Florida Nurse - August 2022

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Page 14 The Florida Nurse August 2022 Member’s Voice Todd’s Paralysis: Know the Signs Ashley Davis Ashley Davis Ashley is currently working as a rapid response team nurse. Ashley’s nursing career began in 2014. Ashley’s primary background is in emergency nursing. She is currently enrolled at the University of South Alabama to become a dual certified FNP/ AGACNP. She lives with her husband and two daughters in Pensacola, Florida. “Todd’s paralysis is a neurological condition experienced by individuals with epilepsy, in which a seizure is followed by a brief period of temporary paralysis. The paralysis may be partial or complete but usually occurs on just one side of the body” (National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, 2022). The importance of being aware of Todd’s Paralysis is that the signs and symptoms of this disorder are very similar to those of a stroke (National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, 2022). Observable signs can include flattened nasolabial fold, upper and/ or lower extremity weakness, and more. Todd’s Paralysis occurs after a patient has experienced an epileptic seizure. The symptoms can last between thirty minutes and up to thirty-six hours, with an average time of symptoms lasting approximately fifteen hours (National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, 2022). Mastriana et al. (2022) report that the current understanding regarding the cause of Todd’s Paralysis signs and symptoms is when a patient experiences a seizure there is exhaustion and/or hypo-perfusion of the area of the brain that controls the area of the body that becomes paralyzed for a period. As that portion of the brain recovers from the epileptic state, the symptoms diminish and eventually go away. If it is suspected that your patient is experiencing Todd’s Paralysis, it is imperative to notify the patient’s attending physician and/or neurology team, and to complete a thorough neurological assessment. The patient may require a CT scan of the brain, antiepileptic medications, as well as other diagnostics and/or treatments. References Mastriana, J., Pay, J. L., De Jesus, O., & Taylor, R. S. (2022, May 9). Todd paresis. StatPearls. Retrieved June 21, 2022, from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK532238/ National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke. (2022, April 25). Todd’s paralysis. NIH. Retrieved June 21, 2022, from https://www.ninds.nih.gov/health-information/ disorders/todds-paralysis#:~:text=Publications- ,Definition,one%20side%20of%20the%20body. Currently hiring faculty in Florida for all specialty areas. We change the life of one to care for the lives of many Student Success, Institutional Excellence, Relationships, Stewardship Galen College is currently hiring expert educators and committed professionals in all areas of expertise whose guidance and experience contribute to the success of thousands of students entering the nursing field every year. Must have MSN, DNP or PhD degree St. Petersburg, Gainesville, Pembroke Pines, Sarasota galencollege.edu/careers Voting as Nursing Advocacy Charlotte D. Barry PhD & Savina O. Schoenhofer PhD Contact info: cbarry@health.fau.edu savibus@gmail.com “ANA believes that advocacy is a pillar of nursing. Nurses instinctively advocate for their patients, in their workplaces, and in their communities; but legislative and political advocacy is no less important to advancing the profession and patient care.” Advocacy (nursingworld.org) The most basic practice of advocacy is also the most basic practice of citizenship – voting. In the US, voting is the mechanism for political expression in a way that matters most. However, research has found that nurses and other healthcare professionals have a lower likelihood of voting than members of professions such as teaching, engineering and the law. (https://www. ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7822395/). We need to do better in order to live up to our commitment to advocacy for ourselves, for our patients and for the healthcare system in general. What are some practical ways to help us improve the record of voting? Allow us to suggest one avenue that is readily accessible – the League of Women Voters. It needs to be said up front that the League of Women Voters is not just for women – it’s for all persons, men and women, of all political persuasions, all demographic groups. The League’s motto is “Empowering Voters – Defending Democracy.” The Florida League of Women Voters (Home - League of Women Voters of Florida (lwvfl.org)) has much to offer, whether or not you are a member. They have well researched position papers on various relevant issues, they sponsor local and statewide in-person and online Voter Forum opportunities prior to every election, they provide information about the how-to’s and when-to’s of voter registration and voting in-person, online and by mail. One of the most valuable services available through the League of Women Voters is the website called Vote 411 (https://www.vote411.org/). At Vote 411, you can find out when and where to register and vote and get information about candidates for office - just go to https://vote.411.org and put in your address for valuable details that will help you plan your voting experience. As part of the League of Women Voters’ commitment to Empowering Voters, the League engages in extensive Get Out The Vote (GOTV) efforts. Some examples of these efforts include posting signs with registration deadlines and voting dates, writing postcards to voters to remind/encourage them to vote, and offering rides to the polls on election day. So, if you would like to help raise the percentages of nurse involvement in empowering voters, please consider joining your local League of Women Voters. Use Vote411.org to check out candidates and find your polling place. Share the resource of Vote411.org with your colleagues, your patients, your family and friends. That’s a wonderful way to honor your commitment to advocacy as a pillar of nursing! References Solnick, R. E., Choi, H., & Kocher, K. E. (2022). Voting behavior of physicians and healthcare professionals. J Gen Intern Med, 36, pp. 1169-1171. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7822395/ The League of Women Voters of Florida. (2022). https://lwvfl.org/ Vote 411. (2022). https://www.vote411.org/
August 2022 The Florida Nurse Page 15 How can I get involved in FNA? This is a question we hear often from both new and seasoned members of FNA. Sometimes, they are new, have settled in their job and are ready to add professional involvement to their “resume” of activities. Often, they are older members who have always intended to become more involved and decided this was the time. Others have retired and have more time to dedicate to advocacy efforts. No matter what the situation we feel we have SOMETHING that members can sink their teeth into. Governance Level FNA has opportunities for the FNA Board of Directors, the Florida Nurses Foundation Board of Trustees and the Florida Nurses Political Action Committee. These are “executive” and board level positions that provided leadership to important entities of the association. The work includes quarterly meetings which are currently mostly virtual and perhaps some quick meeting in-between to take care of emergent business. The FNA Board determines the directions and actions of the association and steers it toward the mission while overseeing the financial status and managing the strategic plan. The Foundation oversees the philanthropy arm of the association by overseeing the Grants and Scholarship Program and creating fundraising opportunities to grow the funds. Like the FNA Board they also provide governance and fiscal oversight. The FN- PAC board oversees the process for endorsement of political candidates and promotes fundraising and donations to the PAC. They also meet multiple times a year but most frequently during elections. Standing Committees Like most organizations, FNA has standing committees that are a part of the governance structure. The Bylaws Committee oversees the governing document of the association and review them regularly to ensure that they are serving the organization in a way that supports the mission and complies with best practice. This committee is great for individuals who love organization, structure, and order. The Reference Committee promotes, writes and receives Reference Proposals from members or Structural units with our position statement of importance that the association might make. These are brought before the Membership Assembly and discussed and voted on. If they are adopted, they become a position of the association. This committee would be great for a member who understands and is passionate about an issue and who is adept at editing and evaluating content. The Membership Committee works on initiatives and strategies to promote and preserve membership in the professional association. This committee would be great for a creative member who is excited about the association and wants to inspire and motivate others to join. Creativity is a great attribute for a member of this committee. Task Forces Task Forces are time-limited groups formed for a specific purpose. Currently, the Pandemic and Disaster Task Force and the JEDI Task Force are active groups within FNA. We are also in the process of starting a Workforce Violence Task Force to look at the ongoing problem of violence against nurses. External organizations Other organizations and entities sometimes seek out FNA for nursing representatives. Currently, Debbie Hogan has served on the Child Abuse Death Review Committee (CADR) and Patty Geddie serves on the Cancer Control Advisory Board or CCRAB, in a position specifically designated for FNA. There is also a position on the Florida Center for Nursing Board that is an FNA specific slot. We have representation on the Quality and Unity in Nursing (QUIN) Council and we have many members on the Florida Action Coalition. We have representatives on the Florida Coalition of Advanced Practice Nurses as well, which is a group we help to form. Bill Pruitt and Valerie Morrison represent FNA on the Nurses on Boards Coalition (NOBC) where we disseminate information about board opportunities for our members. Other opportunities Do you have expertise in a topic? Present a webinar or CE for us. Serve as a reviewer! We have reviewers for grants, scholarships, research projects, awards, abstracts for poster sessions and speakers for conferences. Serving as a reviewer is a short-term contribution that has great value to the association. This is an overview of some great engagement opportunities in the Florida Nurses Association. Don’t be afraid to dip your toe in the water and any level that feels comfortable to you. We look forward to working with you! Ad Hoc Committees The Finance Committee is a committee of the Board of Directors (and other appointed members) who oversee the association finances and report to the Board (at each official meeting) and the Membership Assembly. They create a proposed budget which is then approved by the Board of Directors and is then utilized to make sure the association is fiscally solvent. This committee is appointed by the president. Awards Committee The Awards Committee is also appointed by the President. They score the awards each year and make the selections for the FNA Peer Recognition Awards. The awards have been created by leadership over the years and also have been amended or completely changed by various committees. Nominations are sought from the membership and the committee receives those nominations. Special Interest Groups (SIGs) Special Interest Groups are created by the members upon request. They must have 10 interested members to form a SIG and each SIG defines it goals and purposes. Currently we have the Health Policy SIG, The Nursing Ethics SIG, the Research SIG, the Recent Graduate SIG, and the Holistic Nurses SIG. Several SIGs have been closed over the years due to lack of activity which is the beauty of a group formed by members. They determine if it is viable and valuable. The SIGs have also met virtually since their inception but have the option for in-person events. At one time the Recent Graduate SIG did several meetups in the state via our Meetup.com account. American Nurses Association Opportunities FNA members may also become involved at the national level, including running for office, serving on committees, running for ANA delegate in our elections and attending the ANA Membership Assembly. We have had several ANA board members, including Dr. Edward Briggs who was very recently elected. We also have several members serving on committees at the current time.
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