Greetings SPN Members!

BENFITS OF SPN MEMBERSHIP

I have been an SPN member for 26 years and have continued with my membership because SPN has offered so many opportunities to help me grow as a nurse and a leader. I have found several resources that helped with my professional development throughout the various stages of my career. When I joined SPN, I had just become a manager and moved from a children’s hospital into a community hospital setting, and I relied on SPN for clinical resources and best practice to help with developing practice standards. I was able to attend an SPN leadership series of annual pre-conference offerings that focused on developing leadership skills for managers. Through these pre-conferences, I learned the value of networking with peers outside of my organization, and I still keep in touch with several of them to this day. I was also invited to represent SPN at the Nurse in Washington Internship, become a reviewer for the Journal of Pediatric Nursing, participate in and eventually chair a committee, and serve on the SPN Board. The best part of being actively engaged in SPN is that I have met so many wonderful colleagues and have developed life-long friendships. My involvement in SPN has allowed me to grow as a nurse, as a leader, and most importantly to impact change within my profession.

For those who are new to SPN, or for those who might be debating whether to renew your membership, I hope you consider the many benefits SPN has to offer and how SPN might help support you in your professional development. Here are some of the benefits of being a member:

• Discounted registration for the SPN Annual Conference
• Subscription to the Journal of Pediatric Nursing
• Access to online courses and podcasts
• Earn up to 26 FREE continuing education credits each year
• Access to free live webinars on current topics such as promoting emotional safety
• Expand your professional network by engaging with SPN members in Special Interest Groups (SIG) - Ambulatory, Clinical Nurse Specialist, Developmental/Behavioral/Mental Health, Education Specialist, and Quality Improvement/Patient Safety SIGs
• Resources and discounts for initial certification through the Pediatric Nursing Certification Board (PNCB) and discounts for initial certification and recertification though the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC)
• Access to relevant clinical resources to guide your practice such as clinical practice guidelines, core competencies, and position statements
• Discounts on American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) resources
• Access to the Discussion Forum to engage with other SPN members around practice and professional topics
• Eligibility to apply for scholarships, research grants and awards
• 20% off discount on the Association for Pediatric Gastroenterology and Nutrition Nurses (APGNN) membership
• A group discount for five or more new members joining at the regular one year rate

Help to strengthen our profession by encouraging your colleagues and students to join SPN. SPN offers many resources to promote professional growth and development, education, and networking opportunities. You can help SPN by growing our membership, taking an active role in sharing your expertise to impact practice, and advocating for issues to improve care to children.

PROFILE UPDATE WINNER

In last month’s newsletter, I challenged members to update their profile and areas of expertise to be entered into a drawing to win a surprise from SPN. Congratulations to Laura Bratcher! You are our lucky winner!

PEDIATRIC NURSES WEEK

October 3-7, 2022

I hope you have plans underway to celebrate Pediatric Nurses Week October 3-7, 2022! This week promotes pediatric nursing and highlights the contributions of pediatric nurses to improve healthcare delivery to patients, families, and communities. For those who have ordered buttons and banners, your orders will be shipped in mid-September. It is always great to see everyone’s photos - be sure to use the hashtag #ProudPediatricNurse when you share your photos on social media!

Kathy Van Allen, MSN, RN, CPN

SPN President