The COVID-19 pandemic halted traditional in-person meetings and events, but the ANA Enterprise quickly pivoted to provide governance for the association virtually and offer the same timely and relevant content its constituencies expect, in an online format.
MEMBERSHIP ASSEMBLY
More than 400 nurses and advocates consisting of constituent and state nurses associations and individual member division representatives, organizational affiliates and the ANA Board of Directors gathered virtually on June 19 for ANA’s yearly Membership Assembly. In this unprecedented online format, attendees conducted the association’s business, elected officers, and discussed crucial issues of the nursing profession.
On the heels of George Floyd’s murder, prior to convening, the Assembly adopted the Resolution on Racial Justice for Communities of Color.
TRI-COUNCIL FOR NURSING COVID-19 VIRTUAL SUMMIT
ANCC VIRTUAL SUMMIT™
Nurses remained committed to excellence in patient care despite the upheaval of the pandemic. This tenet resonated throughout the ANCC Virtual Summit™, October 7-8. Enthusiastic attendees learned from subject matter experts, connected with colleagues and exhibitors, participated in special events, and enjoyed a robust live event in a new format.
In October, the U.S. Department of Labor recognized the ANCC Practice Transition Accreditation Program® as a Standards Recognition Entity.
ANCC PTAP was among an inaugural cohort of only 18 organizations so recognized to bolster high-quality Industry-Recognized Apprenticeship Programs (IRAP)— new industry-driven and customizable apprenticeships that provide individuals with opportunities to obtain relevant workplace knowledge and progressively advance skills.
CHAMPLAIN VALLEY PHYSICIAN HOSPITAL RECEIVED IRAP RECOGNITION THROUGH ANCC PTAP
“The IRAP recognition allowed our organization to apply for and receive grant funding to expand opportunities for our new graduate nurses as they transition to practice at the bedside. The programs and supplemental education this grant funded will be implemented to improve the graduate nurses’ confidence and competence. This would not have been possible without the IRAP designation.”
ABBY BENNETT AND CARLY HAAG
ANA, ANCC, and the Foundation honored nurses and organizations with notable achievements and contributions to nursing in 2020.
NIKEYIA DAVIS, MBA-HCM, BSN, RN, CNN, ANA-MICHIGAN
“When you work with patients with chronic conditions over 10 or 15 years, you develop strong bonds. So it’s very difficult for staff when they lose a life.”
MIKE HASTINGS, MSN, RN, CEN, EMERGENCY NURSES ASSOCIATION
“This is really a marathon for us. The only way nurses are going to get through this is by working together.”
Due to the pandemic, Nikeyia Davis, found herself suddenly having to adapt to using telehealth equipment to assess home dialysis patients, as well as providing even more emotional support to those who came to her outpatient clinic for their life-saving treatments.
“There was a huge learning curve for physicians and nurses using telehealth,” said Davis, ANA-Michigan board secretary. “Nurses’ [telehealth] assessments for issues like fluid overload really had to be on point to make sure our patients were able to remain at home.” She also spoke of patient losses.
“When you work with patients with chronic conditions over 10, 15 years, you develop strong bonds,” she said. “So it’s very difficult for staff when they lose a life. And when patients who already are scared about getting COVID-19 come to the clinic and no longer see their ‘neighbor’ who sat next to them for years and who passed away from the virus, it’s really upsetting for them.”
Davis knows how important it is to have support from colleagues. She attended online town halls held by ANA-Michigan, participated in online community groups, and relied on certain coworkers who could pull her up when she was feeling down.
Davis became ill from COVID-19, but fortunately didn’t need to be hospitalized. A self-proclaimed “foodie,” Davis wasn’t able to taste or smell fully, but she said that she shouldn’t complain. “It’s mentally draining, and I still worry,” Davis said. “I’ve seen so many people pass away and I can’t help but think, ‘I survived. What makes me so special?’”
This story was originally published in the September 2020 issue of ANA’s official journal, American Nurse in ANA on the Frontline.
Individuals delaying care because of the pandemic became such an issue in 2020, particularly in areas where COVID-19 was surging, that the Emergency Nurses Association (ENA) and the American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP) launched a major media effort urging the public to not delay care for medical emergencies.
According to an ACEP-Morning Consult poll, 80% of Americans said they were concerned about contracting COVID-19 from a health care facility, and almost one-third reported delaying care because of their concerns.
“People who are having chest pain or stroke-like symptoms are putting off care or thinking it’s not ‘bad enough,’ because they are afraid of contracting COVID-19 if they come into the emergency department [ED],” said ENA President Mike Hastings, MSN, RN, CEN. ENA is an organizational affiliate of ANA.
Hastings has witnessed this hesitancy firsthand. He recalled a man in his early 40s who was experiencing shortness of breath for several days before coming to the ED in Washington state, where Hastings is a clinical manager. The patient later died.
Conversely, Hastings added that in certain areas where COVID-19 activity is low, emergency nurses reported that they have been furloughed or have had their shifts canceled. At Hasting’s ED, the caseload has gone from about 150 patients per day when COVID-19 transmission was particularly high to only 70 patients on a recent day. But the levels are unpredictable, making it difficult to be proactive with staffing, he said.
Finally, Hastings offered this message: “This is really a marathon for us. The only way nurses are going to get through this is by working together.”
This story was originally published in the September 2020 issue of ANA’s official journal, American Nurse in ANA on the Frontline.
ANA HALL OF FAME
ANA established the nursing Hall of Fame to recognize individual nurses’ commitments to the nursing profession and their impact on the health and social history of the United States.
2020 INDUCTEES
Rose Constantino, PhD, JD, RN, FACFE, FAAN, Pennsylvania State Nurses Association
Jeri Milstead, PhD, NEA-BC, FAAN, RN, Ohio Nurses Association
Tim Porter-O’Grady, DM, EdD, APRN, FAAN, FACCWS, Georgia Nurses Association
ANA HONORARY AWARDS
Honorary Award recipients are highly accomplished registered nurses who are recognized for their outstanding service to the profession in categories ranging from diversity to patient advocacy to legislative successes.
DISTINGUISHED PRACTICE IN NURSING AWARDS
Distinguished Direct Patient Care
Vicki Freedenberg, PhD, RN, Maryland Nurses Association
Foundations of Nursing Practice
Kimberly Bagley, DNP, RN, AGPCNP-BC, AGACNP-BC, CCRN, North Carolina Nurses Association
Public Health Service
William E. Rosa, PhD, AGPCNP-BC, FAANP, FAAN, ANA-New York
DIVERSITY IN NURSING AWARDS
Diversity
Brigit Carter, PhD, RN, CCRN, Individual Member Division-Maryland
Ronald Lee Hickman Jr., PhD, RN, ACNP-BC, FNAP, FAAN, Ohio Nurses Association
NURSE EXEMPLARS AWARDS
Leadership in Ethics
Jeanie Sauerland, MA, BSN, RN, Texas Nurses Association
Laurie Badzek, LLM, JD, MS, RN, FNAP, FAAN, Pennsylvania State Nurses Association
NURSING CHAMPIONS AWARDS
Advocacy
Patricia La Brosse, MS, RN, PMHCNS-BC, Louisiana State Nurses Association Cynthia Zolnierek, PhD, RN, CAE, Texas Nurses Association
Champion of Nursing
Michael Singer, Chief Executive Officer, Careismatic Brands, Inc. (formerly Strategic Partners, Inc.)
2020 ANA INNOVATION AWARDS
The ANA Innovation Awards highlight, recognize, and celebrate nurse-led innovation that improves patient safety outcomes. 2020 awards were presented to a nurse and a nurse-led team whose product, program, project, or practice best exemplify nurse-led innovation in patient safety and outcomes.
INDIVIDUAL 2020 ANA INNOVATION AWARDS WINNER
Jan Tedder, BSN, IBCLC, FNP
HUG Your Baby
TEAM 2020 ANA INNOVATION AWARDS WINNER
Joey Ferry, BSN, RN, and Taofiki Gafar-Schaner, MSN, RN
Frontier Health Resources SafeSeizure™
Frontier Health & Resources
ANCC MAGNET PRIZE®
The ANCC Magnet Prize®, sponsored by Cerner®, recognizes organizations with unique programs where innovative action transforms nursing practice. The interventions and outcomes benefit the nursing profession as a whole and have direct impact on patients in various settings. This award serves as a means for acknowledging peak performance within credentialed Magnet® organizations and is the highest honor ANCC bestows within the Magnet community. Cerner® has sponsored the award since 2007.
2020 WINNER
Cohen Children’s Medical Center, New Hyde Park, NY
Sponsorship prize money will be used to further develop Cohen Children’s Medical Center’s BEE MINDFUL™ Program. Designed to meet the needs of children with special needs, including Autism Spectrum Disorder, Attention Deficit Disorder, and behavioral/sensory issues, the program is comprised of a validated assessment and intervention tool, a visual symbol, education, and a coordination of care model. This nurse-led interprofessional initiative empowers individuals with special needs and their families to guide the personalization of care through the universal voice of the BEE MINDFUL™ symbol and associated program to ensure continuity of care.
NATIONAL MAGNET NURSE OF THE YEAR® AWARDS
The National Magnet Nurse of the Year® Awards recognize the outstanding contributions of clinical nurses to innovation, consultation, leadership, and professional risk taking. Awards are presented in each of the five Magnet® Model Components.
Transformational Leadership
Allison Reichhold, MSN, APRN, CPNP
Structural Empowerment
Richard Ramos, MSN, RN, CNS, PNP, CPON, BMTCN
Exemplary Professional Practice
Roberta Kaplow, PhD, APRN-CCNS, AOCNS, CCRN
New Knowledge, Innovations, and Improvements
Janice Colwell, APRN, CWOCN, FAAN
Empirical Outcomes
Denise Williams, MS, MEd, BSN, AGNP-C, RN-BC
ANCC PATHWAY AWARD®
The ANCC Pathway Award®, sponsored by Cerner®, honors a project proposal in a Pathway to Excellence®–designated organization that creates a positive nurse practice environment using innovation and technology.
MinuteClinic®, the retail health clinic of CVS Health, was awarded the 2020 ANCC Pathway Award®, sponsored by Cerner®, a global leader in health care technology.
Virtual Collaboration for Nurses—CVS Health’s winning proposal—enables HIPAA compliant, high-quality virtual peer-to-peer consultations for the management of patients with both common acute and chronic health conditions.
INAUGURAL 2020 ANCC PATHWAY NURSE OF THE YEAR™ AWARDS
The Pathway Nurse of the Year Award™ recognizes the outstanding contributions of one direct care nurse and one nurse leader from all Pathway to Excellence™ designated organizations around the world. The selected winners have positively impacted their practice environment and demonstrated remarkable skills while working collaboratively with team members and integrating clinical expertise with compassionate patient interactions.
PATHWAY NURSE OF THE YEAR, NURSE LEADER WINNER
Julia Powers, MSN, RN, NE-BC, Director, Adult Health, Inspira Medical Center Mullica Hill
PATHWAY NURSE OF THE YEAR, DIRECT CARE NURSE WINNER
Donia Till, MSN, RN, CNL, CGRN, VA Southern Nevada Healthcare System
2020 ANCC CERTIFIED NURSE AWARDS
Winners of the Certified Nurse Awards demonstrate the value and impact that specialized certifications have on nursing practice and patient outcomes. These nurses demonstrate that, through certification, they can provide superior care to their patients and become even greater assets to the health care organizations at which they work.
To learn more about our winners, visit ANCC Certified Nurse Awards and select “2020 Certified Nurse Award Winners.”
THE FOUNDATION JEANNINE RIVET NATIONAL LEADERSHIP AWARD
Carli A. Zegers, PhD, APRN, FNP-BC, is the 2020 recipient of a $10,000 fellowship made possible by the Jeannine Rivet National Leadership Fund. The annual fellowship was established by the American Nurses Foundation through a gift from the United Health Foundation to support emerging nurse leaders to integrate their health expertise into civic and professional opportunities.
ANA AND THE WASHINGTON POST STAR NURSES™ AWARDS
For the second year, ANA partnered with The Washington Post on Star Nurses™, an initiative to nominate and recognize star nurses in the Washington, DC metro area.
On September 2, six winners who were nominated by patients and peers were awarded with the Nightingale Award for excellence in their field. Winners, selected ANA and a panel of fellow RNs, are recognized for their achievements across a range of criteria including compassion and positive community impact.
2020 WINNERS
Lisa Dellinger, RN
Pamela S. Hinds, RN, PhD, FAAN
Viktoria Holley-Trimmer, JLR
Cherissa Jackson, RN
Jonas Nguh, PhD, RN
Sarah Rose, RN