President's Message

As we march on toward our goal as a chapter to have a positive impact on the care of the neuroscience patient in our community and on those who care for them, one thing puzzles me – how could we have done so much in so little time and with so little resources? To just list a few of our accomplishments – an annual CNRN review course, an annual conference, elementary school outreaches and education, blood pressure clinics and stroke education at community fairs, as well as monthly chapter meetings with educational offerings. I am in awe of the many things that we have been able to accomplish.

When I examine all of the educational opportunities we have offered, the relationships with healthcare industry leaders and the community outreaches where we have impacted those who live around us, the answer to this question becomes very clear – you the SDAANN Board of Directors and membership. It is the dedicated healthcare professional like each of you that makes the difference between a social club and a socially significant community organization like the SDAANN. Your efforts each day to provide excellent care to the neuroscience patient, as well as the dedication of all those who have made the many SDAANN events possible, has not gone un-noticed.

I think back to three years ago when SDAANN was just a vision, a dream, an idea to help make things better and support those nurses and other caregivers in the ever-dynamic neuroscience specialty. The small group of 5 nurses had no idea that we would be where we are today – a thriving, vibrant local chapter of AANN, where the care of persons with neurological disorders is enhanced by the ongoing education and development of those who care for them. Thank you so much for all that each of you does on a daily basis to make a difference in your patients’ lives!

Please take the time to visit our website www.sdaann.org. There you will find valuable information regarding upcoming events, registration forms, links to other neuroscience websites, and applications for membership and SDAANN educational scholarship. In the future we hope to offer the ability to contact the board members via our website.

Let me share with you a word about the scholarship. While this year the scholarship is only $50.00, our plan is to increase it in the future. Currently, it is limited to one scholarship per member each year. Please take advantage of this opportunity to subsidize your education funds with this. The scholarship may be used for a conference, CEU program, or undergraduate/graduate education. All that is required is that you are an active/participating member of SDAANN, and if using the scholarship towards formal nursing education, the school must be accredited (see application for more information).

There are many exciting events planned for this winter and for 2006. Of course we will be having our CNRN and Annual Neuroscience Conference in the fall, but also the annual meeting of AANN, our parent national organization, will be in San Diego next year. This is one event you will not want to miss. Every annual meeting promises to be an exciting time to meet neuroscience experts from around the country and from around the world! There are educational opportunities for all aspects of neuroscience nursing – from outpatient to inpatient, medical/surgical to intensive care, from neonatal to geriatric. I hope you will plan on attending many, if not all, of these great educational offerings.

An additional exciting item to report is that we now officially have our own BRN provider number. That means that we can offer CEUs for all of our events that qualify, and get you your CEU certificates in a timely manner. Thanks to all who worked very hard on this effort.

Lastly, it is such an honor and a privilege to serve as your president these past several years. Our chapter has grown so much, and has had its fair share of growing pains, but for those who have stuck in there, SDAANN is what it is today because of each and every one of you. Please accept my standing ovation for your support, hard work, and most of all, the excellence in neuroscience nursing that you provide.

Scot Nolan, MS, RN, PHN, CNS, CCRN, CNRN
President

Membership

Again, thank you for your continued support of the SDAANN. As always, we would like to continue to recruit new members to our local and national chapters. This year, as an added incentive, refer three new members and you will receive one free year membership for yourself. Please see the membership link at www.sdaann.org for an application for membership.
 

Events Calendar

An educational chapter meeting is held on the 4th Thursday of each month at Scripps Mercy Hospital, Hillcrest, in education centers located on the lower level. Please watch for monthly updates as we schedule a variety of speakers to cover a wide range of neuroscience topics.

August

August marks our participation at the Broadway Heights Community Block Party. Board members Laura Comandante and Corrie Albano represented the SDAANN there. They focused on stroke education and prevention and also performed blood pressure screenings on many attendees, including mayoral candidate Donna Frye. The chapter would like to thank both Laura and Corrie for their participation. It was a huge success.

September

Again, the CNRN review course that we held in September was a huge success. Scot Nolan and Geoff van den Brande taught the course, and we would like to extend a heartfelt thank you to them for their time, knowledge, and passion for neuroscience. Four of our local members, including Marion Hessling, Laura Comandante, Julius Vapor, and Gail Lighthizer sat for the CNRN exam on October 14th. Results will back in 6-8 weeks from the date of the test. Good luck to all. The next test will be given in April of 2006, so for all of our other neuroscience nurses, get your books out and start reviewing!

November 1st-30th

Chapter Elections
It is, once again, time for our annual Board of Directors elections. If you are interested in joining the Board of Directors or if you would like to nominate someone for a position, please contact Scot Nolan, President of SDAANN.

November 4th, 2005

2nd Annual SDAANN Neuroscience Conference
Held in the West Auditorium at Scripps Mercy Hospital from 7:30am-5:00pm, we will be covering a wide variety of topics, including neuro anatomy and physiology, stroke, and other CNS topics. Please see the Events link at www.sdaann.org for more information.

December 15th, 2005

Holiday Party
This year we will be meeting at the Rock Bottom Brewery in La Jolla, CA. Please join us for free food, drinks, and one CEU. We look forward to celebrating the year’s achievements in neuroscience. We will post more detailed information about the holiday party on the website. Please set aside the date this year for a fun evening-we would like to see all attend.

April 22nd-26th, 2006

National Conference, American Association of Neuroscience Nurses
In 2006 we, as the San Diego Chapter of the AANN, are proud hosts of the national AANN conference. The conference will be held at the SD Convention Center and includes a wide range of neuroscience topics. The theme is The Driving Forces of Neuroscience Nursing. For details, go to www.aann.org.

Other Notes of Interest

Our website, www.sdaann.org, is up and running. Please check the website frequently for current events in the local chapter. It also includes links to other neuroscience websites that may be pertinent to your practice, including TBI and stroke.

The SDAANN now has a CEU number with the California Board of Registered Nurses.

SDAANN shirts are available for purchase in many styles. Please contact Laura Comandante if you would like one.

Contact Information

Scot Nolan, MS, RN, PHN, CNS, CCRN, CNRN
President
Nolan.scot@scrippshealth.org

Laura Commandante, RN, BSN, CCRN
Secretary
lerba@cox.net

Corrie Albano, RN, BSN, CCRN
Treasurer
Supernanay143@al.com

Geoff van den Brande RN, BA, BSc, CNRN
Director of Membership
gvandenbrande@ucsd.edu

Carolyn Gerber, RN, BSN
Director of Community Relations
cgrnsdca@pacbell.net 

Joanna Wright, RN, BSN
Director at Large
joright@cox.net