2019 Georgia Nurses Association Yearbook

2019 GNA Membership Assembly
NURSING PRACTICE & ADVOCACY REPORT
Edward Adams, MSN, RN
GNA Director of Nurse Practice & Advocacy
For last two years I have had the privilege and honor to serve as the Georgia Nurses Association Director
of Practice & Advocacy. In this role I have had the opportunity to take part in building relationships with
other nursing organizations at both a state and local level. There are many wonderful nurse leaders that
work at the local and state level to help advance and improve nursing in Georgia. It has been a privilege to
have meet and worked with some of these men and women over the last two years on various projects.
During the last two years I have attended quarterly GNA board meetings either in person or over the
phone. I have been a part of several committees for GNA that have covered things from advocacy to
finance. Between February 2018 to October 2018 I was a member of the first Unity Conference planning
committee and would attend multiple meetings either in person or over the phone. The purpose of this
conference was to remind nurses of all levels that in the end of the day we are all nurses and need to
work together to improve not only our profession but also healthcare at a local, state and national level.
In June of 2018 I attended the first Meet and Greet in Atlanta for the Unity Conference where I was able
to meet two nurses who were recently elected members of the state legislature. I also attended the GANS
COSL (Council of Student Leaders) retreat as a speaker for GNA. As a former member of the GANS board
it was an honor to be able to go back and speak about leadership to a group of nursing students who will
become our professions future leadership. In June of 2019 I attended the GNA Strategic Plan meeting that
will set priorities for the next two years as an organization by defining who we are as an organization and
what our goals are.
I have also attended two annual trainings for the Peer Assistance Program at GNA headquarters for
facilitators. The Peer Assistance Program in Georgia is a program that has a 96% success rate which is
well above the national average. The Peer Assistance Group helps nurses in their recovery from substance
abuse and to return into the nursing workforce. In 2019 I went to the state legislature to help lobby for
funding for the Peer Assistance Group. I meet with various legislature members to help raise awareness
and support for the funds. While meeting with the legislature members I also lobbied for a tax credit for
Nurse Practitioners that are willing to precept students. This will help to increase the number of preceptors
for our states Nurse Practitioner students. In February I was given an opportunity to write an article
highlighting the Peer Assistance Program for a national journal. The article is still in the edit phase currently
and is set for publication in a few months around the new year. I have also published multiple times in the
GNA Newsletter to try and highlight some of these events and programs to nurse across the state.
I cannot think of any higher honor than to serve others. For many of us nursing is our way to serve others
and to try to make our part of the world a better place. To be a leader does not mean to be in charge, but
to serve those that placed one in a position. I have tried over my two years to serve the nurses of Georgia
to the best of my ability and to try to help make a positive impact in our profession and community. I
encourage anyone that wants to become a leader to embrace the opportunity when it comes because it
is an experience that is life changing.
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