Looking Ahead…
ASNA Board Meeting:
November 14, 2012 4:30-5:30pm Polaris K-12 School Anchorage Call in: 800-315-6338 Code 1952 followed by # December meeting TBA ASNA Spring Conference 2012 Settler’s Bay Wasilla, Alaska April 19-21, 2013!
I’ve always wondered how volunteer organizations get their work done – but even more importantly how they decide what their work should be. Although the membership of ASNA elected the officers to
take care of the organization’s business we realized that our business is you, and what you want and need from ASNA.
To that end we decided to, guess what, apply the
nursing process - to us. We are starting with a needs assessment of our membership. From there we will do some planning to address the goals and objectives we develop to meet your identified needs.
From there we hope to come up with some timely and perhaps innovative ways of serving you – the members of ASNA.
Keep an eye on your email inbox for an online survey and give the questions some serious thought.
Our job is to serve you so that we can all serve our schools and communities better. The ASNA board is looking forward to an exciting year of building relationships with other organizations serving our communities and students. We are a statewide organization, and no organization is in a better position to influence the decisions and activities that affect all our students regarding their health and
wellness.
I hope everyone got out to Vote on November 6, 2012!
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President
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Jordis Clark, MPH, BSN, RN, NCSN Sand Lake Elementary, Anchorage, AK.O U R M I S S I O N I S T O S U P P O R T S C H O O L N U R S E S A N D S C H O O L N U R S I N G W I T H I N A L A S K A
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ASNA
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State Liaison for NBCSN
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Dianne Swanson, BSN, RN, NCSNHello! I am your new state liaison for National Board Certification of School Nursing. The purpose of
the NBCSN state liaison is to promote NBCSN Certification at the state level. My role is to serve as a
resource on certification and promote the value of certification. I will maintain communication between state
school nurses and NBCSN. Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions and I will do my best to
get you an answer.
I work at Eagle River Elementary in, where else, Eagle River. I can be reached at 742-3005 or
swanson_dianne@asdk12.org
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Education and certification are highly valued in the academic environment. It is critical that
the visibility of NCSN credentialed nurses be increased, highlighting this accomplishment
as the equivalence of national teacher certification. This elevates the school nurse’s level of
expertise in the eyes of those in the educational community.
Thinking about National Certification? Go for it!
To learn more and apply visit:
http://www.nbcsn.com/examdefault.htm#apply
Test Dates
Application Deadline
Examination Date
12/31/2012
2/16/2013 - 3/2/2013
5/31/2013
7/20/2013 - 8/3/2013
For re-certification information visit:
http://www.nbcsn.org/recertification.htm
Mail completed Re-certification Application and all required documentation to: NBCSN Re-certification
1350 Broadway, 17th Floor, Suite 1705
New York , NY 10018
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ONGRATULATIONS TO NEWLY
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ERTIFIED
NCSN’
S IN
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LASKA
SHARON
BARING
CAROLYN
BERG
BRAKORA
DENISE
WALDVOGLE
ROBIN
LARIMER
AMIEE
STACIE
SEAGLE
SANDRA
MORRIS
DOROTHY
HALL
BOGERT
RUTH
To order an ASNA fleece zip vest
visit
www.alaskasna.org
and click
the link to
Vest order form
To order a mug email:
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NASN Director
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Patricia Barker, BSN, RN Polaris K-12, Anchorage, AKThe year is off and running, and from what I hear, everyone has been unusually busy. I hope you were able to have a relaxing and wonderful summer because it sounds like you need all of the energy you gained during those months. NASN has been busy as well. Advocating for children and for school nurses has been a full time job of the staff. They are stepping into every arena they can to promote school nurses and to keep our children healthy and safe.
The BOD’s will be heading to Washington DC again soon, and I will be meeting with our legislators while I am there. I have not yet heard what NASN’s legislative priorities are for the year, but I can tell you that I will be going to The Hill to keep the pressure on to support what NASN feels is important.
I hope that most of you are doing everything you can to promote yourselves as school nurses. I do not have to tell you how much we do and how hard we work. Unfortunately, many people do not understand that and we need to show them. We are facing some difficult times throughout our state and in the country. I hope that you can take what you do on a daily basis and share it with the people in your community. Send a letter to the editor, be present and speak up at school board meetings, make your presence known in your school and talk to everyone you know about what you really do. Not only are we trying to promote ourselves, but we are also trying to make things better for the students we serve, the future of school nursing and the health of our communities.
The new ASNA board and the new ASNA committees have already been hard at work. I just wanted to say thank you to all who serve ASNA. I work with an amazing group of nurses, and I am honored to serve in this organization.
ASNA
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OMMITTEES
Nominations and
Membership Committee
Judy Besh
Lori Schneider
Linda Sinclair
Lee Stark
Finance Committee
Joy Arneson
Kathy Bell
Jordis Clark
Newsletter
Jennifer Cottle
Spring Conference Planning Committee
Coordinators: *Robin Waldvogle & *Karen James Ann Kelly Marni Meier Wendy DeGraffenried Faith Hundley Krista Grilliot Mary Bell Barb Mercer Sharon Powder Heather Lehe Marlene Kroon Kristin Lord Lisa Jenson
Webmaster
Annette Johansen
Legislative Committee
Nancy Bale
Maureen Hall
School Nurse of the Year
Committee
Pam Miller
Lori Schneider
Anne McCarron
Betty Miller
Wendy Parsons
By Laws Committee
Nancy Edtl
Suzanne Chapelle
Kathy Bell
Patti Stepp
Annette Johansen
Buzzzzzzy Day
This situation occurred after school during Ravenwood’s After School Kids Club
(ASKC)...
Students were attending the first day of ASKC, playing “woodland games” in the forest in
back of the school. A yellow jacket hive was knocked to the ground, swarming kids and
parents with very angry bees. 18 students stung, 5 parents. I was triaging: to be seen in the
hallway, being treated in nurse office, and treated and monitoring in the music room.
Started with ice packs, then went through and applied baking soda paste- which helped a
lot!!! Just putting something on the stings they could see made a lot of difference.
I had a KF
student with 17 stings, a 1st grader with 15 stings and one 4th grader with 11-12 stings.
All
the others ranged from 1-10 stings apiece. It was surreal!!!
Yellow jackets- which don't die
after stinging- all over my office and hallway, inside coats, shirts and pants, kids screaming.
AACK! Luckily no anaphylaxis, treated 3 with Benadryl for severe localized swelling, the
worst in the first grader who was stung multiple times in the upper legs/groin area.
Crazy!!!!! Great news...all students were back to school the next day, although they had
very itchy sting sites.
Jennifer Cottle, BSN, RN, NCSN
Ravenwood Elementary- Eagle River, AK
Do You See What I See?
I have had several experiences now where the doctor office vision screen results do not
aline with what I find during my vision exams at school.
The school physical form completed at the doctor's office showed 20/25 vision each eye.
The vision screening I did showed 20/30 ou, 20/25 od, and 20/50 os.
I referred this kindergardener to the eye doctor after retesting a few days later.
Her vision there was even worse with at least a two line difference.
She got a diagnosis of mixed astigmatism both eyes and amblyopia left eye.
I gave the mother a copy of the physical from the doctor and a copy of the eye doctor's
report and encouraged her to share both with her health care provider.
Mom was so thankful for the school vision screening.
I know these take student's out of
class time but they can save a child's vision for life.
I am sure there are many stories like
these out there.
Aren't we glad to have the opportunity and responsibility of screening
children.
I pray the school district does not take that blessing away from our precious
student
Nelda Walker, BSN, RN NCSN Ursa Major Elementary, JBER
*Have a story to share for our Newsletter? Email Jennifer Cottle, BSN, RN, NCSN @cottle_jennifer@asdk12.org
2012-2013 ASNA BOARD MEMBERS
President: Jordis Clark, MPH, BSN, RN, NCSN
clark_jordis@asdk12.org
Vice President: Kathy Bell, BSN, RN, NCSN
bell_kathy@asdk12.org
Director: Patricia Barker, BSN, RN
barker_patricia@asdk12.org Treasurer: Joy Arneson, RN
jarneson01@kibsd.org
Secretary: Rebecca Hansen, BSN, RN, NCSN
hansen_rebecca@asdk12.org
Past
President: Luann Fogels, BSN, RN, NCSNfogels_luann@asdk12.org
State School Health Nurse Consultant: Mary Bell, BSN, RN, NCSN
mary.bell@alaska.gov
