NAHN At a Glance The Monthly Newsletter of the National Association of Hispanic Nurses
January 2009	Volume 3, Number 1
In This Issue · A Message from the President · Announcements · NAHN Student Association · NAHN Members in the News · Opportunities · Industry News Links Contact Us http://www.thehispanicnurses.org info@thehispanicnurses.org 1501 16^th Street, NW Washington DC 20036 Phone: 202-387-2477 Fax: 202-483-7183	A Message from the President In January I visited Washington, DC, during the exciting and suspenseful time before the inauguration, to discuss with leaders the health issues that affect the Hispanic community.  I had very productive meetings with Senator Ted Kennedy’s (D-MA) and Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison’s (R-TX) health committee representatives.  We discussed funding initiatives key to improving Hispanic health disparities.  They were interested to hear about our organization and were eager to work with us.  I also spoke with the offices of Congressman Charles Gonzalez (D-TX) and Ciro Rodriguez (D-TX) about our involvement in the Hispanic Congressional Caucus and the Health Task Force.  They made a commitment to involve us and our beliefs about health issues as they consider important health legislation.  Each office I met with was interested in our membership size and chapter locations.  There is an anticipation of change throughout the city as President-elect Obama is about to take office and the office holders want to be a part of it.  I look forward to working with them in the future. Announcements The NAHN national office has moved.  The phone and fax numbers will remain the same but the new mailing address is: National Association of Hispanic Nurses 1050 17^th St. NW, Suite 510 Washington, DC 20036 NAHN Student Association Recently our Student Association, an affiliate of NAHN, has been recognized in an article on Nurse.com.  It praises the organization for tailoring to Hispanic students, providing support, education, leadership development, and mentorship. To read the full article visit: http://include.nurse.com/article/20081208/NY02/112080104 NAHN Member in the News NAHN National Board Member Adelita Cantu has been selected to present at the Office of Minority Health’s Third National Leadership Summit on Eliminating Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Health.  Congratulations to Dr. Cantu on this amazing honor!  For more information contact cantua2@uthscsa.edu. Jaqueline Crespo Perry, Houston Chapter President, was acknowledged in the article “New Approaches Motivate Hispanic Nursing Students” for formulating the pilot program that became the NAHN Students Association.  It tells how the group was started as well as the importance of supporting upcoming nurses.  To read the full article visit: http://include.nurse.com/article/20081208/SC02/112080136 Opportunities The National Black Nurses Association will be publishing its Winter 2009 Newsletter in March 2009 and the theme will be on global health care.  They are asking for anyone working on global health issues to submit an article.  If interested, consider the following parameters: An article of 500-750 words, an article title, your name and credentials, and a three line biographical sketch at the end of the article.  The deadline is February 10, 2009.  Please email the article to millicent@nbna.org.  Industry News Links Individuals who have completed nursing programs in foreign countries and want to purse licensure or an academic admission in the United states must verify their educational credentials.  The Commission on Graduates of Foreign Nursing Schools verifies credentials in regards to education, registration and licensure of nurses to ensure they are eligibility in the in the United States.  For more information visit: http://www.cgfns.org In an effort to address the health care needs of Florida's large Hispanic community, Blue Cross Blue Shield has developed numerous tools, services, and programs now available in Spanish, including a new state-of-the-art Spanish-language Web site.  Their goal is to provide the resources necessary to offer an understanding of the U.S. health care system and the value of insurance in a culture-specific manner.  To learn more visit: http://www.extranews.net/news_pr.php?nid=13294 Every January during National Folic Acid Awareness week and Birth Defects Prevention Month, the Spina Bifida Association works to raise awareness about the benefits of folic acid in reducing the risk of Spina Bifida.  For more information visit: http://www.spinabifidaassociation.org/atf/cf/%7Beed435c8-f1a0-4a16-b4d8-a713bbcd9ce4%7D/BROCKPRESSRELEASE.PDF The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Awards $300,000 to the University of Minnesota School of Nursing, School of Public Health, and the Department of Veterans affairs at Minneapolis and Palo Alto, California as part of a national effort to study the link between nursing a patient care.  For more information visit:  http://www.sph.umn.edu/about/news/releases/inqri.html Nursing, a cost center or a source of income?  Historically, nurses have been seen as a cost center; to be paid for by hospitals or healthcare providers rather than an entity that generates income.  With potential to effect income and job security, many believe that change is needed in the perception of nursing regarding the hospital’s bottom line.  To read the full article visit: http://workingnurse.com/articles/Are-We-Just-Cost-Centers The National Kidney Disease Education Program has created a new tool for providers to help explain GFR results to their patients. A Tear-off Pad for Clinical Use includes 50 easy-to-read patient education sheets and provides key concepts and talking points for providers on educating patients about chronic kidney disease.  For more information visit: http://www.nkdep.nih.gov/resources/ExplainingGFR.htm An Alabama legislator trying to ease the nursing shortage wants more money for state-funded scholarships to recruit nursing teachers. This would boost annual graduate nursing program scholarships to $10,000. The state annually turns away as many as 4,000 qualified nursing school applicants in Alabama because of class size limitations.  To learn more visit: http://birmingham.bizjournals.com/birmingham/stories/2008/12/22/story4.html?b=1229922000%5E1749893