Constituent of the
American Nurses’ Association
CONNECTICUT
2nd CLASS
PERMIT
ENTERED AT
MERIDEN, CONN.
WIVERSITY i
VU
BURT
ZEEB RD.
+ ARBOR, MICHTGAN 431
06
Connecticut Nurses’ Asseciation
One Prestige Drive
Meriden, Connecticut 06450
November, 1981
Vol. 55 Issue 2
Issn 0278-4092
MERIDEN-WALLINGFORD NURSES STRIKE
The registered
nurses
at
Meriden-Wallingford
Hospital
went out on strike on October 23,
ment has never forgiven them for
organizing and seeks to belittle or
punish them when they can. For
example, after a 9 hour strike in
1979 the nurses settled “too low,”
they said. They had asked for
health insurance improvements
they did not receive, and for a
higher % wage increase than they
received. Shortly after the nurses’
contract was settled the hospital
granted to all other employees
those benefits they had refused
the nurses. The nurses also cited
attempts to decertify their union
at various times. The message
they say they receive is “Those
who insist on a union here will
suffer; we'll break you.” The
message they are sending back by
their strike is “You can't break
us.
Both Jim Shiels and the nurses
walking the picket line refused to
discuss any contract issues which
are still on the bargaining table.
Mr. Shiels stated this is a purely
economic strike. The nurses said
there are other non-economic
issues and their right to equitable
treatment within the institution
while they remain organized in a
union is one of them.
KRAMER CREATES
SPARKS
Editor's Note: At press time, the
strike had been settled by unanimous
vote and the striking R.N.s had returned
to work,
1981.
Meriden-Wallingford Hospital
is a 285 bed community hospital
currently open with a diminished
census.
(Jim
Shiels, Community
Relations Officer, said information
about their census is unavailable).
The hospital is being staffed by
supervisory and administrative
nursing personnel, L.P.N.’s and
ancillary personnel. The R.Ns.,
the only workers in the hospital
organized
for collective _ bargaining, belong to Connecticut
Health Care Associates (CHCA), a
division of District No. 1199.
Nurses at Meriden-Wallingford
have been organized for collective
bargaining since 1973. Originally a
unit of CNA, the unit was one of
those that left CNA in 1975 to
torm CHCA,
the new
union
started by Mary Lou Millar, a
CNA employee at that time and
current executive director of
HCA. The nurses on the picket
line said that the root of their
problem is that hospital manage-
Keynoting
CNA’s
Annual
Convention
on October
13,
Merlene
Kramer
challenged
Connecticut's nurses to put aside
past issues and “move in, up and
on!” Dr. Kramer stated that
moving in to bedside nursing is
the most significant move we can
make. She asked her audience if
nurses
have been taught to
“distance themselves from the
sick.” Does our failure to concentrate on hands-on care and our
cloudy perception of the nurse’s
role stem
from
the “Entrepreneurial Model” of Nurse
Education?
Dr. Kramer
asserted
that
Education indeed can distort the
practice of nursing and asked if
we have permitted the student to
assume a “free guest status” in the
hospital rather than helping the
student to share responsibility.
Acceptance of responsibility is
essential if the student is to learn
how to meet the overwhelming
complexities of practice in today’s
acute care settings.
In a system which encourages
students to get all data in before
acting, are we preparing the
student for the demand for immediacy she meets? Dr. Kramer
reminds us that nursing is an interactive art and science but
emphasis has been on separate
learnings. Have we emphasized
“Wellness” to the extent that we
become punitive toward the ill?
“Students are tested on norms;
hospitals deal with the abnormal.”
Dr. Kramer
believes
that
moving up in nursing can be
facilitated if nurses avoid the “reinventing the wheel” syndrome
and realize that no one can do
today’s job with yesterday's skills.
We must recognize that “nurses
constitute the largest single group
of workers in the health care
professions and we are the least
educated. Sixty percent of the
nursing work force has only two
yeats of education post high
school.”
In identifying areas for moving
on, Dr. Kramer cited: 1) Block and
eyclical scheduling, 2) increased
coordination
between
Nursing
Service and Nursing Education in
the development of a health care
CNA & CHA TESTIFY ON NURSING SHORTAGE
Nancy
Campbell,
CNA
Executive Director, and Robert
Bergeron, Vice President for
Manpower of the Connecticut
Hospital Association, addressed a
sub-committee
of the Public
Health Committee of the state
legislature on October 6 on the
subject of the Nursing Shortage.
Mr. Bergeron assured the
Committee that any shortage was
not serious (he said that to his
knowledge no beds had been
closed in the state), and in addition
any shortage is sure to be shortlived. The reason for this according to Bergeron is that the
shortage is caused by increased
demand, a higher nurse/patient
ratio made necessary by more
complex technology and shorter
lengths of stay, and a higher
percentage of nurses providing
care in the nurse/ancillary personnel mix.
The demand can only increase
to a certain point and must level
off, Bergeron stated. (Maximum
demand would be created by all
hospitals using primary nursing
and fully staffing their beds at
optimum
levels.) Meanwhile
supply remains constant, both in
annual members graduated from
Connecticut Nursing schools and
in annual numbers licensed by
exam and endorsement in the last
five years. Assuming a constant
drop-out rate and a constant
supply, as the demand levels off it
will be met.
Asked about the best way to
PANEL PUTS IT
“ON THE LINE”
A convention discussion of
“Mobility in Nursing” on October
14 drew
a large attentive
audience. Most of those present
seemed to easily identify with the
panelists’ struggles to “move in,
up or on” within a_ tightly
structured
system.
Moderator
“Andy” Williams gave equal time
to the panelists and audience to
share questions and comments.
Wearing an arm sling, Anna
Buell pictured the joys and difficulties encountered by would-be
mobile school nurses.
Eileen
Crutchlow described what it is
like to climb the educational
ladder,
and
Marion
Kearn
outlined
her experiences
in
moving laterally within a practice
a
setting. A note of hope was struck
delivery model, 3) development of
the clinical ladder and _ joint
practice, and 4) the advancement
of nursing research.
when Diana Novicky showed that
a system can provide opportunities for mobility if professionals
help make it happen.
planning
model
rather
than
prepare nurses, Mr. Bergeron
responded that he believes we
should educate nurses for the job
we are going to have in the future,
outstripped
139%. 75%
nationwide
higher than
not train them to do the job we
have now.
female fields. Why are
increasing vacancy rates?
N. Campbell made the Public
Health Committee aware that if
the seven nursing schools in state
institutions are to continue to
Labor economists have ob
served that nurses who want to
work in health care have few
options; they are in a captured
labor market. 66% of nurses work
in hospitals; no metropolitan area
in Connecticut has more than five
or six hospitals. They have little
to gain by offering salaries
competitive with one another, as
they believe this tends to increase
turnover, rather than attracting
new staff; the tendency is for
hospitals to talk to each other and
cooperate to set salaries. This is
only true for nurses’ salaries, as
there is a market outside hospitals
for most other groups of workers
so salaries offered must be more
broadly
competitive.
With
pressure on hospitals to contain
costs,
the
nursing
budget
becomes
most’
vulnerable,
representing at least 25% of
hospital costs.
The article refutes the three
most frequently heard explanations for a nurse
shortage:
“Nurses are not working at all or
are working in non-health jobs.”
Not true. “All of the increase in
the supply of nurses has been
absorbed by rapid increases in
non-hospital employment.” Not
true. “Increasing intensity of
hospital care and increased hospitalizations for an aging population
have increased the requirements
for nurses faster than additional
graduate nurses at present rates,
additional
state
funds
may
be
needed
as federal
support
declines. Her complete testimony
follows.
STATEMENT TO THE PUBLIC
HEALTH
COMMITTEE OCTOBER 6, 1981
by Nancy Campbell, R.N.
Thank you for giving me an opportunity to talk with you about
this difficult subject.
I call your attention to an ar-
ticle which appeared simultaneously this September in the
American Journal of Nursing and
the Annals of Internal Medicine. I
would like to highlight some of the
points made in the article. It is
“The
Shortage
of Hospital
Nurses: A New Perspective” by
Linda
H. Aiken,
Robert
J.
Blendon, and David E. Rogers.
Although
the media
has
stressed the critical shortage of
nurses which at times has made
necessary the closing of beds, a
logical examination
of contributing factors suggests nurses
should be in adequate supply.
Since 1950 the ratio of hospital
beds to population has dropped by
more than one-third, and occupancy
rates have declined
significantly. Yet since 1950 the
increase in active nurses has
_WILL YOUBE
population growth by
of registered nurses
are working, much
other predominantly
there
Con't on page3
R OFconvention
THEYEAR?”
on that day.
PRESIDENT’S ADDRESS, CONVENTION ’81:
MOVING IN, MOVING OUT, MOVING UP
EDITORIAL:
NURSING IS LIKE A FAT PERSON
by Nancy Campbell, R.N.
At
a recent
CNA
District
meeting I was inspired by my
table companion. She was aslip of
a woman being questioned about
involving nursing is like the
positive effect of the fat person’s
losing weight and keeping it off. A
little progress generates a better
selfimage! This generates more
acceptance of responsibility and
her diet by a friend. She explained
that she was really a fat person,
having lost 85 pounds five years
ago. Further discussion revealed
my new acquaintance had been
power for nursing as it relates to
the rest of the world. This in turn
generates more positive feelings
about nursing. These ripple out
heavy all her life, hating to shop
for clothes, finally deciding she
needed to be in charge, in charge
of her life. As she devised a
reduced food regimen for herself
this "fat person” liked herself
endlessly, effecting recruitment of
high calibre students into nursing,
salaries and wages, nurses’ relationships with other health care
professionals -- just as the fat
person’s increased self esteem
better, liked her life better, which
and feelings of well being effect
every aspect of her life.
gave her more power to take
control of her life. Eighty-five
pounds. Having lost the weight
she went on a “maintenance diet,”
carefully watching her food intake, except for one day every
week or ten days when she eats
anything she wants all day long.
Impressive. Taking control of her
life. The urge to eat should not be
master; fatness should not be such
an over-riding factor as to make
dressing, going out, looking in the
mirror,
negative
experiences.
Being in control is worth the hard
work.
The profession of nursing is like
a fat person. The urge toe be
defensive about nursing past and
present is like the urge to eat. The
need to look forward and give
direction to the future growth of
the profession is like the need to
get control. The positive effects of
taking the power, and using it for
thoughtful
development
profession,
and
for
of the
intelligent
resolution of health care problems
My new friend said, “I did it
because I finally got so ‘down’
about being heavy I wanted to be
in control.” I see evidence that
nursing is beginning to accept responsibility for its circumstances.
Staff councils and other means of
improving
communications
between
staff nurses
and
management nurses are becoming
more common in hospitals. Nurse
managers are in better positions
to do something about problems
identified by the whole nursing
department. The first few pounds
are dropping. We are saying
publicly we want to be in control.
We are willing to accept the risk
of commitment even though the
outcome is uncertain and it will be
hard work. We are saying to
others
interested
in giving
direction to nursing that we want
to do it ourselves. Nursing is
going to become a fat person who
has taken charge!
INDIVIDUALIZED NURSE CARE:
NURSE EXPO ’81
By Madelaine Podurgiel
Two
flights down
in the
Hartford Civic Center, tables
were set up for Nurse Expo 81.
Nurse Recruiters manned their
places, handing out literature to
the nearly 1,500 nurses who
NURSING NEWS
CONNECTICUT NURSES’
ASSOCIATION
One Prestige Drive
Meriden, Connecticut 06450
NURSING
NEWS
is _ published
monthly by the Connecticut Nurses’
Association; corporate, editorial and
advertising
offices
located
at
Meriden. Tel. (203) 238-1207.
Second
class
postage
paid
at
Meriden. Conn.
Subscription
rates:
nonmembers,
$7.50 a year; members $2.50.
Subscription to Nursing News is
included with membership in CNA.
OFFICERS
President — Beverly O'Connor, RN
1st Vice President
Sr. Frances Smalkowski, RN
2nd Vice President —
George Daneri, RN
Secretary — Kathleen Stone, RN
Treasurer — Mary Joan Bilcheck, RN
DIRECTORS
Ruth Barry, RN
Kathleen Bruttomesso, RN
John Collins, RN
Carol Daisy, RN
Michael Dion, RN
Ann Duer, RN
Marion Kearn, RN
Christine Johnson, RN
Anthony Mascia, RN
Mary Rourke, RN
Editor: Nancy Campbell, RN
Managing Editor: Vera Keane, RN
walked by. While talking, these
recruiters pointed to pictures of
“their” nurses on displayboards,
their buildings and their special
attractions. Some offered cookies,
and other edible enticements for
nurses to stop at their tables.
The three of us at our table
were prepared to talk on continuing education, specifically the
Community College Network of
CE in Connecticut and the offerings
frorm
the
University
of
Connecticut School of Nursing.
We
had brochures
on_ state
supported nursing programs and
UConn’s newly founded counseling center for RNs seeking a
baccalaureate
degree.
Consequently, one of our signs said
“Career Counseling Center.” We
were prepared to talk about CE,
but not for the nurses wide-open
discussions of their educational
problems, confusions and hopes.
“I'm thinking about getting my
bachelor’s in nursing,” said one
young nurse. That was the easiest
type
of
comment
to
answer,
explaining the University’s center
to counsel RNs like her, handing
out the center's brochure and the
list of baccalaureate programs for
RNs in Connecticut. Still other
baccalaureate related questions
came. “I'm going to retire in 5
years; do I have to get a BS
degree to stay a nurse?” “I'm a
nurse with a BA in Sociology, doI
need a BS in nursing to get admitted into a Master’s program?”
Last year, I agonized over what
I would say here, as everything I
wrote sounded negative. I left
a little concerned about running
against oneself.
minimum educational standards
and review of ethical standards of
care, as there will be no agency
in 1980 on a high,
Of special importance are
Delegates to ANA Convention.
feeling a unity within those who
were at Convention, feeling great
pride at being in the presence of
All delegates and all alternates
have been elected, as they must
be, by the membership. Delegates
had areas of Board responsibility
and nursing practice contested —
California and North Carolina, for
our proud ladies of nursing —
Virginia
Henderson,
Agnes
Ohlson, Josephine Dolan, Florence
Wald, Vera Keane and. Barbara
Schutt.
must be committed not only to go
to Convention, but also to keep up
on the issues, to attend delegate
example. If control of nursing
practice is important to nursing
we must pay attention to the
activities and prerogatives of the
This year the speech writing
problem is knowing where to
begin, there is so much happening
in nursing.
The “nursing shortage” has
been studied and discussed, attracting the attention of many
through the media. The National
Commission on Nursing study has
moved nursing into the limelight,
though small. Let’s make the size
of our delegation grow — every
member get another member.
Convention
uncovering
some
things about
nursing many of us have long
known. Phil Donahue, the Today
Show, CBS-TV’s “Nurse, Where
Are You?” have all focused on
nursing. The role of Nurse
Recruiter has developed across
the nation.
Whatever else the shortage has
done, it has moved nursing into
the thoughts of society. We have
the opportunity to tell the public
about ourselves, to take nursing’s
story and commitment to the
public. One way to do this is
through
the _ professional
association. CNA and ANA will
move out only to the extent that
members move in and volunteer
their talent and time to the
Association. I am only asking for a
commitment from all of you.
briefings. This gives CNA an
informed voice at Convention,
There. have been a few glimmers of our moving up. Certainly
we seem to be moving up in
salary. One can look at the
newspaper ads and see that we
are a little bit more precious.
Nursing homes are paying $8.95
an hour with benefits, $9.95
without
benefits,
and
no
weekends. Nurses in California
and Ohio are signing contracts for
$30,000-$35,000 per year for night
nurses.
Hopefully
managers
we
will see nurse
moving up to policy-
making positions in hospital
management — to perhaps a seat
on the Board of Trustees.
Hopefully the government, both
state and national, will seek
nurses to serve on policy-making
committees.
There are many issues facing
us. Issues confronting us at the
state level -are also present.
nationally
and_ internationally.
Licensure
is an_ ever-present
issue.
As you
know,
New
Hampshire’s Board of Nursing
has been “sunsetted” and as of
Next year the Nominating
Committee will be seeking people
April,
to run for office. It would be nice
to have at least two nominees
running for every office. One gets
legislative turn-around, the Board
will cease, and with it, so will
licensure, approval of schools,
1982,
unless
there
is a
responsible.
State
Other
Board
states
have
of Examiners
for
Nursing in Connecticut. The
National Council of State Boards
must be watched. The Council is
preparing a Model Practice Act.
Will it be consistent with the
Model Practice Act developed by
ANA? Who is defining what? Are
we
heading
toward
national
licensure? Is that bad?
Nurse-midwives in Connecticut
may ‘try again this year to pass
separate licensure legislation. Our
posture
license
nursing,
basis
still is that only one
is needed to practice
and that nursing is the
for
nurse-midwifery
practice.
Where does the National Credentialing Center fit into the
scheme of things? We need some
kind of organization for certification. Many feel credentialing
belongs with the professional
association, i.e. ANA. However,
many other organizations bestow
certification, sonietimes in conjunction with ANA — most times
without. Perhaps we do need a
national
proposed
clearinghouse
as
in the Credentialing
Study.
At the ANA Advisory Council
in September
SNA
presidents
and executive directors received
the first draft of proposed bylaws
revisions. Bylaws seem stuffy and
boring to some, but they are the
stuff of which organizations are
made. The issue of structure is
still with us. The Federation
Model still is supported by many
states, the ANA Board is exploring a possible Conglomerate
Model.
Please be aware as I put forth
my suggestions for the coming
Con’t on page 3
“Don't life experiences and CE
programs count?”
Questions
about
graduate
school also came forth. “Why do
some schools require you to go full
time? I can’t afford to pay the
tuition if I'm not working.” “Call
them and explain your concerns.”
I said. “Check into financial aid.”
Then
came
the licensing
questions. Two young Swedish
nurses asked if they could work in
Connecticut
or Massachusetts.
Encouraged
by our licensing
procedures
and
armed _ with
addresses of the State Boards in
both states, they walked away
pleased with the prospect of
working in this country. Some
other licensing questions weren't
so obvious nor were the answers
always encouraging.
An older woman from India
asked, “I practical nurse, want to
work, you help me?” I tried to
explain we were there to discuss
education, that she should talk to
the nurse recruiters at the other
booths about work. I could tel] she
wasn't satisfied with my answer.
She walked away disappointed.
Later that night I thought about
her. There was something about
her determination and_persistence that made me think she
enjoyed nursing. But she was
older, hard to understand. I hadn't
really wanted to talk to her. I
wasn't sure who would!
The second day of the Expo she
was back. This time she had a
paper describing her education in
India. I asked if she had a license
to work in this country. This
question hit home. She lit up.
“Where you get license?” she
asked. We wrote down the address of the State Board in
Connecticut.
This time our
questioner went away happier. It
seemed to me, though, she still
had a long, tough road ahead of
her.
Questions also came about
lateral mobility in nursing. “I
want a job as a nurse recruiter,”
“...an industrial nurse,” “...a
lobbyist.” “How do I break in?”
they asked. One perky, blond
LPN came with a “real challenge”
she warned. She had taken the
psychiatric nursing course offered
for LPNs,
found
psychiatric
Con't on page3
An Open Letter to the
Officers, Board, Members and
Staff of CNA:
Dear Colleagues:
During the busy convention,
I didn’t have enough time to
properly thank you for the
beautiful
roses
that
you
publicly bestowed on me on
October 14. The warm, affectionate thoughts they represented are mutual, believe me,
and deeply appreciated. Those
roses lasted nearly two weeks
and were absolutely glorious
as the buds. continued to open
day by day!
Working with you on behalf
of our professional organization has. been a little like that
too. Each new effort, each new
activity
we've
undertaken
together blossoms bit by bit,
gradually
becoming
visible
evidence of your commitment.
I'm
grateful
for
the
op-
portunity you've given me to
share in your efforts.
Affectionately,
Vera Keane
PRESIDENT’S ADDRESS Con’t from page 2
years. What our Association may
call
be able to attempt,
tain, depends on
financial resources,
volunteers, and our
suggestions
We
must
set
let alone atour limited
our cadre of
limited staff.
priorities,
select
those goals which will best serve
the interests of the profession, the
individual nurse and the Connecticut health care consumer. I
NURSE EXPO
your
CNA & CHA Con’t from page 1
attention
to
the
nurses
set
in
the
true.
questions
were
more
memory.
A young nurse, baccal-
aureate prepared, with ICU and
public health nursing experience
stood in front of me. She walked
with a cane. “I’m handicapped,”
she said, “I wear braces and can’t
do ‘floor’ nursing any more. I'm
trying to find a job in nursing that
agreements
their personnel are- unionized.
And yet salary increases which
may help prevent those cost
her handicap and how to find out
about available jobs and appropriate CE programs.
After she left I thought to
myself, “For a helping health
difficult. “Do they really want old
timers like me back in nursing?”
one nurse asked. “I need a job but
I don’t know whether anyone will
hire me or where to begin.” J
didn’t know if anyone would hire
her either, but after twelve years
of inactivity a refresher course
might be a good place to start.
More questions, more faces,
brochures, more advice. One face,
however, became imprinted in my
bargaining
for other predominantly female
jobs, in and out of health care.
When regulations from every
could, we gave names, took theirs
for follow up and suggested CE
courses that might be useful for a
specific type of nursing practice.
reentry
lective
debate of issues during the next
two days will truly tell if we are
Moving In, Moving Up, Moving
On.
I can do.” We spent the next few
minutes exploring what she liked
and what she could handle with
quainted with basic nursing and
the reentry course offered by
some of the community colleges
appealed to her. Some other
Not
The researchers for this article
found that hospital vacancy rates
for nursing positions were low in
those years when nurses’ salaries
compared favorably with salaries
nursing was her field of choice but
discovered the jobs she wanted
were open only to RNs. When we
15 years.” My mind drew a blank
when I tried to conceptualize a
refresher course for a master’s
prepared nurse. Fortunately, she
was interested in becoming reac-
be employed.”
Annual Report of the President in
the August, 1981, Connecticut
Nursing News. You are the
ones who will determine the
course of CNA. Your ideas and
Con’t from page 2
Interspersed with these nurses
were visits from inactive nurses.
“I'm a nurse with two masters
degrees and haven't worked for
can
must grant negotiated increases
but those without collective
bargaining have had increases in
nurses’
salaries
disallowed.
Hospitals spend larger sums of
money to conduct business when
forth
profession
we
sure don’t offer
much guidance and retraining for
handicapped
nurses!”
After
’ thinking over the entire two day
experience, I realized we, as professionals, do not do much to help
each other. All these nurses were
talking about the same thing:
membership in nursing. Some
were not working, trying to break
in, asking “Is there a place for me
in the nursing profession? If so,
how can I enter?” Some were
unsure
of their professional
standing, “Do I need a BSN
to
stay a registered nurse?” “Do I
need
to attend
continuing
education programs to keep my
license?” Some wanted to become
part of a different nursing
category. They wanted to know
what courses or degrees were
necessary and who could advise
them.
Many of us could help these
nurses, through advice, through
more realistic and valid policies
and procedures but often we do
not.
My
toward
hunch
is in our
professionalism,
rush
we've
been looking at nurses too much
as statistics to be improved or
regulated and not enough as
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came
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bear
on
hospitals, administrators found
that the nursing service budget
was the one most adaptable to
being capped or cut. Nurses then
began to find that working full
time on a hospital staff was not
‘always
financially
worthwhile.
Many elected instead to work for
“pools”, where salary ranges are
not subject to outside regulation
and where each nurse also has
control of her working hours. The
position of nurses in Connecticut
last year on HB 5916, AAC The
Regulation of Nurse Pools, was
that limiting salaries available to
nurses working for pools would be
restraint of trade. This is their
opportunity in a captured labor
market to maximize their earning
potential.
The role of the Commission on
Hospitals and Health Care in all
this has been interesting: their
major goal has been cost containment, despite the broader
goal defined in the enabling
legislation. The review process for
those hospitals which do not pass
the Overall Reasonableness Test
includes line item review. Increases
in costs of utilities,
borrowing money, purchase of
supplies, hiring management and
maintenance personnel, sustaining budget departments (to meet
the demands of Medicare and
Medicaid regulations, Blue Cross
and CHHC requirements), data
processing costs, ete. can all be
documented.
Those
nursing
departments
which
have col-
increases, and may help keep
certain nurses in their jobs, have
not been allowable under CHHC
formulae.
It may also be true that
hospitals have used the CHHC as
their excuse for not raising
salaries to keep pace with other
predominantly. women’s jobs and
with the economy.
Many nurses
do not believe their salaries
should be comparable to other
women’s jobs, but rather to jobs
requiring equivalent education
and
carrying
comparable
responsibility.
Some
people
believe if nurses’salaries reiiected
the position’s comparable worth
the number of men entering the
field would increase. Men are less
likely to work part time because
they are generally free of the
demands of caring for children. In
my view an appropriate salary
would make nursing seem like a
“career” rather than a “job” to
women. They too would then be
motivated and able to afford
arrangements for working full
time. Increased salaries for nurses
would make it less of a bargain to
“let” nurses do many non-nursing
functions which could be done by
others. At St. Vincent’s Hospital
in Bridgeport, for example, in a
new facility, aides are employed
to dispense patient supplies (linen,
clean equipment) and to collect
soiled
and
used _ materials.
Transporting patients to x-ray
and other places for therapies,
supplying and cleaning utility and
treatment
rooms
are
other
functions which could be done by
personnel less highly trained than
nurses.
One factor contributing to the
people with unique needs and personalities — an orientation not
too different from referring to a
patient as “the gall bladder in
202.” Many of us have tried to
redirect
this
behavior
by
preaching “individualized care.” I
believe many nurses, like those
who asked these questions at
Nurse Expo’81, could use some individualized care as well!
CLASSIFIED
UNIVERSITY
FACULTY:
Full
time position, January 1982 for
BS-RN program. MS. in Community Health and baccalaureate
teaching
experience
required.
Doctoral
matriculation,
nurse
practitioner skills and curriculum
development experience highly
desirable. Send vitae to Norma
Anne Hanson, P.O. Box 6460,
Bridgeport CT 06606. EO/AA-E
R.N.’s
— 1 full time and 3
weekend positions. Community
health
nursing
experience
preferred. Excellent benefits
presence or absence of a nursing
shortage in Connecticut is the
supply of new nurses from
800 nurses in 1979, 736
1980, and 670 in 1981.
schools which prepare
nurses,
seven
are
Connecticut's seventeen
An Equal Opportunity Employer
paid inservice.
Competitive
salary. Call Manchester Public
Health Nursing Assn. 647-1481.
EEO/AAP Employer
nurses in
Of the 17
beginning
state
in-
stitutions. There has also been
federal support in the shape of
Nurse
Training
monies.
These
funds were cut 45% by the
Budget Reconciliation process in
Congress up to now. President
Reagan is asking for an additional
12% across the board cut. To
retain these nursing programs
will require new sources of
revenue. Even with this annual
resource
that
gives
many
hospitals their most comfortable
numbers of nurses available each
fall, by early spring the nurse
recruiters
will be scrambling
again. A nurse recruiter is a new
breed, a _ testimonial
to the
existence of some form of nurse
shortage.
One government
obstacle
stands in the way of qualified
nurses
going
to work
for
hospitals. In the office of the State
Board of Examiners for Nursing
in the Department of Health
Services the process of providing
licensure by endorsement
for
nurses licensed in other states
takes four to seven months! One
nursing administrator I talked
with said she talks to that office
two or three times every day. I
have been told that part of this
delay, and that of relicensure of
Connecticut’s nurses, is because
the Office of Policy Management
has said that licensing health care
personnel is at the bottom of their
priorities; DOHS cannot replace
personnel
who
leave.
The
licensing of health care personnel
incidentally brings in $5 to the
General Fund for every $1 it
spends.
TIME IS TOO
PRECIOUS Ge
... the Air Force offers a 5 month internship program for BSN
Due to the popularity of this program
it will be closing out soon. Why not
spend a moment of your time to find
out how the Air Force can offer you
this nurse internship program plus
an excellent salary . . . career advancements... travel. ..30 days of paid
vacation a year... medical care...
dental care ...and much much more.
So before time runs out. . . Call today.
For more information contact
MSgt. Ray Saccocio
77 Hazard Avenue
Enfield, CT 06082
including 4 weeks vacation and
Health Care Services | i
nursing
schools. I was able to reach only
thirteen of these schools since last
week. Together they graduated
A great woy of life
PAGE 4
DISTRICT NEWS
District III: On October 26, the
Chimney Corner Inn in Stamford
was
filled to capacity
with
members and guests who had
come together for District three’s
Annual
Business
and Dinner
Meeting: Food for thought was
generated, too, by two of the
District's well-known members,
Dr. Phyllis Porter, Dean of Fairfield University School of Nursing
and Barbara Goldstein, Stamford
Hospital's
Director
of Nursing.
COUNCIL
CAPSULES
DIVISION
NOTES
The Professional and Public
Relations
Council
is seeking
dynamic, creative professionals to
increase its ranks. This Council
provides the opportunity for you
to develop your understanding of
CNA and the potential to impact
on your organization. Active participation at the state level offers a
challenge and the satisfaction of
developing collegial relationships
with
members
from
many
geographic areas
The
Council
CERP COMMITTEE
They discussed the effects of the
nursing shortage on education
and practice, painting a realistic
picture of the problem and offering no glib, pat solutions.
CNA’s President Bev O'Connor,
and her mother Ms. Gage; a
recent Jubilee Award winner,
Audrey McCluskey and CNA
staffers Nancy Campbell and
Vera Keane were among those
who attended the event.
is multi-faceted.
We will be working on membership-recruitment and _ retention; developing
a communication system with other professional groups (affiliate structure);
convention planning; updating the
newsletter and improving the
image of nursing.
In contacting the Chair Marion
Kearn via headquarters, please
indicate which tasks you prefer to
address, and every effort will be
made to meet your interests.
The
Division
of Gerontologic
Nursing Practice presented an
educational
offering
titled
“Organic Mental Disorders in the
Elderly: Care Across the Continuum” on November 10th at the
East Hartford Ramada Inn to an
attentive group of nurses.
Dr.
Walter
A. Keckich,
Director of Geriatric Psychiatry
at the Institute of Living
presented an overview of organic
mental disorders describing the
classification of each in terms of
clinical and pathological determinants.
Sue Smolski, also from the
Institute of Living, moderated a
panel of nurses, Nancy Gustafson,
Kathleen Simonet, and Gloria
Polleys, who presented the role of
the community, nursing home and
hospital in providing
Across the Continuum.”
“Care
There
was time for lively discussion and
participants took advantage of the
opportunity
to have
these
specialists assist them in their
daily practice.
QUALIFYING EXAM FOR FOREIGN NURSES
The first of two screening
exams to be given in 1982 for
foreign nurses wishing to immigrate to the U.S. is scheduled
for Wednesday, April 7, 1982 in 31
cities in 26 countries, as well as in
five cities in the US. The
American
sites are Chicago,
Houston, Los Angeles, Miami and
New York. Only those who pass
the CGFNS
examination can
obtain an H-1 non-immigrant occupational preference visa from the
U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS), or a permanent
work permit from the U.S. Department of Labor. In addition, a
majority of states also require a
CGFNS
Certificate, signifying
passage of the exam, before a
foreign nurse can take that state’s
licensing exam.
Completed applications for the
April 7, 1982 exams must be
received at the CGFNS office in
Philadelphia
no
later than
Monday, January 4, 1982. Application forms and Guidebooks for
Applicants are available from U.S.
Embassies, national nurses associations in foreign countries, and
from
CGFNS,
3624 Market
Street,
U.S.A.
Philadelphia
PA
19104,
Gnly
professional
nurses,
(which means first-level, stateregistered and registered nurses),
are eligible to take the CGFNS examination.
Candidates
are
reminded to submit only completed
application
with
all
required enclosures, to avoid processing delays.
The CGFNS test, which is
given in English, covers proficiency in both nursing and in the
English language. The nursing
Diabetes
. American
Code #122.
Association,
1981:
WE
“DIABETES,
TEACH
DIABETES
SURVIVAL”.
0.6
CEU.
Given Nov. 18, 1981. Contact
Ms. Hunt 327-1234.
. Mt. Sinai Hosp., Code #022.
“WHAT
IS
COPD,
REALLY?” 0.2 CEU.Given
Nov. 18, 1981. Contact: Ms.
Moreau 242-4431x4355.
. Mattatuck
Community
College,
Code
#079.
“MEETING THE NEEDS
OF OUR
AGED
POPULATION”, 1.4 CEUs. Date: 6
weeks starting 10/26 (2 hrs.
per week), Contact:
Ms.
Schuize 575-8028.
. Stamford Hosp., Code #035.
“NURSING
GRAND
ROUNDS”, 0.2 CEU. Date:
Nov. 4 and every 2-3 months.
Contact: Ms. Wattenmaker
327-1234x705.
SCHOLARSHIPS
ANNOUNCED
Twenty-one
awards
totalling
$42,200
in scholarships
to
registered nurses for advanced
education
during
1981-82
academic year have been granted
through
Nurses’
Educational
Funds, Inc., an independent nonprofit organization dedicated to
furthering
nursing
education.
Eight of the 21 awards are to
candidates for doctoral degrees,
ten for masters’ candidates and
three for baccalaureate degree
seekers.
Nurses’ Educational Funds is
an
independent
organization
which grants scholarships of its
own and administers those endowed by other groups. All NEF
grants
are
made
. Danbury Hospital, Code #009.
“NURSING
PROCESS
COURSE”, 0.7 CEU. Date:
ongoing Nov-Dec. 1981 into
1982. Contact: Ms. Corbelli
797-7891.
. University of Hartford, Code
#078.
“HIGH
RISK
PARENTING”,
1.8 CEUs.
“PRESENTATIONS
POSITIONS“, 0.4 CEU
“PSYCHOSOCIAL
ASPECTS
OF CHILDBEARING”, 1.0 CEU
“SERIES 2 PRENATAL CARE,
MODULE 3FETAL ASSESSMENT”, 0.4 CEU
12. Newington Children’s Hosp.,
Code #134. “GROWTH:
ENDOCRINE,
PSYCHOLOGIC AND SEXUAL”. 0.7
CEU. Given Nov. 19. Contact
Ms. Warren 666-2461x244.
. Amer.
Cancer
Society
(Manchester
Unit), Code
#101.
“PSYCHOLOGIC
NEEDS
OF
HEALTH
CARE GIVERS”, 0.6 CEU.
Date: March 29, 1982 thru
May 3, 1982. Contact: Dr.
Koerner 243-4213.
. Amer. Cancer Society — Ct.
Division,
Code
#101.
“NUTRITIONAL
CHALLENGES IN CANCER’, 0.6
CEU. Given Oct. 29, 1981.
Contact: Ms. McGaughey or
P. Bergin 265-7161.
. ASPO — Ct. Continuing Ed.
Committee,
Code
#141.
“NEW VIEWS ON THE
ART
OF LABOR’
SUPPORT”, 0.6 CEU. Given: Nov.
14, 1981.
Contact:
Ms.
Holland-Toftness 265-7594.
. March
of Dimes
Birth
Defects Foundation, Code
#115; Three offerings. Write
to 1275 Mamaroneck Ave.,
White Plains, N.Y. 10605 or
contact: Beverly Raff, Ph.D.
914-428-7100. Also, your local
chapter.
AND
Given Nov. 9. Contact
Stillman 643-2168.
Pace
Ms.
University, Lienhard School of Nur-
sing, Bedford Rd, Pleasantville, NY 10570
announces the following CE offerings.
Contact Ms, Cucci 914-769-3200x358.
“TRIP TO INDIA AND NEPAL-CROSS
CULTURAL STUDY” 4.5 CEUs. January 228.
“CHILDHOOD
AND
ADOLESCENT
VIOLENCE IN AMERICAN SOCIETY”
0.5 CEU. January8.
“STRATEGIES FOR DEALING
CHANGE". 0.6 CEU. January 16.
“EXPERIENCING
THE
PROCESS”. 0.6 CEU. January 22.
“HEALTH
ELDERLY
January 28.
ASSESSMENT
INDIVIDUAL".
WITH
AGING
OF
0.5.
THE
CEU
CNA CALENDAR
to registered
nurses for post-R.N. study in
nursing. The funds of NEF are
maintained by nurses and others
interested in nursing, as well as
foundations,
corporations
and
voluntary organizations. NEF administrative costs are paid by the
American Journal of Nursing
Company. Therefore, all funds
contributed to NEF are disbursed
directly in the form of scholarships to individuals.
For information and applications contact Dr. Laura L. Simms,
President of NEF at 555 West
57th Street, New York City, N.Y.
portion includes questions on the
same five subjects covered in U.S.
State licensing exams: medical,
psychiatric, obstetric, pediatric,
and surgical nursing. To receive a
CGFNS Certificate, the candidate
must pass both the nursing and
the English language sections of
the day-long exam.
“It is helpful to all concerned if
the candidates can determine —
before they uproot themselves
from their home countries — the
likelihood of their ability to pass a
licensing exam in the US.,”
CGFNS president Jessie Scott
December 1, 1981
CERP COMMITTEE
4:30 P.M., CNA Headquarters
December 1, 1981
GERI DIVISION MEETING
7:00 P.M., CNA Headquarters
December 2, 1981
MCH DIVISION MEETING
5:00 P.M., CNA Headquarters
December 3-4, 1981
CONFER-
INVITATIONAL
ENCE
1:30 P.M., Interlaken Inn,
Lakeville, CT
December 5, 1981
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
9:30 A.M., CNA Headquarters
December 14, 1981
PROFESSIONAL
&
PUBLIC
RELATIONS COUNCIL
5:00 P.M., CNA Headquarters
December 8, 1981
DIV BOARD MEETING
7:00 P.M., CNA Headquarters
December 9, 1981
PROFESSIONAL
SECURITY
COUNCIL
6:30 P.M., CNA Headquarters
December 10, 1981
GOVERNMENT
COUNCIL
3:00 P.M.
RELATIONS
December 17, 1981
CT. JOINT PRACTICE COMMITTEE
4:30 P.M., CNA Headquarters
December 25, 1981
CHRISTMAS DAY
Office Closed
YOUR MALPRACTICE INSURANCE
has commented. “This is why the
nursing profession in this country,
through the American Nurses’
Association and the National
League for Nursing, took the lead
in establishing CGFNS,
with
funding for the first exam from
the U.S. Government.” Presently
CGFNS is operating under a
grant from the Kellogg Foundation.
5. Pediatric
Critical
Care
Programs,
Code
#115.
“PEDIATRIC
CRITICAL;
CARE:
AN
INTRODUCTICN”, 1.2 CEUs.
Date: Dee. 2-3, 1981. Contact:
Ms. Gildea 655-5125.
. Eastern Ct. O.R. Nurses,
Code #046. “SAME DAY
SURGERY”, 0.7 CEU. Given:
Nov. 14, 1981. Contact: Ms.
Armstrong 524-2349.
of
Newington
Meeting:
Children’s
Nursing '81 recently introduced
a malpractice insurance program
for nurses that requires no
association membership.
The Maginnis liability plan,
available
to CNA
members
additional charge. In addition,
other than the nurse anesthetist,
all fields of nursing are covered,
including the Nurse Practitioner!
A Comparison Table highlighting the differences in the two
provides ‘wo enrollment options,
insurers is available through CNA
a substantially higher per incident
benefit and Personal Liability and
medical payment benefits at no
or directly from Maginnis. It
makes Maginnis advantages very
clear!