peach-curve-header.jpg
Standing Together To Make A Difference

THE BEST RESOURCE FOR NURSE PRACTITIONERS LIKE YOU.
April 2021 Newsletter
Thank you!
Thank you for all your hardwork and professionalism in serving on the front lines of Covid-19. We appreciate you!
NP RESOURCES
Visit our regional NP groups.
NPAA Store Open for Business!
Visit the NPAA Store! The store is featuring NPAA items like:
  • t-shirts,
  • portfolios,
  • tumblers,
  • bags,
  • phone wallets and
  • lapel pins.
Membership Corner:
2021: Year of the Nurse Continues
The World Health Organization (WHO) declared 2020 the International Year of the Nurse and the Midwife to honor of the 200th anniversary of Florence Nightingale’s birth and to advance nurses’ vital role in transforming health care around the world. The American Nurses Association (ANA) is joining with WHO and global colleagues in extending the Year of the Nurse and Midwife into 2021 because of the impact of the pandemic and the increased visibility of nurses’ contributions. To join or renew your NPAA membership, click here https://www.npalliancealabama.org/Membership
MESSAGE FROM NPAA PRESIDENT, D'Ann Somerall
Dear Members,

Spring is finally here, and it looks like we are beginning to see the new beginning of our new normal. I have participated in numerous webinars/Zoom calls/Teams meetings where the consensus is that normal will never be the same as December 2019/January 2020, but I don't think that is such a bad thing. Here's why:

  1. Telehealth is finally a doable method of evaluating our patients. We have struggled with connecting with rural patients/homebound patients- telehealth is the solution in many cases.
  2. Privileges - many health care institutions relaxed rules/guidelines during the crisis and aren't going back! The more data we can gather to show that we can practice to the extent of our education, the more ammunition we have to seek FPA.
  3. NPAA - NPAA has used this "downtime" to focus on the steps that will move our ability to practice to the fullest extent of our training to the highest level

Looking toward the future for our new normal!

AANP has issued a call to report negative comments about NP practice on social media, Facebook, etc. Please alert AANP you can send information to me, and I will forward it. A group of physicians has been attacking NP practice, and AANP is trying to curb these attacks.

Our conference is on the horizon. This is a great time to share the knowledge you have gained in practice with others. I know that I have learned a great deal about treating Hep C over the last few months. Certainly would have been helpful to have known ahead of being bombarded with many positive cases. Please consider submitting an abstract.

Please contact me if you have any questions or concerns. We are moving forward with plans to seek FPA shortly. We have to be allowed to practice to the full extent of our educational training!

Sincerely,

D'Ann

Announcing 15th NPAA Annual Conference
"A Whole New World: Refresh. Renew. Refocus."
Announcing the NPAA 15th Annual Conference. This year's theme is "A Whole New World: Refresh. Renew. Refocus.". The conference will be at the Wynfrey Hyatt Hotel in Birmingham, Alabama on November 12-13, 2021.

Deadline Extended for Abstract Submissions! Submit an abstract by May 15th to be considered to a presenter. Submit an Abstract!

AANP Health Policy Conference
Grants were awarded to NPAA members to attend the AANP Health Policy Conference. Here are some of their take-aways from the conference.

Lisa Rhodes, CRNP stated: "The Health Policy conference was enlightening. The general take-away from the program is that policy is important. It has to be evidenced-based and requires persistence. The folks working directly with policy for NPs are resilient and educated about all sides of the issues. I would attend this Policy Conference again.

Cindy Cooke, DNP, FNP-C, FAANP stated: "The AANP Health Policy conference distills health policy and advocacy all into one place. Partnering with legislators to advocate for NP practice to benefit patients is key for our communities. Despite the challenges of the COVID pandemic, one benefit is the CARES act and finally (after decades) NPs are finally able to order home health and hospice. The next barrier to care is the challenge of the inability of NPs to order diabetic shoes and order/manage cardiac rehabilitation. It is important to continue to share our stories of the challenges of patients with our legislators to modernize legislation at every level. Strengthening access to care benefits our communities – both rural and urban.   Grassroots is so important at every level. Having a concerted effort engages legislators to update and modernize outdated statutes and regulations. Unless we advocate together one voice gets lost in the noise but together, we are strong."

Darlla Thompson, BSN, MPH stated: "The greatest takeaway for myself was the usefulness of social media. Garnering support for health policies could be improved with this method of communication. Grassroots NPs should attend the HP conference because it is health policy focused on enabling all NPs to provide more concise care for patients. Having all NPs, including grassroot NPs, strengthen the push behind realizing Full Practice Authority. Grassroot groups are also connected in their local areas creating opportunity for understanding the needs of NPs in different areas of our nation. Pooling NP resources is a powerful method to garner more support for NP legislative movements."
Legislative Update by Lisa Pair, NPAA VP for Policy
This month, I wanted to introduce you to how to locate and follow pending Alabama state house and senate introduced bills for the legislative session. Go to https://legiscan.com/AL/legislation
You will see all the bills introduced for the 2021 session. However, you can narrow to the bills
that are being sent to the house health committee which are the health- related bills at this link
Get involved with NPAA
The following NPAA offices will be up for election this fall. Nominations will start in May. Each office is held for 2 years except for the Student-At-Large position. Please contact Denise Williams, NPAA Administrative Director, admin@npalliancealabama.org.

  • President-elect: shall serve for one (1) two (2) year term. Shall remain informed of all issues, statutes, and concerns facing NPs in Alabama. The President-elect, in absence of the President, shall serve as spokesperson for NPs, call meetings, set the calendar and agenda for the meetings, and chair meetings. The President-elect shall be a co-signer of all bank accounts, chair the Bylaws committee, and take on special tasks as designated by the President.

  • VP for Membership: Shall support efforts related to membership recruitment and retention. The VP of Membership chairs the Membership Committee and may take on special tasks as designated by the President.

  • Secretary: Shall keep minutes and records, including meeting attendance, committee and officer reports, and roll of members. The Secretary shall conduct official correspondence, serve as the coordinator of calendars (in coordination with the President), and publish notice of meetings.

  • Member-at-Large: Shall be elected from the membership. The Member-at-Large is a member of the Executive Committee, attends all meetings of the Steering Committee, and may take on special tasks as designated by the President.

  • Two (2) Student Members-at-Large shall serve on the Steering Committee for a one (1) year term. Student Members-at-Large will be elected annually.
Check out NPAA's New Website
NPAA's website has a new look! We are asking all of our existing members to log-in and create their new password and update their profiles. Be sure to check out the new member-only pages! We also have a new preceptor and provider database. You can list your participation in these databases through your member profile.

If you would like to join NPAA, please use our streamlined membership form. It is fast and easy!

For Current NPAA Members, Steps to create a new password and update your profile:

  1. Go to www.npalliancealabama.org
  2. In the upper right-hand corner click View Profile
  3. Enter your email address and click Forgot Password. This will allow you to create a new password.
  4. Log in with your new password and update your profile!

If you have any questions, please contact Denise Williams, admin@npalliacealabama.org