Arkansas Nurse Today - July 2022

The official publication of
the Arkansas Nurses Association
Volume 1 | Number 3
July, August, September 2022
PRESIDENT’S PEN
ARNA members around the state continue to face personal
and professional challenges. To assure resilience, some nurses
have changed the location and ways they nurse, taking travel
assignments, switching specialties, or trying their hand at
becoming an entrepreneur. A few have decided to move
forward with retirement or change professions. However,
most nurses remain in the trenches in acute, primary,
and long-term care settings across the state of Arkansas.
According to Abraham Lincoln, “The best way to predict the
future is to create it.” As an organization, ARNA redoubled
its commitment to support nurses through advocacy, building
local partnerships, and providing opportunities for education,
networking, and community engagement. Since the start of
the year, ARNA has worked tirelessly to advocate, connect,
and share expertise within the organization. I want nurses to know ARNA is Arkansas,
and we are there with you and for you. What have we done?
Advocacy
• Obtained the services of Hargraves Consulting as ARNA’s lobbyist
• Organized Coffee with a Congressman across various regions
• Surveyed members to establish a health policy agenda for the upcoming legislative
session
• Urged Arkansas legislators to support federal nurse staffing and faculty initiatives,
workplace violence, and mental health at the annual ANA Hill Day
• Released statements advocating for a safe work environment for nurses and other
health care providers
Connecting
• Partnership and skin care fair with CeraVe
• State Director tour of nursing schools
• Participation in membership drives such as Meet the ARNA President
• Share sessions and Northwest Arkansas Escape Room experience
• Highlighting award-winning ARNA nurses, medical facilities, and Arkansas schools
of nursing on social media
• Recognizing and working with other nursing organizations in the state
Margaret Love,
DNP, APRN, FNP-
BC, ACHPN
President’s Pen continued on page 3
ARNA PLANS FALL
CONFERENCE AND
MEMBERSHIP ASSEMBLY
SAVE THE DATE for Friday, November 4, 2022. Plans are in the works for the
2022 Arkansas Nurses Association Fall Conference and Membership Assembly to be
held at the Holiday Inn Airport Conference Center in Little Rock, Arkansas.
The Arkansas Nurses Association (ARNA) is currently seeking exhibitors at the 2022
ARNA Fall Conference & Membership Assembly, being provided as a live, in-person
event.
Exhibit Details
Exhibits are held on November 4, 2022
Who will be in Attendance?
Arkansas RNs, LPNs and student nurses from all four corners of the state are invited
to participate in this year’s event which will give vendors an opportunity to market
their product and/or service to nurses from a variety of practice settings.
Click here for more exhibitor details and to register online.
Exhibitor Registration Deadline: October 1, 2022.
Questions? If you have any questions, please contact Sara Fry, Professional
Development Director at sara@midwestnurses.org.
current resident or
Presort Standard
US Postage
PAID
Permit #14
Princeton, MN
55371
INSIDE THIS ISSUE
ARNA PLANS ANNUAL PHARMACOLOGY
CONFERENCE............................................2
2022 CANDIDATES FOR 2022 ELECTIONS......4
ARNA offers opportunities for membership
for RNs and LPNs with active license
as well as those who have retired..............4
MEMBERSHIP BENEFITS..................................4
2022 ANA Membership Assembly Recap........6
ADVOCACY UPDATE.....................................7
ARNA meets with schools of nursing and
student nurse associations.........................8
Health Vitals Care..........................................9
Calendar of Events.......................................10
Nurse Blake Raffle........................................10

Page 2 Arkansas Nurse Today July, August, September 2022
ARNA PLANS ANNUAL PHARMACOLOGY
CONFERENCE
Board of Directors
2022-2023
PRESIDENT
Margaret Love, DNP, APRN, FNP-BC, ACHPN
13900 Windsor Rd, Little Rock, AR 72212
Cell: (501) 412-8134
Email: mlovpyt@gmail.com
Term ends November 2023
VICE-PRESIDENT
Jacque McEuen, MSN, RN
3032 Hickory Ridge Dr., Sherwood, AR 72120
Cell: 785-317-4903
Email: Jacque2583@hotmail.com
Term ends November 2022
TREASURER
Karla Robinson, RN, MBA, BBA
10008 Forester Cove, Little Rock, AR 72209
Cell: (501) 352-6957
Email: mzzkylatin@gmail.com
Term ends November 2022
2022 PHARMACOLOGY CONFERENCE
We are pleased to host this year’s Pharmacology:
From Head to Toe Conference as a live, virtual
event through ZOOM. Two date options are being
provided this year – July 22 and August 5. We hope
you will choose to participate!
This virtual conference, presented in real time,
will assist the Advanced Practice Registered Nurse
in determining the most appropriate agent based
on the individual assessment and underlying health
problem.
The all-pharmacotherapeutic sessions will
focus on reviewing the general principles of
pharmacology, including indications for use, drug
interactions and common side effects of various
drug and non-drug therapies. Proper monitoring
of the therapeutic and adverse effects of drug
therapy will also be discussed as well as appropriate
treatment of these reactions.
Virtual Conference Dates
• July 22, 2022
• August 5, 2022
HAVE YOU REGISTERED YET?
Topics
• Top New Medications in Primary Care
• Prescribing Safely: Avoiding Malpractice and
Litigation
• Resistant Hypertension: A New Focus on the
Hardest to Treat Patients
• Asthma in Adult and Pediatric Patients:
Focus on Latest Guidelines
Speaker
• Wendy L. Wright, DNP, ANP-BC, FNP-BC,
FAANP, FAAN, FNAP
Registration
• ARNA Member: $89.00
• Non-Member: $129.00
• Student – APRN or DNP: $69.00
(verification of full-time enrollment in Masters
level or higher program is required)
SECRETARY
Cheryl Holden, DHSc, MSN, RN, NPD-BC
3327 Crowe Hill Cir, Fort Smith, AR 72903-5933
Cell: 479-420-3759
Email: Cheryl.Holden@uafs.edu
Term ends November 2023
REGION 1 NORTHWEST DIRECTOR
Jennifer Klock, BSN, RN, CPN
6100 W. Bainbridge Drive, Rogers, AR 72758
Cell: 678-315-6039
Email: Jen.klock@gmail.com
Term ends November 2023
REGION 2 NORTHEAST DIRECTOR
April Bennett, MSN, CHFP, RN
4915 Prestonwood Rd, Conway, AR 72034
Cell: 417-236-4210
Email: adbennett86@gmail.com
Term ends November 2022
REGION 3 SOUTHWEST DIRECTOR
Barbara Hudgens, DNP, RN
1040 Columbia 295, Magnolia, AR 71753
Cell: 870-904-6162
Email: bahudgens@saumag.edu
Term ends November 2023
REGION 4 SOUTHEAST DIRECTOR
Rebecca Parnell, PhD, APRN, ACNS-BC
1807 West Main Street, Dorado, AR 71730
Cell: (870) 918-0116
Email: bbparnell60@gmail.com
Term ends November 2022
REGION 5 CENTRAL DIRECTOR
Sarena Love, BSN, RN, CDS
15 Brookridge Dr, Little Rock, AR 72205
Cell: 501-993-6972
Email: splove707@yahoo.com
Term ends November 2023
RECENT GRADUATE
Alicia Luangsisombath, BSN, RN
1840 Simms St., Conway, AR 72034
Cell: (479)790-9508
Email: alicialuang@gmail.com
Term ends November 2022
For advertising rates and information, please contact Arthur
L. Davis Publishing Agency, Inc., PO Box 216, Cedar Falls, Iowa
50613, (800) 626-4081, sales@aldpub.com. ARNA and the Arthur
L. Davis Publishing Agency, Inc. reserve the right to reject any
advertisement. Responsibility for errors in advertising is limited to
corrections in the next issue or refund of price of advertisement.
Acceptance of advertising does not imply endorsement or approval
by the Arkansas Nurses Association of products advertised, the
advertisers, or the claims made. Rejection of an advertisement does
not imply a product offered for advertising is without merit, or that
the manufacturer lacks integrity, or that this association disapproves
of the product or its use. ARNA and the Arthur L. Davis Publishing
Agency, Inc. shall not be held liable for any consequences resulting
from purchase or use of an advertiser’s product. Articles appearing
in this publication express the opinions of the authors; they do
not necessarily reflect views of the staff, board, or membership of
ARNA or those of the national or local associations.
Arkansas Nurse Today is published quarterly every January, April,
July and October and is the official publication of the Arkansas
Nurses Association, a constituent member of the American Nurses
Association.

July, August, September 2022 Arkansas Nurse Today Page 3
President’s Pen continued from page 1
• Scheduled ARNA candidate forum
• Planning the 110-year ARNA membership assembly and celebration, complete with
an honor guard for the nightingale tribute and award ceremony
Sharing Expertise
• ARNA sponsored or promoted local nurse topics and training such as:
o Sexual Assault Awareness
o Opioid Education Webinar
o Mental Health
o Burnout
o Selfcare
o National HIV Awareness Day
o Diversity in Nursing Practice
Financial Stability
• Selected a signature ARNA lapel pin fundraiser (this year’s pin commemorates
ARNA’s 110th anniversary)
• Silent Auction and vendor space as fundraising efforts as part of the 110-year
celebration
• Boards approval of a fundraising committee to assure ARNA’s ability to meet the
mission
Despite the low or flat membership growth of nursing associations across the
country, ARNA’s board boldly decided to avoid complete stagnation and planned for
a 3% growth in membership for the calendar year. That is, retaining current members
and adding 48 new members. For several months member enrollment across the
state has reached 40 or more members, however, the loss of existing members was
higher than expected in the year’s first quarter. We added 43 new members in May
with a net increase of 10. The work done to date is admirable, but much must be
done. Mahatma Gandhi said, “The future depends on what you do today.” Every
Arkansas nurse can support ARNA’s mission now. Here’s how.
Advocacy:
• Attend meet the candidate picnics
• Draft talking points and elevator speeches for proposed legislation
• Support 2023 Nurses Day at The Capitol
• Respond to requests for legislative action via e-mail, VoterVoice or Arkansas Nursing
Network
Connecting:
• Like or follow ARNA on social media and share your favorite content
• Send notice of awards or honors for health care organizations and ARNA nurses
• Create more collaborations with ARNA student nurses and other nursing associations
• Share opportunities to volunteer or socialize
• Nominate a fellow nurse for an award
• Join an ARNA committee
• Run for ARNA elected position
• Make plans to attend the annual membership assembly on Friday, November 4
Sharing Expertise:
• Inform ARNA of local continuing education opportunities for nurses in your
institution or region
• Arrange time for ARNA to share your research or training with members
• Lend your unique talents to an event or initiative (grant writing, photography,
graphic design, and multi-media)
Finances:
• Maintain your ARNA membership
• Check your membership status to assure it is active
• Encourage a fellow nurse to become a member of ARNA
• Make plans to attend the membership assembly and 110th-anniversary gala and
bid at the silent auction
• Order a 110th commemorative lapel pin for you and a friend
Denis Waitley stated, “there are two choices in life: accepting conditions as they
exist or accepting responsibility for changing them.” ARNA accepts the responsibility
of fostering change for the nurses of Arkansas. Together nurses across Arkansas are
ARNA. I ask for continued nurse support in realizing goals by the end of the year.
Margaret Love, DNP, CNP, FNP-BC, ACHPN
ARNA President

Page 4 Arkansas Nurse Today July, August, September 2022
CANDIDATES FOR 2022 ELECTIONS
Vice-President (2 nominations)
Jacqueline McEuen, MSN, RN
o Director of Health Services –
Little Rock School District
The art, education, and
practice of nursing is my passion.
I am the current Vice-President
of ARNA and want to continue
my advocacy for nurses in the
State of Arkansas. My MSN is
in Nurse Executive Leadership
and I want to continue to grow, learn, and improve
Nursing. Being a nurse these past couple of years during
the pandemic has been extremely tough, and I want to
continue to assist in figuring out solutions to help our
nurses.
Treasurer (1 nomination)
Stephanie Whitaker, MSN, RN
o Vice President Patient Care
Services – Mercy Hospital,
Fort Smith Communities
As a nursing leader for more
than 20 years and executive
nurse leader for over 7 years,
I will bring my leadership
experience and knowledge to
this role, helping ARNA staff and
members achieve strategic goals. While working as vice
president of nursing in a hospital that is part of a larger
health system, I pledge to support and assist the ARNA
president and board members with the challenges
facing Arkansas nurses and I will continue to advocate
for our profession at the local, state, and national level.
As a member of ACHE and AONL, I remain current on
the challenges facing not only our Arkansas nursing
community, but those across the nation. I will use my
nursing network and experience to bring new ideas
and solutions to our nursing association while also
supporting the successful initiatives in place.
Region 2 Director (1 nomination)
Carolyn E. Hunter Layne,
MSN, RN, MBA, MSE
o Assistant Professor –
University of Arkansas at
Little Rock School of Nursing
My personal position as a
member of ARNA is to support
the organization and share
new and current learning
opportunities with others in the
nursing profession. As a leader, sharing ARNA updates,
recruitment of new members and supporting the present
ARNA leadership for future initiatives is important.
Region 4 Director (1 nomination)
Becky Parnell, PhD, APRN,
ACNS-BC
o Associate Professor of
Nursing – Ouachita Baptist
University
I have thoroughly enjoyed
the four years I have served as
the Region 4 Director. During
this time, I have been able to
listen to the needs and dreams
of nurses in the state and Region 4. I found many
similarities (the desire to care for people and the love
for our profession). One of the challenges in this role
is communication. My goal is to keep the members of
Region 4 up to date on the resources ARNA/ANA have
available and encourage members to become active in
our organization. COVID really impacted the ability to
see one another in person. I am ready to re-start having
face to face meetings within our region with registered
nurses and license practical nurses. I would like to
continue in the Region 4 Director’s position to promote
involvement of our members in supporting each other
and advocate for the nurses in our region.
Recent Graduate (2 nominations)
Nikki Pearson, BSN, RN, ONC
o Instructor – Arkansas
Northeastern College
I consider the big picture while
being goal/future-oriented, not
getting caught in minutiae.
I process large amounts of
information; synthesize and
incorporate multiple viewpoints
and perspectives. I can think
independently and critically (including using research
data, asking questions, and challenging unsubstantiated
information). I execute due diligence in evaluating
potential candidates, use logic and reasoning to identify
the strengths and weaknesses within me. I try always
to make informed decisions efficiently and take action
when needed. I am objective at all times about what is
best for the whole of nursing, rather than what is best
for a particular constituency. As a new educator, I am
sharpening my communication skills by being able to
articulate ideas, opinions, rationales, and comments in
a clear, concise, and logical manner for the needs of the
audience.
Ron Burchell, RN
o Registered Nurse – Ashley
County Medical Center
I am striving to gain
leadership opportunities and
make a difference in the nursing
profession. I am very passionate
about nursing and would love an
opportunity to serve Arkansas.
I believe I would be a great
candidate for this position as a very highly motivated
individual and would sincerely enjoy this honorable
opportunity.
ARNA offers opportunities for membership
for RNs and LPNs with active license as
well as those who have retired.

July, August, September 2022 Arkansas Nurse Today Page 5
CANDIDATES FOR 2022 ELECTIONS
LPN Representative (1 nomination)
Tena C. Brooks, LPN
o Infection Control/Patient
Safety – Jefferson Regional
Medical Center
ARNA members, I apply
to this position as the LPN
Representative with interest
because of my qualifications,
experience, and education.
I am certain that I would be
a valuable member of this organization. I excel in
all aspects of my title with more than 15 years as a
medical professional and community leader, along with
an exceptional background in nursing. I am pleased
to offer my compassion and personal strengths to the
organizational mission. Thank you for your time. Please
consider me for LPN Representative.
Nominating Committee Members
(2 nominations for 2 positions)
ANA Membership Assembly
Representative (1 nomination)
Neal Reeves, MBA, DNP, RN-
BC, Alumnus CCRN
o Clinical Assistant Professor
– University of Arkansas for
Medical Sciences College of
Nursing
I believe the future of
healthcare in this state and our
country starts with nursing. We
are recognized as the most trusted profession and have
for many years. We must embrace that responsibility
and lead from the front. We must demand our seat at
the table as policies are discussed and decided. We must
advocate for what matters most to us and our patients.
I believe we are the key to help solving public health
challenges in our country and can greatly influence
health policy. We need to be involved at the grassroots
level in our local communities, our state and at the
national level. By taking that stance, we will make a
positive impact. This belief has led me to realize I need
to step up, get involved, and lead from the front. This
is the “why” behind me seeking a leadership position.
What Matters the Most to a
VA Nurse? ...Our Veterans!
Larronda Rainey, DNP, RN
o Clinical Assistant Professor,
Director of RN-BSN
Programs, Department Chair
– University of Arkansas for
Medical Sciences College of
Nursing
I am passionate about nursing
and caring for others. I have
been involved in nursing most
of my life. I started working as a CNA in college and
switched from pre-medicine to attend nursing school.
I have always wanted to take care of people and felt
I could have a greater impact as a nurse than in any
other profession. My passion for nursing continued as
I advanced my education which led me to realize that I
could also have a significant impact by serving in various
leadership roles. As a nurse educator, I have served as
a coordinator, director, and department chair. Through
those roles, I have learned how to work effectively
with teams and independently to meet organizational
missions and goals. I look forward to using the skills and
knowledge I have acquired to serve ARNA members.
Josuanne “Josy” Nduku, DNP,
RN, CNE
o Assistant Professor/RN-BSN
Online Program Coordinator
– University of Arkansas at
Little Rock School of Nursing
Nursing has always been a
passion of mine, and its caring
aspect is what drives me in my
daily practice. Throughout my
experiences at the bedside and the academic setting, I
always felt that there was a lot that needed to be done
to improve the state of our profession. As a current
member of the Nominations Committee, I would like an
opportunity to continue the work I started in November
of 2020. Furthermore, being in a leadership position
with ARNA will allow me to use my drive, knowledge,
and skills to advocate for positive changes within our
profession. I am a firm believer that effective change
starts at the local level, and ARNA is poised to be that
change agent for the nursing profession. Impacting our
profession at the local level will prepare us for better
outcomes at the national and international level.
We are seeking Excellent
RNs, LPNs, and NAs for our
Community Living Center
• Health/Life/Long-term
Care Insurance
• Federal Employee
Retirement System
• Generous Vacation Leave
• Academic Education
Programs
Recruitment incentives
may be available for
highly qualified RN and
LPN applications. Email
Nurse Recruitment at
Littlerocknurse@va.gov
We at Central Arkansas Veterans
Healthcare System have a great
opportunity for you to reach new
heights in nursing excellence by joining
our team of highly-qualified healthcare
professionals who have an unwavering
commitment to providing the best
care for America’s Heroes! Working
with and for America’s Veterans is a
privilege and we pride ourselves on the
quality of care we provide. If you have
what it takes, please consider applying
for one of our available positions online
at www.usajobs.gov. Phone inquiries
may be made at 501-257-1748 or
501-257-4413. Send your RN, LPN, or
NA resumes to: littlerocknurse@va.gov

Page 6 Arkansas Nurse Today July, August, September 2022
2022 ANA Membership Assembly Recap
ARNA President, Margaret Love, DNP, APRN, FNP-BC, ACHPN, ANA Membership
Assembly Rep, Julie Ponder, DNP, FNP-C, AGACNP-BC, CEN and State Director, Susie
Marks represented the Arkansas Nurses Association at the 2022 ANA Membership
Assembly held in Washington DC on June 10-11. They spent June 9 participating
in ANA’s Hill Day whereby they met with the staff and members of the Arkansas
Congressional Delegation to discuss issues important to nurses.
ARNA President, Margaret Love, ANA President, Ernest Grant,
ARNA ANA Membership Assembly Rep, Julia Ponder
Madison Erstine, Legislative Assistant Senator Tom Cotton’s Office
ARNA President, Margaret Love and ARNA ANA Membership Assembly
Rep, Julia Ponder with Taylor Conaway, NSNA President, Carr College of
Nursing, Harding University
Amelia Allert | Legislative Assistant Congressman French Hill’s office (AR-2)

July, August, September 2022 Arkansas Nurse Today Page 7
ADVOCACY UPDATE
Grace VanDeGrift, Legislative Assistant
Congressman Steve Womack’s office (AR-3)
The Arkansas Nurses Association has contracted with Hargraves Consulting to provide
lobbying services through the 2023 Arkansas legislative session. Hargraves Consulting is
a full-service public affairs firm with the experience, relationships, and political insight..
The Hargraves team of Lucas Hargraves and Amanda Story represent a variety of clients,
from some of the nation's most recognizable and respected trade associations and
Fortune 100 companies, to locally-owned businesses and non-profit organizations. They
have extensive experience advocating on behalf of clients at the Capitol, with more than
25 years of combined experience in government relations in Arkansas.
As founder of Hargraves Consulting, Lucas Hargraves has a strong track record on
issues at the local, state and national levels. Throughout Hargraves' diverse career, he has
built a reputation as a problem solver who sees projects through and gets things done.
Hargraves has been lobbying at the Arkansas Capitol more than 15 years, beginning his
lobbying career at the Little Rock Regional Chamber of Commerce, where he served as
Vice President of Public Policy. There, he represented business interests to governmental
entities and worked on economic development issues. Hargraves is also a former member
of the Little Rock Planning Commission.
A licensed attorney, Amanda Story advocates on behalf of Hargraves Consulting's
clients at the Capitol, while also specializing in communication and public outreach.
A former news reporter and communication director for the Arkansas House of
Representatives, Story helps clients develop effective messaging and outreach strategies,
whether communicating with their own membership, legislators, or the public.
The Arkansas Nurses Association looks forward to continuing the legislative successes
of the 93rd Arkansas General Assembly.
Nurses advocate every day for patients. But
who is advocating for nurses? ANPAC works
hard to ensure nurses have a voice at the State
Capitol, and your PAC contribution makes the difference in electing nurse champions to
the Arkansas General Assembly. It’s critically important, now more than ever, to make sure
nurses have a seat at the table.
For 110 years, the Arkansas Nurses Association has been working on nurses’ behalf
to elect and re-elect nurse champions to public office. ANPAC’s sole source of funding
comes from nurse’s voluntary contributions and works to elect leaders who will be
steadfast in their support for nurses and their patients. None of ANPAC’s contributions
are allocated toward the administration of the PAC. The PAC is the only way ARNA can
support candidates for state office, regardless of party, for office.
Contribution to the ANPAC can be sent to ANPAC, 1123 S. University, Ste 235, Little
Rock, AR 72204. An online portal will be available soon.
Congressman Bruce Westerman (AR-4)
Senator John Boozman

Page 8 Arkansas Nurse Today July, August, September 2022
ARNA meets with schools of nursing and
student nurse associations
The ARNA State Director, Susie Marks, spent this spring visiting schools of nursing and student nurse associations updating them on ARNA programs and events while
educating them on the importance of nurse advocacy. Plans are underway for the Fall Schools of Nursing Tour to take place during the months of October and November.
ARNA congratulates 2022 graduating classes
Spring 22 pre-licensure BSN graduating class from Arkansas Tech University-Russellville campus
Harding University Carr College of Nursing Spring 2022

July, August, September 2022 Arkansas Nurse Today Page 9
ARNA meets with schools of nursing and
student nurse associations
UAMONT BSN 2022
UAMONT AASN 2022
On June 1, Susie Marks, ARNA State Director,
joined other healthcare leaders at the Axios' Health
Care Vitals event. The event hosted by Tina Reed
and Adriel Bettelheim focused on the current state of
health care access in America, the barriers preventing
access to quality care and solutions to expand health
equity. A recap article of the event is linked here.

Page 10 Arkansas Nurse Today July, August, September 2022
CALENDAR OF EVENTS
When:
Monday, August 1, 2022
05:30 PM Central Time
Register in advance for
this meeting:
When: July 25, 2022 06:00 PM Central Time (US and Canada)
Register in advance for this meeting:
https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZEtfutpjwiGdIiGlpiEQS06ddHfkrYykYw
https://us06web.zoom.us/
meeting/register/tZYrd--
sqTkjHdwYU3soMu
RS25oXrb0GCzB-
Nurse Blake
Raffle
Plans are underway for one lucky
nurse and their guest to see
Nurse Blake on September 24 in
Little Rock.

July, August, September 2022 Arkansas Nurse Today Page 11
Opioid Epidemic
The Evolving Role of Nursing
Nurses see firsthand the devastating effects of
the opioid crisis on their patients, communities, and
perhaps themselves or their families. ANA members
have been forthcoming in their stories about the
barriers to access, treatment, and the pain they have
dealt with each day working to fight this ongoing crisis,
along with the second pandemic of COVID-19. The
combined efforts of the federal agencies, lawmakers
at all levels of government, and health care advocates
across the country are being recognized to address the
new barriers created by COVID-19, while addressing
the existing barriers to treatment that were already in
place to many desperately seeking help. In addition to
emergency responders, law enforcement, and other
health care providers, nurses everywhere are assisting
patients throughout their journey to turn the tide on
the devastating effects of opioid and substance abuse in
local communities.
The statistics are sobering: more than 81,000
Americans lost their lives to drug overdoses in a
12-month span between May 2019 and May 2020.
This is the highest number of overdose deaths ever
recorded in a 12-month period in the United States.
While numbers were increasing by the end of 2019 and
into the early months of 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic
has disrupted treatment options available to many.
This large increase of overdose deaths continues to be
from synthetic opioids, rather than prescription opioids.
A comprehensive approach from community-based
programs to government action at every level is needed
to address this ongoing crisis.
Combating the opioid epidemic presents a complex
set of challenges, from pain management to Substance
Use Disorder (SUD) treatment and recovery and access to
Medication Assisted Treatment (MAT). During the past
two Congresses, there have been dozens of bills aimed
at addressing this issue. ANA scored a major victory when
the SUPPORT for Patients and Communities Act (H.R.
6) became law in 2018 which gives nurse practitioners
and physician assistants permanent authorization to
prescribe MAT. It also grants clinical nurse specialists,
certified registered nurse anesthetists, and registered
nurse-midwives the authorization to prescribe MAT
through 2023.
A bill that ANA continues to monitor in this Congress
is the Mainstreaming Addiction Treatment Act of 2021
introduced in the House as H.R. 1384 by Congressman
Paul Tonko (D-NY-20) and in the Senate as S. 445
by Senator Maggie Hassan (D-NH). The bill aims to
eliminate the separate registration requirement for
dispensing narcotic drugs in schedule III, IV, or V (such
as buprenorphine) for maintenance or detoxification
treatment. Current law requires prescribers to apply for
a waiver in order to prescribe buprenorphine to treat
addiction after completing a multi-hour educational
course.
Buprenorphine, however, is just one piece of the
puzzle in treating opioid dependency. As with all
medications used in MAT, it is part of a comprehensive
treatment plan that includes addressing the underlying
issues through complementary and alternative therapies,
counseling, and participation in social support programs.
Nurses play a primary role in comprehensive treatment
plans as well as care coordination and will continue to
be integral in treating the most vulnerable populations
throughout the country.
ANA supports nurses who are facing this crisis head
on through targeted continuing education, backing
federal legislation that allows nurses to practice to the
full extent of their training and education, providing
recommendations to federal agencies on solutions
to address access, scope of practices, and education
barriers, and advocating for policies that allow APRNs
to prescribe MAT. For further information and resources,
please click here.
For more information and prevention strategies
please visit the CDC Opioid Overdose website.
The Arkansas Nurses Association is once again a
subgrantee in the Opioid Epidemic fight with the Center
for Healing Hearts & Spirits. Our intent is to remind
our nursing population of your obligation to educate
patients on the dangers of opioids, to provide strategies
to address them, and encourage each of us to adopt
healthier lifestyles. Please provide us with some feedback
by taking our online survey via the QR Code link that you
can scan with your phone to help us with your current
knowledge of this topic.
Please look out for opioid education activities virtually
and in person throughout the next year.
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