Volume 41, Number 1 © 2013 Official Publication of the Society of Urologic Nurses and Associates January 2013 Call for Nominations Chapter of the Year: Secrets Revealed Chicago Metro SUNA captured the 2012 Chapter of the Year Award as announced at SUNA’s Annual Conference in Vic Senese Washington, DC. This is a back-to-back victory for Chicago Metro. It is an honor to earn this award as SUNA has many chapters doing many great things. Chapter members received numerous congratulations from fellow members at the Annual Conference, and I also heard the question: “How does your chapter keep doing so much?” As SUNA Secretary Debbie Buback read the achievements of our chapter, I almost had to ask myself the same question. I do not think our chapter does anything that any other chapter couldn’t do; however, we do have our secrets to success. Chicago Metro is a large chapter with almost 200 members. I can promise you that all members do not contribute to our chapter. Even small chapters can achieve similar results as large chapters. So, here are some tips: 1. Identify your core group. If you can find three key members in your chapter, you will be a success. Key members do not have to serve on your chapter board of directors either; they can be past board members, highly motivated chapter members, or current board members. They are the members that you know you can count on when planning chapter events, helping to run events, and offering ideas. You don’t have to limit your team members to three, but I would not have any less than three. Chapter duties can become overwhelming when they fall on the shoulders of just one or two people. 2. Decide when to recycle and when not to recycle. This can be a hard decision to make. Most chapters have established roles, such as president, treasurer, secretary, and others. Chicago Metro decided that the president position should never be recycled. This is difficult for smaller chapters, and I can assure you this is not easy for us either. We have been successful for over a decade in accomplishing this goal, but it is the hardest position for which to recruit. Our belief is that new presidents will bring new ideas so that the chapter does not stagnate. I have been amazed over the years at how each president has brought something special and unique to our chapter. I believe our success in attracting members to become president is the knowledge that they will not be alone and will have a strong support system of past board members. continued on page 8 The Uro-Gram is published bimonthly and sponsored by Liberty Medical SUNA is seeking qualified candidates for the following 20132014 Board of Director positions: • President-Elect • Secretary • Southeast Regional Director • North Central Regional Director For more information about eligibility criteria and the role responsibilities for each position, go to www.suna.org, click on the Resources tab, and select Policy and Procedure Manual. You will find each position listed under “Board/Regional Directors.” (Please note that you must first enter your member login to access this information on the website.) For additional information, contact Nominations Chairperson Valre Welch ([email protected]) or the SUNA national office (888827-7862). The deadline for nominations is March 1, 2013. In this issue 4 President’s Trophies Winners 5 Annual Conference Highlights 6 9 12 13 SUNA Chapter Awards 14 Regional News Member Spotlight Special Interest Group Update Call for Abstracts for 2013 Annual Conference Website: www.suna.org January 2013 Welcome to 2013 and the first issue of the year. I hope everyone had a happy holiday season. As a new year commences, I think about what I plan to contribute to my employing facility, to my professional nursing organizations, to the nursing literature, and to my continuing education. Do I need more CNE credits this year if I did not obtain as many as I planned in the prior year? Do I need to write one or more articles for publication in a peer Jeanne Held-Warmkessel reviewed nursing journal? What projects will I undertake to improve patient care and patient outcomes at my hospital? What will I contribute to my nursing organizations at the local and national levels? Once I decide on what needs to be done, how do I get everything done and what is my timeline? How do I accomplish the tasks in 12 months? I divide big projects into small pieces. I do a small piece each day. I don’t try to do too much in one day on one project. When I finish a small piece on one project, I move on to the next project so I complete a small piece of huge projects each day. That way I am not overwhelmed and I avoid overextending myself. This also helps me avoid boredom with a project. I am sometimes amazed at what I am able to accomplish. So what’s your time line for contributing to nursing and to SUNA this year? Jeanne Held-Warmkessel, MSN, RN, AOCN©, ACNS-BC Editor SUNA’s Vision and Guiding Beliefs Vision: A dynamic, varied and robust organization, SUNA is recognized by medical professionals, patients, their families, and the public as the nursing authority on collaborative, compassionate, and culturally competent urologic care. Guiding Beliefs 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. We believe patients receive better health care when nurses and associates work in close partnership with other health care professionals as well as with patients and their families. We believe patients receive better health care when nurses and associates continue to learn and grow personally and professionally in the ways that SUNA provides to its members. We believe patients receive higher quality health care when their health care is evidence-based. We believe patients and the public are better served when our members are actively engaged in our professional association, SUNA. We believe that in order to be the nursing authority in the management of persons with urological health care concerns and to best serve our members and their patients, SUNA needs to be courageous, creative, conscientious, and uphold the highest standards of excellence. We believe that patients will receive better care when we exercise foresight by anticipating and meeting their needs. We believe SUNA has a responsibility to promote and contribute to research, education, and evidence-based clinical practice of the highest standards. 2 SUNA Board of Directors President Debbie Hensley, BSN, RN, CURN President-Elect Cheryl LeCroy, MSN, RN Immediate Past President Valre Welch, MSN, RN, CPNP Treasurer Victor Senese, BSN, RN, CURN Secretary Debbie Buback, MSN, ANP Northeast Regional Director Kristine Green, MS, CURN Southeast Regional Director Shanna Atnip, MSN, WHNP-BC North Central Regional Director Vanessa Spears, MHA, BSN, RN, CURN Western Regional Director Peggy Hayes, BS, RN, CURN Uro-Gram Editor Jeanne Held-Warmkessel, MSN, RN, AOCN®, ACNS-BC SUNA National Office Executive Director Michael Brennan Director, Association Services Cheryl Underhill Executive Secretary Pat Davey Uro-Gram Managing Editor Kathleen Thomas East Holly Avenue, Box 56 Pitman, NJ 08071-0056 1-888-TAP-SUNA / 856-256-2335 fax: 856-589-7463 Website: www.suna.org email: [email protected] For over 20 years Liberty® Medical has been a name that healthcare professionals trust to ensure their patients get the supplies they need—when they need them. 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January 2013 SUNA Members Recognized with President’s Trophies During the awards presentation held at the Annual Conference in Washington, DC, on November 4, 2012, we had the opportunity to recognize many SUNA members, all of whom we consider leaders. We are proud to set this time aside each year to recognize some of the many outstanding members of our association. News & Events With the help of many volunteers, the SUNA Foundation hosted another successful Silent Auction at the 2012 Annual Conference. The 147 donated items raised $7,120 for the SUNA Scholarship Fund. Items ranged from an iRobot® Roomba® to knitted baby hats. All of the latest electronic devices were available and went home with happy bidders. Thank you to the many individuals who donated auction items and to the conference attendees who so generously bid on these items. Now it’s time to plan for the Sixth Annual SUNA Foundation Raffle, which will be held at the Annual Symposium in Savannah. There will be prizes galore, including a Nikon camera, an iPad mini®, a GPS, and much more! Plan now to participate in this FUN(d)raising event. During the Annual Awards Luncheon at the 2012 Annual Conference, recipients of the many SUNA scholarships and awards were announced. (See page 5 for a complete list of winners.) In addition, the three SUNA Educational Program Scholarship recipients – Darla Cleaves, Louise Nora, and Julie Wells – were introduced. These members received scholarships to attend the conference and took advantage of all the opportunities made available to them. They enjoyed the sessions they attended and enthusiastically shared about their overall conference experience with us. Visit the SUNA website to read letters detailing their conference experience. (Go to www.suna.org, click on the Education tab, and select SUNA Educational Program Scholarships.) There were seven applicants for the SUNA Annual Symposium Scholarships. After much deliberation by the SUNA Foundation Selection Committee, the following three members were selected to attend the 2013 Annual Symposium in Savannah: • Debra Crawford, RNC, Beaverton, OR • Jody Hughes, RN, North Branch, MN • Patricia Patterson, RN, Rathdrum, ID We look forward to welcoming these three members and all attendees to the Annual Symposium in Savannah. Ardeth Hale, RN, CURN SUNA Foundation Chair & Trustee SUNA President Valre Welch awarded President’s Trophies to Debbie Hensley (left) and Heather Schultz (right) at the 2012 Annual Conference. I was honored to have the privilege of awarding President’s Trophies. The President’s Trophy for Outstanding Contributions to Urologic Nursing was presented to the co-chairs of SUNA’s cystoscopy task force – Heather Schultz, MSN, RN, CNP, and Sue Flick, MSN, RN, CNP, CCRP – for their outstanding contribution in the form of the Cystoscopy Guidelines. This publication will serve as an invaluable resource for those members who will be performing cystoscopy as part of their professional role. The accumulated research and collaboration that went into this document is a credit to the co-chairs and all of the task force members. The President’s Trophy for Outstanding Contributions to SUNA was awarded to Debbie Hensley, BSN, RN, CURN (then SUNA President-Elect and now SUNA President) for her role in the development of Urologic Nursing: Scope and Standards of Practice. Debbie served as the chair of the Scope and Standards task force, but more than that, she was the force who demonstrated unending persistence in ensuring that this document was approved by the American Nurses Association (ANA). This recognition by ANA is one that many other nursing organizations do not achieve. I know Debbie would say that she had an outstanding task force and I certainly give credit to the entire task force for the writing of this document, but it was Debbie who would not stop working toward obtaining approval by ANA and persevered until that acknowledgment was accomplished. This is truly an outstanding achievement for SUNA. Congratulations to all of the winners! (See page 5 for a complete list.) This acknowledgment by your peers and your professional organization speaks to your dedication and engagement in SUNA. I applaud you and encourage you to enlist more of your colleagues to become involved in SUNA. Valre Welch, MSN, RN, CPNP 2011-2012 SUNA President 4 January 2013 Specialty Education and Awards Are Highlight of Annual Conference A dynamic education program with outstanding faculty drew more than 400 urologic health care professionals to Washington, DC, November 2-5, 2012, for SUNA’s 43rd Annual Conference. Participants attended courses on such topics as incontinence, pelvic and bladder pain, testicular cancer in children, and robotic surgeries. For the third year, the handson Advanced Practice workshop was one of the most popular sessions. This interactive workshop allowed attendees to rotate among multiple stations, including pelvic floor rehab and myofascial release, male and female genital exam, pessaries and penile injections for erectile dysfunction, and treating priapism. “One of the things that makes the SUNA Annual Conference so special is that attendees have the opportunity to personalize their education by choosing sessions of any level,” said SUNA President Debbie Hensley, BSN, RN, CURN. “Attendees leave with new personal and professional knowledge and connections.” Awards and Scholarships SUNA recognized individuals who have made outstanding contributions to urologic nursing during the Awards Luncheon on November 4. Congratulations to the following members! President’s Trophies • • Outstanding Contributions to Urologic Nursing: Heather Schultz, NP and Sue Flick, MSN, RN, CNP, CCRP Outstanding Contributions to SUNA: Debbie Hensley, BSN, RN, CURN Ron Brady Career Mobility Scholarship • Tamara Dickinson, RN, CURN, CCCN, BCB-PMD Suszette McKay Memorial Excellence in Urologic Nursing Award • Amy Saunders, BSN, RN The 2012-2013 SUNA Board of Directors assumed their roles during the conference in Washington, DC. Pictured from left are: Treasurer Vic Senese, Southeast Regional Director Shanna Atnip, North Central Regional Director Vanessa Spears, Western Regional Director Peggy Hayes, President Debbie Hensley, Immediate Past President Valre Welch, President-Elect Cheryl LeCroy, Secretary Debbie Buback, and Northeast Regional Director Kristine Green. Attendees socialized with colleagues at the SUNA Party and Silent Auction, earned continuing nursing education (CNE) contact hours and continuing medical education (CME), and met with 70 vendors in the exhibit hall. On Saturday, November 3, Jan Towers, PhD, NP-C, CRNP, FAANP, FAAN, presented the Keynote Address, Hot Topics for Nurses in the Current Health Care Environment. Dr. Towers’ presentation addressed the latest happenings on Capitol Hill, a subject made all the more prominent by the Washington, DC, conference’s close timing to the 2012 National Election. Later that evening, the Sixth Annual Silent Auction raised over $7,000 for the SUNA Foundation scholarship fund. If you were unable to attend the conference, the live recordings of educational sessions, accompanying presentation materials, and CNE credit are available for purchase in SUNA’s Online Library at www.prolibraries.com/suna. Susan E. Healy Pediatric Nursing Education Award Annual Conference Scholarships • • Valre Welch, MSN, CPNP Macfarlane Award • • Karl Gunnerson, BSN, RN, CNOR, CGRN, CMLSO, CURN Brenda Madsen, CURN Regional Member of the Year Awards • • • • Northeast: Marianne Borch, BSN, RN, CURN Southeast: Randee Regan, BSN, RN, CNOR North Central: Charlene Vollmer, BSN, RN, BC Western: Denise Kramer-Levien, RN, CURN Chapter of the Year Award • • • Darla Cleaves, BSN, RNFA, CURN, CNOR Louise Nora, CURN, CUNP Julie Wells, RN Urologic Nursing Journal Writer’s Awards • • • Catherine-Ann Lawrence Literary Excellence Award: Katharine O’Dell, PhD, CNM, WHNP-BC; Shanna Atnip, MSN, WHNP-BC; and Leslie Wooldridge, MSN, GNP, BCIA, F-AGS Novice Literary Excellence Award: Bruce Turner, BN (Hons), MSc, RN, and Philippa Aslet, BA (Hons) Outstanding Reviewer Award: Phyllis A. Sheldon, MS, RN, CNS,BC, CUCNS Chicago Metro Save the Dates for 2013! SUNA’s 44th Annual Conference will be held October 11-14, 2013, at the Hyatt Regency in Chicago, IL. See the Call for Abstracts on page 14 of this issue. 5 January 2013 SUNA Chapters Honored with Awards Chapter with Exceptional Education Programs On behalf of the SUNA Board of Directors, I would like to thank everyone for your contributions to your chapter activities. The chapters cannot function without the hard work and dedication of member volunteers. All SUNA members are leaders, and every chapter needs volunteers to be successful. SUNA has 38 active chapters of various sizes, ranging from 8 to 278 members; and 36 chapter review forms were received. It is amazing to read the accomplishments of each chapter and see the wide range of educational offerings and community service activities each chapter provides to members. Chapters offered 98 programs for a total of 158.6 contact hours (CH) and participated in over 40 community service activities. Eight chapters currently have websites or newsletters. Congratulations to the 2012 chapter award winners! The Mississippi Valley Chapter #301 offered members 18 educational programs, including two all-day seminars, over the past year for a total of 27.8 CH. Program locations ranged from Cedar Rapids, IA, to Springfield, IL, and St Louis, MO. Chapter members contributed to local food pantries during monthly meetings, held a Christmas toy drive, and participated in prostate cancer support groups and a prostate cancer awareness walk, in addition to contributing to the SUNA Foundation Silent Auction. The chapter has 22 certified members. Chapter with Exceptional Contributions to SUNA Little Chapter with a Big Heart Members of the Syracuse Chapter #110 contribute to SUNA on both the local and national levels. In addition to volunteering for chapter offices, members are involved with Health Fair Task Forces, donate to the SUNA Foundation, assist with chapter fundraising activities, have held national SUNA offices, and participated on the Clinical Guidelines Task Force. The chapter held six educational programs and has three certified members. Members participated in a Bladder Health/Continence Health Fair and collected gloves and hats for the Salvation Army. During the past year, this small chapter of 10 members held three educational offerings with 18-25 attendees at each one. Members of the West Texas Whirlwinds #211 participated in screenings for prostate and testicular cancer. Members also contribute to the American Cancer Society and assist with Meals on Wheels in their community. The chapter was spotlighted in the September 2011 issue of the Uro-Gram and currently has three certified members. Most Improved Chapter Chapter with Exceptional Community Activities Congratulations to members of the Central Oklahoma Chapter #201. Over the past year, their membership increased from 16 to 30 members with 6 of them certified in urology. Chapter members planned six programs for a total of 11.6 CH that included two all-day Urology Updates, the most recent with 53 attendees. Chapter members are speakers and coordinators for quarterly Tulsa Interstitial Cystitis Support Group meetings. Members of the Great Lakes Chapter #303 perform various community service activities in addition to supporting scholarships for local and national SUNA activities. The chapter continues to support the Ian Murchie Thompson Memorial Lectureship given at the SUNA Annual Conference and supports the SUNA Foundation Silent Auction. Members support the MIU Run for Ribbon Prostate Cancer event as well as the Breast Cancer 3-day run and provided sutures for ESutures for Africa. The chapter donated over $2,000 to charitable and community activities over the past year. The chapter held three educational programs for 9.7 CH, including programs on their website. The chapter has 45 certified members. Chapter members are speakers, authors, and participants on various national SUNA committees. The current CBUNA President is from this chapter. Members are also involved at various levels with the Urologic Nursing Journal. Chapter with the Best Communication The Upper Midwest Chapter #302 now has an Estream Newsletter. This online newsletter contains current chapter officers, chapter goals, a link to SUNA’s Facebook page, Urology Pearls, member spotlights, the chapter’s Point Education form, and meeting information. Each new member receives a letter from the chapter president introducing him or her to chapter activities. The chapter continues to hold spring and fall seminars offering attendees 6.0 CH for each program. They have 45 certified members and held five community service activities, including participation in prostate screenings and bladder health booths. The chapter also contributes to the SUNA Foundation Annual Silent Auction. continued 6 January 2013 Chapter of the Year Congratulations to the Chicago Metro Chapter #307 on their outstanding year! Chapter members planned 13 educational programs providing 20.5 CH to attendees. They now offer CH programs on their website. They have 183 members, and 55 are certified. Chapter members are national SUNA officers, SUNA Foundation Trustees, national SUNA committee members, participants on task forces, SUNA course Congratulations to Chicago Metro chapter members on earning the SUNA Chapter of the Year Award for the secdirectors, and speakers for ond year in a row. local and national SUNA meetings. Community service activities include participation in Back to School Health Fairs, collecting money for food pantries and Haven House for Women, participation in the ICS week activities, working with homeless shelters and women’s shelters, working with the Food Bank of Joliet, donating to food depositories, donating coats to the NBC coat drive, participation in US TOO prostate cancer support group activities, volunteering at the Salvation Army Food Pantry, and participation on the medical crew for the Avon Walk. Congratulations again on your many accomplishments! Debbie Buback, MSN, ANP SUNA Secretary Annual Conference Lectureships The following individuals received lectureship awards for their presentations at SUNA’s 43rd Annual Conference in Washington, DC. Vance Caselman Lectureship Sponsored by Kansas City Chapter of SUNA “Urodynamics is Like a Box of Chocolates - You Never Know What You Will Get” Cheryl LeCroy, MSN, RN and Betsy Omeis, BSN, RN Patricia Putetti Memorial Lectureship Sponsored by the Mississippi Valley Chapter of SUNA “Robotic Cystectomy: Implications for Nursing Care” Mari K. Olsen, BSN, RN, CURN and Suzanne M. Leckness, BSN, RN Russell Church Memorial Lectureship Sponsored by the Western Region of SUNA and T-DOC Company “Writing for Publication: Helpful Hints” Jane Hawks, PhD, RN, BC Ian Murchie Thompson Memorial Lectureship Sponsored by the Great Lakes Chapter of SUNA “Advanced Urodynamics Interpretation” Mikel Gray, PhD, CUNP, CCCN, FAANP, FAAN and Shelly King, MSN, CPNP Arthur T. Evans Lectureship Sponsored by the American Urological Association (AUA) “The Perils of Urologic Prosthetics” Lee Ann Boyd, MSN, ARNP-C, CUNP Past Presidents’ Lectureship Sponsored by the Past Presidents of SUNA “An Innovative Healthcare Delivery Model for Urologic or Pelvic Pain Conditions” Donna J. Carrico, WHNP, MS and Michelle A. Schaffrath, MSN, BSN, RN, BSW Wyland Leadbetter Lectureship Sponsored by the Upper Midwest Chapter of SUNA “The Secrets to Our Success with Sacral Neuromodulation for Voiding Dysfunction” Cindy Dobmeyer-Dittrich, BSN, RN, CURN and Glenn Sulley, BS, RN Ruth Hughes Memorial Lectureship Sponsored by the Greater Houston Chapter of SUNA “Urological Care for Multiple Sclerosis Patients” Leanne Schimke, MSN, NP-C, CRNP, CUNP 7 January 2013 Treasurer’s Report account at PayPal.com that links to your bank account for direct deposit. It allows you to create a payment form for your website. Our members go to the website and select if they are a member or nonmember from the pull-down menu, which will tell them what the price of attendance will be. They then fill in their credit card information, click “buy,” and the funds are sent to our account from their credit card. The best part is this is all done securely without us receiving any information about their credit cards. There is a small fee for the transaction to our chapter; however, we have found that it encourages participation at our meeting because it simplifies everything. We also have the ability for our vendors to utilize the same account to pay for their vending fees online. This also has increased the number of participating vendors. We even offer three different levels of participation to our vendors at an increasing price – the higher their level of participation, the closer their table is to the door where attendees enter and exit the room. I am surprised at how many vendors will pay more just to be close to the door. While not all chapters will feel they can utilize every tip, even if you pick one or two items to add you can help your chapter thrive. Our chapter members attend other chapters’ meetings and have brought back valuable ideas to improve our conferences. If we share our ideas, we will all be winners. I hope you give Chicago Metro a good challenge for next year’s Chapter of the Year as strong chapters help to create a strong SUNA. Good luck, and may the best chapter win! Victor Senese, BSN, RN, CURN SUNA Treasurer continued from page 1 Other times recycling makes a lot of sense. We have found that the treasurer position is often the same member for a number of years. Learning the financials for the chapter takes time and once somebody is knowledgeable, it is sensible to keep them in this position as long as they are willing to fulfill the requirements. Not all members aspire to become president someday, but many are motivated to help keep the chapter running smoothly. Positions such as secretary, educational coordinator, and member at large are also good for longterm and recycled members. Past presidents are recruited for help with annual conference planning and serve as consultants for chapter planning. Past presidents are often key members of our chapter. 3. Let technology help you. Technology can perform to meet many of the dayto-day needs of a chapter. One of the most important challenges a chapter faces is communication. Members may be scattered across a large geographic area, making it difficult to spread the word. Chicago Metro posts all its activities on its website. The website becomes a communication tool with our members. Members can send information back to the chapter at our Contact Us page. I even looked at our webpage to find out the location of a meeting the same day! If your chapter has a website, keep it current. If it does not have a website, there are many options for starting a website. One of the best resources for a website is to ask a chapter that already has a website for ideas. Chicago Metro has an E-news to which members can subscribe. It is a monthly recap of chapter activities similar to the Uro-Gram. We utilize a free service called mail chimp (www.mailchimp.com) to distribute the Enewsletter. The nice thing about this service, besides being free, is that it helps to create a very professional looking email and allows subscribers to choose to be part of the E-news with the subscription button. There is also the ability to unsubscribe as needed. Our annual conference is the chapter’s biggest undertaking. Using technology has made this meeting almost run itself. Our website advertises the details of the meeting with an online form to register for the meeting. The registration page is a form that attendees complete, which creates a spreadsheet from which we can produce our attendee list, name tags, and print our certificates of attendance. The best part of this whole registration program is it’s free! With a Gmail account from Google.com, you can go to Google Docs and create everything you need. Google Docs is a word processor/Excel spreadsheet type program. Within Google Docs, you have the ability to create forms. Once the form is created, it will generate some code that can be placed on your website. When an attendee fills out the form, the information automatically goes to your Google Docs spreadsheet. Our chapter has even made paying for a conference easy with credit card payment. You can set up a PayPal Call for Peer Reviewers for Core Curriculum for Urologic Nursing SUNA has embarked on a 2-year project to publish a Core Curriculum for Urologic Nursing. Edited by Jean Wyman, PhD, RN, CNP, FAAN, and Diane K. Newman, DNP, RN, FAAN, the text will include a series of chapters on genitourinary anatomy and physiology, assessment, urologic diseases/disorders, care of special populations, medications, and catheters and devices that are written in an easy-toread outline format. Peer reviewers are needed for chapters in the following areas: • Assessment (urologic signs and symptoms) • Laboratory tests • Radiology, imaging, and interventional radiology • Genitourinary trauma • Various chapters on men’s health (assessment, penile and scrotal disorders, male sexually transmitted infections, reproductive health) If you are interested in serving as a reviewer for any of these chapters, please contact Jean Wyman, Co-Editor, at [email protected] and Carol Ford, Managing Editor, at [email protected]. 8 January 2013 Greensboro. The chapter’s first newsletter should be in your mailbox soon. Visit the chapter website at www.trianglesuna.org for details on upcoming meetings (and see the great changes the chapter is making to the website). For more information and to get involved in the chapter, contact President Sarah Scott at [email protected]. Congratulations to Amy Saunders who won the Suszette McKay Memorial Excellence in Urologic Nursing. What a wonderful achievement! In addition, congratulations to Heather Schultz and Sue Flick, who were honored with the President’s Trophy for their “Outstanding Contributions to Urologic Nursing” in bringing us the incredible Cystoscopy Guidelines, which will soon be available in the SUNA store. The Florida Sunshine Chapter would love to get more members involved. If you would like to help to plan or attend chapter activities, please contact President Cindy McLean at [email protected]. The Louisiana Magnolia Chapter held their annual meeting on November 3. They would love to have you participate in future meetings. For more information, contact President Rachel Graham at [email protected]. The Greater Houston Chapter will be planning their next big meeting soon, and they would love you to join them! Being active in your local chapter is a great way to get involved in SUNA at the local level. Contact President Randee Regan at [email protected] to find out more about upcoming meetings and to get involved and join the fun. Congratulations to the West Texas Whirlwinds Chapter on being recognized as the Little Chapter with a Big Heart. This chapter with only 10 members participates in prostate and testicular cancer screening and holds several meetings each year. They have a lot of fun and would love to have you participate in planning or attending their meetings. Contact President Stacy Brothers at [email protected] if you are interested. The Rocky Mountain Chapter hosted Urology Collage 2012 on October 13 at the Inverness Hotel and Conference Center and offered 3 hours of CNE credit. The chapter is planning sponsored dinner meetings in the upcoming months. They would love to recruit you to attend or plan future events. Contact President Carolyn North at [email protected] if you would like to participate in planning or attending events. Congratulations to the Central Oklahoma Chapter for their accomplishments and for receiving the Most Improved Chapter Award. Great work! Members are busy planning their next meeting at the Mayo Hotel in Tulsa on March 1-2 in conjunction with the Oklahoma urologists’ organization. If you are interested in attending, email President Genevieve Zerger at [email protected] and she will send you a registration form. We look forward to seeing you at the meeting! The Arkansas Razorback Chapter held a reorganizational meeting at the Cantina Loredo in Little Rock, AR, in November and is looking forward to planning Southeast Please join me in congratulating Randee Regan from the Greater Houston Chapter on being recognized as the 2012 Southeast Regional Member of the Year! Thanks, Randee, for your hard work and dedication. Our chapters could not function without members like you. With the New Year, we all have a fresh chance to network, provide community service, Shanna Atnip and keep learning more about urologic nursing. Look below to find the closest chapter and get involved! The Greater Dallas Ft. Worth Chapter had a great meeting in October and will be planning their next meeting soon. The chapter gave back to their community by donating money to two local food banks during the holiday season. Be sure to contact President Tamara Dickinson at [email protected] for details about upcoming events. Your help is welcome to plan future events. In addition, congratulations to Debbie Hensley on receiving a President’s Trophy for her “Outstanding Contributions to SUNA.” Not only is she our current SUNA President, but she also led the task force that achieved acknowledgment by the American Nurses Association (ANA) of SUNA’s of Urologic Nursing: Scope and Standards of Practice. This is a wonderful achievement for our profession. A big thank you to Debbie and her task force for their hard work and dedication. The San Antonio-Alamo Chapter sponsored a lecture and book signing by Dr. Jeffrey Albaugh on November 8. Dr. Albaugh presented his book Reclaiming Sex & Intimacy After Prostate Cancer: A Guide for Men and Their Partners for a group of survivors and professionals. The chapter extends heartfelt thanks to Dr. Albaugh for his wonderful presentation. The chapter is now looking ahead to the spring and its Annual Conference, which is scheduled for April 6. Please mark your calendars and plan to attend! Visit www.alamosuna.org or contact President Joseph Lukan at [email protected] to learn more. The Research Triangle Chapter held a Fall CNE Conference at Wrightsville Beach, NC, with 50 attendees and provided 6 hours of CNE. The chapter organized a food drive for the holiday season and is busy planning a conference for their members in 9 January 2013 more great meetings. They would love for you to join them and become active in the chapter. For more information, contact President Jody Purifoy at purifoy [email protected]. The Central Florida Chapter has been inactive for several years. Penny Noto ([email protected]) is trying to re-form the chapter. She would love to hear from anyone in the area who would like to help get the chapter going again. Go Central Florida! To all the Southeast Chapters, I wish for you great winter meetings, networking, and education and hope to see you in Savannah in March for the Annual Symposium. Thanks for all you do! Shanna Atnip, MSN, WHNP-BC Southeast Regional Director [email protected] Northeast The Northeast Region was well represented at the SUNA Annual Conference in Washington, DC, in November. During our regional meeting, we had the opportunity to meet new members and hear from long-time SUNA members about the enhanced and improved educational sessions offered this year. Cheryl LeCroy completed her Cheryl LeCroy term as Northeast Regional Director and moved into the position of SUNA President-Elect. Kris Green assumed the role of Northeast Regional Director. Valre Welch moved into the role of Immediate Past President. Valre led SUNA over this past year as President and had an extremely busy and productive year. Valre, along with the SUNA Board of Directors, created a new Mission and Vision for SUNA as well as Guiding Beliefs to move SUNA forward and enhance the quality of services to all members. The Delaware Valley Chapter reports that Jeanne Held-Warmkessel’s manuscript on “Penile Cancer” was published in Seminars in Oncology Nursing in August. Donna Thompson spoke at the WOCN regional conference on October 13-14 in Dallas. Diane Newman is serving as co-editor (with Jean Wyman) of the Core Curriculum for Urologic Nursing, which is scheduled for publication in 2014. Amanda Berry, Monica Davis, and Aileen Schast presented a virtual poster entitled “The advantage of healthcare provider partnerships on patient satisfaction and perceived quality of care” at the ANCC National Magnet Conference in Los Angeles on October 10-12. Amanda Berry also presented “Adolescents with monosymptomatic nocturnal enuresis: Response to first line intervention” on October 12-14 at the ICCS/ERIC/BAPU Joint Congress in London. Carolyn Stahlhut was a co-speaker with Brett Lebed, MD, on UTIs in Women and Men, Why Do we Get Them and How To Get Rid of Them at a community “Dinner with the Docs” on October 10. Many of our chapters took the holiday season off and will be getting back into gear in the New Year. For more information on upcoming events or to become involved at the local level, contact your chapter president. Again, I would like to say how very proud I am of our region! Thank you for the opportunity to represent you. Cheryl LeCroy, MSN, RN 2011-2012 Northeast Regional Director North Central Happy New Year and congratulations to all of the winners announced at the SUNA Annual Conference! North Central Pearl: Please keep SUNA’s Mission, Vision, and Guiding Beliefs in mind as we plan for our future at the chapter and national levels and as we care for our patients and each other. Congratulations to the Upper Vanessa Spears Midwest Chapter on winning the award for the Chapter with the Best Communication. Once again the chapter had great participation in their fall conference. Attendees traveled from as far away as Nebraska and heard wonderful topics such as urinary incontinence in children, PSA controversy, and antibiotic/UTI stewardship. In other news, the chapter has had a changing of the guards. Thank you to outgoing Chapter President Michelle Radke and welcome to Karen Martin. Online voting improved chapter membership participation in elections, and the chapter welcomes Maureen Johnson as president-elect, Sharon Bringewatt as secretary, and Emily Reichers as member at large. Past President Michelle Radke and President-Elect Maureen Johnson attended the 2012 Annual Conference. Upper Midwest also offered speaker support as members Jill Freeman, Theresa Kolle, and Bobbi Stolp presented the Basic Urology course and Mari Olsen and Suzanne Leckness presented on roboticassisted laparoscopic prostatectomy. E-stream, the chapter newsletter, has returned after a short break. Authors Sarah King and Laura Kluck provide updates and information and challenge members with urology brainteasers. The chapter promotes prostate cancer awareness throughout the region with a conference in North Dakota, a Father’s Day walk in Wisconsin, and Dash for Dad in Minnesota. Kentucky Bluegrass Chapter President Kelly Gollar participated in a Webinar on Intermittent Catheterization: Practices and Challenges in December. Please remember that the Internet is another avenue for educational offerings. Congratulations to Gwen 10 January 2013 Hooper, past chapter president, who has completed her PhD. Congratulations to the Mississippi Valley Chapter on being acknowledged as the Chapter with Exceptional Educational Programs. Congratulations also to Charlene Vollmer from Springfield, IL, on receiving the North Central Regional Member of the Year Award. Much to her credit is the recognition of our chapter’s exceptional educational programs. The Springfield members facilitate educational programs at least monthly throughout the year. Thanks to Rick Hess, outgoing chapter president, and welcome to Gina Powley, who has served as chapter president in the past. The chapter is sponsoring the Annual Spring Conference, Meet Me in St. Louis, on February 16. This year’s selected speakers will offer a diverse and compelling urologic perspective. The program is available for members and nonmembers, but there is a member discount (another great reason to become a SUNA member). Contact Debbie Buback ([email protected]), Gina Powley ([email protected]), or Kate St. John ([email protected]) for conference information. Congratulations to the Great Lakes Chapter on winning the award for the Chapter with Exceptional Community Activities. Congratulations to Chapter President Silvia Maxwell for being named a top membership recruiter and to Todd Morningstar, who was the winner of the “Member-get a Member” recruitment campaign. Our organization is only as strong as its membership, and we should all follow their example. The chapter was been very busy. They sponsored their first annual fall “Inside Urology” Conference in Cleveland, OH, in September. Diana Baker was the chairperson/coordinator for the half-day conference, which was held on the campus of Cleveland Clinic in the Glickman Auditorium. Over 35 attendees participated in this educational event. Also in September, the chapter sponsored a booth at the Mideast Regional WOCN meeting in Grand Rapids, MI. Leslie Wooldridge, Christine Koops, and Donna Pennington distributed educational/informational material and recruited new members for SUNA. Several chapter members attended the Annual Conference in Washington, DC. Todd Morningstar and Deborah Hasenau also attended the Leadership Workshop. Todd also participated in updating the CBUNA certification exam for CUAs. Over the past year, the chapter has participated in several philanthropic and educational events. As a result, we were presented with the Award for Exceptional Community Activities. We are on track to increase our involvement in the coming year. Since the Great Lakes Chapter covers all of Michigan and Ohio, we decided to update our website to improve communication among our members. We recently developed a new website, glsuna.org. Work on this website is ongoing. The planning committee is busy finalizing arrangements for our annual spring “Inside Urology” confer- ence to be held in March at the Marriott Hotel in Livonia, MI. Since it will be our 10th annual conference, we are working on plans to make it an exceptionally memorable event. Congratulations to the Chicago Metro Chapter as well as former Chapter President Mary Meskel and current Chapter President Grace Jones on wining the Chapter of the Year Award as well as a Chapter Enhancement Scholarship. The chapter celebrated the holiday season with a small party and also by collecting items for a women’s shelter. The chapter is presently working on the Annual Spring Conference. Visit the chapter website at www.chicagometrosuna.org for details. You also may also sign up to receive email notices for chapter activities. Vanessa Spears, MHA, BSN, RN, CURN North Central Regional Director [email protected] Western I would like to thank Cindie Neufeld for her commitment to SUNA, her leadership, and all of her hard work as immediate past Western Regional Director. I also would like to take this opportunity to introduce myself to you as your new Western Regional Director. I have worked in the same outpatient clinic for the last 13 years. I assist providers with various procePeggy Hayes dures, perform urodynamics, work our telephone triage line, and mentor new staff along with other numerous tasks. I want to encourage members to contact me if you have any questions or concerns at [email protected]. I look forward to working with the Western chapters, opening up the line of communication, increasing the number of new memberships, and encouraging all of you to “reach for excellence” by considering taking the certification exam if you have not done so already. I attended the 2012 Annual Conference in Washington, DC, in November. I am excited to let you know that we have a new Mission Statement that is evidence-based, a new vision statement, and guiding beliefs. All are available on the website for viewing. Speaking of the website, the national office has been busy “redesigning” the site to make it more user-friendly. Our Western Regional Member of the year is Denise Kramer-Levin of the Puget Sound Chapter. Congratulations to Denise and thank you for all of the hard work that you have done for many of the Western chapters. Congratulations also to Julie Wells of the Yakima Chapter, who was one of three people who were awarded scholarships to attend the Annual Conference. Now, on to chapter news: Linda Sabre of the Arizona Chapter is looking for people to assist her in hosting events in that area. MaryEllen Pribish of the Southern California Chapter is also looking for members to get the chapter “back on its feet.” 11 January 2013 The Northern California Chapter, under the lead ership of Linda Adams, will be offering a 1-day meeting, Female Pelvic Health: Diagnosis, Treatments and Care for Women’s Pelvic Disorders, on January 26 at the John Muir Medical Center in Walnut Creek. I would love to hear from the other Western Chapters to find out what they have planned. Getting involved with your local chapter is a great opportunity for education and meeting other urological health care professionals. Contact your chapter president to see what is happening with your chapter. Below are the Western Chapter Presidents and their email addresses. • Portland #401, Renee M. Benoit, LVN, [email protected] • Northern California #403, Linda Adams, LVN, [email protected] • Utah #404, Jodi Weichers, [email protected] • Yakima Valley #405, Julie Wells, RN, [email protected] • Arizona #406, Linda K. Sabre, MSN,RNP CUNP, [email protected] • Big Sky #407, Margaret Coffman, MSN, ARNP, [email protected] • Puget Sound #409, Lane Reid Biag, BSN, CURN, [email protected] Peggy Hayes, BS, RN, CURN Western Regional Director [email protected] For their care and your career Urologic Nursing: Scope and Standards of Practice, Second Edition The must-have manual for urologic RNs and APRNs This comprehensive resource describes: • Scope of practice • Educational preparation • Certification • Practice environment/ population focus Member Spotlight Carol Wheeler, CUA, is a surgical medical assistant currently working in urology outpatient practice in Concord, NH. She has held this position for the past 7 years. Prior to joining the urology practice, Carol worked as an LNA on a medical-surgical unit. Carol is very dedicated to the field of urology. She assists providers with their daily clinic schedules, doing so with efficiency, compassion, and a sense of humor. Carol works closely with the RN team, assisting with orientation, training, and competency for new medical assistants. She has been invaluable to the center’s clinical leader, taking on the responsibility for management of the clinical schedule and medical assistant coverage. Carol is proficient in the area of surgical scheduling, performing duties to assist this position when time allows. Carol is one of three medical assistant team leaders, a role in which she is accountable to a high level of professionalism and mentorship. Carol displayed her dedication to the field of urology and her understanding of urologic conditions when she studied, took, and passed the CBUNA urologic certification exam last year. Carol joined SUNA 2 years ago when she learned that she would have access to all of the member benefits, specifically the wonderful educational opportunities available! She has attended educational sessions and assisted with the development of training templates and competencies for medical assistants working in urology. Carol has led by example, encouraging others to learn and grow professionally by joining and becoming more involved with SUNA. When she isn’t working, Carol loves spending time with her family, gardening, and getting comfortable on her new motorcycle! The New England Chapter of SUNA is very proud to highlight Carol as our Chapter Member of the Year. Kristine Green, RN, CURN Northeast Regional Director Order now suna.org/store Updated cover-to-cover with current urologic issues, trends, and challenges affecting research, evidencebased practice, education, and health care reform. [email protected] www.suna.org This column recognizes “behind-thescenes” members of SUNA who contribute to the organization and urologic nursing at the grassroots level. If you know of a member whose service to SUNA deserves recognition and would like to highlight his/her contributions in this column, contact Uro-Gram Editor Jeanne Held-Warmkessel ([email protected]). 1-888-TAP-SUNA 12 January 2013 Special Interest Groups Continence The SIG had a great meeting during the Annual Conference in Washington, DC, and I was happy to see so many colleagues express an interest in improving the continence issues experienced by many of our patients. To update all of our members who were not present, we had an energizing discussion regarding the use of vaginal estrogen creams to improve symptoms of urgency, frequency, and urge urinary incontinence. We also discussed the release of the new beta-3 adrenergic receptor agonist, mirabegron (MyrbetriqTM). Since it acts on a different receptor in the bladder, the hope is that it will help with improvement in bladder storage without the side effects often experienced with the anti-muscarinic medications. Always remember, if you have questions, please go to the SUNA website to submit your request for further information. Continuing to improve the continence of our patients is so important, so keep up the questions. We are always looking to the future. As such, I want to encourage all of you to be ready for World Continence Week. This is a great opportunity to do something for continence awareness in your community. Even though this is many months away, it is never too soon to start thinking about ways to get the message out that incontinence is not normal and something that can be helped. Once the date for the event is released, I will submit this to SUNA so we can begin our plans. Finally, I hope to see everyone in beautiful Savannah, GA. The Annual Symposium is sure to be very informative and exciting. Amy Hull, MSN, RNC, WHNP SIG Leader ESWL/OR/Cysto Our SIG met at the Annual Conference in Washington, DC, with 17 members in attendance. Debbie Buback, Board liaison for the group, introduced herself and briefly discussed her role as liaison. As SIG leader, I then introduced myself and discussed my role as SIG leader. We distributed a sign-up sheet to obtain members’ names and email addresses. We also reviewed the ongoing project for the past year, which is a review/revision/updating of the Cysto Room Survival Cards. All members are asked to assist by reviewing and suggesting changes. The suggested changes will then be sent to the Board of Directors (BOD) for review and acceptance. Future plans include revising the OR/Cysto Survival Manual based on the changes made to the cards. Discussion among the group involved making separate ESWL/OR/CYSTO Procedure Cards for those in the OR as well as those in the office setting. Once developed, the SIG will share the information with the BOD for approval. We also discussed the need to identify the next leader of the SIG so that they have time to be mentored in the role. Debbie encouraged members to get involved and suggested that two members could share the SIG leader responsibility. Thank you to Cruz Ortiz, who volunteered and will serve as the next SIG leader along with a work colleague. Glenda Wilkinson, BS, RN, CURN SIG Leader Urodynamics My name is Diana McDonough, and I am the new SIG Leader. My background is primarily in video urodynamics, and I began my urodynamics journey in 1996 in Toronto, Canada. That same year, I moved to California and performed non-video urodynamics in a large Santa Monica urology office, which later merged with UCLA in 2000. I transitioned into the Westwood campus and was performing both genitourinary (GU) fluoroscopy studies and video urodynamics on a parttime basis. To my surprise, UCLA Westwood had the same equipment I was familiar with in Toronto. One year later, I became the full-time charge nurse for interventional radiology. I held this position until 2006. During this time, I learned a lot about radiology (fluoroscopy, types of contrast, x-ray exposure, protective equipment, and recognizing anatomy under fluoroscopy). Then, in 2007, our video urodynamics nurse retired, and I transitioned back to the full-time video urodynamics nurse role. I work with a portable C-arm (operated by a radiology technologist) and urodynamics equipment that integrates fluoroscopy and pressures. I work with 20 urologists who refer patients for GU studies. In addition to video urodynamics (my primary role), we also perform nephrostograms, retrograde urethrograms, cystograms, pouchograms, loopograms, and voiding cystourethrograms. Our adult patient population is quite diverse, including prolapse, incontinence, strictures, fistulas, kidney transplant evaluation, retention, recurrent infections, neurological disease, interstitial cystitis, and mesh complications. I have had the pleasure of teaching to the public (on sexual dysfunction and urinary incontinence) as well as physicians, vendors, nurses, and radiology technologists. So I come to SUNA with extensive expertise in urodynamics. I am excited to share this expertise and look forward to hearing from our members about what they would like to discuss at our SIG meetings in the coming year. We can troubleshoot, review forms and supplies that we use, and share how we resolved challenges during studies. See you at the next meeting! Diana McDonough, RN SIG Leader 13 January 2013 SUNA Member in the News Congratulations to Jane Hokanson Hawks, PhD, RN, BC, FAAN, SUNA member and editor of Urologic Nursing, who was among 175 esteemed nurse leaders inducted as fellows into the American Academy of Nursing in 2012. The ceremony was held during the Academy’s 39th Annual Meeting and Conference on October 13, 2012, in Washington, DC. Jane Hawks Composed of the nation’s top nurse researchers, policymakers, scholars, executives, educators, and practitioners, the 2012 cohort was the largest class of inductees into the Academy, which is a subsidiary of the American Nurses Association. In addition to this accomplishment, Jane was honored with a Distinguished Nurse Award from the March of Dimes during its annual Excellence in Nursing awards banquet on November 1, 2012. This event recognizes outstanding nurses from Nebraska and Southwest Iowa in the categories of Excellence in Nursing, Mentoring, Clinical Education, and Distinguished Nurse. Jane was chosen to receive the Distinguished Nurse Award for her outstanding contributions to the nursing profession, education, research, and patient care. New ANCC Guidelines Now in Effect As stated in the previous issue of the Uro-Gram, the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) has updated their guidelines for continuing nursing education (CNE) approval. As of January 1, 2013, our CNE application has gotten a facelift to reflect these changes. Please go to www.suna.org to download the guidelines for completing the application and all forms. The most important changes you will see include the following: 1. 2. 3. 4. Advance your practice Prepare for certification Improve patient care Introducing: The new Core Curriculum for Ambulatory Care Nursing, Third Edition, Candia Baker Laughlin, MS, RN-BC, Editor A comprehensive administrative and clinical guide to ambulatory care As always, if you have any questions or concerns when filling out the application, please contact Pat Davey at the SUNA national office or myself at [email protected]. Gina Powley, ANP-BC Approver Unit Chairperson Call for Abstracts for 44th Annual Conference Updated cover-to-cover with: Core Curriculum for Ambulatory Care Nursing • Content from the new ANCC Test Content Outline for the Ambulatory Care Nursing Certification Exam • Expanded focus on clinical care and telehealth practice • New chapters include perioperative care, complementary and alternative therapies, and transition care Third Edition Candia Baker Laughlin, MS, RN-BC Editor Earn 31.5 contact hours! � � Nurse Planner: must hold a baccalaureate degree or higher but does not have to be the contact person. Needs Assessment: CNE activities should be designed to meet documented educational or learning needs of potential participants. The strategies used are documented on the Documentation Form I. The documentation should include the identified gap in knowledge, skills, and/or practice through the needs assessment. For example, the needs assessment could have been a survey taken at another meeting on future topics. Purpose of the Activity: This is a written outcome statement related to what the learner will be able to do at the conclusion of the activity. For example: “The purpose of this activity is to enable the learner to…” The conclusion of the statement is directly related to the identified gap. Disclosure Declaration Memorandum: This must be given to attendees prior to the activity. The purpose of the activity must be stated on this form. The session title and objectives also must be stated on this form (a separate sheet could be used for a multiple session seminar). Expiration of enduring materials is for a journal article, monograph, etc. All live programs must state “none.” Share your expertise at SUNA’s 2013 Annual Conference! Do you have a case study, best practice, or research findings that you’d like to share with your colleagues? Here’s your opportunity! SUNA’s 44th Annual Conference will be held October 11-14, 2013, at the Hyatt Regency in Chicago. The planning committee is now accepting abstracts for verbal and poster presentation at the conference in the following categories: (1) Research Scientific Session (oral and poster presentations) and (2) Non-Research Poster Abstracts (clinical, leadership, or education/management focus). Additional information, abstract submission guidelines, and accompanying forms are available on SUNA’s website at www.suna.org (under the Events tab). The deadline for submission of abstracts is June 12, 2013. 14 January 2013 Message Congratulations to the MacFarlane Award Recipients! Each year the Certification Board for Urologic Nurses Associates (CBUNA) presents an award to the person attaining the highest score on the certification exam. This year’s MacFarlane Award was given to two outstanding nurses who have demonstrated a strong dedication to the practice of urology and who tied on their exam scores. This is an unusual occurrence, and we are proud of our scholars. Each award winner was given a certificate and monetary award recognizing their achievement. Karl Gunnerson, BSN, RN, CNOR, CGRN, CMLSO, CURN, graduated from Stormont-Vail Nursing School in 1978. Immediately after graduation, he began his nursing career in the operating room at St Francis Hospital. After 2 years, he switched to the OR at Colmery O’Neil Veterans Hospital and has been there ever since. Education and new learning experiences have been a dominant theme in Karl’s life. He completed his formal education with a BSN at Washburn University in Topeka, KS, but that wasn’t enough. He then continued his learning by becoming certified in perioperative nursing (CNOR), gastroenterology nursing (CGRN), and also as a Certified Medical Laser Safety Officer (CMLSO). Karl has a deep understanding of the value of certification as evidenced by all the different certifications he holds. He is deeply committed to providing veterans with the quality care that they deserve. Karl is the only nurse in this VA facility to be certified in urology. Karl’s manager also showed her commitment to quality care by reporting his achievement in the facility newsletter. According to Karl, strategies to successful outcomes on this exam include a well planned out program for studying. He began studying about 4 months before the test, using the SUNA study guides as well as urologic books available in his library. He had 3-5 study sessions each week lasting about 1-2 hours each session. Kudos to Karl on his outstanding achievements and his dedication to his patients! Our second recipient is Brenda Madsen, BSN, RN, CBIC, CURN. Brenda began her nursing career after completing her BSN at Mankato State University in Mankato, MN. She worked for 8 years at the Veteran’s Administration Medical Center in Milwaukee, WI, moving from a staff position in the telemetry unit and emergency room to infection control. In 1996 she passed the certification exam in infection control. Returning to the tundra of Minnesota in 2002, she began working at the Mayo Clinic Health System in Fairmont, MN. In 2009 Brenda joined the urology team and felt compelled, as the only RN in the Urology Department, to understand the fundamentals and then develop the expertise that is necessary when working in a specialty practice. She was supported in this endeavor by the strong commitment from the nursing leadership at her facility and her physician colleagues. Her reasons for choosing the certification pathway were to indicate her commitment to promoting excellence in care and to act as a role model for the other staff in the clinic. Brenda also started studying about 3-4 months before the exam. She was not able to participate in a study group based on her rural setting, but she thinks that would have been very helpful. Her resources included the SUNA Urology Certification Review book and also the CD recording of the review course. She “walked the talks “with her old Walkman. Her other resources included the Urologic Nursing textbook and the helpful urologists in her practice. She found the practice questions in the Urologic Nursing Journal and in the study materials to be helpful. Congratulations to Brenda Madsen on this accomplishment and her dedication to quality nursing care! Brenda’s strategies for study were different from Karl’s, which is a good point for all potential test takers to understand. Each of us learns by our own methods. Find what works for you, and you will also earn the certification credential after your name. The members of the certification board would like to invite all of our SUNA members to undertake the challenge of becoming certified. Please email us at [email protected] or find us on the SUNA website (www.suna.org) under the Certification tab. We are committed to helping you achieve success. Kathy Marchese, ANP, CWOCN, CUNP CBUNA Secretary 15 CBUNA gratefully acknowledges the following companies for their support in 2012-2013: Platinum Sponsor LABORIE Gold Sponsor T-DOC Company, LLC Silver Sponsor Cook Urological, Inc. Medtronic, Inc. Volume 41, Number 1 January 2013 PRSRT STD US Postage PAID Deptford, NJ Permit #142 East Holly Avenue Box 56 Pitman, NJ 08071-0056 856-256-2335 • 888-827-7862 • FAX 856-589-7463 • E-Mail: [email protected] CHANGE SERVICE REQUESTED This newsletter is an official publication of the Society of Urologic Nurses and Associates, Inc. Copyright © 2013 by the Society of Urologic Nurses and Associates. All rights reserved. No part of this material may be duplicated or reproduced in any manner without the written permission of the Society of Urologic Nurses and Associates. (ISSN # 1074-8687) SUNA encourages the submission of news items and photos of interest to SUNA members. By virtue of your submission, you agree to the usage and editing of your submission for possible publication in SUNA’s newsletter, website, and other promotional and educational materials. Editor Jeanne Held-Warmkessel, MSN, RN, AOCN®, ACNS-BC The Uro-Gram is published bimonthly and sponsored by Liberty Medical Visit SUNA’s website at www.suna.org As a professional community of urologic nurses and associates, SUNA is committed to enriching the professional lives of our members and improving the health of our patients and their families, through education, research, and evidence-based clinical practice. Register Early for SUNA’s Annual Symposium Join your colleagues at SUNA’s 2013 Annual Symposium in Savannah. Scheduled for March 7-9 at the Hyatt Regency Savannah, the symposium will feature an exciting array of speakers and topics, ranging from basic to advanced. A choice of preconference workshops and concurrent sessions offer you the opportunity to tailor your schedule to meet your individual special interests. Register by January 21 to take advantage of reduced registration rates! Program Highlights Five preconference workshops will be offered on Thursday, March 7. A full-day workshop will focus on Basic Urodynamics. Half-day workshops will address: • Adult EMG Biofeedback for Urinary Incontinence • Sacral Nerve Stimulation: Effective Troubleshooting Strategies • The Connection Between Pelvic Floor Muscle Function and Quality of Life • Male Sexual Health and Reproduction The symposium will officially kick off Thursday evening with a reception in the exhibit hall. Enjoy refreshments as you view displays reflecting state-ofthe-art technologies, products, and services. Sales and clinical representatives from leading manufacturers and suppliers will be on hand to discuss their products and educational materials. Friday, March 8, will start with a networking and orientation breakfast followed by the Keynote Address, Urologic Pelvic Floor Issues and Surgery in Sub-Saharan Africa, presented by Larry T. Sirls, MD, FACS, Director of Female Pelvic Medicine & Reconstructive Surgery and Professor at Oakland University-William Beaumont School of Medicine in Royal Oak, MI. The symposium will continue through Saturday with a choice of concurrent sessions on a wide variety of topics, enabling each attendee to individualize his/her symposium experience. Topics will cover the full spectrum of urologic nursing, including: • Transitional Care for Patients with Urologic and Pelvic Floor Disorders • Urodynamics Coding and Documentation • Practical Applications of the Urologic Nursing Scope and Standards of Practice • UroPharmacology • Incontinence Associated Dermatitis • Acute and Chronic Prostatitis: Diagnosis & Treatment • Pediatric Malignancies and the Impact on Continence • Synthetic Material for Incontinence and Prolapse Repair: Pros and Cons View the complete symposium program and register online at www.suna.org.
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