Healthy Nurse, Healthy Nation™ - Champion Spotlight Series - Texas Nurses Association
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Find out how the Texas Nurses Association, one of our very first Champion partners, participates in HNHN.
The Texas Nurses Association (TNA) is a statewide membership-based professional association of licensed nurses and is the Texas affiliate of ANA. Founded in 1907, TNA is the oldest and largest nursing association in Texas. TNA is a Champion partner of HNHN, and was one of the first of ANA’s constituent/state nurses association to join HNHN. TNA, as part of their commitment to HNHN, is focusing on nurse fatigue. They address this topic through resources and information on fatigue’s health effects on nurses and patient outcomes. They look to decrease the percentage of Texas nurses reporting less than 7 hours of sleep daily and also to decrease the percentage of those nodding off or falling asleep while driving. They can measure these statistics through the quarterly reports they receive from HNHN.
How TNA shares HNHN with Texas Nurses:
- TNA’s journal, Texas Nursing Magazine, featured an HNHN article for Winter 2017. While “Healthy Communities Start with Nurses” focused on HNHN, it also stressed how nurses must interact with and build healthy communities.
- TNA sends out Practice Tips of the Week, often related to HNHN, in their weekly newsletter. Past tips have incorporated wellness practices, fatigue management, happiness, and Year of the Healthy Nurse calendar.
- TNA actively participated in the Healthier Texas Summit during October 2017.
- Conference calls with TNA district leaders emphasize collaboration, engagement, and resources found on HNHN Connect.
What other wellness activities does TNA promote?
TNA is participating in and encouraging its members to participate in It’s Time Texas Community Challenge, a Texan competition to see which community is most committed to health and wellness. It’s Time Texas is a non-profit organization dedicated to making Texans healthier. TNA’s Workplace Advocacy Committee identified fatigue as a priority issue and sponsored a Fatigue Awareness Campaign. The committee had a booth at the TNA Leadership Conference with fatigue prevention information and a drawing for a “Sweet Dreams” basket raffle. TNA staff members signed up for the It’s Time Texas Community Challenge which captures physical activity with electronic health trackers to gain community points. Healthier food options are now offered at all board meetings and conferences during meals and breaks.
Finally, all of this has had a profound effect on individual TNA staff as well. Ellen Martin reports participating in HNHN helped change her attitude towards exercise, to go from dreading it to enjoying it. She joined the YMCA, got a personal trainer, attends group classes like Zumba, and used the tips from the HNHN posts for healthier eating. As a result, she has more energy, experiences less joint pain, and has lost 18 pounds to date. Kudos to Cindy Zolnierek, PhD, RN, Executive Director and Ellen Martin, PhD, RN, CPHQ, Director of Practice for spearheading HNHN in Texas!
Find this helpful? Consider sharing it with a friend by using the social media icons on on the left side of this screen. Don't forget to use the hashtag #healthynurse.
Learn more about the work of our Champion partners here.
Have you thought about becoming an HNHN Partner? Join us today!
Find this helpful? Consider sharing it with a friend by using the social media icons on on the left side of this screen. Don't forget to use the hashtag #healthynurse.
Learn more about the work of our Champion partners here.
Have you thought about becoming an HNHN Partner? Join us today!
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Champion Spotlight
03/01/2018 6:23pm CST
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