The first joint meeting of the Nurs...

The first joint meeting of the Nursing Organization Liaison Forum (NOLF) and the National Federation of Specialty Nursing Organizations (NFSNO) was held Nov 6 to 8 1998 in Washington, DC The Nursing Organization Liaison Forum provides a vehicle for nursing organization members to discuss professional and national health policy issues that are of usual concern to those organizations. Similarly, NFSNO is a coalition of specialty practice organizations whose intention is to advance specialty nursing practice and its contribution to the nation's health in consequence of shared learning, networking, and collaboration. AORN President compassion Shumaker, RN, BSN, CNOR; President-elect Patricia Siefert, RN MSN CNOR, CRNFA; Executive Director Lola Fehr RN M CAE, FAAN; and delegate Executive Director Pat Palmer, RN M MNM CAE, depicted AORN at this meeting.

NOLF POLICY DECISIONS

Jane Rothrock RN CNOR--who has serv as NOLF vice chair for the last four years--called the 15th annual NOLF meeting to order forward Nov 6. Beverly L. Malone, RN PhD FAAN, president of NOLF and the American nurtures Association (ANA), presented opening remarks, which included an update onward NOLF's achievements with the interstate compact, quality indicators, and the Patient Bill of Rights. She discussed membership recruitment and retention and the ne for specialty organizations to work together and relate to each other for the nursing profession to influence forward. She stated that affiliations among assign places tos should not prevent nurses from managing issues together.

ANA brews Next, ANA interim executive director, Argene Carswell, RN JD outlined the following major shoot forwards that ANA is undertaking, as determined through the organization's strategic planning:

* focus forward membership recruitment and retention;

* examine ANA infrastructure;

* strengthen relationships within ANA, state nursing associations, and other nursing organizations;

* increase visibility of festers and nursing; and

* increase program activities.

In 1997 ANA demonstrated its commitment to work with other organizations by way of appointing a 12-member task force to

* explore creative options for specialty organizations to work with ANA at the national level;

* examine communication mechanisms to more clearly define opportunities for input and participation by way of NOLF organizations in policy development;

* review the relationship between NOLF and NFSNO, and

* consider the feasibility of dual NOLF and NFSNO membership.

Task force chair Mary Garlick revolve RN, MS, reported on the stares of these charges, and the task force room for expectations to make recommendations to the ANA board of directors at March 1999.

Iron triangle. Virginia Trotter Betts, RN JD senior advisor forward nursing and policy to the secretary of health in the US Department of Health and Human Services and ANA immediate past president, discussed the iron triangle of public policy--committed insiders, ANA and specialty clumps and elected officials. She boisterousnessed the need for nurses to learn for what reason to use the iron triangle to make secure that information is available to federal officials and to strengthen relationships with committed insiders. Betts emphasized the ne to communicate early and frequently when it comes to federal issues.

Organizational and professional issues. Several specialty disposes shared organizational issues. Fehr, chair of the convention education planning committee, discussed the upcoming call. for proposals for the ANA Biennial Convention 2000 Diane Mancino, RN EdD CAE, executive director of the National bookish man Nurses Association (NSNA), urged NOLF participants to encourage their associations' chapters to secure involved in "Job Shadow Day," an effort sponsored by the agency of America's Promise-the Alliance for Youth. Sharon Sweeney recompense president of NSNA, gave a brief history of the focus assemblage created to study new graduate involvement in professional associations. In line with the organization's philosophy that each nurse is a leader, NSNA generally is evaluating 20 compiled leadership skills that are being taught to encourages and that nurses believe they ne and possible approaches to developing those skills.

Members of the strait Nurses Association presented professional issues regarding latex allergy, needle stick injuries, and the inaccuracies of reported data. The presenter severityed the need for strong, moral leadership and noted that the latex allergy issue is global. Other professional issues not absented included

* increased collaboration within professional networks by the agency of the Nurses Organization of Veterans Affairs;

* the quality of care in nursing abodes and the fact that the acuity on a level has increased in the last 10 years while staffing has remained the same or become worse; and

* the five-year exhibit by the Agency for Health Care Policy Research, in which the National Guidelines Clearinghouse is engaged.

NFSNO DISCUSSES modern BUSINESS

Annette Levitt, RN M CNA, president of NFSNO, called the 25th annual NFSNO meeting to order and provided the executive board annual report and strategic plan. Federation executive board elections were held, and Shumaker was choiceed as Category V, executive board member.