NANNP Corner
NANNP Updates
Barbara Snapp DNP APRN NNP-BC
NANNP Council Chair
At the time of this publication, the Council will have completed a non-virtual, multi-day meeting at NANN headquarters in Chicago. After the meeting concludes, there will be more information to share, and I will try to disseminate that information as quickly as possible.
One item up for discussion is the APRN survey that was posted in March asking members for feedback on issues and concerns related to their practice and involvement in NANNP. We had a great response with many participants taking the extra time to leave us comments, which are always welcome even if they are difficult to read. The results will be shared as soon as possible with members.
A Council goal is to be inclusive of all neonatal APRNs. For many years, the NANNP Council has stated that it represents the neonatal APRN, but concentrated solely on the NNP and neglected the CNS and the importance of their role. Over the past several years, our CNS colleagues have been sharing their frustration regarding the lack of inclusivity. In response, the Council has made some significant changes. For instance, the bylaws were amended to require a CNS to serve on the Council. In addition, the awards are no longer the “NNP” awards but the “APRN” awards so now there is no excuse not to nominate a deserving CNS APRN!
Another concern that members brought to the Council’s attention is how dues are allocated. Projects that are supported by your monetary contribution include the many educational products, broadcasts on social media, and also support the planning and implementation of the national conference. The position statements that are designed to help you in your practice must be professionally reviewed and edited. Like any organization, membership funds are used to support the staff and the volunteers who make up the leadership team. Stagnant funding means that forward progress also becomes stagnant. We need innovation to bring in more members with creative ideas and energy and, quite honestly, to help supply those all-important funding and maintenance dollars.
The unequal distribution of APRNs around the country has brought about a scope-of-practice creep. There are several articles in development from multiple professional organizations, including NANNP, addressing important guidelines on the scope of practice and practicing within appropriate education and licensure. The goal is to support and encourage the proper care of our infants and families, not to disparage other professionals. Our responsibility is to educate physicians, administrators, and other healthcare providers on appropriate collaborative staffing models.
A big educational component that was just completed is the new Curriculum Guidelines and Educational Competencies document. The task force, comprised of Tracey Bell, Media Esser, Amy Koehn, Desi Newberry, Michele Savin, Jenna Staggs, and Jan Wilson, worked diligently for a year to create this important document. It was sent out for a high-level review, amended, and is now ready for publication.
NANNP will be hosting a webinar on May 16th at 11 am CST to disseminate this new information and answer questions. Register to attend the free webinar today!
Lastly, I want to thank the volunteers and staff who participated in the recent Council meeting. They give an extraordinary amount of their own time and work hard to promote and improve our APRN profession.
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