Greeting from Dr. Cindy Pitlock, President NAPNA

Dear esteemed Nevada Advanced Practice Registered Nurses:

 As the newly elected president of the Nevada Advanced Practice Nurses Association (NAPNA) it is my pleasure to represent and advocate for you. The recent legislative session which I represented NAPNA as the legislative liaison, was a busy and successful one. The NAPNA team participated in the legislative process advocating for and defending numerous bills and regulatory changes that had strong implications for our full-scope, autonomous practice. We built and maintained key relationships, broke down barriers to accessing care for Nevada’s health care recipients, championed for APRN’s though continuing education and scholarship grants, and participated at the decision-making table. We were also intricately involved in the effort to protect Nevada’s CRNA group by advocating for the defeat of the Anesthesia Assistant Bill.

As I reflect on our accomplishments, I feel an enormous sense of pride for the group’s accomplishments and feel great excitement for the future of NAPNA. My vision is complex and multifaceted. I believe it is imperative to protect what we have accomplished, our reputation and credibility as a professional organization, and our autonomous nature for which we advocated vehemently. It is imperative that NAPNA continue to be present at the health care table as collaborators and problem solvers in the larger health care paradigm. We must represent that all members of the health care team are necessary to effectively solve health care problems relative to quality, cost, and access to care. We must be cognizant that how were represent ourselves in prose and practice has national implications.

Nevada’s APRN’s have continuing and unresolved challenges. They continue to experience discriminatory policies relative to worker’s compensation care, credentialing and paneling by insurance companies and hospitals still requiring a collaborating physician, and education of key stakeholders and decision makers about the national APRN Consensus Model. Your new legislative liaison Vania Carter will be polling the membership relative to the group’s desires about an ongoing legislative agenda and barriers to full-scope practice. The NAPNA board will compile these, gauge the climate for success, and develop a strategic plan.

In conclusion, this is an exciting and dynamic time for APRN’s to be present in health care. Continuing membership, collaboration and representation, maintaining credibility as a professional organization, and continued participation at the health care decision-making table will be keys to our success. We must nurture and increase membership for a significant representation. I challenge all members to reach out to other APRN’s and communicate how important NAPNA membership is. Remind them about how powerful and significant their contributions are. It is with pleasure I represent this group of providers.

Respectfully submitted,

Cindy Pitlock, DNP, CNM

President

Nevada Advanced Practice Nurses Association