Spring - Summer 2010: We've had such a successful year! We had wonderful representation at NTI 2010 in Washington D.C. Local board member Pamela Popplewell, ARNP has been nominated to the National Board of Directors. Our goal this coming year is to increase the "fun" factor for local chapter events.
Winter 2009: After a successful symposium in October and another CCRN/PCCN review in February, we are looking forward to NTI in May in Washington D.C. Congratulations to Pamela Popplewell, who is on the ballot for the National Board of Directors.
Fall 2010: The October Consortium was attended by 250 nurses! Our speakers included Beth Hammer, Immediate Past President of AACN (national), Suzi Burns, Kathleen Pagana and Ellie Fitzpatrick, Elizabeth Bridges, Richard Ellenbogen, Carol Jacobsen and others. We donated 450 lbs of food to Northwest Harvest and we matched this with a $450 monetary donation to them. The Karen Carlson fund is growing. We finished the year by receiving the national Circle of Excellence Award for Chapter collaboration AND a ACLS update dinner, sponsored by Zoll.
Spring 2011 It has been a busy Winter and Spring for the chapter. We had a very successful CCRN, PCCN review class in February with over 100 participants. We have continued to have monthly journal club meetings as the second hour of our monthly chapter meeting. In addition we have had several evening dinner/CE programs at area restaurants. Besides great food and networking, the topics presented have included ACLS updates, Procalctonin in the management of sepsis, and immunonutrition.
Our chapter was selected by AACN for an award—Circle of Excellence for Collaboration. It was presented at the NTI this May. Also, one of our members, Liz Bridges, was given the very prestigious award—Flame of Excellence—for the highest level of sustained regional and national excellence. Flame of Excellence recipients consistently demonstrate outcomes associated with the award criteria at a high level and with broad reach.
Melissa Hutchinson was just elected to the AACN Board of directors. Our chapter is very proud to have two members who are on the Board of Directors. Pam Popplewell was elected to the national board last year.
This year’s NTI is just completed. We sponsored two members to attend: Collyn West and Zoe Vinson. The MTS chapter had a very good representation at the NTI. We also had several speakers from our chapter including: Judy Borish, Birgit Weeks, Elizabeth Mattox, Liz Bridges, Carol Jacobsen, Debra Metter, Nicole Kupchik. If I missed anyone, please let me know.
Fall 2011 The last 6 months have flown by. The chapter has added new members and we have a new slate of officers. There is a new excitement about everything we do. We have continued to have journal club as part of our chapter meetings, but moved it to the first hour of the meeting, followed by the business meeting
In August we had a celebration of collaboration event at REI. The Seattle Area Critical Care Education Cooperative (part of our chapter) has been training new critical care and progressive nurses as well as providing a platform for sharing best clinical practice for 25 years! We invited hospital administrators from all facilities that belong (or have belonged) to the Critical Care Cooperative to attend.
We had a fabulous yearly symposium. Over 225 people attended. We had great speakers—both local and national. Participants donated over 500 pounds of food to the food bank! In all it was a great event.
November 14 was the first of our dinner/education events. It was also our year end celebration. It was held at the Palisade restaurant. Fantastic food, networking and education. The talk was on traumatic brain injury.
Our chapter has also been busy submitting abstracts for the Circle of Excellence Award for Educational Planning as well as a poster on chapter succession. Hopefully both will accepted by national.
