ITNS E-Update
March 31, 2009

Abbott Laboratories is currently looking for a transplant nurse that could speak or has published on the issue of variability of immunosuppressive drug testing results. If you qualify, please contact Jim Menges at Abbott at 866-243-1202 ext. 937-2007 (voice mail) or jim.menges@abbott.com.

Make it Easy to Celebrate Transplant Nurses Day:  Order Your Kit Today!

Supplies are running low so order this week or we probably won’t be able to send all items.  This year’s Transplant Nurses Day—April 15—is fast-approaching so it’s time to start planning those celebrations. Let ITNS help kick off your festivities with a Transplant Nurses Day kit which (while supplies last) will include plates, napkins, nail/pedicure kits, posters, and stickers, as well as Transplant Experience t-shirts, tote bags and hand sanitizer. Visit our web site to place your order and begin your party planning!

Register Now for the Next CTCRC

If you are thinking of taking the transplant certification exam, don’t do it without first taking our course! The next Clinical Certification Review Course takes place on April 25-27, 2009 at the Portland Embassy Suites Downtown in Portland, Oregon, USA. Check our web site for more information and registration.

ITNS Transplant IQ Series Available June 1

In order to meet ever- increasing requests for more than two Clinical Transplant Certification Review Courses each year, ITNS has developed a DVD component piece to the ITNS’ Core Curriculum for Transplant Nurses and its live Clinical Transplant Certification Review Course. 

The ITNS Transplant IQ Series will be available for purchase from ITNS (www.itns.org)  beginning June 1. Because of the economic difficulties being experienced by nurses everywhere, the ITNS Transplant IQ Series was developed to allow the CTCRC to become more accessible to the highest number of nurses in the least costly manner. While individuals can purchase the DVDs as a set or by specific topic, hospitals and transplant centers will find the ITNS Transplant IQ Series to be a tremendous resource for training large numbers of nurses at a low rate per person. Individual viewers will receive CEU and CEPTC credits by taking the IQ post-test included in the supplemental materials with each disc and paying a small fee.

All 16 topic areas covered in the CTCRC are provided by the ITNS Transplant IQ Series. These DVDs will be an excellent resource for studying for your CCTC or CCTN examination.  Each DVD ranges from 30-120 minutes and features a speaker who is the leading expert in that field. The DVDs are professional and studio-produced for the exclusive purpose of delivering information to participants in any setting. The IQ Series was developed for all transplant professionals including case managers, social workers, medical, nursing and pharmaceutical students and pharmaceutical representatives. It may be purchased by an individual, for a Nursing Unit, a Medical Library and any hospital seeking the training necessary to obtain Magnet Status.

While the DVDs carry the FBI copyright and cannot be duplicated, multiple nurses can benefit from watching and reviewing these DVDs in a group setting, as many times as necessary.  Hospitals or transplant centers may complement the DVD subject matter by providing their own transplant educators to moderate organized viewing of the topics, thus allowing for questions and interaction.

Our goal is to educate and promote nursing certification for as many transplant nurses and coordinators as we can reach.  Through the ITNS Transplant IQ Series DVD set, we can do just that, in a very cost-effective manner.

Cost is $350 for ITNS members and $500 for non-members. There is a $10 per disc credit fee for CEs and CEPTCs for any individual who watches the DVD, completes the IQ post-test for that subject, and mails their test and check for $10 to ITNS. To date, production of the ITNS Transplant IQ Series is made possible through a grant from AstellasPharma US. Look for more details in April to pre-order your set.

ANNA Core Curriculum Book Available

ITNS has a very limited number of ANNA 5th Edition Core Curriculum for Nephrology Nursing available to ITNS members at a price of $85 plus shipping.  Non-members need to pay the retail price of $105 plus shipping.  Each book weighs about five lbs. and ITNS will charge shipping based on regular UPS rates with insurance. If you are interested, please call ITNS at 412-343-4867 to order. The books are available on a first-come; first-served basis.

ITNS to change CE Nursing Providers

Attention all ITNS Chapter Leaders / CE program planners!
ITNS is now in the process of changing CE nursing providers. Since December 2008, ITNS has not been able to use AACN as our nursing provider of CE's. After review of possible provider options for ITNS, the BOD and CE coordinator has evaluated and will be obtaining a providership first through the Ohio Nurses Association and then by mid 2010 be one of the providers for ANCC (American Nurses Credentialing Center) which is under the direction and guidance of ANA (American Nurses Association).

The process for applying for nursing CE's has changed and will require additional information / forms to be filled out in order to process your chapter’s educational program for both nursing CE's and ABTC's.  The new required information will be updated to the ITNS web site within the next several weeks.  But, until then, you can inquire by contacting the ITNS CE coordinator, Vicki Shieck, RN, BSN, CCTN at 734-615-4013 or by email vickys@umich.edu.  We MUST have all applications into the CE coordinator at least five weeks prior to the meeting in order for the nursing CE's to be processed.

“Joi de Vivre- The Joy of Transplant Nursing” is Set for September

Plan to join your ITNS colleagues this coming September in Montreal for what is sure to be an exciting Annual Symposium with international flair. “Joi de Vivre- The Joy of Transplant Nursing” takes place September 24-26 at the Hilton Montreal Bonaventure. As always, our workshops and abstract presentations will highlight timely issues relevant to transplant professionals from staff nurses to researchers and managers. Our 2009 Symposium Co-chairs Kathy Schwab RN, BSN, CCTC and Sandy Cupples RN, PhD extend a warm invitation to each of you to join them in Montreal.

ITNS Offers Free Nursing Lectures, during ATC

Once again, the ITNS Nursing Lecture Series will take place during this year’s American Transplant Congress in Boston May 31- June 2. The ITNS Lectures are offered on all three days from 12:30- 2 at the Boston Sheraton. Admission is free and CEUs and CEPTCs will be given. Transplant Nurses can stop by the ITNS booth in the ATC exhibit hall to pick up a complete schedule.

Greater Chesapeake Chapter Program in May

The Greater Chesapeake Chapter of ITNS will present “The Changing Dynamics of Caring for the Transplant Patient… Care for a Lifetime: A Lifetime of Care on Tuesday, May 19, 2009 from 7:45 am to 12:30 pm. Topics include understanding the dry run, donation after cardiac death vs. donation after brain death, when transplant patient presents to your hospital, and compliance: evidence-based nursing practice. The fee is $35 for ITNS members, $40 for non-members and free for nursing students with ID. For more information contact Linda Ridge at lridge@smail.umaryland.edu or Mary Hester at mherster@umm.edu.