- Email: [email protected]
Perianesthesia legacy: One nurse at a time
leadership/management Perianesthesia Legacy: One Nurse at a Time MAUREEN IACONO,
W
“
E ALL HAVE our part to play in creating a society filled with better choices and committed to positive changes. As individuals, and as professional nurses, we have a responsibility to make a difference and hand down a legacy rich in opportunity and possibility by embarking on the creation of our living legacy today, and being active participants in our nursing profession.”1 ASPAN’s President, Susan Shelander, has identified making a difference and nursing legacy as hallmark issues during her presidency. Who knows what influence you have on nurse colleagues, students, and even your children with your work in nursing and with your professional commitment and conviction? The legacy of Mary Hanna, a perianesthesia nurse from the Vermont/New Hampshire Component, lives on in many ways for her family, nurse colleagues, and for ASPAN. Mary was an early leader in her component, serving first as Vice President and then as President of the Vermont/ New Hampshire Component before her untimely death in November 1987. She was instrumental in organizing ASPAN’s first Board of Directors and in the development of the original Standards of Post Anesthesia Nursing Practice. She is honored each year during the ASPAN National Conference through the presentation of the Mary Hanna Journalism Awards. Journal of PeriAnesthesia Nursing articles are reviewed and selected with criteria established for accuracy, relevance to perianesthesia nursing practice, and excellence in writing. Each year, novice and expert authors eagerly anticipate the announcement of the award recipients. An annual scholarship in her memory is also presented in her hometown for nontraditional students who plan to become RNs. Perhaps her greatest legacy, however, is that her daughter, Karen
BSN, RN, CPAN
Flanagan, is now a perianesthesia nurse. ASPAN was honored to have Karen attend the National Conference in Boston, April 2001, and assist in the presentation of the Mary Hanna Journalism Awards. Karen remembers that her mother was always involved in nursing, had a love of nursing, and a keen sense of excellence in practice. Colleagues shared with Karen their belief that Mary was the kind of person who was “born to be a nurse.” In the late 1960s, Mary developed and managed an ICU in Derry, New Hampshire. She immediately became involved in the American Heart Association and learned to teach Basic Life Support and Advanced Life Support. She was passionate that standards had to be of the highest order, and nurses must be competent to provide the best care to patients. She opened several postanesthesia care units and one of the first same day surgery units in New England. Her caring did not stop at the bedside or with employees; she was active in women’s organizations and the Girl Scouts. Her community involvement included work in Delta Sigma Phi, a fund-raising organization serving the elderly in her community. Peg Moshovetis, current President of the Vermont/New Hampshire Component, recollects that the first seminar she ever attended was one chaired by Mary Hanna. Hallie Ennis (an ASPAN Founding Director and first President of ABPANC) was the keynote speaker. Peg was impressed with their Maureen Iacono, BSN, RN, CPAN, is a PACU Nurse Manager at St Joseph’s Hospital Health Center, Syracuse, NY. Address correspondence to Maureen Iacono, BSN, RN, CPAN, 102 Cedar Ln, Jamesville, NY 13078. © 2001 by American Society of PeriAnesthesia Nurses. 1089-9472/01/1605-0006$35.00/0 doi:10.1053/jpan.2001.27559
Journal of PeriAnesthesia Nursing, Vol 16, No 5 (October), 2001: pp 335-336
335
MAUREEN IACONO
336
professional appearance, their ease in lecturing, and their personal stories of involvement and active membership. She was in awe of “how they accomplished so much and were still able to work and raise a family!” Peg had 5 young children at the time and did not become truly active for a number of years. She has always remembered the spirit and enthusiasm of Mary and believed Mary “led by example and posed a challenge for all of us to do more, be better, and provide better care.” Peg says she owes her continued involvement to mentors such as Mary, who inspired and challenged. In her mind, Mary “practiced what she preached.” One of Karen’s fondest memories of Mary Hanna’s passion for nursing and the specialty practice of perianesthesia nursing was Mary’s commitment to PostAnesthesia Nurse Awareness Week (PANAW). Mary was tireless in her efforts to convince a New Hampshire legislator to promote the nursing specialty with an official proclamation. She phoned him repeatedly, collected signatures, and did not stop until her goal was met. Several years ago, Karen was reminded of this persistence when she took care of the legislator in her PACU. Karen worked as a Licensed Practical Nurse in 1985 and was attending school to obtain her RN. She left nursing school for a period of time to care for her mother, but returned and spent time working in medical-surgical nursing. She was always interested in surgical and critical care patients. In fact, her first introduction to the PACU had been
the summer of 1977, when she volunteered in her mother’s unit. She found it to be busy and a great place to learn and grow. She stocked the unit, made up stretchers, and remembers observing “some really neat nursing.” She was most impressed that nurses could give complete care to patients with one-on-one contact, and that most of the nurses’ time was spent at the bedside. Karen is now proud to work in the perianesthesia setting. Karen is a new member to ASPAN, and was impressed and humbled that she was asked to participate in the presentation of the Mary Hanna Journalism Awards. It is impressive and humbling for ASPAN as well. Mary Hanna played her part in creating a positive, lasting legacy for ASPAN and for nursing. She believed in possibilities and worked hard to promote our nursing specialty organization. Her legacy lives on in ASPAN, through the continued growth and strength of the Society. It lives through the annual Mary Hanna Journalism Awards and the annual nursing scholarship. It has made a difference in the nursing practice of her daughter, Karen Flanagan, and it continues to profoundly influence individual nurses and patients whose lives were touched and altered by Mary’s many contributions.
REFERENCE 1. Shelander S: Creating our nursing legacy. J PeriAnesth Nurs 16:63-66, 2001
CALENDAR OF EVENTS
October 12-13, 2001. PANAC’s annual Meeting and Seminar will be held at Harrah’s Hotel and Casino in beautiful Lake Tahoe. For information, contact Charles Bailey, Executive Director, PO Box 14845, San Francisco, CA 94114-0845. 1-415-863-3996 or toll free in California 1-888-5098553, fax 1-415-431-9171 or visit our Web site at www.panac.org. October 19-21, 2001. “2001 PeriAnesthesia Journey to Excellence.” the Samoset Resort, Rockport, Maine. Featured speakers include ASPAN Past President Denise O’Brien and ASPAN Director of Clinical Practice Ellen Sullivan. Sponsored by MESPAN. For more information contact Terry Clifford, RN Committee Member at 207-799-7858 or e-mail [email protected]. October 25-28, 2001. FLASPAN’s 32nd Annual Conference. “2001. . . A Nursing Odyssey.” Sheraton World Resort, Orlando, FL. Contact Beth Barnett, 386-428-7430, e-mail [email protected] or Marsha Mason, 941-473-5645, e-mail [email protected].
W
“
E ALL HAVE our part to play in creating a society filled with better choices and committed to positive changes. As individuals, and as professional nurses, we have a responsibility to make a difference and hand down a legacy rich in opportunity and possibility by embarking on the creation of our living legacy today, and being active participants in our nursing profession.”1 ASPAN’s President, Susan Shelander, has identified making a difference and nursing legacy as hallmark issues during her presidency. Who knows what influence you have on nurse colleagues, students, and even your children with your work in nursing and with your professional commitment and conviction? The legacy of Mary Hanna, a perianesthesia nurse from the Vermont/New Hampshire Component, lives on in many ways for her family, nurse colleagues, and for ASPAN. Mary was an early leader in her component, serving first as Vice President and then as President of the Vermont/ New Hampshire Component before her untimely death in November 1987. She was instrumental in organizing ASPAN’s first Board of Directors and in the development of the original Standards of Post Anesthesia Nursing Practice. She is honored each year during the ASPAN National Conference through the presentation of the Mary Hanna Journalism Awards. Journal of PeriAnesthesia Nursing articles are reviewed and selected with criteria established for accuracy, relevance to perianesthesia nursing practice, and excellence in writing. Each year, novice and expert authors eagerly anticipate the announcement of the award recipients. An annual scholarship in her memory is also presented in her hometown for nontraditional students who plan to become RNs. Perhaps her greatest legacy, however, is that her daughter, Karen
BSN, RN, CPAN
Flanagan, is now a perianesthesia nurse. ASPAN was honored to have Karen attend the National Conference in Boston, April 2001, and assist in the presentation of the Mary Hanna Journalism Awards. Karen remembers that her mother was always involved in nursing, had a love of nursing, and a keen sense of excellence in practice. Colleagues shared with Karen their belief that Mary was the kind of person who was “born to be a nurse.” In the late 1960s, Mary developed and managed an ICU in Derry, New Hampshire. She immediately became involved in the American Heart Association and learned to teach Basic Life Support and Advanced Life Support. She was passionate that standards had to be of the highest order, and nurses must be competent to provide the best care to patients. She opened several postanesthesia care units and one of the first same day surgery units in New England. Her caring did not stop at the bedside or with employees; she was active in women’s organizations and the Girl Scouts. Her community involvement included work in Delta Sigma Phi, a fund-raising organization serving the elderly in her community. Peg Moshovetis, current President of the Vermont/New Hampshire Component, recollects that the first seminar she ever attended was one chaired by Mary Hanna. Hallie Ennis (an ASPAN Founding Director and first President of ABPANC) was the keynote speaker. Peg was impressed with their Maureen Iacono, BSN, RN, CPAN, is a PACU Nurse Manager at St Joseph’s Hospital Health Center, Syracuse, NY. Address correspondence to Maureen Iacono, BSN, RN, CPAN, 102 Cedar Ln, Jamesville, NY 13078. © 2001 by American Society of PeriAnesthesia Nurses. 1089-9472/01/1605-0006$35.00/0 doi:10.1053/jpan.2001.27559
Journal of PeriAnesthesia Nursing, Vol 16, No 5 (October), 2001: pp 335-336
335
MAUREEN IACONO
336
professional appearance, their ease in lecturing, and their personal stories of involvement and active membership. She was in awe of “how they accomplished so much and were still able to work and raise a family!” Peg had 5 young children at the time and did not become truly active for a number of years. She has always remembered the spirit and enthusiasm of Mary and believed Mary “led by example and posed a challenge for all of us to do more, be better, and provide better care.” Peg says she owes her continued involvement to mentors such as Mary, who inspired and challenged. In her mind, Mary “practiced what she preached.” One of Karen’s fondest memories of Mary Hanna’s passion for nursing and the specialty practice of perianesthesia nursing was Mary’s commitment to PostAnesthesia Nurse Awareness Week (PANAW). Mary was tireless in her efforts to convince a New Hampshire legislator to promote the nursing specialty with an official proclamation. She phoned him repeatedly, collected signatures, and did not stop until her goal was met. Several years ago, Karen was reminded of this persistence when she took care of the legislator in her PACU. Karen worked as a Licensed Practical Nurse in 1985 and was attending school to obtain her RN. She left nursing school for a period of time to care for her mother, but returned and spent time working in medical-surgical nursing. She was always interested in surgical and critical care patients. In fact, her first introduction to the PACU had been
the summer of 1977, when she volunteered in her mother’s unit. She found it to be busy and a great place to learn and grow. She stocked the unit, made up stretchers, and remembers observing “some really neat nursing.” She was most impressed that nurses could give complete care to patients with one-on-one contact, and that most of the nurses’ time was spent at the bedside. Karen is now proud to work in the perianesthesia setting. Karen is a new member to ASPAN, and was impressed and humbled that she was asked to participate in the presentation of the Mary Hanna Journalism Awards. It is impressive and humbling for ASPAN as well. Mary Hanna played her part in creating a positive, lasting legacy for ASPAN and for nursing. She believed in possibilities and worked hard to promote our nursing specialty organization. Her legacy lives on in ASPAN, through the continued growth and strength of the Society. It lives through the annual Mary Hanna Journalism Awards and the annual nursing scholarship. It has made a difference in the nursing practice of her daughter, Karen Flanagan, and it continues to profoundly influence individual nurses and patients whose lives were touched and altered by Mary’s many contributions.
REFERENCE 1. Shelander S: Creating our nursing legacy. J PeriAnesth Nurs 16:63-66, 2001
CALENDAR OF EVENTS
October 12-13, 2001. PANAC’s annual Meeting and Seminar will be held at Harrah’s Hotel and Casino in beautiful Lake Tahoe. For information, contact Charles Bailey, Executive Director, PO Box 14845, San Francisco, CA 94114-0845. 1-415-863-3996 or toll free in California 1-888-5098553, fax 1-415-431-9171 or visit our Web site at www.panac.org. October 19-21, 2001. “2001 PeriAnesthesia Journey to Excellence.” the Samoset Resort, Rockport, Maine. Featured speakers include ASPAN Past President Denise O’Brien and ASPAN Director of Clinical Practice Ellen Sullivan. Sponsored by MESPAN. For more information contact Terry Clifford, RN Committee Member at 207-799-7858 or e-mail [email protected]. October 25-28, 2001. FLASPAN’s 32nd Annual Conference. “2001. . . A Nursing Odyssey.” Sheraton World Resort, Orlando, FL. Contact Beth Barnett, 386-428-7430, e-mail [email protected] or Marsha Mason, 941-473-5645, e-mail [email protected].