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Florida Nurse - August 2022

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THE<br />

FLORIDA<br />

NURSE<br />

Volume 70 • No. 3<br />

<strong>August</strong> <strong>2022</strong><br />

OFFICIAL BULLETIN OF THE FLORIDA NURSES FOUNDATION<br />

Quarterly publication direct mailed to approximately 10,000 Registered <strong>Nurse</strong>s and delivered electronically via email to 310,000+ Registered <strong>Nurse</strong>s in <strong>Florida</strong><br />

INSIDE<br />

President’s Message<br />

Janice Adams, DNP, MPA, BSN<br />

President FNA<br />

Happy Summer <strong>2022</strong>!<br />

As we continue our journey<br />

toward the FNA Membership<br />

Assembly, I want to celebrate<br />

our success this past year. In<br />

June, the American <strong>Nurse</strong>s<br />

Association (ANA) held a<br />

very successful Membership<br />

Assembly in Washington DC<br />

with hundreds of constituent<br />

state member organizations<br />

attending. <strong>Florida</strong> sent six<br />

members to the assembly. Several recommendations<br />

were discussed, approved by the members and will be<br />

effective this year. These proposals were voted on for<br />

ANA to take action:<br />

1. The impact of climate change on human and<br />

population health.<br />

2. Addressing verbal abuse and workplace violence<br />

across the continuum of care.<br />

3. <strong>Nurse</strong> staffing – The ANA <strong>Nurse</strong> Staffing Think<br />

Tank Report was discussed as was the priority<br />

topics and recommendations on actionable<br />

short-term solutions to mitigate the nurse staffing<br />

crisis. The report can be found at the link below.<br />

Please share widely.<br />

ANA <strong>Nurse</strong> Staffing Think Tank Report: https://<br />

www.nursingworld.org/~49940b/globalassets/<br />

practiceandpolicy/nurse-staffing/nurse-staffing-thinktank-recommendation.pdf<br />

President’s Message continued on page 13<br />

South Region Highlights:<br />

Joint <strong>Nurse</strong> Week Celebration at<br />

Miami Regional University<br />

Pages 7<br />

FNA Event Highlights:<br />

Research Conference<br />

Pages 16-17<br />

2 Notes from the Executive Director<br />

12-13 Members in the News<br />

current resident or<br />

Non-Profit Org.<br />

U.S. Postage Paid<br />

Princeton, MN<br />

Permit No. 14<br />

CONTENT<br />

3 Focus on the Foundation<br />

4 FNPAC<br />

6 Calendar of Events<br />

6 News From Headquarters<br />

7-8 Regional News<br />

9 Legislative Update<br />

9 State Employee News<br />

10-11 Student Forum<br />

14 Member’s Voice<br />

15 How Can I Get Involved in FNA?<br />

16-17 Research Conference<br />

18 Membership Assembly<br />

18 Focus on New Grads<br />

20 <strong>2022</strong> <strong>Nurse</strong>s Week Event Highlights<br />

21-23 Welcome New FNA Members<br />

23 Membership Activation Form


Page 2 The <strong>Florida</strong> <strong>Nurse</strong> <strong>August</strong> <strong>2022</strong><br />

Notes from the Executive Director<br />

“I was TODAY years old when….”<br />

T H E<br />

FLORIDA<br />

NURSE<br />

Willa Fuller, BSN, RN<br />

Executive Director, <strong>Florida</strong> <strong>Nurse</strong>s Association<br />

Have any of you social<br />

media mavens seen this phrase<br />

come across your feeds? It’s<br />

just another fun way of sharing<br />

life experiences on social<br />

media. It highlights moments<br />

when someone either learns<br />

something that is surprising<br />

that they never knew, OR<br />

when they discover something<br />

they have thought to be true<br />

their entire life is not accurate<br />

Willa Fuller<br />

at all. In my career, I call these<br />

moments my nursing epiphanies and as a preceptor (a<br />

role that I loved), I used these experiences to enhance<br />

my practice and to teach my orientees. We come to<br />

these moments in many different ways and we all have<br />

these stories. I thought it might be fun to share some of<br />

mine with you and maybe jog your memory about some<br />

of yours.<br />

I had been a very sheltered child with a helicopter<br />

mom whose goal was to get us all through school with<br />

good grades that would lead to scholarships. My mom<br />

intervened and did many things FOR ME and I have a<br />

theory that it kind of delayed my critical thinking abilities<br />

for a time. I am not criticizing my awesome mom, just<br />

stating what I think about my cerebral development. I<br />

often had to see something or have it pointed out to me<br />

to make the next logical leap. For example, I knew what<br />

congestive heart failure was, I knew the symptoms, but<br />

in my task-oriented brain, I could only be concerned<br />

about hanging up all the IV’s at change of shift even one<br />

that was going 100cc an hour even though the patient<br />

was rattling like a baby with croup! I had a grumpy nurse<br />

who often followed me that complained bitterly about<br />

everything I did wrong and nearly empty IV’s were the<br />

flavor of the week so that was my focus! I had a “cream<br />

of the crop” preceptor who identified every teachable<br />

moment and pulled me aside to make sure I captured<br />

the impact and importance of the event. She connected<br />

the dots with me. My epiphany for that moment?<br />

What I was doing mattered. If I do the wrong thing, my<br />

patients will be affected. I knew that of course, but this<br />

moment put it directly in my view. What that did for<br />

me was make me view every patient interaction as an<br />

opportunity to gather information. We move so rapidly<br />

to get things done, sometimes forgetting that every<br />

action has an impact.<br />

One of my first epiphanies in nursing was that I could<br />

learn from other peoples’ mistakes. I experienced several<br />

devastating occurrences or heard about others that I<br />

filed away into my nursing databank so that I would<br />

integrate it into my practice as a matter of routine. One<br />

morning I came into work to a patient that was bitterly<br />

complaining of pain after a knee surgery. Apparently,<br />

she had been asking for pain medicine all night and<br />

she had received it but it was not relieving her pain.<br />

The nurse, who was excellent, was very distressed, but<br />

this was a physician that everyone was terrified to call.<br />

So when he came in in the morning, he was informed<br />

about her complaint. (There had been a call during the<br />

night to get additional pain meds). When he unwrapped<br />

her dressing, he found that the blood had hardened like<br />

concrete and created great pressure behind her knee.<br />

As a result, she had experienced a permanent foot<br />

drop, due to peroneal nerve damage. What I learned<br />

there was that fear cannot override your obligation to<br />

your patients. What happened to that patient made me<br />

fearless in my advocacy.<br />

Another epiphany came when my preceptor and I<br />

were taking care of a new quadriplegic patient who<br />

was experiencing a crisis of unknown origin. We were<br />

frantically checking everything and finally we flung back<br />

the covers and started manipulating his Foley catheter.<br />

She flushed it with saline and he felt immediate relief<br />

as it began to empty and he felt immediate relief. We<br />

identified it as autonomic dysreflexia after the fact and<br />

shared the information with all of the staff to make sure<br />

they were educated about it. That day, I learned that<br />

nurses really do save lives on a daily basis. What’s funny<br />

is that I didn’t think much about that until much later.<br />

There were many incidents like this over the years<br />

but the next memorable moment came when I was<br />

shopping in the mall and a woman came up to me<br />

and informed me that I had been her nurse. I have<br />

shared this story before. One part of me knew I was<br />

making a difference as a nurse, but I felt like I was<br />

on sort of a treadmill just churning out patient care<br />

“tasks.” This patient who I did remember, said to me,<br />

I would feel so comforted when I would hear your<br />

voice in the morning, I would always hope you were<br />

my nurse because when you were there, I was never<br />

in pain. I remembered her because I felt like she<br />

had more anxiety than actual pain and I gave her<br />

some relaxation techniques I had learned at a pain<br />

management conference. She utilized them all and as<br />

a result, she asked less frequently for pain medication.<br />

This was probably a couple of years in, but I think<br />

that may have been the moment that I felt like a “real<br />

nurse.” Imposter syndrome is real, folks.<br />

The next standout moment was a time I had to utilize<br />

the chain of command to advocate for a patient that<br />

I knew was in dire straits. The physician kept hanging<br />

up on me and I had critical information to report. The<br />

patient was on anticoagulants which had not been<br />

responding and now all of sudden the patient had a<br />

critical lab value and was experiencing excruciating pain.<br />

On my assessment, it was clear the patient was bleeding<br />

into his surgical site and was quite possibly experiencing<br />

compartment syndrome. I called the partner, then the<br />

medical doctor, then the medical director, and by the<br />

change of shift, he was off to emergency surgery for<br />

a vena-caval umbrella. In this moment, I realized that<br />

nurses have power – power to navigate the system to<br />

advocate for a patient. After that, I made sure I not only<br />

recognized when and how to use it, I mentored others<br />

to do the same.<br />

I have to mention my former preceptor who since<br />

that time became my friend. Diana Vaughan is no<br />

longer with us. But she will always be with me. She<br />

recognized my deficit in connecting the dots early on<br />

and instead of giving up or being frustrated with me,<br />

she coached me through our early situations, which<br />

helped me to develop that skill not only in clinical<br />

situations but in life situations. She was never bullying<br />

or insulting, she was informative and supportive.<br />

Recently, I was watching a “Live” on Tik-Tok where<br />

a patient was sharing about his journey with a blood<br />

dyscrasia. There was another nurse online watching<br />

and he shared his lab results with her. Her response<br />

stunned me. She told him that nurses didn’t bother<br />

with all those values, they only looked at hemoglobin<br />

and hematocrit. “The rest was for the doctors.” I have<br />

seen similar postings on some of social media groups<br />

dedicated to nursing. Fortunately, experienced nurses<br />

chime in immediately and inform them how important<br />

it is for nurses to have a full knowledge about the<br />

total care related to that patient. But this was an<br />

epiphany that after all this time there are still nurses<br />

that do not understand the full breadth and depth of<br />

their responsibility.<br />

I focused on this topic right now because of the<br />

status of nursing as it has evolved and continues to<br />

evolve after the pandemic. It is more important than<br />

ever for nurses to develop these skills and establish<br />

themselves as experts in patient care. As scope of<br />

practice is continually challenged, we need to make<br />

sure knowledge, expertise and continuing education<br />

is a focus for nurses at the bedside as it is critical that<br />

we continue to promote high standards and safety. It is<br />

also important to look at work conditions and practice<br />

models to make sure nurses are supported in order to<br />

provide optimal care. As we start to emerge from the<br />

mental and emotional as well as the physical fatigue<br />

exacted by the devastating pandemic, we must be<br />

mindful of nursing’s journey back, and our goal must<br />

be to make things better than before. We cannot lose<br />

the opportunity this crisis has provided to shed light<br />

on the essential nature of our profession.<br />

Owned and Published by,<br />

<strong>Florida</strong> <strong>Nurse</strong>s Association<br />

1235 E. Concord Street,<br />

Orlando, FL 32803-5403<br />

P.O. Box 536985, Orlando, FL 32853-6985<br />

Telephone: (407) 896-3261<br />

FAX: (407) 896-9042<br />

E-mail: info@floridanurse.org<br />

Website: http://www.floridanurse.org<br />

Office Hours: 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.,<br />

Monday thru Friday<br />

For advertising rates and information, please<br />

contact Arthur L. Davis Publishing Agency, Inc., PO<br />

Box 216, Cedar Falls, Iowa 50613, (800) 626-4081,<br />

sales@aldpub.com. FNA and the Arthur L. Davis<br />

Publishing Agency, Inc. reserve the right to reject any<br />

advertisement. Responsibility for errors in advertising<br />

is limited to corrections in the next issue or refund of<br />

price of advertisement.<br />

Acceptance of advertising does not imply<br />

endorsement or approval by the <strong>Florida</strong> <strong>Nurse</strong>s<br />

Association of products advertised, the advertisers, or<br />

the claims made. Rejection of an advertisement does<br />

not imply a product offered for advertising is without<br />

merit, or that the manufacturer lacks integrity, or<br />

that this association disapproves of the product or its<br />

use. FNA and the Arthur L. Davis Publishing Agency,<br />

Inc. shall not be held liable for any consequences<br />

resulting from purchase or use of an advertiser’s<br />

product. Articles appearing in this publication express<br />

the opinions of the authors; they do not necessarily<br />

reflect views of the staff, board, or membership of<br />

FNA or those of the national or local associations.<br />

Published quarterly, February, May, <strong>August</strong> and<br />

November by FNA, a constituent member of the<br />

American <strong>Nurse</strong>s Association.<br />

Editor – Kaitlin Scarbary, 1235 E. Concord St.,<br />

Orlando, FL 32803-5403<br />

Subscription available at $20.00 plus tax, per year.<br />

Members of FNA receive the newspaper as a benefit of<br />

membership.<br />

COPIES of The <strong>Florida</strong> <strong>Nurse</strong> are available on<br />

35mm microfilm, 106mm microfilm, article reprints<br />

and issue copies through Bell & Howell, 300 North<br />

Zeeb Road, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48106<br />

Board of Directors<br />

2021–2023<br />

Officers<br />

Janice Adams, DNP, MPA, BSN, President<br />

Marie Etienne, DNP, APRN, FNP, PNP, PLNC,<br />

President-Elect<br />

Debbie Hogan, RN, BSN, MPH, Vice President<br />

Valerie Halstead, PhD, APRN, FNP-BC, Secretary<br />

Mavra Kear, PHD, APRN, BC, Treasurer<br />

Region Directors<br />

Jake Bush, MSN, RN, Northwest Region<br />

Kellyann Curnayn, DNP, APRN-BC, North Central<br />

Region<br />

Susie Norman, MSN, Northeast Region<br />

Marcos Gayol, EdD, MSN, MPH, RN, East Central Region<br />

Meghan Moroney, BSN, RN, West Central Region<br />

Cynthia Tagliaferri, RN, BSN, DNP Student, Southeast<br />

Region<br />

Camille Baldwin, EdD, MSN, RN, CNE, CHSE,<br />

Southwest Region<br />

Linda Washington-Brown, PHD, EJD, MSN, APRN-C,<br />

FAANP, FAAN, South Region<br />

Director of Recent Graduates<br />

Danielle Weaver, BSN, RN, CEN<br />

LERC Liaison<br />

Marsha Martin, RN<br />

FNA Office<br />

Willa Fuller, BSN, RN, Executive Director<br />

John Berry, Jr., Director of Labor Relations &<br />

Government Affairs<br />

Kaitlin Scarbary, Director of Member Programs,<br />

Technology, and Marketing


<strong>August</strong> <strong>2022</strong> The <strong>Florida</strong> <strong>Nurse</strong> Page 3<br />

Focus on the Foundation<br />

Daleen Penoyer, President FNF<br />

The <strong>Florida</strong> <strong>Nurse</strong>s<br />

Foundation sponsored<br />

the Eighth Annual Nursing<br />

Research and Evidence-Based<br />

Practice Conference on July 16,<br />

<strong>2022</strong> at the Sheraton Orlando<br />

North in Maitland, <strong>Florida</strong>. The<br />

purpose of the event was to<br />

promote the practice of nursing<br />

research and disseminate<br />

nursing research and evidencebased<br />

practice projects being<br />

conducted in various settings in <strong>Florida</strong>. This year, the<br />

theme was “Nursing Art and Science: Bridge to Innovation.”<br />

Thirty-one peer reviewed posters were accepted for the<br />

event and 85 nurses attended the program. The keynote<br />

this year was presented by Susan V. White, PhD, RN,<br />

CPHQ, FNAHQ, NEA-BC, Chief of Quality Management<br />

and Stephanie Sinnett, MS, RD, LDN, Health Systems<br />

Specialist (Innovation) at the Orlando VA Healthcare<br />

System, Department of Veterans Affairs. The program was<br />

another successful one, providing a forum for experienced<br />

and potential/novice nurse researchers to share their<br />

knowledge and experiences with the growing science<br />

behind nursing practice.<br />

The Foundation has over 30 scholarships available<br />

for nursing students living in <strong>Florida</strong> who are enrolled in<br />

a nationally accredited nursing program and have one<br />

semester in their program to qualify. The Foundation<br />

has given over $500,000 in scholarships and grants over<br />

its nearly 40-year history. The scholarship application<br />

was due June 1 and awards for the scholarships will be<br />

awarded in September <strong>2022</strong>. The Foundation also has<br />

several Research Grants available including the new<br />

Sandra Walsh fund. A second window of applications<br />

for research grants will be opening in September.<br />

The Foundation is supported through philanthropic<br />

donations and we encourage FNA members to<br />

contribute to support nurses entering practice and<br />

conducting research. When renewing one’s membership,<br />

there is an opportunity to add donations. You can also<br />

make a one-time donation or setup a recurring donation<br />

at www.floridanurse.org/GiveBack. Members of the<br />

Board of Foundation Trustees will be holding a raffle at<br />

the FNA Membership Assembly in September to raise<br />

funds for the Foundation.<br />

Some of the existing Foundation Trustee positions<br />

are becoming vacated, so the FNF is seeking to fill<br />

several Trustee positions. To qualify, one must be<br />

an FNA member in good standing. The role is an<br />

opportunity to serve others through the work of grants<br />

and scholarship awards. We welcome a new nurse<br />

graduate to serve so that the Board gets perspectives<br />

from early career nurses for its activities. To apply<br />

for one of these positions, please download the<br />

application at www.floridanurse.org/Foundation.<br />

NOW HIRING<br />

Psychiatric RNs & LPNs<br />

Full-Time<br />

Inpatient & Residential Programs<br />

NURSING<br />

OPPORTUNITIES IN<br />

TALLAHASSEE, FL<br />

RNs may qualify for the <strong>Nurse</strong> Corp<br />

loan repayment.<br />

Visit apalacheecenter.org or call<br />

Stephanie at 850-523-3212 for<br />

additional information.<br />

To access electronic copies of<br />

The <strong>Florida</strong> <strong>Nurse</strong>, please visit<br />

Apalachee Center, Inc participates in E-Verify. Federal law requires Apalachee Center, Inc to verify the identity and employment eligibility of all persons<br />

hired to work in the United States. Apalachee Center, Inc. is an at-will employer. An equal opportunity/affirmative action employer. Drug-free workplace.<br />

www.nursingALD.com/<br />

publications


Page 4 The <strong>Florida</strong> <strong>Nurse</strong> <strong>August</strong> <strong>2022</strong><br />

FNPAC<br />

<strong>Florida</strong> <strong>Nurse</strong>s Political Action Committee Makes Its<br />

Candidate Endorsements for Primary Election <strong>2022</strong><br />

The <strong>Florida</strong> <strong>Nurse</strong>s Political Action Committee (FNPAC) held Candidate Interviews<br />

on Saturday, July 30, <strong>2022</strong> with the purpose of determining candidates’ alignment with<br />

FNA’s top legislative priorities. The Trustees selected several candidates to endorse in the<br />

upcoming primary election. Their selections are listed below.<br />

Candidates were asked a series of questions to determine their alignment with the<br />

FNA Legislative Agenda. The FNA Legislative Agenda is a multi-year plan highlighting the<br />

top issues that FNA advocates for on behalf of nursing. Some issues that remain on our<br />

legislative agenda include supporting the ability of RNs and APRNs to practice to the full<br />

extent of their education, safe practice environments for nurses, and protection of the<br />

rights, jobs, wages, and other benefits of state-employed healthcare professionals. The full<br />

Legislative Agenda can be viewed at www.floridanurse.org/Advocacy.<br />

The FNPAC exists to raise funds to support candidates that will work with us on issues<br />

related to nursing, patients and healthcare. For the <strong>2022</strong> primary election, the FNPAC<br />

has endorsed the following candidates:<br />

<strong>2022</strong> Primary Elections FNA PAC Endorsements<br />

House<br />

Michelle Salzman (R)<br />

Griff Griffitts (R) District 6<br />

Garrett Dennis (D) District 14<br />

Bobby Payne (R)<br />

Liz Cornell (R) District 25<br />

David Smith (R)<br />

Chase Tramont (R) District 30<br />

Fred Hawkins (R)<br />

Josie Tomkow (R)<br />

Kevin Steele (R) District 55<br />

Brad Yeager (R) District 56<br />

District 1 (re-election)<br />

District 19 (re-election)<br />

District 28 (re-election)<br />

District 42 (re-election)<br />

District 39 (re-election)<br />

The <strong>Florida</strong> <strong>Nurse</strong>s Political Action Committee (FNPAC) is a powerful tool to<br />

support grassroots efforts by members. Supporting candidates that we can build<br />

relationships with and work with on nursing issues is key to our success. We need<br />

YOUR support to continue making an impact on healthcare in the state. Even a<br />

little helps a lot. You can even make small monthly donations to show your support.<br />

Donate online at www.floridanurse.org/fnpac. We must make our presence known<br />

through both our voice and our donations. Please consider donating to support our<br />

legislative activities.<br />

Five Reasons to give to the <strong>Florida</strong> <strong>Nurse</strong>s Political Action Committee:<br />

• FNPAC endorses candidates that have stated that they will support FNA issues.<br />

• FNPAC vets candidates to determine their positions on nursing and healthcare<br />

issues.<br />

• Legislators and candidates actively seek the FNA endorsement through FNPAC.<br />

• FNPAC has a record of success with endorsements over many years.<br />

• Donations to FNPAC provide a way to contribute to the political advocacy for<br />

FNA and for nurses and patients throughout the state.<br />

One thing that nurses MUST understand is that it takes VOTERS to influence<br />

legislation. As nurses who vote, you can make a difference in your future as<br />

well as the care you deliver to your patients. Participation in the association and<br />

donations to the PAC are a key element in this kind of advocacy. You can become<br />

knowledgeable and have input into the agenda by being a member, by contacting<br />

your legislator and becoming a resource and a conduit from the association to the<br />

legislator. The FNA website has a page dedicated to political advocacy as a resource<br />

to members, students and other interested nurses. You can access this at www.<br />

floridanurse.org/Advocacy.<br />

BECOME A TRUSTEE: We have openings for new trustees on our PAC this year.<br />

Trustees help with fundraising activities, participate in candidate interviews, and<br />

vote on which candidates to support. If you are interested in being involved, please<br />

complete the application on our website at www.floridanurse.org/FNPAC.<br />

For questions about FNPAC, donations or becoming a PAC trustee, email Iris<br />

Lopez at info@floridanurse.org.<br />

The FNPAC will hold Candidate Interviews for the General Election on Saturday,<br />

September 10. RSVP to observe the interviews at www.floridanurse.org/events.<br />

Kimberly Berfield (R) District 58<br />

Patricia Hawkins-Williams (D)<br />

Daryl Campbell (D)<br />

District 92 (re-election)<br />

District 94 (re-election)<br />

Hillary Cassel (D) District 101<br />

Marie Woodson (D)<br />

James Mooney Jr (R)<br />

District 105 (re-election)<br />

District 120 (re-election)<br />

Doug Broxson (R)<br />

Jay Trumbull (R)<br />

Senate<br />

District 1 (re-election)<br />

District 2 (re-election)<br />

Tracie Davis (D) District 5<br />

Kamia Brown (D) District 15<br />

Jim Boyd (D)<br />

District 20 (re-election)<br />

Barbara Sharief (D) District 35<br />

Veterans’ Homes<br />

RNs, LPNs, & CNAs needed at all locations<br />

Lake City<br />

Daytona Beach<br />

Land O’ Lakes<br />

Pembroke Pines<br />

Panama City<br />

Port Charlotte<br />

St. <strong>August</strong>ine<br />

Port St. Lucie<br />

Orlando<br />

The Robert H. Jenkins Jr. Veterans’ Domiciliary Home<br />

The Emory L. Bennett State Veterans’ Nursing Home<br />

The Baldomero Lopez State Veterans’ Nursing Home<br />

The Alexander “Sandy” Nininger State Veterans’<br />

Nursing Home<br />

The Clifford C. Sims State Veterans’ Nursing Home<br />

The Douglas T. Jacobson State Veterans’ Nursing Home<br />

The Clyde E. Lassen State Veterans’ Nursing Home<br />

The Ardie R. Copas State Veterans’ Nursing Home<br />

Alwyn C. Cashe State Veterans’ Nursing Home<br />

For employment opportunities at the homes, call the FDVA<br />

Human Resources Office at (727) 518-3202, Ext. 5579 or visit the<br />

People First website at https://jobs.myflorida.com/joblist.html


We’re hiring nurses.<br />

Select hospitals have been recognized by U.S. News and World Report for <strong>2022</strong>-2023.<br />

You care about your patients. We care about you. They say if you love your job, it’s never work.<br />

If you’re a nurse, you love helping people, but it’s still work. Demanding work. At Orlando Health<br />

we want it to be rewarding work too. It’s why we support our nurses with some of the best benefits<br />

around—competitive pay, education programs to grow your career, loan repayment, and much<br />

more. If you’re a nurse, we’re hiring. So join us and work with the best. You’ll be in great company.<br />

Apply today. Visit OrlandoHealth.com/Nursing<br />

choose well.


Page 6 The <strong>Florida</strong> <strong>Nurse</strong> <strong>August</strong> <strong>2022</strong><br />

News From Headquarters<br />

Assistance for Kentucky<br />

As you are probably aware Kentucky has experienced severe flooding. In the past, we<br />

have donated to state nurses associations when they have a disaster like this. We have<br />

also received donation checks from several states for the last two hurricanes as well as in<br />

the past. To donate to Kentucky <strong>Nurse</strong>s, visit their GoFundMe campaign at https://gofund.<br />

me/627d2fc8 .<br />

What are your strengths?<br />

And on a fun note, the last board completed the Clifton Strengths Assessment<br />

which helps people to determine their strengths and we shared it in a document so<br />

that everyone else could see the strengths of their colleagues. Some of us found it<br />

<strong>2022</strong><br />

Calendar of Events<br />

Some meetings such as committee meetings and recurring regional<br />

meetings are not included in the list below.<br />

View the Full FNA Calendar at<br />

www.floridanurse.org/events.<br />

Infectious Disease Update: Monkey Pox<br />

<strong>August</strong> 30 | 6:00-7:00pm ET • Zoom Webinar<br />

West Central Region Meeting<br />

September 1 | 6:00-7:00pm ET • Zoom Meeting<br />

FNPAC Candidate Interviews<br />

September 10 | 8:00am - 12:00pm ET • Zoom Meeting<br />

<strong>2022</strong> FNA Membership Assembly<br />

September 22-24, <strong>2022</strong><br />

Mission Inn Resort, Howey-in-the-Hills, FL<br />

Southeast Region Leadership Meeting<br />

October 12 | 6:30-7:30pm ET • Zoom Meeting<br />

South Region Leadership Meeting<br />

October 25 | 6:00-7:00pm ET • Zoom Meeting<br />

East Central Region Meeting<br />

October 26 | 6:00-7:00pm ET • Zoom Meeting<br />

FNSA Convention<br />

October 27-29, <strong>2022</strong><br />

Hilton Daytona Beach Oceanfront Resort<br />

Mental Health PPE Webinar<br />

November 14 • Zoom<br />

Southeast Region Legislative Meet & Greet<br />

November 18 | 4:00-7:00pm ET<br />

Location TBD<br />

Health Policy Special Interest Group<br />

Every Second Tuesday | 7:00-8:00pm EST • Zoom Meeting<br />

Ethics Special Interest Group<br />

Every Third Tuesday | 6:00-7:00pm EST • Zoom Meeting<br />

Holistic Nursing Special Interest Group<br />

Every Third Thursday | 5:00-6:00pm EST • Zoom Meeting<br />

Interested in presenting for FNA?<br />

Go to www.floridanurse.org/speak<br />

Members of FNA/ANA will be given priority.<br />

We welcome all nursing students and Registered <strong>Nurse</strong>s regardless of membership status<br />

to all of our events unless otherwise noted. For registration and more information about<br />

FNA events, go to www.floridanurse.org/events.<br />

frighteningly accurate. It was not only fun, it was really enlightening and it informed<br />

our goal of moving forward based on our strengths rather than our challenges. You can<br />

purchase Clifton Strengths 2.0 on Amazon should you want to explore your own strengths<br />

as you move through your professional journey.<br />

<strong>Florida</strong> <strong>Nurse</strong>s Political Action Committee Candidate Interviews<br />

PAC Interviews for the primary election are over and the endorsements have been<br />

made. The Lobby Team has notified the candidates and are working on delivering<br />

contributions. We did not endorse incumbents or candidates we were already certain<br />

would win their races. PAC members as well as several members and colleagues attended<br />

the virtual interviews. This event not only gives us the opportunity to meet candidates<br />

but also to educate them about our issues. We will be holding another round of candidate<br />

interviews for the General Election. Please watch your emails for that announcement.<br />

Registration will be available on the FNA website under events as soon as the date is<br />

set. We encourage you to educate yourself on your local candidates and you can share<br />

your insights during this virtual meeting. Our lobbyists had already interviewed over 100<br />

candidates before our event. Thank you to PAC trustees, Carole Amole, Chair; Megan<br />

Moroney; Barbara Russell; Donna Sabatino, and Mary Lou Brunell for spending the time<br />

with us on a Saturday to help strengthen our voice in Tallahassee.<br />

Conversations with a Purpose: Violence Against <strong>Nurse</strong>s<br />

We have been concerned with escalating violence against nurses in various work<br />

environments. Many of you have attended our Town Hall meetings related to the<br />

devastating impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on the Healthcare Professions. We have<br />

titled these meetings Conversations with a Purpose to denote that we wish to move<br />

beyond the conversation to actions on each of the issues that have been illuminated<br />

by these discussions. Some future actions were discussed and the FNA Board will be<br />

working on actualizing some of these strategies. Some participants also shared strategies<br />

that seem to be having a positive impact in their work environments.<br />

Research and Evidence Based Practice Conference<br />

The Research Conference is behind us and again it was a great success. This was our<br />

first face to face conference since the pandemic began and so it was a great “testing” of<br />

the waters before our Membership Assembly in September. We would like to introduce<br />

a fun promotion called Race of the Regions based on our dynamic conference logo to<br />

determine which FNA Region will have the greatest representation. Stay tuned.<br />

Are you a STAR?<br />

It has been two years since we were able to recognize our STAR FNA recruiters at<br />

the Membership Assembly. In order to make sure everyone is recognized we will be<br />

including TWO YEARS of recruitment efforts by individual members. Those who attend<br />

Membership Assembly will receive gold stars to wear on their badges to denote how<br />

many members they have recruited. We already have some clear front runners. If you<br />

recruited members and they included your name in their membership application then<br />

you are a Star Recruiter. This is one more fun aspect of the conference. In addition to that<br />

we will be handing out “years of membership” ribbons for your badges. These will denote<br />

5-50 years of membership.<br />

<strong>Florida</strong> <strong>Nurse</strong>s Foundation<br />

The Scholarship selection process is complete and we will be notifying recipients<br />

in <strong>August</strong>. The Trustees have voted to have another call for Grants (there were no<br />

applications) and for scholarships that did not receive any applicants this year. These<br />

additional awards will be given based on the Foundation budget.<br />

There is also currently a call for Foundation Trustees as there are several current and<br />

upcoming vacancies. If you would like to know more about this opportunity email Willa<br />

Fuller at wfuller@floridanurse.org<br />

Pandemic and Disaster Task Force<br />

Filming has begun on a video project by the Pandemic and Disaster Task Force which<br />

will share the experiences of nurses from diverse areas of practice. We hope to use this<br />

video to inform stakeholders, legislators and other policy holders. This task force is chaired<br />

by Dr. Dierdre Krause.<br />

Public Relations Project by the Board of Directors<br />

This year the Board of Directors allocated “Innovation Funds” for special projects<br />

of benefit to the profession. The board engaged Ron Sachs communication to help us<br />

formulate messaging for a public relations campaign that will serve as a companion to the<br />

video project to illuminate the impact of the pandemic and the critical needs within the<br />

nursing profession. These projects will serve as tools in our Advocacy Toolbox as we move<br />

forward to heal and repair nurses and patients. A survey was sent to licensees with some<br />

pertinent questions.<br />

JEDI Task Force<br />

The DEI and Social Justice Task Force merged to form the Justice, Equity, Diversity<br />

and Inclusivity Task Force (JEDI). They will be reporting on their work at the Membership<br />

Assembly, including the results of the survey they deployed last year. They will discuss the<br />

question, How Diverse is FNA? They will also share other plans of the Task Force and lead<br />

a discussion group to help form future work in this important space.<br />

Membership Assembly<br />

We are happy to report that ANA President Ernest Grant will serve as our Keynote<br />

Speaker for the <strong>2022</strong> Membership Assembly live and in person at the Mission Inn Resort<br />

in Howey-in-the-Hills, FL. We have many excellent presentations planned and our Award<br />

Selection process has been completed. The Awards Gala is always an uplifting and heartwarming<br />

part of our conference as we recognize our “Nursing ICONs.”


<strong>August</strong> <strong>2022</strong> The <strong>Florida</strong> <strong>Nurse</strong> Page 7<br />

Regional News<br />

Recently, we had a productive East Central<br />

Leadership meeting, which was well attended and<br />

appreciated. Many healthcare professionals are<br />

currently receiving the second round of Covid booster<br />

vaccinations so they may continue to provide for their<br />

families and their places of employment. While we all<br />

may be experiencing Covid fatigue, I appreciate the<br />

nurses who have stayed the course, and are caring for<br />

our communities and those providing nursing services<br />

to patients.<br />

As <strong>2022</strong> is concluding, I hope that we continue<br />

to stand together and advance the needs of nursing<br />

and healthcare in our communities and throughout<br />

the State. Legislative sessions will take place soon,<br />

and nurses must be heard. With the recent Supreme<br />

Court’s decision regarding Roe vs Wade, we can<br />

provide input to influence those who make decisions<br />

on behalf of the public. In order to make healthcare<br />

safer and more equitable for all patients including<br />

those who are underprivileged and underserved,<br />

lawmakers at the municipal and state levels need to<br />

hear from nurses.<br />

If you have any networking or educational initiatives<br />

suggestions for East Central Region, please reach out<br />

to me at: fnaoffice@floridanurse.org.<br />

which provided a relaxing and fun filled day. All nurses<br />

were presented with a Praying Angel memorial vase in<br />

memory of patients, friends, and loved ones lost during<br />

the COVID 19 pandemic. Several awards were presented<br />

to the Miami Regional University’s President, Ophelia<br />

Sanchez, Dean of Nursing, Dr. Guillermo Valdez, and<br />

nursing faculty Dr. Elizabeth Levine, for their support of<br />

the <strong>Florida</strong> <strong>Nurse</strong>s Association <strong>Nurse</strong> Week Celebration.<br />

There was lots of food and several raffles for gift baskets<br />

and gift cards. Needless to say, the winners were very<br />

pleased with their awards. Highlights of the event are<br />

seen in the photos below.<br />

The post-event evaluation showed that the<br />

participating nurses valued this experience and would<br />

participate again if offered next year. Thank you FNA<br />

and all our supporting organizations for a successful<br />

nurse week celebration. A special thanks goes out to:<br />

Dr. Sharon Rogers, President Miami Chapter Black<br />

<strong>Nurse</strong>s Association, Joan Howard and Lornette Patrick,<br />

President and President-elect, Jamaican <strong>Nurse</strong>s<br />

Association, Nargita Arora, President of the Indian<br />

<strong>Nurse</strong>s Association, Cleo Reynolds, Anti-Basileus Chi<br />

Eta Phi Nursing Sorority, Dr. Armando Riera, President<br />

Hispanic <strong>Nurse</strong>s Association, Rose Valcin, President<br />

Haitian American <strong>Nurse</strong>s Association, Dr. Helen<br />

Bhagwandin, and Dr. Marie Etienne.<br />

Linda Washington-Brown, PhD, EJD, PNP,<br />

ANP-C, FNP, FAANP, FAAN<br />

American <strong>Nurse</strong>s Association Minority Fellow Alum<br />

South Region Director<br />

Greetings everyone! I am working on an October<br />

event, more information to come as available. Please<br />

let me know if you are interested in being part of the<br />

Northwest Region Leadership Council. You would be<br />

instrumental in planning collaborative events in your local<br />

area. If you would like to be part of our region’s leadership<br />

council, share any professional accomplishments, or have<br />

any regional activity ideas/questions, please feel free to<br />

contact me at fnaoffice@floridanurse.org. Thank you for<br />

allowing me the opportunity to serve our region!<br />

Dr. Jake Bush<br />

Greetings SE Region members! Hot off the press<br />

this summer….cool ideas for fun and fellowship as we<br />

continue to strengthen our region. A big thanks to all<br />

of you who are making this year a great success! And<br />

to the rest….come join us! We need you!<br />

Regional News continued on page 8<br />

On Friday, May 6, <strong>2022</strong>, <strong>Florida</strong> <strong>Nurse</strong>s Association<br />

(FNA) South Region, supported by the Black <strong>Nurse</strong>s<br />

Association, Chi Eta Phi Nursing Sorority, Haitian <strong>Nurse</strong>s,<br />

Hispanic <strong>Nurse</strong>s Association, Indian <strong>Nurse</strong>s Association,<br />

and the Jamaican <strong>Nurse</strong>s Association held its first Joint<br />

<strong>Nurse</strong> Week Celebration at Miami Regional University<br />

in Miami, <strong>Florida</strong>. The theme for <strong>Nurse</strong> Week was “We<br />

Care About You.” The event was well attended with over<br />

65 nurses and nursing students, who participated via<br />

Live stream and face-to-face programming. Our Keynote<br />

Speakers were Michel Hirschberg, Paola Gutt, and Dr.<br />

Binde Patel, who led the audience in the essentials<br />

of meditation. The <strong>Nurse</strong> Week program also offered<br />

Massage therapy, Aroma therapy, Yoga, and Zumba


Page 8 The <strong>Florida</strong> <strong>Nurse</strong> <strong>August</strong> <strong>2022</strong><br />

Regional News<br />

Regional News continued from page 7<br />

Here’s what’s happening:<br />

Monthly zoom meetings for planning events and<br />

developing committees. Next SE Region Leadership<br />

Zoom Meeting <strong>August</strong> 17th, Wednesday, 6:30-7:30<br />

pm. See you there!<br />

Road Trip!! You deserve a break today! FNA<br />

Membership Assembly – Mission Inn Resort @ Howeyin-the-Hills,<br />

<strong>Florida</strong>. September 22-24. Bonus CE<br />

sessions, Keynote presentations, Awards reception<br />

& dinner celebration, live region meetings and more.<br />

New member registration discounts and Region<br />

Rebates available for members. Checkout our FNA<br />

website events for details and registration.<br />

Save The Date - Happy Hour: Meet & Greet your<br />

newly elected local Legislators. Mix it up with some<br />

fun and fellowship this November 18 from 4-7pm.<br />

Location to be determined by our (12 member and<br />

growing) event planning committee. Openings still<br />

available for those interested in joining the committee.<br />

Legislative Outreach - This is an important<br />

election year, and our voices must be heard! There is<br />

power in numbers, and we are gathering to make a<br />

difference! Be a small part of the big change. Email<br />

for information on key legislative issues and how to get<br />

started.<br />

There are also opportunities for service on the<br />

Legislative Committee for those interested.<br />

Because of my commitment to advocacy and<br />

legislative outreach, my <strong>Florida</strong> Atlantic University<br />

Christine E. Lynn College of Nursing DNP Project,<br />

entitled Out of the Shadows and Into the Light…<br />

Illuminating a Bright Future for <strong>Nurse</strong>s through Legislative<br />

Advocacy is currently in development and will be rolling<br />

out to all FNA members soon.<br />

This Legislative Advocacy training is offered to<br />

raise awareness about the necessary process for<br />

implementing changes in the nursing profession,<br />

to improve the nurse’s enthusiasm for legislative<br />

advocacy, and to increase nurse participation in<br />

effecting the needed changes through legislative<br />

channels.<br />

Out of the Shadows and Into the Light…Illuminating<br />

a Bright Future for <strong>Nurse</strong>s through Legislative Advocacy<br />

is a fun, informative and interactive virtual webinar<br />

training consisting of four (4) sessions, offered to<br />

FNA members once each week over a four (4) week<br />

period, and lasting approximately 20-30 minutes each<br />

(including time for questions and answers), and will be<br />

evaluated by a select study group of participants for<br />

quality improvement analysis. But ALL are welcome to<br />

attend!<br />

• Session 1: Wednesday <strong>August</strong> 24th at 6:30 pm<br />

• Session 2: Wednesday <strong>August</strong> 31st at 6:30 pm<br />

• Session 3: Wednesday September 7th at 6:30 pm<br />

• Session 4: Wednesday September 14th at 6:30 pm<br />

Stay tuned for updates and registration.<br />

Again, a heartfelt thank you for all your support and<br />

dedication. Great job SE Region!! Enjoy the rest of<br />

your summer!<br />

See you soon,<br />

Cynthia Tagliaferri, RN, MSN, DNP Student<br />

FNA Southeast Region Director<br />

cynthia.fna@gmail.com<br />

The <strong>Florida</strong> <strong>Nurse</strong>s Association is the only<br />

nursing organization representing ALL of nursing<br />

regardless of nursing specialty or practice area.<br />

We are a strong voice for the nurses of <strong>Florida</strong><br />

fueled by the strength and commitment of the<br />

professional nurses who comprise our membership.<br />

We encourage and support all nurses to become<br />

engaged in our Grassroots program and the<br />

legislative process to improve the health status<br />

of our communities and the practice and working<br />

environments of <strong>Florida</strong> nurses.<br />

Public Affairs Consultant, PA is a governmental<br />

consulting firm that represents FNA’s collective<br />

voice before the <strong>Florida</strong> Legislature. Jack Cory<br />

(Founding Partner), Keyna Cory (President) and Erin<br />

Ballas (Vice President) promote FNA’s Legislative<br />

and Regulatory Policy Platform to State Legislators<br />

and State Agencies.<br />

This year, FNA joined the <strong>Florida</strong> Chamber<br />

Political Institute as our lobbyist interviewed<br />

legislative candidates across the state. West Central<br />

Region interviews were hosted in Tampa, June 7-8,<br />

at the <strong>Florida</strong> Aquarium.<br />

A second round of candidate interviews were<br />

conducted by The <strong>Florida</strong> <strong>Nurse</strong>s Political Action<br />

Committee (FNPAC) Board of Trustees with<br />

subsequent endorsements based on FNA’s priority<br />

legislative agenda.<br />

FNA’s year-round Grassroots advocacy offers<br />

several opportunities for your voice to be heard<br />

including delegation meetings with local legislators,<br />

FNA’s Health Policy Special Interest Group (HP-<br />

SIG), FNPAC, and attending Advocacy Days at the<br />

State Capitol during legislative session.<br />

Every day, lawmakers make decisions affecting<br />

nurses, ensure FNA is part of the healthcare<br />

policy dialogue by voting on General Election Day,<br />

November 8, <strong>2022</strong>.<br />

Your Vote, Your Voice!<br />

FNA Lobbyist Team: Erin Ballas, Jack Cory, and<br />

Keyna Cory of Public Affairs Consultants, PA<br />

#3 Best Online FNP<br />

Master’s Program


<strong>August</strong> <strong>2022</strong> The <strong>Florida</strong> <strong>Nurse</strong> Page 9<br />

<strong>Florida</strong> <strong>2022</strong> Election Season<br />

Legislative Update<br />

John Berry, Director of Labor Relations<br />

& Governmental Affairs<br />

The <strong>2022</strong> <strong>Florida</strong> Election Season is upon us. This year’s<br />

Primary Election is <strong>August</strong> 23, and the General Election<br />

takes place on November 8. The deadline to register for the<br />

Primary Election was July 25, and the last day to register for<br />

the General Election is October 11. All statewide offices are<br />

up for grabs as well as the <strong>Florida</strong> House of Representatives<br />

and the <strong>Florida</strong> Senate.<br />

As of May 31, <strong>2022</strong>, here are the numbers for Voter<br />

Registration in <strong>Florida</strong>:<br />

Republican Democratic Minor Party No Party Affiliation Totals<br />

5,135,749 4,959,838 255,510 3,865,575 14,216,672<br />

There isn’t a big difference in the number of registered Republicans and Democrats<br />

in our state. There are few who belong to a Minor Party, but there are quite a number<br />

of residents who don’t have any party affiliation, making up just over a quarter of total<br />

registered voters. Both major parties like to target those potential voters because<br />

they could vote either way in a General Election.<br />

Let’s take a look at the results of the 2018 Governor’s Race here in <strong>Florida</strong>:<br />

Election Results:<br />

Percent Candidate Party Votes Winner<br />

49.6 Ron DeSantis Republican 4,076,186 X<br />

49.2 Andrew Gillum Democratic 4,043,723<br />

1.2 Other 100,585<br />

100% Precincts Reporting<br />

8,220,494 Total Votes<br />

John Berry<br />

What that means is that there were 5,996,178 registered voters who did not take the<br />

time to perform their civic duty in 2018.<br />

This is not an article about who you should vote for, this is a message about the<br />

importance of getting out to vote. Every vote counts. Every vote can make a difference.<br />

It can be discouraging when your candidate doesn’t win. It can get tiresome being<br />

bombarded with political ads this time of year. Elected officials and candidates will not<br />

only talk about why they’ll be the best one for the job, but a number of them can be<br />

pretty nasty with each other in the press, and that can be a turn-off for a lot of voters.<br />

Some people will look at a campaign and think that this person doesn’t stand a chance, so<br />

why bother. That’s my point. You should bother, you should care.<br />

There were just under 6,000,000 registered voters who could have made a difference<br />

in the 2018 election. How do you know if you’re not going to try? Whoever you’re going<br />

to vote for this year, that’s your personal choice. Vote for the candidate that you feel can<br />

make the greatest and most positive impact in not only the statewide races for the <strong>Florida</strong><br />

House and Senate, but your local races as well. Just don’t waste the vote you have by not<br />

voting at all. Whether you’re voting by absentee ballot or in-person, just make sure that<br />

you vote. Your vote can make a difference.<br />

References:<br />

dos.myflorida.com/election/for-votes/voter-registration/<br />

politico.com/election-results/2018/florida/governor/<br />

State Employee News<br />

Public Health Prevention –<br />

Vaccines Work!<br />

Prevention of disease is the hallmark of public health service. As public health<br />

providers and nurses, we realize the value of vaccines in providing immune protection for<br />

both children and adults.<br />

Data on prevention success is inspiring. According to the<br />

Center for Disease Control, for children born between 1994<br />

and 2018, vaccines will prevent 419 million illnesses- that’s<br />

more than the population of the United States currently! This<br />

vaccine protection will help avoid 936,000 deaths and save<br />

$1.9 trillion in societal costs. This is the power of prevention!<br />

(www.cdc.gov/features/vfcprogram)<br />

According to sources, including the American Association<br />

of Critical-Care <strong>Nurse</strong>s ( AACN), the COVID-19 Pandemic has<br />

brought challenges to vaccine prevention programs, among<br />

many others. It has interrupted immunization programs both<br />

in the United States and around the world leading to delayed Debbie Hogan<br />

immunizations for both children and adults. Without this<br />

protection, children are at risk for up to fourteen different diseases including measles,<br />

pertussis (whooping cough), and COVID itself! For more information on the current<br />

vaccine schedules go to cdc.gov/vaccines/schedules/resource-library/syndicate.html.<br />

As nurses, we need to support and advocate for the Immunization Agenda 2030 (<br />

IA2030), adopted as part of the World Health Assembly. These efforts include preventing<br />

disease, promoting equity and building (or rebuilding) strong immunization programs.<br />

Efforts also include programs to promote vaccine confidence and trust in science, as well<br />

as encouraging further vaccine research to develop and increase the supply of quality,<br />

safe, effective and affordable vaccines.<br />

Our patients and communities depend on us as nurses and public health providers<br />

to serve as resources for disease prevention and health care. Please join our prevention<br />

team!!!


Page 10 The <strong>Florida</strong> <strong>Nurse</strong> <strong>August</strong> <strong>2022</strong><br />

Student Forum<br />

The <strong>August</strong> edition of The <strong>Florida</strong> <strong>Nurse</strong> is our Annual Nursing Student Issue in which we feature articles, op-eds, and stories written by nursing<br />

students or related to nursing student life. Some articles featured are experiential pieces that reflect the opinion of the author and are not an official<br />

position of the <strong>Florida</strong> <strong>Nurse</strong>s Association. If you would like to submit an article for consideration in next year’s Nursing Student Issue,<br />

please contact Kaitlin Scarbary, Editor at kscarbary@floridanurse.org.<br />

Senior Practicum Nursing Student to Practicing <strong>Nurse</strong><br />

Trilla Mays, Ph.D., Ed.D., RN<br />

Recently, I had the<br />

opportunity to present my Ph.D.<br />

research findings as a poster<br />

presentation. It was interesting<br />

to discover that some nursing<br />

programs have stopped the<br />

senior practicum experience,<br />

some are considering stopping<br />

that experience due to<br />

difficulty finding preceptors in<br />

the hospital, and some have<br />

continued the practicum<br />

Trilla Mays<br />

experience. Adequate academic<br />

and clinical preparation are essential for the transition<br />

from student to registered nurse (RN) working in a practice<br />

setting. The National Council of State Boards of Nursing<br />

(NCSBN, 2020) recognized that newly graduated nurses<br />

(NGNs) who are unable to transition to practice impacts<br />

the quality of care, leading to the risk of medical errors<br />

and diminished patient safety. NGNs have reported a lack<br />

of competence and preparation for practice based on<br />

academic preparation (Hatzenbuhler & Klein, 2019).<br />

I interviewed RNs who had been practicing less than two<br />

years and had a senior practicum or preceptor clinical their<br />

last semester of nursing school. The results of that study<br />

revealed that the learning environment resulted in some<br />

unmet needs, particularly the nurse who had the practicum<br />

only on Saturdays. However, it made her realize she could<br />

work on a medical-surgical unit in the hospital. There were<br />

more than sufficient positive learning experiences where<br />

the preceptor served as a role model impacting the NGN’s<br />

transition to practice (Meleis, 2010). Role modeling by the<br />

preceptor impacts transition to practice (Edward, et al.,<br />

2017; Ford, et al., Gale, et al., 2016; Rooke, et al., <strong>2022</strong>). All<br />

participants reported valuable experiences, reinforcement of<br />

skills learned in previous clinical courses, and the opportunity<br />

to learn from the RN preceptors. They benefited from<br />

working one on one with an RN in their last semester of<br />

nursing school. Edward, et al., (2017) discovered that a<br />

positive preceptor-nursing student relationship improves<br />

clinical competence of new nurses entering practice.<br />

Although, there was a limitation of three participants due<br />

to COVID, the meaning of the data consistently supported<br />

continuing a senior practicum experience. Academia and<br />

practice partners should discuss the availability and even<br />

expansion of practicum opportunities, training of preceptors,<br />

and additional enhancements to the practicum experience.<br />

Working together should improve not only the number of<br />

nurses prepared to transition to practice; it should increase<br />

the retention of new nurses.<br />

Biography: Dr. Mays has a BSN, MSN, an Ed.D. in higher<br />

education leadership and a Ph.D. in nursing. She has over 30<br />

years of experience as an RN, a pediatric nurse practitioner, and<br />

professor in higher education. Her current position is School of<br />

Health Sciences Dean at Chipola College.<br />

References<br />

Edward, K.-L., Ousey, K., Playle, J., &amp; Giandinoto, J.-A. (2017).<br />

Are new nurses work ready - The impact of preceptorship. An<br />

integrative systematic review. Journal of Professional<br />

Nursing: Official Journal of the American Association of Colleges<br />

of Nursing, 33(5), 326–333. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.<br />

profnurs.2017.03.003<br />

Ford, K., Courtney-Pratt, H., Marlow, A., Cooper, J., Williams, D., &amp;<br />

Mason, R. (2016). Quality clinical placements: The perspectives<br />

of undergraduate nursing students and their supervising<br />

nurses. <strong>Nurse</strong> Education Today, 37, 97–102. https://doi.<br />

org/10.1016/J.NEDT.2015.11.013<br />

Gale, J, Ooms, A., Sharpesl, K, &amp; Marks-Maran, D. (2016) The<br />

experiences of student nurses on placements with practice<br />

nurses: A pilot study. <strong>Nurse</strong> Education in Practice, (16) 1, 225-<br />

234. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.nepr.2015.08.008<br />

Hatzenbuhler, N. &amp; Klein, J. (2019). Educational Preparation<br />

for clinical practice: reflections of newly graduated RNs.<br />

<strong>Nurse</strong> Educator, 44, 93-97. https://doi.org/10.1097/<br />

NNE.0000000000000550<br />

Meleis, A. I. (2010). Transitions theory. [electronic resource]: middlerange<br />

and situation-specific theories in nursing research and<br />

practice. Springer Pub.<br />

NSCBN (2020). Transition to Practice. https://www.ncsbn.org/<br />

transition-to-practice.htm<br />

Rooke, S., Thevenard, G., Suthendran, S., Jung, S., Tolentino, N.,<br />

Annandale, J. F., &amp; Ward, K. (<strong>2022</strong>). What makes a great<br />

preceptor? Nursing students have their say. Kai Tiaki Nursing<br />

New Zealand, 49–58.


<strong>August</strong> <strong>2022</strong> The <strong>Florida</strong> <strong>Nurse</strong> Page 11<br />

The BSN-Ph.D. Student:<br />

Finding Your Place In the Profession<br />

Student Forum<br />

Walter Wills BSN, RN<br />

As we recognize nursing<br />

students this <strong>August</strong>, I took<br />

a moment of reflection for<br />

myself as I finish the first year<br />

of my BSN to Ph.D. program.<br />

I recently graduated with a<br />

BSN in 2021 and worked at<br />

the bedside throughout the<br />

beginning of my graduate<br />

training. However, the decision<br />

to move immediately into my<br />

graduate training came at a Walter Wills<br />

great cost to understanding<br />

where I fit in the nursing profession, and I hope this will<br />

serve as a message to young students who may want to, but<br />

doubt, their ability to pursue a similar path.<br />

The decision to pursue a Ph.D. may never be an easy<br />

one, whether the burden lies in giving up status in a<br />

current position, sacrificing time with family or friends,<br />

accepting substantial financial burden, or all of these things<br />

combined. For me, it came at a cost of many of those<br />

elements, but also a struggle in finding my identity within<br />

the nursing profession. The decision to go back for a Ph.D.<br />

the very next semester after graduating with a BSN may<br />

be seen by many as premature, lacking in the volume of<br />

clinical experience many other graduate prepared nurses<br />

have. For a while, I believed this claim to be valid too.<br />

When I look around my Ph.D. classroom, I see successful<br />

CNO’s, DNP’s, and APRN’s, all with storied careers already.<br />

How could I measure up to them at my young age and<br />

level of clinical experience? My supporters through my<br />

undergraduate training also questioned why I would ever<br />

want to return to school so quickly, asking me why I didn’t<br />

want to “use” my degree before going back. This too made<br />

me question the validity of my decision. These ideas lead<br />

me towards a case of severe “imposter syndrome,” and a<br />

loss of where I felt I fit within this profession.<br />

However, through a journey of self-reflection and<br />

peer support, I was able to find my place within this<br />

profession, and I’d like to leave a message of clarity for<br />

those questioning pursing this same path. Being a nursing<br />

scientist is ultimately very different from the skills we learn<br />

in our undergraduate training, bedside practice, or any other<br />

academic program. I love designing new research studies,<br />

getting to know the participants I recruit, running my own<br />

statistics, and speaking on my results. An awareness of<br />

these personal strengths allowed me to recognize that I can<br />

best aid in improving the lives of our patients by focusing<br />

on these skills and committing fully to being the best<br />

scientist possible. In closing, no matter when you graduated<br />

your undergraduate program, how long you have been at<br />

the bedside, or how many credentials you have behind your<br />

name, if you believe you will best improve patient lives in<br />

the role of a Ph.D. <strong>Nurse</strong>, then I urge you to take a chance<br />

on yourself and go get that degree.<br />

Biography: Walter graduated from the University of South<br />

<strong>Florida</strong> in 2021 and began practicing at Bayfront Health St.<br />

Petersburg as Trauma Care RN prior to starting his graduate<br />

training. Currently, he is an early-stage investigator, beginning<br />

his 2nd year at USF’s Ph.D. in Nursing Science program.


Page 12 The <strong>Florida</strong> <strong>Nurse</strong> <strong>August</strong> <strong>2022</strong><br />

Members in the News<br />

FNA Member Karen Baez-Wallis runs for county<br />

commissioner seat in Miami-Dade County<br />

Karen Baez-Wallis,<br />

Registered <strong>Nurse</strong> and<br />

member of the <strong>Florida</strong><br />

<strong>Nurse</strong>s Association,<br />

is running for county<br />

commissioner in Miami-<br />

Dade County. Karen’s<br />

top priorities are finding<br />

innovative solutions to<br />

traffic problems, creating<br />

jobs and incentivizing<br />

businesses to open<br />

their doors, working with leaders on appropriate<br />

infrastructure to protect homes and safe water, and<br />

taking care of veterans by creating a VA office in<br />

South Miami-Dade.<br />

Karen obtained her bachelor’s in health services<br />

administration from FIU Biscayne Campus, a<br />

registered nursing degree from Miami Dade College<br />

and her master’s in nursing from West Coast<br />

University. Karen worked as a registered nurse at<br />

John Hopkins and Ryder Trauma before advancing<br />

to the service line director of nursing for emergency<br />

and trauma services at Jackson South Medical<br />

Center.<br />

Karen has continuously given back to her<br />

community including work with the United Way,<br />

Women of Tomorrow, and the Children’s Burn<br />

Foundation. She considers her largest contribution to<br />

her community as her service as a nurse for the last 26<br />

years.<br />

“I am dedicated to maintaining the substantial<br />

relationships that I have established with Police and<br />

Fire Departments to provide for the safety and security<br />

of the community. This is to support my #1 priority<br />

other than quality of life which is community safety.<br />

Of which I have an intimate understanding having<br />

seen firsthand while running the trauma center and<br />

emergency department which serves as the catchment<br />

facility for district 8. I will work to collaborate and<br />

empower the community councils as they have the<br />

pulse on the issues for the communities that they<br />

serve.”<br />

To learn more about Karen’s Campaign visit<br />

Https://karenbaezwallis.com<br />

Dr. Stone-Gale receives<br />

multiple awards and<br />

induction as a Fellow<br />

Dr. Vicky Stone-Gale,<br />

DNP, APRN, FNP-BC,<br />

FAANP, FNAP was inducted<br />

in March <strong>2022</strong>, as a<br />

Distinguished Fellow of<br />

the National Academies of<br />

Practice. She also received<br />

the <strong>2022</strong> Outstanding<br />

Policy Award from the<br />

National Organization of<br />

<strong>Nurse</strong> Practitioner Faculty<br />

(NONPF) in April at their<br />

yearly conference in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and the<br />

<strong>2022</strong> AANP Advocate State Award of Excellence from<br />

the American Association of <strong>Nurse</strong> Practitioners at the<br />

national AANP conference during the Salute to the<br />

States Award Ceremony June 24th in Orlando, <strong>Florida</strong>.<br />

This prestigious award is given annually to a dedicated<br />

advocate in each state who has made a significant<br />

contribution toward increasing the awareness and<br />

recognition of nurse practitioners.<br />

Dr. Stone-Gale is an Associate Professor in the FNP<br />

program at Frontier Nursing University and practices<br />

as an Autonomous APRN in Primary Care in Plantation.<br />

She is the current President of the South <strong>Florida</strong><br />

Council of Advanced Practice <strong>Nurse</strong>s, First VP of<br />

Legislation for the <strong>Florida</strong> <strong>Nurse</strong> Practitioner Network,<br />

and is Chair for the North Probable Cause Panel for<br />

the <strong>Florida</strong> Board of Nursing.


<strong>August</strong> <strong>2022</strong> The <strong>Florida</strong> <strong>Nurse</strong> Page 13<br />

Members in the News<br />

Association of <strong>Nurse</strong>s in AIDS Care Conference comes to Tampa<br />

Nov. 17-19 led by FNA Member Donna Sabatino, RN, ACRN<br />

ANAC’s annual national conference will be held in Tampa<br />

this year, bringing together nurses, researchers, educators,<br />

policy experts, healthcare innovators, community members<br />

and nursing students from across the country and the<br />

globe. This is the conference’s 35th year and <strong>Florida</strong> <strong>Nurse</strong>s<br />

Association member Donna Sabatino, RN, ACRN leads<br />

the planning as the ANAC<strong>2022</strong> conference chair. Donna<br />

also serves in a consultant role at ANAC, supporting the<br />

organizations national and global health policy and advocacy<br />

work. Additionally, she is Director of State Policy & Advocacy<br />

for The AIDS Institute in <strong>Florida</strong>.<br />

Dr. Sharon Rogers Elected<br />

President of Miami BNA<br />

<strong>Florida</strong> <strong>Nurse</strong>s Association (FNA) South Region<br />

congratulates Dr. Sharon Rogers as the newly elected<br />

President of the Black <strong>Nurse</strong>s Association, Miami Chapter<br />

(Miami BNA). Dr. Rogers has been active with FNA for many<br />

years and participated in several of their initiatives; Tallahassee<br />

Advocacy Days, FNA Health Policy Special Interest Group<br />

(SIG), South Region Leadership Council and various Taskforce<br />

initiatives. Her experience and background are with the<br />

Jackson Health System (JHS) for 26 years in the neonatal<br />

intensive care unit (NICU) and pediatric intensive care unit<br />

(PICU), and as Associate Director of Patient Care Services,<br />

Women’s Center at Jackson South Community Hospital.<br />

Dr. Rogers has served on the Nomination Committee for FNA from 2017-2019. She<br />

was the recipient of both FNA “<strong>Nurse</strong> Educator” Award in 2017 and the “Promoting<br />

Environmental for Excellence in Nursing Practice” Award in 2019. She has also<br />

completed the ‘Board Service Initiative’ (BSI) with the <strong>Florida</strong> Center for Nursing (FCN).<br />

As BNA Health Policy Chair, she has consistently participated in FNA “Advocacy Days”<br />

coordinating legislative appointments with State Legislators in Tallahassee. She is a<br />

sustained supporter of FNA South Region and continues to be actively engaged with their<br />

platform.<br />

Submitted by<br />

Dr. Linda Washington-Brown,<br />

FNA, South Region Director<br />

Donna has been in the HIV fight for 30 years, holding several positions including a<br />

bedside RN in a dedicated HIV/AIDS unit in Ft. Lauderdale in the early 90s, an HIV clinic<br />

nurse and manager, director of operations for a Disease Management Program and an<br />

industry partner. She truly believes that “nurses have always been respected advocates<br />

and are at the intersection between social justice, health policy and the needs of our<br />

patients.” Donna has served on the national ANAC Board of Directors, chaired the<br />

ANAC Policy & Advocacy Committee and is the recipient of the 2021 Helen Miramontes<br />

Award, presented by ANAC and Until There’s a Cure Foundation to an individual whose<br />

work influences policy to improve the lives of vulnerable persons. Her extensive policy<br />

background makes her the perfect fit to chair this year’s conference, which will have a<br />

strong focus on health equity and policy.<br />

The ANAC<strong>2022</strong> conference theme is Equity, Compassion & Science - Keys to Ending<br />

the Epidemic. Sessions will amplify the messages of inclusion, equity, and compassion,<br />

which are nursing values necessary to end the HIV epidemic and address health equity.<br />

Attendees will learn about the latest developments and advancements in HIV care<br />

through abstract-driven sessions from highly acclaimed speakers. There will be skillsbuilding<br />

opportunities and networking to advance nursing roles in advocacy and education<br />

that draw attention to the intersections of human rights and health disparities and HIV.<br />

You’re invited to join other nurses to celebrate the amazing work being done in support<br />

of LGBTQ+ individuals and people with or at risk of HIV in <strong>Florida</strong> and around the world.<br />

Attendees are eligible for up to 18 hours of nursing continual professional development<br />

credit hours (formerly known as CNE), which are included in the registration fee!<br />

We can’t wait to see you at ANAC<strong>2022</strong> Nov. 17-19 in Tampa,<br />

<strong>Florida</strong> (pre-conference activities on Nov. 16). Check out the<br />

agenda and stay tuned for more details. Visit our website for<br />

registration information and a welcome message from Tampa<br />

Mayor Jane Castor.<br />

The Association of <strong>Nurse</strong>s in AIDS Care (ANAC) is the leading<br />

nursing organization responding to HIV/AIDS. Since its founding in<br />

1987, ANAC has been meeting the needs of nurses and other healthcare professionals in HIV/<br />

AIDS care, education, research, prevention, and policy.<br />

President’s Message continued from page 1<br />

The ANA Membership Assembly was highly successful. We also elected Dr. Edward<br />

Briggs of St. Petersburg, FL to the ANA Board of Directors! Dr. Briggs is a longtime<br />

member and past president of FNA who has been a strong voice for nurses over his<br />

career. We proudly stood with ANA President Dr. Ernest Grant and Dr. Barbara Nichols.<br />

Pictured left to right: Mavra Kear (Treasurer-FNA),<br />

Janice Adams (President-FNA), Ernest Grant<br />

(President-ANA), Barbara Nichols (Past President-<br />

ANA), Marie O. Etienne (President-Elect-FNA),<br />

Ed Briggs (Newly elected board member-<br />

ANA), George Peraza-Smith (Representative &<br />

Immediate Past President-FNA)<br />

The nursing crisis in<br />

<strong>Florida</strong> is evident in all<br />

venues where care is<br />

delivered. A recent<br />

report from the <strong>Florida</strong><br />

Hospital Association<br />

(FHA) indicates a<br />

projected shortage of<br />

approximately 59,000<br />

nurses by 2035. We<br />

have much work to do<br />

relating to recruitment<br />

and retention, improving<br />

National Council<br />

Licensing Examination<br />

(NCLEX) pass rates in<br />

<strong>Florida</strong>, and improving<br />

workplace concerns.<br />

FNA has several<br />

opportunities available<br />

for you to speak to<br />

these concerns. To join this important work please visit the FNA website at<br />

www.floridanurse.org.<br />

This is a priority concern for <strong>Florida</strong> nurses. The Quality & Unity in Nursing<br />

Council (QUIN) has been working to address the <strong>Florida</strong> nurse needs for the<br />

future. The QUIN Council and the Nursing Action Coalition of <strong>Florida</strong> (NACFL)<br />

will be presenting our white paper on recommended resolutions during the FNA<br />

Membership Assembly. The Board of Directors and I look forward to hearing from<br />

you and having you join us at the Membership Assembly in September.


Page 14 The <strong>Florida</strong> <strong>Nurse</strong> <strong>August</strong> <strong>2022</strong><br />

Member’s Voice<br />

Todd’s Paralysis: Know the Signs<br />

Ashley Davis<br />

Ashley Davis<br />

Ashley is currently<br />

working as a rapid<br />

response team nurse.<br />

Ashley’s nursing career<br />

began in 2014. Ashley’s<br />

primary background is in<br />

emergency nursing. She<br />

is currently enrolled at<br />

the University of South<br />

Alabama to become<br />

a dual certified FNP/<br />

AGACNP. She lives with her husband and two<br />

daughters in Pensacola, <strong>Florida</strong>.<br />

“Todd’s paralysis is a neurological condition<br />

experienced by individuals with epilepsy, in which<br />

a seizure is followed by a brief period of temporary<br />

paralysis. The paralysis may be partial or complete but<br />

usually occurs on just one side of the body” (National<br />

Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, <strong>2022</strong>).<br />

The importance of being aware of Todd’s Paralysis<br />

is that the signs and symptoms of this disorder are<br />

very similar to those of a stroke (National Institute of<br />

Neurological Disorders and Stroke, <strong>2022</strong>). Observable<br />

signs can include flattened nasolabial fold, upper and/<br />

or lower extremity weakness, and more.<br />

Todd’s Paralysis occurs after a patient has<br />

experienced an epileptic seizure. The symptoms<br />

can last between thirty minutes and up to thirty-six<br />

hours, with an average time of symptoms lasting<br />

approximately fifteen hours (National Institute of<br />

Neurological Disorders and Stroke, <strong>2022</strong>). Mastriana<br />

et al. (<strong>2022</strong>) report that the current understanding<br />

regarding the cause of Todd’s Paralysis signs and<br />

symptoms is when a patient experiences a seizure<br />

there is exhaustion and/or hypo-perfusion of the area<br />

of the brain that controls the area of the body that<br />

becomes paralyzed for a period. As that portion of the<br />

brain recovers from the epileptic state, the symptoms<br />

diminish and eventually go away.<br />

If it is suspected that your patient is experiencing<br />

Todd’s Paralysis, it is imperative to notify the patient’s<br />

attending physician and/or neurology team, and<br />

to complete a thorough neurological assessment.<br />

The patient may require a CT scan of the brain,<br />

antiepileptic medications, as well as other diagnostics<br />

and/or treatments.<br />

References<br />

Mastriana, J., Pay, J. L., De Jesus, O., & Taylor, R. S. (<strong>2022</strong>, May<br />

9). Todd paresis. StatPearls. Retrieved June 21, <strong>2022</strong>, from<br />

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK532238/<br />

National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke. (<strong>2022</strong>,<br />

April 25). Todd’s paralysis. NIH. Retrieved June 21, <strong>2022</strong>,<br />

from https://www.ninds.nih.gov/health-information/<br />

disorders/todds-paralysis#:~:text=Publications-<br />

,Definition,one%20side%20of%20the%20body.<br />

Currently hiring faculty in <strong>Florida</strong> for all<br />

specialty areas.<br />

We change the life of one to care for the<br />

lives of many<br />

Student Success, Institutional Excellence, Relationships, Stewardship<br />

Galen College is currently hiring expert educators and committed<br />

professionals in all areas of expertise whose guidance and experience<br />

contribute to the success of thousands of students entering the<br />

nursing field every year.<br />

Must have MSN, DNP or PhD degree<br />

St. Petersburg, Gainesville,<br />

Pembroke Pines, Sarasota<br />

galencollege.edu/careers<br />

Voting as Nursing<br />

Advocacy<br />

Charlotte D. Barry PhD &<br />

Savina O. Schoenhofer PhD<br />

Contact info:<br />

cbarry@health.fau.edu<br />

savibus@gmail.com<br />

“ANA believes that advocacy is a pillar of nursing.<br />

<strong>Nurse</strong>s instinctively advocate for their patients, in their<br />

workplaces, and in their communities; but legislative and<br />

political advocacy is no less important to advancing the<br />

profession and patient care.”<br />

Advocacy (nursingworld.org)<br />

The most basic practice of advocacy is also the most<br />

basic practice of citizenship – voting. In the US, voting<br />

is the mechanism for political expression in a way<br />

that matters most. However, research has found that<br />

nurses and other healthcare professionals have a lower<br />

likelihood of voting than members of professions such<br />

as teaching, engineering and the law. (https://www.<br />

ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7822395/).<br />

We need to do better in order to live up to our<br />

commitment to advocacy for ourselves, for our<br />

patients and for the healthcare system in general.<br />

What are some practical ways to help us improve the<br />

record of voting? Allow us to suggest one avenue that<br />

is readily accessible – the League of Women Voters.<br />

It needs to be said up front that the League of<br />

Women Voters is not just for women – it’s for all<br />

persons, men and women, of all political persuasions,<br />

all demographic groups. The League’s motto is<br />

“Empowering Voters – Defending Democracy.” The<br />

<strong>Florida</strong> League of Women Voters (Home - League of<br />

Women Voters of <strong>Florida</strong> (lwvfl.org)) has much to offer,<br />

whether or not you are a member. They have well<br />

researched position papers on various relevant issues,<br />

they sponsor local and statewide in-person and online<br />

Voter Forum opportunities prior to every election, they<br />

provide information about the how-to’s and when-to’s<br />

of voter registration and voting in-person, online and<br />

by mail.<br />

One of the most valuable services available through<br />

the League of Women Voters is the website called<br />

Vote 411 (https://www.vote411.org/). At Vote 411,<br />

you can find out when and where to register and vote<br />

and get information about candidates for office - just<br />

go to https://vote.411.org and put in your address<br />

for valuable details that will help you plan your voting<br />

experience.<br />

As part of the League of Women Voters’<br />

commitment to Empowering Voters, the League<br />

engages in extensive Get Out The Vote (GOTV) efforts.<br />

Some examples of these efforts include posting signs<br />

with registration deadlines and voting dates, writing<br />

postcards to voters to remind/encourage them to vote,<br />

and offering rides to the polls on election day.<br />

So, if you would like to help raise the percentages<br />

of nurse involvement in empowering voters, please<br />

consider joining your local League of Women Voters.<br />

Use Vote411.org to check out candidates and find your<br />

polling place. Share the resource of Vote411.org with<br />

your colleagues, your patients, your family and friends.<br />

That’s a wonderful way to honor your commitment to<br />

advocacy as a pillar of nursing!<br />

References<br />

Solnick, R. E., Choi, H., & Kocher, K. E. (<strong>2022</strong>). Voting behavior of<br />

physicians and healthcare professionals. J Gen Intern Med,<br />

36, pp. 1169-1171.<br />

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7822395/<br />

The League of Women Voters of <strong>Florida</strong>. (<strong>2022</strong>). https://lwvfl.org/<br />

Vote 411. (<strong>2022</strong>). https://www.vote411.org/


<strong>August</strong> <strong>2022</strong> The <strong>Florida</strong> <strong>Nurse</strong> Page 15<br />

How can I get involved in FNA?<br />

This is a question we hear often from both new and seasoned members of<br />

FNA. Sometimes, they are new, have settled in their job and are ready to add<br />

professional involvement to their “resume” of activities. Often, they are older<br />

members who have always intended to become more involved and decided this<br />

was the time. Others have retired and have more time to dedicate to advocacy<br />

efforts. No matter what the situation we feel we have SOMETHING that<br />

members can sink their teeth into.<br />

Governance Level<br />

FNA has opportunities for the FNA Board of Directors, the <strong>Florida</strong><br />

<strong>Nurse</strong>s Foundation Board of Trustees and the <strong>Florida</strong> <strong>Nurse</strong>s Political Action<br />

Committee. These are “executive” and board level positions that provided<br />

leadership to important entities of the association. The work includes quarterly<br />

meetings which are currently mostly virtual and perhaps some quick meeting<br />

in-between to take care of emergent business. The FNA Board determines the<br />

directions and actions of the association and steers it toward the mission while<br />

overseeing the financial status and managing the strategic plan. The Foundation<br />

oversees the philanthropy arm of the association by overseeing the Grants and<br />

Scholarship Program and creating fundraising opportunities to grow the funds.<br />

Like the FNA Board they also provide governance and fiscal oversight. The FN-<br />

PAC board oversees the process for endorsement of political candidates and<br />

promotes fundraising and donations to the PAC. They also meet multiple times<br />

a year but most frequently during elections.<br />

Standing Committees<br />

Like most organizations, FNA has standing committees that are a part of<br />

the governance structure. The Bylaws Committee oversees the governing<br />

document of the association and review them regularly to ensure that they are<br />

serving the organization in a way that supports the mission and complies with<br />

best practice. This committee is great for individuals who love organization,<br />

structure, and order.<br />

The Reference Committee promotes, writes and receives Reference<br />

Proposals from members or Structural units with our position statement of<br />

importance that the association might make. These are brought before the<br />

Membership Assembly and discussed and voted on. If they are adopted, they<br />

become a position of the association. This committee would be great for a<br />

member who understands and is passionate about an issue and who is adept at<br />

editing and evaluating content.<br />

The Membership Committee works on initiatives and strategies to promote<br />

and preserve membership in the professional association. This committee<br />

would be great for a creative member who is excited about the association and<br />

wants to inspire and motivate others to join. Creativity is a great attribute for a<br />

member of this committee.<br />

Task Forces<br />

Task Forces are time-limited groups formed for a specific purpose. Currently,<br />

the Pandemic and Disaster Task Force and the JEDI Task Force are active groups<br />

within FNA. We are also in the process of starting a Workforce Violence Task<br />

Force to look at the ongoing problem of violence against nurses.<br />

External organizations<br />

Other organizations and entities sometimes seek out FNA for nursing<br />

representatives. Currently, Debbie Hogan has served on the Child Abuse Death<br />

Review Committee (CADR) and Patty Geddie serves on the Cancer Control<br />

Advisory Board or CCRAB, in a position specifically designated for FNA. There<br />

is also a position on the <strong>Florida</strong> Center for Nursing Board that is an FNA specific<br />

slot. We have representation on the Quality and Unity in Nursing (QUIN)<br />

Council and we have many members on the <strong>Florida</strong> Action Coalition. We have<br />

representatives on the <strong>Florida</strong> Coalition of Advanced Practice <strong>Nurse</strong>s as well,<br />

which is a group we help to form. Bill Pruitt and Valerie Morrison represent FNA<br />

on the <strong>Nurse</strong>s on Boards Coalition (NOBC) where we disseminate information<br />

about board opportunities for our members.<br />

Other opportunities<br />

Do you have expertise in a topic? Present a webinar or CE for us.<br />

Serve as a reviewer! We have reviewers for grants, scholarships, research<br />

projects, awards, abstracts for poster sessions and speakers for conferences.<br />

Serving as a reviewer is a short-term contribution that has great value to the<br />

association.<br />

This is an overview of some great engagement opportunities in the <strong>Florida</strong><br />

<strong>Nurse</strong>s Association. Don’t be afraid to dip your toe in the water and any level<br />

that feels comfortable to you. We look forward to working with you!<br />

Ad Hoc Committees<br />

The Finance Committee is a committee of the Board of Directors (and other<br />

appointed members) who oversee the association finances and report to the<br />

Board (at each official meeting) and the Membership Assembly. They create<br />

a proposed budget which is then approved by the Board of Directors and is<br />

then utilized to make sure the association is fiscally solvent. This committee is<br />

appointed by the president.<br />

Awards Committee<br />

The Awards Committee is also appointed by the President. They score<br />

the awards each year and make the selections for the FNA Peer Recognition<br />

Awards. The awards have been created by leadership over the years and<br />

also have been amended or completely changed by various committees.<br />

Nominations are sought from the membership and the committee receives<br />

those nominations.<br />

Special Interest Groups (SIGs)<br />

Special Interest Groups are created by the members upon request. They<br />

must have 10 interested members to form a SIG and each SIG defines it goals<br />

and purposes. Currently we have the Health Policy SIG, The Nursing Ethics<br />

SIG, the Research SIG, the Recent Graduate SIG, and the Holistic <strong>Nurse</strong>s SIG.<br />

Several SIGs have been closed over the years due to lack of activity which is<br />

the beauty of a group formed by members. They determine if it is viable and<br />

valuable. The SIGs have also met virtually since their inception but have the<br />

option for in-person events. At one time the Recent Graduate SIG did several<br />

meetups in the state via our Meetup.com account.<br />

American <strong>Nurse</strong>s Association Opportunities<br />

FNA members may also become involved at the national level, including<br />

running for office, serving on committees, running for ANA delegate in our<br />

elections and attending the ANA Membership Assembly.<br />

We have had several ANA board members, including Dr. Edward Briggs<br />

who was very recently elected. We also have several members serving on<br />

committees at the current time.


Page 16 The <strong>Florida</strong> <strong>Nurse</strong> <strong>August</strong> <strong>2022</strong><br />

FNA Event Highlights<br />

Research Conference <strong>2022</strong> Recap<br />

The 8th Annual FNA Nursing Research and Evidence-Based Practice<br />

Conference was held on Saturday, July 16, <strong>2022</strong> at the Sheraton Orlando North<br />

in Maitland, FL. This year’s keynote address was “Nursing Art and Science: Bridge<br />

to Innovation” presented by Susan V. White, PhD, RN, CPHQ, FNAHQ, NEA-BC<br />

and Stephanie Sinnett, MS, RD, LDN of the Orlando VA Healthcare System. Dr.<br />

White and Ms. Sinnett kicked off the conference with an exciting and engaging<br />

presentation that inspired attendees to consider the ways in which innovation<br />

is born within the nursing workplace. The session included a mock “Shark Tank”<br />

pitch with participation from Sue Fowler, PhD, RN, CRRN, FCNS who pitched<br />

an innovative idea to the “sharks” in the audience. Some takeaways from the<br />

presentation included know the problem you’re working on, don’t be afraid to fail,<br />

use iterations and pivots when needed, and be sure to have a great pitch to help<br />

garner support for your innovation.<br />

The keynote presentation was followed by several podium presentations from<br />

nurse researchers. Each podium presentation was unique, creative, and met a<br />

need/answered a question related to nurse’s impact on health care issues and/<br />

or professional nursing issues. Both qualitative and quantitative studies were<br />

presented. The presenters provided the participants with opportunities to hear<br />

about the research and evidence-based process in action. While each presenter<br />

had a different “journey” to their research, the common goal of research and<br />

evidence being the guiding force of practice and the profession of nursing was<br />

most evident.<br />

Trecia D. Jones, MSN, RN, CNL, PCCN of the University of Central <strong>Florida</strong><br />

presented her work with veterans and vitamin B12 deficiency monitoring. Her<br />

project entitled, “A Quality Improvement Project to Increase Vitamin B12<br />

Monitoring in Veterans Who Have Diabetes and Take Metformin” demonstrated<br />

that education intervention to increase awareness of ADA guidelines on<br />

B12 deficiencies in patients taking metformin had a positive correlation with<br />

monitoring B12 levels.<br />

Anita M. Stephen PhD, RN, CNL of the University of <strong>Florida</strong> College of Nursing<br />

shared her research involving students’ acceptance of technological systems<br />

in nursing education entitled, “Nursing Students’ Acceptance of an Online


<strong>August</strong> <strong>2022</strong> The <strong>Florida</strong> <strong>Nurse</strong> Page 17<br />

FNA Event Highlights<br />

Computer-based Simulation System Utilizing<br />

the Technology Acceptance Model.” The study<br />

showed that external factors influence the students’<br />

acceptance of these models and that clear, concise<br />

instructions, and instructor support are key for<br />

success.<br />

Walter Wills BSN, RN, a PhD student at the<br />

University of South <strong>Florida</strong> presented his study on<br />

patients with COPD and the link between quality<br />

of life and cardiovascular disease. The research,<br />

“Cardiovascular Disease as A Moderator of GOLD<br />

Stage and Quality of Life in COPD Patients”<br />

suggested a relationship between lower degrees of<br />

airflow limitation and worsened quality of life when<br />

presenting with comorbid CVD and identified the<br />

need to develop innovative interventions to promote<br />

symptom management and self-care.<br />

Rounding out the podium presentations was a look<br />

inside the lives of former victims of sex trafficking.<br />

Elizabeth H. Sassatelli, PhD, RN, CNE and Katherine<br />

Justus, RN presented “Out of the “Life” But Still<br />

Out of Sight: The Long-Term Health Effects of Sex<br />

Trafficking on Women in <strong>Florida</strong>.” The presentation<br />

used survivor testimonies on experiences in the<br />

health care system to emphasize the importance of<br />

trauma informed care when providing health care<br />

services to individuals with a history of sex trafficking.<br />

The conference boasted two lively poster sessions<br />

with thirty-one posters from a diverse range of topics.<br />

The poster presentations were diverse in area<br />

of focus as well as research method. Poster<br />

presentations included both qualitative and<br />

quantitative research and evidence-based projects,<br />

and were from both state and national sites. There<br />

were completed studies and studies in progress<br />

presented. There were studies from clinical, academic,<br />

and community environments. Each presenter had<br />

time for participants to view their posters and ask<br />

questions. It was a great opportunity to see the types<br />

of work being done by the diverse <strong>Florida</strong> nurse.<br />

Start thinking now for next year’s Research<br />

and Evidence-Based Conference to be held in<br />

July 2023. The call for abstracts usually goes out<br />

in March. For those who are new(er) to writing<br />

abstracts, FNA provides an abstract writing<br />

webinar given in both April and May, to assist and<br />

encourage everyone to submit. More details will be<br />

announced soon!<br />

Thank you to everyone involved in making this<br />

conference a roaring success including our speakers,<br />

poster presenters, podium presenters, and members<br />

of the planning committee.<br />

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Page 18 The <strong>Florida</strong> <strong>Nurse</strong> <strong>August</strong> <strong>2022</strong><br />

Focus on<br />

Recent Grads<br />

Several years ago, the<br />

FNA Membership Assembly<br />

voted to add a Director of<br />

Recent Graduates to the<br />

Board of Directors. The<br />

goal of this position was to<br />

create activities to engage<br />

the young professionals<br />

and to make sure the<br />

organization was addressing<br />

the needs of newly<br />

graduated nurses. Recent Danielle Weaver<br />

graduates were defined as<br />

nurses in practice for five years or less. We recently<br />

sent out a call for new graduates meeting this<br />

criterion to form a group to serve as an advisory<br />

board to develop activities and programs for recent<br />

graduates. We also created a group on Meetup.com<br />

for new graduates to network in different parts of<br />

the state.<br />

We are working on a section of the FNA website<br />

dedicated to new graduates. We need our members<br />

who are in the workforce to help us develop<br />

this resource. Danielle Weaver is the current<br />

Director, Recent Graduates. She recently initiated a<br />

networking series called Coffee with a <strong>Nurse</strong>. The<br />

first one was held on <strong>August</strong> 10 and was a great<br />

conversation with Danielle who is an ER <strong>Nurse</strong>. We<br />

will continue this series with various other nursing<br />

roles.<br />

We are also open to other suggestions from our<br />

members who have graduated recently. Support,<br />

mentorship and networking are some of the<br />

activities past novice nurses have asked for. If you<br />

are interested in new graduate activities please<br />

email Iris Lopez at info@floridanurse.org and we<br />

will add you to the Recent Grad Special Interest<br />

Group and the Advisory Board.<br />

EMPOWERING NURSES<br />

LEADING CHANG--.E ►.-:<br />

SEPTEMBER 22-24, <strong>2022</strong><br />

MISSION INN RESORT, HOWEY·IN·THE·HILLS<br />

Diversity Workshop<br />

KEYNOTE<br />

Dr. Ernest J. Grant<br />

President, American<br />

<strong>Nurse</strong>s Association<br />

Leading Change: Diversity, Equity and<br />

Inclusion Survey Results and Actions<br />

presented by Leaders of the FNA JEDI Task Force<br />

Susan B. Fowler, PhD, RN, CRRN, FCNS<br />

Marie Etienne, DNP, APRN, FNP, PNP, PLNC<br />

Karen Kuperberg, RN<br />

Charlie P. Buscemi, PhD, APRN (he/him)<br />

Visit the Membership Assembly<br />

homepage for more details<br />

floridanurse.org/MA<strong>2022</strong><br />

<br />

FNA Event Highlights<br />

Join us in Howey-in-the-Hills!<br />

» 12 + Breakout Sessions<br />

» 8 Contact Hours for <strong>Nurse</strong>s<br />

» Discounted registration and<br />

rebates available for FNA Members<br />

Thursday, September 22<br />

» Two hours of BONUS breakout sessions!<br />

» Networking Happy Hour<br />

Friday, September 22<br />

» Keynote Presentation by ANA President<br />

» Dr. Ernest J. Grant<br />

» Work session with the Justice, Equity, Diversity,<br />

and Inclusion (JEDI) Task Force<br />

» Dynamic presentations from FNA Members<br />

» Poster presentations from <strong>Florida</strong> <strong>Nurse</strong><br />

Researchers<br />

» Networking opportunities and Region<br />

meetings<br />

» Icon Awards Reception and Dinner<br />

Saturday, September 23<br />

» Advocacy Breakfast featuring Workplace<br />

Rights presentation<br />

» Update on the Nursing Workforce from the<br />

<strong>Florida</strong> Center for Nursing<br />

» FNA Annual Business Meeting<br />

» Foundation Luncheon honoring current and<br />

past scholarship and grant recipients<br />

Continuing Education: This activity has been submitted to the Ohio <strong>Nurse</strong>s<br />

Association for approval to award contact hours. The Ohio <strong>Nurse</strong>s Association<br />

is accredited as an approver of nursing continuing professional development<br />

by the American <strong>Nurse</strong>s Credentialing Center's Commission on Accreditation.<br />

(OBN-001-91)


Page 20 The <strong>Florida</strong> <strong>Nurse</strong> <strong>August</strong> <strong>2022</strong><br />

<strong>2022</strong> <strong>Nurse</strong>s Week Event Highlights<br />

FNA Southeast Region holds First Annual <strong>Nurse</strong> Appreciation<br />

Self-Care Event<br />

The FNA Southeast Region held its First Annual<br />

<strong>Nurse</strong> Appreciation Event on May 12th from 3pm<br />

– 9pm at the <strong>Florida</strong> Atlantic University Boca Raton<br />

campus in Palm Beach County. The self-care themed<br />

event was a tremendous success!<br />

Participants were able to indulge in self-care<br />

services such as acupuncture, massage, foot therapy,<br />

microdermabrasion hand therapy, guided imagery<br />

meditation, reiki, and catered food and beverages.<br />

Hourly gift give-ways and keynote speakers kept<br />

the event interactive and informative. A featured<br />

silent auction item raised $2,000 and offered one<br />

of our nurses a lovely vacation home for an entire<br />

week on beautiful Lake Lure, North Carolina during<br />

this upcoming Thanksgiving holiday. Thanks to the<br />

generosity of sponsors throughout the community,<br />

nurses were able to attend the event for free.<br />

The event was led by an amazing volunteer team<br />

of FNA members: Angela Bonaby, Altavia Evans,<br />

Deirdre Krause, Mara Raggi, Delilah Rivera, Maritess<br />

Quinto, and Yamiley Theodore, whose dedication,<br />

perseverance, and focus created a magnificent<br />

event for all nurses to enjoy! The team also received<br />

outstanding administrative support from Sydney<br />

Goldberg and the FNA staff.<br />

The Southeast Region team plans to make this an<br />

annual event during <strong>Nurse</strong>s Week. We hope to see you<br />

there next year!<br />

The Student <strong>Nurse</strong>s Association of Arizona<br />

College of Nursing – Fort Lauderdale Campus<br />

Reprinted Article with Corrections from May <strong>2022</strong> TFN<br />

have thousands<br />

We<br />

nursing jobs!<br />

of<br />

Find your dream job now.<br />

The Student <strong>Nurse</strong>s Association of Arizona College of<br />

Nursing – Fort Lauderdale Campus (SNAAZC - FL) was<br />

officially created in February <strong>2022</strong>. I am honored to serve<br />

as the Founding President alongside these great Founding<br />

Board Members: Casey Norton, President-Elect; Nathalie<br />

Canterbury, Vice President; Camasha Douglas, Treasurer;<br />

Dhana Clarke, Secretary; Gabriela Belchior, Program<br />

Coordinator; and Jada Williams, Historian.<br />

I want to thank our Faculty Advisor – Professor Kaydene<br />

Bailey-Green, RN, MSNED, and Dr. Marie O. Etienne, DNP,<br />

APRN, FNP, PNP, PLNC, President-Elect of the <strong>Florida</strong><br />

<strong>Nurse</strong>s Association for helping us create the chapter at<br />

the Fort Lauderdale Campus. Additionally, I would like to<br />

thank Dr. Shawn Higgins, PhD, RN, CHC, Dean of Nursing<br />

and Mr. James Jones, Executive Director of Academic<br />

Operations for their support to SNAAZC-FL.<br />

Melissa Georges, President, SNAAZC-FL


<strong>August</strong> <strong>2022</strong> The <strong>Florida</strong> <strong>Nurse</strong> Page 21<br />

Welcome New FNA Members<br />

Northwest<br />

Marty Adkins<br />

Murriah Allen<br />

Sefphra Arias<br />

Janay Barnes<br />

Tavaris Brooks<br />

Brittany Cox<br />

Nancy Derby<br />

Brett Floyd<br />

Sabrina Francois<br />

Hellena Goff<br />

Judy Grant<br />

Eva Grumbir<br />

Kristian Hill<br />

Sarah Holloway<br />

Lindsay Jusino<br />

Talisman Lundy-Lleshi<br />

Andrea Malone<br />

Meredith Midalm<br />

Kristen Miner<br />

Kirk Jones Molitas<br />

Andrea Page<br />

Sherman Platt<br />

Anges Rivers<br />

Michelle Scheetz<br />

Alexandra Scofield<br />

Claryssa Taylor<br />

Paige Ward<br />

Cynthia West<br />

John Wetzel<br />

Dawn Wilkosz<br />

North Central<br />

Katelyn Alli<br />

Patrick Asselin<br />

Carl Baquie<br />

Amanda Batson<br />

Marites Bautista<br />

Lorena Becerra<br />

Tara Belcher<br />

Kristina Bell<br />

Ermite Caris Barlatier<br />

Hunter Cash<br />

Chivon Charles-Hadley<br />

Leigh Cooper<br />

Rebekah Costello<br />

Ellen Daly<br />

Nandini Dataram<br />

Savannah Downes<br />

Joanne Dumerand-Andre<br />

Nikalina Dundas<br />

Uma Durairaj<br />

Rhianna Fagan<br />

Maruja Gamad<br />

Maria Garcia<br />

Ahsia Gray<br />

Lonnie Gunn<br />

Jane Hoesterey<br />

Sarah Hula<br />

Rochelle Johns<br />

Rubi Johnson<br />

Elizabeth Jones<br />

Christie Kennedy<br />

Matthew Kirkland<br />

Pamela Kulniszewski<br />

Tiffany LeGault<br />

Elizabeth Leon Corcoba<br />

Toni Lindsey<br />

Richard McGlew<br />

Peri Miarecki-Lepoer<br />

Barbara Minor<br />

Orlando Miranda<br />

Sadid Momen<br />

Kelley Morgan<br />

Vivien Murphy<br />

Kerri Norton<br />

Deborah OHearn<br />

Jacqueline Pintos<br />

Jane Prouty<br />

Olive Quintana<br />

Meagan Reeves Bible<br />

Catlin Riggenbach<br />

Modesta Rivera<br />

Rachelle Sansing<br />

Marika Sauter<br />

Aron Schacht<br />

Annie Smelt<br />

Valree Smilek<br />

Christopher Thomas<br />

Jaime Thomas<br />

Boris Towns<br />

Lani White<br />

Deana Yates<br />

Northeast<br />

Alysia Adams<br />

Rebecca Alter<br />

Vilma Avila<br />

Lisa Barcaro<br />

Brielle Barnhill<br />

Whitney Bates<br />

Pamela Bicknell<br />

Timika Bracken<br />

Amelia Brown<br />

Renee Cave<br />

Diego Cerquera<br />

Timothy Chaffey<br />

Taylor Colgate<br />

Linda Connelly<br />

Donna Cothren<br />

Dawn Dust<br />

Roxanne Finch<br />

Jakweita Fisher<br />

Erica Flamm<br />

Jacsely Flores Rodriguez<br />

Summer Flynn<br />

Dawn Forrest<br />

Michelle Glanert-Kempf<br />

Jessica Godbey<br />

Collette Grafton<br />

Bianka Irizarry<br />

Carla Joseph<br />

Leslie Kerce<br />

Lori Kirk<br />

Paulin Laroque<br />

Christina Latone<br />

Emma Lawrenz<br />

Mathew Lenner<br />

Gigi Love<br />

Hillary Luke-Tindley<br />

Tina Masters<br />

Fuchcia McClendon<br />

Terri Minwer<br />

Audrey Mulvaney<br />

Daniel O’Lena<br />

Mayelin Palmero Capote<br />

Caryn Parkhurst<br />

April Poe<br />

Emerald Quiroz<br />

Sonia Reisdorf<br />

Karen Roop<br />

Amonae Russell<br />

Maya Saikali<br />

Erin Sekelsky<br />

Savannah Shaw<br />

Meredith Simmons<br />

Ava Smith<br />

Jennifer St. Clair<br />

Karyn Taylor<br />

Allison Chenel Trevellini<br />

Frank Tudela Ruiz<br />

Denielle Waschek<br />

Edith West<br />

Gina Williams<br />

Tequila Williamson<br />

Cherise Wilson<br />

Denise Wright<br />

East Central<br />

Vanetta Anderson<br />

Christie Anton<br />

Cheryl Asbell<br />

Sean Austin<br />

Laura Bailey<br />

James Bean<br />

Molly Bennett<br />

Kristina Birkner<br />

Jazmin Blanco<br />

Deborah Bradshaw<br />

Monique Bressler<br />

Hannah Broche<br />

ShellyAnn Brooks<br />

Victoria Brown<br />

Susan Castello<br />

Mary Chereskin<br />

Sherrie Childs<br />

Patricia Clayton-<br />

LeVasseur<br />

McKenzie Cleland<br />

Helene Cohn<br />

Dione Coney<br />

Janelle Cooney<br />

Tracy Coughlan<br />

Valerie Cruz<br />

Christina Daly<br />

Demi Davis<br />

Christian Jolou Dela Cruz<br />

Cynthia Devine<br />

Susan Diaz<br />

Taylor Donald<br />

Keegan Doud<br />

Diana Duran<br />

Alero Ekata<br />

Marjorie Essenberg<br />

Leisha Fee<br />

Debra Fisette<br />

Lesley Fore<br />

Marjorie Gedeon<br />

Brittany Gillenwater<br />

Jacqueline Giralt<br />

Angela Glover<br />

Roimer Gomez<br />

Michelle Gosnell<br />

Myra Greene<br />

Saijem Guzman<br />

Homeyra Hafizi<br />

Jamie Harrison<br />

Dawna Hazelwood<br />

Jacqueline Helmy<br />

Michelle Hernandez<br />

Pamela Homer<br />

Tammy Horvath<br />

Ha Hua<br />

Karla Huckabee<br />

Andrea Hughes<br />

Lauren Hunter<br />

Bertha Ibarra<br />

Priscila Isackson de Melo<br />

Lindsey Jackson<br />

Marckenson Janvier<br />

Elizabeth Jarvis<br />

Erika Jubitana<br />

Dorothy Grace King<br />

Jennifer Konowitz<br />

Antholeth Leckie<br />

Mary Lindquist<br />

Sandee Lyons<br />

Olga Marquez<br />

Erin McClellan<br />

Sandra McFarland<br />

Victoria Melhado Daley<br />

Angela Mellen<br />

Jacquelyn Merrill<br />

Jennifer Miller<br />

Heather Mirch<br />

Christina Mohanani<br />

Shay Mulvany<br />

Daisy Naiju<br />

Amanda Nash<br />

George Ngo<br />

Cantave Obas<br />

Miriam Olaciregui<br />

Georgina Orozco<br />

Shire Padao<br />

Anuradha Pal<br />

Nadine Parkinson<br />

Hetal Patel<br />

Krishna Patel<br />

Yannorkis Perez Napoles<br />

Aimee Phillips<br />

Beena Pirmal<br />

Deepa Ramalingam<br />

Manuel Manny Ramos<br />

Katia Robelo<br />

Donna Robinson<br />

Tammie Rodgers<br />

Yuleidy Rodriguez<br />

Clint Joseph Romero<br />

Miranda Saint-Louis<br />

Juliana Sanches Frois<br />

Rosalea Sanderson<br />

Mariah Sartain<br />

Andrea Schuermann<br />

Edita Sehic<br />

Cristina Maria Shaw<br />

Mariettes Sienes<br />

Lucy Simas<br />

Michaela Slover<br />

Kathleen Spellman<br />

Rebecca Staubs<br />

Margaret Steuart<br />

Nemie Thelot<br />

Zachary Thuring<br />

Caryn Toledo<br />

Kacie Turner<br />

Valarie Urquhart<br />

Angelica Vander Zalm<br />

Diana Vasilenko<br />

Widillia Verges<br />

Kameelah Vose<br />

Kimberly Warren<br />

Charmaine Watson<br />

Sharon Weyer<br />

Alinda Williams<br />

Shelby Wood<br />

Cynthia Woolery<br />

Donna Wrobel<br />

Mona Young<br />

Wendy Young<br />

West Central<br />

Erika Adipietro<br />

Vicky Alfonso<br />

Ruth Altamirano<br />

Ruby Arroyo<br />

Katy Aschenbrenner<br />

Cherilyn Ashlock<br />

Samuel Battle<br />

Sunnie Beardsley<br />

Rebecca Beattie<br />

Catherine Belden<br />

Jecklaine Borrero<br />

Welcome New FNA Members continued on page 22


Page 22 The <strong>Florida</strong> <strong>Nurse</strong> <strong>August</strong> <strong>2022</strong><br />

Welcome New FNA Members<br />

Welcome New FNA Members continued from page 21<br />

Jennifer Bouzid<br />

Alexandra Boyd<br />

Jennifer Calloway<br />

Marie Campbell<br />

Katherine Cancel<br />

Hilda Canon<br />

Janice Caril<br />

Jose Carlos Cavalcanti<br />

Philomene Charles-<br />

Doristin<br />

Maximilian Cheung<br />

Luz Cobian<br />

Molly Cook<br />

Yvelle Corrielus<br />

Vivien Cruz<br />

Olivia Daigle<br />

Ericka Daniels<br />

Jennifer De Gaspard<br />

Lindsey DeBruler<br />

Panagiota Demetriou<br />

Anna Marie Di Santi<br />

Allyson Duffy<br />

Karissa Dyar-Short<br />

Jennifer Fahringer<br />

Rachael Feathers<br />

Sarah Filosi<br />

Marie Free<br />

Jacqueline Gilbert<br />

Kim Hagans<br />

Allison Hargrave<br />

Tiffany Harris<br />

Julia Havelin<br />

Nicole Hawthorne<br />

Mary Healy<br />

Cindy Heden<br />

Stephanie Henry<br />

Amanda Hunt-McCart<br />

Va Imath<br />

Julie Jefferis<br />

Katia Jimeno-Londono<br />

Kristin Johnson<br />

Chanae Jones<br />

Tina Jones<br />

Stela Karkatselos<br />

Larisa Khailo<br />

Justin Kindrick<br />

Tracy LaCourse<br />

Alfa Lafleur<br />

Maria Laufer<br />

Tiffany Lemelle<br />

Terrie Lewis<br />

Erika Mammoser<br />

Mollie McClenthan<br />

Sarah Menendez<br />

Jeanne Minnear<br />

Sonia Mitchell<br />

Kaylyn Munroe<br />

Paige Nelson<br />

Angely Olavarria<br />

Rodriguez<br />

Lazaro Oliva Torres<br />

Alexandria Olivo<br />

Corinne Paige<br />

Ysulin Parrado<br />

Victoria Parray<br />

Julie Pham<br />

Rowdy Phillips<br />

Rachel Pierce<br />

Heidi Pillion<br />

Vikki Pinkos<br />

Yanay Pino Osuna<br />

Jennifer McComis<br />

Pintavalle<br />

Emily Podoll<br />

Danielle Porter<br />

Jonathan Ralph<br />

Gesline Rodne<br />

Karen Roig<br />

Brandi Sagers<br />

Bobbie Schaffer<br />

Kristen Sciarra<br />

Valeria Seidl<br />

Jamison Shaw<br />

Fallon Shelton<br />

Kristen Sheppard<br />

Erica Simplice<br />

Sandra Smith<br />

Marcia Spencer<br />

Natalie Stangl<br />

Kellie Steiner Dawson<br />

Barbara Suarez<br />

DeWayne Tudor<br />

Regina Turner<br />

Annie Tyrell<br />

Susan Urrutia<br />

Lori Urvakis<br />

John Vrabel<br />

Stephanie Walker<br />

Dawn Warren<br />

John Webb<br />

Breanna Wells<br />

Jonathon Wilder<br />

Southeast<br />

Jessica Abernathy-<br />

Lenowitz<br />

Diana Aguirre<br />

Aneilla Alcin<br />

Felix Alfred<br />

Amber-Shaye Anderson<br />

Susan Apostol<br />

Denise Arce<br />

Lourdes Arias<br />

Karen Baez-Wallis<br />

Valeria Bass<br />

Angela Bilotti<br />

Helyna K Bissell<br />

Aubrie Bond<br />

Rose Boscaino<br />

Leslie Brannon<br />

Raniquia Brown<br />

Megan Buncie<br />

Giselle Cancino<br />

Gilda Capapas<br />

Laura Carr<br />

Isis Cendan<br />

Lilla Chin<br />

Stacy Cirrito<br />

Makaylan Clark<br />

Jabbar Clarke<br />

Sabrina Clarke<br />

Jennifer Conner<br />

Lidis Corcho<br />

LaToy Cotton<br />

Megan Cox<br />

Taryn Dadesky<br />

Lashawn Delancy<br />

Blanca Diez Plasencia<br />

Georgia Dixon<br />

Lisa Dobison<br />

Brittany Dupre<br />

Marie Ellis<br />

Laurie Felix-Nicolas<br />

Elaine Fredrickson<br />

Brittanie Gebara<br />

Karinna Gershater<br />

Katrin Gorman<br />

Kelly Grogan<br />

Juan Guanzon<br />

Regla Gutierrez<br />

Sherese Harrison<br />

Angela Hazellief<br />

Delaney Holdt<br />

Elizabeth Hutchinson<br />

Eugene Jacobs<br />

Peyton Janssen<br />

Matilda Jarocki<br />

Taina Jean-Pierre<br />

Jessica Joseph<br />

Katherine Justus<br />

Natalya Keable<br />

Summer Kellogg<br />

Rice Kleya<br />

Nagamani Kota<br />

Alphena Lawrence<br />

Melinda Longlet<br />

Corlina M. Johnson<br />

Phoebe Magana<br />

Ashley Markant<br />

James Marra<br />

Fernanda Martinez<br />

Ahkira McPherson<br />

Paul Mensah<br />

Megan Merritt<br />

Damika Mervilus<br />

Maximilian Mihel<br />

Megan Milbourne<br />

Michaelia Mitchell<br />

Bryanna Murray<br />

Christine Murray<br />

Yanet Musa<br />

Kathleen Navarrete<br />

Nickesha Nelson<br />

Jessie Oliver<br />

Julia Palermo<br />

Tasha Patterson<br />

Kimika Peterkin<br />

Amber Pfeiffer<br />

Terri Pinder<br />

Luisa Plata<br />

Debra Price<br />

Rachel Rairden<br />

Julie Ann Richards-Henry<br />

Priscillia Rinaldy<br />

Maria Rodriguez<br />

Luis Romero<br />

Nicole Rosembert<br />

Allison Rosenberg<br />

Michelle Royal<br />

Shayna Rubio<br />

Andrea Sabdull<br />

Ruth Saint Hurbain<br />

Kimberly Salmon<br />

Kayla Sanderson<br />

Tyler Schaefer<br />

Dneil Schmall<br />

Juan Segura<br />

Kristine Smith<br />

Tracey Soper<br />

Christopher Soto<br />

Cathi Stephens<br />

Sivan Stulberger<br />

Christia Swearingen<br />

Bente Torvund


<strong>August</strong> <strong>2022</strong> The <strong>Florida</strong> <strong>Nurse</strong> Page 23<br />

Welcome New FNA Members<br />

Kerri Ann Uter Bryson<br />

Jyna Valcimond<br />

Daylin Walker<br />

Vicki Wilcoxson<br />

Moraima Yanes<br />

Nicole Young<br />

Dominique Zubrod<br />

Southwest<br />

Jose Amador Mejias<br />

Anna Axley<br />

Juliette Capriles<br />

Caroline Clay<br />

Stefanie Crofton<br />

Christina Dale<br />

Beth DiModica<br />

Melissa Neal Dossett<br />

Mary Anne Enns<br />

Sindy Fox<br />

Angela Gosselin<br />

Cori Hendry<br />

Benjamin Hoffman<br />

Jeanne Hopple<br />

Kristine Howell<br />

Kimberly Jaklitch<br />

Lindsay Jakovac<br />

Bridget Jessop<br />

Laverne Jones<br />

Jessica Lehman<br />

Ronita Loy<br />

Nichole Lynch<br />

Jocelyn Martinez<br />

Salina McLellan<br />

Alysa Memoli<br />

Brynn Mona<br />

Megan Murr<br />

Anisa Musollari<br />

Holly Page<br />

Dawn Papp<br />

Nickisha Parker-Jacobs<br />

Charlene Perno<br />

Wendy Reyes<br />

Thomas Sokol<br />

Jennifer Strahan<br />

Kristine Strumpfler<br />

Renee Stults<br />

Ramon Suarez Carmona<br />

Leslie Taylor<br />

Vivian Thomas<br />

Diancy Torres Garcia<br />

Jennifer Vavrinchik<br />

Jaime Verastegui<br />

South<br />

Karen Abreu Cabrera<br />

Yasmany Acosta<br />

Aria Alberti<br />

Arianna Alvarez<br />

Rosario Alvarez<br />

Patricia Anyamele<br />

Brianna Aponte<br />

Elizabeth Atkinson<br />

Beatriz Bacallao Ravelo<br />

Raquel Baron<br />

Jennifer Barreto-Frie<br />

Kristina Baxter<br />

Lourdes Bazan<br />

Karleen Bien-Aime<br />

Elizabeth Blake<br />

Valerie Borelly<br />

Jan Brodnax<br />

Kerry Cabrera<br />

Gabrielle Caccavale<br />

Lorenzo Calzadilla<br />

Peggy Campbell<br />

Tania Carballo<br />

Alba Carrillo<br />

Carolyn Carter<br />

Giovanni Casines<br />

Stephania Charles<br />

Dorothy Chatelier-Orelus<br />

Shelli Chernesky<br />

Francisco Coronado<br />

Diana Cowan<br />

Andrew Davies<br />

Ceci de Socarraz-Novoa<br />

Arlet Del Toro Gamez<br />

Alexis Delgado<br />

Jeanette Deniz<br />

Astride Desario<br />

Annie Devandara<br />

Margret Diston<br />

Samara Donaldson<br />

Jacobus Duncan<br />

Lyz Eidam<br />

June Ellis<br />

Mimi Farride<br />

Sara Feigenbaum<br />

Maria Francia<br />

Madelina Friedman<br />

Geraldinne Fuentes<br />

Melissa Fundora<br />

Angira Gakhaeva<br />

Robin Gale<br />

Stefanny Gamboa<br />

Valenzuela<br />

Anissa Garces<br />

Mayelin Garcia<br />

Michelle Garcia<br />

Grace Garlobo Rodriguez<br />

Jaimie Geyer<br />

Viviana Giraldo<br />

Sherildan Glynn<br />

Keith Gonzalez<br />

Marilyn Gonzalez<br />

Victor Gonzalez<br />

Hunter Gordon<br />

Lissa Green<br />

Jean Guerrier<br />

Denise Guerrier-Watson<br />

Rhonda Harris<br />

Tajae Harris Townsend<br />

Wendelle Henry<br />

Christopher Hill<br />

Astride Honore<br />

Yvette Howell<br />

Anamaria Hoyos<br />

Brianna Huebner<br />

Lidianis Izquierdo<br />

Marsha Jackson<br />

Sara Jaffe<br />

Ashley Johnson<br />

Robert Jones<br />

Patricia Joseph<br />

Joyce Judovich<br />

Elaine Juliano<br />

Brittany Kava<br />

Anita Komninakis<br />

Margaret Lancaster<br />

Diana Lankenau<br />

Alexandra Laroche<br />

Macrina Lisbey<br />

Luz Lopez<br />

Janelle Lovell<br />

Amber Lubie<br />

Alexis Luria<br />

Nadine Marcellus<br />

Eddy Marcial<br />

Blondel Martin<br />

Aquiles Martinez<br />

Hernandez<br />

Michelle Mendez<br />

Grethel Mercado<br />

Lourdine Mervilus<br />

Luisa Mesa<br />

Lisette Metauten<br />

Yanisleidy Mondeja<br />

Marcia Moodie<br />

Paola Moreaux<br />

Crystal Motay<br />

Morgan Nestingen<br />

Stephanie Ortega<br />

Damian Otano<br />

Helen Del Palacios<br />

Roseline Paraisy<br />

Jennifer Parker<br />

Francisco Paula<br />

Katia Pena<br />

Yelena Perez<br />

Natalie Perotte<br />

Vera Perrett<br />

Amber Petras<br />

Tanya Pintado<br />

Rachel Pittell<br />

Silvio Planas Gonzalez<br />

Blondine Poliard<br />

Glenda Polycarpe<br />

Ruth Pouchie<br />

Javier Quinonez Meza<br />

Anna Rachman<br />

Francesse Raphael-Larose<br />

Sara Reilly<br />

Rosa Rivera<br />

Soraya Roa<br />

Jennifer Rodriguez<br />

Adriana Roque<br />

Maria Rosero<br />

Marta Ross<br />

Yvrose Saintil<br />

Gertrude Saint-Louis<br />

Marc Tito Sangalang<br />

Amal Sarsour<br />

Susan Schiffman<br />

Jackson Sejour<br />

Dionna Shelton<br />

Muhammad Siddiqui<br />

Jessica Sloan<br />

Joan Soria<br />

Gisselle Spina<br />

Rebekah Stage<br />

Cierra Summers<br />

Bonita Talsma<br />

Nassima Taylor<br />

Sarahjane Ternier<br />

Stacy Thalassites<br />

Barbara Torres<br />

Karen Toussaint<br />

Gabriella Tyrrell<br />

Maria Urban<br />

Martha Valdes<br />

Natasha Wilson<br />

Manuel Yee<br />

Other<br />

Iris Bracken<br />

Yadira Garcia<br />

Tiffany Hammond<br />

Hillary Lloyd<br />

Esther Louis<br />

Melissa Lovemore Wright<br />

Rosalee Serju<br />

Theresa Taylor


NURSES MAKE THE<br />

WORLD A BETTER<br />

PLACE.<br />

At NSU, you'll learn how to<br />

deliver patient-centered care<br />

from experienced practitioners<br />

who bring case studies to life.<br />

NSU prepares you to become a<br />

confident, capable, and caring<br />

nursing professional.<br />

Advance your nursing career and get the NSU Edge at nursing.nova.edu. Contact us at<br />

nsu_ nursing@nova.edu or (954) 262-1975.<br />

NSU<br />

<strong>Florida</strong>

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