Dear Colleagues,

Welcome to APSNA!  We are a nursing organization that promotes excellence in pediatric surgical nursing practice through educational offerings, nursing research, professional collaboration and peer support. We are clinicians who believe that all pediatric surgical patients deserve the highest quality nursing care that is patient and family centered.  This is our mission and vision.

Our association is approaching its twentieth year anniversary. It was founded in 1991 by a group of 31 pediatric surgical nurses from all over the country. These pioneers became the charter members of the American Pediatric Surgical Nurses Association, which has now grown to 365 active members. Our organization has welcomed nurses from the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, Norway, and Lebanon.

What can we offer you? APSNA organizes an annual conference that features expert speakers in all aspects of pediatric surgery and trauma. Our 2011 conference will be located in Palm Desert, California. This conference will initiate a half-day collaborative session with our physician colleagues at APSA. This will be scheduled on the third day of our conference, and navigate the issues of intestinal rehabilitation.

Our educational publication, SUTURELINE, will be sent to you three times a year with the last issue devoted to continuing education contact hours. This educational tool provides timely information on a diverse range of surgical, perioperative, and pediatric trauma topics. It is also a great opportunity for first time authors to share their knowledge with their peers. 

We now offer a TRIAD membership, which includes membership to APSNA, AORN (Association of perioperative Nurses), plus an affiliate membership in ANA at a reduced rate.   This is a great opportunity for nurses who work in the pediatric perioperative arena to network, improve care, and share expertise. 

APSNA’s web site is: www.apsna.org, and offers many resources for it’s members.  The web site includes printable parent teaching sheets on different diagnoses specific to our specialty in English and Spanish. We will soon be providing this resource in French as well. As a member, you will have access to our Resource Guide, Career page, and the opportunity to apply for educational and teaching grants to achieve your professional goals.  Our listserv is a vehicle where members post questions or needs on a variety of topics.  Our national experts respond quickly to the listserv, sharing strategies, care plans, and resources.  We learn so much from each other.

Please join our family of pediatric surgical nurses. Our kids deserve the best, and we have the ability to positively impact their care.  If you have questions or would like further information, please do not hesitate to contact me at Lynne_Farber@med.unc.edu. 

Best regards,

Lynne Farber, RN, MSN, CPNP-PC, AC      

APSNA President 2010-2011