You know, I really appreciated the beautiful flowers and trees, the plums from our plum "trees" (more like bushes if you ask me), and the level of the creeks and rivers this past spring and early summer. I'm sorry that La Nina is building in the Pacific and we'll have another one of those Non-El-Nino years when all the snow goes to Colorado and we're very dry. On the other hand, we won't have to dig out from 27" of snow down our 1/4 mile long driveway and worry about traveling through terrible snowstorms throughout the winter. I guess it is one of those half-full/half-empty issues: I can live through all that snow when I know we'll have a bountiful spring and early summer; I can appreciate the ease of getting around during dry winters (La Nina) but wistfully long for more snow when the flowers are less abundant and lush with spring.
We succeeded in getting about 500 signatures on our petition to keep the New Mexico Board of Nursing independent from other professional boards. If the legislature decides to raise the issue again in 2011 (just 2 months from now!) we'll be ready to send copies to all of the legislators. We're hoping you can help us keep the Board of Nursing independent, if it is again threatened with consolidation during the upcoming legislative session.
We've sent out fliers to all of the nursing programs in the state about our legislative workshop, Capitol Challenge, 2011, which will be held on February 3, 2011 in Santa Fe. We're hoping that the programs will send senior students and some faculty to the event, so that they can learn the importance of political awareness and involvement. We are having some wonderful presenters this year: Rose Gonzalez, director of ANA's Government Affairs Department will discuss the lobbying they do to increase funding for nursing education, working on patient and staff safety, working conditions and more. Dr. Jeanne Floyd, retiring from the American Nurses Credentialing Center December 31, will discuss the Magnet program, Pathway to Excellence program, and why specialty nursing certification is important. Patricia Montoya will talk about her involvement in politics over the course of her nursing career and how being involved opened doors for her. Deborah Walker, former Executive Director of the NM Board of Nursing will discuss statewide professional issues. Linda Siegle will provide information on how a bill becomes a law, lobbying tips, and we'll provide a list of bills that NMNA is supporting, opposing, and why. Each participant will have two sheets of note-paper on which they can write a note to their representative and senator (coming armed with that knowledge would be a great thing to do) about why they support or oppose a piece of legislation. Lunch will be served, and then we will walk to the Capitol (about a mile away, so dress warmly) so that all can observe the House and Senate in session OR attend some of the hearings that are occurring in the hearing rooms. You can go to the New Mexico Legislative website at www.nmlegis.gov click on members then click find you legislator. Look for both your senator and house member.
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If you read my article about how the state's budget may affect the people of New Mexico and nursing, you are aware of how grim the budget is right now. Unless the legislature does something big, like increasing payroll taxes, or taxing companies doing business here but having tax exemptions, or radical cuts to Education and Health Care, and cuts to all agencies in state government they will not be able to balance the budget, which is required by law. We need you to add your voices to ours to protect the most vulnerable populations so that Education and Medicaid cuts don't irreparably harm our citizens. If we don't already have your email address and you'd like to be added to the Email Alert List, and make calls or email legislators when we urgently need support for our issues, please send your email to carrie@nmna.org . If you work in a facility like Pres or San Juan College, that has a strong Spam firewall, consider giving us your home email, instead of work email.
You may think that politics and legislative issues are boring, tedious, something to avoid, but remember the legislature has to pass the Nursing Practice Act and the Governor has to sign it or you wouldn't be a licensed nurse in New Mexico. Politics really controls our lives. We wouldn't have schools, roads, clean water, wastewater treatment plants, and department of health initiatives to improve the health of our people. The electrical companies, gas companies, telephone and cable/internet companies could set the fees to whatever they wanted without the legislature. It is important that you pay attention to what is going on in city, county, state, and federal rule-making and legislative bodies, and it is important that you speak out and let your representatives know what you think and feel about current issues being considered by them.
One of the ways NMNA is going to protect our nursing practice act and board of nursing is through a bill carried by Senator Linda Lopez that outlines the roles and responsibilities of the professional boards to perform due diligence in evaluating any proposed changes/ expansions of scopes of practice by their licensees, and hold fact-finding hearings on the pros and cons of such a change in scope: Will the public be safe? Will it increase access? Will it increase or decrease costs? Will it improve coordination of care by myriad providers of care for those with chronic disease? The National Council of State Boards of Nursing's Consensus report on Advanced Practice Registered Nurses states that NPs, CNSs, CNMs, and CRNAs should be educated in a way that all of the APRNs receive the same core courses, that new programs should be approved prior to admitting students, that the APRNs should take certification examinations that measure core competencies in both the core courses (pharmacology, pathophysiology and physical assessment) and in the specifics of the populations they will be treating, and that the state Boards of Nursing should be the sole regulatory body responsible for the licensing, rule making, and disciplinary action against those providers.
In addition, the New Mexico Nursing Practice Act RULES state:
H. Standards for professional registered nursing practice. Registered nurses practice in accordance with the definition of professional registered nursing in the NPA. [61-3-3, J. NMSA 1978].
(1) RNs may assume specific functions and perform specific procedures which are beyond basic nursing preparation for professional registered nursing [61-3-3, J. NMSA 1978] provided the knowledge and skills required to perform the function and procedure emanates from a recognized body of knowledge and practice of nursing, and the function or procedure is not prohibited by any law or statue.
(2) When assuming specific functions and performing specific procedures, which are beyond the nurse's basic educational preparation, the RN is responsible for obtaining the appropriate knowledge, skills and supervision to assure he/she can perform the function/procedure safely and competently.
This means that registered nurses also may function beyond the usual scope of professional registered nursing if they have the required education, skills and supervision to safely perform that function. NMNA appreciates the Board of Nursing and New Mexico Legislature's foresight in writing this rule, which allows for the evolution of nursing practice as the nursing profession changes, and we want to keep it that way by ensuring that the Board of Nursing remains independent and controlled by knowledgeable nursing leaders from various nursing profession roles.
I was surprised when I saw my first Christmas commercials on TV before Halloween, but I am really looking forward to having a couple of days free of work to cook and have time with my family for the Holidays. After a few days to rest and recuperate from this busy Fall, I'll be jumping back in, working with Linda Siegle, our lobbyist, to protect you and your profession from unintended consequences of legislation introduced during the 60 day session.
Wishing you the very best this Holiday Season!
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