Angela Beddoe, ANA CEO, is asking us to help where we can the victims of the recent hurricanes in Florida and surrounding states. We have been asked to remember and support the nurses and victims of the recent hurricanes in Florida. We ask that you consider any assistance you can provide to help our nurses and the communities they serve in Florida. The Florida Nurses Association has established a disaster relief fund, the Nurses in Need Fund. Also, consider supporting the nurses in Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia as they continue recovering from the previous storm, Hurricane Helene. Below are a few agencies that are taking donations to support the nurses and the community.

The Florida Nurses Association, Nurses in Need Fund: https://www.floridanurse.org/donations/donate.asp?id=17874

We also ask to please keep the family of a nurse, Boone McCrary in Tennessee who lost his life, trying to save others in your thoughts.  To our members impacted in each of these states, we are profoundly saddened by your losses and stand with you, in this tough time.

NCFN Nurse Recovery Fund: NCNA and the North Carolina Foundation for Nursing (NCFN) have revived the NCFN – Nurse Recovery Fund, which will distribute funds directly to nurses in the western part of the state who are suffering loss or damages. People interested in donating can click here

TNF Disaster Relief Fund: Tennessee Nurses Foundation has a Disaster Relief Fund to assist registered nurses:  https://tna.wildapricot.org/TNF-Get-Involved

ASPCA: When disaster strikes like hurricanes, wildfires, tornados, or other emergencies, animal shelters and family pets are among a vulnerable population. Click to Support

All Hands and Hearts

All Hands and Hearts has already deployed teams to North Carolina and throughout Florida to evaluate and respond to support communities affected by Hurricane Helene’s impacts. Click to Support.

American Red Cross

Help people affected by Hurricane Helene. Your donation enables the Red Cross to prepare for, respond to, and help people recover from this disaster. Click here to donate.

Direct Relief

Direct Relief has helped more than 50 safety net healthcare providers who were in the path of Hurricane Helene and is taking donations to support the impacted areas with emergency medical supplies, hygiene kits, and transportation support. Click here

World Central Kitchen

WCK is first to the frontlines, providing meals responding to humanitarian, climate, and community crises. Click here to donate.

Your generosity is THE difference that can make a difference. When one of us is in need, it is a call for all of us to respond. Let us stand together to support our nurses and the communities impacted.

KSNA’s board has been busy assessing, developing strategies, and evaluating how best to move nursing forward in Kansas. Before the board retreat the board members read the book MemberShift by Sarah Sladek. The board participated in a board retreat in September, during which time we reviewed the recommendations made by ANA for the Standards of Excellence survey last year and have developed the following:

• Bylaws review cycle
• Compliant with the ANA Code of Ethics and reporting misconduct
• Certification audit
• Maintained a stable retention rate
• We reviewed and updated KSNA’s Strategic Plan. We also reviewed the KSNA Mission Statement and will propose a revision at the Membership Assembly, along with adding a KSNA value statement.

We discussed the effectiveness of having regions and will have breakout sessions at the Membership Assembly to discuss regions, special interest groups, etc., and how to move KSNA forward to best support Kansas nurses. I look forward to seeing you virtually at the Membership Assembly on October 22, 2024, at 7 p.m.

My door is open, and I look forward to hearing from you.  Please connect with me at ksna@ksnurses.com.

Laura Mallett, MSN, RN
President
Kansas State Nurses Association
ksna@ksnurses.com