Future of Nursing in MI - August 2022

August, September, October 2022 The Future of Nursing in Michigan Page 3
MESSAGE FROM THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
“Inclusion is not a matter of political correctness. It’s the
key to growth.” – Jesse Jackson
As we look to the recent past, there has been a need
for resiliency and a theme of overcoming. As we look
forward and imagine our future, I recognize a desire for
more inclusivity and a necessity for unity. Fortunately,
ANA-Michigan’s members and leaders continue to drive
initiatives and design policies and procedures to restore
what has been and forge a stronger future. We have
learned much through the pandemic, including what
Tobi Lyon,
MBA, CAE
we need to unlearn. Like anything else, I am hopeful that through listening,
deliberation, action, and advocacy, our nurses will leverage their compassion
and commitment to their profession to see and hear one another so that
the next generation can go further. Managing the complexities of modern
healthcare while trying to leave things and each other better than we found
them is no small undertaking – but neither is nursing. So, let’s keep going.
This is where your ANA membership comes in; you and your colleagues
bring your voices to the issues nurses face through the opportunities ANA
offers. By serving on committees and other leadership roles, you impact the
topics discussed that affect nurses in Michigan. I encourage you to continue
this work and to urge your fellow nurses who are not yet members to add
their voices to the critical nursing issues in 2022 and beyond.
You can read the ANA Membership Assembly’s full report. Still, I want
to reiterate the success of what was accomplished and commend all
participants, representatives, and constituents for their efforts, dialogue,
and strategy influencing solutions and outcomes. Much of what we are
focused on in our current initiatives is a byproduct of what was determined
during this time together.
From tributing board members and those lost to COVID-19 to tackling
workplace violence issues and President Grant’s annual report, our
community came together in person to honor, challenge, and support
one another. The next Town Hall on August 18 has been designed with the
Membership Assembly’s objectives in mind and will serve as an open forum
for our nurses to join the conversation about DEI and what we can do to
honor ANA’s Racial Reckoning Statement. If you can’t join this Town Hall,
which is free to members and non-members, make sure you follow our event
page on our website or look for them in our weekly e-newsletter sent every
Friday.
Do you want to develop additional leadership skills that will help you excel
in the workplace? If so, attend our newly launched virtual Empowered Leader
Series, which starts on September 13 and occurs once a week for six weeks
in the evenings. If you don’t, others in your network may benefit from this
series, so consider passing this information on to them and encourage them
to register. I promise you this will be like no other educational opportunity
you have ever attended before and will push you in new ways that will
empower your future.
Our Education Committee is excited about the upcoming annual
conference, which will be held on February 23 and 24, 2023, at the Blue
Water Convention Center in Port Huron. Have you added these dates to
your calendar? If not, make sure you do, as this will be a great time to shake
off those winter blues and re-energize with your colleagues. This will be an
opportunity for Michigan nurses to connect and discuss key topics, including
restoring passion for nursing, innovation, DEI, full practice authority,
workplace violence, and safe staffing levels in all care settings. Save the date
and plan to attend!
Fall is just around the corner, which means we will soon be putting out the
call for completing a consent to serve form to join one of our committees
or to serve on the board of directors. This is a great way to expand your
network connections and share your talents with the association by being a
part of driving the future of nursing in Michigan. This call will be coming out
to you in September and October.
Fun fact for this issue: Did you know that more than 75 individuals applied
for scholarships and grants that are available for those planning to enter
nursing? I am proud that the ANA-Michigan Foundation is always looking
toward the future by supporting nursing through financial assistance. You
can find more information about the scholarships on the ANA-MI Foundation
website.
We should continue to embody all those we represent (or, in our case, care
for), and that is everyone. While I could go on and on about the work of nurses,
the efforts of ANA-Michigan, and the shifting tide and reckoning that is upon us,
it is time to listen. So, I am setting even my highest esteem and coming to the
table with ears open and a whole heart. I encourage each of you to do the same.