|
We have accomplished much, and yet
there is much to do. As members of the Georgia Nurses Association, we
are the source and the voice for professional nurses throughout the
state. It takes a village to raise a child, and it take numbers to move
mountains for positive change.
Registered nurses (RNs) are the
largest group of professionals in Georgia (of those regulated through
the secretary of state) and are the most trusted health professional.
Through the courage and skill of RNs in Georgia, GNA is poised to move
forward with our mission to advocate for the nurse and the profession.
Through the strategic action
priorities, identified by the GNA membership during the 2007 Membership
Assembly, GNA leadership will work towards a larger, more universal
goal—make strides, make change.
What follows are some of my
predictions (and my wish list) for the changes that we can accomplish
together for professional nursing in Georgia:
The economic value of
nurses will be substantiated with the use of economic models correlated
to staffing and patient safety;
Development of a Center
for Nursing – establishing a process for data collection and analysis of
the workforce in order to forecast supply and demand;
Nurse-friendly/nurse-designed patient care databases that are
all-inclusive and portable throughout inpatient and outpatient settings;
Nurses holding each
other accountable for stopping any form of horizontal violence in the
workplace;
Improved technological
devices that assist nurses to deliver safe patient care. For example,
point-of-care identification that does not require barcoding (i.e. DNA
id), bedside medication dispensers, and in-room supply lockers;
Voice-activated
documentation systems and/or more sophisticated, light-weight mobile
devices for data access/documentation similar to PDAs;
Decreased back injuries
for nurses due to no-lift policies supported by mobile and ceiling lift
equipment in every room/area;
Accurate identification
of all those that meet national criteria for advanced practice nursing;
More strategies to
recruit and retain nursing faculty, such as improved salaries, reduced
student-to-faculty ratio, work/study options for doctoral students;
Nurses taking the lead
in health care reform, using a wellness model, and incorporating
evidence-based complementary and alternative therapies;
Nurse collaboration with
health, business, and technology professionals;
Nurse creativity in the
setting of decreasing reimbursement;
Advanced technology to
support nurses in home care, such as telephonic devices, automated
specimen collection, wireless monitoring;
Nurse-run mobile health
units meeting the needs of rural Georgians;
Emerging roles for
nurses as disclosure nurses for patient-sensitive discussions when
negative outcomes occur;
A growing role for
forensic nurses;
Gero-competent nurses,
focusing on care of the older adult;
Patient outcomes will
continue to be the focus but using additional, newly identified nursing
quality indicators as endpoints;
Nurse scientists engaged
in nursing research with nursing staff on the frontlines;
Increased direct
involvement of nurses in the development of standards for patient care,
especially with the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid;
At least one nurse
successfully runs for public office (local or state); and
The average age of the
nurse decreases.
Some may say this is a lengthy list of
lofty aspirations, but I am of the opinion that it is healthy to dream
big and never stop reaching for the sky. I challenge each member of GNA
and the nursing community to make a list of your own that will inspire
your own momentum to further advance the nurse and nursing.
And, if you don’t already know, find
out how GNA can help you meet your goals!
The Georgia Nurses Association is the
leader advancing the nursing profession and professional through an
integrated fusion of energizing experiences, empowering insight, and
essential resources. I personally invite you to join us, or get
involved, and make your difference in creating higher-quality, safer
health care throughout our state!
I invite you to
share your lists with me through our members-only online Communities of
Practice available at
www.georgianurses.org!
Balkstra is currently the President of
the Georgia Nurses Association. She took office during September 2007
after serving a two-year term as President-elect. |
