NAPNAP Unity: Past, Present, and Future
Article Outline
Linda L. Lindeke, PhD, RN, CNP, President and Fellow
President Carolyn Jaramillo de Montoya's March message, entitled “Unity” (de Montoya, 2008), defined unity as “the condition of being one…combining separate entities… with singleness or constancy among individuals…a harmony of opinion, interest or feeling” (Encarta, 2007). Unity has characterized NAPNAP's history and is a current key goal of its leadership.
The Past
Sometimes “unity” takes time. An example: “NAPNAP” is not an acronym for the name National Association of Pediatric Nurse Practitioners. There were regional differences in the 1960s and 1970s in titling for the new advanced pediatric nursing role. Some programs embraced the term “pediatric nurse practitioner” (PNP), and others strongly preferred the title of “pediatric nurse associate” (PNA). In fact, I graduated as a “PNA” from the University of Minnesota in 1978. Founders of NAPNAP acknowledged both titles in choosing the name “National Association of Pediatric Nurse Associates and Practitioners.”
Many PNP programs closed around the United States in the early 1980s because of cuts in federal funding and a predicted surplus of health professionals. My program closed, and I helped establish a new PNP program at the College of St. Catherine in St. Paul to keep nurse practitioner education alive in Minnesota. We researched trends while developing that new program and selected “PNP” as our graduates' title. Gradually the “PNA” term disappeared as the title “PNP” was used in national certification, scope of practice documents, laws, regulations, and policies defining prescribing, reimbursement, and title protection. During the 1990s, much discussion occurred about changing NAPNAP's name. However, “NAPNAP” had such visibility by then that leaders chose to retain it even though the acronym no longer applied. So, the next time someone asks you about NAPNAP's name, that is the long answer! The short answer is: “It's who we are and we like it!” NAPNAP is a recognized “brand” representing our past and present.
The Present
Your NAPNAP membership supports a strong advocacy program for children, families, and nursing. For example, last March, 13 NAPNAP members gathered for the Washington, DC, “Fly-In” to influence health policies nationally. The group included Carolyn Jaramillo de Montoya (past-president of NAPNAP), myself, Ann Sheehan (NAPNAP's Health Policy Chair), and six NAPNAP members who were funded by NAPNAP as Nurse in Washington Internship (NIWI) scholars.
NIWI is a national program sponsored by the Nursing Organizations Alliance (http://www.nursing-alliance.org) that aims to assist nurses in developing the skill and confidence to influence legislation and regulatory processes. This year 100 NIWI interns gathered for 3 intensive days of education from policy experts, government officials, and nursing leaders. They shared common concerns and discovered differences in policy priorities based on their varied nursing backgrounds and organizational affiliations. Our NAPNAP group planned our arrivals to coincide with the end of the NIWI conference. In addition to the three NAPNAP officers and six NIWI PNPs, four other members paid their own way to attend this “Fly-In” and participate in the Capital Hill visits.
We were thoroughly briefed by NAPNAP's legislative staff and Washington representatives, Amy Demske and Allison Shuren, from the firm Arent Fox. Amy, Allison, and our Health Policy Chair Ann Sheehan supported us in a well-planned day of individual visits to Congressional members. We covered most of the U.S. map that day, visiting senators and representatives from New Jersey, Illinois, New York, California, Michigan, Minnesota, Pennsylvania, Ohio, and New Mexico. Priority issues were mental health, childhood obesity, health care/medical home, and resources for nursing education. These issues require bipartisan support, and we stressed the importance of visiting both Republicans and Democrats. All NAPNAP policy work crosses party affiliations, which is key to successful outcomes. The “Fly-In” is one way your NAPNAP membership dues influence decisions at high political and organizational levels.
The week we were in Washington was the busiest week of the year in terms of numbers of people visiting elected officials. Firefighters were everywhere and lobbied for their concerns, along with many other groups whose identities were not as obvious. Present in large numbers were members of the Jack and Jill Clubs of America (http://national.jackandjillonline.org), who were African American mothers and kids. I chatted with several Jack and Jill Club members while waiting in security lines to enter various Capital Hill buildings. We quickly realized we were promoting many of the same issues: health insurance for kids and families, better mental health services, and funding for quality education. How exhilarating it was to discover that we shared common concerns with other volunteers (firemen, mothers, and children) that day as we made our voices heard in the historic national halls of power and influence.
The Future
Visiting elected officials is not difficult when you are well briefed and supported by colleagues and staff. Next year we aim to have at least 25 PNPs attend the “Fly-In.” What an impact NAPNAP could have if elected officials from all 50 states received a visit from a PNP! Please consider participating in this event or others like it in your chapter.
NAPNAP has PNP members in all 50 states, even though not all states have chapters. And that leads to some of the important future issues:
These are a few of the issues that continue to require our best thinking and planning. NAPNAP's long-term visioning has led to our success; that process will begin anew in October 2008 as the Board launches the next cycle of strategic planning. Please e-mail your ideas directly to me at president@napnap.org to participate in developing NAPNAP's next 5-year plan, or contact board members, staff, or your local chapter's officers with your ideas and concerns.
Unity of vision, planning, and effort will be increasingly important in coming years.
Your national NAPNAP membership opens many doors to career-enhancing opportunities. Becoming an active NAPNAP volunteer connects you to others who share your interests. Be sure to visit the NAPNAP Web site (http://www.napnap.org) often to see what is happening nationally and in the chapters. We hope you find the new electronic version of the newsletter to be useful and timely; it is also archived in the members-only area of our Web site. Contact Felicia Taylor at ftaylor@napnap.org or call 877-662-7627 with items for the newsletter. Your NAPNAP membership provides you with access to 7000 colleagues and many resources. Through unity we will continue to improve child and family health and advance pediatric nursing.
References
- Encarta World English Dictionary. (2007). Unity. Retrieved March 20, 2008, from http://encarta.msn.com/dictionary_/unity.html
- . Unity. Journal of Pediatric Health Care. 2008;22:17A–18A
PII: S0891-5245(08)00088-6
doi:10.1016/j.pedhc.2008.03.007
