ANA Resources

by Lisa Pearl and Betty Whitaker, CMP

Celebrate Nurses Week

The work of America's 2.6 million registered nurses to maintain and improve the health of individuals, families, and communities is the focus of National Nurses Week, celebrated from May 6 (National Nurses Day) through May 12 (Florence Nightingale's birthday). The official 1998 National Nurses Week theme--"Nursing: Health Care with a Human Touch"--addresses consumer perception of the shifting health care environment.

The ANA and its constituent state nurses associations are planning many events across the nation to publicly honor and acknowledge the contributions that RNs make in their communities. In addition, the ANA is making it easy for nurses to celebrate the week by offering a variety of products that bear the National Nurses Week theme and logo. These include a safety whistle key ring, letter opener, soup mug, stress ball, and gym bag. The product line includes more than 30 items, most of which can be personalized with a facility's name and logo. The 1998 National Nurses Week sponsors are Chevrolet Prizm, GlaxoWellcome, and Neutrogena.

If you haven't received a National Nurses Week product catalog, please contact Jim Coleman, Ltd., the official supplier of Nurses Week products, toll free at (847) 398-7194. For more information on planned celebrations for National Nurses Week, please contact your state nurses association.

Naomi Judd to Keynote ANA Convention

Country music superstar and former nurse Naomi Judd will keynote the ANA's upcoming convention, "Uniting Nurses: One Strong Voice," in San Diego, California, June 26-July 1. Judd will speak not only from a nursing perspective but also that of a patient. Several years ago, she was diagnosed with hepatitis C and sent home with little hope of having a normal, healthy life. Against all odds, her disease is now in remission.

Judd's stirring message will focus on the connection of the spirit, mind, and body; the tremendous power of hope; and the capacity we all have to make healthier choices, rise above our circumstances, and follow our dreams.

Leah M. Curtin, DSc, RN, FAAN, editor-in-chief of Nursing Management, will also inspire convention attendees with her plenary session on "The Trauma of Transformation in the 90s." She will provide a comprehensive perspective regarding the current status of the health care industry, including the changing nature of the work, evolving opportunities for nursing, and lessons to be drawn from the current sea change in health care.

A second plenary will examine "The Future of For-Profit Health Care." Noted Princeton health economist Uwe Reinhardt, PhD, will lead a panel discussing the growing debate over privatization, mergers, conversions to for-profit organizations, and the changing venues for managed care. R epresentatives from the health care industry and advocacy groups opposing privatization of health care will examine this trend toward a for-profit business philosophy--where the bottom line often takes priority over patient care--and its implications for nurses. Another not-to-be-missed highligh t of the ANA's 1998 convention will be the "Council for Nursing Research's Research Utilization Pre- Conference," cosponsored by the American Nurses Foundation. This one-day research conference will discuss how nurses can apply findings relevant to clinical practice and patient care.

For a full list of convention activities, call (800) 274-4ANA, visit the ANA's Web site at http://www.nursingworld. org, or see the January-February and March-April 1998 issues of The American Nurse.

Lisa Pearl is the senior promotions specialist, and Betty Whitaker is the manager of meetings, convention, and travel at the American Nurses Association.