ITNS E-Update
November 26, 2008
Hurry!!
Cruise Deadline is next week- December 3
It’s time to get in those final payments for the ITNS cruise! “Our Patients Ourselves: The Stress of Caring in Transplant Nursing” will take place during a five day cruise to the Bahamas. Set sail from Jacksonville, Florida on Saturday Feb 7, 2009 and return on Thursday, Feb 12. The workshop will be led by Jonathan R Ward, N. Div, CTS, ABF. Chaplain Ward is currently the senior staff chaplain for the AFLAC Cancer Center and Blood Disorders Service in Atlanta, GA. The workshop will be held in two half day sessions with two free days in the ports of Half Mon Cay and Nassau. Total cost for the cruise including room and board is $511 per person plus a $165 workshop fee for a total of $676. Final payment is due December 3.
2009 Symposium Call for Abstracts (CFA)
Opens December 8, 2008
It’s that time of the year again. Abstract and poster presentations are key components of the educational subject matter covered at the Annual ITNS symposium. The Call for Abstracts for the 2009 ITNS Symposium in Montreal will be available through Oxford Abstract Systems again this year.
Important dates:
- Call for Abstracts Open- December 8, 2008
- Abstract Submission Deadline - February 23, 2009 (Monday)
- Abstract Reviews/Scoring - March 2 – March 12, 2009 (10 days)
- Final Program Determination - March 15-25, 2009
- Author Notifications - April 1 – 20, 2009
These dates are firm and no extensions will be given on the abstract submission deadline. Please plan accordingly and start the submission process well before the deadline in case unforeseen emergencies or hectic work schedules occur immediately prior to the deadline date of February 23, 2009.
Abstracts will be accepted in 12 different categories:
1. Educational Strategies
2. Ethics
3. Health Behavior Changes
4. Donor Issues
5. Nursing Changes in Healthcare
6. Outcomes
7. Pediatrics
8. Professional Practice
9. Psychosocial Issues
10. Rejection
11. Symptom Management
12. Research
These 12 categories will be used to determine the “Best of Abstracts” awards that are typically given each year to those who submit winning abstracts. Historically, these prizes have been sponsored by Roche and each of the 12 winners received a $500 award.
Special encouragement is given this year to Staff RN members, particularly those who have recently joined our Staff RN Special Interest Group (SIG). At the present time, the SIG is contemplating having a Staff RN breakout where abstracts of particular interest for Staff RNs will be presented. It will be a unique opportunity to write up and present that ‘first’ case study, or gain experience putting together an abstract and preparing that ‘first’ presentation. Of course, experienced Staff RNs are encouraged to submit too. This is one specialty group we would like to focus on for 2009 so please encourage your staff, colleagues and friends to submit an abstract if they are a staff RN.
As all of those who have attended the ITNS abstract breakout and poster sessions acknowledge, these talks and posters are considered ‘must see/hear’ events. With the ability to reward our presenters for their hard work and contribution to the field of transplantation, we would love to see a record number of abstracts submitted this year!
ITNS Holiday Cards
For an especially meaningful holiday card this year, check out the ITNS holiday greetings. Visit the ITNS web site to order yours today and get a head start on your December “to do” list!
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 the ITNS web site for more information and registration.
Become an ABTC Approved Provider of Continuing Education!
The American Board for Transplant Certification (ABTC) is offering a once in a lifetime chance. If your transplant program succeeds in certifying at least five transplant nurses (CCTN) between July 1 and December 31, 2008 your program will receive one year’s worth of free approved provider status for the 2009 calendar year. With an unlimited amount of CE credit you can offer your staff, you can minimize staff travel expenses – a $1,500 savings!
For more details on the types of CE you can offer visit the ABTC website. The winners must complete the application form and meet the requirements in order to qualify for the free approved provider status. ABTC will be tracking each of the candidates in order to determine what programs succeed, so be sure to have your staff include the center name on the application form.
2009 Transplant Nurses Day in the Works
After three successful Transplant Nurses Days we are on a roll! Mark your calendars for April 15, 2009 and start looking for information to come about making the most of this day to recognize transplant nursing around the world.
Transplant Recipients International Organization, Inc. (TRIO) Issues Position Statement on Incentives for Organ Donation
Washington, DC—Transplant Recipients International Organization, Inc. (TRIO) has formally adopted a position statement that TRIO supports the concept that reward for organ donation must be studied in America.
With the number of patients awaiting solid organ transplantation in America having exceeded 100,000, TRIO has come to the conclusion “that rewards and incentives for organ donation should be studied to assure that such efforts would, indeed, increase donation. In part, TRIO’s position states: “The concept that incentives, benefits, or gratuities should recognize an important life saving contribution such as organ donation to fellow Americans is one which seems just and proper, especially if the concept is studied in real-time trials . . .”
Further, TRIO’s position suggests that “a compassionately offered but highly regulated set of benefits might be studied from state to state or among selected organ procurement organizations.”
After publishing its proposed position statement on benefits, rewards and incentives for organ donation, and inviting public comment, TRIO solicited input especially from its Chapters and members. With no significant opposition, the TRIO Board of Directors formally adopted the position statement on November 18, 2008.
Go to http://trioweb.org/FinancialIncentivesforOrganDonation-TRIO.pdf for TRIO’s Position Statement on Incentives for Organ Donation.
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