Arizona Nurse - January 2022

Page 2 • Arizona Nurse January, February, March 2022
PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE
As I think about what
I would most like to
share with you in my first
President’s Message, I
can’t help but review the
arc of past, present, and
future. This has been a
tumultuous few years, and
by all accounts, the roller
coaster shows no signs of
stopping anytime soon.
So, what can we do? In
times of uncertainty, it is
human nature to seek out
The Future is Now
the comfort and safety of our community. Many
of you have heard me describe AzNA as my tribe.
My hope is that AzNA becomes your tribe, too. An
insular community where we support each other
through the tough times and stand together to
share our nursing voice. The world is listening to
us like never before, and AzNA amplifies our voice.
So, what should we be saying? A big topic on
everyone’s mind of late is workforce development.
What is being done to attract future nurses, educate
them effectively, and orient them into the nursing
role? I was struck recently by an article I read that
described the future nurse. Dr. Marla Weston (2021)
writes about all the unique skills that today’s gradeschooler
has acquired: using video conferencing
platforms while deftly communicating through
verbal, chat, and paper-based mediums;
multitasking across technology platforms and
devices while maneuvering firewalls and security
In Memory of...
Barbara Palley Fargotstein,
AzNA Member, passed
away on Monday, October
4, 2021 after a courageous
battle with West Nile Virus.
Heidi Sanborn
AzNA President
protocols; focusing on what is happening in the
online world while attending to (or tuning out) the
myriad distractions of daily life. To me, these are
the same skills that we all have learned and that
our future nurses will need to master. This is true
especially as we focus on keeping people out of
hospitals, managing complex illnesses at home,
and identifying subtle changes in conditions that
warrant a closer examination.
Merely identifying the skills our future workforce
needs is only half the battle. The more pressing
task before us today is improving recruitment
and retention. This work begins in primary and
secondary education, where we must now work
to attract nursing graduates of 2030 and beyond.
We also need to promote innovation in nursing
programs through simulation, virtual reality, and
unique clinical models that deliver knowledge
while adding value to our clinical partners across
the state. Finally, we need to support nurses
just beginning their careers, providing needed
resources and guidance to thrive in their roles
while mitigating burnout and compassion fatigue.
And we also must protect our experienced nurses,
giving them what they need to keep coming to
work and shepherding new generations into the
workforce.
This work requires us to focus on the entire
lifecycle of a new nurse, recognizing that it takes
many years, countless people, and significant
resources to create the nurse of the future. A job
perfectly suited for our nursing tribe. We need to
rally around the issues and work together to create
the solutions needed to change course. Each one of
us has specialized expertise and a book of stories
that, when pulled together, provide the roadmap
we need. This call to action is timed perfectly with
the start of the next legislative session in Arizona.
I hope you will lend your voice to help AzNA
advocate for the future of the profession and the
wellbeing of our communities. Please, join my
tribe.
Reference
Weston, M. (2021). Today’s first grader is tomorrow’s
nurse. Medium. https://medium.com/calling-theleadership-circle/todays-first-grader-is-tomorrows-nurse-c0caa88f9ece
Arizona Nurse Editorial Board
Carol Peyton Bryant, DNP, RN, ACNP, CCRN
Rebekah Christopher, RN
Sierra Holloway, MSN, RN
Anna Hustin, MSN, RN, NE-BC
Megan Nichols
Sherry Ray, EdD, MSN, RN, CHSE
Sue Roe, DPA, MS, BSN, RN
Melisa Salmon, MSN, RN, CCRN, MBA
Alicia Shields, MSN, RN, CENP, DNP-student
Krystal Tobin, BSN, RN-BC
Christy Torkildson, PhD, RN, PHN, FPCN
Melissa Zuber, BSN, RN
The editorial board of the Arizona nurses is comprised of
members of the Arizona Nurses Association, who review all
submissions, provide expert advice on content, attract new authors,
and encourage submissions.
If you are interested in serving on the editorial board, please
contact info@aznurse.org for more information.
Chair:
Rhonda Anderson, DNSc, RN, FAAN, FACHE
Vice Chair:
Pat Mews, MHA, RN, CNOR
Secretary:
Chloe Littzen, BSN, RN
Scholarship Chair:
Sharon Rayman, MS, RN, CCTC, CPTC
Elected Trustee:
Fran Roberts, PhD, RN, FAAN
Elected Trustee:
Tim Mislan, MS, RN
Elected Trustee:
Kimberly Behrens-Grieser
Elected Trustee:
Phillip Guarrera
CEO:
Dawna Cato, PhD, RN
Board of Directors
President:
Heidi Sanborn, DNP, RN, CNE
Secretary:
Amanda Foster, MSN, APRN, FNP-C
Treasurer:
Beth Hale, PhD, RN
Governmental Affairs Officer:
Heather Ross, PhD, DNP, ANP-BC, RN, FAANP
Director-At-Large:
Sonia Blau, BSN, RNC-OP, CDP
Director-At-Large:
Robert “Bill” Adams, MSN, RN, CDCES, NHDP-BC
Past President:
Selina Bliss, PhD, RN, CNE, RN-BC
Staff
Dawna Cato, Phd, RN, NPD-BC, Chief Executive Officer
Wendy Knefelkamp, Director of Operations
Madi Moyer, Communications Specialist
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