Wisconsin Nurse - September 2020

VOLUME 6 NUMBER 4
SEPTEMBER 2020
The Official Publication of the Nurses Foundation of Wisconsin, in cooperation with
the Wisconsin Nurses Association. Delivered to you courtesy of the WNA membership.
WNA Welcome
WNA President Letter
Pamela Macari Sanberg, MS, RN, NEA-BC
President, WI Nurses Association
I would like to open
with the following
excerpts from Nightingales
by Gillian Gill (2005):
For Nightingale,
nursing was a practical
imperative and a spiritual
exercise, providing a
nexus of body and soul
that gave her the deepest
satisfaction. It was in her
own words, “the great
serenifier” (Gill, 2005, p.
350-351).
Pamela Macari
Sanberg
Nightingale giving to those she cared for was
returned with thanks and reverence as evidenced by
this refrain from a ballad that was circulated during
the Crimean War:
May heaven give her strength and her heart never
fail. One of Heaven’s best gifts is Miss Nightingale
(Gill, 2005, p. 352).
Present day nurses have been fighting a modernday
pandemic “war” and parallels between then
and now can be seen in the role of the nurse and
appreciation of patients. The Wisconsin Nurses
Association (WNA) continues to extend our sincere
gratitude to the quality care and services provided by
Wisconsin’s registered nurses and other health care
providers during this public health emergency.
Nurses are generally used to having control over
the environment that they work within – it is part of
the holistic approach in the care of patients as we take
care of the environment for them. I know that not
having control can be problematic and this current
challenge makes it difficult due to the vast amount of
unknowns and lack of routine systems that generally
take care of the needs for things that nurses use
to care for the patient. WNA continues to monitor
the PPE situation in the state. American Nurses
Association is working on a national level, President
Ernest Grant gave his testimony to Congress in July to
explain PPE needs. ANA has put out a second survey
to obtain information related to PPE.
The other issue that I see is unknown related to the
resolution of this pandemic. There was more hope in
the past that we would get through this but now we
are aware that there is a definite “new normal.” It is
necessary to become educators to the community
and role model recommendations from public health
colleagues.
WNA continues to focus on the role and practice
implications for nurses through the following:
• The WNA Board is actively working to update the
WNA strategic plan to include the activities that we
have been working on related to the pandemic.
GAIN A
MEMBER!
• Milwaukee Magazine requested that WNA
collaborate with them to launch its very first
Excellence in Nursing Awards!! These awards
will recognize Milwaukee area's top nurses in a
variety of specialties who have made extraordinary
contributions to healthcare. Nominations will be
submitted by peers, and honorees will be selected
by a panel of nursing professionals and educators
from the Wisconsin Nurses Association. The
winners will be announced in the December issue
of Milwaukee Magazine.
• The WNA Organizational Affiliate continues to
develop resources related to nurse resiliency. We
had three UW – Milwaukee DNP students join us,
and they are currently reviewing the literature.
WNA will continue to monitor and share the latest
information to ensure that nurses have access to the
latest COVID-related evidence-based practices,
quality, education, and policy recommendations.
Information can be found on the WNA website.
I will close with my tagline: Nurses will be there to
provide care to the population of Wisconsin. WNA
will be there to provide care for Wisconsin nurses.
PASS THIS
NEWSLETTER
ALONG
TO A
NURSE
COLLEAGUE
MEMBERSHIP APPLICATION ON PAGE 2
current resident or
Non-Profit Org.
U.S. Postage Paid
Princeton, MN
Permit No. 14
Members Get a Member ....................2
Wisconsin Nurses Association Updates:
Nurses Foundation of Wisconsin Receives
$10,000 Donation ........................3
WINPAC ...................................3
Welcome New WNA Members! ..............4
Highlights of July 24, 2020 WNA Board of
Directors Meeting. .......................5
Mutual Interest Groups (MIGs) Updates:
Environmental Health. ....................... 6
WNA APRN Forum Update. .................. 7
Wisconsin Center for Nursing. ................ 8
Grant Updates. ............................. 9
Nurse Disrupted - A Nurse Led Start-up for
Pandemic Response .....................10
Trust and the Professions ...................11

Page 2 The Wisconsin Nurse September 2020
Membership
JOIN
TODAY!
JUST BECAUSE YOU
RECEIVED THIS NEWSLETTER
DOESN’T MEAN YOU’RE A
MEMBER OF WNA.
VISIT WWW.JOINANA.ORG OR
COMPLETE THIS APPLICATION.
THE
WISCONSIN
NURSE
WISCONSIN NURSES ASSOCIATION
2020 BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Pamela Macari Sanberg, President
Elizabeth Markham, Vice President
Tanya Brueggen, Treasurer
Megan LeClair-Netzel, Secretary
Wendy Crary, Director-at-Large
Julie Olson, Director-at-Large
Lisa Pisney, APRN Representative
Emilie Kreilkamp, WNA Staff Nurse Representative
WISCONSIN NURSES ASSOCIATION STAFF
Gina Dennik-Champion, Executive Director
Megan Leadholm, Associate Director
Briona Dunbar, Events and Membership
Coordinator
Teresa Prattke, Education Program Coordinator
NURSES FOUNDATION OF WISCONSIN
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Pamela Macari Sanberg, President
Pamela Macari Sanberg, Treasurer
Jana Esden, Secretary
Alex Hetzer, Director-at-Large
Gina Fellenz, Director-at-Large
Isabelle Garibaldi, Director-at-Large
Jill Berg, Director-at-Large
Laurie Radojevich, Director-at-Large
Lindsey Lucero, Director-at-Large
Rorey Pritchard, Director-at-Large
Julie Olson, WNA Board Representative
Lea Acord
Pat Borgman
THE WISCONSIN NURSE EDITORIAL STAFF
Pamela Macari Sanberg, Executive Editor
Gina Dennik-Champion, Deputy Executive Editor
Briona Dunbar, Managing Editor
CONTACT INFORMATION
Wisconsin Nurses Association/
Nurses Foundation of Wisconsin
2820 Walton Commons, Suite 136
Madison, WI 53718
info@wisconsinnurses.org
www.wisconsinnurses.org – @wisconsinnurses
American Nurses Association
8515 Georgia Avenue, Suite 400
Silver Spring, MD 20910-3492
memberinfo@ana.org – www.nursingworld.org
RN Opportunities
Looking for a career change?
We have just the opening for you!
• Critical Care Unit
• Emergency Services
• Med/Surg
Apply online at hfmhealth.org/careers!
Join our award winning, patient centered, and
community minded organization!
Human Resources
2300 Western Ave · PO Box 1450
Manitowoc, WI 54221-1450
Phone (920) 320-4029
recruiter@hfmhealth.org
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Responsibility for errors in advertising is limited to
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Acceptance of advertising does not imply
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Articles appearing in this publication express the
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views of the staff, board, or membership of WNA, or
those of the American Nurses Association.

September 2020 The Wisconsin Nurse Page 3
Wisconsin Nurses Association Updates
Nurses Foundation of
Wisconsin Receives $10,000
Donation!
Mark Grosskopf, President and CEO of New Resources Consulting was
watching the golf match where professional golfers, Rory McIlroy and Dustin
Johnson were playing to raise money for the American Nurses Foundation.
Mark wanted his annual charity golf outing to go to nurses this year. He
“googled” Wisconsin Nurses and found WNA and NFW and decided that
his charity was WNA/NFW. WNA and NFW President Pam Macari Sanberg,
provided greetings and thanks to the 138 golfers attending the outing which
was located at “The Bog” golf course in Saukville. WNA Executive Director
participated in the outing and provided thanks when it was announced that
the outing raised $5,000 which was matched by Mark Grosskopf.
New Resources Consulting offers management and information technology
consulting. With the philosophy of “improvement through technology”
continues to inform their mission as a company dedicated to technological
solutions and client betterment.
This really is the “Year of the Nurse.”
Kristin Brunsell Merss, BSN, RN
WINPAC Treasurer
On Wednesday July 8 the WINPAC Board of Trustees hosted our first
Town Hall for the year. WINPAC is the political arm of the Wisconsin Nurses
Association, serving to provide education to nurses and nurse candidates,
as well as collect, raise and distribute donations and support to candidates
running for the Wisconsin legislature. The purpose of the Town Hall was to
hear from nurse candidates, to learn about their priorities and how they align
with the priorities outlined by WNA.
There were four nurse candidates running for the state legislature this
year who participated in the Town Hall. Rachel Cabral Guevara is running for
the 55th Assembly District, Sara Rodriguez is running in the 13th Assembly
District, Emily Siegrist is running for the 24th Assembly District, and Gae
Magnafici is running for a second term in the 28th Assembly District. The
nurse candidates present at the Town Hall showed inspirational passion and
excitement for their role as a nurse candidate. They were challenged with
questions about their priorities, how they will support WNA and Wisconsin
nurses, and what action they will take to support nursing in Wisconsin. All of
the candidates clearly showed how being a nurse will influence their decisions
and work as legislators.
WNA has identified the following priorities. First, the APRN Modernization
Act which would eliminate the legislated collaborative agreement with a
physician and allow Advanced Practice Registered Nurses to practice to
the full extent of their education and license. Second, a recent study done
here in Wisconsin has shown a deepening of the need for more nurse
faculty, including 230 nurse educators who intend to retire within five years.
Proposed, but ultimately not fulfilled was a $10 Million budget item to fund
nurses to their terminal degree, with a three-year commitment to teach in
Wisconsin. Third, public health, particularly public health nursing has seen
a decline in recent years which has negative effects on communities across
the state. WNA is committed to building up and supporting the public health
infrastructure in Wisconsin, Finally, when RNs and LPNs renew their license
every other year there is a requirement to complete a survey that provides
vital data which describes various of aspects of the RN and LPN workforce in
Wisconsin. The need for this important survey has been under question in
recent years.
WINPAC is excited to support these nurse candidates as they
begin or continue their career in politics. More information about the
candidates, including links to their websites, can be found at: https://www.
wisconsinnurses.org/about-wna/affiliates/winpac/winpac-candidates/.
Notice of Vacancy for
NURSE CLINICIAN 2
Sand Ridge Secure Treatment Center
Mauston, Wisconsin (Juneau County)
Wisconsin’s Department of
Health Services (DHS), Sand Ridge Secure
Treatment Center (SRSTC) in Mauston, is seeking candidates
for the position of Nurse Clinician 2. There are currently several
vacancies available.
To be considered for this position, you will need to create an account and
apply online. For instructions please visit the State of Wisconsin website
at www.wisc.jobs and refer to Job Announcement
Code 1900880.
EOE

Page 4 The Wisconsin Nurse September 2020
Wisconsin Nurses Association Updates
Welcome New WNA Members! 5/14/20 – 8/10/20
Dorothy M Lanuza
Susan Vig Saucier
Peggy A Weber
Kathleen Kochanski
Mary Lee Rossmaessler
DeAngela S Hegwood
Teresa DuChateau
Lawanda Harris
Cabrini Charlton
Sarah Trepanier
Katlynn Kelley
Amanda J Drout
Mandy M Jones
Eveline Schmitt
Christina A Bajorek
Rebecca McAllister
Rebecca A Gorski
Amy Jagla
Jessica Montalbano
Nicole A Smith
Mikayla P Shultz
Elizabeth Maria Scray
Pam Maxwell
Ashley Morris
Ashley Michelle Utech
Kathryn Michalski
Katie Wilson
Heather K Sanders
Deborah Nabozny
Theresa Greco
Michelle Baker
Sarah Burton
Victoria Sell
Sequoyah Tomlinson
Jacklyn Susan Backhaus
Jill Nyland
Per Rudstam
Karly Steinhage
Elizabeth Dille
Jessica Bosch
Ryan Francis Bresnahan
Carmen Joanne Sebeny
Tinika Aldridge
Melissa Moudry
Wendy Coolman
Deborah Macdonald
Leigh Hermanson
Imelda Jarencio
Tameca Nicole Walton
Sarah Bertzyk
Cassandra Mussatti
Nicole Leeland
Walter Cloud
Mary Diaz
Briana Glaser
Ariana Bankhead
Laquanda Shatrelle Kern
Alexandria R Puckett
Taniqua L Davis
Alyssa Dittmer
Cassandra D Ruosch
Sanjo Plakkal
Stacey Comparin
Jillian Taylor
Reigina Timm
Laura Ann Redd
Leeanne Ugarte
Kayla Eileen Fisher
Juliana Schiferl
Erica J Reigle
Rebecca Lynn Jacobson
Kristi Lynn McCarthy
Cheryl Towne
Cara Omernik
Katerina Lovgren
Amanda Groh
Chelsea Wells
Rebecca D Kruger
Heather Conlin
Candy Giordana
Stephanie Spannbauer
Johanna R Volm
Jahtaelah Ingram
Lashan A Hudson
Aaron Balas Levenson
Noel Rich
Ikisha Smith
Andrea Aleta Brown
Brittaney Obi
Juliette Hoffman
Nichole Sampson
Nicholas Alessi
Kaylyn Marshall
Kathleen Marie Wiberg
Heather Struensee
Paige Thomas
Leah Jean Miskoviak
Erin Bernadette Butler
Olivia Neau
Kayla Pallansch
Allicia Rux
Erin E Scheffer
Laurel Lemoine
Carrie L Schubring
Rachael Pekarske-Siers
Lisa Ann Lamer
Cindy Ryland
Ahliyah Queary
Caroline L Wagner
Jamilynn Blachowski
Lindsey Endries
Kolette Knapstein
Victoria Reed
Anita Stai
Martha Mathews
Libster
Kristin Marie Grenier
Bonnie J Rode
Rita Dubre
Brianna Kathleen Doyle
Laura E Bixby
Jennifer Rachel Savalick
Michelle Lee Olson
Jenna Lynelle Lindberg
Erica J Heimerl
Hannah Hayes
Emily Mary Brotzman
Rhonda A Buelter
Matthew Dale Meindel
Lisa Ettienne
Janice Lynn Pennington
Christy Miller
Toni J Johnson
Sarah Backus
Megan Zyhowski
Eric Hetzel
Alana Reynolds
Chelsey Mageski
Kayleigh Hagerty
Anita Cynthia Kim Grant
Becca Joy Kent
Catherine Ramsey
Cindy Sanford
Heather M Gintoft
Elizabeth Harrison
Anthony Preman
Cheyenne Madorin
Dawn Klug
Whittany Byrd
Linda J Turner
Bradley Brossard
Rachel Vermeulen
Elizabeth Harrington
Cari Sonntag
Joyce F Skinner
Donald E Foncree
Linda Kay Johnson
Lynne M Edebohls
Nicholine F Crick
Kathi (Katie) M Selle
Wendy L Edwards
Nancy K Wild
Dawn M Caruss
Sarah J Tuohy
Jill E Ziolkowski
Lindsey M Katzmark
Jay G East
Mercy Ebere Arim
Valeska S Lobasz
Jennifer Soto
Caryl A Giuliani
Susan J Laux
Britanie A Nowak
Amy Lee Kurth
Brooke L Schein
Sandra K Arens
Julie Marie Berner
Harpreet Quiana Singh-Gill
Tricia Anne Brunmeier
Piengthong Janee Rosario
Kimberly Marie Schmidt
Gina Paige Volkman
Matthew Fenhaus
Jane Ann Gustafson
Cynthia Marie Larson
Heidi Sarah Brown
Kimberly Hatch
Rachel E Ringberg
Kristine L Hanson
Paul Ladwig
Sarah A Sweney
Briana M Gruenewald
Melissa Mendoza
To access electronic copies of the
Wisconsin Nurse, please visit
http://www.nursingald.com/publications

September 2020 The Wisconsin Nurse Page 5
Wisconsin Nurses Association Updates
Highlights of July 24, 2020
WNA Board of Directors
Meeting
Those in attendance:
Pam Macari Sanberg, President, Beth Markham, Vice President, Tanya
Brueggen, Treasurer, Megan LeClair Netzel, Secretary, Julie Olson, Directorat-large
and Emilie Krielkamp, Staff Nurse Representative. Absent/Excused:
Wendy Crary and Lisa Pisney. WNA Staff - Gina Dennik-Champion, Executive
Director, Megan Leadholm, Associate Director and Bri Dunbar, Events &
Membership Coordinator. Guest: Molly Berensen, Accountant Kollath
The WNA Board of Directors met virtually Friday July 24, 2020 and acted on
the following:
• Welcomed Emilie Kreilkamp, as the new WNA Staff Nurse Representative.
She was appointed to fill the vacant position until the end of the January 22,
2021 Annual Meeting.
• Approved the minutes of May 25, 2020 Board of Directors Meeting, and
June 10, 2020 Special Meeting of the Board of Directors where they voted to
approve the proposed dues policy at the June 19, 2020 Annual Meeting.
• Accepted the reports provided by the President, Treasurer, Vice President
and Executive Director.
• Will begin to work on appointment to WNA Director at large position which
was vacated by Laura Tidwell.
• Reviewed WNA Response to COVID work plan to determine the areas that
need to continue and include in the 2020-2022 WNA Strategic Plan.
• Resumed development of the 2020-2022 WNA Strategic Plan which was put
on hold due to COVID work.
The Mary Barker Scholarship 2020 applications will be accepted starting
November 1, 2020. Watch WNA website for more details!
The next meeting of the WNA Board of Directors is scheduled for Friday
September 25, 2020.

Page 6 The Wisconsin Nurse September 2020
Environmental Health
Inspirational Book by Heroic Insider in the
Flint, Michigan Lead Toxicity Story
Kathryn Lammers PhD PHN RN
Over and over we learn about disparities for minorities and other families
at risk. Often the families spiral down due to environmental injustices such
as polluted drinking water, housing near polluting freeways or factories,
minimal green space, or high-risk work settings. The recent coronavirus has
highlighted those disparities more dramatically. A few examples of high-risk
work settings for coronavirus are meat packing plants, long term care settings,
and prisons. We are documenting a much higher infection rate and death
among minority families yet often not understood.
This amazing web of environmental injustices comes together persuasively
in one of the best books I have ever read. What the Eyes Don’t See: A Story of
Crisis, Resistance, and Hope in an American City by Dr. Mona Hanna Attisha is
a powerful page turner.
The lead toxicity story of Flint, Michigan, is told in a compelling way by the
pediatrician who brought national attention to those children with sound
epidemiology of the children served by her hospital. She carefully described
the methods of pulling together a team for data analysis and her desire to
improve the situation. The author is first generation immigrant with tragic
memories of imprisonment and death to family members in the country of
origin. Those memories propelled her to take advantage of democracy and
speak up for vulnerable children.
What the Eyes Don’t See: A Story of Crisis, Resistance, and Hope in an
American City by Dr. Mona Hanna Attisha book excerpt:
Compared to nationwide averages, Flint families are on the wrong side of
every disparity: in life expectancy, infant mortality, asthma, you name it.
Flint is a struggling deindustrialized urban center that has seen decades
of crisis-disinvestment, unemployment, racism, illiteracy, depopulation,
violence, and crumbling schools. Navy SEALs and other special ops medical
train in Flint because the city is country’s best analogue to a remote, wartorn
corner of the world.
The city compares badly not just to the rest of the county but to the
neighboring communities. The median household income is half the
Michigan average, and the poverty rate is nearly double. The more
adversities a child experiences, the more likely she/he will grow up to be
unhealthy in ways that are completely predictable.
A kid born in Flint will live fifteen years less that a kid born in the
neighboring suburb. Fifteen years less. Image what fifteen years of life
means. In a country riven by inequalities, Flint might be the place where the
divide is most striking.
Nurses have a long history
of highlighting high risk
population through their
work and personal contacts.
Nurses also work in public
health settings to intervene
to improve outcomes. In
our Winona State University
Population Health course,
the nursing students found
the book to be a valuable
eye-opening vision of the
spiraling down of at-risk
population. Dr. Mona, her
affectionate name in pediatric
practice, has several you-tube
videos such as interviews and
Ted Talks that added to the
teaching learning materials.
I encourage you to read this
book or listen to the videos
to inspire you. Then look
around your county or region
of similar environmental
injustice examples that the
eyes do not easily see.

September 2020 The Wisconsin Nurse Page 7
NP Forum Celebrates AANP State Excellence Awardees
By Dr. Tina Bettin DNP, MSN, RN, FNP-BC,
APNP, FAANP
The 2020 AANP State Excellence Awardees
were to be announced and recognized at the
National Conference in New Orleans in June but
unfortunately the awards ceremony was another
victim of COVID when the conference was
cancelled. At this time, I would like to introduce the
Wisconsin 2020 AANP State Excellence Awardees.
The first award is
for the State Award for
Excellence. Established
in 1991, the State Award
for Excellence recognizes
an NP in each state who
demonstrates excellence
in clinical practice. The
awardee of the 2020
State Excellence Award
is Dr. Bonnie Nickasch
DNP, MSN, RN, APNP.
Dr. Nickasch is presently Director of Post-Licensure
Program and Assistant Dean, Associate Professor
at UW-Oshkosh College of Nursing. Prior to
this position, she was Family Nurse Practitioner
Program Director. She actively has been preparing
new nurse practitioners while she continues
to work in primary care. She has presented at
conferences and published a number of articles.
Additionally, she is serving as president of Fox
Valley Health Professionals and was president of Eta
MARLENE S GARVIS, JD, MSN
Attorney at Law
Licensed to practice in the state and federal
courts of Minnesota, Iowa, and Wisconsin
marlene@marlenegarvis.com
Phone: (612) 462-9119
Fax: (952) 516-5798
Web: www.marlenegarvis.com
Pi Chapter of Sigma Theta Tau. She is active in the
Boy Scouts of America
The second award
is for the State Award
for Advocacy. In 1993,
the state award for
advocate was added to
recognize the efforts
of an individual who
had made a significant
contribution toward
increasing the awareness
and recognition of
NPs. The awardee of
the 2020 State Advocate Award was Senator Devin
LeMahieu (R-Oostburg). Senator LeMahieu has
been instrumental in the APRN Modernization
Legislation. He has been a primary sponsor of the
legislation both times that it was introduced as well
as an author of the legislation. Senator LeMahieu
has been supportive of issues related to nursing
and advanced practice nursing issues. He has a
strong connection to NPs as his sister is a NP.
I would like to thank each of these awardees
for empowering the NP profession and helping to
position NPs for the future.
In August/September of each year, the
nomination period opens for the two awards. The
awardees are selected by a selection committee
based on criteria from AANP. The awards are given
WE ARE HIRING!
Rock Haven Nursing Home
The Rock Haven Nursing Home is a 128 bed skilled nursing facility
serving a diverse population of residents in Janesville, WI.
We are currently recruiting for:
RN, LPN, CNA
Apply directly at www.co.rock.wi.us
Employment Opportunities
at the National Conference annually. To nominate
someone, you need to be a member of AANP. The
nominee does not need to be a member of AANP.
WNA is a member of AANP as a NP organization.
With WNA being a member and you being a WNA
member, you can receive a discount when you join
AANP.
Have patients who misunderstand
prescription labels?
We help WI pharmacies design labels that
are easier to understand.
One person shared that his grandma was only
to take a 1/2 pill two times a day, but the label
was written poorly so she was confused and
took 1.5 pills twice a day.
Share your stories with us at medicationstories@wisconsinliteracy.org
or post to Twitter or Facebook: #RxMedicationStories.
Visit: http://bit.ly/EasyToReadLabels
to learn more about this project.

Page 8 The Wisconsin Nurse September 2020
Wisconsin Center for Nursing
Wisconsin Nurses Respond Now:
A Priority Training Opportunity
The Wisconsin Center for Nursing in partnership
with the National RN Case Manager Training
Center, a Wisconsin-based, nurse led organization,
announces an important priority training initiative
for Wisconsin nurses. Launching now, the
Wisconsin Nurses Respond Now Priority Training
Project is a nursing workforce education initiative
designed to prepare Wisconsin nurses to better
meet the needs of Wisconsin’s most vulnerable
citizens during a public health emergency.
While improving health outcomes in vulnerable
populations is a complex problem requiring
multiple solutions, one important strategy involves
helping vulnerable individuals and families
better respond to a public health emergency in
communities. In data gathered from the WCN
RN and LPN Surveys, nurses have reported the
focus of their emergency preparedness education
has been provided by their employer specific
to their work setting. “While work specific
emergency preparedness is important, we also
see an important opportunity for nurses to
expand their emergency preparedness knowledge
to include identifying the needs to vulnerable
populations and offering strategies to assist them
to better respond to a public health emergency like
COVID-19,” says WCN Director, Barbara Nichols
PhD, (Hon) MS, RN, FAAN.
The COVID-19 pandemic has magnified the
negative health consequences experienced by
disparate and vulnerable populations. Consistent
with most public health emergencies, distinct
needs of vulnerable populations emerge that
standard emergency resources are not able to
fully meet thus resulting in greater health risk,
poorer health outcomes and higher death rates.
Wisconsin is no exception. Throughout Wisconsin,
African Americans, Latinx, American Indians and
older adults especially, are demonstrating these
negative health outcomes. In Milwaukee County,
communities of color are at increased risk for
experiencing serious illness and death if they
become infected with coronavirus, as compared
to Whites. Currently, African Americans represent
73% of Milwaukee County’s COVID related
deaths. Current reports show that if infected with
coronavirus, 27% of African Americans, 20% of
Hispanic/Latinx, and 34% of American Indian/
Alaska Natives are more likely to experience
serious illness. American Indians have worse
health outcomes than the general population with
American Indians in Wisconsin experiencing lower
life expectancy and a disproportionate disease
burden which is exacerbated during a public health
crisis. Older Wisconsin adults experience greater
risk due to complex health needs often requiring
assistance from care givers whether living at home
or residing in nursing homes, senior housing
or assisted living settings. To better address the
health care needs of these populations, this
project is focused on providing relevant, highquality
education for nurses about the disparities,
social determinants of health, and equity concerns
experienced by Wisconsin’s most vulnerable
populations.
WCN has identified that a nursing workforce
better prepared to ensure public health initiatives
are supported, vulnerable populations are
identified and individuals and families are offered
strategies to reduce risk will contribute positively
towards improving potential health outcomes
and ensuring more equitable care is provided for
all Wisconsinites. “Because of the emergent and
prolonged effects of the COVID-19 pandemic,
nurses must be able to receive this information
easily and in a way that allows for rapid translation
of new knowledge back into practice quickly. We’re
excited to be able to contribute our expertise and
collaborate with WCN on this priority training
project,” said Kelly Kruse Nelles RN APRN-BC MS,
National RNCM Co-Director and Lead Faculty.
We are pleased to announce that funding for
the initial phase of this priority training project
has been provided by Bader Philanthropies, Inc, a
philanthropic leader who strives to improve the
quality of life of diverse communities in which it
works. Due to the emergent need in Milwaukee,
Milwaukee County nurses will be the initial
focus of the project with expansion to include
nurses in all of Wisconsin’s 72 counties. More
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Your always-on resource for nursing jobs,
research, and events.
information can be found on the WCN website
at: https://wicenterfornursing.org/. “As the largest
professional workforce, nurses not only live in
Wisconsin communities where their expertise
may be needed but are present in all health care
settings that patients move through thus placing
them in prime positions to contribute positively
towards improving health outcomes for all
Wisconsinites,” says Nichols.
ABOUT:
The Wisconsin Center for Nursing (WCN) is a
501c3 non-profit organization that was created in
2006 to engage nurse and healthcare organizations,
public and private academic programs, government
agencies and related service providers to work
together as collaborative partners in an effort
to ensure an adequate, competent and diverse
nursing workforce for the people of Wisconsin.
Through partnership with the Wisconsin
Department of Workforce Development, it strives
to accurately and continually collect, analyze and
disseminate nursing workforce data to assist health
care organizations and academic institutions to
fully assess both nursing resources and nursing
education so they are utilized effectively now, and
in the future. As Director of WCN, Barbara Nichols
PhD, (Hon) MS, RN, FAAN provides leadership
focused on assuring a well-prepared and diverse
nurse workforce to meet the needs of the citizens
of Wisconsin. Learn more at: www.wcn.org
The National RN Case Manager Training Center
LLC also known as National RNCM, is a Wisconsin
based, nurse led organization developed in 2010
by Kelly Kruse Nelles, RN, APRN-BC, MS and Mary
Jo Borden, RN, APRN-BC, MSN in response to the
passage of the Patient Protection and Affordable
Care Act and the release of The Future of Nursing
Report in which the critical need to reduce care
fragmentation through improved care coordination
and case/care management by RNs was identified.
The workforce development initiatives of the
Training Center focus on delivery of high quality
role development education designed to support
rapid translation of new knowledge back into
practice with an emphasis on full scope nursing
practice. National RNCM faculty is proud to have
prepared nearly 1000 RNs for RN Case Manager,
Care Manager and Care Coordination roles. These
nurses are now practicing throughout the U.S.
Healthcare system in acute, primary, public health
and long term care settings and working every
day to improve health outcomes that include
addressing the social determinants of health in the
patient populations that they are partnered with.
Learn more at: www.nationalrncm.com

September 2020 The Wisconsin Nurse Page 9
Grant Updates
WNA Clinical Panel Develops Recommendations for Use of
Team Based Care in the Identification and Management of High
Cholesterol
WNA is pleased share our most recent publication “Clinical Panel
Recommendations for Identification and Management of Uncontrolled High
Cholesterol using Patient-Centered Team-Based Care.” This publication was
produced as part of a contract with CDC funded Wisconsin Department of
Health Service, Division of Public Health and WNA.
CDC wants a focus on high cholesterol in Wisconsin for the following
reasons:
1. Having high blood cholesterol raises the risk for heart disease, the leading
cause of death, and for stroke, the fifth leading cause of death. With
treatment, this can be prevented.
2. High cholesterol has no symptoms; so many people do not know that their
cholesterol is too high. A simple blood test can check cholesterol levels.
3. Cholesterol travels through the blood on proteins called “lipoproteins.”
Two types of lipoproteins carry cholesterol throughout the body: LDL (lowdensity
lipoprotein), sometimes called “bad” cholesterol and HDL (highdensity
lipoprotein), or “good” cholesterol, absorbs cholesterol and carries
it back to the liver. The liver then flushes it from the body.
4. 95 million U.S. adults age 20 or older have total cholesterol levels higher
than 200 mg/dL. Nearly 29 million adult Americans have total cholesterol
levels higher than 240 mg/dL.3.
5. The age-standardized prevalence of self-reported high total cholesterol in
WI is 29.9-31.7% https://www.cdc.gov/cholesterol/facts.htm
6. Health care providers have an opportunity to improve upon the
identification, treatment and management through patient education and
engagement.
The CDC is also promoting the use of team based care as a means of
identifying and managing high cholesterol. The WNA Clinical Panel identified
ten important components for addressing high cholesterol when using team
based care. The ten components are as follows:
1. Establish a culture of patient-centered team-based care for high cholesterol
prevention, detection, and control - to achieve quality outcomes, long-term
cost reductions to health care systems, and improved population health in
Wisconsin.
2. Allow all team members to practice to their top of license or top of
education for non-licensed team members.
3. Establish a systemwide principle: All health providers are involved in the
prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of high cholesterol.
4. Improve information technology and the electronic health record
DASHBOARD to support efficiencies in care delivery and patient safety.
5. Establish systemwide goals to manage high cholesterol using state and
national quality metrics.
6. Establish high cholesterol management teams (at both the health system
and community levels) to champion excellence in the prevention and
control of cholesterol for patients who are undiagnosed (hiding in plain
sight) and patients who have uncontrolled hypertension.
7. Improve communication within and among team members.
8. Collaborate with the parent organization and informational technology
services to develop registries, dashboards, and other system improvements
that work for teams.
9. Acknowledge, disseminate, and celebrate team successes shown to improve
efficiencies and effectiveness of operations and patient care.
10. Provide leadership that results in the creation of durable linkages between
health systems and communities to improve cholesterol outcomes that
benefit the health of Wisconsin’s population through effective partnerships.
The publication also provides the most recent guidelines for the clinical
management of high cholesterol that was developed by the American
Cardiology Association.
You can find the publication on the WNA website under the practice tab
and on Wisconsin Nurses Connect networking platform.
The graph below shows the Prevalence of High Total Cholesterol* Among
Adults Aged ≥20 Years,† by Age Group and Sex — U.S. National Health and
Nutrition Examination Survey, 2015–2018 *Defined as serum total cholesterol
≥240 mg/dL.

Page 10 The Wisconsin Nurse September 2020
Nurse Disrupted - A Nurse Led Start-up for Pandemic Response
Bre Loughlin, MS, RN
“Hey Google - how many days has it been since March 23rd?” ‘Today, 123
days.”
Nurse Disrupted is a company I co-founded in response to COVID-19.
We are a nurse led Wisconsin-based company that combines technology,
the science of nursing, and compassion to solve healthcare problems. Since
forming on April 8th we have completed nearly 3,000 video screenings for
COVID-19 for Madison’s homeless population and have connected nursing
students from three different programs with practicum hours.
I’d like to tell you our story for three reasons:
• To showcase the power of nursing in this fight against COVID19.
• To show how WNA was vital to the work we do.
• To ask you to join us.
Background
March 23rd, 2020
It got down to 29 degrees in Madison, Wis. that night. As a nurse executive
at Epic, our local healthcare software company, I had taken a week for spring
break with my daughter. Since we couldn’t travel we decided to pitch in to our
community, and we found posts from the Executive Director of Porchlight, a
local homeless shelter, on social media.
We had grabbed cash cards, but what they needed help with was COVID-19
screening. Within 48 hours I had two ipads and a MiFi donated from Epic and
four nurses willing to volunteer to complete COVID-19 screenings on shelter
guests through Zoom video.
The Department of Health recommends the best way to fight COVID-19 is
to stay home, if you have one. But over half million Americas don’t. 1
People have a lot of thoughts about why folks don’t have a home, but I’d
like to give you some facts:
About 25% of our homeless are employed. They just don’t make enough
money. 2 Roughly 11% of our homeless served in the military for our country. 3
People experiencing chronic homelessness typically have complex and
long-term health conditions 4
Something homelessness and COVID-19 have in common is that it doesn’t
affect the U.S. population evenly. There is a racial and socio-economic divide
here that as nurses we must see and help educate the public on.
I think the most important thing right now to understand is that some of us
won’t get to the other side of the curve until we all do. We’ve gone through
such a time of divisiveness and seeing people as other or not seeing them at
all.
But this incredible nursing revolution started on March 23rd using the
simplest technology and nursing fundamentals such as evidence-based
practice, observation, and education.
The power of nursing:
Some science you should know:
• If you use a touchless thermometer you have a 50/50 chance of detecting
someone with an active COVID-19 infection. 5
• If you use a temporal thermometer correctly (which is rare), you are still
only measuring skin temperature.
• 69% of the US population have poor computer literacy and 26% can’t use
a computer at all. Although there are more than 300K health apps on the
market, COVID-19 chat bots and self screeners won’t work for most people 6
• Mass production of a vaccine has uncertain timeline and outcomes 7
We are not helpless - the solutions are just harder than what we want them
to be. It is not an app, a bot, or an injection that will suddenly flip a switch. But
as nurses, we are trained to do what it takes in making distance in this battle.
Today we have expanded to The Salvation Army women’s shelter and have
70 registered nurse volunteers. We have had to update our clinical decision
support tool five times to reflect the evolving evidence base and sweep the
literature daily.
Today, businesses and schools are asking if we can help them too.
The number one thing anyone can do right now is stay home. For those
places where this is not possible, we have a way to make spaces safer. We have
more shelters as well as companies and academic organizations asking if we
can bring screening to these spaces.
We can.
The Value of WNA:
The Wisconsin Nurses Association has three main pillars. Professional
development, Protecting your interests, and Staying connected. All of these
have impacted the work we do at Nurse Disrupted. WNA has guided and
supported us from the start.
The night of March 23rd the Wisconsin Nurses Association had a COVID-19
Response meeting that brought together the Public Policy, TriCouncil, and
Workforce Advocacy members. I had been talking throughout the day to
co-founder of Nurse Disrupted, and chair of WNAs Public Policy Council,
Tracy Zvenyach, PHD, APRN-NP. Tracy raised, and continues now to lead the
complex regulatory waters of our company. We had to definitively understand
if nurses were protected while conducting screening as virtual volunteers.
When we brought the concept to the WNA meeting the association never
questioned if we had what it took to conduct screening virtually. They came
together to support us in how to build the program. WNA’s Executive Director,
Gina Dennik-Champion connected us with legal council and eventually,
national press to help recruit volunteers. WNA TriCouncil member Kim
Udlis, PhD and Associate Dean and Chief Nurse Administrator at the Marian
School of Nursing had the idea of creating practicum opportunities for Marian
Nursing students at risk for not graduating. She had the program approved
and students volunteering within the first month.
August 5th WNA has given us the opportunity to present a webinar Nurse
Innovation in Reducing COVID-19 among the Homeless Population, and is
giving us a voice here in Wisconsin Nurses Connect.
That brings us to the third reason I want to tell you our story…
Join us
Every night we provide COVID-19 screening for homeless shelters.
Additional shelters, businesses and schools are asking if we can help them
too, and we can together. Please consider joining Nurse Disrupted. We
provide the training, tools, and support to connect you with the opportunity
to volunteer, and in the near future to work from your home.
You can find us at www.nursedisrupted.com and often at a (virtual) WNA
event.
Thank you for all you do,
Bre Loughlin, MS, RN
Chair, Workforce Advocacy Council
CEO, Nurse Disrupted LLC
1 “State of Homelessness: 2020 Edition - National Alliance to ....” https://
endhomelessness.org/homelessness-in-america/homelessness-statistics/
state-of-homelessness-2 020/. Accessed 27 Jul. 2020.
2 “Working Homeless Population Grows in Cities Across the U.S..” 7 Feb. 2018, https://
parade.com/643064/beckyhughes/working-homeless-population-grows-incities-across-the-u-s/.
Accessed 27 Jul. 2020.
3 “Background & Statistics - National Coalition for Homeless ....” http://nchv.org/index.
php/news/media/background_and_statistics/. Accessed 27 Jul. 2020.
4 “Background & Statistics - National Coalition for Homeless ....” http://nchv.org/index.
php/news/media/background_and_statistics/. Accessed 27 Jul. 2020.
5 “COVID-19 (Coronavirus) Resource Center - ECRI.” https://www.ecri.org/
coronavirus-covid-19-outbreak-preparedness-center. Accessed 27 Jul. 2020.
6 “This Chart Shows How Computer Literate Most People Are.” 7 Dec. 2016, https://
lifehacker.com/this-chart-shows-how-computer-literate-most-peopleare-1789761598.
Accessed 27 Jul. 2020.
7 “Fauci warns that COVID-19 vaccine protection may be ‘finite ....” 7 Jul. 2020, https://
www.marketwatch.com/story/fauci-warns-that-covid-19-vaccine-protectionmay-be-finite-2020-07-07.
Accessed 27 Jul. 2020.
Contribution to WINPAC
2020 is an important election year, and during the 2021-2023 Legislative
Biennium, WNA will be working on the following: Passage of the APRN
Modernization Act, Funding for Increasing Nurse Faculty, Supporting the
Important Role of Nurses in the Workplace, and Improving our Public Health
Infrastructure.
WINPAC is the political action arm of the Wisconsin Nurses Association
that raises and distributes funds to state legislative candidates. WNA cannot
achieve its legislative priorities without financially supporting legislative
candidates that recognize the importance of health, safety, and the practice of
nursing.
WNA needs your support to help achieve its legislative priorities. Please
contribute to WINPAC today so we can advance nursing now and influence
tomorrow.
Contribute Here:
https://www.cognitoforms.com/WisconsinNursesAssociation/
WINursesPoliticalActionCommitteeContributionWINPAC

September 2020 The Wisconsin Nurse Page 11
Trust and the Professions
Dr. Mary Ellen Wurzbach
When we enter into a relationship with our
patients in a variety of settings we form a tacit
contract. We agree to protect their physical,
psychological and social well-being.
Physically we agree not to harm our patients.
When we perform treatments or prescribe
medications we agree that we understand the
burden and benefits of what we are suggesting or
doing to our patients. We agree to be responsible
and accountable for the outcome. The same is
true of psychological and social interventions
including everything from mental health treatment
to working with insurance coverage or in an
administrative capacity in a health care institution.
Some of us are direct care providers; some are
faculty, researchers or administrators. All of us
have tacit contracts with our students, participants,
policy holders or patients.
We usually think of individuals as having
responsibilities and accountability in health
care. We think of ourselves as individual nurses,
not necessarily team members or agents of an
organization. We have individual liability insurance
plus possibly an institutional policy. We believe
we are accountable for our actions and that
currently we practice under our own licenses.
Thus, as individuals, we have formed a bond with
our patients, policy holders, students, research
participants or subordinates.
All of these beliefs about responsibility and
accountability are writ large in the health care
organization – the clinic, hospital, insurance
company or government agency. Without this
commitment to accountability and responsibility
accompanying the authority to make choices and
decisions in health care, trust - the silent contract -
suffers.
Trust is essential. Nurses and pharmacists are
seen as the most trustworthy of the professions
by the public. Even the word profession means
that one belongs to a group that can provide a
valued service to society and be a self-monitor
of its own behavior. By definition a profession
agrees to accountability to society and the control
of its own practice. Years ago Amitai Etzioni called
nursing, social work and teaching semi-professions.
Through the years we have become a full fledged
profession as well as an academic discipline.
Without trust think of what the health care
system would be. Why would a patient, student,
subordinate, research participant or policy holder
follow the directives of a person with authority
in a technical sense but no moral authority, no
accountability or responsibility?
What are accountability, responsibility and
moral authority? They have various characteristics,
including legitimate concern and caring, the
knowledge to perform certain health care
functions and prudence. This concern and caring,
knowledge and, above all, prudence support moral
authority conveyed by society to the professional.
Teaching, research and administration are more
disciplinary functions but they too entail trust and
professionalism in the practitioner.
What seems to be happening today in health
care is the abdication of this moral authority based
on trust: practitioners not knowing, for example,
the side effects of a medication or not offering, if
known, informed consent; record keeping that
seems to be paramount, but not protecting these
records; teaching that does not instill a true feel for
the patient’s experience; research that abrogates
the rights of the participants and administrative
lack of due diligence.
The health care system is growing and more
organizations are becoming members of a
giant complex of functions. Unless we actively
demonstrate concern and caring, knowledge and
prudence, all of which support out moral authority
conveyed by society, our societal function will
descend into chaos. Without these attributes of a
committed human being why would our clients,
whether patients, students, participants, or
subordinates, trust us?
Most professionals feel concern and caring
and believe themselves to be knowledgeable.
But with the burgeoning data base it is difficult to
remain current with all knowledge no matter how
concerned and caring.
This raises the issue of prudence and not
expecting our clients to assume risks we would not
assume ourselves. Many of us would be horrified if
we knew the results of well-meaning but misguided
health care interventions. Prudence may alleviate
some of these iatrogenic outcomes. Prudence
entails planning. It entails, more than anything,
anticipating the possible outcomes of a treatment,
medication, advice, teaching or simply technology.
Anticipation means thoughtful consideration
of what might be detrimental to our clients if a
particular course of action is instituted. It means
taking precautions to prevent an unanticipated
treatment, drug reaction or technological problem.
It means considering consequences before they
occur and working diligently to prevent side effects
of our actions.
Trust is the tacit (silent) contract we enter into
with our clients. The entire health care enterprise
is based on this trust. Unless the professions meet
this societal obligation to be caring and concerned,
knowledgeable and prudent why would society trust
us anymore than our individual clients do? At some
point the moral authority society has invested in us
may be revoked and much of our unflagging effort
to be seen as trustworthy will be diminished.
There are actions that can be taken which include
anticipating possible outcomes, following up on
interventions, being responsible for the result and
offering informed consent so that clients can assist
us in monitoring the side effects of interventions.
Assiduously acquiring new knowledge and
remaining current with therapeutic norms is critical
- talking with our clients and offering advice and
appropriate education and reciprocity.
Authentic caring and concern, constant
knowledge acquisition and prudent anticipation
of consequences all will amplify and support our
client’s trust in us and in health care. Trust is the
bond we have with our clients. It is also the bond
that holds health care together. We must not
squander it.
Iowa County
Registered Nurse/LPN
Full Time Night Shift
(set schedule)
$3,000 RN/$1,500 LPN
Sign-on Bonus
CNA
Full Time/Part Time
PM and Nights
We’re Hiring!
NEW!
Night Shift
Differential
of $3.00 per
hour!
EOE
Apply online at
www.iowacounty.org
or by calling (608) 935-0374

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**Transfer of 90 credits that apply to your degree and continuous enrollment required.
†MOU 6544 & 6578: This scholarship is only valid for those applicants who submit a complete application for a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) degree program between the months of September and October. If you enroll in the RN to BSN degree program through any of the College of Nursing’s online or evening campus offerings, Grand Canyon
University will offer you 30% off the tuition per course for your program. Each of the baccalaureate degree programs in nursing, the master’s degree programs in nursing, the Doctor of Nursing Practice programs and the post-graduate APRN certificate programs at Grand Canyon University are accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing
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Please note, not all GCU programs are available in all states and in all learning modalities. Program availability is contingent on student enrollment. Grand Canyon University is regionally accredited by the Higher Learning Commission 800-621-7440; http://hlcommission.org/. Important policy information is available in the University Policy Handbook at
https://www.gcu.edu/academics/academic-policies.php. GCU, while reserving its lawful rights in light of its Christian mission, is committed to maintaining an academic environment that is free from unlawful discrimination. Further detail on GCU’s Non-Discrimination policies can be found at gcu.edu/titleIX. The information printed in this material is
accurate as of SEPTEMBER 2020. For the most up-to-date information about admission requirements, tuition, scholarships and more, visit gcu.edu ©2020 Grand Canyon University 20CONE0279