• Someone who is caring, who is empathetic with their patients’ emotions.
• Someone who is compassionate and can make someone feel better by giving a kind smile or simple words of encouragement.
• Someone who has unwavering devotion.
• Someone who is responsible, detail oriented and always rises to the occasion

But a nurse is so much more than this too.

Nurses are our Mothers, Fathers, Sisters, Brothers, and our best friends. They are the unsung hero of the medical field. All of our hearts have at one time been touched by a nurse.

It is because of this and everything that you do that the Rheumatology Nurses Society’s Board of Directors would like to thank you for being that special kind of person – a Nurse.

Here is the National Nurses Week History

The nursing profession has been supported and promoted by the American Nurses Association (ANA) since 1896. Each of ANA’s state and territorial nurses associations promotes the nursing profession at the state and regional levels. Each conducts celebrations on these dates to recognize the contributions that nurses and nursing make to the community.

The ANA supports and encourages National Nurses Week recognition programs through the state and district nurses associations, other specialty nursing organizations, educational facilities, and independent health care companies and institutions.

A Brief History of National Nurses Week

1953 Dorothy Sutherland of the U.S. Department of Health, Education, and Welfare sent a proposal to President Eisenhower to proclaim a “Nurse Day” in October of the following year. The proclamation was never made.

1954 National Nurse Week was observed from October 11 – 16. The year of the observance marked the 100th anniversary of Florence Nightingale’s mission to Crimea. Representative Frances P. Bolton sponsored the bill for a nurse week. Apparently, a bill for a National Nurse Week was introduced in the 1955 Congress, but no action was taken. Congress discontinued its practice of joint resolutions for national weeks of various kinds.

1972 Again a resolution was presented by the House of Representatives for the President to proclaim “National Registered Nurse Day.” It did not occur.

1974 In January of that year, the International Council of Nurses (ICN) proclaimed that May 12 would be “International Nurse Day.” (May 12 is the birthday of Florence Nightingale.) Since 1965, the ICN has celebrated “International Nurse Day.”

1974 In February of that year, a week was designated by the White House as National Nurse Week, and President Nixon issued a proclamation.

1978 New Jersey Governor Brendon Byrne declared May 6 as “Nurses Day.” Edward Scanlan, of Red Bank, N.J., took up the cause to perpetuate the recognition of nurses in his state. Mr. Scanlan had this date listed in Chase’s Calendar of Annual Events. He promoted the celebration on his own.

1981 ANA, along with various nursing organizations, rallied to support a resolution initiated by nurses in New Mexico, through their Congressman, Manuel Lujan, to have May 6, 1982, established as “National Recognition Day for Nurses.”

1982 In February, the ANA Board of Directors formally acknowledged May 6, 1982 as “National Nurses Day.” The action affirmed a joint resolution of the United States Congress designating May 6 as “National Recognition Day for Nurses.”

1982 President Ronald Reagan signed a proclamation on March 25, proclaiming “National Recognition Day for Nurses” to be May 6, 1982.

1990 The ANA Board of Directors expanded the recognition of nurses to a week-long celebration, declaring May 6 – 12, 1991, as National Nurses Week.

1993 The ANA Board of Directors designated May 6 – 12 as permanent dates to observe National Nurses Week in 1994 and in all subsequent years.

1996 The ANA initiated “National RN Recognition Day” on May 6, 1996, to honor the nation’s indispensable registered nurses for their tireless commitment 365 days a year. The ANA encourages its state and territorial nurses associations and other organizations to acknowledge May 6, 1996 as “National RN Recognition Day.”

1997 The ANA Board of Directors, at the request of the National Student Nurses Association, designated May 8 as National Student Nurses Day.

Source: American Nurses Association: National Nurses Week History

• Educate nurses on the rheumatoid arthritis guidelines and their implications in the clinical setting
• Using interactive case study-based i-learning, provide the necessary skills for nurses to optimize patient assessment and management through guideline adoption and implementation
• Highlight the role nurses can play in the clinical setting to support physicians and patients to achieve their treatment goals

The Rheum4Growth Steering Committee consists of four highly qualified Rheumatology nurses working within the field and have lead the development of the training workshops:

• Dee Harris, ARCK/Arthritis Rheumatology, Clinic of Kansas, Leawood, KS
• Betty Loflin, Family Nurse Practitioner, Arthritis Associates of Mississippi, Jackson, MS
• Vicky Ruffing, Nurse Manager, Johns Hopkins Arthritis Center, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD
• Iris Zink, Certified Rheumatology Nurse Practitioner, Beals Institute, Lansing, MI

The workshops are being held in Texas, Kansas, California, Ohio, Illinois, Colorado, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, New York and Washington in April through to July.  The data collected from the workshops will also be presented at the upcoming 5th Annual Rheumatology Nurses Society Conference in Florida, 2-4 August 2012.

If you are interested in attending one of these workshops, please contact the organising committee on Rheum4Growth@virgohealth.com, places will be on a first come first served basis.

*The Rheum4Growth Steering Committee is comprised of paid consultants by UCB
The Rheum4Growth series is intended to be an educational non promotional program.
Rheum4Growth is a registered trademark of the UCB Group of Companies.

• How should nurses approach discussions with patients with progressive disease who are steadfast in their desire to get pregnant as soon as possible?
• How can you appropriately manage multiple digital ulcerations in patients with systemic sclerosis?
• Why shouldn’t you always assume that fellow healthcare workers are going to be adherent to treatment plans?
• What factors need to be considered when prescribing pain medications for patients suffering from possible depression?

Learning Objectives

1. Discuss common factors that lead to nonadherence to treatment regimens for rheumatoid arthritis, including cost of medication, side effects profiles, and poor clinician-patient communication
2. Analyze factors that may lead to increasing levels of depression, withdrawal, and nonadherence in patients with rheumatic disease
3. Identify characteristics that differentiate rare autoimmune diseases such as Wegener’s granulomatosis with polyangiitis from more common conditions
4. Develop strategies to manage women with progressive disease who prioritize pregnancy over management of their worsening symptoms

Download Now

• What makes psoriatic arthritis (PsA) so difficult to accurately diagnose on initial presentation?
• How is the efficacy of treatment measured in patients with PsA?
• What pharmacologic and nonpharmacologic treatment options are currently available for patients with PsA?
• Why is folic acid often recommended for patients with moderate to severe PsA?

Learning Objectives

1. Identify common clinical, physical, and extraarticular features of PsA that differentiate the condition from other types of inflammatory arthritis
2. Appraise the relevance of various clinically validated PsA disease assessment and monitoring tools, and implement one or more into your practice as warranted within the next three months
3. Assess recent evidence on current and emerging agents used to treat mild, moderate, and severe PsA

Download Now

What: Scleroderma Product Fair — a chance to learn about products and services that that can help with everyday living with scleroderma and related conditions. This product fair will serve as a good resource for patients as well as family members and caregivers that are involved with the care of scleroderma and related conditions.

When: Saturday, October 1, 2011, 1:30 PM-3:30 PM

Where: Holiday Inn Hasbrouck Heights 283 Route 17 South Hasbrouck Heights, NJ 07604

Vendors: A partial list of organizations that will be represented include Caring Voice Coalition, Needymeds, Isotonix, Mary Kay, Raynaud’s Association and Strategic Wealth Planning, Caring Voice Coalition, Needymeds, Isotonics. Mary Kay, Raynaud’s association and Strategic Wealth Planning, Accelerated Hand Therapy and Rehabilitation, Nirvana Wellness Center, MedActive Oral Pharmaceuticals, and Nutrametrix.

• More Information

We are looking for Chapter Authors for the following topics:

Section Editors

Section Editors will play a significant role in the development of the RNS Core Curriculum. Section Editors should have the following qualifications:

• Must be a member of the Rheumatology Nurses Society
• Must hold a minimum of a master’s degree.
• Must have published articles in juried professional journals and/or written or contributed to professional nursing texts.
• Must have working knowledge of American Psychological Association style.

Section Editors should be able to meet the following expectations:

• Review and communicate with the Editor and/or the Project Manager in the event of any concerns.
• Meet established and/or revised deadlines.
• Assist chapter writers to meet established deadlines as much as possible.
• Review material submitted for accuracy of content, flow, grammatical content, and the like.
• Provide constructive suggestions for improving content and flow as follows:

• Question the accuracy of information (if in doubt).
• Suggest additions/deletions of content.
• Recommend the inclusion of additional references or information.
• Recommend changes in writing flow.
• Suggest inclusion of tables, charts, figures when appropriate.

• Provide positive ongoing feedback for chapter writers’ efforts.
• Provide Editor with recommendations for peer reviewers.

Chapter Writers

Throughout the process, Chapter Writers can expect to receive constructive feedback and assistance from the Section Editors and from the Project Manager. The Core Curriculum will be in an outline format.  To participate in the Core Curriculum project as a chapter writer, you should be able to meet the following qualifications:

• Must be a member of the Rheumatology Nurses Society
• Must submit all drafts and final works in an electronic format compatible with Microsoft Word for Windows.
• Must meet all deadlines outlined for the publication.
• Must use the style defined by the 6th edition of the APA Publication Manual to reference your work.

Peer Reviewers

Reviewers will assess the final drafts of the chapters for accuracy, relevance, and timeliness. They are not expected to rewrite chapters but to provide a “final check” prior to publication.  Reviewers must be members of the Rheumatology Nurses Society.

If you are interested in participating in this project. Chapter writers and section editors will be selected and notified in October 2011. We look forward to hearing from you!

• What do recent screening guidelines suggest to prevent the possibility of hydroxychloroquine retinopathy?
• Why does methotrexate behave differently in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) compared to those with cancer?
• How do antidrug antibodies predict why some patients fail to respond or lose response to biologic disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs)?
• What new drug pathways are under investigation for the treatment of RA?

Learning Objectives

• Evaluate the appropriate utilization of traditional DMARDs, such as methotrexate, sulfasalazine, and hydroxychloroquine, in current RA treatment regimens
• Assess the impact of recently released “treat to target” guidelines on the overall care of patients with RA Describe the potential role of late-stage agents under investigation for the treatment of RA

Download Now

Webinars are currently one of the most economical and efficient means of providing staff development and information. There are many good reasons for participating in Webinar learning. Most times they are free or low cost, they are web based and can be viewed from your desktop PC/laptop or from your home computer, more than one person at a time can participate in the program, they are offered real time and many times allow for live question and answer sessions, can be made accessible for later viewing, are time sensitive, and provide current information specific to the topic offered. Many Webinars send educational materials via an e-mail prior to the start of the program allowing you time to review the material to be covered preceding to the program.

Webinars are a good alternative to the traditional “group” educational seminars that you may be used to attending. They provide the opportunity to gain knowledge and stay current when financial resources are scarce or not available.

However, if you do have the financial availability to attend a national or local conference, embrace the opportunity! The benefits provided by a live, face to face conference are irreplaceable, from meeting the vendors and seeing what’s new in your field regarding treatments and equipment to the invaluable networking opportunities. Nothing is more beneficial than being able to share and receive practice tips, ideas and initiatives from your peers. Take full advantage of what is offered and available to you! Not only will you benefit from the opportunities, but so will your patients………and isn’t that your main focus, your patients?

August 11 – 13 is the National 2011 RNS Conference to be held in Kansas City. This a perfect opportunity for you to learn, share, and laugh with your Rheumatology peers from across the US and Europe. Take full advantage!

Nurses Health Study 1 began in 1976 and has more than 120,000 members. Building on its success, Nurses Health Study 2 began in 1989 and has 116,000 women.

Now, Nurses Health Study 3 is recruiting a new group of 100,000 women. If you were born after January 1, 1965, please join us!

If you are not eligible or you have already joined, please help us by spreading the word among your colleagues.