FIRST AND FOREMOST, I want to thank the KSNA Membership for the opportunity to serve as the KSNA President for the past 2 years (as of December 2023). And to welcome Dana Erickson, RN, BSN, MBA our new Executive Director. I also want to share again how excited the KSNA Board of Directors is that Laura Mallett, RN, MSN will be our 2024 KSNA President. The KSNA Board of Directors has had an exciting year with many opportunities, accomplishments, and firsts. I am excited to present to you the KSNA President Annual Report framed within the context of the KSNA Strategic Plan Goals.

Goal 1: Visibility of the KSNA Organization

Strategy #1/#2: Communication internally and externally about the ongoing work of the organization and Increase KSNA presence on boards/committees across the state of Kansas or Nationally.

This year the KSNA Board of Directors has continued to encourage members to highlight members, committee/region work, and nursing contributions in the KSNA Newsletter, on the website, and in the Kansas Nurse. Susan Stark, KSNA Board of Directors Secretary, developed a very helpful form to guide members in the collection of the information needed to submit and highlight members across the state. As shared earlier the KSBN Board and MSD staff organized a 110-year celebration on October 22, 2022, in Wichita, Kansas at the Botanical Gardens. There were around 20 members, including KSNA Board Members present. Members shared their background and history with KSNA. Carla Lee provided a wonderful historical presentation of key KSNA Association highlights over the years. Although membership retention has remained overall consistent at 78-80%, as reported by the Membership Committee, plans are underway to initiate a Member-Get-A-Member Campaign with the goal of attaining 110 new members in honor of our 110-year celebration. The Membership Committee is implementing quarterly statewide Town Hall meetings to enhance statewide member communication and engagement with the first Town Hall Meeting on August 14, 2023, it will be a Meet and Greet the 2024 Candidates. Membership Surveys this year have also produced positive outcomes. Thank you, members, for your continued contribution to the profession and for recognizing your colleagues.

In January 2023, the KSNA Board of Directors fulfilled their orientation to the KSNA Board and reviewed Best Practices for Not-For-Profit Board Members. Each Board Member received the link to an electronic copy of these best practices. The goal will be to ensure these Best Practices are incorporated each year during the orientation to the KSNA Board of Directors. The visuality of KSNA membership and the KSNA Board has been a focus this year. The KSNA Board of Directors appointed to each Region a regional representative to be a resource again this year. A special thank you to Region Representatives Pia Spitzer- East Region, Laura Mallett- Southeast Region, Dustin Baker-Southwest Region, Vicky McGrath and Julie Miller- Northeast Region, Terry Siek- North-west Region, Marlene Parker- Northcentral Region. I have had the wonderful opportunity to be assigned to the Southcentral Region. We also obtained feedback from each KSNA Board Member to identify representation on nursing (boards/committees) across Kansas and the Nation and verified widespread representation for KSNA. I also had the wonderful opportunity to present to the Kansas Organization of Nurse Leaders (KONL) on Advocacy, to comment on Kansas APRN full practice authority in the American Nurse, and to also be a part of a round table discussion on KTWU to discuss the Nursing Shortage in Kansas this year. Currently, KSNA is a part of the ANA Value Pricing Program and the KSNA Board of Directors renewed this option for members this year. The KSNA Board of Directors recently approved an agreement with Healthcom Media. Healthcom Media is used by ANA to publish the American Nurse. We are so excited about this agreement as the opportunity for not only an electronic copy of the Kansas Nurse but also a hard copy of the Kansas Nurse will be available to our members. A special thank you to the MSD for identifying this opportunity for KSNA members.

Goal 2: Mentor Member Engagement

Strategy #1: Increase member involvement in committees, membership, leadership, and practice.

The KSNA Board of Directors reviewed the status of the KSNA committees and made a commitment to ensure to assign a KSNA Board of Director to serve as the committee chair for committees without a current Chair. KSNA also with each newsletter and Kansas Nurse encouragement and calls to action for member involvement in KSNA Committees and to run for office have been ongoing this year. In the summer issue of the Kansas Nurse, you will find the reports and activities of the committees and councils demonstrating member commitment and engagement. A special thank you to, Debra Pile-Editorial Board Chair, Adam Tebben- Council on Practice Chair, Laura Mallett- Education Council Chair, Adam Tebben- Fall Conference and Membership Assembly Chair, Bylaws Chair- Terri Johnson, Elected Nominations Chair- Judy Stroot, Appointed Nominations Chair- Terri Johnson. I have had the wonderful opportunity to serve as the Legislative Chair and Membership Chair this past year. All of the KSNA Committees have made wonderful progress toward the strategic plan goals this year as you will read in their Committee reports.

Strategy #2: Commit to KSNA leadership development programming

The KSNA Board has been focused on leadership development this year. As shared earlier, starting with the revision of the KSNA Board Orientation. The KSNA Board also has focused on Board Fiduciary responsibilities on a regular basis. Additionally, KSNA implemented a Leadership Webinar Series this year and the first few sessions have been well received. With each newsletter and Kansas Nurse publication we encourage engagement and involvement of members in committees and board offices. The Fall Conference/Membership Assembly planning group is excited for the leadership opportunity entitled Navigating Legal Storms, our first face to face conference since COVID-19. For the remainder of this year the KSNA Membership Committee plans to work on the development of an orientation/mentor program for committee chairs, a member welcome video for the website, and a focus on a cogent approach to engaging with nursing programs for potential future KSNA membership. The KSNA Board of Directors formed a policy and procedure committee this year to review and finalize the policy and procedure manual drafted by our Executive Director and MSD CEO, thus updating the manual last updated in 2007.

Goal #3: Enhance Advocacy Efforts

Strategy #1: Increase legislative advocacy efforts and presence

This year KSNA has been active in legislative advocacy efforts at both the state and national level. On September 15, 2023, Terry Siek and I had the opportunity to attend the ANA Hill Day in Washington DC. The focus of the Hill Day visits and the key initiatives we addressed are outlined in our Membership Assembly Report. The KSNA Legislative Committee advocacy efforts have centered around monitoring and tracking key legislative efforts around workplace violence, nurse staffing crisis, access to healthcare, and nursing burnout. These initiatives are consistent with the KSNA Legislative Platform. The KSNA Association implemented a new software tracking program (Ujoin) to assist the Legislative Committee on tracking and monitoring bills. All bills being monitored by KSNA are also listed on the website. The Legislative Committee has recently formed a task force to develop an Advocacy Toolkit to be posted on the website to assist members in their advocacy efforts. And the KSNA Board approved a contract this year to engage a Lobbyist. Mike Murray will be joining the KSNA Advocacy Team in November 2023. Mike plans to attend the KSNA Board Meeting in August and the next Legislative Committee meeting to assist in planning and preparing our advocacy plan for the upcoming Legislative session. KSNA was also an invited stakeholder to be at the table and to join in the advocacy efforts around plans to develop a Kansas Nursing Workforce and Leadership Center. I had the opportunity to be invited to stakeholder and informational meetings the past few months. The advocacy efforts for the Kansas Nursing Workforce and Leadership Center are congruent with the ANA National Nursing Workforce Center Act (S. 1150/H.R. 2411). The Nursing Workforce and Leadership Center is an example on how KSNA is and will continue to collaborate with other nursing organizations to move nursing in Kansas forward. The Legislative Committee report and the ANA Membership Assembly report provide additional details on advocacy efforts from KSNA this year.

In summary, the KSNA Board of Directors and KSNA have had a very successful year. The vision of KSNA “to provide a unified voice for nursing in Kansas” and the Mission of KSNA “to protect and enhance registered professional nursing practice in all environments to assure quality, affordable and accessible health care for the people of Kansas” resonates in the passion of our KSNA Board members and the KSNA membership. Thank you so much for your commitment to KSNA. It has been an honor to serve as your President and I look forward to the continued accomplishments of the KSNA Association.

Sincerely,
Linda Adams-Wendling, PhD., MSN, MBA, APRN, CNP, GNP-BC, NEA-BC, CNE
President, Kansas State Nurses Association

GREETINGS from Topeka, Kansas. My name is Dana Erickson and I am KSNA’s new Executive Director. I am immensely happy and honored to be serving in this role to help promote our Mission: “To protect and enhance registered professional nursing practice in all environments to assure quality, affordable, and accessible health care for people in Kansas” and to help promote our Vision: “To Provide a Unified Voice for Nursing in Kansas.”

I am a Registered Nurse, which is the greatest profession in the world that I know of. I earned my Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree from Baker University School of Nursing in Topeka, Kansas, and soon after earned my Master of Business Administration from Baker University School of Professional and Graduate Studies in Baldwin City, Kansas. I served as a Student Ambassador while attending nursing school, was invited to present my First Place Award “Life’s Lessons Learned” submission in the Stormont Vail Annual Writing Expo to the Baker University Board of Regents, was inducted into the Sigma Theta Tau International Honor Society, and have been an avid community volunteer for most of my life, specifically in the areas of helping the underserved through various means such as teaching adults how to read, serving as a Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) to children who didn’t have a voice in the sad situations they were in, serving on the board of my church and children’s school board, and various community boards. I am an advocate for people, especially those in need. This is why I became a nurse.

During these last couple of months that I have served as KSNA’s Executive Director, I have learned quite a bit about so many different things—but one thing I know for certain is that I have much to learn! The KSNA volunteers and the MW MSD staff work tirelessly to promote wonderful and effective opportunities to serve all nurses in Kansas. I am in awe of the many members who sacrificially give of their time, expertise, knowledge, vast experience, and abilities to promote the profession of all nurses in Kansas. One look at KSNA’s Legislative Platform will show you just how busy everyone has been and continues to be! We are always looking for more volunteers, however, so please consider volunteering to serve on a committee or as a board member in the future, or to take on a team project or serve as an officer through your area’s Region Committee, there are seven Regions in Kansas. I have already had the opportunity to attend Board of Directors meetings, Membership Committee meetings, Legislative Committee meetings, a Nominations Committee meeting, a Region meeting, and am ecstatic to report that a lot of great things are going on! For example, our Legislative Committee is in the process of developing a Toolkit for our website that will serve as an exemplary tool for all Kansans to learn about the legislative process, how to advocate for our state in the realm of nursing legislation, and so much more. KSNA has also developed a leadership webinar series that continues to be very popular, and just recently began the process of holding quarterly Town Hall meetings to keep nurses informed of health care issues that affect Kansas.

Again, it is an honor and a pleasure to serve Kansas in the role of Executive Director at KSNA. Please reach out to any of us with questions, ideas, a desire to serve, legislative concerns, or anything else you would like to share.