ASU hosts workshop on nurse advocacy

Cindy Zolnierek, director of practice for the Texas Nurses Association (TNA) will be the featured speaker at a TNA forum for local and area nurses on Thursday, March 4, in the Angelo State University Houston Harte University Center, 1910 Rosemont Drive.

Zolnierek's presentation, "Flexing Your Strength: Using Nurse Advocacy Protections," will kick off the event at 7 p.m. Thursday in the University Center's C.J. Davidson Conference Center.  The forum is free and all local and area nurses are encouraged to attend.  Those who attend will be eligible for 1.41 contact hours of continuing nursing education credit through the Texas Nurses Association/Foundation Provider Unit.  

The program will provide an overview of professional and regulatory foundations for the professional nurse's role in patient advocacy.  The Texas Nurse Practice Act and Standards of Practice will be reviewed in terms of nursing's responsibility and authority for acting in the best interests of patients.  The process for using safe harbor provisions will be provided and specific protections and remedies for nurses who act as advocates will also be presented.

Zolnierek will also provide details on the trials of two Winkler County nurses who were fired and criminally indicted after reporting patient care concerns about a local doctor - but then exonerated earlier this month by a jury.  The Texas Board of Medicine, the American Nurses Association and the Texas Nurses Association were involved on the nurses' behalf, and the nurses have counter-sued for illegal retaliation and violations of due process and civil rights.

For more information on the forum, call Dr. Martha Sleutel in the ASU Nursing Department at 942-2224.  West Texas nurses who are not TNA members can get information about joining the organization at www.texasnurses.org.