“We commend Representative Cox and Senator Argall for their commitment to Pennsylvania’s nurses,” stated PSNA Chief Executive Officer Betsy M. Snook, MEd, BSN, RN. “The General Assembly and the Governor understand that the misuse of the title ‘Nurse’ can pose a serious threat to patient care, trust and safety. We applaud their overwhelming support of this legislation.”

According to the 2011 Gallup poll, nurses continue to outrank other professions in the annual “Honesty and Ethics” survey. Eighty-one percent of Americans say nurses have very-high or high honesty and ethical standards. Therefore, when someone says they are a nurse, it carries with it the underpinning of honesty and integrity.

“Whether we’re in a hospital, a doctor’s office or a community health center, nurses are often the first people we see when we walk through the door. Because of their expertise, they are trusted to be the frontline of America’s health care system,” said First Lady Michelle Obama. “That’s why Jill and I knew we could turn to America’s nurses and nursing students to help our veterans and military families get the world-class care that they’ve earned. It’s clear from today’s announcement that the nursing community is well on its way to serving our men and women in uniform and their families.”

“Nurses are at the center of providing lifesaving care in communities across the country – and their reach is particularly important because our veterans don’t always seek care through the VA system,” said Dr. Jill Biden. “This commitment is essential to ensuring our returning service men and women receive the care they deserve.”

“PSNA is committed to educating our members, nursing students and the nursing community on both the psychological and physical wounds of war,” said PSNA Chief Executive Officer Betsy M. Snook, MEd, BSN, RN. “We are proud to say that in October 2011, The Chad F. Cope Memorial Fund, which was started through the Nursing Foundation of Pennsylvania (NFP), was created to support PTSD education for nurses and caregivers.”  Recent articles published on this subject by PSNA include:

• “Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF) and Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF) Military Mental Health Issues: Information on the Wars’ Signature Wounds” by Diane Wieland, Melodee Hursey and Deborah Delgado
• “Understanding the Impact of War Zone Experiences: A Primer for Civilian Nurses” by Jane Brennan
• “A Life Changing Journey: From the PSNA Summit to Landstuhl Regional Medical Center” by Carol-Grace Toussie Weingarten
• “Military Sexual Trauma” by Diane M. Wieland, Jenna L. Haley and Michelle Bouder

The invisible wounds of war, PTSD and TBI, have impacted approximately 1 in 6 of our troops returning from Afghanistan and Iraq – more than 300,000 veterans. And since 2000, more than 44,000 of those troops have suffered at least a moderate-grade TBI. Veterans seeking care within the Veterans Affairs (VA) health system are often treated by health care professionals who have received extensive training in mental health issues. But the majority of veterans in the country seek care outside of the VA system – they usually visit their local hospital staffed by nurses and doctors in their communities. That’s why today’s announcement will be so significant for our troops and their families. America’s nurses are trusted partners in providing lifesaving and life-sustaining care in nearly every community and every setting where health care is delivered. They can make a dramatic and positive impact on the long-term health of hundreds of thousands of veterans. And they are eager to understand the needs of those who have served, to recognize the warning signs of PTSD, depression or suicide, and to know where to send them for help.

Nursing leaders have also committed to disseminating effective models for care and to sharing the most up-to-date information on these conditions across academic and practice settings. By working to expand the body of clinical knowledge in this arena and by partnering with other health care providers and institutions, nursing leaders across the country will continue to advance high quality treatment for these conditions in every community.

ANA commits to reaching 3.1 million registered nurses in America by 2015 to raise awareness of PTSD, TBI and depression among veterans, military service members and their families.  The ANA is coordinating a major campaign involving over 150 nursing organizations that will reach millions of nurses on health issues relevant to veterans and their families. Partnering organizations include the American Association of Colleges of Nursing, American Organization of Nurse Executives, American Academy of Nurse Practitioners, American Psychiatric Nurses Association, American Association of Neuroscience Nurses, Association of Rehabilitation Nurses, the National League of Nurses, federal nurses of the military and public health services, and the Department of Veterans Affairs. Together with these partnering organizations, ANA will:

• Educate America’s future nurses to care for our nation’s veterans, service members and their families facing PTSD, TBI, depression and other clinical issues;
• Enrich nursing education to ensure that current and future nurses are educated and trained in the unique clinical challenges and best practices associated with caring for military service members, veterans and their families;
• Disseminate the most up-to-date information as it relates to TBI and psychological health conditions, such as PTSD;
• Grow the body of knowledge leading to improvements in health care and wellness for our military service members, veterans and their families; and
• Lead and advance the supportive community of nurses, institutions and health care providers dedicated to improving the health of military service members, veterans and their families.

“Compassion for the underrepresented and underserved population in the elderly is a research area that begs for an advocate. That advocacy is found in Dr. Earl Goldberg.” 

 “Ruth McDermott-Levy’s passion for environmental health has led her to Harrisburg and Washington, DC where she advocated for cleaner air and water.”

 “Dr. Donna Ayers Snelson has established a Center of Nursing History in Northeastern PA, devoted to strengthening the identity of local nurses and nursing.”

These are only a few of the inspirational statements submitted on behalf of the 2011 PSNA Award recipients. Help us continue to recognize outstanding nurses, nursing initiatives and nurse advocates.

Nursing Awards 2012

We look forward to honoring our 2012 award recipients at our Annual Nursing Awards Ceremony on Thursday, November 1, 2012 at DeSales University.

Nominations

PSNA will be accepting nominations through August 1, 2012.  This year’s categories are:

• Distinguished Nurse Award
• Nursing Practice Award
• Nurse as Global Citizen Award
• Advocacy-Legislative Award
• Nursing Research Award
• Nursing Education Award
• Administration-Management Award
• John Heinz Friend of Nursing Award
• Emerging Nurse Leader Award
• District Excellence Award
• Courage, Commitment and Compassion Award

To view a list of previous PSNA award winners, click here.

“This year, Senator Argall was a driving force for representing nurses in the State Senate,” stated PSNA Chief Executive Officer Betsy M. Snook, MEd, BSN, RN. “Senator Argall’s support was notable during PSNA’s 2011 Legislative Day where he attended our Nurses Week Declaration, met with constituents and spoke about his pursuit for Nurse Title Protection, which will soon pass into law. We are proud to have him as a friend of nursing.”

Senator Argall is the Senate sponsor of Nurse Title Protection (HB 469 & 470), which will assure quality patient care by licensed professionals by protecting the title of “Nurse” to those educated and holding a license to practice in the Commonwealth. In addition, it will avoid misrepresentation among the public from individuals who are unlicensed, and avoid inaccurate or even dangerous advice that could be given to a patient by an unlicensed professional. These bills were passed by the State Senate primarily due to the work of Senator Argall.

“In the April primary election, we believe there is one clear choice for the voters of the 29^th Senatorial District,” Snook added. “We endorse Senator David Argall for re-election.”

The Pennsylvania State Nurses Association (PSNA) is the non-profit voice for nurses in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Representing more than 208,000 nurses, the Association works to be essential in advancing, promoting and supporting the profession of nursing to improve health for all in the Commonwealth. PSNA is a constituent member of the American Nurses Association (www.panurses.org).

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