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San Fernando Valley AACN
Winter Newsletter2014
President’s Message
It is with a grateful heart that I give thanks to all the wonderful people on the SFVAACN board who have stepped forward, volunteering their time and effort to keep this organization running smoothly. As I contemplate the dedication and perseverance of all the many board members throughout the years, I would like to extend a special thanks to Annette Nelson, our Membership Chair and Historian, who has been a member of the SFVAACN for almost forty years and served on the board for over 20 of those years. She has served as secretary, treasurer elect, treasurer, president elect and president, liaison chair and membership chair! She has been a CCRN since 1980 and attended almost every NTI since 1980. In the last three years that I have served on the board, I have had the pleasure and honor of working with Annette. She has been a guiding presence at every meeting, always ready to share her wealth of knowledge and to offer guidance whenever I needed some. I thank you Annette for your dedication throughout the years; you are an inspiration to all and a difficult act to follow. As you move forward with your life, we congratulate you and wish you well, but know that you will be greatly missed!Sincerely, Cindy Kapucija, RN, CCRNPresident 2013-2014
Get Certified in Critical Care
By Anna Dermenchyan, RN, BSN, CCRN-CSC
CCRN specialty certification was introduced in 1976 by the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses (AACN) for nurses providing care to acutely and/or critically ill adult, pediatric and neonatal patients. More than 80,000 acute and critical care nurses are presently certified worldwide in adult, pediatric or neonatal nursing. CCRN certification validates your knowledge of nursing care of acutely and/or critically ill patients to hospital administrators, peers, patients and, most importantly, to yourself. CCRN certification promotes continuing excellence in the critical care nursing field.
Certified nurses voluntarily test themselves against a national standard as role models of professional accountability. They distinguish
themselves through a commitment to continuing professional development and career
advancement.STEP FORWARD AND GET CERTIFIED!
San Fernando Valley AACN is looking forward to teaming up with the Ventura County Chapter AACN in sponsoring a Certification review course this summer. Stay tuned for further details!
Fall Symposium Report
By Michele Long, RN, CCRN
Our fall Symposium was held on October 9, 2013 at the Odyssey Restaurant. Our speaker was Krystal Coffman, DNP, ACNP who shared her wealth of knowledge on Neuro-Trauma.Here are just a FEW tidbits I gleamed from her presentation:
Keep the patient’s head in neutral alignment at all times.
With basilar skull fracture patients, check any fluid draining from the nose for glucose. CSF contains glucose but plain nasal drainage does not!
If the patient is receiving paralytics, the only reliable neuro assessment is changes in the size and reaction of the pupils.
Always use a hard collar if ligament damage is suspected in a patient with a spinal cord injury.
Always call the MD if your patient’s condition unexpectedly changes, new onset of seizures, fever, or if you have “a bad feeling” about something.
Here are some pictures taken at the symposium. Thanks to our vendors for their generous support and to everyone who attended!
We’re so glad so many people enjoyed the Symposium. Here’s a letter we received from Mount Saint Mary’s College:
:
SFVAACN Scholarships Available
SFVAACN will be awarding two scholarships this year to deserving members. These scholarships can be used to defray the cost of ANY educational program including NTI. Please email your contact info to [email protected] by April 1st if you are interested in applying for a scholarship.
Here are a few pictures of the Holiday Party held at Mary Lou McQueen’s
home on December 12:
SFVAACN SPRING SYMPOSIUM
MARCH 19th and 20th
Topics include:Heart Failure,
Transfusion Medicine, Sepsis and
Procalcitonin, Endoscopic Brain Surgery, Nursing
Leadership, Progressive Mobility, ACS, Treating
Addiction, Treating Dysrhythmias,
Mechanical Circulatory Support and more…Odyssey Restaurant
Earn 7.0 CEUs each dayPlease register by Mail
or online via Eventbrite!!!
For any questions please email
Please note the following correction:
Scott Robertson will be speaking
on Treating Addiction
