New Hampshire Nursing News - December 2020

Quarterly publication direct mailed to approximately 1,250 Registered Nurses and LPNs and delivered electronically via email to 16,500 Registered Nurses and LPNs in New Hampshire.
New Hampshire
Nursing News
Official Newsletter of New Hampshire Nurses Association
December 2020 | Vol. 45 No. 1
www.NHNurses.org
Happy New Year!
Please be sure to notify us with address
changes/corrections. We have a very large list
to keep updated. If the nurse listed no longer
lives at this address – please notify us to
discontinue delivery. Thank You!
Please call 877-810-5972, extension 701 or
email to office@nhnurses.org with
Nursing News in the subject line.
NHNA EXECUTIVE
DIRECTOR APPOINTED
The New Hampshire
Nurses' Association Board
of Directors has accepted
the resignation of Joan
Widmer RN and announced
the appointment of Pamela
P. DiNapoli, RN as the
Executive Director. Widmer
has served for the past four
years with her experience as
a Certified Emergency Nurse,
and as an executive with
management and accounting
Pam DiNapoli
experience contributing to her
successful day-to-day leadership of NHNA. Ever present
at Commission meetings and NHNA events, Joan is
known in the legislature as an expert nurse to go to for
testimony on issues impacting nurses and nursing. Her
efforts did not go unnoticed as Widmer was the recipient
of the 2020 President’s Award. While she will remain
active in NHNA, the change will allow Widmer to enjoy
retirement with her family.
Pam DiNapoli has been a nursing educator for over
30 years, most recently as an Associate Professor of
Nursing at the University of New Hampshire. Prior to
working in academia, Dr. DiNapoli worked in pediatric
and neonatal intensive care nursing. She received a
BSN from Thomas Jefferson University, a MSN from
the University of Pennsylvania and a PhD in Nursing
from the University of Massachusetts at Lowell, with a
concentration in health promotion. DiNapoli is widely
published with articles
appearing in peer reviewed
journals and contributions
to nursing textbooks.
She has presented both
nationally and internationally.
DiNapoli is well known
to the New Hampshire
Nurses Association as an
active member for over 30
years. She served on the
Commission on Continuing
Joan Widmer
Education (2002 to 2007)
and as co-chair from 2003-
2005. She is currently serving as the Chair of the
Commission on Government Affairs, a position she has
held since 2017. DiNapoli currently participates on
several statewide committees and advocacy initiatives,
including the Primary Care Workforce Commission,
the Governor’s Autism Spectrum Disorder Council,
Manchester Community College Nursing Advisory
Board, Rivier University Advisory Board and the Saint
Anselm College Institutional Review Board.
In announcing the appointment NHNA President,
Carlene Ferrier commented, "In addition to Dr.
DiNapoli’s in depth knowledge and history with the
Association, the Board of Directors is impressed with
her reputation for mentoring and supporting nurses in
academia and in her many volunteer appointments.
We are excited about her commitment to strengthening
NHNA through the engagement of nurses at all stages in
their professional careers and from all specialties.”
Index
NHNA - 2020 Annual Membership Meeting.................... 2
Reflections from the ED................................... 3
President’s Message..................................... 3
NHNA 2020 Election Results. .............................4-5
Excellence in Nursing Awards .............................. 6
NHNA Bestows 2020 Awards .............................. 7
2020 Healthy Nurse Scholarships Awarded .......................... 8
Nurses Appointed to Board....................................... 8
In My Opinion.................................................. 9
Humor Me.................................................... 9
Welcome New and Returning NHNA Members! ...................... 10
KUDOS...................................................... 11
Nurses on the Move............................................ 11
NHNA Organizational Affiliates
2020: Honoring the Leadership Legacy of Florence Nightingale...... 12
Entering the Workforce Amidst a Global Pandemic................ 13
Fortification of Superhero Nursing Power:
A user’s manual to prevent leakage........................ 14
School Nurses in the News.................................. 15
New Hampshire Nurses Association - A Year in Review 2020......... 16-18
From the Bookshelf............................................ 19
NCLEX Reconsidered Focus on Pediatrics........................... 19
Quick Fixes for 10 Big Budget-Blowing Mistakes...................... 20
School of Nursing News......................................... 20
I Give You Permission to Fall Apart................................. 21
Spotlight on the Healthy Nurse 2020............................... 21
Board of Nursing News......................................... 22
Night Nurses Needed for Study................................... 22
Hospital Launches LNA Course................................... 22
Management Minute........................................... 22
In Memory of Our Colleagues. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
SAVE THE DATE
current resident or
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Permit #14
Princeton, MN
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When asked about her appointment Dr. DiNapoli
stated "It goes without saying that these are
challenging times for nurses. It is likely that
the way nurses practice and the way they are
educated has become permanently changed.
There is no greater time for our professional
nursing association to advocate for the nurses of
New Hampshire. As the Executive Director, it
is my hope that I can help the voices of nurses
be heard. I encourage all nurses to become
active members of NHNA and I look forward to
working with and supporting the membership.”
Legislative Town Hall Forum
January 26, 2021

Page 2 • New Hampshire Nursing News December 2020, January, February 2021
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New Hampshire
NURSING NEWS
Vol. 45 No. 1
Official publication of the New Hampshire Nurses’
Association (NHNA), a constituent member of the
American Nurses Association. Published quarterly
every March, June, September and December. Library
subscription rate is $30. ISSN 0029-6538
Editorial Offices
New Hampshire Nurses Association, 25 Hall St., Unit
1E, Concord, NH 03301. Ph (877) 810-5972, E-mail
office@NHNurses.org
Editor: Susan Fetzer, PhD, RN
NHNA Staff
Pamela P. DiNapoli, PhD, RN, CNL, Nurse Executive
Director
Paula MacKinnon RN, Executive Assistant/
Communications Specialist
Beth Dow RN, Event Coordinator
NURSING NEWS is indexed in the Cumulative Nursing
Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL)
and International Nursing Index.
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price of advertisement.
Prescient (adj): Having or showing knowledge of events
before they take place.
Sometimes organizations make operational changes
that later appear to be prescient. But such was the
case in November 2019 when the New Hampshire
Nurses Association’s (NHNA) membership amended
the Association’s bylaws to allow for a virtual annual
membership business meeting. At that time no one
anticipated that a global pandemic would begin a few
months later which would necessitate holding the 2020
annual membership business meeting via a Zoom
conference.
The first virtual Annual Membership Business Meeting
was held on the evening of October 7, 2020. Forty-two
members and ten non-members tuned into the event
from their homes and offices. Carlene Ferrier, President
of NHNA, welcomed the attendees. She introduced
the current members of the NHNA Board of Directors,
as well as the Chairs and Vice Chairs of the Association’s
Commissions and Task Forces.
WE WANT YOU TO JOIN
OUR AWARD WINNING TEAM!
Board Secretary Pamela Kallmerten, reported that a
quorum was established for the 2020 Officers and Board of
Directors elections with 91 members voting by electronic
or paper ballot. The results were certified. Kallmerten
noted that a quorum was not established for the Business
Meeting, so actions requiring a quorum could be affected
during the meeting. President Ferrier then announced the
results of NHNA’s 2020 Annual Elections, followed by a
Year in Review for NHNA.
Amy Matthews, Board Treasurer with the assistance of
Joan Widmer, NHNA Executive Director presented the
Treasurer’s report and answered questions. Despite
revenue challenges the Association has experienced due
to the coronavirus pandemic, the year-to-date financial
performance through August 31, 2020 is still positive as a
result of judicious financial management on the part of the
staff and the Board. Matthews also presented the 2021
Budget, which was been based on conservative revenue
projections.
After the formal presentations, members were able to
ask questions, either by voice or through the Zoom chat
function regarding the information presented or the 2020
Annual Report. The 2020 Annual Report provides a
summary of activities meeting the Mission, Vision and
Strategic Goals of the NHNA, while providing effective
fiduciary oversight.
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advertisement does not imply a product offered for
advertising is without merit, or that the manufacturer
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publication express the opinions of the authors; they
do not necessarily reflect views of the staff, board,
or membership of NHNA or those of the national or
local associations.
VISION STATEMENT
Empower New Hampshire nurses as leaders in
advancing the profession of nursing and the health of
New Hampshire.
MISSION STATEMENT
NHNA, as a constituent member of the American
Nurses Association, exists to promote the practice,
development and well being of NH nurses through
education, empowerment and healthcare advocacy.
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December 2020, January, February 2021 New Hampshire Nursing News • Page 3
REFLECTIONS FROM THE ED
Pamela P. DiNapoli PhD, RN,CNL
Reflections have been
defined as thoughts and
opinions that come to you
while you are reflecting.
As I begin my term as
executive director of NHNA
I am reminded of the
importance of reflecting.
Reflecting gives you an
opportunity to stop, think
about your past, think
about how events have
affected your life and how
Pamela P. DiNapoli
you could have or would
have done things differently. The importance of
reflecting in my life has been magnified in 2020.
My reflections this year are guided by the word
“mindfulness.” In my personal life I am fortunate to
have some wonderful and supportive friends. On
New Year’s Day while heading to a race, one friend
said we should all pick a word that would guide us
and calm us during the year. This was before Covid!
I picked the word “mindfulness.” There are three
components to mindfulness and they are Attention,
Intention and Attitude. As I practice mindfulness
I am reminded that the nurses of NH have been
tested this year, physically and emotionally. Words
like anxiety, anger, depression and loneliness have
become everyday expressions of our feelings. But
if we take time in our daily lives to be mindful of
the events in our lives we may learn to better
understand and reshape our feelings.
I am mindful of the responsibility that has been
given to me in accepting the role of the ED. I draw
your Attention to the Mission of the NHNA: “As a
C/SNA of the ANA, the NHNA exists to promote
nursing practice and the wellbeing of NH nurses
by providing professional development, fostering
nurse innovation and leading in health advocacy
to enhance the health of the people of NH.” I
come from a long career as a nurse educator and
an important skill we teach students is the art of
reflective writing. Consistent with the mission
of NHNA I encourage you to share your stories
as we continue to promote nursing practice in
New Hampshire. Nurses have been called heroes
during this pandemic, nurses were heroes before
and continue to be heroes now more than ever.
Without your stories and your voice our advocacy
efforts will be silenced. As ED it is my Intention
to listen to your stories. Journaling is an important
way to maintain your emotional wellbeing, reflect
on the events in your daily life and be mindful,
acknowledge and accept your feelings. Share your
stories. Finally, it cannot go without saying that
not only have we been tested by the pandemic this
year, we have encountered events that have caused
divisiveness among us personally, politically and
professionally. We must embrace the Attitudes that
are core to our professional values, those of being
kind, nonjudgmental and curious. Jon Kabat-Zinn
said “Mindfulness means paying attention in a
particular way; on purpose, in the particular moment
and nonjudgmentally.” I encourage you to make a
commitment to be mindful as a way of improving
your quality of life and wellbeing. Pay attention in
the moment, live with intention and let this shape
your attitude and personal behaviors. As ED I will
be attentive, I intend to hear you and I am optimistic
that as a professional organization we have power.
PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE
Carlene Ferrier, MPH, RN, NEA-BC, President
Happy New Year and
an extended Year of
the Nurse! Last year
brought many challenges
that we could not have
imagined. Nurses and the
New Hampshire Nurses’
Association have risen
to the occasion. In this
issue of the Nursing News
you will read about the
enormous efforts of nurse
volunteers in keeping our
long term facilities safe. A
Carlene Ferrier
Year in Review 2020 outlines how NHNA was able
to pivot to meet the needs of our members and
still end the year budget neutral, despite significant
losses in program revenue as we moved our events
to virtual formats. Hopefully the after-action review
locally and nationally will clarify lessons learned
from this pandemic response and help be better
prepared for future public health emergencies.
As we look to the future for nurses and NHNA,
we are very excited about new opportunities and
possibilities! The Board of Directors completed
a rigorous process to select our next Executive
Director, Dr. Pamela DiNapoli. We closed out our
2017-2020 Strategic Plan and will spend the first half
of 2021 drafting our 2021-2024 Strategic Plan. Keep
an eye out for listening sessions and opportunities
to help us create an intergenerational vision. Upon
reflection I realize that the true measure of success
of my presidency will not be visible until sometime
in the future. One indicator will be when we have
several competent, qualified, candidates running
for board, commission, and task force positions.
Another will be when we are finally able to address
attrition, and our membership numbers steadily rise.
The third indicator is the strength and success of
our affiliate, community, and national partnerships.
To do this we need to widen the circle. Nursing
and NHNA membership should reflect the
population of the patients we serve.
In closing, I am thrilled to welcome Holly
McCormack, MSN, RN, joining the NHNA Board
of Directors as President-Elect. Her expertise as a
Chief Nursing Officer at a critical access hospital in
the north country will be an incredible asset as we
plan and create our future. We are very excited to
work together and look forward to bringing you all
in. Please consider sharing your time and talents
with us to help us achieve these goals!
Geriatric Psych
Med/Surg

Page 4 • New Hampshire Nursing News December 2020, January, February 2021
NHNA 2020 Election Results
The New Hampshire Nurses Association (NHNA) held
the annual elections for volunteer positions on the Board
of Directors, Commissions and Task Forces. A call for
nominations was issued in July 2020 via an e-flash to
members. In addition to the call for nominations, NHNA
Board members on the Nominations & Elections subcommittee
were also tasked with identifying members
who possess the requisite skills to serve the Association,
particularly for Board positions. Interested members were
able to use the many resources on volunteer opportunities
available on the NHNA website. Fifteen members filed an
Intent-to-Serve form.
The electronic ballot, using Association Voting election
management software, was emailed to 1,275 NHNA
members of record in August 2020. Nine paper ballots
were mailed to members without an email address on
file. All emailed ballots were automatically re-sent to
non-openers several days later. A second email server,
Mail Chimp, was used for members who had previously
unsubscribed to the Constant Contact email service.
Weekly e-flashes were sent out August and September
2020, reminding members to vote.
Ninety members voted electronically, one member voted
via paper ballot. All names and membership ID’s were
confirmed by two NHNA members to ensure all ballots
were appropriately cast. The NHNA Board Secretary
verified the list of voters as valid and representing a quorum
of at least 5% as specified by the NHNA bylaws (91/1,286
= 7%).
President-Elect
Holly McCormack, MSN, RN, Chief Nursing Officer of
Cottage Hospital, was elected as President Elect. Holly
expressed her desire to serve by stating, “The NHNA
provides a voice to the nurses in the state of New
Hampshire. As a Chief Nursing Officer, I feel I provide
a voice to the nurses of my organization. I find the two
positions to require similar characteristics: Professionalism,
role modeling, organization and sometimes out of the box
thinking. When I take on a role, I tend to "go all in." I feel
that would be a positive impact for the association. I also
feel that I could really expand my own knowledge base.
This would positively impact my organization and help to
make me a more well-rounded leader.”
Secretary
Lyndsay Goss, MSN, RN, Nursing Faculty Lead at Southern
New Hampshire University, and currently the Chair of the
Commission on Nursing Practice, was elected to serve
as Board Secretary. Lyndsay described her interest in the
role: “I would like to serve to gain a greater understanding
of the organization, to continue to support and advocate
for nurses throughout the state, and to grow as part of my
own professional growth. The three innate characteristics
that make me a good fit for this role is that I am organized,
responsible, and reliable. I have experience taking minutes/
notes for a variety of committees and teams throughout my
career.” Lyndsay served as Chair of the CNP for the past
two years.
Director at Large
Pamela Kallmerten’s, PhD(c), DNP, RN, CNL, second
term as Board Secretary ended on December 31, 2020.
Wanting to continue her service, Kallmerten was elected
to the Director at Large position vacated by Carmen
Petrin. Kallmerten wrote: “Professionalism necessitates
service to others and as such I believe every nurse should
provide service to the community whether it be at the
local, state, regional or national level. I have 30 years'
experience as a NH nurse and 20 years' experience as a
NH nurse educator. I will use my experiences and support
the mission of NHNA through collaboration with board
leadership and members.”
Commission on Government Affairs (CGA)
CGA welcomed three new members. Representative
Polly Campion, MSN, RN has been serving as the CGA
Legislative Liaison for the past few years, providing
members with valuable insights as to the inner workings
of the New Hampshire legislature. She retired from her
legislative service at the end of 2020. Elected to the CGA
she stated “I'd like to continue on the CGA to provide
continuity, especially until another nurse legislator is able to
participate.”
Marsha Davidson, BSN, RN, practices as a staff nurse on
a medical-surgical unit at Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical
Center. She attended the CGA’s Legislative Advocacy
Training in 2019 and was bitten by the advocacy bug.
“I am realizing the importance of being involved in the
legislative, government process. As nurses we bring a
unique perspective regarding the health and wellbeing of
our community members. Our voice needs to be heard,”
remarked Davidson.
Marcy Doyle, DNP, MHS, MS, RN, CN, serves as the
Clinical and Quality Improvement Director at the Institute
for Health Policy and Practice at the University of New
Hampshire. In her Intent-to-Serve, Doyle stated, “Currently
I teach graduate level Health Policy at UNH, which
has advanced my knowledge of the legislative process,
evaluating proposed legislation, and recommending
appropriate action.”
Commission on Nursing Practice (CNP)
Erika Corbett and Bonnie Crumley Aybar were elected
to the Commission on Nursing Practice (CNP). Erika
Corbett RN works in infection Control at Hannah Dunston
Healthcare and desired “to bring awareness to workplace
safety and the impact of COVID 19 on Nurses in NH. I
want to be an advocate for fellow nurses. I am also looking
for more volunteer opportunities.”
Bonnie Crumley Aybar, MS, RN formerly at the New
Hampshire Board of Nursing, practices at the VA in
Manchester. She brings her experience in peri-operative
nursing and “experience in reviewing and evaluating
practice questions for NH Board of Nursing for three years.”
Commission on Continuing Education (CCE)
Ashley Ponce, MSN, RN, practices nursing education
for Concord Regional Visiting Nurse Association. “I am a
nurse educator and have recently completed a masters in
nurse education… and worked on curriculum development

December 2020, January, February 2021 New Hampshire Nursing News • Page 5
during the MSN program,” remarked Ponce. She will be training to become a Nurse
Reviewer of continuing professional development programs over the next few months and
will join the team of Nurse Reviewers with the Northeast Multistate Division Continuing
Education Unit.
Membership Engagement Task Force (METF)
The Membership Engagement Task Force is the sustaining arm of a year-long development
project offered through the New Hampshire Center for Non-Profits. The High Impact
Volunteer Engagement (HIVE) program provided a team of NHNA volunteers with
evidence-based tools to improve volunteer engagement of professionals in the work of
the Association. The team employed the tools to design a membership survey which
guides the work of the newly formed Membership Engagement Task Force. Joan Widmer,
recently retired from her role as Executive Director of NHNA, will serve as the initial team
lead. Pat Lazarre and Cheryl Abbot, members of the HIVE project team will continue on
with METF. Two new members joined the METF.
Kaitlyn Liset, MSN, RN, CNL, is a Clinical Nurse Leader at Wentworth-Douglass Hospital.
Liset stated in her Intent-to-Serve, “I have been told by patients, peers, and students
that my high regard for nursing is contagious. This is channeled through mentoring and
advocating for best practice, supportive culture, and resources for nursing at the individual
and population level. Nursing is a passion that has allowed me the opportunity to practice
both clinically and academically, and the opportunity to serve the nursing profession the
NHNA METF is something I am very excited about!”
Dansir Minster, BSN, RN, PCCN, is a critical care nurse at Catholic Medical Center.
“Promoting resilience and mindfulness in my profession to prevent burnout is important
for nurses and patients. Empowering nurses through organizational membership not only
impacts the lives of NH nurses but also the health of the citizens of NH…creating activities
that educate, inform, and engage the community and nurses is needed now more than
ever in the presence of COVID,” stated Minster.
Holly McCormack,
President-Elect
Lyndsay Goss,
Secretary
Pam Kallmerten,
Board Member
at Large
Polly Campion,
Commission on
Government Affairs
Marsha Davidson,
Commission on
Government Affairs
Photo not
available
Marcy Doyle,
Commission on
Government Affairs
Erika Corbett,
Commission on
Nursing Practice
Bonnie Crumley
Aybar, Commission
on Nursing Practice
Ashley Ponce,
Commission on
Continuing Education
Kaitlyn Liset,
Membership
Engagement Task
Force
Dansir Minster,
Membership
Engagement Task
Force

Page 6 • New Hampshire Nursing News December 2020, January, February 2021
EXCELLENCE IN
NURSING AWARDS
This year, more than ever, is a year to celebrate nurses
and the important valuable work they do each and
every day. The World Health Organization and the
American Nurses Association named 2020 the Year of
the Nurse. In addition, nurses across New Hampshire
have been especially challenged by the coronavirus
global pandemic and its impact on their work, their
families and their colleagues. To help us celebrate
nursing in 2020, consider nominating a well-deserving
nurse for one of these prestigious awards. Nominations
for the 2021 Excellence in Nursing Awards are open
until January 8, 2021 on the Excellence in Nursing
website (https://www.nhmagazine.com/excellence-innursing-submissions/).
A team of nurse reviewers, with
at least five years of experience in the specialty category
for which they will be reviewing nominations, has been
recruited to review the nomination submitted for the
2021 awards. They are looking forward to reviewing
your nomination of a nurse you know who has gone
above and beyond during 2020, the year of the nurse.
Excellence Task Force Revamps Excellence Award
Categories
In 2020, the Excellence in Nursing Task Force reviewed
nominations received by category for the past three
years and reconsidered award categories. Two award
categories received significantly fewer submissions:
Gerontologic & Long Term Care and Hospice &
Palliative Care. The Task Force decided to combine the
categories into a single award: the Hospice/Palliative
Care and/or Gerontologic Award. A new rubric was
developed to reflect the new category.
Two categories repeatedly received significantly more
nominations than others: the Nurse Leader and the
Nurse Educator & Nurse Researcher category. The
Task Force decided to split each of these categories
resulting in four awards. The Task Force noted that
many deserving emerging nurse leaders were not being
recognized because the evaluation rubric was biased
towards experienced nurse leaders. The new categories
are designated as the Front Line/Administrative Leader
Award and the Senior Nursing Leader Award. The
Front Line/Administrative Leader Award recognizes a
front line or administrative nursing leader and includes
nursing supervisors, clinical leaders, informal/project
leaders, functional leaders (leaders without direct
reports). The Senior Nursing Leader Award recognizes a
senior nursing leader and includes nursing directors, vice
presidents, and chief nursing officers. The Task Force
developed new rubrics for each of these awards.
The Nurse Educator & Nurse Researcher Award
was divided into its two primary component. The
Nurse Educator Award recognizes a nurse involved
in education who works to advance the knowledge,
skills and professionalism required for patient-centered
care. This includes active nursing education activities
in environments such as professional development in
organizational settings, nurse education in academic or
clinical settings. The Nurse Researcher Award recognizes
a nurse involved in research who works to advance
evidence based practice defined as: “the integration
of best research, clinical expertise, and patient values
in making decisions about the care of individualized
patients. The Task Force developed new rubrics for
reviewing nominations for the awards.
2021 Excellence in Nursing Award Categories.
• Advanced Practice Registered Nurse
• Ambulatory Care Nursing
• Cardiovascular Nursing
• Emergency Nursing
• Front Line/Administrative Nursing Leader
• Hospice-Palliative Care and/or Gerontologic Nursing
• Maternal-Child Health Nursing
• Medical-Surgical Nursing
• Nurse Educator
• Nurse Researcher
• Pediatric & School Nursing
• Psychiatric and Mental Health Nursing
• Public Health Nursing
• Senior Nurse Leader
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December 2020, January, February 2021 New Hampshire Nursing News • Page 7
NHNA Bestows 2020 Awards
During the Annual
Membership Meeting, held
the evening of October 7,
2020, NHNA President
Carlene Ferrier presented
the NHNA Annual Awards.
In addition to recognizing
nurses who have been
members of NHNA for 25 years, three other nursing
awards were presented: the Rising Star Award, the
Distinguished Member Award, and the President’s Award.
A non-nursing award, the Champion of Nursing, was also
bestowed.
Membership Service Award
The five nurses were recognized for their continuing 25
year membership: Jennifer Ganem, Anne Howe, Linda
Lassonde, Lisa Palmer and Georgette Caouette. Each
received a 25-year pin and a certificate acknowledging
their long-standing support of the New Hampshire Nurses
Association.
Rising Star Award
The Rising Star Award honors a nurse who has been in
practice less than five years and has both contributed to
the profession and has demonstrated significant potential
as a leader and nursing advocate-a rising star in the field.
Each nominee had least two letters of recommendation
providing examples of how they demonstrated
professionalism, patient advocacy, budding leadership,
community service and created a collaborative working
environment with peers. Six nurses were nominated for
the 2020 award by Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center.
• Christopher Charles, Medical ICU
• Katelyn Gray, Outpatient Surgery Center
• Carissa Hodgdon, Intensive Care Nursery
• Linsey Hodge, Outpatient Surgery Center
• Mallory Schell, Surgical Trauma ICU
• Victoria “Tori” Vincent, CHaD at DHMC
The 2020 Rising Star Award was awarded to Carissa
Hodgdon BSN RN from the Children’s Hospital at
Dartmouth. Carissa graduated from Castleton University
with an Associate’s Degree and in December 2018 she
completed her BSN. She works in the Intensive Care
Nursery and has always been eager to learn and support
others. Carissa precepts new staff and always seeks a
variety of experiences to expand her knowledge. Her
colleagues have described her as calm, compassionate,
inquisitive, a multitasker, and a team player.
Beyond the reach of the hospital, Carissa has become a
Certified Child Passenger Safety Technician and Instructor.
Carissa sits on the Car Seat Committee for the hospital to
streamline the processes around child passenger safety for
pediatric patients all over the organization. In 2018, she
was recognized by the state of VT as Child Patient Safety
Technician Instructor of the Year. Carissa is described by
one of her nominators as an inspiration to her colleagues.
Distinguished Member Award
The Distinguished Member Award honors a nurse with
substantive service to NHNA, through work on the
Commissions, work in nursing advocacy and/or work
on an NHNA Task Force(s). The awardee demonstrates a
commitment to the vision and mission of NHNA. Each
nominee provides at least two letters of recommendation
providing examples of how the nominee demonstrates
commitment to the NHNA’s vision/mission and service to
NHNA. Two members were nominated: Polly Campion
and Paula MacKinnon.
The 2020 Distinguished Member was Paula McKinnon.
Paula is a school nurse at Salem Middle School, a member
of the NHNA, and President of the New Hampshire
School Nurses Association. Paula has functioned in key
roles as NH schools prepare to resume operations. As a
member of the NHNA Paula, maintains communications
for the organization through weekly e-news blasts
and social media activities. Paula attends commission
meetings both in a supportive and participant role.
Recently, Paula’s role as Operations Director on the
COVID Alliance Senior Support Team has been pivotal
in the success of the project. The Project responded to
the early COVID experience suggesting senior facilities
would be hit the hardest. As a volunteer run project
Paula was instrumental in recruiting the Team’s 90 plus
volunteers. Her willingness to give innumerable hours to
the project exemplified the highest spirit of nursing and
clearly reflected the mission and vision of the NHNA. Her
nominee noted “Paula demonstrates respect for all nurses,
advocates for efforts to ensure a safe workplace, has
innovating ideas for moving the organization forward, and
is well-spoken in her support of NHNA activities.”
President’s Award
The President’s Award is given at the discretion of the
President of the NHNA to someone who exemplifies
NHNA’s Core Values. The position as NHNA President
provides a unique vantage point for identifying exceptional
individuals worthy of recognition.
The 2020 President’s Award was presented to Joan
Widmer, the Executive Director of the New Hampshire
Nurses Association for the past four years. During this
past four years Joan has displayed her commitment to the
NHNA and New Hampshire’s nurses through leadership,
advocacy, and mentorship.
Champion of Nursing Award
The Champion of Nursing Award honors an employer or
individual, nurse or non-nurse, who has had a positive
impact on the profession of nursing. The Champion
contributes by demonstrating characteristics or practices
that support individual nurses or the nursing profession.
The 2020 Champion of Nursing was Dean Kamen of
DEKA Research & Development. With 2020 one of the
most challenging and rewarding years experienced by
nurses due to the COVID19 pandemic New Hampshire
nurses rose to the challenge. The challenge to care for
patients infected with this novel virus was compounded
by inadequate supplies of personal protective equipment
(PPE). Dean Kamen, through his extensive connections
with manufacturers around the world, and working with
the support of Governor Sununu and the State of New
Hampshire, secured the purchase and delivery of over
1,200 tons of PPE and other critical supplies. Using his
resources he was a tireless Champion of Nursing.
Thank You to our
Healthcare
Heroes
on the Front Lines
of COVID-19
Legend (L to R): Joan Widmer, Dean Kamen
(Champion of Nursing), Carlene Ferrier
Carissa Hodgdon
100 Saint Anselm Drive
Manchester, NH 03102
(603) 641-7086
www.anselm.edu/cne
Committed to Promoting Excellence
in the Practice of Nursing
Paula MacKinnon, Distinguished Member
Award Winner
Joan Widmer, President’s Award Winner
Saint Anselm College is approved as a provider of nursing
continuing professional development by the Northeast
Multistate Division, an accredited approver by the American
Nurses Credentialing Center’s Commission on Accreditation

Page 8 • New Hampshire Nursing News December 2020, January, February 2021
2020 Healthy Nurse Scholarships Awarded
described a scenario of integrity by reminders of being kind and nonjudgmental, and
to not jump to conclusions by considering all possibilities. Carla shared that a driving
factor for completing her practice doctorate is a strive toward excellence.
Carol Allen EdD MSN RN is the Vice Chair of the Commission on Nursing Practice,
the volunteer team that designed the Healthy Nurse Scholarship program and
manages the Healthy Nurse Fund Raising Event.
Stephanie Gray, Healthy Nurse
Certification Scholarship Winner
By Carol Allen
The Third Annual NHNA Healthy Nurse Scholarship event was held Thursday,
September 10, 2020 using a virtual platform. The scholarships were developed in
appreciation of one of the core American Nurses Association values, commitment to
life-long learning. They are designed to support nurses who wish to improve their
nursing practice through higher education and specialty certification. 2020 provided
three scholarship awards, a Certification Scholarship, a RN-BSN Scholarship, and a
Graduate Scholarship.
Applicants for the Certification Scholarship were asked to share why certification was
important to them and how the certification would impact nursing practice. A 2020
Certification Scholarship, for $250.00, was awarded to Stephanie Gray. Stephanie
is pursuing certification as a Wound Care Nurse. Certification would acknowledge
attainment of the skills and knowledge to function as a wound care professional
and the ability to apply national wound management strategies to improve patient
outcomes.
RN-BSN Scholarship applicants were asked to share how they exemplify one of
NHNA’s core values and how achieving their BSN will help them to exemplify an
additional core value. The 2020 RN-BSN Scholarship for $750.00, was awarded to
Christina Dunn. In Christina’s application, she described how she exemplifies the core
values of collaboration, respect, and professionalism in her role as a school nurse. She
wrote of challenges related to COVID-19 and described applications of collaboration,
compassion, and respect in order to address school re-entry plans and policies.
Graduate Scholarship applicants were asked to share examples of how they
exemplify NHNA’s core values in nursing practice and describe how achieving their
graduate degree would assist them in meeting professional goals and contribute
to the advancement of the nursing profession. The 2020 Graduate Scholarship,
in the amount of $750.00, went to Carla Smith. Carla is working on a Doctorate of
Health Sciences in Global Public Health. She identified several of the core values
and provided examples from her experiences that exemplified these core values.
She described collaboration related to the role of Volunteer Coordinator for the NH
COVID Alliance Senior Support Team. She described an activity used with student
nurses that fosters respect among disciplines. And, among other examples, she
Christina Dunn, Healthy Nurse RN to
BSN Scholarship Winner
Carla Smith, Healthy Nurse Graduate
Scholarship Winner
NURSES APPOINTED
TO BOARD
Visit nursingALD.com today!
Search job listings
in all 50 states, and filter by location and credentials.
Browse our online database
of articles and content.
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for nursing professionals in your area.
Your always-on resource for
nursing jobs, research, and events.
Sheila Evjy
Margaret Emmons
Sheila A. (O’Donnell) Evjy and Margaret Emmons
RN ARNP have been appointed to the Board of
Trustees of St. Anslem College. Evjy is a 1974
graduate of the nursing program and former vice
president of nursing at Elliot Hospital, where she
spent her entire nursing career. In addition she
received a MSN from Boston University, and a
MEd in Counseling from the University of New
Hampshire. In 2019 Evjy received an honorary
degree from Saint Anselm. Evjy is also on the
Board of the VNA of Manchester and Southern
New Hampshire.
Emmons is an acute care nurse practitioner in
cardiology at Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical
Center and an assistant professor of medicine
at Dartmouth College. She obtained her BSN
from St. Anslem’s in 1975 and a MSN from
the University of Massachusetts Worcester,
Worcester, MA, in 2005.

December 2020, January, February 2021 New Hampshire Nursing News • Page 9
IN MY OPINION
Despite staying at home
with few ‘masked’
excursions outside of town,
the end of the Year of the
Nurse provided two health
care experiences on the
other side, one as patient
the other as caregiver. Each
provided glimpses into the
possible future of the health
care system.
On a Friday morning I Susan Fetzer
realized that my sore throat
of two days was increasing to the point of 8/10 pain
and an earache. I determined that I was in need of
antibiotics before the weekend arrived. A call to
my PCP’s office early in the morning resulted in
HUMOR ME
Regularly exercising our
sense of humor improves
resiliency, positivity and
balances anti-negatively.
Laughter may not solve
problems but can change
your chemistry allowing
you to face them anew. Submissions are welcome.
You know you live in New Hampshire if...
… someone in a Home Depot store offers you
assistance and they don’t work there.
... you’ve worn shorts and a parka at the same
time.
… you’ve had a lengthy telephone conversation
with someone who dialed a wrong number.
… vacation means going anywhere south of New
York City for the weekend.
… you measure driving distance in hours.
… you know several people who have hit a deer
more than once.
…. you have switched from ‘heat’ to ‘A/C’ in the
same day and back again.
… you can drive 75 mph through 2 feet of snow
during a raging blizzard without flinching.
… you install security lights on your house and
garage but leave both unlocked.
… you carry jumpers in your car and your wife
knows how to use them.
… you design your kid’s Halloween costume to fit
over a snowsuit.
… the speed limit on the highway is 55 mph
you’re going 80 and everybody is passing you.
… driving is better in the winter because the
potholes are filled with snow.
… you know all 4 seasons: almost winter, winter,
mud, and road construction.
… you find 20 degrees ‘a little chilly.’
… there’s a Dunkin Donuts on every corner.
… you actually understand these jokes, and
forward them to all your New England friends
- adapted from Jeff Foxworthy
‘Sorry, he can’t see you today, you will need to go
to Urgent Care.’ And I always thought the goal was
reduced cost! I suggested a five minute telehealth
visit to no avail. Instead of visiting the Urgent
Care, within the provider’s network but 45 minutes
away, I opted for a more local, 20 minute drive to
Urgent Care A. As I walked in the door and told
the receptionist my problem, she informed me of
their 3 ½ hour wait time. Not exactly my idea of
Urgent! It seems that COVID testing was a priority.
Unlike a restaurant, where I could add my name to
the reservation list and return in three hours, I was
told to stay in the parking lot to wait. Not exactly
my idea of Care! I opted for Urgent Care B, five
minutes away and was in/out with a strep diagnosis
and prescriptions in 30 minutes. Urgent and Caring
in one location!
A week later I was taking my husband to a referred,
out-of-state provider for outpatient surgery. As we
entered the ‘patient entrance’ of the large, well
known facility, I was screened with the typical
COVID questions. I found it interesting that he was
not screened because he had a pre-op appointment.
A screening double standard? A few days later on
the morning of surgery I was told I could not wait
in the outpatient area; not enough room for social
distancing. OK, makes sense. Where could I wait?
The hospital lobby was the receptionist response. At
6:00 in the morning, there were few people in the
lobby and the seating was socially distanced. Later,
after I talked to the surgeon I visited the coffee shop
and took my beverage into the adjoining cafeteria
as there was no eating or drinking permitted in
the lobby. I was informed that I had to leave by 11
when hospital staff would be eating lunch. With
no drinking in the lobby I gulped the coffee and
went back to wait in my social distanced chair.
At 11:30 I was told by the lobby receptionist at
the information desk that I would have to leave
the hospital. Visitors were not allowed to wait.
Leave for where? There was no answer just that I
had to leave. I informed the receptionist that I had
been waiting since 6:00, lived two hours away,
and hoped to be leaving within the hour. Again, I
was told I was a visitor and had to leave. Hadn’t I
already been there for over five hours? I remained
in my socially distanced seat, quietly fuming.
After picking up my husband at the side door, not
a mile down the road I inquired about his pain. I
learned then that I was to pick up prescriptions at
the hospital pharmacy in the lobby. With a U-turn
I was back at the main entrance, parked, and
screened for COVID again. I hoped the meds were
ready but no such luck – another 20 minute wait.
Certainly the order had been received at least three
hours ago? Not ready. Had I been present during
pre or post-op patient teaching, this would not have
happened. We arrived home 10 hours after we had
left early in the morning.
For many years maternity units have focused on
the impact of a birth on the family, often calling
the nursing unit names such as the Family Place. At
the end of life, palliative care units welcome family
and friends in hopes of easing grief. In my opinion
families must be the new unit of care of the health
care system between birth and death. With the
dearth of nurse navigators for urgent or outpatient
surgical care systems, the family fills the void.
COVID has restructured and distorted the health
care system. The health care system must recognize
the consequences. I can’t wait to get the satisfaction
surveys in the mail.
Advance your nursing
career at the state’s
flagship university
MASTER OF
SCIENCE IN
NURSING
ADVANCED NURSING
EDUCATION
WORKFORCE (ANEW)
POST-
MASTER’S
CERTIFICATE
Primary Care
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Family Nurse
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traineeships for
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practice.
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Psychiatric Mental Health
Nurse Practitioner
Adult-Gerontology Acute
Care Nurse Practitioner
(anticipated Fall 2021)
For more information contact:
Dayle.Sharp@unh.edu
chhs.unh.edu/graduate-nursing

Page 10 • New Hampshire Nursing News December 2020, January, February 2021
WELCOME NEW and RETURNING NHNA MEMBERS!
NHNA welcomes these new and returning members. Thank you!!! What do these 72 nurses and over 1,200 NHNA members know that you don’t? If
you are not a member ask your neighbor on this list why they joined! Go to nhnurses.org where joining is easy and one of the best professional values
for your money! We want to see your name here in the next issue of the NH Nursing NEWS!
Allenstown, NH
Melissa Ann Harlow
Amherst, NH
Andrea Bentley-Melle
Barnstead, NH
Stephanie Anne Gray
Barrington, NH
Amy Fysh
Bedford, NH
Patricia Ann Gouveia
Colleen B. Pepin
Berlin, NH
Andrea K. Tupick
Bow, NH
Deirdre A. Fuller
Wiesner
Amanda S. Kelley-
Kennedy
Brentwood, NH
Nicole Beth Boswell
Chester, NH
Heather Orr
Concord, NH
Cassia A. Murawski
Derry, NH
Kristie Leah Macleod
Tracy Jane Solano
Dover, NH
Cheryl Bougie
Donna Marie Everett
Amy Lambiase
Kerin Lariviere
Kelly Sigurdsson
Annette Watson
East Kingston, NH
Mary J. Gallant
Epping, NH
Michelle Antoinette
Iturralde
Kristie Lee Moulton
Franklin, NH
Melinda C. Taylor-
Bosworth
Gilford, NH
Jacinda Young
Goffstown, NH
Bethany Labrecque
Judi Lanza
Amie Winer
Greenland, NH
Mary Lynn Fahey
Hampton, NH
Jenell Boyd
Lebanon, NH
Katie Darak
Margaret Hammond
Nanci Weinhold
Lempster, NH
Deborah Larrimore
Litchfield, NH
Heather Diaz
Laura West
Londonderry, NH
Colleen Amerena
Kim Jeanty
Loudon, NH
Marilyn Whitten
Madbury, NH
Loretta Holmes
Manchester, NH
Pauline E. Browne
Amanda Champagne
Annie Duquette
Eugenia Hesse
Kimberlee Munroe-
Swift
Genesis Sullivan
Huyen To
Jennifer Williams
Camille Zielinski
Meredith, NH
Elizabeth Burrows
Nashua, NH
Krista Provost-Tate
New Boston, NH
Carly Hippert
Newbury, NH
Melissa Nelson
Newmarket, NH
Cherie Corbett
North Walpole, NH
Ashley Marie Coccomo
Northfield, NH
Paula Knowles
Nottingham, NH
Abigail Frances Cooke
Penacook, NH
Bridgette Kay Parker
Plainfield, NH
Nicole Flickinger
Portsmouth, NH
Donna Hedberg
Rye, NH
Sydney Ham
Salem, NH
Amy Botticelli
Jayne Cayes
Marie Duhamel
Sanbornton, NH
Dansir Minster
Seabrook, NH
Richard G. Palmer
Somersworth, NH
Kathleen W. MacLean
Tilton, NH
Alicia Dodge Nerich
Warner, NH
Robert Pirone
Webster, NH
CJ Young
West Lebanon, NH
Iris M. Romero
Windham, NH
Christina Dunn
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Candidates can apply online at
www.memorialhospitalnh.org
An Equal Opportunity Employer

December 2020, January, February 2021 New Hampshire Nursing News • Page 11
NURSES
ON THE MOVE
Andrea Tupick, RN,
BSN was awarded
Androscoggin Valley
Hospital’s Employee of
the Year. Peers wrote of
Andrea that she is a
“tireless advocate of
both staff and patients. Her
diligence, thorough work,
kindness, compassion, and
wonderful sense of humor
have led AVH Surgical Associates through both
good and difficult times. Andrea is a great leader
and always has the entire team in mind when
making decisions. Andrea goes above-andbeyond
for the people who work for her, the
providers and the patients.”
and others worked long days, seven days a week, to
prepare special patient rooms, add and train nurses,
obtain supplies and protective equipment, learn about
COVID-19, keep staff well-informed and stay ahead
of the potential need. The effort included ICU boot
camp-type training for up to 85 nurses transferred into
the unit or former ICU nurses who were invited back
to help.
The most visible change was renovating rooms to
become ‘negative pressure’ rooms, designed with
advanced ventilation and filtration to prevent any
airborne virus from contaminating adjacent areas. New
ante rooms gave nurses and providers adequate space
to safely put on and remove layers of protective gear.
Dr. Margaret Carson has
retired as professor of nursing
from St. Anslem’s College.
Carson began at the College
in 1995 as the Director of
Continuing Nursing Education
and became a faculty
member in the Department
of Nursing in 2005. She
taught community/public
health, health assessment and
fundamentals of nursing, and nursing synthesis. Her
interests included global health, Vietnam nursing, and
PTSD in incarcerated women.
Erin Collins RN BSN formerly the Director of Women
and Children’s Services including the Family Place at
Concord Hospital has been appointed Interim Vice
President of Nursing. Collins has also been the Director
of Quality Performance and Patient Safety, Infection
Prevention and Nursing Informatics at the facility. Collins
replaces Amy Guilfoil-Dumont who resigned in May for
family reasons.
The cardiovascular rehabilitation program at Cheshire
Medical Center has been certified by the American
Association of Cardiovascular and Pulmonary
Rehabilitation (AACVPR). “We’re honored to have
earned this certification for our department after such
a thorough and arduous application process,” said
Cheshire’s Cardiovascular and Neurology Services
Clinical Leader Hilary Brown, RN MSN. “I am so
proud of Jeannine Lucius, RN, and Kristi Farren,
RN, who spearheaded the application process, for
their ongoing commitment to maintaining such high
standards for our patients and the program.
Jody Case RN and her
staff transformed Concord
Hospital’s Intensive Care
Unit (ICU) to care for
COVID-19 patients which
included fast-paced weeks
of comprehensive planning,
rapid physical renovations
and critical care training
for nurses brought into the
ICU from other parts of the
Hospital.
“We were working toward being fully prepared to
care for as many as 60 critically ill patients,” said Case,
Concord Hospital’s Director of Critical Care. She
Staff of the Progressive Care Unit at Exeter Hospital
were recently recognized by American Association
of Critical-Care Nurses who conferred a silver-level
Beacon Award for Excellence. The Beacon Award
for Excellence — a significant milestone on the
path to exceptional patient care and healthy work
environments — recognizes unit caregivers who
successfully improve patient outcomes and align
practices with AACN’s six Healthy Work Environment
Standards. “I am extremely proud of the work the staff
in the PCU has done to achieve this recognition,” said
Elizabeth Keane, director of Exeter Hospital’s PCU.
“Despite the additional work and stress brought by the
COVID-19 pandemic, the team put in the extra effort
needed to apply for and achieve this award. They
understand the importance of nursing excellence and
demonstrate this to our patients every day.” Exeter is
one of only two hospitals in the state to currently hold
a Beacon Award. In addition to the PCU, the hospital’s
Intensive Care Unit and Family Center also currently
hold silver Beacon Awards.
Carol Tinkham RN
was the recipient of the
Memorial Hospital Spirit
of Innovation award.
Tinkham practices on the
Medical-Surgical Unit.
Arthoen Wolf, MS, APRN
has been appointed as
the Director of Resident
Care Services at the New
Hampshire Veterans Home
(NHVH). In her new role,
Wolf directs and supervises
nursing services; social work;
recreation therapy; quality,
policy and staff development;
volunteer services; chaplain;
admissions; medical records; physical therapy and
dieticians. "Arthoen comes to the position with a
great wealth of knowledge and understanding of our
veterans and their needs. She has proven that she will
lead our resident services with compassion, integrity
and advocacy," shared Margaret LaBrecque, NHVH
Commandant. "Her approach to caring for our residents
coupled with her professional experiences make
Arthoen a wonderful fit for this position." Wolf earned
a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from the University
of Maryland at Baltimore and a Master of Science (MS)
in Psychiatric and Mental Health Nursing from the
University of Massachusetts in Lowell. She is a member
of Sigma Theta Tau and has served in the United States
Naval Reserve.
LNA 2 nd & 3 rd SHIFTS AVAILABLE!
Full-time positions, 2-10pm, 6pm-6am, 10pm-6am.
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prepaid legal, weekend & shift differentials, referral &
longevity incentives, generous PTO plan, professional
development reimbursements and more!
Must have valid NH LNA license.
Also seeking 3-11 RN/LPN!
Please apply online at www.websteratrye.com

Page 12 • New Hampshire Nursing News December 2020, January, February 2021
NHNA ORGANIZATIONAL AFFILIATES
2020: Honoring the Leadership Legacy of Florence Nightingale
By: Janelle Pickering
The Year of the Nurse has been fraught with great
challenges but has also created tremendous opportunity
for the recognition and advancement of the nursing
profession. Throughout history, nurses have been on the
front lines of pandemics. Recent examples are Ebola,
SARS, and now COVID-19. The COVID pandemic, with
its devastating worldwide impact, has brought the critical
importance of the role of nurses to light in a more salient
way. It has highlighted the ability of nurses to take part in
tackling broad challenges within the healthcare system.
Capitalizing on this momentum involves empowering
nurses to step forward into leadership positions.
The Year of the Nurse honored the 200 th birthday of
Florence Nightingale. Nightingale wrote “to be ‘in
charge’ is certainly not only to carry out the proper
measures yourself but to see that everyone else does
so too.” 1 She demonstrated the effectiveness of this
philosophy during the Crimean War, transforming the
British camp at Constantinople by improving sanitation,
nutrition, and watchfulness. With her leadership, the
nurses decreased the death rate by 38% in six months 1 .
She collected and monitored data and wrote prolifically,
including the familiar book Notes on Nursing. After
the Crimean War, Nightingale advocated for better
conditions at home in England by furnishing this
information to Queen Victoria, who then created the
Royal Commission for the advancement of the British
Army’s health. 1 Finally, Nightingale became the first
woman in the Royal Statistical Society, helped start the
Army Medical College, and opened the Nightingale
Training School for nurses. 1 Nightingale laid the
foundation for strong leadership in nursing, leadership
that has the power to touch all aspects of healthcare.
The legacy of Nightingale and the COVID pandemic is
the call to all nurses to become leaders. As we seek to
understand our path forward, we must begin by defining
the concept of leadership. Leadership is a broad term
with many definitions. When used to define a person,
leadership is defined as a person that others follow
voluntarily and willingly 2 . In a broader sense, leadership
is defined as “the art of mobilizing others to want to
struggle for shared aspirations” 2 and “the ability to
assess, develop, maintain, and change the organizational
culture and strategic system to optimally meet the needs
and expectations of the external environment.”² These
definitions of leadership have the same theme: the desire
to inspire and mobilize others to enact change in a
system, and what profession is better suited to this goal
than nursing?
According to the World Health Organization’s (WHO)
2020 State of the world’s nursing report, it is imperative
to strengthen nursing leadership “to ensure that nurses
have an influential role in health policy formulation and
decision making, and contribute to the effectiveness of
health and social care systems.”³ We are on the frontlines
of healthcare, and as healthcare continues to
change and evolve, nursing leaders are more important
than ever. Leadership roles can be informal, in which
nurses hold influence with their peers but without an
official title, or formal, such as nurses in management or
executive positions.
A clinical nurse leader holds an informal leadership
role. According to the WHO, clinical nurse leaders
play a crucial role in health promotion, health literacy
and the management of noncommunicable diseases. 3
The WHO credits nurses as critical contributors to the
eradication of smallpox, the fight against communicable
diseases, and reduction in maternal newborn and child
mortality and morbidity worldwide.³ Strong clinical
nurse leadership has been associated with important
quality care benchmarks including: reduced length of
stay, decreased incidence of medication errors, urinary
tract infections, patient falls, and pneumonia.² The focus
of a clinical nurse leader is to maintain patient safety
through advocating for the patient and communication
with all parts of the healthcare team.² Nurses are often
the first member of the healthcare team a patient comes
in contact with, and this initial contact can define the
patient’s experience. As experts in their field, clinical
nurse leaders are trusted to implement protocols that
ensure critical lab tests, imaging, and medications are
performed. Clinical nurse leaders are able to navigate
the convoluted channels of healthcare to coordinate care
and are adept at translating complicated medical jargon
into language patients can understand. This requires a
deep understanding of the complex disease processes
affecting patients, and knowledge of current evidencebased
practice.
Nurse managers are often responsible for more than one
nursing unit, and when effective, ensure a healthy work
environment that increases morale, improves retention,
and decreases turnover. 4 Despite the benefits of strong
nursing managers and the looming retirement of 49%
of current nurse managers, many organizations do not
invest resources in the development and training of these
nurse leaders. 4 If properly trained and supported, the
nurse manager position serves as an excellent steppingstone
to executive leadership positions. In a time where
strong nursing leadership is needed, it is important for
organizations to invest time and energies in developing
nurse managers and creating a pathway to nurse
executive roles.
Like many nursing specialties, Chief Nurse Executives
(CNE’s) have seen changes in their roles and
responsibilities. Once relegated solely to traditional core
nursing oversight, CNEs are now involved in developing
nursing governance, evidence based care, strategic
management, staff development, and fiscal/operational
oversight. 5 To achieve these goals, CNE’s must have
a deep understanding of their health organization’s
mission, vision, values, and performance. CNE’s are
valued as experts for workforce development and
business planning and provide a critical nursing presence
at executive board meetings. 5 CNE’s can advocate for
the nursing profession at board meetings, and ensure the
organization understands the importance of the nursing
profession. Nurse executives must utilize not only their
knowledge of evidence-based practice, but also gain
knowledge in current market/industry trends to achieve
value-based results that can lead to institutional change. 5
By understanding both the clinical and business side
of nursing, nurse executives are well placed to adopt
policies that ensure quality patient care.
Ensuring a robust new generation of nurse leaders
requires us to invest in our students. Beginning with
undergraduate nursing school, we must expose
students to opportunities for clinical leadership, provide
opportunities to engage in or observe research, and
shadow nurse administrators and executives. These
experiences are paramount, as they highlight the many
facets of nursing and the various career possibilities that
accompany them.
After entering clinical practice, nurses at all levels can
become involved in formal and informal leadership in
many ways. Clinical leadership is often informal and
an approachable starting point. For example, colleagues
look to one another for guidance in another’s area
of expertise. Consider broadening the influence of
that expertise by joining an evidence-based practice
committee or becoming engaged in creating policies
or care pathways that guide the delivery of patient
care. Charge nurses set the tone in the workplace and
have a significant impact on coordinating care and
creating a cohesive team. Joining a committee for the
New Hampshire Nurses Association (NHNA) or other
specialty organization is a great way to become a leader
in your larger, yet still local, nursing community. Broader
opportunities exist, such as joining the American
Organization for Nursing Leadership (AONL) or the
Northern New England chapter of the American College
of Healthcare Executives (NNEAHE). Options abound
for graduate education programs featuring leadership
specific tracks, such as a DNP in Executive Nurse
Leadership or DNP as a Clinical Nurse Leader.
Opportunities for
training as a nurse leader
are evolving within
professional organizations
and healthcare systems.
One such initiative
specific to the Year of
the Nurse is called the
Nightingale Challenge,
sponsored by the American
Hospital Association (AHA)
and AONL. The goal of the
Nightingale Challenge is to develop nurses and midwives
under age 35 to become leaders by engaging 1,000
employers and at least 20,000 nurses and midwives in
their program of leadership and development training. 6,7
More information is available in the Nightingale
Challenge Brochure at https://www.nursingnow.org/
nightingale-challenge-brochure/.
We have a proud history of strong nursing practice and
nursing associations in the State of New Hampshire.
Strong nursing leadership in New Hampshire
has resulted in our governors opting-out of CMS
requirements for supervision, enabling APRNs (including
NPs and CRNAs) to practice independently and with full
prescriptive authority. In a state with such a large rural
population, empowering APRNs to work to their full
scope of practice increases access to care. We are truly
standing on the shoulders of giants, and the best way to
show gratitude for the work of those before us is to carry
the torch of nursing leadership and shape the future of
healthcare. By empowering ourselves, our colleagues,
and our students to flourish as leaders, we advance not
only our profession, but the coordination and delivery
of care for those we serve. In a commencement address
to the Yale School of Nursing, Sue Fitzsimons, PhD, RN,
called upon the graduating class to “rejoice in your work;
never lose sight of the nursing leader you are now and
the nursing leader you will become.” 8 The legacy of
Florence Nightingale, and the Year of the Nurse which
honors her, empowers each of us to recognize and
develop our innate leadership qualities as nurses, so that
we can advocate for and create a healthier world.
References:
1. Alexander K. Florence Nightingale. https://www.
womenshistory.org/education-resources/biographies/
florence-nightingale. Published 2018. Accessed
November 5, 2020.
2. Al-Dossary RN. Leadership in nursing. Contemporary
Leadership Challenges. 2017:251.
3. World Health Organization. State of the world's nursing
2020: investing in education, jobs and leadership.
Geneva: World Health Organization; 2020.
4. Phillips T, Evans JL, Tooley S, Shirey MR. Nurse manager
succession planning: A cost-benefit analysis. Journal of
nursing management. 2018;26(2):238-243.
5. Crawford CL, Omery A, Spicer J. An Integrative Review
of 21st-Century Roles, Responsibilities, Characteristics,
and Competencies of Chief Nurse Executives: A Blueprint
for the Next Generation. Nursing administration quarterly.
2017;41(4):297-309.
6. Nursing Now. About the Nightingale Challenge. https://
www.nursingnow.org/about-nightingale/. Accessed
November 6, 2020.
7. Begley R. Challenge encourages nurse leadership and
development training. https://www.aha.org/news/insightsand-analysis/2020-02-11-challenge-encourages-nurseleadership-and-development.
Published 2020. Accessed
November 5, 2020.
8. UCLA Health. We Are Leaders. https://connect.uclahealth.
org/2019/07/01/we-are-leaders/. Published 2019. Accessed
November 5, 2020.
Janelle Pickering, DNP
CRNA practices as a nurse
anesthetist at Dartmouth-
Hitchcock Medical Center in
Lebanon, New Hampshire.
Janelle Pickering

December 2020, January, February 2021 New Hampshire Nursing News • Page 13
NHNA ORGANIZATIONAL AFFILIATES
Entering the Workforce Amidst a Global Pandemic
Alyssa J. O’Brien
Walking onto an obstetrics unit as a new graduate
nurse is a stressful and affirming experience for
most nurses who are entering the workforce focused
on women’s health. New graduate nurses need
support, a positive working environment, guidance
in their clinical practice development, and a work/
life balance that supports their mental and physical
health (Doughty, McKillop, Dixon, & Sinnema,
2018). However, beginning a career in the midst of
a global pandemic that has changed the provision
of care and the expectations of the role of nurses,
likely for decades to come, is not something to which
those involved in the practice of nursing for many
years can easily relate. A recent systematic review
of the experience of nurses working in acute care,
where most new graduate nurses practice, during a
respiratory pandemic found that nurses need policy
makers and professional nursing organizations to
actively advocate and support the role of nurses
before, during, and after a pandemic (Fernandez, et
al. 2020).
The mission of the Association of Women’s Health,
Obstetrics and Neonatal Nursing (AWHONN) is to
“Empower and support nurses caring for women,
newborns, and their families through research,
education, and advocacy.” This mission includes
supporting the career and professional development
needs of the newest nurses working in women’s
health and family nursing. At the national level this
is done through policy development and educational
resources. At the local level AWOHNN supports the
training of new graduate nurses through professional
development courses, advocacy work within state
committees and with legislators, encouraging
mentorship, and providing networking opportunities.
All of this work creates a better working
environment, advocates for safe patient care and
staffing practices, and improves educational offerings
and materials. As a result, nurses will have the tools
readily available to feel supported and well informed.
This work not only improves the careers of nurses,
it offers reassurance that the care they provide to
women, infants, and families is evidence-based and
will result in the best outcomes. This practice fosters
feelings of self-confidence and competency in the
independent and team-based provision of care.
After many discussions focused on the realization
that this period of our collective nursing history and
future is difficult for all of us, the New Hampshire
AWHONN Steering Committee recently asked their
members to reflect on advice or words of wisdom
they would want to share with new graduate nurses
who are starting their careers during a time when
they felt even more uncertain, more nervous, and
more overwhelmed than the new graduates that
came before them. The response was wonderful
and many of our members were excited at the
opportunity to provide brief support to their peers
who are at their beginning of their nursing journey.
We heard from members that graduated in May 2020
and members who had been in maternity nursing
for 30 years and more. We heard from members
working in primary care, in acute care obstetrics,
NICU settings, lactation support services, and
community women’s health. Members were excited
to share with our newest co-workers how much they
loved their profession and were ready to emotionally
support the new graduates. One of our members
now working in nursing education, who began her
career in a community hospital in NH explained:
I remember when I was first hired into an OB
unit and was paired with my first preceptor.
I called her crying one day because I had
spilled my coffee in the parking garage. I laugh
now because it seems silly now, but I was
young, it had been a long week, I was tired,
and I was just feeling the weight of the world
on my shoulders in that moment. I asked if I
could just go home. She asked me where
I was and when I explained that I was in the
parking garage across the street she said, ‘It is
a short walk here and we can fix this together,
or a long drive home where you will still feel
terrible and you will be alone.’ For me that was
the first moment where I felt like labor and
delivery was a team effort. The weight of the
world of nursing wasn’t mine alone to carry
and it was like a light bulb was switched on. I
would tell our new nurses that this profession
is a team effort, when it feels too heavy to bear
the burden on your own, ask for help.
Another member Hailey Qualey, a recent UNH
Nursing graduate and a new labor and delivery RN at
Exeter Hospital said:
It is scary to bring a baby into this world, let
alone in the middle of a pandemic. It’s also
scary to go into the work force in the middle
of a pandemic. The one common denominator
between the world (right now) and labor
and delivery are that they are both at times
unpredictable and beautiful. Being able to
be a source of comfort and normalcy to our
patients during this trying time gives me a
sense of purpose. It has also taught me that
the saying ‘put your oxygen mask on before
you help others’ will always ring true. You
have to constantly check in with yourself and
make sure you are cared for before you can
effectively care for others.
An AWHONN member and maternity nurse working
in acute care in NH wanted new graduates to know
that things may feel unexpected or surprising, but
what they will be doing is truly an important calling.
When I became a nurse, I never expected to be a
part of a pandemic. Nursing is my calling, maternity
nursing is my calling, teaching is my calling. A
pandemic doesn't change that. Times are hard and
stressful but that will never change the impact you
make as a nurse. Joining the nursing force during a
pandemic may be tough, but know as a nurse, you
will make a difference in countless lives.
Many of our members wanted new graduate nurses
to know that feelings of uncertainty were normal.
That they too had a voice in their head that was
telling them they were nervous or that was telling
them they weren’t ready when they were first
starting out. But that if they remembered to use their
resources, they would do well. Susan Vanasse RN
the Perinatal Birth Education Coordinator and OB
Nurse Navigator at Portsmouth Regional Hospital,
wanted new nurses to remember to stick to the
basics “Look and listen to your patient. Listen and
learn from your preceptor.” Colleen Whatley, RN
Senior Quality Safety Specialist at CHAD, wants our
new nurse peers to know that guidance will always
be available.
When faced with uncertainty, seek guidance,
look up the medication, seek out your
charge nurse, ask the ordering provider for
clarification.
She also wants them to know that they “are not
alone.” It takes many nurses months or years to
understand their role as part of a multidisciplinary
healthcare team. But that in the midst of a pandemic,
AWHONN members want to urge new nurses to
seek that team out right away. If they are uncertain
of their role they should ask and ask again if they are
still unclear.
When they do finally get the support that they
need, Kelly Leroux, RN a clinical educator for
the Women and Children’s Center at Wentworth
Douglass Hospitals, wants those same new nurses
to remember to practice with gratitude, by thanking
their peers and patients, by finding humor when
they can, and by reflecting on their practice with a
positive, but critical lens, they will feel motivated
to continue. Anne Frechette RN the nurse manager
in maternity and lactation services at Elliot Health
Systems echoed this same sentiment when she urged
new nurses to:
Focus on resiliency. I think focusing on
resiliency is so important, especially for new
nurses. By starting out with good habits that
focus on resiliency, they will set habits that
follow them throughout a long career. They
will need tools to do this well. A gratitude
journal that they write in each shift during
their first year will be such a helpful tool to
reflect on their practice. Write three things
they are grateful for and one thing they will
focus on during their next shift. This will
allow them the opportunity to reflect after
their shift, and really make a habit at looking
for the good. I am a firm believer that there
is always something good in every situation,
and when you make it a habit to focus on
that, you actually start to see things differently
and your attitude starts to change to become
more positive. What a treasure they would
have to look back on and really see the growth
they have made. I would encourage them to
continue this practice throughout their career.
It is a total game changer.
Finally, AWHONN members wanted new nurses
entering the work force during a pandemic to take it
easy on themselves. Recognize that none of us are
perfect. We will have days where we feel overly
emotional, you will need mental health recovery
time, you will make mistakes. Afterall, despite all of
your preparation, you are still human. One member,
now working in family practice, recalled a story that
still holds true, within uncertain times, told to her by
a midwife many years ago:
Women have been having babies for millennia,
you are there to support them in this one
singular task that is small, but is literally
everything all at once. They can do it; you just
need to tell them they can. You can do it; you
just need to tell yourself that you can.
April Henry RN a clinical practice leader at Exeter
Hospital perhaps said it best when she paraphrased
Fredrick Buechner, the American writer, “Here is
labor and delivery. Beautiful and terrible things will
happen. You will be touched and touch many. Do
not be afraid.”
References:
Doughty, L., McKillop, A., Dixon, R., and Sinnema, C.
(2018). Educating new graduate nurses in their first
year of practice: The perspective and experiences of
the new graduate nurses and the director of nursing.
Nurse Education in Practice, 30, 101-105. https://doi.
org/10.1016/j.nepr.2018.03.006
Fernandez, R., Lord, H., Halcomb, E., Moxham, L.,
Middleton, R., Alananzeh, I., & Ellwood, L. (2020).
Implications for COVID-19: A systematic review
of nurses’ experiences of working in acute care
hospital settings during a respiratory pandemic.
International Journal of Nursing Studies, 111. https://doi.
org/10.1016/j.ijnurstu.2020.103637
Alyssa O’Brien, PhD, RN
is an Assistant Professor
of nursing at UNH and
a member of the NH
AWHONN Steering
Committee.
Alyssa O’Brien

Page 14 • New Hampshire Nursing News December 2020, January, February 2021
NHNA ORGANIZATIONAL AFFILIATES
Fortification of Superhero
Nursing Power: A user’s manual to
prevent leakage
By Christina Ferreri
How many times at work have you
said, “Yes. I can do that,” over the
past nine months? “No problem.
Let’s go. Sure. I can make those
changes, and the ones next week,
and the week after that too……”
As nurses we pride ourselves on
being practical superheroes who
fly in with gadgets and evidencebased
solutions to save the day. We
are compassionate sorts by nature,
who usually radiate confidence,
exude ingenuity, and demonstrate
superhuman endurance with aweinspiring
finesse. Have I been
mistaken for Wonder Woman,
you ask? Absolutely. Have I been
accidently asked directions to
Krypton, you wonder? All the time.
I don’t even need a flowing cape
or snazzy red boots. All I just have
to say is, “Yup, I can do that”, and
everyone at my clinical site thinks
I’m an intergalactic Rockstar.
Nurses are notoriously good at
common sense problem solving,
having been taught how to kick holes between universes back in school. We
consistently inspire clinical practice to travel into new realities by using patient
care paradigms and theories. In order to keep up with rapidly changing office
algorithms during this Covid marathon however, we are expending excessive
amounts of interstellar energy. This extra dimensional thinking drains our
super nursing strength! The Covid pandemic could not have come at a worse
time. Our jet fuel packs were already low at the end of 2019 from helping
patients battle the substance abuse war. Who thought that isolating people at
crest of a mental health crisis was a good idea? Mental health explosions are
on the front line right along with Covid hospitalizations. How much longer
can we sustain the cosmic momentum required to save the day...month…
year? Even superheroes leak radioactivity eventually. I am quite certain
however, that if we could find a soul control button within our lab coat that
could titrate the precise amount of passion we release in any given interaction,
then our power would last longer. Better yet, if we had a way to renew our
strength, the leaking cracks wouldn’t matter. Fortifying nursing strength until a
pandemic solution arrives, could empower the holistic practice that defines us
while keeping our self mentally whole at the same time.
Everywhere all over the world, new operational procedures take center stage
while last week’s ones go right or left; and others are on a dramatic pause.
Under the time constraints between their regular patient care activities, staff
are repeatedly trained to implement new time saving processes. It’s no wonder
they sometimes forget simple personal protective equipment (PPE) doffing
protocols and race through halls still wearing gowns while carrying their lab
specimens-ugh! PPE capes for everyone…hooray!
Training for PPE was excellent initially but let’s face it, it was so…yesterday.
Despite the new normal being better than it was at the height of the pandemic,
the current stress levels are so palatable that at times we forget new procedures
that were learned just a few weeks ago. Who can remember high levels of
detail when new systems commandeer valuable neuron space? If I hear one
more time, “Check your latest email for updates”, I will implode, reducing
my holistic self into its sub-atomic parts. Do they know how many unopened
emails I have? Thousands. Only Marvel’s computer superhero Vision, has the
capacity to contain all those algorithms. This would be a great time for a brain
upgrade. My iPhone is getting one soon-can I get it too?
Most of these changes honestly, make good health sense; while others
resemble a Hail Mary pass. If it were in a direction that directly benefited
our patients, the changes would have the potential to motivate and restore
our intergalactic resolve. Instead they often miss because they are reflexively
based on last week’s incompletes. Still, these frequent changes are made
with the right intentions and we are thankful because someone else is taking
the initiative to help our practice. These changes may benefit our patients
eventually but have the potential
to do otherwise if not executed…
so we persevere. Someone must
be creative with what we have,
especially given many offices have
returned to pre-pandemic patient
volumes yet remain short staffed.
With open-mindedness and respect
therefore, we watch our healthcare
managers thoughtfully implement
rotating local and federal Covid
guidelines. We understand each
other’s role-provider and manager.
There are far more procedural
fluctuations than academic ones, so
of course we reach into our reserves
to help make their strategies be
realized. After months of neglect,
we do our part and attempt to
access our patients in order to
catchup their healthcare needs. It’s
still a war out there and winter is
coming!
Let’s gets back to the point of this
exercise to determine if there is any
possible way to sustain our power
while providing compassionate
holistic practice above supernova
odds. Our Justice League friends within the Marvel Universe can hopefully
give us some inspiration. Why not think out of the box this year, after all,
we are on a Covid roll. How would our superhero legends fare after
spending nine months in a paradigm altering interstellar Armageddon? I
doubt Spiderman’s suit would fit so well after eating mess hall military chow
and it’s extremely unlikely that Captain Marvel’s perfectly quaffed hair would
survive the Covid nebula. What did Wonder Woman really look like in the
morning twilight the day after she fought all those bad guys you ask? I know
exactly how she looked as she lifted the window and breathed in the moist
wet morning air. She had crazed deer-in-the-headlight injected eyes. She
looked exhausted. That awesome red lipstick and bustier she used to wear in
the 1980’s television show-gone; it was too impractical while fighting. Do you
remember the golden truth lasso attached to her waist? Also gone. She left
it in the computer room tied to the desk to corral her kids in front of Zoom
school. And when I asked her about the well-being of the planet…let’s just say
her answer was more than a little apathic for even me to repeat.
Even superheroes can turn from Marvelous to Mercenary, and so I think it’s
okay that we don’t have a solution to our leaking strength. I also think it’s okay
that maybe we are not always perfect. I know I must stay true to our nursing
code of ethics but right now I just can’t save the world. My goal with this
article was not to inspire. No breathtaking inspiration has come from me in
many months. These ramblings were instead meant to commiserate. If any of
what I have written has struck a nerve with you today then I have succeeded.
You are not alone. No fancy degree or lofty job title can get you through this
pandemic alone or unscathed. I used to think my superpowers could change
the world. Now I am happy just to change one kid or one family have a better
day than yesterday. Yes, we all still have superpowers, but we will need the
strength of the entirety of healthcare system to get through this upcoming
winter. We are in this together and just as we have persevered all our struggles
of the past nine months, we will continue.
Christina Ferreri, DNP APRN FNP, Past-President of
New Hampshire Nurse Practitioner Association (2019-
2020), is a nurse practitioner with a primary care
pediatric practice at the Elliot Pediatric Network in
Manchester.
Christina Ferreri

December 2020, January, February 2021 New Hampshire Nursing News • Page 15
NHNA ORGANIZATIONAL AFFILIATES
School Nurses in the News
Kathy Barth was featured along with Cheryl McKinnon in the September 12, 2020 issue of
the Union Leader.
Paula MacKinnon was interviewed about School Nurses and
COVID by CNN on September 12, 2020.
“This is a new time now,” said Paula MacKinnon, president of the New Hampshire School
Nurses’ Association, which has 377 members. “Instead of our mission being to facilitate
education by keeping them in school, we’re now on the other end of the coin where, for
public health reasons, we’re going to be more cautious about who we send back to the
classrooms.”
Kids have always come to school with coughs and colds, MacKinnon said. “But if the
child is complaining to the teacher that they don’t feel well, or is excessively coughing or
sneezing, those are the ones we’re going to be more concerned about,” she said.
“It’s where the nurse’s judgment comes in,” she said. “We just want to be very careful.
What keeps me up at night is that I’m going to miss a case. And then we find out there
was someone who was positive and we didn’t do everything we should have. School
nurses have to assess each child’s symptoms in light of any chronic conditions the child
may have — a history of allergies or migraine headaches, for example — and then make a
clinical decision. And it’s not an easy one to make, it requires a lot more phone calls and
conversations with parents, so that’s how we’re trying to do it.”
The current crisis is likely to change the public’s perception of school nurses, MacKinnon
said. “Many times they think it’s a nice lady behind the desk passing out Band-Aids and
cough drops and patching boo-boos,” she said. “The reality is nurses are facing kids every
day with chronic conditions, conditions that need to be managed. It’s a very complex job,
dealing with the whole child, and being the liaison between the parent and the school.”
MacKinnon said school nurses have gotten tremendous support from state health experts,
including weekly video calls that will continue into the school year. They also participated
in a virtual town hall with the New Hampshire chapter of the American Academy of
Pediatrics.
Kathy Barth in her office at the Crossroads Academy a K-8
independent school in Lyme, New Hampshire.
“At Crossroads Academy a child must go through layers of COVID-19 checks before even
getting to the classroom” said Kathy Barth. “Parents are the first line of defense. It’s their
job to screen their kids every morning for symptoms and fever. Once students arrive at
school, they are asked whether they have done their morning screening. If not, they’re off
to the nurse’s office. In addition, all classroom teachers have infrared thermometers to use
for spot checks,”
Barth sent her first student home the day after classes started on August 26 and sent home
a handful of others since. All have tested negative for COVID-19, she said. “Parents are
relying on us to keep their children healthy by having people who are unhealthy stay
home. Obviously, the main concern is keeping the virus out of school, and I feel a huge
responsibility for keeping track of any new symptoms and making sure that it’s addressed
so that we can keep the community healthy,” she said
Barth noted that the kids have been good about wearing masks, washing their hands and
keeping their distance. “I think after being out of school since March, they’re just thrilled to
be able to come to school,” she said. “And I think even teachers who were anxious in the
beginning are settled down and feeling like, ‘OK, we can do this.’”
Both McKinnon and Barth requested that parents be patient. “Be kind and respectful in
your communication with the school nurse. And if you get a call to pick up your child,
be supportive and follow through,” Barth said. McKinnon added “We’re on their side. We
know they want their children in school, and we as nurses just want to provide the safest
environment that we can.”

Page 16 • New Hampshire Nursing News December 2020, January, February 2021
NEW HAMPSHIRE NURSES ASSOCIATION -
A YEAR IN REVIEW 2020
Vision: Inspire New Hampshire Nurses as leaders to expand the impact of the nursing
profession to improve the health of the people of New Hampshire.
Mission: As a Constituent State Nurses Association of the American Nurses
Association, the New Hampshire Nurses Association (NHNA) exists to promote
nursing practice and the wellbeing of New Hampshire nurses by providing
professional development, fostering nurse innovation, and leading in health advocacy
to enhance the health of the people of New Hampshire.
Core Values: Autonomy, Collaboration, Respect, Professionalism, Innovation, Safety,
Integrity, Data-driven, Promotion of Evidenced-Based Practice (EBP), and Leadershipall
nurses are leaders
Board of Nursing and a group of long term care organizations to develop the role
of the Temporary Health Partner (THP). THPs work with LNAs to provide the
activities of daily living for residents in long term care facilities. This role will only
be in effect during the period in which the pandemic related emergency orders
remain in effect. The hope is to encourage these THPs to proceed with requisite
training to become LNAs.
Strategic Plan 2017-2020: 2018 Update
Strategic Goal #1: Membership: Growth and Sustainability
Goal: Strengthen and actively grow a relevant and financially secure organization.
NHNA is a volunteer led, staff supported organization and relies on engaged
volunteers to carry out the mission, vision and strategic plan. This report, based on
the Strategic Plan, provides a year-in-review of the hard work carried out by one FTE
in paid staff, and the many volunteers who make up the NHNA Board of Directors,
Commissions and Task Forces, to achieve the mission of NHNA.
NHNA’s Response to the COVID-19 Pandemic:
• With the spread of the coronavirus pandemic in the early months of 2020,
nurses have been confronted with unique challenges in caring for their patients
in the face of a novel virus, where transmission vectors, treatment guidelines
and standards of care were evolving rapidly. In addition, due to the highly
contagious nature of this novel virus, stay-at-home orders were issued in New
Hampshire (NH), along with the closure of schools and non-essential businesses.
Hospitals suspended non-emergent, elective procedures to save bed space for
anticipated COVID-19 patient loads, resulting in a significant financial impact
on NH’s healthcare organizations. Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) was not
available in quantities needed across the entire continuum of care. NH nurses
faced truly unique challenges and they met these challenges face-on. NHNA,
like our member nurses, adapted quickly to the new normal in a time of a global
pandemic. NHNA staff reviewed information from the Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention (CDC), the American Nurses Association (ANA), the NH
Department of Health & Human Services (DHHS) and other reliable sources to
post this information in a timely manner to help NH nurses stay abreast of the
ever changing information. As the pandemic evolved, along with ANA, NHNA
identified resources to help nurses combat the stress of working in different areas
of practice, working with reduced hours due to the financial challenges faced by
their employers, all while dealing with the challenges of children at home and
attending school via remote learning models or elder family members who are at
increased risk of becoming seriously ill.
• Investment in NHNA staff creating informational pages on the NHNA website.
Staff regularly posted updates from the CDC, ANA, DHHS and other reliable
sources. Additional webpages were developed providing self-care resources and
financial resources for nurses experiencing furloughs, layoffs and reduced hours.
• NHNA staff developed a public service announcement (PSA) to encourage
NH citizens to stay at home, to practice social distancing and to wash their
hands. This PSA was aired on WMUR ten times. NHNA wishes to thank our
collaborating nursing organizations for helping to make this possible: NH Nurse
Practitioner Association, NH Association of Nurse Anesthetists, NH School Nurses
Association, the NH Chapter of the AWHONN and the Southern NH Oncology
Nurses.
• In response to several inquiries from retired and furloughed nurses looking for
opportunities to volunteer during the coronavirus pandemic, NHNA conducted
a survey of members and followers to create a dataset of potential volunteers.
We shared this information with the NH DHHS, Public Health Departments and
nursing organizations upon request.
• During March and April, NHNA received over ten inquiries from the media,
including WMUR, NHPR, the Union Leader, Keene Sentinel, Seacoast Media
Group and Valley News. NHNA and NHNA members were featured in televised
and print media as a result of these outreaches.
• During this same time period, NHNA participated in conversations with Senator
Shaheen’s office, Congresswoman Kuster’s office and Congressman Pappas’
office. We shared concerns about inadequate supplies of PPE and raised other
issues that nurses had brought to our attention through our Contact Us webpage.
• NHNA was requested to speak before the Governor’s Office of Emergency
Relief & Recovery Committee. We shared concerns regarding PPE and need for
additional funding/procurement support for PPE based on the over 800 responses
we received from our survey of membership prior to providing this testimony. We
subsequently shared our survey results with chief nursing officers around the state.
• Senator Tom Sherman contacted NHNA seeking potential volunteers for the
Alliance Senior Support Team. The Alliance SST is a volunteer based organization
where teams of volunteers call on long term care facilities each day to check on
their COVID-19 status and inquire if there are any needs at the facilities (such
as PPE). This team of trained volunteers provides long term care facilities with
vetted information and resources to help them deal with COVID-19 related needs.
The information from each of the facilities is then collated and shared with the
appropriate departments within DHHS. NHNA assisted with identifying over 100
volunteers for this important initiative protecting NH residents in long term care
facilities. NHNA Past President, Judy Joy, leads the Alliance SST Liaisons who call
on facilities each day.
• Senators Jay Kahn and Tom Sherman reached out to NHNA looking to solve a
severe shortage of LNAs in long term care facilities due to quarantined staff and
self-terminations related to the pandemic. We worked with the New Hampshire
Note: peak growth occurred in 2014/2015 with the institution of ANA Value
Pricing Program, steady growth since. The significant growth in Apr/May
2020 r/t increase visibility of ANA/NHNA due to COVID-19.
Note: green line reflects what membership would look like with no
attrition, blue line is membership growth including the loss of cancelled
members.
Note: shows monthly incremental new/reinstated members compared to
monthly cancelled members.
The 2020 Business Plan was developed based on the Strategic Plan 2017-2020. This plan
reflected many investments by NHNA to achieve its strategic goals.
• Investment in the Membership & Communications Coordinator, Paula MacKinnon,
to design digital media campaigns, increase web presence, maintain a strong
organizational voice through social media, and develop a bi-weekly E-Flash to
provide updates on NHNA activities and events while reducing the number of
discrete emails to members. McKinnon also supports the Commission Chairs and
the Executive Director (ED), Joan Widmer. Between October 2019 and July 2020,
Facebook followers have increased from 934 to 1,147 (á 23%), Twitter followers have

December 2020, January, February 2021 New Hampshire Nursing News • Page 17
increased from 114 to 166 (á 46%), and Instagram from 258 to 311 (á 21%).
• Investment in an effort to address attrition. NHNA participated in a new NH Center
for Nonprofits initiative, the High Impact Volunteer Engagement (HIVE) Program.
This is an intensive, cohort-based training, coaching and education program that will
build the Association’s capacity to fulfill its mission. The program continues through
October, 2020. An evaluation summary with recommendations by the Cathy
Cuchetti, Champion of the Membership Engagement Task Force is found later in this
report. Goals of the HIVE Program:
o Develop position description for the Membership Engagement Task Force.
o Recruit and screen for Chair/Champion of the Membership Engagement Task
Force.
o Work with Chair/Champion to design, implement and analyze member needs
survey.
o HIVE team to create Member Tool Kit/Onboarding information for Task Force
members and other volunteers.
Note: attendance at 2020 events down due to COVID-19 pandemic.
Strategic Goal #2: Nursing Practice
Goal: Advance nursing practice and promote wellness in New Hampshire.
• Commission on Nursing Practice is working on Practice Updates/Executive
Summaries on Maternal Morbidity/Mortality Due to Opioid Use, as well as Workforce
Issues. Progress has been delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
• Graduating Student Nurse Conference: This event was scheduled for 3-27-20 at
Southern New Hampshire University. The event was cancelled on 3-16-20 due to the
Governor’s Emergency Stay at Home Order related to the COVID-19 pandemic. 208
students were registered for the event at the time of cancellation. All students were
fully refunded for tickets purchased and all sponsors/exhibitors were offered 100%
refunds. All planned presentations were posted to the NHNA website for the students
to review at their leisure. In addition, NHNA developed a Student Nurse Career
Resource Guide, featuring recruiting information from the 19 nursing employers
registered as sponsors or exhibitors for the event. This Resource Guide was emailed,
free of charge, to all registered nursing students.
• Spotlight on Nursing: Hosted by CNP was held on 6-11-20. This year’s event was
virtual, via a Zoom Teleconference. Sponsors included Arthur L. Davis Publishing
Agency and Granite State College. Lyndsay Goss, MSN, RN, SNHU, presented on
“Transitions of Care: The Role of the Nurse” and Brian O’Sullivan, MD, DHMC,
presented on “Vaping in America: What, Who, Why.” Twenty-two nurses
participated in this event. Both presentations are posted on the NHNA website.
• Spotlight on the Healthy Nurse: Hosted by CNP was held on 9-10-2020. This event
included two excellent topics and speakers: Amy Guthrie, MS, RN on Resiliency and
Annabel Beerel, PhD, MBA, MA on Mindfulness and Meditation. Twenty-nine nurses
participated in this event. Presentations and handouts from the speakers were posted
on the NHNA website.
• Excellence in Nursing: In 2020, 94 nominations were received for 13 nursing awards.
A team of 44 reviewers, from the 13 nursing practice areas, reviewed the nominations
so that each nomination was reviewed by three different reviewers; with one reviewer
coming from outside of New Hampshire. The thirteen 2020 winners were recognized
in the May/June issue of New Hampshire Magazine, and in the September issue of
New Hampshire Magazine. A presentation event is currently scheduled for 10-22-20
at Doubletree Hilton, but this may be transitioned to a virtual event.
o
NHNA and New Hampshire Magazine collaborated to revise a few of the
Excellence in Nursing Awards for 2021. A small team of experts in the respective
areas of nursing revised and/or developed several new awards. New in 2021
will be the following awards: Senior Nursing Leader, Frontline/Administrative
Nursing Leader, Nurse Educator, Nurse Researcher and Hospice/Palliative and/or
Gerontologic Nursing.
• CNP reviewed and awarded the NHNA Nursing Awards during 2020, including the
Student Nurse of the Year Award, the Rising Star Award, the Distinguished Member
Award and the Champion of Nursing Award.
• CNP reviewed and awarded the Healthy Nurse Scholarships during 2020, including
the Certification Scholarship, the RN to BSN Scholarship and the Graduate Nurse
Scholarship. Funds raised from the Healthy Nurse fall event are contributed to the
scholarships.
• Commission on Nursing Practice (CNP) has six members as of 08-31-20, with two
potential new members on the 2020 Election Ballot.
• Organizational Affiliated Members: NH School Nursing Association and the New
Hampshire Association of Nurse Anesthetists.
Strategic Goal #3: Advocacy
Goal: Engage nurses in Advocacy.
• In 2019 we formed the Legislative Advocacy Council (LAC) to support the work of
the Commission on Government Affairs (CGA). The LAC consists of four teams led
by CGA members, who provide encouragement to volunteers to become active
advocates for public policy issues in the areas of public health, nursing licensure,
mental/behavioral health and maternal/child health. We hosted an advocacy training
event in December 2019.
• Investment in lobbyist to provide consultation on legislative activities.
• Investment in ED to participate in ANA Lobbyist Meeting, a virtual meeting in 2020,
to be apprised of hot legislative and regulatory topics such as compact licensure
issues, nurse staffing, medical marijuana, workplace violence, Medicaid rules and
other legislative and regulatory topics around the country.
• Investment in the ED to participate on ANA’s GOVA and Nursing Practice calls,
which occur every other month. Information is shared with the NHNA Board of
Directors and the CGA.
• Judith Pare was appointed to serve on ANA’s Nurse Suicide Prevention Task Force,
recently renamed to the Strength through Resiliency Committee.
• Legislative Town Hall Forum: Was held on 1-7-20 at Granite State College and six
other locations, available via Zoom Web conference, 10 Bills presented, 20 to be
watched, 80 attendees. Attendance was down significantly from prior years as
students did not participate in 2020 because the event occurred during winter break.
Decision was made to keep the event at the end of January in the future, regardless of
the legislative calendar.
• Breakfast for Legislators: An opportunity to meet with representatives to discuss
relevant legislation with state legislators was held on 2-13-20 with eight NHNA
members attending, as well as Lobbyist Teresa Rosenberger and Legislative Liaison,
Rep. Polly Campion. This was the second year we teamed up with the New
Hampshire School Nurses Association.
• Testimony before the GOFERR Committee: NHNA ED presented nursing concerns
relative to personal protective equipment (PPE) and need for adequate funding to
procure PPE. NHNA’s testimony was based on survey results from NHNA members
and followers; the survey was launched around 10:00 pm on Friday night before the
hearing date and yielded over 800 responses by Monday at 9:00 am.
• Discussion with Christian Seasholts, Constituent Services Representative for
Congressman Pappas (3-6-20) with NHNA ED and the Directors of New Hampshire
Nursing programs regarding the challenges nursing programs were facing relative to
the COVID-19 pandemic.
• Discussions with Congresswoman Annie Kuster: (4-9-20 and 8-25-20) NHNA ED
participated in discussions regarding ongoing challenges for nurses related to the
COVID-19 pandemic.
• Discussion with Senator Jeanne Shaheen: (5-12-20) Members of the CGA and
the NHNA ED participated in a roundtable with the Senator regarding the ongoing
challenges faced by nurses related to the COVID-19 pandemic.
• CGA has 10 members as of 8-31-20, with five potential new members on the 2020
Election Ballot.
• Appointment to state-wide Commissions and Task Forces:
o Governor’s Commission on Alcohol and Drug Abuse, Intervention, Prevention
and Treatment (Kate Thomson)
o Crisis Standards of Care Committee and State Disaster Medical Advisory
Committee (SDMAC) (Joan Widmer)
o Health Care Task Force (Cynthia Cohen; resigned in August 2020)
Lynn Community Health
Center is now hiring for the
following full-time positions:
• Primary Care Nurse -
(Registered Nurse/LPN)
• Nurse Educator
• Nurse Manager
• Medical Assistant
Interested in applying?
Please send resume to:
Susan Shambo at
SShambo@lchcnet.org
NHNA - A Year in Review continued on page 18
COME JOIN US! If you are looking to be a part of a mission driven
organization servicing the greater Lynn Community we want to hear from
you! We offer a comprehensive benefits package starting on day one of
employment, and training and development opportunities.
To find out more please visit our website www.lchcnet/teams/jobs

Page 18 • New Hampshire Nursing News December 2020, January, February 2021
NHNA - A Year in Review continued from page 17
o NH Commission on Primary Care Workforce
(Pam DiNapoli)
o NH Workforce Coalition (Pam DiNapoli)
o Seatbelts4All Coalition (Pam DiNapoli)
o Tobacco 21 Coalition (Pam DiNapoli)
• Investment in ED’s time to provide oral and/or written
testimony on nine bills prior to the suspension of the
2020 legislative session (Refer to website for details).
• Investment in the ED’s time to attend the monthly
New Hampshire Board of Nursing meetings to stay
abreast of regulatory issues impacting nursing practice
and education. Information is shared with the NHNA
Board of Directors and the CGA.
o Commented on various emergency orders
issued by the NH BON relative to the COVID-19
pandemic.
o Nur 704.04 Instructor Qualifications of LNA
• Maternal Child Health
• Inpatient Medical Surgical Unit
• Primary Care Barton/Orleans
o
o
Programs. At the request of a member, NHNA
participated with a group of stakeholders to
investigate ways to approach CMS regarding a rule
change. Subsequently met with Lindsey Courtney,
who is evaluating an approach using a CMS 1115
waiver. Effort is ongoing.
Met with Lindsey Courtney to propose a method
for streamlining the instructor approval process
for RN and RN to BSN nursing programs. Effort is
ongoing.
Worked with various stakeholders, the BON and
DHHS to define and implement the Temporary
Health Partner role for long term care facilities.
Strategic Goal #4: Nursing Professional Development
Goal: Foster nursing professional development and
continued education.
• Investment in ED’s time serve as the Nurse Planner
for NHNA events that provide contact hours, as
well as to participate in quarterly NEMSD Nurse
• ICU
• PACU
Planner/Reviewer meetings. The NEMSD Continuing
Education Unit serves as the Approved Provider Unit
for NHNA and this service is provided in exchange
for NHNA annual dues of $5,184 (note: other services
associated with this dues expense are the following
shared services: Nursing Network website hosting,
Association Voting, JotForms, and Grasshopper webbased
phone system.) NHNA performs a quarterly
ROI analysis to determine ongoing benefit/cost
associated with continue participation in the NEMSD.
• NHNA leadership instituted quarterly meetings of
Commission on Continuing Education (CCE) to provide
mentoring of newer nurse reviewers and to address any
issues as they arise. ED participates in these meetings
to assess for effectiveness, volunteer satisfaction,
communication, systems analysis and opportunities for
improvement.
• CCE has eight members as of 8-31-20, with one
potential new member on the 2020 Election Ballot.
Strategic Goal #5: Leadership
Goal: Identify and mentor members to assume leadership
roles within organization.
• Invested in the ED’s time to write numerous articles
for New Hampshire Nursing News and solicit articles
from members and other nursing organizations to
raise awareness of the contributions of nursing to our
communities and the profession. The ED recruited
four NH nursing organizations to contribute articles
on a quarterly basis: New Hampshire School Nurses
Association, New Hampshire Nurse Practitioner
Association, New Hampshire Association of Nurse
Anesthetists and the New Hampshire Chapter of the
Association of Women’s Health & Neonatal Nurses.
The ED sought and received contributions from the
NH Chapter of Emergency Nurses Association, the
American Nephrology Nurses Association, and the
National Association of Orthopaedic Nurses.
• Invested in the ED’s time to attend all Commission and
Task Force meetings and to provide mentoring to team
leaders between meetings.
• In terms of governance of the Association, the BOD
follows The Standards for Excellence, An Ethics and
Accountability Program for the Nonprofit Sector. As
a result, NHNA updated the following documents in
2019:
o Bylaws update for congruence with ANA Bylaws,
completed by volunteers with previous experience
drafting Bylaws (Bylaws Task Force).
o Employee & Volunteer Handbooks, including
volunteer position descriptions.
o
o
o
General Policy Handbook.
An onboarding and orientation program began
with the NHNA Board and will be expanded to
include the Commission and Task Force members
in January 2021.
A Board sub-committee reviewed and revised the
ED job description.
• The new Financial, Investments and Audit Task
Force met initially in January but then suspended
meetings until September 2020 due to the COVID-19
pandemic. This Task Force will meet quarterly and
provide recommendations to the BOD on financial
performance to budget, budget preparation, and other
fiduciary matters.
• NHNA is forming the new Membership Engagement
Task Force in October 2020 (delayed due the
COVID-19 pandemic) dedicated to increasing and
improving membership and membership engagement.
• A comprehensive Succession Plan was submitted to
the Board of Directors by the outgoing president in
December, 2019 per strategic plan objective. Five key
domains critical to sustained operations as outlined in
the Standards for Excellence (2019) were assessed:
o Identify Roles and Responsibilities
o Conduct an Organizational Assessment
o Review Financial Resources and Funding Sources
o Ensure Organizational Knowledge is Accessible
o Develop a Communications Plan
• Gaps and recommendations were identified in all
categories and the Executive Director and BOD
addressed many areas of concern in an effort to
strengthen the Association, augment effective systems,
and processes, and ensure sustainability. The 2019
Succession Plan is available upon request and the 2020
Succession Plan will be revised by the President and
ED and presented to the BOD for prioritization in 2021.
• The Succession Plan will serve as the framework for
creating the 2021-2024 Strategic Plan. The President
and President-elect will engage the Board of Directors,
commissions, and all interested members in forums to
develop strategic outcomes and tactical planning to
achieve our mission.
Respectfully submitted,
Carlene Ferrier, MPH, RN, NEA-BC, President

December 2020, January, February 2021 New Hampshire Nursing News • Page 19
From the Bookshelf
The Walk: Podcast
Anita Pavlidis RN MSN
The Walk is a podcast series that gives listeners a chance
to step into the action (literally). The 31- episode thriller is
meant to be enjoyed while walking, putting you right into
the shoes of the main character. If you stroll along with
the “Walker” in this immersive suspenseful story, you’ll
probably log 1 to 2 miles during each of the 25 minutes
episodes. You’ll increase your heart rate while your pulse
reacts from the action packed plot.
The plot centers on terrorists’ attacks in Scotland and the
walker (you), in a case of mistaken identity, is given a
package that must be couriered to Edinburgh. On the
way, the train the walker takes is blown up, now no trains
or buses are running. You are being hunted by the police,
who think the walker blew up the train and terrorists are
hunting you for the device being carried. You now have to
walk to Edinburgh to succeed in your mission.
This heart pounding podcast makes a thrilling way to enjoy
walking and improve your heart health! The podcast was
first introduced in 2018 and endorsed by the American
Heart Association. Take
a walk!
Available on iTunes
Anita Pavlidis, RN MSN was the former Director of Nursing
at the NHTI, Concord’s Community College and Program
Specialist at the New Hampshire Board of Nursing.
NCLEX
Reconsidered
Focus on
Pediatrics
Ed Note: Where it has been a year or years
since you took the NCLEX how well would
you do now?
1. A school nurse is educating parents on what to look for
when inspecting the hair of their children. The nurse
accurately tells parents which of the following facts
about lice? (Select all that apply.)
A. Bite marks and red areas may be visible on the
scalp
B. Lice are small, gray or tan bugs with no wings that
are visible to the naked eye
C. Gloves should be worn when inspecting the scalp
D. The eggs may be confused with dandruff
E. Nits are tiny whitish oval specks that adhere to the
hair shaft
2. A pediatric nurse is preparing to start a pre-operative
peripheral IV in a 13-year-old girl. The girl seems
anxious and tells the nurse that she doesn’t understand
why she needs this IV. Which of the following
statement by the nurse is MOST therapeutic?
A. “I’m good, so this won’t hurt very much.”
B. “I’ll be finished before you know it.”
C. “This will add fluids to your bloodstream.”
D. “You’re a big girl, so I know you’ll be brave.”
3. When a healthcare provider is interviewing the parents
of an injured 6-month-old baby, which of the following
is the strongest indicator that child abuse may have
occurred?
A. The parents are argumentative and demanding of
the ED staff.
B. The family lives in one of the poorest
neighborhoods.
C. The mother and the father tell different stories
about what happened.
D. The injury isn’t consistent with the baby’s age.
4. A parent brings their 3-year-old daughter to the
pediatric clinic with a fever and cough. While assessing
the child, the nurse notes that the girl’s genitals are
swollen and bruised. The girl also tells the nurse that
“it hurts to walk.” Which nursing intervention is MOST
important?
A. Determine if her shoes are fitting properly.
B. Document all assessment findings.
C. Perform a throat culture and administer Tylenol.
D. Notify authorities about suspected child abuse.
5. A child who is newly diagnosed with attention deficit
hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) will likely display which
of the following?
A. Complaints of fatigue and somatic conditions
B. Ability to focus on subjects of interest
C. Attempting to run away
D. Constant movement and squirming
Holiday
Greetings
from the Board &
Staff of New Hampshire
Nurses Association
Answers on page 22

Page 20 • New Hampshire Nursing News December 2020, January, February 2021
Quick Fixes for 10 Big Budget-Blowing Mistakes
Valerie Edwards
Mutual of Omaha Advisor
Valerie.edwards@mutualofomaha.com
678-672-0301
Look at these top money mistakes…and learn ways to avoid or
fix them.
1. Estimating Income and Expenses Instead of Tracking
Them
To make a realistic budget, you need to know exactly how
much money you have coming in and going out every
month.
To accurately measure costs, review at least six months of
bills, bank statements, and credit card statements. That will
help you spot expenses that don’t occur regularly. It lets you
see how much some payments vary from month to month,
so you can calculate an average.
2. Using Credit to Spend More Than You Have
Using credit cards to make purchases that you can’t afford is a double-hit to your
budget. Fix: Every time you use your credit card, set aside the money as if you’d used
cash. When the bill comes, you’ll have cash to pay the full balance and you won’t end
up paying interest on everyday purchases.
3. Ignoring ‘Auto Pilot’ Expenses
Do you have subscriptions to publications you aren’t reading anymore? Are you still
watching cable, or have you switched to Netflix?
Getting rid of auto-expenses that no longer fit your life, can free up space in your
budget.
4. Keeping Savings and Checking Accounts in the Same Bank
It’s easy for money to flow the wrong way when savings and checking accounts are
in the same bank. If transferring money from savings into checking is as simple as a
mouse click, it can happen all too often. And using savings to pay regular household
bills because you over spent will quickly deplete your nest egg.
5. Making It Too Easy to Spend Money
One-click check out … Amazon Prime … Apple Pay… all of these effortless payment
systems — make it so easy to spend money.
When you’re trying to stay on budget, adding a layer of difficulty to your spending
makes you less likely to buy things you don’t need. So, turn off one-click, don’t “store”
your credit card information for online accounts.
6. Forgetting about Emergencies
Emergencies happen all the time. Your washing machine goes on the fritz, for example.
If your budget isn’t prepared to handle the unexpected, you could find yourself in
financial hot water.
The fix: Include “emergencies” as an expense category in your budget every month.
7. Keeping Up with Technology Upgrades
Frequent tech upgrades make the latest, greatest versions seem like must-haves.
Anything that was working for you yesterday — your laptop, your smartphone — is just
as good today, even if the tech companies say it isn’t.
Sometimes, simply updating software or adding memory can be all the upgrade you
need.
8. Not Tailoring a Budget to Your Life
Your budget should reflect your finances and goals. For example, if your daily Starbucks
run makes life “worth living,” that’s not the expense to cut, no matter what all the
experts say.
9. Not Considering Income
Budgeters tend to focus on cutting expenses. It’s sometimes easier to increase income,
or cash flow. Some examples:
• Lower tax withholding. If your last refund was more than $1,000, reducing your
withholding taxes may be worth looking at in order to free up some extra cash.
• Renegotiate with vendors. If your bank charges you for checking and ATM usage,
ask them to remove those fees. If they won’t budge, move your money to a
friendlier bank.
10. Failing to Budget for Life Insurance
Life insurance often gets the axe when families are building budgets. But consider this:
If money is too tight to fit life insurance into your budget, what happens to the family
finances if you or your spouse die?
The Bottom Line
You’ll be amazed how much you can save when you plug leaks that are draining your
budget. And by fixing or avoiding these ten big mistakes, you’ll have more room in
your spending for occasional splurges.
Two St. Anselm College nursing students were recipients of
the Susan D. Flynn Oncology Fellowship. Erin Sargent ’21
and Jenna Morrison ’21 spent their summers at Wentworth-
Douglass Hospital/Seacoast Cancer Center gaining handson
experience in oncology nursing. The fellowship aims to
mentor aspiring nurses with career interests in oncology
and cancer treatment. As a part of their fellowship, Sargent
and Morrison also conducted “evidence-based” quality
improvement projects, and presented the results. Sargent’s
research project titled “Providers’ Perceptions of Palliative
Care: Earlier is Always Better,” focused on the timing of
palliative care for oncology patients at Wentworth-Douglas.
Her research concluded that palliative care was a successful
method of treating oncology patients and could even help
identify distressing symptoms when utilized early in the
treatment process.
The Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE)
granted 10-year accreditation to the Bachelor of Science
in Nursing (BSN) and 5-year accreditation to the Master of
Science in Nursing (MSN) of Granite State College.
ED Note: News from nursing schools, faculty,
students or alumni are welcome. Please direct
submissions to office@nhnurses.org with
NHNN in the subject line.

December 2020, January, February 2021 New Hampshire Nursing News • Page 21
I Give You Permission to Fall Apart
By Sherry Stofko, MSN, RN
Reprinted with permission from Nevada
RNformation August 2020 issue
denial, anger, sadness, isolation, and boredom. For
healthcare workers, we have the privilege of adding
in several heavier emotions:
It’s during times like these when we discover if
our coping mechanisms and resilience are strong
enough to withstand the chaos and uncertainty.
Dear fellow nurse:
I give you permission to be anxious, fearful, angry,
broken-hearted. I free you of your unwavering
sacrifice, loyalty, grit, and determination. I am
granting you liberty to experience your brokenness,
exhaustion, overwhelm, and grief. I encourage you
to drop into your shadow emotions and to let them
out with a death wail or Irish funeral cry in the
open Nevada landscape. I give you permission to
fall apart.
Our lives took an unprecedented turn in mid-
March, one we never anticipated, but certainly
now find as no surprise: a respiratory-spread,
communicable disease passed effortlessly around
our globally-connected world and “suddenly”
rocking the human race. How could “we” not have
had forethought and been ready for this? Clearly,
we were not prepared in any way; we were not
equipped with PPE, with governance and policy,
or with coping mechanisms. In my 25 years as a
hospital-based RN, I have never experienced such
widespread risk, fear, uncertainty, misinformation,
rapid change, and lack of strong leadership,
let alone all of this concurrently. For many, the
associated emotional roller coaster involves
• Shock: “How is this happening in the United
States in 2020?”
• Betrayal: “They want us to wear the same mask
for a week?”
• Envy: “Stop complaining that you’re bored at
home when I’m getting pummeled at work.”
• Frustration: “If I get one more 500-word email
about another new policy, I might crack!”
• Fear: “What if I bring it home to my family?”
• Exhaustion: “I can’t bear to drag myself in there
again tonight.”
• Terror: “The nightmares and insomnia are killing
me.”
• Grief: “What happened to my old life?”
• Guilt: “I wish I could do more.”
All of these reactions are completely normal during
a disaster, a global catastrophe, a pandemic, or any
crisis event. The issue here is that this is not merely
an incident; it’s ongoing with no clear end in sight.
Our stress levels, and therefore our cortisol and
epinephrine levels, are chronically elevated. We are
living in our sympathetic nervous systems - freeze,
fight, or flight. We spend most of our time trapped
in a limbic hijack. As nurses, we have no refuge
– both work and home are incredibly stressful.
Spotlight on the Healthy Nurse 2020
And they are. My dear healthcare brothers and
sisters, we are enduring. It may not be pretty; in
fact, it is probably embarrassingly messy. There
should be no shame in it. Times are really tough.
Nothing is ideal. But we are enduring. We are
fluctuating through the stages of grief and, ever
so slowly, we are moving towards acceptance and
maybe even finding meaning in it all. During this
time, be gentle with yourself. Reach out for help.
Finally make that counseling appointment. Find
a support group. Journal. Share. Practice selfcompassion.
Scream out loud in the woods. When I
feel emotionally flooded, I find calmness in pausing
for a few seconds, then incorporating the acronym
“RAIN.” It stands for:
• Recognize what is happening: thoughts,
behaviors, emotions.
• Allow the experience to just be there without
trying to change anything.
• Investigate what you are feeling with curiosity
and non-judgement.
• Nurture yourself with self-compassion and selfcare
(Brach, 2013).
Perhaps all this falling apart can help us come
together… together with our loved ones, with
our co-workers, with other nurses nationally. It is
time to prioritize our self-care and strengthen our
resilience as nurses and as humans. Now, we ought
to finally demand our employers recognize and
mitigate the effects of work-related trauma on the
mental wellbeing of their employees. We must band
together, focusing on what is important in our field:
safety, wellness, and solidarity of nurses, which
inevitably and undeniably leads to improved safety
and wellness of the patients in our care and in our
communities.
On the evening of Thursday, September 10,
2020, the Commission on Nursing Practice
and the New Hampshire Nurses Association
hosted the inaugural Spotlight on the
Healthy Nurse. This new event replaced
the Healthy Nurse Scholarship 5K &
Health Fair. Proceeds from the event were
donated to the Healthy Nurse Scholarship
Fund. Over thirty members and guests
attended this 100% virtual event. Amy
Guthrie, MS, RN, spoke on Resiliency and
Annabel Beerel, PhD, MBA, MA spoke on
Mindfulness and Meditation.
Guthrie discussed the characteristics of
stress and how it impacts our lives. She
shared the aspects of a stress-hardy
personality, strategies for reducing stress
and explained the mind-body connection
and its relationship to stress reduction.
She also provided participants with several
worksheets to measure their personal
vulnerability to stress and identify satisfying
activities.
is, how to develop it, and how it helps us
become more resilient among its many
other benefits. Beerel ended her talk with
strategies for developing one’s own practice
of mindfulness and meditation.
Dr. Annabel Beerel is the founder and
President of the New England Women’s
Leadership Institute, an organization that
helps women advance in their careers
and advises on organizational leadership
capacity building.
Let us all give each other permission to fall apart
during this time. In the falling, I encourage us
to explore ways to cushion the fall. And in our
collective falling apart, let us “fall forward together.”
References:
Brach, T. (2013). The RAIN of self-compassion. https://
www.tarabrach.com/wp-content/uploads/pdf/RAINof-Self-Compassion2.pdf
Chisholm, C., Personal conversation, 5/6/2020
Moskowitz, M. (2020). Emotional world of healthcare
providers. https://www.whiteboardpsychology.com/
emotions-of-healthcare
Amie Guthrie,
MS, RN,
Director of
Continuing
Nursing
Education at
Saint Anselm
College.
Beerel explained the concepts of
mindfulness and meditation, providing
examples through story telling. She spoke
on the healing power of breathing and
the concept of self-compassion: what it
Both presentations were well received
based on the participant questions and
responses via the post event evaluation,
rating both speakers as 3.96 out of 4.0 for
knowledge on the subjects presented, and
over 3.8 out of 4.0 on the organization and
clarity of content. Collectively, over 90%
of the participants rated their confidence
as high on using the tools provided to
begin or strengthen their reflective. The
presentations are posted on the NHNA
website, on the Commission on Nursing
Practice: Spotlight on the Healthy Nurse
webpage: https://nhnurses.nursingnetwork.
com/page/95009-spotlight-on-the-healthynurse-program

Page 22 • New Hampshire Nursing News December 2020, January, February 2021
Hospital Launches LNA Course
The Board of Nursing approved the application of Portsmouth Regional Hospital
to offer a Nursing Assistant (LNA) course leading to licensure starting in January
2021. The course consists of seven weeks of classes using the American Red Cross
curriculum. Each seven-week course is open to eight students.
The hybrid program includes online modules combined with hands-on skill labs at
Portsmouth Regional Hospital’s Graduate Medical Education Center. The instructors,
registered nurses at the Hospital, will help to prepare the students to take the licensing
exam at the end of the course.
The course is free and students will earn $13 per hour for their classes. After they finish
the course and obtain their license, the new LNAs will be paid $15 per hour. Students
will be required to sign a one-year commitment to work at the hospital. The course
was created, in part, to help address the critical need for LNAs on the Seacoast and
across the region. There are 28 educational programs offering LNA education in New
Hampshire.
Night Nurses
Needed for Study
MANAGEMENT
MINUTE
A waitress refills your ice tea without being asked. You can
say “Thank you”, which is a form of gratitude. Or you can say:
“You are observant, you knew exactly what I was going to ask
for, thank you” which is praise. Gratitude is good. Praise is better.
Gratitude acknowledges benefit. But praise is more personal.
Praise connects people with achievements. Praise acknowledges
talents, virtues, strengths, and achievements in a personal way. A
manager that offers praise, makes people believe their work matters,
and most importantly, THEY matter. Praise encourages continued
effort, achievement, and excellence. Gratitude reminds us of a past
event, while praise provides focus for future effort.
Poor managers don’t constantly yell and criticize, they simply don’t notice people at all.
Successful leaders focus on the external, more on others than themselves. Praise shows
you care. It has also been shown to lower anxiety and help people believe in themselves.
Praise must be sincere and accurate. It cannot be a cookie cutter compliment. Be specific
and immediate. One nurse leader keeps a supply of thank you notes on her desk. Or use
an email of a few sentences. Either are worth more than a $50.00 gas card!
The Division of Sleep and Circadian Disorders at Brigham and Women’s Hospital
is conducting a remote research study to see if sleeping at specific times after a
night shift will improve sleep duration and quality; overall mood, fatigue and wellbeing;
as well as on-shift performance in shift workers. You will not have to visit
our research lab; all study procedures will be carried out remotely. We are reaching
out to healthcare professionals listed on the New Hampshire Nurses Association
because we believe you may be eligible to participate in our study.
We are looking for healthcare workers 50-65 years old working regular 8-hour night
shifts to participate in a 2-week research study. You will first complete a general
shiftwork questionnaire online, for which you will receive a $15 gift card, and if
eligible, take part in the remote intervention. The survey asks questions about your
work hours, sleep time, free time, and health. This will take about 20-25 minutes
to complete. The intervention will test whether adopting a specific sleep schedule
between night shifts will improve sleep quality and night shift alertness. During the
first week, you will follow your normal sleep schedule after three consecutive 8-hr
night shifts. During the second week, you may be assigned to a particular sleep time
or duration. Payment upon completion of all study procedures is up to $500.
If you would like more information about the study, please contact us by phone
or email at 617-525-8904, or nightwork@research.bwh.harvard.edu, or check out
our website at https://nightwork.partners.org/about. Furthermore, if you know a
coworker or colleague who might be eligible and interested in this study, feel free to
share the study brochure with them.
Mark Twain famously said, “I can live for two months on a good compliment.”
Answers to NCLEX Reconsidered from page 19
1. B-D-E 2. C 3. C 4. D 5. D
To access electronic copies of
New Hampshire Nursing News, please visit
http://www.nursingALD.com/publications
Administrator
In its July 2020 meeting the Board of Nursing
discussed the requirement of a nursing degree for the
qualifications of the Board Administrator. A report
on the status of the executive director qualifications
required by other states was to be prepared.
Currently, Ashley Czechowicz, Administrator of
the Board of Mental Health Practice is serving as
Interim Administrator of the Board of Nursing,
replacing the Bonnie Crumley-Aybar who
resigned in May, 2020.
News
Clinical Hours
Rivier University was approved by the Board of Nursing to substitute
simulation experiences for 100% of the clinical nursing experience required
for its LPN/RN program.
Scope of Practice
Question: Can an RN use Tonopen to check patients’ pressure? The
Tonopen is a device the size of a marker which briefly touches
the cornea to measure intraocular pressure and does not require
anesthetic eye drops.
Answer: The Board of Nursing ruled that tonometry using a Tonopen is
within the scope of practice of an RN or LPN, provided that the
nurse has received training and has facility policies in place.
Appointment
Bette Ann Bogdan PhD, RN-BC, PHN has been appointed Chairperson of the
Board of Nursing Practice and Education Committee.
Licensing by the Numbers
According to the Annual Report of the Office of Professional Licensure the
Board of Nursing issued 8,546 licenses in FY 2020 and renewed 17,923
licenses. In all, the Board reported 61,896 licensees which includes RNs,
LPNs, Nursing Assistants and advanced practice nurses. The Board of Nursing
is the largest professional licensing Board in the state, with the Board of
Medicine issuing 10,883 licenses and the Board of Pharmacy issuing 14,316
licenses in 2020. In 2020 the Board of Nursing received 310 complaints
of professional misconduct compared to the Board of Medicine’s 223
complaints.

December 2020, January, February 2021 New Hampshire Nursing News • Page 23
IN MEMORY OF OUR COLLEAGUES
The New Hampshire Nurses Association honors the
memory of and acknowledges the work of deceased
nurses who have graduated from New Hampshire
nursing schools or who have actively practiced in New
Hampshire during their career. Sharing the names and
information about these nurses is one way we honor
their contribution to the profession. Brief submissions are
welcome.
VA Nurse
Carole Ann (Clark) Smith, 82, of
Concord, passed away on August 23,
2020. A New York native, she received
her Bachelor of Science in Nursing from
Syracuse University in 1960 and her
Master’s in Nursing Administration in
1979 from the State University of New
York. She spent her nursing career in the VA System
including Manchester, where she retired as the Assistant
Chief of Nursing.
LPN
Irene Elizabeth Irish, 89, of Epsom died
August 25, 2020. After raising a family she
returned to school and was a 1972 LPN
graduate of the Claremont Tech (River
Valley CC). She then worked as an LPN at
Valley Regional Hospital until 1988 and
then at Epsom Manor and various nursing
homes in NH until she turned 72.
Nurse and Teacher
Therese (Dubreuil) Clarkson, 82, of
Manchester, died August 29, 2020. She
earned a teaching degree from Notre
Dame College as well as a nursing degree
from St. Anselm College. She taught at
various Catholic schools in Manchester,
spent several years a nurse, and finished
her career as a science teacher at Sununu Youth Center.
Regional School Nurse
Joyce Edith (Brooks) Davison, 84, of
Antrim, passed away August 30, 2020.
She graduated from the Mary Hitchcock
School of Nursing in 1956. She practiced
nursing from hospital to doctor’s office,
from school nurse to teacher. She is
probably best remembered as the
regional school nurse, traveling from
school to school and then as the first school nurse for
the Contoocook Valley Regional High School. After
eleven years working in this capacity, Joyce transitioned
to teaching. She developed new, innovative curriculum
called Life Education, which included classes in Family
Living and Health Occupations.
School Nurse
Stella May Chickering, 89, passed away on
September 4, 2020. She obtained a nursing
diploma in Boston and spent time as the
school nurse at Chesterfield Central School
but most of her career was at Maplewood
Nursing Home in Westmoreland where
she served her patients with empathy and a
good dose of humor.
OR Nurse and Educator
(Helen) Irene Peters (Hurst), 97, died on
September 5, 2020 in Florida. A Canadian
native she graduated from the Toronto
General Hospital School of Nursing in
1946, and earned a diploma in Operating
Room Technique and Management in
New York. She earned Bachelors,
Masters, and a Certificate of Advanced
Graduate Study Degrees from the University of New
Hampshire. In 1962, Irene was the Operating Room
supervisor and an instructor in the Wentworth-Douglass
Hospital School of Nursing. In 1966 she joined the New
Hampshire State Department of Education as a
consultant for the transition of health education
programs from hospitals to degree-granting community
colleges. From 1945 until her retirement in 1987 she
worked as Vice-President for Education and Research at
the N.H. Hospital Association. She served on numerous
boards and advisory committees in New Hampshire and
New England.
Cadet Nurse
Gladys Elaine (Owen)
Baker, 96, passed away
on September 6, 2020. A
graduate of the Margaret
Pillsbury Hospital in Concord she served
as a nurse cadet during WWII. She was a
night nurse so she could raise her family.
ED Nurse
Harald Reed Brown, 68,
passed away on
September 11, 2020. Born
in Germany he enlisted in
the US Air Force as a Medical Service
Specialist. Upon earning his Bachelors of
Science Degree in Nursing at 35, he
received his commission and begun work as an
Emergency Room Nurse. At 44, he retired with the rank
of Captain and awards including the National Defense
Service Medal, the Air Force Outstanding Unit Award,
the Air Force Commendation Medal, and the Meritorious
Service Medal. He practiced at Concord Hospital in the
Emergency Department until his nursing retirement in
2017.
Concord Hospital Grad
Doris E. Beck, 81 of Webster, died on
September 13, 2020 in Florida. A
Concord native she graduated from the
Concord Hospital School of Nursing and
earned advanced degrees at St. Anselm
and Rivier colleges. She taught at the
nursing school and later at Concord
Hospital, having a long and distinguished career there in
nursing administration. Dottie worked in administration
at NH Hospital before becoming the State Long Term
Care Ombudsman. She retired in 2001 as director of
long term care services for NH Catholic Charities.
Career Cut Short
Kathryn Elizabeth Trottier, 26, passed
away suddenly on Tuesday, September
15, 2020 due to complications from her
lifelong battle with Type 1 Diabetes. She
received her LPN from the American
School of Nursing in April 2020, and
worked at Hackett Hill Nursing Home.
Public Health Nurse
Jane F. Garry, 87, of Hancock, passed
away on September 18, 2020. A New
York native she obtained her diploma in
New York and continued her education
earning a bachelor’s degree in public
health nursing from the University of
Michigan and master’s degree in public
administration from the State University of
New York. Throughout her career, Jane worked in
community nursing, hospital nursing administration and
education. Her career included 11 years with the New
York State Department of Health, leading to her position
as associate director of the Division of Epidemiology,
handling programs to control chronic and infectious
diseases. She continued her community nursing when
she moved to New Hampshire as the administrator of the
Keene Visiting Nurse Association, followed by her work
as executive director of the Keene based Home Health
Care & Community Services until her retirement in 1987.
Elliot Nurse
Alice Eileen “Chickie” Hayes, 83, died
September 23, 2020. She was a graduate
of the Elliot Hospital School of Nursing in
1959.
Air Force Captain
Pamela E. Schoetzau, 70,
died October 1, 2020.
She held a BA in
psychology and a nursing
diploma. She accepted a commission in
the United States Air Force and was
stationed at Andrews Air Force Base,
Maryland and Lakenheath Air Base in England. She rose
to the rank of Captain and was the recipient of the AF
Training Ribbon, AF Longevity Service Ribbon and the
AF Overseas Long Tour Ribbon. She continued her
nursing career at Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center
and practiced as a Neuroscience Nurse on 5 West
where she was a favored mentor to many just beginning
their careers.
Women’s Health Nurse
Kathryn Hilderbrand, 74, of Milford died
on October 2, 2020. A Nashua native she
graduated from high school in Japan and
returning to the states, she graduated from
St. Joseph’s Hospital School of Nursing.
Kathryn practiced in women’s health at
Dartmouth Hitchcock in Nashua, NH for
more than 20 years.
School Nurse
Margaret “Margie” Frost (Boyle) Fenton
died on October 15, 2020 at the age of
85. A Franklin native she graduated from
Colby Jr. College in 1953 and then
Columbia-Presbyterian School of Nursing
in 1956 with a B.S.N. She provided
nursing care in several roles but is best
known for the 19 years she served as
School Nurse at Andover Elementary School.
Concord Grad
Jane Dewey Langill, 85, died October 15,
2020 in Illinois. A Concord native she
graduated from the Concord Hospital
School of Nursing in 1958.
School Nurse
Norene Susan (Holmes) Sauls, 84,
passed away November 1, 2020 in South
Carolina. A Manchester native, she
graduated from Elliot Hospital School of
Nursing in 1958 and went on to graduate
from New England College in 1993. She
practiced as a school nurse at the
Northwood Elementary School from 1986-1996.
Glencliff Home
is accepting applications for
Registered Nurses I-III
Salary Range: $50,835.20 - $71,052.80
Licensed Practical Nurses I-II
Salary Range: $45,177.60 - $57,408.00
Additional 15% Enhancement on Salary Base (Not Included)
40 hours/week – All Shifts and Part-time Available
Direct Care an additional $1,040.00
Add additional 2nd shift diff. at $4,160.00
Add additional 3rd shift diff. at $7,280.00
To provide professional nursing care to residents within an assigned unit and provide
and support medical care as directed by medical staff and pursuant to objectives and
policies of the nursing department and Glencliff Home. Must possess and maintain
a current license as a RN/LPN in NH. Salary and Position determined by years of
experience and certifications.
State of New Hampshire Benefit Package!
Health/Dental/Vision/Prescription plan
Single $22/ 2-Person $44/ Family $66 (Bi-Weekly)
Michelle Booker, Director of Nursing
393 High Street, PO Box 76, Glencliff, NH 03238
(603) 989-5226
Michelle.D.Booker@dhhs.nh.gov
Applications can be completed and benefits
reviewed online at
https://das.nh.gov/hr/index.aspx
Equal Opportunity Employer