Texas School Nurses Organization
October 2015
Mission Statement
To promote, protect, and enhance professional school nurse practice through advocacy, evidence-based education, collaboration, and partnerships that support each student’s well-being and readiness to learn.
President's Message
October is one of my favorite months of the year: I look forward to fall, cooler weather, the changing of the leaves, pumpkins, and the State Fair. It also reminds me that we have just a month before this year’s TSNO state conference. Your TSNO Conference Planning Committee has worked very hard in planning every detail to perfection. This year’s conference theme says it all: Promoting the Health of the Whole Child. The desired outcome will be for you to enhance your existing knowledge to meet the chronic and acute health needs of students, while promoting the health of the Whole Child.
Register today, early registration ends October 2nd.
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/tsno-13th-annual-school-nurse-conference-registration-16745993718
We need your help. In order to receive a very advantageous hotel room rate for all, our contract with the Sheraton Dallas calls for a certain minimum number of rooms to be booked by mid-October. This past year, was not a problem, but this year, for whatever reason, many have not made their reservations, leaving us substantially short of this minimum. I urge you to make your hotel reservations today. You will be doing the organization a favor by using this link to make your reservations today. https://www.starwoodmeeting.com/events/start.action?id=1408097435&key=3484F4FA
Stay connected with TSNO by viewing what TSNO members are posting to the TSNO SchoolNurseNet. Important discussions are taking place on hot topics and in sharing of ideas. Also, the TSNO Executive Board posts most of their information to membership there: Just go to the NASN website and click on the icon on the left side bar to get started.
Quality care, quality profession is what symbolizes You!
In your service,
Francis Luna, RN
TSNO President
TSNO EXCELLENCE IN SCHOOL NURSING POSTER SHOWCASE
Please share your best practices with your fellow nurses.
Enter our TSNO EXCELLENCE IN SCHOOL NURSING POSTER SHOWCASE (click for information)
We want to showcase the ideas and programs that our varied and talented nurses across the state use in their practice at our Annual Conference in November in Dallas. LVN abstracts must be co-authored by an RN. All applications are due no later than October 15, 2015.
Sunny Thomas Memorial Award
The Purpose of the Sunny Thomas Memorial Award: To promote continuing education for the school nurse.
Award: Provides up to $1000 stipend to one Texas school nurse to attend NASN conference or AHI & NASN Advances in School Nursing.
Eligibility:
- Applicant must be:
- A registered professional nurse.
- A member of TSNO/NASN currently and for the two preceding years.
- Applicant must have five years experience- who has as primary assignment, the administration, education or provision of school health services.
- Applicant should be active on region level.
- Applicant must have attended TSNO conference twice in past three years and be in attendance at TSNO conference at time of drawing.
- Applicant may not be on the TSNO Executive Committee or be an officer of NASN at the time of application.
Application must be postmarked or emailed NO LATER THAN OCTOBER 15
For questions, please contact Nominations Coordinator, Katie Morton katiemorton.tsno@gmail.com
#MembershipMondays
One of NASN’s strategic objectives is to increase the recruitment, retention and engagement of NASN members. YOU, as members of TSNO, play an important part in this goal. Did you know that we make up about 1/8th of NASN's total membership? Texas has the potential to grow from 2,100+ to >6,000?!
The success of this campaign is dependent on each state affiliate. The Membership Monday campaign begins October 5, 2015.
- We encourage you to reach out and personally invite a non-member to join
- Each Monday in October NASN will be posting info on SNN, and on their social media sites about why membership matters. There will be interviews from new and seasoned NASN members, and testimonials from other NASN members on what membership means to them. They will be using #memershipmonday and #NASNstrong on Twitter.
- What’s your reason for being a member of NASN/ TSNO? Review those benefits http://www.nasn.org/MemberCenter/BenefitsofMembership
- Join in the conversation about membership on social media- @TxSchlNurses #MembershipMondays or https://www.facebook.com/Texas.School.Nurses.Organization
A robust membership is needed now more than ever to allow NASN to advocate for our specialty practice by providing the many programs and services you and your fellow school nurses depend upon to care for our nation’s greatest legacy, our children.
NASN Scholarship Opportunities
Scholarship application deadlines are October 15, 2015.
The following three scholarships are available:
NASN Endowment Education Scholarship
Interactive Online Course: Nursing Regulations for Safe Practice through the Texas Board of Nursing
This course meets the 2-Hour CNE requirement for nursing jurisprudence and ethics established during the 2013 Legislative Session.
Please note: Once purchased, this course must be completed within 3 weeks.
DESCRIPTION
The Texas Board of Nursing's Nursing Regulations for Safe Practice course is designed to promote patient safety by providing current laws and rules that uphold safe nursing practice. This course is applicable to all nursing practice settings and meets the continuing education requirements set forth in the Texas Board of Nursing Rules.
This continuing nursing education activity was approved by the Texas Nurses Association, an accredited approver by the American Nurses Credentialing Center's Commission on Accreditation. For more information and to REGISTER.
Register now for TSNO Conference
Registration is now open for the 13th Annual TSNO Conference. Come join us in Dallas November 13-15, for great sessions and inspirational speakers. Click here for the conference brochure. Click here to be redirected to the conference registration website. If you will be paying for conference with a check, make sure to click the "Show other payment options" link under the green "Register" button on the first page of registration, then click "Pay offline". That will take you to the correct page with directions for mailing your check to TSNO. If you have any questions, contact the Conference Registrar Wendi Kendrick at txsnoconf@gmail.com. Hope to see you in Big D!
"Nursing contact hours have been applied for through the Texas Nurses Association, an accredited approver of continuing nursing education by the American Nurses Credentialing Center's Commission on Accreditation."
October is Sudden Cardiac Arrest Awareness Month
"More than 350,000 deaths occur each year as a result of sudden cardiac arrest (SCA). In fact, SCA claims one life every two minutes, taking more lives each year than breast cancer, lung cancer, or AIDS. To decrease the death toll from SCA, it is important to understand what SCA is, what warning signs are, and how to respond and prevent SCA from occurring.
Time-to-treatment is critical when considering the chance of survival for an SCA victim. Ninety-five percent of those who experience SCA die because they do not receive life-saving defibrillation within four to six minutes, before brain and permanent death start to occur. But many people do not know how to respond when someone experiences SCA.
The Heart Rhythm Society advises the following actions in response to a potential SCA emergency:
- Know the signs of SCA in order to react quickly. SCA strikes immediately and without warning. Victims will fall to the ground/collapse, become unresponsive, and will not breathe normally, if at all
- Call 911 as soon as possible
- Start CPR as quickly as possible. Bystanders should provide high-quality chest compression by pushing hard and fast (approximately 100 beats per minute) in the middle of the victim’s chest, with minimal interruptions. (Note: Hands-only CPR is proven to be just as effective)
- Use an Automatic External Defibrillator (AED) if one is available on site"
Tick-borne Disease Training from NASN Available to All
"Tick-borne Illness: Prevention, Assessment and Care," a training program developed by the National Association of School Nurses in conjunction with the CDC, is now available online. This FREE hour long course provides information on preventing, recognizing, and treating tick-borne diseases. To access the program, click here. Upon successful completion of this offering, participants will receive 1.0 CNE contact hour. Expires 1/15/16
Managing Head Lice in Schools
EPA’s Center of Expertise for School Integrated Pest Management (IPM) will host a webinar
Tuesday, October 20, 2015 01:00:00 PM CDT - 02:30:00 PM CDT
Head lice, according to CDC, are most common among pre-school and elementary school children in the U.S. Nearly every school has faced an outbreak at one time or another because of students' close contact. Back-to-school is when lice are most common. To prevent rampant outbreaks, schools must work in conjunction with families at the first signs of an infestation. Join us to round out your knowledge of head lice by reviewing their epidemiology, public health significance, diagnostics, treatments, and control. An emphasis will be placed on control strategies that are consistent with the smart, sensible, and sustainable practices of a School Integrated Pest Management (IPM) program.
Spinal Screening Program
Announcement
Spinal Screening Grades for the 2015/2016 School Year
In response to continued discussions with many of you and further review, the Department of State Health Services has determined that flexibility exists in the current rule language to allow schools to screen for spinal abnormality in grades 6th and 9th, or 5th and 8th.
The department recognizes that although legislation did not pass this session to statutorily align spinal screening requirements with the recommendations of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS), future efforts to change the existing statutory spinal screening requirements may occur through the legislative process.
The need to propose rule changes in the future is likely and the department commits to work closely with all stakeholders to inform and solicit input.
Thank you for working with us to ensure the health and well-being of children in Texas.
Texas School Nurses Organization Annual Conference at the Sheraton Dallas Hotel
Friday, Nov 13, 2015, 08:00 AM
Sheraton Dallas Hotel, North Olive Street, Dallas, TX, United States
TSNO Executive Committee
PRESIDENT Francis Luna - Region X
PRESIDENT-ELECT Lisa Sicilio - Region 6
TREASURER Joan Cary - Region X
NASN DIRECTOR Laurie Combe - Region 4
SECRETARY/ EXHIBIT LIAISON Lisa Formby - Region 16
NOMINATIONS COORDINATOR Katie Morton - Region X
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT Diane Hunt Bullard - Region 20 tsnornplanner@gmail.com
ADVOCACY CHAIR
SCHOOL HEALTH ISSUES Karen Schwind - Region 13
MEMBER SERVICES Linda Howard - Region 8
REGION PRESIDENTS COORDINATOR Ramon (Art) Oaxaca - Region 19
Email: lsicilio.tsno@gmail.com
Website: txsno.org
Location: Richardson, Tex, United States
Phone: (979) 694-5800
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Texas.School.Nurses.Organization
Twitter: @TxSchlNurses