A Message from the President
 |
A Message from the President We LEAD LEAD (leadership, education, accountability, and development) is the chosen theme for 2012-2013, as this acronym is a direct reflection of the day-to-day actions of an infusion nurse. We must never lose sight that these four simple words have great meaning and remain a challenge in a world full of health care uncertainty. INS’ mission is setting the standard for excellence in infusion nursing by
This mission remains our focus and is a reminder that INS is the leading voice in infusion therapy. In today’s health care system, all nurses are leaders no matter the practice setting. From the hospital setting to care across the continuum, the infusion nurse carefully manages the patient and the entire family unit through careful assessments and proper care planning. Rapid change has placed additional responsibilities upon the infusion nurse. Leadership is one of these added responsibilities. Many nurses feel that if they do not hold an advanced degree, specialty certification, or a title within an organization, they are not expected to exercise leadership. This is a misconception, as the title nurse leader points to all of us. We must think critically about offering solutions to problems that benefit our professional organization, our patients, and our communities. We exercise leadership daily with our patients and the organizations that employ us; thus, the question we should be asking ourselves as we further advance infusion nursing practice is, What impact did we make in a patient’s life at the end of the day and what impact will we continue to make throughout our careers? As the global authority in infusion nursing, we are held to the highest standards of care. If we as nurses are to be successful in handling the rapid changes of health care then we must LEAD every day to provide the service excellence that society demands. Infusion nurses are faced with providing the highest quality of care, yet our specialty practice has been faced with cost-containment concerns, such as the elimination of infusion teams. Ultimately these cost-cutting measures directly affect patient outcomes. In 2012-2013, we must demonstrate that infusion nurses are a critical component in providing safe, effective, quality care that the public expects and demands. As Lynn Hadaway eloquently stated in the previous Newsline, “The perfect storm has arrived to justify the use of infusion teams.”2 We must be ready to accept the challenges of proposed changes and strengthen the value of our organization through our LEAD, which confirms our commitment to honesty, trust, and respect in all that we do. Lastly, we proudly articulate to the changing world of health care that INS is the voice for infusion professionals. References
|
