Guide to Resuscitating a Dead AACN Chapter

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Guide to Resuscitating a Dead AACN Chapter

• Advanced Chapter Leadership
• Skills

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Reviving the AACN Superhero

• President Nicole Bailey
• President-Elect Alice Barnett
• Treasurer Jackie Wilson
• Secretary Debbie Trussell
• Newsletter Betty Alford
• Programs Ginnie Ingram Shelly Weilenman
• Membership Angela Hamlin
• Publications Paula Clark
• Historian Jenny Turcotte

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How Long is Too Long to Revive a Dead Chapter?

• A Superhero is never really dead
• AACN Chapters can always be revived
• Greater Jackson AACN Chapter was defunct for gt10
  years and was revived into an active and growing
  chapter

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What Caused the AACN Superhero To Go Asystole?

• Same people in leadership roles year after year
• Lack of support from management of hospitals
  regarding encouragement of continuing education
• Apathy

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Reasons for Asystole Cont

• Lack of Knowledge regarding how continuing
  education increases enthusiasm and wards off
  burnout
• Outside distractions
• Burnout

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What Caused the Resuscitation of the Jackson
Chapter?

• A group of practicing, professional and
  education- minded critical care nurses wanted to
  keep their knowledge bases strong and current
• Nurses wanted a place to network
• Given the nature of health care today, nurses
  wanted a way to have a BOLD VOICE in their
  profession knowing that there is power in numbers

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Once Resuscitated, How Do We Keep the Superhero
Alive?

• Choose Board Members representing every hospital
  in the nearby vicinity
• Choose people with the desire to serve
• PLAN, PLAN, PLAN dont be in a hurry! Develop
  a chapter vision and set goals for at least 2
  years for that vision

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Algorithm for Sustaining Life

• Have frequent planning sessions before ever going
  public for membership into the chapter
• GET THE WORD OUT TV morning shows, newspaper
  articles, flyers in all hospitals, nursing
  schools
• Host a HUGE Kick-off event
• Ask joining members to volunteer for various
  committees when joining chapter

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Make Sure Care for the Superhero is Around the
Clock

• Plan meetings for at least 6 months in advance
• Schedule speakers for at least 6 months in
  advance
• Assign someone familiar with writing applications
  for Contact Hours as Chair of Program Committee
• Always have contingency plan in case a speaker
  cancels at the last minute

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Recruiting Other Resuscitation Team Members

• Use the Media as a Resuscitation Team Member
• Have someone learn how to write and disseminate
  press releases
• Assign someone to contact the local newspaper and
  ask for a short write-up about your chapter
• Have someone learn how to schedule TV appearances
  (If a school of Public Relations is present in
  your area, visit the Dean and ask for AACN to be
  included as a student project)
• Assign a member that is comfortable in public
  speaking to interface with the media

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How to Write a Press Release

• Obtain Press Kit from National AACN office
• Establish a specific AACN member as designated
  Contact Person
• Date/time/place of event
• Include brief synopsis of what AACN is
• Do Blanket Mailout to all media sources in town

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Use Every Resource Available to Help in Your
Resuscitation Effort

• Regional Consultant
• Prior Board Members
• Chapter Specialist Dennis Maggi
• AACN Website http//capwiz.com/criticalcare/dbq/me
  dia www.aacn.org/AACN/pubpolcy.nsf
• NTI

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Once Revived, How Can You Keep Superhero Alive?

• Provide interesting, clinically based meetings
  based on member feedback/suggestions
• Provide R R through yearly/semiannual
  Critical Care Retreats at restful, beautiful
  locations
• Keep publicity active
• Encourage member enthusiasm
• Encourage chapter ownership by members by
  assigning simple, but important tasks and giving
  awards for most members recruited

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How Can We Provide R R After Resuscitation?

• Plan for tentative time and place
• Get sponsors for event
• Decide on speaker and topics for retreat when
  budget decided
• Schedule retreat at least 2-3 months in advance
• PUBLICIZE, PUBLICIZE, PUBLICIZE!

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How Can Superhero Keep Giving After Coming Back
to Life?

• Improving the Profession/Improving the
  Environment Bold Voices within nursing,
  getting hospitals to offer clinical ladder credit
  for AACN educational offerings
• Enhancing Numbers within the Profession High
  School Outreach and Recruitment
• Improving Community Awareness and Involvement
  Regarding the Profession Representing Critical
  Care Nurses and speaking out at Capitol Day

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Any Questions?
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You are now ACLS Certified to go home and
resuscitate your ailing or arresting AACN
Superhero!