If you have any success stories, lessons learned, ideas, or other information you think would benefit your fellow SPN chapter members, please contact SPN to have your item included in the Chapter Newsletter. Contact Bayo Fasipe with any updates, questions, or other information.
Jennifer Lombardi, Board Liaison & Greater Kansas City Chapter President
Elections have opened for the open 2025-26 Board of Directors and Nominating Committee positions. You must log into your SPN member account to cast a vote. Elections will close on December 3, 2024. Please read about each candidate on the 2025-26 Board of Directors and Nominating Committee Slate page before you vote. Make your voice heard and vote today!
SPN is launching a new award this quarter! The Nurse Safety Spotlight Award (powered by Baxter) looks to showcase pediatric nurses that demonstrate commitment to pediatric patient safety through professional activities, and/or interactions with patients and their families within their organization. Read more about the award criteria, questions, and prizes below. This award will be offered on a quarterly basis: the deadline for submissions this quarter is December 3, 2024.
As the holiday season draws near, celebrations are often accompanied by distinct scents that can come from decorations or food preparations. These fragrances frequently trigger memories. However, this festive time can also become overwhelming as we juggle various tasks like shopping, cooking, and decorating for our chosen celebrations. Though holidays are generally viewed as joyful occasions, they can sometimes be quite stressful. Here’s where aromatherapy steps in, it may help alleviate stress and promote relaxation for improved sleep.
Aromatherapy functions through the inhalation of essential oils; upon doing so, it communicates with the hypothalamus and limbic system within the brain. This network influences emotions and memories. Therefore, the brain releases hormones such as serotonin, endorphins, and dopamine, chemical messengers that assist in regulating mood, sleep patterns, and digestive health. The secretion of these hormones is effective in reducing anxiety while fostering relaxation and supporting sleep. Research has shown evidence confirming aromatherapy's benefits for reducing stress.
Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is a common virus that affects the lungs of hosts; about 97% of children are affected by RSV (American Lung Association, 2021). Most people may mistake this for a common cold, or have no symptoms at all. However, infants less than 6 months of age, premature infants, and older adults with poor health are at risk for more severe illness that can lead to bronchiolitis or pneumonia (American Academy of Family Physicians, 2024; CDC, 2024b). These illnesses result in somewhere between 50,000-80,000 hospitalizations of children annually, and twice that for older adults (CDC, 2024c; CDC, 2024b). The symptoms of RSV in infants include a progressive worsening of runny nose, cough, and decreased eating or drinking (CDC, 2024b). Infants less than 6 months old will also present with irritability, decreased activity, and apneic periods (CDC, 2024b). Interestingly, RSV is not associated with fever (CDC, 2024b). RSV infections are seasonal, and typically occur in late fall to winter months in the U.S. However, according to the American Medical Association (AMA), the COVID-19 pandemic disturbed the seasonal nature of RSV, and it has not returned to predictable pre-pandemic patterns (2023). This is relevant because it disrupts the ability to prepare for and prevent typical RSV illnesses, which includes timing of vaccinations.
Synagis
Hello SPN Members,
As we enter this season of reflection and gratitude ahead of the Thanksgiving holiday, I’ve found myself thinking quite a bit about mentorship and the incredible impact that mentors can have on our career journeys. Mentorship sometimes seems like a nicety – something a little extra that’s good to have but that isn’t necessarily a requirement. Increasingly, though, I’ve come to think of mentorship as a must-have, regardless of your career phase or where you think your career is headed. Mentors help us to evaluate where we are and imagine what can be, and they can push us to think outside of the box and to tackle challenges or pursue opportunities that we might not have known about or had the confidence to go after. Mentorship also changes over the course of a career, as we grow, learn, and further define ourselves. When I was a new graduate nurse, for example, I was eager for clinical mentorship – I wanted to connect with those who were more experienced clinically and who could advise me on how to develop my clinical skills and to care for more complex patients and their families. As I gained clinical experience and began to think about the next steps in my career, my mentorship needs shifted – I sought out those who had knowledge and experience with advanced nursing roles as I contemplated what path I wanted to pursue. Once I entered a PhD program, I worked to develop my research mentorship circle so that I could work with and learn from those with research expertise and a track record of extramural funding – and I remain connected with and supported by several of those mentors today.
SPN Research and Evidence-Based Practice Grant Program Call for Letters of Intent by October 25, 2024
Purpose
Hello, SPN Members!
Election 2024 – Nurses Vote!
Hello, SPN members!
Have you heard the buzz around virtual nursing? Has your organization taken the dive yet? Virtual nursing is an exciting and innovative way to leverage the rapid expansion of telehealth technology to support nursing care delivery in the inpatient setting. Virtual nurses work remote from the inpatient setting to support nursing tasks that don’t require hands-on care. Using camera-embedded monitors or iPads to connect with patients and families, virtual nurses can assist with admission, discharge, and teaching-related tasks, answer questions on-demand, monitor the patient’s status, or support the team with care coordination and other behind-the-scenes logistics. These activities free up the bedside nurse to spend more time directly interacting with patients and families in-person and can reduce the nurse’s overall cognitive burden for the shift – and those working as virtual nurses can get a reprieve from the physical demands of a typical shift while still using their clinical expertise to support patients and families.
Welcome to the Serenity Sphere. This quarter, we will focus on the concept of self-compassion. It is often observed that we are more critical and less forgiving toward ourselves than we would be towards others. Consider how you respond to your own mistakes—whether it's forgetting an item requested by a patient, failing to follow up with a colleague, or missing a deadline. In such instances, do you engage in self-talk similar to that of a supportive friend or do you adopt the role of a harsh critic?
Research indicates that practicing self-compassion can significantly mitigate anxiety and depression, thereby enhancing overall mental health. Embracing self-compassion fosters resilience and adaptability in challenging situations. Individuals who develop this quality tend to find greater meaning in their work; they fear failure less and thus exhibit increased creativity in problem-solving (Harrison, 2022).
Hello SPN Members!
Pediatric Nursing Excellence Award
The SPN Board of Directors and Nominating Committee are looking for the next leaders in SPN. Showcase your leadership competency skills through your commitment to serve.
The Call for Candidates is a critical part of the Nominations and Election process, during which SPN members are encouraged to consider if they have the time and resources to effectively serve in a nominated position. The term of office will begin at the close of the SPN 35th Annual Conference in April 2025.
Greetings SPN Members!
I hope everyone’s summer is off to a great start, and that you have plenty of time over the next few months to enjoy all that summer brings: long, warm evenings; ice cream cones and fresh fruits & veggies; and time on the beach, at the lake, or in a pool to escape from the heat!
Greetings SPN Members!
Artificial Intelligence in Pediatric Nursing
The Society of Pediatric Nurses is conducting an educational needs assessment to better understand the knowledge and skills you are seeking. The compiled survey results will provide SPN leadership with beneficial information to directly align our educational offerings and activities based on what you need. This survey should take no longer than 5 minutes to fill out. Submit your feedback by clicking the button below by Wednesday, July 17, 2024.
We recognize that your time is incredibly important, and we truly appreciate your assistance in shaping SPN's future education.
Happy Nurses Month to all our fantastic Society of Pediatric Nurses members! This year’s theme is “Nurses Make the Difference,” and I can think of so many examples of how nurses I know have made a difference in the lives of patients, families, and colleagues. We are lucky to work in a profession that allows us to have such a profound impact on the lives of others, sometimes in ways we don’t even recognize! I hope each of you has an opportunity to celebrate our profession and your contributions to it with friends and colleagues throughout the month.
Annual Conference
SPN’s Healthcare Policy and Advocacy Committee (HPAC) recently hosted a social media campaign in March that was on LinkedIn and X (formerly known as Twitter). The campaign was focused on Social Determinants of Health (SDOH). The campaign ran for 5 weeks with a survey question each week and links to additional resources. The HPAC’s goals included solicitation of information specific to pediatric nurses’ awareness of social determinants of health to help identify gaps and to also increase awareness through dialogue and access to existing resources. The committee will be using this data as we consider additional advocacy education around the role of pediatric nurses within SDOH. We appreciate all who participated.
Here is what we heard from respondents.
In this quarter’s edition of the SPN Serenity Sphere, I am pleased to concentrate on the theme of mindfulness. Dr. Nika Gueci, EdD, MA, who serves as the Executive Director at the Center for Mindfulness, Compassion and Resilience at Arizona State University, graciously conducted a pre-conference workshop on this subject at the SPN Annual Conference. It is therefore apt that we extend our focus on mindfulness in this issue.
Mindfulness is defined as the deliberate and conscious awareness of the present moment, characterized by an attentive but non-reactive state. While having its origins in Eastern philosophy and religion, mindfulness is predominantly practiced today to focus on the benefits.
There are just two more weeks until our 34th Annual Conference in Phoenix, Arizona! Our Program Planning Committee has planned three pre-conference workshops, phenomenal keynote speakers, plenary and concurrent sessions, poster presentations, and networking activities with SPN members and exhibitors. Attendees can also participate in a tour of Phoenix Children’s Hospital. I hope to see you there!
SPN’s committees and task forces are comprised of dedicated members who contribute and volunteer their time to advance our profession and the work of SPN. This month, SPN will reach out to our membership to request those who are interested in serving SPN on committees, task forces, and educational sessions to respond to the survey and state your interest in volunteering. Let us know your areas of interest and expertise. Often opportunities arise during the year for SPN to participate in work with other organizations on topics relevant to the care of children. It is extremely helpful to know your areas of expertise and willingness to serve. This is an opportunity for you to grow your network and share your expertise. SPN’s committee goals provide insight about the work our committees are doing to help SPN achieve our strategic plan goals. You can find more information on the monthly member newsletter under Membership or on the SPN website.
SPN Serenity Sphere
Practicing Gratitude
