Letter from President Joyce Ross, MSN, CRNP, CS, CLS, FNLA, FPCNA
It is with great anticipation and humility that I begin my role as the 2011-2012 President of the Preventive Cardiovascular Nurses Association (PCNA). As a member of this organization for greater than 14 years, I have watched PCNA grow and take its place as the premier organization both for professionals and the public in cardiovascular disease (CVD) prevention. Today we enjoy collaborative relationships with more than 25 renowned organizations at the national and international level. For example, many of our PCNA Board Members are authors on national CVD guidelines developed collaboratively with other organizations like the American Heart Association and the American College of Cardiology. A plethora of independent articles are displayed in major medical and nursing journals bearing the names of our members as well.
Throughout the past year we have stood true to our mission statement and goals in multiple arenas as exemplified by our first induction ceremony of PCNA Fellows and the development of a new mentorship program for our members entitled “Partnering Professionals for CVD Prevention.”
We stood strong in the policy and political arena when members of our Board met with Congressional and Senatorial members on Capitol Hill to advocate for legislation to overcome childhood obesity. In order to meet the online learning needs of our members, we continue to develop and expand upon PCNA’s members-only LinkedIn Community and CE offerings. Members have shown increased interest in developing their writing and presentation skills and PCNA answered with online CE programs on preparing abstracts, developing presentations, and publishing through the PCNA Excellence in Nursing Leadership Series. In 2010, PCNA partnered with the American Nurse Foundation to sponsor a cardiovascular research grant in order to provide financial support for cardiovascular nurse researcher members.
So what is ahead in the coming year for PCNA? PCNA will continue to add programming to our website with increased opportunities for online CE and expand the Fall Lecture Series with the addition of afternoon educational community programs. We are excited about the new ”Healthy Living Leadership Award,” which will offer grant money to assist PCNA members to fund individual research or action projects that focus on healthy living. We hope to increase the involvement of our PCNA Fellows in mentoring PCNA members to become leaders in the prevention and management of cardiovascular disease prevention. We rely on you, our members, to put forth names of exceptional individuals for Fellowships and Awards such as the Terry Thomas Award.
As your president my personal goals include increasing the visibility for nurses and nurse practitioners working in CVD prevention. I look forward to seeing PCNA continue to expand the knowledge of the public, professional groups, and media about the important role nurses play in the prevention of CVD. This is particularly crucial as we continue to struggle with healthcare reform in the United States. We are committed to increasing our activities in Washington, D.C. and strengthening our relationships with politically active organizations that closely align with our mission and goals. In addition, we encourage our members to join committees and become more actively involved in PCNA, both regionally and nationally.
As you can see I am optimistic about what PCNA can do in one year. I am honored to accept the challenge to forge ahead on this adventure, armed with the faith and confidence that you have bestowed upon me. Thank you for this great honor.