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GWAC Critical Care Chronicle 1

GWAC Critical Care Chronicle


Volume 14, Issue 4 June 2014

The Presidents Message
Brett Dodd, RN, CEN, CCRN, CFRN

It has been a great honor being the president of
the GWAC chapter. Vicki Good challenged all of
us to step forward over the last year and we did.
The GWAC Chapter had many successes over the
past year, as did our many of our members. Our
board of directors and members continued our
chapters rich traditions and continued to offer
meaningful education opportunities around the
area. Our chapter faces many new challenges
over the next year, but under the guidance of
GWACs new chapter president Karen Mack, I
have no doubt our chapter will be up to the
challenge. Now its time for us to build on our
successes and focus the flame for 2014-15!


















Treasurers Report








Fiscal Year 2014
GWAC Board of Directors
President: Brett Dodd, RN, CEN, CCRN, CFRN
President Elect: Karen Mack, RN, MS, MBA,
ACNP
Immediate Past President: Kelly McNeil-Jones,
RN, MBA, RCIS
Recording Secretary: Lori C. Dodd, RN, BSN,
CEN
Education Chair: Marianne Hess, RN, MSN,
CCRN
Membership Chair: Carolee Beckford, RN, CCRN
Newsletter Editor: Alisa Olson, RN-BC, MSN,
CCRN
Spotlight Chair: Lori C. Dodd, RN, BSN, CEN
Spring Spotlight Chair: Northern Consortium:
Nancy Munro, RN, CCRN, CRNP
Student Liaison: vacant
Region IV Advisor: Helen Hughes, RN, BSN,
CCRN

GWAC Critical Care Chronicle 2

Alisa Olson, MSN, RN-BC, CCRN

New CCRNs
Toni Baker, RN, CCRN, Charge Nurse in the ICU,
Shady Grove Adventist Hospital
Abby Pairitz, RN, CCRN, Surgical ICU, Medstar
Georgetown University Hospital
Julie Gordon, RN, CCRN ICU, Inova Fair Oaks
Hospital

New PCCNs
Marianne Merza, RN, CCRN, MedStar Georgetown
University Hospital
Megan Berard, RN, CCRN, MedStar Georgetown
University Hospital
Grace Park, RN, PCCN, MedStar Georgetown
University Hospital

New GWAC Secretary



Congratulations to Theresa Cattuna who stepped
forward and won the election as the new GWAC
Secretary. Theresas involvement in the Greater
Washington Area Chapter of the AACN began while
she was a student in the GWU Accelerated Nursing
Program. As a student, she and her classmates
participated in the 2013 Spotlight on Critical Care
Conference. After graduating in December 2013,
Theresa started her first RN job. She joined the
Spotlight Education Committee this year and attended
the Region IV Leadership Workshop where she spoke
about student-nurse chapter involvement. Were
excited to have Theresa on the BOD for 2014-15!

GWAC congratulates Nancy Munro, RN, MN,
CCRN, ACNP-BC on her selection as a Fellow of the
American Association of Nurse Practitioners
(FAANP).

The FAANP program was started in 2000 to recognize
nurse practitioner leaders who have made outstanding
contributions to health care through clinical practice,
research, education, or policy. She is one of the 76
nurse practitioner (NP) leaders, as well as one
Honorary Fellow (FAANP (H)) inducted into FAANP
on June 19, 2014 during the AANP National
Conference at in Nashville, Tennessee. Nancy and her
FAANP colleagues continue the tradition of impacting
national and global health through their outstanding
contributions. Fellows of AANP are visionaries and, as
such, hold an annual think tank to strategize about the
future of nurse practitioners and health care.

Nancy served as this year's Spotlight on Advanced
Practice Nursing Chair and is a past AACN National
Board Member. She practices as Senior Acute-Care
Nurse Practitioner National Institutes of Health in the
Critical Care Medicine Department/ Pulmonary
Consult Service. Nancy is also one of the recipients of
the Washingtonians first Excellence in Nursing
Awards in 2001. She is the author of numerous articles
and textbooks and presents both locally and nationally
on critical care and advanced practice nursing.




Other Accomplishments
Marianne E. Hess MSN, RN, CCRN, Education
Coordinator at George Washington University
Hospital spoke at The Eugene B. Casey
Cardiovascular Conference in Middleton, VA on April
11
th
& 12
th
, 2014. Her presentation was entitled Boy
am I tired. Is there a link between fatigue and patient
safety?

GWAC Critical Care Chronicle 3



GWAC Transition Program

Our second annual GWAC Transition Program was
held at Suburban Hospital on June 7, 2014. GWAC
members interested in participating in planning
opportunities and leading the chapter were introduced
to chapter operations. We also heard a great lecture on
Moral Courage presented by Betsy Moran, USG
Director of Education. It was nice to see new faces,
network with members, and hear great new ideas. If
you couldnt make it and still want to participate, there
are a lot of opportunities. Please visit our website at
www.gwac-aacn.org and contact any of our board
members or contact me directly at
brettdodd@msn.com.



Dedication to Nursing Education

GWAC presented immediate past president Kelly
McNeil-Jones, RN, BSN, MBA, RCIS and The
Medicines Company an award at a recent dinner
meeting. Wed like to thank Kelly and The Medicines
Company for their continued for collaboration,
commitment, and, support of nursing education and
excellence in nursing. Through their support, GWAC
has been able to offer nursing education opportunities
locally and outside of our region. Kelly has especially
been active offering numerous opportunities for
student nurses. Thanks again for all you do and
stepping forward over the past year!



NTI Denver 2014:
The GWAC Experience

By Karen Mack, RN, MS,
MBA, ACNP-C, CHFN,
GWAC President-Elect

From the time GWAC members "Stepped Forward"
into Denver, it was apparent that this year's National
Teaching Institute in Denver was going to be an
amazing experience. There were over 6,000 nurses
who attended this year's conference.

The Preconference Schedule included the Chapter
Leadership Development Workshop. AACN Region
IV Chapter Advisor, Helen Hughes, GWAC 2001-
2012 President, from Suburban Hospital was one of
the conference coordinators.

Karen Mack, GWAC President-Elect and Kelly
McNeil-Jones, GWAC Past President attended this
workshop. Discussion with chapter leaders from all
over the country reflected common themes: the need
be responsible in managing our finances and the
importance of including chapter leadership reflective
of the full diversity of the membership, including
nursing students and progressive care and telemetry
unit nurses.

NTI Supersessions were emceed by longtime NTI host
Beatrice Berry and had amazing speakers including
Christine Cashen who humorously challenged us with
her mission to "Stop Global Whining" , Alex Sheen
creator of the "Because I said I would" social
movement and Brene Brown, who has also been
featured on Oprah. Vicki Goode this year's President
reminded us of how AACN members have "Stepped
Forward" to lead and contribute over the past year.
These sessions also featured several GWAC members
who are on the National Board of Directors- Sonia
Astle and Karen Kesten. Vickie Lindgren contributed
to the excellence of the event as she served on this
year's NTI Advanced Practice Institute National
Committee. Additionally Karen McQuillan, from
Region IV will be this year's AACN President-Elect.
GWAC members provided NTI session presentations-
Nancy Munro, Helen Brown, Kiersten Henry, Allen
Wolfe, and Donna Stanczak. Julie Stanik-Hutt who
was one of the keynote speakers at GWAC's Spotlight
on Advanced Practice Nursing 2014 received the
AACN Flame of Excellence award honoring her
contribution to nursing practice. GWAC members also
had posters presented at this year's NTI.
GWAC Critical Care Chronicle 4


There was relaxation at the Chapter Networking Night
with two chapters from California sponsored by the
Medicine's Company. This event was attended by
members from several DC area hospitals.
















The Nurses Night Off featured a trip to the Denver
Zoo and the Denver Museum of Nature and Science.
The Certification Dinner was also a fun evening that
honored the accomplishments of certified nurses. A
few GWAC members made it to a Colorado Rockies
game too!












The conference ended with Teri Kiss, the incoming
AACN President announcing this year's theme: Focus
the Flame.



If you were not able to attend NTI this year, be sure to
come to our GWAC's Spotlight on Critical Care on
November 1, 2014 when we plan to have a Focus the
Flame keynote address. Consider a plan to attend NTI
2015 in San Diego which will be a great time to
become "fired up" about your nursing practice.

Allen Wolfe GWAC President 2009-2010 presented at
NTI.



GWAC Critical Care Chronicle 5
29
th
Annual GWAC-AACN
Spotlight on Critical Care 2014
November 1, 2014

Call for Poster Abstracts


Check out the
Greater Washington Area Chapters
E-STORE!
http://ces.landsend.com/GWACAACN



Showcase your unit and receive a registration discount!

Abstracts for poster presentations for the Spotlight on Critical Care Conference
must address either Research or Evidenced-based Solutions and may not be
more than 300 words. Two winners will be selected; one winner from each
category will receive a free Spotlight registration for 2015. Submit abstracts to
Sonia Astle (sonia.astle@inova.org) or Dianne Aguilar td7@georgetown.edu.
For more information call Sonia Astle at 703-776-3061. The deadline for
abstract submission is September 29, 2014. Go to the GWAC website for
poster submission instructions (www.gwac-aacn.org).

This year Spotlight will be held at the Doubletree Hotel in Bethesda, MD.

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