Yvette Twum-Danso, MSN, RN, CCRN, PhDc
W. J. Bryan Dorn VA Medical Center
Columbia, South Carolina

Yvette M. Twum-Danso is an Assistant Nurse Manager for the Acute Medicine Clinics II - Outpatient Specialty Clinics.  She has been a registered nurse since 1996 and joined the Columbia VA Health Care System in 2003. Yvette has diverse nursing experience in critical care, cardiology: cardiac rehabilitation, research, and case management.  She has also served in the United States Army Reserves for eight years as a nurse. Yvette has a master’s degree in nursing with a concentration in education and is a nurse doctoral candidate. 

Yvette was awarded the South Carolina Palmetto Gold Nursing Award in 2015.  She is a recipient of NOVA’s Professional Nurse Award for Clinical Excellence in 2015 and NOVA President’s Award in 2019.  Her local NOVA Chapter 362 was given the Distinguished Chapter Award in 2019.  In addition to these professional awards, Yvette received NOVA’s Vernice Ferguson Scholarship in 2015.

Yvette has been an active NOVA member since 2012.  She joined NOVA’s Board of Directors in January 2020 and serves as the President for NOVA Chapter 362 at the Columbia VA Health Care System in Columbia, South Carolina.  Yvette has served on the NOVA Legislative Committee since 2015. She is an advocate for NOVA and proudly encourages VA nurses to join NOVA to improve Veterans’ access and outcomes.

Yvette is a member of the American Association of Critical Care.  She serves on the Office of Nursing Cardiovascular Field Advisory Committee and is a chairwoman for New Direction Church. Yvette is passionate about enhancing the professional growth and upward mobility of VA nurses through nursing research.

Teresa Morris, Director, Advocacy & Government Relations

Greetings NOVA Members –

Wow, it was a busy February and March – the Legislative Committee finalized its 2020 Legislative Priority Goals and NOVA held its Hill Day and Roundtable events in Washington, D.C. Thanks to the over 30 Members who showed up and joined us to speak to Congress about VA healthcare and local issues critical to VA’s Mission. Stories from the day will be presented in the coming weeks. Needless to say, Congress heard loud and clear from our VA Nurses!

Our 2020 Priorities focus on ensuring an adequate budget, monitoring access and the Community Care Network and most importantly, Staffing, Recruitment and Retention, with emphasis on lowering vacancies by recruiting and retaining a highly qualified workforce. For the entire list of goals, visit the NOVA website and click on the Advocacy Tab.

We also held our Annual Legislative Roundtable at DAV Headquarters in DC. The Roundtable is a great event that brings together stakeholders from the VSO community, Professional Nursing Organizations, Hill Staff, Union Representatives, and leadership from the VA Office of Nursing Service. 

Discussions centered around VA healthcare and services, staffing, modernization/reorganization within VHA, APRN status update, and the recently published report, “The Future of Nursing 2020-2030,” which can be found here: https://nam.edu/publications/the-future-of-nursing-2020-2030/

For pictures from Hill Day and the Legislative Roundtable – check out our website today!

Congress continues to hold hearings and introduce legislation designed to improve VA programs and services. NOVA makes a point of monitoring anything that affects our members and how they provide care to Veterans.  The FY 2021 Budget and FY 2022 Advance Appropriations was introduced in February and is now in the hands of Appropriation Committees. NOVA supports the Independent Budget funding request for both cycles. The IB VSO’s – DAV, PVA and VFW have worked to develop and present concrete recommendations to ensure that VA remains fully-funded and capable of carrying out its mission to take care of current and future population of Veterans. I urge all of you to take a look at the information provided, Congress has for years acknowledged the importance of the VSO analytics and accuracy of its numbers.

The link to the document can be found here, http://www.independentbudget.org/116-congress/

I encourage all of you to stay current on our advocacy efforts by visiting the NOVA Website and watching our Social Media accounts – information on hearings and issues moving quickly through Congress are always provided as they happen! 

As we move towards the end of the 116th Congress and the 2020 elections, I ask all of you to continue to voice your views as to how, when and where Veterans receive care as VA moves through new models of healthcare delivery. All of you remain at the forefront and can provide invaluable information on how VA continues to carry out their core mission of taking care of our Nation’s Heroes.  

Stay Tuned!

Dear NOVA Members,

Have you ever thought about using your knowledge and experience as a nurse to advocate for improving VA health care beyond the local facility level, at the state or national level? Does policy and advocacy interest you? If so, you should seize the opportunity to join us, your fellow NOVA members, at NOVA on the Hill Day on March 5th Click Here to Register and NOVA’s Annual Legislative Roundtable Click Here to RSVP on March 6th in Washington, D.C. Getting involved and creating change can have a significant positive impact on both your professional development and Veterans’ care.

Nurses instinctively protect their patients’ rights and welfare. They are advocates for quality of care improvements, and are in an ideal position to engage in political activism. However, this isn’t a new concept. Florence Nightingale, the founder of modern nursing, also known as The Lady with the Lamp, utilized evidence and political tactics to improve sanitary health conditions for the British soldiers during the Crimean War which led to changes in the health care delivery system.

If nurses don’t participate, policy decisions will be made without nursing input, which is unacceptable. Decision makers need to hear from nurses. The Institute of Medicine’s Report, The Future of Nursing: Leading change, Advancing Health, called for an increase in leadership from nurses at all levels, including front line staff nurses to nurse executives. All nurses can demonstrate their role as a leader by serving as an advocate and addressing public policy through the legislative process. Don’t underestimate the power of sharing your personal experiences. Politicians want to know how legislative issues affect their constituents. 

Having a voice on Capitol Hill is pivotal, and NOVA is the Voice of VA Nurses on Capitol Hill. Therefore, we must band together to improve health outcomes and effect change. There is power in numbers. The VA employs more than 80, 0000 nurses, so we should be a force not to be reckoned with. I encourage you to participate in advocacy and policy to strengthen NOVA Nurses’ impact in Washington D.C. by attending NOVA on the Hill Day and NOVA’s Annual Legislative Roundtable in March 2020. These are wonderful opportunities for you to meet face-to-face with your representatives in Congressmen and Senators from professional nursing organizations as well as Veterans Service Organizations (VSOs). Don’t miss out!

In closing, I would like to thank you for providing exceptional care day in and day out to America’s heroes across this great nation. Your passion is commendable. 

With appreciation,

Kelly D. Skinner, DNP, APRN, NP-C, GNP-BC, CRRN, WCC, CFCN

Shawn Meadows BSN, RN, CWON

NOVA Chapter 308

Charles George VA Medical Center Asheville,NC  

I am a Certified Wound Ostomy Nurse (CWON) at the Charles George VA Medical Center, and am also proud to be a NOVA member. I am currently serving my third year as a board member for the Wound Ostomy Continence Nursing Certification Board (WOCNCB). WOCNCB is the certifying body for wound, ostomy, continence, and foot care nursing. They are  accredited by ABSNC and NCCA and are included in the VA Office of Nursing Services recommended certification list.

Board certification is a voluntary process that requires consistent evaluations of a nurse’s professional knowledge and skills in specialties beyond RN licensure. WOCNCB certified nurses provide cost-effective and high-quality care by bringing real solutions and benefits to organizations and their patients to maintain strong clinical practice components along with education for each of the specialties. WOCNCB is honored to be an associate member of NOVA offering a 30% fee reduction for initial wound, ostomy, continence, or foot care examinations for VA nurses. Information regarding this discount can be found at http://wocncb.org/special-announcements/welcome-va-and-dod-nurses. 

Over the last year, I have served as a course coordinator for the WOCN Wound Treatment Associate (WTA) Program which was designed to provide specialized education to enhance nurses’ abilities to provide optimal wound care to patients with acute and chronic wounds. The Charles George VA Medical Center had several registered nurses complete the WTA program.

Jocelyn Turner is an RN and NOVA member of Chapter 308  who earned her WTA certificate in January 2020. Jocelyn works on a busy medical oncology unit, and we look forward to her becoming WOCNCB certified as a WTA and sharing her expertise in wound treatment with her colleagues.

2018 WOCN Society Conference

Shawn Meadows, BSN, RN, CWON (left)

2019 WOCNCB Fall Board Meeting

Shawn Meadows, BSN, RN, CWON (center)

 Jocelyn Turner, MSN, RN

WTA Graduate and NOVA Member

In the year 2020, nurses are being recognized for their hard work and dedication to our healthcare system. That is why this year has been designated as the ‘Year of the Nurse.’ The initiative was spearheaded by the World Health Organization (WHO) in honor of the 200th birth anniversary of Florence Nightingale, the founder of modern nursing, but the recognition goes beyond just her. It is a tribute to all nurses who play a critical role in health promotion, disease prevention, and who are on the front lines of healthcare. They play an essential role in providing high-quality care to humans all across the globe.

As a way to show our gratitude for all our incredible VA nurses who work so hard every day, we wanted to take this opportunity to remind you to take a moment for yourselves. Occupational stressors can occur on a daily basis, and that is why nurse self-care is so important. It is a necessity when it comes to physical, mental, and spiritual well-being. We know first hand that nurses give the best care to patients when they are operating at their own peak wellness. So here is a list of tips we have put together on how to implement self-care into your routine. 

During your workdays:

• Listen to music when you are at your desk or on your break - music is a known stress reliever and can give you the momentum you need to continue the rest of your day.
• Take a moment to relax at your desk, meditate and drink some herbal tea or hot lemon water.
• Take a short break to stretch or go for a 10-minute walk.
• Repeat a personal mantra (a word or phrase with a spiritual meaning) to yourself when stressed. This is an innovative form of stress management that is portable, immediate, and inexpensive.
• If you have children or a family member you’ve been wanting to catch up with, take a moment to call them and ask them how their day is. Tell them if you’re having a good day or a bad day. You can use this time as a mini therapy session if needed.
• Download a new podcast about a topic that interests you, and listen to it when you are working at your desk.
• Bring a nutritious snack or lunch with you to work and enjoy it while reading your favorite book.
• Keep a journal with you at work for times when you feel stressed and need a way to release it.
• Practice mental imagery or visualization.
• Use breathing exercises to center yourself. 

During your days off: 

• Take a bubble bath with some relaxing salts to help your weary muscles have a break.
• Check into the spa for a massage, pedicure, or other relaxing treatment.
• Spend 20 minutes reading about a new hobby you’d like to get started on soon.
• Call an old friend you’ve been wanting to catch up with.
• Go to a nearby yoga studio, dance space, or spin class for a recharging workout.
• Cozy up to your cat, dog, or even a nice, big pillow.
• Take a good old-fashioned nap.
• Go for a run or walk around your neighborhood or to your local park. 
• Go catch that movie you’ve been dying to see.
• Put on a favorite record you used to love in high school and take a trip down memory lane.

These are all easy suggestions that you can add to your lifestyle on a daily or monthly basis. We encourage you to start your self-care journey right now! Schedule a block of time in your day to take for yourself and commit to it. Again, self-care for nurses is not a luxury. It is a necessity for the health and well-being of both VA nurses and their patients. Remember, it is ok for you to need time for YOU. After all, 2020 is the ‘Year of the Nurse.’