ITNS E-Update
June 10, 2009

2009 ITNS Transplant Nursing Excellence Award Nominations 

Deadline July 15
ITNS recognizes that the role of the transplant nurse is unique and that dealing with patients through the transplant continuum is often complex and challenging. Therefore, ITNS wishes to recognize a special nurse whose career has exemplified the mission of ITNS ...

"...promotion of excellence in transplant clinical nursing through the provision of educational and professional growth opportunities, interdisciplinary networking, collaborative activities, and transplant nursing research."

Submit a nomination form along with a one page typed narrative of how the nominee has met the award criteria. The narrative should include specific examples demonstrating clinical excellence. In addition, the nominee must be employed in transplant nursing for at least five years, currently involved in the care of transplant recipient, and/or donor, and/or donor family, in the in-patient, out-patient, research or ambulatory care setting. In addition, the nominee must be an ITNS member for at least three years. Both the nominee and the nominator must have a current "active" level ITNS Membership as an RN or equivalent. Download Nomination Form (PDF)

The Transplant Nursing Excellence Award is offered yearly and presented at the Society's annual symposium. The award recipient will receive a monetary award of $1,000 US, free symposium registration, free coach air travel and a one night hotel stay for the 2009 ITNS Annual Symposium in Montréal, Quebec, Canada September 24 - 26, 2009. The recipient must agree to be present at the Symposium to accept the award. Air travel must be made through the ITNS travel agent and none of the award benefits are transferable. The award committee will blind review all narratives received by the deadline. After determining the selection criteria has been met, they will select the most qualified individual as the award recipient. Thank you once again to Roche Pharmaceuticals for their support of this award.

ITNS Transplant IQ Series Available in early July

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 in early July. 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 DVD / per person credit fee for CEs and CEPTCs for any individual who watches the DVD, completes the IQ post-test and evaluation for that subject, and mails their evaluation, test and payment for $10 to ITNS. The Transplant IQ Series is made possible through a grant from Astellas Pharma US.

ITNS Members Collaborate on Kidney Teleconference

ITNS and the North American Center for Continuing Medical Education are sponsoring a teleconference on "Immunosuppression and Kidney Transplantation-- Optimizing Outcomes with Improved Adherence." Participants may choose from various one-hour slots from July 13-July 31. The Conference co-host is ITNS member Cynthia L. Russell, PhD, RN, APRN, BC. The Q&A  co-hosts are ITNS members Darlene Long, MS, APRN, BC, ANP, CCTC and Tammy Sebers, RN, BSN, CNN.

The Conference is suitable for Transplant Nurses and Coordinators, Nurse Practitioners, Critical Care Nurses, Social Workers and Nurse Case Managers involved in Kidney Transplant Care. It is approved for one Contact Hour for nurses, one hour of continuing education credit for case managers, one Contact Hour of continuing education by the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners and one CEPTC Category 1 Credit. For more information and registration, visit www.naccme.com or call 1-609-371-1137.

Brochure for "Joie de Vivre - The Joy of Transplant Nursing" now online

Plan your trip to Montréal this September for the ITNS Annual Symposium.  Plan to join your ITNS colleagues, 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 Montréal 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.

ITNS Members Can Attend Italian 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.

Register Now for the Next 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.