August/September 2008

NSNA "In the Know"
August/September 2008

Message from the President

A big hearty hello from my corner in Northeast Nebraska!  The weather keeps getting warmer by the day which means that our summer will soon be coming to a close and it will be time to see those kids’ faces at school again ready for a fresh start to a new school year.  I have really come to appreciate being able to start anew with each school year and look forward to what this coming year will hold. 

I was able to attend national conference the end of June along with Becky Wetenkamp and I think I speak for both of us when I say we really enjoyed our time there.  The speakers were excellent and we had our eyes and ears open for potential speakers and topics for our own state conference.  I am really encouraged by the enthusiasm shown by so many school nurses from around the United States.  We all have so many different duties and yet each and every one of us strives to do the best job that we can do under any circumstances. 

At the end of the conference, I developed three goals of my own for my term as president: 1) Partner with NASN to perform a membership survey for our state 2) Promote communication among the NSNA board and its members and 3) Promote research among school nurses in Nebraska through school of nursing member affiliates.  I also ask that any member contact me with any questions or concerns throughout the year.  I respond to emails fairly quickly at jafreema@esu1.org, and you may also contact me by phone at 402-373-2355.  This is my fifth year as a school nurse, and since I do not have a lifelong history in school nursing as many of you other school nurses around our state do, I look forward to hearing your ideas and past experiences.

You learned a little about my personal life last year in the newsletter when I accepted the president elect position, but I’ll give you a little refresher.  My husband Jay and I have been married for 5 years and have a one year old daughter named Tiernee who of course is our pride and joy!  I have really enjoyed my summer off with her.  My husband’s family owns and operates a service station in our hometown of Bloomfield where my husband works as a mechanic and I fill in occasionally as secretary/bookkeeper.  I am working on my master’s degree in community health nursing through the UNMC and hope to graduate this December.  I serve as a school nurse for seven schools, both public and parochial with around 1300 students total.  In my spare time, and I do try to make sure that I have some, I enjoy scrapbooking and relaxing at our family’s cabin on the river. 

I’m looking forward to a great year for NSNA, and I really want to thank last year’s board members and conference planning committee for all of their expertise, leadership, and positive attitudes over the past year.  I am fortunate to be able to learn from such knowledgeable individuals.  I also want to thank some of our newer NSNA members for jumping right away into some much needed positions as both board members and volunteering for committees for this year.  We couldn’t do it without your willingness to help!   --Jackie Freeman

Friends of Children
Pat Little was the recipient of the Friends of Children award. She is the principal for ESU#3 Level III school Brook Valley. From a one room farm house at Gifford Farm in Bellevue, she has developed a school for children with behavioral/emotional and developmental disabilities from 23 different school districts. She is truly an advocate for these children.

School Nurse of the Year
Will be highlighted in the next newsletter!! Also, check out our website at nebraskaschoolnurses.org.

For your Information!

• Visit FAAN’s website: www.foodallergy.org for information on food allergies and a food allergy action plan.
• Nebraska School Nurses’ Association was highlighted in the September 15th issue of NASN Weekly Digest.  Judith Zabel and Jackie Freeman were featured. 
• SafeRoutes Nebraska is a program of the Nebraska Dept of Roads to promote safe walking and biking to school.  Visit the website at: http://www.saferoutesne.com/educators/srintheclassroom.html
• Germ Proof your Kids- the Complete Guide to Protecting (without Overprotecting) your family from Infections is a book by Harley Rotbart, MD a professor and Vice chairman of pediatrics at the University of Colorado School of Medicine.  Dr. Rotbart has presented to many state school nurse convention about reducing the spread of infections in schools.  Visit the website at www.germproofyourkids.com for more information, free handouts and a GERMBlog. 
• Telehealth Education for School Health Programs coming to a local health department near you!!  Future topics include Early Childhood health issues, teen pregnancy prevention.  Contact Kathy at Kathy.karsting@dhhs.ne.gov for more information. 

How do I Join NSNA?
Go to www.nasn.org & click on the join/renew tab under members & membership. Costs of membership for 2008 are $116/yr for active and associate members, $72.50 for retired school nurses, $48.50 for student nurses, $116 for members at large, and $165 for corporate members.

What's in it For Me?

• Free vision certificates for eye exams/glasses for your needy students
• CEU opportunities
• Subscription to the Journal of School Nursing, access to its archives, NASN newsletter, and NASN weekly digest
• School nursing leadership opportunities at state and national levels
• Access to the NASN bookstore including educational and informational resources for members only
• Networking opportunities with other school nurses around the state
• Educational scholarship and research grants
• Annual national conference at a major US city - 2009 is in Boston and 2010 in Chicago! New members can also register to receive a scholarship to the next annual conference.
• Membership to an organization that represents school nurses and school nurse interests exclusively.

Officer Information

President- Jackie Freeman (402)373-2355; jafreema@esu1.org President Elect-Carol Tucker (402)944-7083; ctucker@esu2.org State Director- Judy Zabel (402) 436-1655; jzabel@lps.org Secretary-Sue Trigg (402)680-1724; strigg@esu3.org Treasurer-Heather Cullison hcullison@bpsne.org 1st District Rep-Dianne Frydendall-Smith (402)525-7239; dfsmith@lps.org 2nd District Rep-Becky Wetenkamp (402)296-3174; bwetenkamp@plattsmouthschools.org 3rd District Rep-Jan Thede jthede@gips.org

State Consultant- Kathy Karsting (402)471-0160; kathy.karsting@dhhs.ne.gov    Membership-Leslie Timm mtimmmd@ptflash.net Membership-Dusty Duis dduis@esu5.org Legislative-Sharon Wade sharon.wade@ops.org Conference Planning-Sue Trigg & Jackie Freeman Attack on Asthma- Karen Boehm klboehm@attg.net Website- Jackie Freeman Newsletter- Katie Tighe (402)412-2884; katie.tighe@sscardinals.org

If you have any topics or tidbits of information you would like to share with other members of the NSNA, please email them to katie.tighe@ssccardinals.org