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CANN Professional Practice November Report

May 2010

Professional Practice

CNA Certification:

As of December 31, 2009 there are 269 neuroscience nurses certified in Neuroscience Nursing. In April 2010, 45 neuroscience nurses wrote the Certification exam. The Number of successful candidates will be made known to us once the results have been distributed to those nurses. This year was the first writing of the new Neuroscience Nursing Exam. As well, this July there will be a review of all Banked questions to determine suitability for present exams. Once this is completed the Exam Guide will also be updated. Continuing to encourage nurses to become certified and to renew certification is always a part of the strategic plan.

Certification Review: On June 8th a new endeavour to support neuroscience nurses who wish to pursue certification will take place as an afternoon pre-conference session. The certification process will be reviewed along with several presentations providing various clinical scenarios with questions as one wood experience when writing the exam. An evaluation will be completed to determine the success of this endeavour.

2011 will be the 20th Anniversary of the first Neuroscience nursing Certification Writing. CNA will work with CANN to organize activities to celebrate in Vancouver, BC, and to recognize all nurses certified in Neuroscience Nursing.

Bursaries/Scholarship Awards:

There are presently three applicants for the Lynn Ann Baldwin Scholarship. The successful candidates will be announced in June in Quebec City. There are no applicants for any of the Jessie Young Awards.

WFNN:

This Federation has been relatively quiet since the quadrennial meeting in May 2009. A Neuroscience Nurse from Japan has made contact with the WFNN executive. She contacted the WFNN Executive because she has been awarded a post-doctoral position. The primary purpose of her fellowship is to study the neuroscience nurse certification (CNRN) programs in the United States and other countries with the goal of introducing a similar certification program for neuroscience nurses in Japan. Unfortunately, I did not receive a reply this Neuroscience Nurse with regards to my request of having her visit Canada to review our certification process—a missed opportunity.

There will be an update from WFNN this summer. Also, watch for news regarding the 9th Quadrennial Congress of the European Association of Neuroscience Nurses May 4–7, 2011, Blackenberge, Belgium. Web site available at: www.eann.net

Strategic Planning

Professional Standards:

These standards will be up for review in June 2010 as per the recommendation of review every two years. The strategic plan will be reviewed again at the BOD meeting in June. Many goals have been achieved.

CNA Groups and Affiliates Highlights

Strategic Planning Committee (CANN is a member of this committee)

This committee has achieved its mandate of:

  • Creating an vision
  • Developing strategies for the future
  • Aligning short and long term goals and objectives with vision

Nurse One Committee

This committee has also achieved its mandate.

It has explored opportunities that exist within NurseONE for the development of a community of practice for:

  • CNA’s AAE network
  • Individual AAEs

Other Highlights

Progress in Practice: Webinars Series—are available to all, are free but registration is required. These are advertised through CNA.

Position Statements Reviewed: Spirituality, Evidenced Based Practice, and Social Justice.

Position Statements Approved: Nurse Practitioner and Determinants of Health.

CNA Biennium will take place June 7-9th in Halifax. The title is “INNOVATION in ACTION—the POWER of Nursing”. There will be a special AAE meeting on Saturday June 5th. A report on the highlights of the meeting will be presented at the CANN June Meeting.

This is now the end of my term as Professional Practice Portfolio Representative, which has been a very rewarding experience. I look forward to continuing contribution when possible and I thank all of those who have contributed to this portfolio’s achievements.

Respectfully submitted
Deb Holtom
Professional Practice, CANN
May 2010