- Email: [email protected]
Northeast Region
JWOCN January 2000
6 Regional Presidents' Communications
Northeast Region Edna M. Keister, RN, BBA, OCN, CETN he Northeast Region of the W O C N is alive and well! We had more than 500 members at last count for spring 1999. We are a b o u t to have elections for our n e w officers and had 3 declared candidates for the office of president and 2 declared candidates for vice president. In addition, we have c o n f i r m e d the locations for our annual conference for the next 5 years. This past year, w e modified our bylaws to include mail vote. We have initiated our own Web site and have a Web coordinator. The Executive Board a n d the Board of
T
Directors representing each of our 9 affiliates have begun the process of writing a mission statement and defining our vision and core values. Nonetheless, much work remains to be done. We are the only region with 3 schools of WOC nursing. After attending the National Conference in M i n n e a p o l i s this year, I will be encouraging our members to take p a r t in d a t a collection for the Center for Clinical Investigation. I believe the state of our region will be in good hands for the future.
Northwest Region Mary Kay Hattamer, RN, BSN, CWOCN he N o r t h w e s t Region covers an immense amount of territory including Alaska, Washington, Oregon, Idaho, and Montana. Because of the geographic size of o u r region, n u m e r o u s m e m b e r s find themselves isolated from other W O C nurses. This isolation is quite daunting to n e w l y g r a d u a t e d W O C nurses a n d presents an ongoing challenge to more experienced W O C nurses. The N o r t h w e s t Region has responded to this need with a Mentorship Committee that was conceptualized b y Vicki MueUer and presented at o u r fall conference in 1998. The current chair is Debbie Neff. A total of 24 W O C N v o l u n t e e r m e n t o r s from all 5 of o u r N o r t h w e s t states quickly m a d e it the largest c o m m i t t e e in o u r region. In an effort to promote the professional growth of the n e w W O C nurse, mentors identified b y the Committee must make a 6-month c o m m i t m e n t . A t least m o n t h l y contact with the WOC nurse being mentored must be made, although more frequent contact is often d e e m e d necessary. Guidelines and any additional information are afforded to the m e n t o r to facilitate this i m p o r t a n t regional activity. The goals of the mentorship continue to evolve. The Committee is new, and growing pains are sure to occur. Presently, the Committee's goals are to (1) establish personal contact a n d maintain contact w i t h the n e w graduate as soon as possible via
T
personal visit, telephone, letter, a n d / o r email; (2) focus on the concems of the new W O C nurse a n d p r o v i d e n e e d e d expert opinions, case sharing, resources, referrals, a n d n e t w o r k i n g regionally a n d nationally; (3) encourage the n e w W O C graduate to join W O C N and ensure that, w h e n they become a member, they have received the w e l c o m e packet from the membership committee; and (4) introduce the n e w W O C g r a d u a t e to area W O C nurses and related specialty practitioners and encourage attendance at the regional a n n u a l conference. After 6 months, it is h o p e d that the n e w g r a d u a t e will have d e v e l o p e d a strong feeling of c o m r a d e r y with the Northwest Region W O C N and be able to use the m a n y available resources. Reliance on the region's membership to alert the mentorship chairperson of newly g r a d u a t e d WOCs is imperative, because graduates are not instant members of the W O C N . We are requesting that schools notify us of graduates of both on-site and off-site p r o g r a m s w h o live w i t h i n our region. We also will be available to mentor W O C nurses w h o have been out of the specialty and are beginning practice after a l e n g t h y absence. A n y o n e out there in W O C N land is also encouraged to communicate with us so that no one will "fall between the cracks" and miss out on benefitting from the expertise and support of our mentors.
6 Regional Presidents' Communications
Northeast Region Edna M. Keister, RN, BBA, OCN, CETN he Northeast Region of the W O C N is alive and well! We had more than 500 members at last count for spring 1999. We are a b o u t to have elections for our n e w officers and had 3 declared candidates for the office of president and 2 declared candidates for vice president. In addition, we have c o n f i r m e d the locations for our annual conference for the next 5 years. This past year, w e modified our bylaws to include mail vote. We have initiated our own Web site and have a Web coordinator. The Executive Board a n d the Board of
T
Directors representing each of our 9 affiliates have begun the process of writing a mission statement and defining our vision and core values. Nonetheless, much work remains to be done. We are the only region with 3 schools of WOC nursing. After attending the National Conference in M i n n e a p o l i s this year, I will be encouraging our members to take p a r t in d a t a collection for the Center for Clinical Investigation. I believe the state of our region will be in good hands for the future.
Northwest Region Mary Kay Hattamer, RN, BSN, CWOCN he N o r t h w e s t Region covers an immense amount of territory including Alaska, Washington, Oregon, Idaho, and Montana. Because of the geographic size of o u r region, n u m e r o u s m e m b e r s find themselves isolated from other W O C nurses. This isolation is quite daunting to n e w l y g r a d u a t e d W O C nurses a n d presents an ongoing challenge to more experienced W O C nurses. The N o r t h w e s t Region has responded to this need with a Mentorship Committee that was conceptualized b y Vicki MueUer and presented at o u r fall conference in 1998. The current chair is Debbie Neff. A total of 24 W O C N v o l u n t e e r m e n t o r s from all 5 of o u r N o r t h w e s t states quickly m a d e it the largest c o m m i t t e e in o u r region. In an effort to promote the professional growth of the n e w W O C nurse, mentors identified b y the Committee must make a 6-month c o m m i t m e n t . A t least m o n t h l y contact with the WOC nurse being mentored must be made, although more frequent contact is often d e e m e d necessary. Guidelines and any additional information are afforded to the m e n t o r to facilitate this i m p o r t a n t regional activity. The goals of the mentorship continue to evolve. The Committee is new, and growing pains are sure to occur. Presently, the Committee's goals are to (1) establish personal contact a n d maintain contact w i t h the n e w graduate as soon as possible via
T
personal visit, telephone, letter, a n d / o r email; (2) focus on the concems of the new W O C nurse a n d p r o v i d e n e e d e d expert opinions, case sharing, resources, referrals, a n d n e t w o r k i n g regionally a n d nationally; (3) encourage the n e w W O C graduate to join W O C N and ensure that, w h e n they become a member, they have received the w e l c o m e packet from the membership committee; and (4) introduce the n e w W O C g r a d u a t e to area W O C nurses and related specialty practitioners and encourage attendance at the regional a n n u a l conference. After 6 months, it is h o p e d that the n e w g r a d u a t e will have d e v e l o p e d a strong feeling of c o m r a d e r y with the Northwest Region W O C N and be able to use the m a n y available resources. Reliance on the region's membership to alert the mentorship chairperson of newly g r a d u a t e d WOCs is imperative, because graduates are not instant members of the W O C N . We are requesting that schools notify us of graduates of both on-site and off-site p r o g r a m s w h o live w i t h i n our region. We also will be available to mentor W O C nurses w h o have been out of the specialty and are beginning practice after a l e n g t h y absence. A n y o n e out there in W O C N land is also encouraged to communicate with us so that no one will "fall between the cracks" and miss out on benefitting from the expertise and support of our mentors.