---

E-mail to a friend | Print This | Select Text Size:

NewYork-Presbyterian Columbia University Medical Center in New York City topped off a weeklong series of events for its ED nurses in celebration of Emergency Nurses Week with lectures by guest speakers from the hospital’s nursing education department and the local chapter of the Emergency Nurses Association.

Nurse educator Meg Barry, RN, MSN, CEN, gave an informative and inspiring presentation titled “Emergency Nursing Then and Now” that took the audience back to the time when ED nurses used glass syringes and thermometers and metal bedpans. Even though many things have changed in ED nursing, Barry said ED nurses never forget their “firsts.”

“I remember my first cardiac arrest, my first medication error, my first shop cop,” she says.

The following members of the Bronx/Manhattan chapter of the Emergency Nurses Association gave an overview of their organization and its mission: chapter president Sue McAllen, RN, CEN; president-elect Laura Giles, RN, CEN; and secretary Lisa Kosits, RN, DNP. In addition to a short recounting of how the organization began, McAllen explained the many benefits of ENA membership, such as networking with other ED nurses at the national conference and discounts on emergency nursing courses and exams. “One of the chapter’s missions is to give education at a reasonable price to our members,” McAllen says.

Giles, an Emergency Nursing Foundation board member, gave information on ENA scholarships available to members who wish to further their education. Information on the scholarships can be found on the chapter’s Web site, of which Kosits’ input was instrumental in redesigning.

As a reminder of what they do year-round, the ED nurses created poster presentations that were on display during the week. Along with a proclamation from New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg thanking the nurses for their dedication, McAllen also thanked them for their hard work in making the week a success. “I commend and complement the nurses for what they’ve done for Emergency Nurses Week,” McAllen says. “I think what you do every day is special.”

---

Tracey Boyd is a regional reporter. To comment, e-mail editorNY@nursingspectrum.com.