AACN CHAPTER NEWSLETTER

NOVEMBER 2014

N ews l etter
EDITOR: MARIA OTRAMBA, RN

Presidents Message
By: Diane Brown MSN, RN, CCRN
AACNs theme for this year is Focus the Flame. Each of us has an
internal flame driving our desire for excellence where we make our optimal
contribution. - AACN President Teri Lynn Kiss. The acronym F-I-R-E was
chosen to describe the Fearlessness, Inquiry, Resilience, and Engagement we
need to succeed in todays healthcare environment. You probably joined
AACN and your local GLBOC chapter to help you obtain the expert
knowledge and influence to fulfill your desire to be the best nurse you can
possibly be.
I want to share with you some of the activities and ideas your GLBOC
2014-2015 Board of Directors have put forth this year to help ignite your
passion and focus your flame to lead our profession:

INSIDE THIS ISSUE

PAGE 1
PRESIDENTS MESSAGE
PAGE 2
PRESIDENTS MESSAGE
CONTINUED
PAGE 3
NATIONAL TEACHING
INSTITUTE & CRITICAL
CARE EXPOSITION
PAGE 4
COUNTDOWN TO NTI
MEMBERSHIP INFO.
PAGE 5
MORE ABOUT NTI &
COMMUNITY
INVOLVEMENT
PAGE 6
GENERAL INFORMATION
PAGE 7
MEMBERSHIP INFO
BOD List

Continue the quality educational programs you have come to count on

from GLBOC. We have been so fortunate to be able to provide these
at little to no cost to members through generous vendor support.
Going forward, we will no longer be calling our monthly events
journal club as we long ago out grew the JC format. However, we
will be posting a relevant journal article for topic being presented each
month on our website. Remember to check the AACN database as
this is the email we use to communicate with you.
Go to
www.aacn.org, log-in, go to My Account, then click on Contact
Information and make sure your primary email is correct.

Monthly educational programs will be announced on our website but

the RSVP process will no longer be allowed through the website, as
the process varies each month due to vendor control. To submit your
RSVP, simply follow the directions instructed on the email that
announces the educational program. Our programs are popular and
fill quickly but know that we make every effort to give first priority to
our members and then as space permits, open the program to
nonmembers. We also must work within the dictates of the vendor as
we are their guests.

How to join
PAGE 8
ABOUT AACN
Mission,Vision,Values

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AACN CHAPTER NEWSLETTER

NOVEMBER 2014

.
(Presidents Message continued)
Education

We will be trialing ways to engage our members more at these events with time for
discussion around the topic being presented and sharing what our colleagues at other area
hospitals are doing. This will need to be accomplished as a group showing professional
courtesy to the speaker so as not to resort to table chatter. We love the networking with
past and current colleagues these events provide but please refrain from that during the
formal presentation.

Promote NTI, AACNs premier educational event for critical care nurses which will be in
our own backyard San Diego, May 17-21, 2015! Vivian Norman, veteran of many NTIs,
will be sharing valuable insights about going to and making the most of NTI. Were calling this
Countdown to NTI for first timers and Vivian will be sharing her insights on our website, through the
newsletter, as well as at several of our monthly events. Continue the NTI Registration Scholarship raffle.
Must attend NTI and be present at our Dec. 3 event to win. Worth $420!
Community

We will participate in Toys for Tots as our December Community Outreach. Please bring
an unwrapped toy valued at around $10 on Dec. 3 at Mortons to get an extra NTI
Scholarship raffle ticket! Thank you to those who participated in our November food drive
for SOS.

Navigate the AACN website at a chapter event to provide awareness of the vast amount of
resources available to you: evidence-based resources, clinical toolkits, practice alerts, webinars, CSI
Academy to learn about nurse led innovations addressing priority patient care issues and free online CEs
with your personal transcript record to name but a few!
I would like to wrap up with a quote shared by our AACN Region 19 Chapter Advisor, Angela Benefield: At
times our own light goes out and is rekindled by a spark from another person. Each of us has a cause to think
with deep gratitude of those who have lighted the flame within us Albert Schweitzer.
This reflection fits so well with our AACN theme and also with this time of year when we
celebrate thanksgiving and gratitude. I think we often arent even aware when we provide a
spark or light a flame in another person. It could be as simple as having a positive supportive
attitude after a particularly challenging 12 hour shift with a student nurse you are assigned to.
For that student, you could forever influence their perception of working in critical care. I am
grateful that we have such an engaged local chapter that sparks my drive for excellence in my profession each
month. Are you aware we now are the AACN chapter with the largest number of active members?! I am honored
to be President of GLBOC this year and to be working with both new and long time board members who give so
much of themselves to this organization and our profession. I encourage you to express your gratitude to a
professional mentor or colleague who has
sparked your passion for critical care nursing
and helped you to Focus the Flame.

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AACN CHAPTER NEWSLETTER

NOVEMBER 2014 CHAPTER NEWSLETTER

National Teaching Institute & Critical Care Exposition

Join us in San Diego, May 17 - 21, for NTI 2015 - AACNs National Teaching Institute &
Critical Care Exposition and Advanced Practice Institute - where you can update your
knowledge, refine your skills and always learn something new at the premier
conference for high acuity and critical care nurses.

Never attend NTI?? This year, there is no excuse! NTI will be in

San Diego - so close that you can drive!

NTI provides a level of education,

networking, fun, professional rejuvenation
that will be life-changing for you.
Ask any GLBOC member to share their
experiences.
Take the first step: commit to expand your
professional career by attending NTI!

Countdown to NTI courtesy of Vivian Norman MSN, RN CRN

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What you need to do NOW:

Request the days off: May 17-21, 2015

Talk to friends: find one or two to go with you

Find out what your hospital policy is about outside training,

educational reimbursement, etc.

Talk to your boss about attending the conference with the plan
to bring some new evidence-based practice to your unit and
plan to implement it

What you need to do December - January:

Keep checking the AACN website for the housing

announcements, if you plan to stay in San Diego for the
conference. It is a good idea to book your reservations
through the AACN housing bureau to get the best discounts

Review the hotels carefully and select the one that best
meets your needs book early to ensure you get your first
choice

Ask friends if they want to share the hotel expenses with you,
and if they want to carpool to San Diego

Most hotels are within walking distance of the convention

What you need to do starting in January:

Register for NTI! Were not sure what the cost will be for 2015 NTI,
but the conference has been only $420 for over 10 years, for 4 whole
days! This is a real bargain. (contrast that with other conferences,
like the Magnet conference which is about $900 for a 3-day
conference)
Be sure to register before April, when the price goes up a little
When the registration becomes available, review the preconferences to see if you want to attend (there is an extra charge
for these classes but well worth it)
Are you certified? You wont want to miss the Certification Dinner,
usually held on Tuesday evening of NTI

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AACN CHAPTER NEWSLETTER

NOVEMBER 2014

More about NTI :

LDW Leadership Development Workshop is a whole day pre-conference on Sunday before

NTI. It is a great opportunity for GLBOC chapter leaders to network with leaders from the
other 240 chapters in AACN

Nurses night out is a fun activity that is usually on Wednesday night of NTI

The NTI Expo: Tuesday-Thursday of NTI, you will be able to talk with vendors and have lots
of CEU educational offerings along the way. Are you interested in finding out about the
latest technology that can be used in your unit? This is your chance to see them all, to talk
to the sales reps, to pick up freebies. Quite an experience!

API Advanced Practice Institute, offers classes for APNs. It is like getting two conferences
for the price of one

There are large super sessions Monday-Wednesday. These

are truly amazing: being in one big room with about 6,000
8,000 other nurses

There are 100s of classes often over 20 at one time the

hardest thing is to pick which one you want to attend

Each class has a code to let you know what track it is for:
beginners, API, pharm, EOL, etc. lots of categories of classes

Sign up for the NTI Network, and you can keep track of your
classes, view the ppts, and fill in your evaluation, all from
your mobile device. Email/message the course instructors if
you want more information about their presentations. You can
plan your own educational agenda ahead of time, and preview
ppts, etc, prior to NTI. You dont have to print handouts

Community Involvement submitted by Carol Cox RN, CCRN

Thank you to all who donated nonperishable food items for SOS at our November
meeting at Scott's. As always, your donations will help to feed those who are in need
in Orange County during this Holiday Season. If you were not at the Nov. meeting and
would still like to donate, Iwill be happy to take any food items collected at the December
meeting at Morton's to SOS.
God bless you and your families.
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AACN CHAPTER NEWSLETTER

NOVEMBER 2014

for your information

What are Hashtags?
Using hashtags to categorize Instagrams by keyword: People
use the hashtag symbol # before a relevant keyword in their
instagram to categorize their photos.

New address or e-mail?

Reminder: members please
update your AACN profile on
aacn.org

Create hashtags for your GLBOC photos

#glboc

Monthly Educational
Program :
1st Wednesday of every
month
Check your email for
meeting details or connect
with your Units AACN

Like us on
Type in AACN- Greater Long Beach &
Orange County to find us
Visit our Chapter Website at:
www.aacn.org/glboc

We welcome members from

critical care, telemetry,
progressive care, pediatrics,as
well as other specialty areas.
The common thread is our
enthusiasm for knowledge and
our love of nursing.

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AACN CHAPTER NEWSLETTER

AACN Chapter GLBOC Officers List

2014 - 2015
President

Diane Brown RN, MSN, CCRN

dkbrown26@aol.com

President-Elect

Joy Fumera RN, MSN, PHN

fumera@me.com

Past President

Jennifer Hayakawa DNP, PCNS-BC, CNRN, CCRN

j8cohen@hotmail.com

Treasurer

Bettina Rohrer (Fyffe) RN, BSN, CCRN

jalihat@hotmail.com

Treasurer-Elect

Sandy Dien, RN, BSN, CCRN

Sandy.Dien@gmail.com

Secretary

Karen Edwards, RN, MSN, PCNS-BC, CCRN,

kedwards1815@gmail.com

Program Chair

Linda DeStefano, RN, MSN, CCRN, NP, FCCM

Ldestefano@memorialcare.org

Program Chair

Cher Hagaman CNS, GNP-BC, CCRN-CSC, AACC

cherRN2b@aol.com

Director at Large

Claudia Skinner, RN, MSN, CCRN,

claudia.skinner@stjoe.org

Director at Large

Vivian Norman MSN, RN, CCRN

vnurs@cox.net

Director at Large

Marysol Cacciata RN, MSN, CCRN

Marysol.Cacciata@stjoe.org

Membership CoChair

Anne Lawson RN-BC, MSN, CCRN, CPAN

annelawson@cox.net

Membership CoChair

Maria Rosal RN, BSN, CCRN

mrosal.rn@icloud.com

Webmaster

Maureen Hastor, RN,BSN,CCRN

mhastonrn@gmail.com

Newsletter Chair

Maria Otramba RN, BSN, CCRN

motramba1@roadrunner.com

Hospital Liaisons

Courtney Strifler RN, BSN, CCRN

court.strifler@gmail.com

Hospital Liaisons

Carol Cox RN, CCRN

carells@dslextreme.com

NOVEMBER 2014

ddvv

Membership Corner

Benefits of Joining:
Network with fellow nurses in the Orange County, Los
Angeles and Inland Empire
Monthly journal club meetings
Unlimited free CE
Included subscriptions to Critical Care Nurse, American
Journal of Critical Care, AACN Bold Voices and weekly
AACN e-newsletter
Special member rates and discounts for AACN products
and services
Interested yet?
Come check us out at http://www.aacn.org/DM/
Chapters/WebsiteHome.aspx?
ChapterId=000000326732
Attend one of our monthly programs.
Email Anne (annelawson@cox.net) or Maria Rosal
(mrosal.m@icloud.com) to reserve your place.
CHAPTER MEMBERSHIP FEE
Chapter Membership dues are $25.00 /year or
$60.00 for three years.
A national AACN membership is a requirement for
chapter membership.
Annual rate is $78.00 or you can join during one of
the journal club meetings at a decreased rate of
$69.00
Still Unsure? Try us out!
Attend one of our programs without signing for a
membership for only $10.00.
We are so sure you will want to become a member that
we can consider your fee as part of your annual chapter
dues. Email Anne (annelawson@cox.net) or Maria
Rosal (mrosal.m@icloud.com) so she can reserve your
spot.
Current Members: check your membership status
online
Log-in at www.aacn.org
Click on My Account on light blue banner up top
Click on Check Membership Status or
Chick on Check Chapter Membership Status

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AACN CHAPTER NEWSLETTER

NOVEMBER 2014

About AACN
MISSION

Patients and their families rely on nurses at the most

vulnerable times of their lives. Acute and critical care
nurses rely on AACN for expert knowledge and the
influence to fulfill their promise to patients and their
families. AACN drives excellence because nothing less is
acceptable.

VISION

AACN is dedicated to creating a healthcare system

driven by the needs of patients and families where acute
and critical care nurses make their optimal contribution.

VALUES

As AACN works to promote its mission and vision, it

is guided by values that are rooted in, and arise from,
the Associations history, traditions and culture. AACN,
its members, volunteers and staff will honor the follow
Ethical accountability and integrity in relationships,
organizational decisions and stewardship of resources.
Leadership to enable individuals to make their
optimal contribution through lifelong learning, critical
thinking and inquiry.
Excellence and innovation at every level of the
organization to advance the profession.
Collaboration toensure quality patient-and familyfocused care.

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