Candidates for the ITNS Board of Directors 2009 - Vote now
All ITNS members who are currently active and in good standing (i.e. dues are up to date) under the RN Category are eligible to vote for the ITNS Board of Directors. Associate members are NOT eligible to vote. Ballots were sent electronically to the email address that we have on file for you. Voting must be completed by 5:00 pm (17:00) EST on Friday, May 29, 2009. If you have not received a ballot by May 8, 2009, and believe that you are eligible to vote, contact the ITNS office immediately via email at itns_admin@msn.com or via phone 412-343-4867.  If ITNS does not have a valid email address for you, a hard copy ballot will be provided via US mail. However, the deadline of May 29th remains the same.

ITNS Transplant IQ Series Available June 1
In order to meet the 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 an expert in that field. The DVDs are interactive 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. The Transplant IQ Series is made possible through a grant from Astellas Pharma US. Look for more details coming soon to pre-order your set.

ITNS Offers Free Nursing Lectures, CEUs 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- 2:00 pm at the Boston Sheraton. Admission is free and CEUs will be given. Transplant Nurses can stop by the ITNS booth in the ATC exhibit hall to pick up a complete schedule.

"Joie 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. "Joie 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. Featured keynote speakers include Dr. Mary Krugman PhD, RN, FAAN discussing evidence-based practice in transplant nursing, Dr. Roger Evans exploring transplant tourism and Dr. Michael J. Goldstein on defining high risk in adult renal transplantation. 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.

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.

ITNS Members Can Attend International Symposium Free of Charge 
"Transplant Nursing Current Practice, Future Challenges" is set for June 18-19, 2009 in Florence Italy at Convitto Della Calza. This international symposium is free of charge to ITNS members. For more information, visit Events

Register Now for the Next Transplant Certification Review Course
Columbus, Ohio will serve as the host city for the next ITNS Transplant Certification Review course November 14-16. This three-day workshop will be held at the Columbus Westin conveniently located in the downtown Columbus, close to the airport and accessible to major highways. The course includes a review of all transplanted organs, as well as other issues addressed in the test such as Professional Ethics and Patient Literacy. For more information or to register, visit Events

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.

Core Curriculums 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.