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Standing Together To Make A Difference

THE BEST RESOURCE FOR NURSE PRACTITIONERS LIKE YOU.
December 2020 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:
Thank you all for a great Fall NPAA Conference. And thank you for those that have joined NPAA or renewed your NPAA membership. Now more than ever, it is important to be actively engaged in the advancement of nursing and to support professional nursing organizations. Nurses that are involved in professional nursing organizations, such as NPAA, have access to professional development activities, continuing education, and nursing advocacy. For more information on NPAA membership benefits, please visit www.npalliancealabama.org
MESSAGE FROM NPAA PRESIDENT, D'Ann Somerall
Dear Members,

This year has proven to be unlike any other year in our history. As we close out 2020, I want to thank each of you for serving as health care providers for the patients of our state. I believe that the role of the NP has been highlighted by the Governer's Emergency Order expanding our ability to practice by increasing the MD:NP ratio to 1:9. We have seen NO negative consequences from this move. We continue to work with our legislative champions, the BON, BME, and AANP to make this ratio change permanent. More to come in the next few months about our progress in this area!

Please know that AANP continues to support efforts to squash negative comments on social media about the role of the NP. If you encounter negative/disparaging comments please notify AANP. I have seen some comments on Twitter and Facebook that basically "bully" the role of the NP.

As we look to the next year, know that NPAA representatives are being visible in various ways. I am invited to serve on a panel hosted by the AEA and the BME to discuss COVID-related issues relating to healthcare providers. I recently had the privilege to interview candidates for the vacant BON position. Eileen Meyer and I continue to serve on the APRN Committee for Full Practice Authority. Our recently elected VP for Policy, Dr. Lisa Pair will join these meetings in the future.

Eileen Meyer, previous VP of Policy and now Senior Health Policy Advisor, continues to work with the BON and the BME to expand approval of procedures for AL NPs. NOTE: Before you directly ask permission through the BME for a new skill/procedure reach out to Dawn Daniel at the BON. Often the approval for a skill does not need approval through the Joint Committee and the BME. Often, the approval can be an institutional approval. If you skip steps and go through the BME that means that EVERY other person who seeks this permission has to go through the BME for approval.

Finally, we continue to push for Full Practice Authority for AL NPs. BUT, this effort has also caused some pushback from MD providers. Please contact me if you receive pushback as we are developing marketing information to combat some of the "messages" that we have heard.

Finally, I thank each of you for being a nurse practitioner in our state. We have barriers to our practice, but we also are doing "excellent work" which impacts the lives of our citizens.

D'Ann

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!

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
Announcment from the Alabama Board of Nursing
The Alabama Board of Nursing sent an announcement recently reminding Health Care Providers to refrain from writing excuses for students to return to school sooner than the recommended quarantine time frames. The CDC recently adjusted the times of quarantine, so please refer to the CDC guidelines often to be sure you are up to date. Our school nurses are working diligently to keep our Alabama school students safe and they need our support in following the national guidelines for when it is safe for students to return to school. NPAA has been invited to a meeting hosted by the Board of Medical Examiners and the Alabama Education Association to discuss the relationship between healthcare and education.
ANCC Change in Terminology
A change to the terminology of nursing continuing professional development by the American Nurses Credentialing Center's Commission on Accreditation. In accordance with the ANCC, all references to "Continuing Nursing Education (CNE)" will be discontinued. The new, preferred terminology is "Continuing Nursing Professional Development (CPD)."