of the 

San Francisco bridge due to 

the many who try to commit 

suicide from jumping off the 

bridge. A middle-aged man 

told his story of being less 

than 20 years of age and 

jumping head first off the 

bridge and hitting the water 

head first. He did not die; 

however, had a fractured 

spine. He said that as soon 

as his foot left the railing he 

Carolyn Taylor 

Ed.D, MN, RN 

was “remorseful” for his attempted suicide actions. 

He declared that if only just one person had looked 

his way, said one word of kindness, smiled at him, 

or any such small thing of compassion, he would not 

have attempted suicide. He is an older person, now, 

who has spent his life helping others so that they will 

not feel that lack of caring by others, and maybe (just 

maybe), they will have the strength to continue their 

life in a more positive manner. 

You probably are saying – “Oh, we do and 

encourage compassionate care!” My answer: Then, 

why are health care patrons/patients sometimes 

saying differently? Why do some patients recognize 

a lack of established compassionate protocols? 

Professional nurses, have heard and personally 

experienced (in some situations) the lack of 

how and why to practice overt 

compassion! 

I have read a “thank 

you” from physicians who 

recognize that truly 

observable compassionate 

behaviors most often come from nurses who have 

saved many a life and have inspired many a physician 

to be a better physician! That makes me proud!! 

As you read the researched studies about 

compassion, ask yourself why we have not always 

recognized something so obvious and simple? Why 

has it too often taken too long to connect the dots? 

Have we been so caught up in the technical aspects 

of nursing as a nurse specialist or a nursing instructor 

that we (as specialists) downgrade (or at least not 

emphasized as much as we can) the very gift that can 

make, in many cases, the most significant difference? 

Clearly, it is not just what you say but what you are 

communicating non-verbally to other people! 

Theodore Roosevelt said, “People don’t care how 

much you know until they know how much you care.” 

WHAT DOES “BEING COMPASSIONATE” MEAN 

ACCORDING TO RESEARCH? 

By definition, compassion is an emotional 

response to another’s pain and/or suffering — not 

just being kind or nice. This behavior is a true desire 

to be helpful to every patient. It involves feeling, 

understanding, and taking action, so much more 

than just empathy. Where empathy is a precursor to 

motivate action, compassion expressed by a person 

can be actually be witnessed in the brain of a person 

during a functional magnetic resonance imaging 

(fMRI). The fMRI shows an actual subtle difference 

in cerebral blood flow. Empathy will actually cause 

a lighting up of the brain centers, but with the act 

of compassion another area of the brain lights up 

related to alleviation of another person’s suffering and 

positive emotion. This is what it means to be “human” 

and the ability to look deeply into the compassionate 

meaning of things. 

A professor at Harvard University told a 

story about a screaming baby on a flight where 

a small child was screaming at the top of his/ 

her lungs. Now — we would expect some adult 

person on the flight to try to console this child 

— but, no! Sliding out of his seat and moving 

toward the screaming child was a three-yearold 

and with his own pacifier in hand. He toddled 

down the aisle and offered it to the screaming 

child. That very small child felt the need to 

respond and decided to do something about it! 

His action was the true meaning of compassion! 

Researched statistics show that nearly half 

of Americans believe that providers are not 

compassionate. It does not involve just the U.S., but 

it has been reported by the National Health Service 

Foundation (NHS). It requires an ability to make a 

connection with another person. 

Have you ever been so tired from nursing others 

that you have personal emotional exhaustion, 

a feeling of no personal accomplishment, and 

depersonalization? It is a universal happening. If you 

combine physical tiredness with emotional exhaustion 

there seems to be no room for compassion! It is often 

called, burnout! In this situation, research has shown 

that healthcare professionals find it easier to relate 

to a cluster of symptoms rather than a whole human 

being. However, we (nurses) can do the following to 

promote our compassion: 

1. Listen carefully and looking for the need for 

compassion. Research shows 60-70% of a 

patient’s need for compassion are missed 

or not recognized. A missed opportunity of 

compassion could change the trajectory of a 

person’s life. 

2. Remember that nursing, as a professional 

discipline, has expectations of emotional 

involvement with patients. 

3. Be an example and mentoring for nursing 

students and other nurses. 

4. See the need – have time for the need – care 

about the need – know how to meet the need 

– understand that it really does matter! 

5. Be willing and able to say to a patient and 

family that you (the nurse) recognize the tough 

experiences he/she/others are going through. 

6. Be willing and able to say to a patient/family 

that you will be there for them each step of the 

way during their health crisis. Walk that lonely 

mile with them! 

How Compassion Influences Physiological 

Health – 

1. Loneliness is a subjectively perceived 

experience of isolation. It is the difference 

between one’s desire and the actual level of 

human interaction. Research of over 300,000 

participants with different health conditions 

found that having meaningful relationships 

was related to 50% higher odds of survival. A 

high number of studies on the risk of loneliness 

found that there were 26 percent higher odds 

of early death, and 50 percent higher risk of 

functional status decline and cognitive function. 

Being alone was not the issue—it was being 

lonely. 

2. Heart attack patients with no emotional 

support had three times higher odds of death 

in comparison to patients with emotional 

support. Literally speaking, it takes emotional 

support to help heal a broken heart. 

3. University of California found that loneliness 

(which includes a lack of compassion-giving 

and compassion-receiving) affects the genes, 

which are involved in the immune response. It 

has been found that persistent turning on and 

turning off genes in the immune system can 

produce chronic total systemic inflammation 

connected with many negative health effects. 

4. Takotsubo cardiomyopathy (broken heart 

syndrome) is caused by extreme emotional 

stress. This condition causes cardiac failure. 

Compassion helps mend the broken heart! 

5. People with the least human connection 

(hence lack of overt compassion or lack of 

willingness to give compassion) were found 

to be more susceptible to the common cold. 

There was, also, a general lacking in human 

resistance to illness. 

6. There is a parasympathetic nervous system 

activation. Where the sympathetic nervous 

system produces an increase in sympathetic 

and cortisol to produce the fight or flight stress 

response, the parasympathetic nervous system 

lowers stress levels causing a warm and 

calming effect as a result of compassion. 

7. There is a rise in oxytocin in the body during 

the giving and receiving of compassion which 

increases the feelings of a human connection, 

nurturing and bonding. This hormone is 

sometimes called “the trust hormone,” the 

“bonding hormone,” or the “love hormone.” 

8. A compassionate touch can lower blood 

pressure. 

9. Anesthesiologists have found that a preoperative 

compassionate connection with 

a patient as part of the therapy results in a 

patient that is more likely to be peaceful and 

calm. 

10. Nurses performing a specified compassion 

intervention preoperatively found that patients 

randomly assigned to compassionate 

interventions had 50 percent postoperative 

lower scores on pain ratings. 

11. Trauma patients reported one year after a 

trauma they were four times more likely to 

have a good outcome from the trauma if 

the physician(s) showed high compassion in 

handling their care. 

12. Patients receiving compassionate palliative 

care have a better quality of life and live 

longer—on an average of 30% longer. 

13. The human connection of compassion can 

modulate the pain experience in many ways. 

Endogenous opioids produce endorphins, 

a naturally produced molecule in the body 

that provides an analgesic effect which 

reduces pain—and sometimes it presents as a 

euphoria. 

14. Compassionate touch matters and has been 

shown to significantly decrease or completely 

eradicate the sensation of pain in another 

person. There is a “physiological coupling” 

of the cardiovascular and respiratory system 

during experimentally induced pain. The 

person performing the compassionate touch 

literally synchronizes with the person having 

the pain. Their autonomic nervous systems 

and brain waves actually align. During painful 

studies of unpredictable electrical shocks 

causing pain, just the mere holding hands of 

a trusted person resulted in the brain growing 

quiet. 

15. Patients with metastatic breast cancer 

participating in supportive-expressive 

compassionate groups showed significantly 

reduced pain over time. 

16. Building trust takes time. However, once trust 

and compassion are established between 

a health care provider and a patient, pain is 

significantly reduced. 

Compassion: Caring That Truly Makes a Difference 

the Current Status of the Act of Compassion 

continued on page 14 

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Compassion: Caring That Truly Makes a Difference the Current Status of the 

Act of Compassion continued from page 13 

17. Physical therapy pain studies of two-hundred patients experiencing 

compassion enhancement in conjunction with therapy experienced pain 

relief more than doubled than without compassion enhancement. The 

study continued to show pain relief even six months later. 

18. When the CARE measure (Consultation and Relational Empathy) survey 

instrument in compassion science research was used, there was a high 

correlation between decrease in migraine headaches and the degree of 

intensity of headache pain. 

19. IBS (Irritable Bowel Syndrome) causes great suffering. Out of 262 

patients with this condition, the group augmented with compassionate 

care had doubled the number of patients not receiving compassionate 

care in the control group. 

20. Compassionate behaviors such as nodding, leaning forward, eye contact, 

smiling, aided in the physical and cognitive functioning of elderly patients. 

Conversely, the opposite of such behaviors were/are associated with 

decreased physical and cognitive functioning of the elderly patient. 

21. Optimal blood control sugar levels were 80% higher with compassionate 

health care providers. 

22. Patients having high compassion health care providers had 41% lower 

odds of serious diabetes complications. 

23. A patient’s wounds heal faster with compassion. Time for a wound to 

heal was significantly shorter, specifically 17 percent shorter (e.g. five 

days instead of six days). 

24. People with high stress levels and more conflict in their lives are more 

likely to develop cold symptoms – (evidenced by viral replication, 

antibodies to the cold virus, and symptoms). Social support and hugs in 

the 14 days of research protected against the viral infection. 

25. Compassion is associated with the enhanced immune response, a one 

day decrease in the duration of cold symptoms, and 15 percent decrease 

in cold symptom severity. 

26. Compassion can literally keep a patient breathing. It is not just any nurse 

that has this ability – it is a special nurse known to many as “their angels” 

– or shall we say nurses with compassion! 

NOTICE 

CALL TO 2019 MNA ANNUAL CONVENTION 

HOUSE OF DELEGATES 

2019 Convention Proposed Amendments to the MNA Bylaws 

Purpose: Align MNA bylaws with best practice standards related to 

terminology in the following articles: 

Striking the words, MEA-MFT and inserting the words MFPE 

Article II Membership and Dues, Section 2. Qualifications (c.) 

Article II Membership and Dues, Section 3. Dues 

Article II Membership and Dues, Section 5. Membership Rights (a.) 

Article II Membership and Dues, Section 5. Membership Rights (c.) 

Article IV Board of Directors, Section 7. Qualifications (a.) 

Striking the words Executive Director and inserting the words Chief 

Executive Officer; 

Article IV Board of Directors, Section 11. Executive Director 

Article XV Relationship with the American Nurses Association, Section 2. 

Representation (b.) 1. 

Striking National Federation of Nurses (NFN) as it exists as an 

informal coalition; 

Article X Council on Economic & General Welfare (E&GW), Section 7 

Collective Bargaining Assembly (c.) 2 & 3 

Update ANA Representatives to reflect current practice to 4 

representatives with 2 elected every year with alternates 

Article XIV Elections, Section 4. 

Update AFL-CIO Delegates to be elected yearly with alternates to aid 

in support and participation 

Article XIV Elections, Section 5. 

Consider term adjustment to allow for continuity with board 

positions by Striking “more than two (2) consecutive terms in the 

same office or”: 

Article IV Board of Directors, Section 6. Term of Office (b.) 

A direct quote from a recovering patient who thought he would never breathe 

again says this: 

“After weeks of being on a ventilator in the ICU, I could tell right away 

when a new nurse came on duty at the change of shift and entered my 

room. I could tell within one minute whether or not the nurse cared. If it 

was a nurse who did not care, my heart would sink. My spirit was crushed. I 

lost my will, and I did not believe I would ever get off the ventilator. But if it 

was a nurse who cared, one of my ‘angels’ I would instantly feel stronger. I 

believed I could beat this and breathe on my own again. Without my angels, 

I never would have made it. Their compassion is what saved me.” 

(Compassionomics by Stephen Trzeciak and Anthony Mazzarelli) 

How Compassion Influences Psychological Health 

Research shows that one out of five people we meet have a mental health 

struggle. You, as a nurse, can have an effect on someone’s psychological health. 

Showing compassion can decrease negative effects of all sorts of psychotic 

disorders, eating disorders, post-traumatic stress disorders, major depression, and 

the feelings/desires to commit suicide. Drug therapy can be very useful, but the 

human connection is very important and makes a difference. 

1. Psychiatrist’s/Therapist’s/nurse’s efforts of compassion actually increased 

the effects of drug therapy. Therefore, the psychiatrist could be considered 

as a means of treatment (not just a provider of treatment.) 

2. Out of the several categories considered by patients’ assessments of 

their therapists, the major positive factor in depressed patients was the 

compassionate connection with their therapist. 

A therapist’s compassion has a moderate to large effect on reducing 

symptoms of depression. 

3. With cancer patients, compassionate care builds patient self-efficacy, 

activation, and encourages active involvement and participation in his/her 

treatment. 

4. Compassionate language is associated with adherence to antidepressant 

medication and even the trip to the pharmacy to acquire their medication. 

5. A therapist’s distancing behavior of himself/herself in preparation of patient 

discharge from a health care facility/situation had a tendency to increase 

depression. 

6. Compassion of nursing home aides was associated with lower depression in 

nursing home residents. 

7. Compassion can alleviate anxiety. 

8. In regard to Post Traumatic Distress Disorder (PTSD), if the caring 

interventions are applied at first recognition or during a trauma there is more 

likelihood that PTSD does not develop. Researchers found that compassion 

from others was very effective to prevent PTSD; however, it was found that 

self-compassion was most effective. 

9. Child-life specialists have learned how to help a child through traumatic 

experiences. Tender care and compassion are the main methods of treating 

the child. 

If the new compassionate on-going research hypothesis is true, it has the 

potential of changing worldwide emergency care. Now we know that compassion 

from health care providers can have a major impact on a patient’s hope for 

recovery. 

Compassionate communication (not just communication) raises recovery 

expectations and is effective. How a patient believes they will do is a major factor 

in how they will do, even if they will survive. It makes the unbearable bearable. 

Learning to communicate compassionately is one of a nurse’s greatest gifts. 

A specific direct quote from a breast cancer survivor as a result of a health care 

provider’s compassion said this: 

“…and as I left his office, he said, ‘You know, you have a very bad 

disease, but we are going to take care of you.’ The doctor-patient 

relationship was incredibly therapeutic and reassuring. I had no qualms, 

no doubts with putting my life in his hands. I had full confidence in his 

expertise, his concern and emotional support.” 

(Compassionomics by Stephen Trzeciak and Anthony Mazzarelli) 

How Compassion Influences Patient Self-Care 

1. One of the first activities a home-health nurse usually does is to determine 

compliance to a physician’s medication regime. Nonadherence to any 

physician-prescribed regimes is often the result of a patient’s belief that 

nobody cares. This can lead to loneliness and depression. However, if the 

home health nurse does care and shows compassion toward the patient, the 

patient is more likely to comply to medication and other prescribed health 

care regimes. 

2. Compassion from nurse’s aides in nursing homes was associated with a 

reduction in learned helplessness among elderly nursing home residents. 

3. Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) patients had 33 percent higher odds of 

adherence to therapy when they knew their HIV patients “as a person.” 

4. Cancer patients with high compassion providers had 13% to 30% higher rate 

of cancer screening compliance and health screening recommendation. 

5. More positive communication (not negative communication) from health care 

providers encouraged adherence to health care regimes. 

Consider vacancy adjustment to help fill the HOD by inserting the 

words “from any district” 

Article III House of Delegates-MNA, Section 3. Composition (d.) 

RECOMMENDED READING 

Compassionomics, The Revolutionary Scientific Evidence that Caring Makes a 

Difference by Stephen Trzeciak and Anthony Mazzarelli (forward by Senator Cory 

Booker) 2019 

”More than Kindness” – Journal of Compassionate Health – July 13, 2015


MEMBERSHIP 

MATTERS! 

Montana Nurses Association would like to 

invite you to join us today! 

BENEFITS INCLUDE: 

• EMPOWERING RNs TO USE THEIR VOICES 

IN THE WORKPLACE 

• IMPROVING PATIENT CARE 

• HAVING INPUT REGARDING WAGES & 

BENEFITS 

• CONTINUING EDUCATION 

OPPORTUNITIES 

• LEGISLATIVE REPRESENTATION 

Call or email today 

jill@mtnurses.org 

(406) 442-6710 

Applications also available on 

our website. 

mtnurses.org 

Has your contact 

information changed? 

New name? New address? 

New phone number? 

New email address? 

To update your contact information, 

please email or call 

Montana Nurses Association: 

jill@mtnurses.org or 406-442-6710

Everyone Deserves A Job They Love!! 

Let Us Help Today, Call 406.228.9541 

Prairie Travelers is recruiting Traveling 

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The Montana Pulse - August 2019

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