Abstract
We are also pleased to announce the beginning of a new state chapter of NABN, which will reside at Rex Hospital in Raleigh, North Carolina. Congratulations to the bariatric nurses at Rex for moving forward with local chapter development. Please contact Kim Joyner through the NABN home office for guidance as you plan to develop your own state chapters. Guidelines for development are posted on the NABN homepage at www.bariatricnurses.org.
As I write this, I realize that we are less than 6 months away from the annual conference, and I am fondly remembering the fellowship and companionship of the 2010 conference. Thoughts come to mind about the different people we met, the different cities and states they were from, and pieces of the conversations we had are again being remembered. Some questions also come to mind, such as what are the research, education, practice, and policy standards we spoke of at the conference? What quickly comes back is how important it was to meet and greet those who understand the very special population of patients whose quality of life and healthcare are so important to us. NABN is now an association of more than 1,000 members who represent nearly every state, as well as several international countries. Unfortunately, many of our members have become inactive. The Board of Directors is currently seeking to reconnect with those “from our past.” We are asking all members to help us reach out to them by sharing your messages of how important NABN has become to you. So when you have a free moment during your busy days and evenings, please take a minute to jot down something you could share about how important NABN has become to you. Send me your stories and I will read and select stories for each issue to share with our membership about the importance of being a bariatric nurse. Email your story to me at NABNpresident@yahoo.com, and then read the next issue to see if your story is shared. If you know someone who has become inactive and no longer receives the journal, share your experience and ask them to come back, and please, invite new colleagues as well.
All of us pursue those things and activities that have special meaning to us. Years ago, I became involved in the Bariatric Nursing Consortium, an affiliation between East Carolina University and Pitt County Memorial Hospital, in an effort to gain further understanding about the outcomes of bariatric surgery. My own health was a curiosity as I had just undergone gastric bypass surgery. I learned a tremendous amount of valuable information early on about nutrition, exercise, and the psychological needs of the patients we care for in our everyday lives. As time has passed, and bariatric surgery has become more acceptable and common place, NABN has grown and broadened our perspective to help address, confront, and combat the challenges bariatric patients face in all the arenas of caregiving. Patients in maternity, orthopedics, geriatrics, rehabilitation, the emergency room, and intensive care are often in need of the specialized knowledge bariatric nurses hold in their repertoires. Caregivers need both the subspecialty expertise, as well as the bariatric perspective, to provide comprehensive care to their patients.
As a pediatric nurse, NABN's beginnings helped me to identify the special needs of children with severe obesity and to hone my commitment to help them. Working in the camp environment has clarified for me the opportunities for all of us to find a home with NABN. The organization has grown and provides a richly experienced staff and a Board of Directors from various clinical and research backgrounds who are ready to share their expertise in the area of bariatric nursing with you. Surely, something in your experience brought you to NABN. NABN has grown from each of our passions and curiosities. Think about it, as this may provide you with that special memory or story to share. While you consider the importance and impact of NABN in your practice, please share us with your colleagues. Invite them to attend the Annual Conference. Nashville is an exciting city, and the conference program is full of opportunities to learn and share. In addition to our other clinical specialties, we are all bariatric nurses. Furthermore, please do not forget the opportunities for learning and networking that our vendors provide. They will once again be a highlight of the conference as we take the time to meet and greet those who provide the cutting-edge technology we need in order to provide high-quality care to our patients.
On behalf of your Board of Directors and Corporate Council, I invite you to gear up for the 2011 Annual Conference. Make your plans early and break out your dancing boots. Nashville, here we come: Conference 2011!