I am so excited about the role of Nurse Advocate in Texas. I attended the TNA Nurse Advocate Conference last week in Austin, Texas and it lines up so well with what I have been doing the last 10 years that it is as if they have been listening to my dreams. The role is to educate and assist nurses with being aware of their rights and options in the workplace, without being adversarial to the facility. As a Nurse Educator with Professional Healthcare Education Service Inc. (PHES)
www.phesonline.com , a Texas BON approved Nurse Remediation & RN Refresher Program for over 10 years I have been educating nurses that are returning to active clinical practice as well as those that have received BON stipulations but, so often it is after the fact. "The horse has already left the barn." I am excited for all the nurses that will have in advocate in their facility to inform them of the Peer Review Process, Safe Harbor options, and other subjects pertaining to their safe practice. I am so proud to be a member of Sigma Theta Tau and TNA and proud of the Texas Hospital Association for supporting the upcoming legislation in March like HB 575, SB 192 and others. I encourage as many nurses that can to come to the Nurses Day and if unable to contact your representative regarding this legislation that is good for patients. You can go to TNA's website
www.texasnurses.org and click Advocacy for more info. I think in light of the Winkler County Nurse situation this past year we must reinforce the nurses duty and right to advocate for the patient as supreme and substantial increase the Retaliation penalties for nurses who have put their livelihood at risk as Whistleblowers in order to protect the public. I took great notes at the meeting and look forward to sharing more regarding Nurse Fatigue in the Workplace, Peer Review, Safe Harbor, and other issues of great interest to clinical nurses.