The Association of Rehabilitation Nurses (ARN) applauds the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee for advancing S. 1399, the Title VIII Nursing Workforce Reauthorization Act of 2019, out of committee and to the Senate floor. The bipartisan bill strengthens the profession of nursing by aligning Title VIII with current trends and ensures that important programs addressing nursing workforce demand, including education, practice, recruitment, and retention, have a five-year authorization. The Nursing Workforce Development Programs (Title VIII of the Public Health Service Act [42 U.S.C. 296 et seq.]) are administered by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' Health Resources and Services Administration.

The American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine (ACRM) awarded Chris MacDonell, CARF International's managing director of medical rehabilitation and international aging services/medical rehabilitation, with the 2019 John Stanley Coulter Award. As the award recipient, Chris will present the award plenary, An Around the World Perspective: Moving the Needle on Rehabilitation Medicine and Research on November 5 during the opening session of the ACRM Annual Conference in Chicago. 

The International Council of Nurses' Board is pleased to announce the appointment of Mr. Howard Catton as the ICN's permanent Chief Executive Officer.

ICN Board President Annette Kennedy, announcing the decision, said, "The Board and I are delighted with Howard's appointment. He has the vision, tenacity and commitment to maximise the opportunities ahead for the ICN, its members and partners, not only in 2020, the Year of the Nurse, but for the years to come. Howard has been a great support for me during my presidency and a wonderful colleague for many years, and with him, ICN will have stability and a really great future."

Alcohol and substance use disorder has been around for centuries, but is a growing concern in the United States today with significant effects on economic, social, and healthcare systems. The estimated cost of addiction to illicit drugs alone in the U.S. is over $600 billion per year (Herman & Roberto, 2015). Short term use can cause changes to blood pressure, heart rate, and mental status, while cardiac arrest or stroke has been known to occur even after just one use (NIDA, 2017). Not everyone who partakes in alcohol or drug use will become addicted, but when addiction does occur, it is due to changes in normal brain activity which ultimately leads to long-lasting drug-induced neuroplastic changes. 

This fall, November 6-9, rehab nurses from across the globe will convene in Columbus, Ohio to celebrate the 45th anniversary of the Association of Rehabilitation Nurses and the 35th anniversary of the CRRN certification! 

ARN is partnering with Healthy Nurse, Healthy Nation. Start preparing now to participate in Healthy Nurse, Healthy Nation to lead into lots of fun activities at the ARN annual conference, REACH 2019!

There's more than one way to avoid burnout. One approach to burnout prevention is ensuring that your personal agency never drops to a low level. For the purpose of this blog, personal agency is defined as your ability to get things done. ​Burnout ​is the perception that you cannot change your environment, thus you have no personal agency.

The Association of Rehabilitation Nurses (ARN) – Past-President Stephanie Vaughn, PhD RN CRRN FAHA, and current ARN President Michele Cournan, DNP RN ANP-BC FNP CRRN – have been asked by the World Health Organization (WHO) to participate as the only designated nurse members of WHO's recently organized Competency Framework Steering Group. 

ARN is partnering with Healthy Nurse, Healthy Nation. Start preparing now to participate in Healthy Nurse, Healthy Nation to lead into lots of fun activities at the ARN annual conference, REACH 2019!

You spend so much time caring for others that you put yourself last. Your mind and body deserve some me-time.

H.R. 3030, the "Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Extension Act of 2019" was introduced into the House last week by Reps. Diana DeGette (D-CO) and Rep. Don Beyer (D-VA). This bill would reauthorize Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI) for another 10 years. 

​Recently, my 11-year-old son and I visited an Urgent Care about what I suspected was a urinary tract infection. The doctor asked my son basic questions related to his symptoms, including something about pain in his testicles. My son looked at me quizzically and I explained to the doctor that my son doesn't have testicles. He's transgender, born with female anatomy. To my great relief, the doctor nodded his acknowledgment and continued the conversation. My son, too, breathed a sigh of relief. We'd gotten through the tricky part.

Each year, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid releases prospective payment system proposed rules for various healthcare settings, including all post-acute care (PAC) settings. 

Tune into ARN's next live webinar, Essential Steps in Using & Training Apps, on June 13. Michelle R. Wild, MA, will show you how apps can be used as a cognitive resource in rehabilitation, as well as how to use apps to conduct systematic instruction training.

During the first quarter of this year, the Rehabilitation Nursing Certification Board (RNCB) announced the RNCB Advocacy Award. The purpose of the award is to recognize healthcare organizations that advocate for certification for rehabilitation nurses, providing support to and recognition of certified staff. 

In recognition of Stroke Awareness Month, ARN wants you to know about President-Elect Barbara Lutz, PhD RN CRRN PHNA-BC FAHA FNAP FAAN, for the Stroke Article of the Year Award she received at the American Heart Association International Stroke Conference, in Hawaii, in February earlier this year!