News Journal Archives

Addressing Obesity Bias: The Opportunity for Nurses to Impact Change

Introduction Obesity is a significant chronic disease affecting millions globally. Obesity is linked to a variety of comorbidities, including cardiovascular disease, diabetes, hyperlipidemia, obstructive sleep apnea, and certain cancers (Purnell, 2023). In addition to these health ramifications, obesity also underscores…

Assessing Mild Cognitive Impairment in Obstructive Sleep Apnea

Primary care nurse practitioners (NPs) encounter complex patients with co-existing medical and psychiatric conditions which present differential diagnosis challenges.  Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and adverse physical outcomes such as cardiovascular changes, cerebrovascular, metabolic dysregulation, visceral obesity and increased insulin resistance…

Capitol HILL DAY and Membership Assembly 2023

Terry Siek and Dr. Linda Adams-Wendling had the wonderful opportunity to travel to Washington, DC to represent the Kansas State Nurses Association at the 2023 Membership Assembly and to attend the 2023 Hill Day at the Capital in Washington, DC.…

Emerging Therapies for Treatment of Postpartum Depression

PREGNANCY AND CHILDBIRTH are two of the most exciting life events that families will experience. For one in eight individuals giving birth, however, this time that was anticipated to be beautiful and filled with happiness is plagued with feelings of…

Empowering Students Through Experiential Learning

NURSING EDUCATION has long been associated with traditional classroom learning, supplemented with instructor-led clinical situations. The constant evolution of healthcare demands a shift towards more innovative and dynamic learning opportunities. The use of experiential learning experiences challenge traditional learning by…

Equity and Education in Healthcare Reform

HEALTH INEQUITIES were recognized as early as the 1800s, came to the forefront of politics in the 1980s Regan era (Dawes, 2016), and continue to be addressed into the future with the Department of Health and Human Services’ Healthy People…

Factors Influencing New Graduate Nurse Employment

Introduction: In recent years, healthcare advocates have focused attention on the nursing shortage. Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) workforce projections indicate a shortage of 78,610 full-time equivalent Registered Nurses (RNs) in 2025 and 63,720 RNs in 2030 (HRSA, 2022).…

Family Presence During Resuscitation in the Emergency Department

FAMILY PRESENCE DURING resuscitation (FPDR) consists of having one or more family members present during cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). According to the literature, family presence during resuscitation is not a consistent practice across healthcare facilities and healthcare providers seem to be…

Health Policy

HEALTH POLICY is essential to promote wellness and make sure that large scale health goals are met, and standards of care are upheld. As of March 2022, Kansas had the 12th highest number of suicides out of all 50 states…

Integration of LGBTQ in Nursing Education

IN THE U.S., over eleven million adults identify as LGBTQ+, and 70% report experiencing discrimination from healthcare profes-sionals (Newport, 2018; Brown et al., 2017). Current nursing curriculums allocate an average of only 2.12 hours to LGBTQ+ content (Cornelius et al.,…

Kansas Nurses Association New Executive Director

Vicky McGrath DNP, MBA, RN, OCNWe are thrilled to welcome Vicky McGrath DNP, MBA, RN, OCN as the new Executive Director of the Kansas State Nurses Association (KSNA). Vicky started the position on March 10, 2025. Vicky brings a wealth…

Kansas Nurses Association President’s Message

Laura Mallett, MSN, RNPresident, Kansas State Nurses AssociationDEAR KSNA MEMBERS, GREETINGS! I am thrilled to be working with the KSNA Board and the dedicated nurses of Kansas. I am Laura Mallett, the newly appointed President of KSNA as of January…

Kansas Nurses Association President’s Message, June 2024

Laura Mallett, MSN, RNPresident, Kansas State Nurses AssociationHAPPY SPRING to the membership! We have been staying busy with the Legislative and Advocacy conference and the Day at the Capitol. I remember when we had over 400 attend the Capitol Day…

Kansas Nurses Association President’s Message, September 2024

Laura Mallett, MSN, RNPresident, Kansas State Nurses Association HAPPY SUMMER to the membership! I hope you are enjoying the summer and staying cool! Terry Siek, ANA Representative, Dana Erikson, Executive Director, and I were honored to attend the ANA Membership…

Kansas Nurses Association President’s Update, December 2024

Laura Mallett, MSN, RNPresident, Kansas State Nurses Association Angela Beddoe, ANA CEO, is asking us to help where we can the victims of the recent hurricanes in Florida and surrounding states. We have been asked to remember and support the…

Kansas Nurses Association President’s Update, May 2025

Laura Mallett, MSN, RNPresident, Kansas State Nurses Association News from the board: We met in January and held an orientation for the new board members and the President-elect. In the afternoon, we went into session to wrap up last year’s…

Kansas State Nurses Association Update

Linda Adams-Wendling, PhD., MSN, MBA, APRN, CNP, GNP-BC, NEA-BC, CNEPresident, Kansas State Nurses Association FIRST AND FOREMOST, I want to thank the KSNA Membership for the opportunity to serve as the KSNA President for the past 2 years (as of…

Kansas: The Place for Growing Families?

WHEN CONSIDERING FAMILY well-being and pregnancy risks, the March of Dimes notes “Where you live matters.” Disparities in maternal and neonatal outcomes have plagued this country for years. Kansas is no exception as these disparities and inequities have continued. Infant…

KSNA | Social Media Etiquette for Nursing Professionals

This is sponsored content and is supplied by Nurses Service Organization. The content has been reviewed by our HCM internal editorial staff but is not peer-reviewed. In today’s digital world, social media is a vital tool for connection and communication.…

KSNA Executive Director’s Message

Dana EricksonExecutive Director,Kansas State Nurses AssociationGREETINGS FELLOW KSNA MEMBERS, We are now well into the new year – I hope it is going well for you, your loved ones, friends, colleagues, and of course your patients if you have a…

KSNA Executive Director’s Message, February 2025

Dana EricksonExecutive Director,Kansas State Nurses Association Greetings, fellow KSNA members,  I hope the New Year is treating you well as we welcome 2025! There are a few recent updates and changes going on at KSNA as a result of member…

KSNA Executive Director’s Message, June 2024

Dana EricksonExecutive Director,Kansas State Nurses AssociationDEAR FELLOW KSNA MEMBERS, As hard as it is to believe, summer will begin in just a few days—2024 seems to be marching on at a brisk pace! I hope you have exciting plans in…

KSNA Executive Director’s Message, September 2024

Dana EricksonExecutive Director,Kansas State Nurses AssociationGREETINGS, fellow KSNA members! I hope your summer has been delightful and full of good things. Let’s dive in to touch upon some of KSNA’s busy spring and summer highlights, ongoing efforts, and future focus:…

KSNA Leadership Messages, December 2023

KSNA President’s Message DEAR KSNA MEMBERS, Linda Adams-Wendling It is hard to believe we are already publishing another issue of the Kansas Nurse. We have collaborated with the publisher to ensure the sequencing (volume and issue) of the Kansas Nurse…

KSNA Regional Annual Reports

KSNA Region Annual Reports EAST REGION The East Region is comprised of the following leadership: Bridget Camien, President; Traci Atzenweller, Vice President; Keri Jarvis, Secretary/Treasurer; Deana Wilhoite, Member at Large; Pia Spitzer, KSNA Board Member; and Jill Kleithermes, MDS CEO.…

Learning to Lead – Empowering Nursing Students as Peer Mentors

CLINICAL EXPERIENCE is an essential component of nursing education. However, it has been documented that clinical experience generates a significant amount of anxiety for nursing students (Walker & Verklan, 2016). Nursing students in a midwestern university’s baccalaureate nursing program have…

Meet the KSNA Board!

The strength of the Kansas State Nurses Association lies in the dedication and leadership of its Board of Directors. These committed professionals guide our association, advocate for nurses across the state, and work tirelessly to advance the nursing profession. In…

Midwest Multistate Division (MW MSD) Update

THE MW MSD has been fully implemented and successfully operating for seven years. We continue to utilize shared resources to allow your executive director to focus on increasing membership and strengthening the imprint of state nurses associations (SNAs) on nursing…

Navigating Medicare: A Guide for Kansas Nurses

MEDICARE IS A CRITICAL PILLAR in the vast healthcare landscape, supporting millions of Americans, including a substantial segment of Kansas’s population. For nurses across the state, understanding Medicare’s intricacies is beneficial and essential for providing comprehensive care. This guide aims…

New Report Available on the State of Nursing in Kansas

Kansas has suffered chronic shortages and occasional surpluses of nurses for many years. Severe shortages of nurses during the COVID-19 pandemic impacted how care was provided in hospitals, clinics, long-term care facilities, home health, public health and in schools. Employers…

Questions you should ask before volunteering

VOLUNTEERING IS A GREAT WAY for nursing professionals, including registered nurses (RNs) and advanced practice nurses (APRNs), to get involved in their communities and to support causes that are important to them.

Remembering Adam Tebben, Past KSNA President

THE KANSAS STATE NURSES ASSOCIATION (KSNA) expresses profound sorrow at the passing of Adam Tebben, a KSNA Member, devoted past KSNA president and former president of the National Student Nurses’ Association (NSNA). Tragically, Tebben, a flight nurse, lost his life…

Selenium Supplementation and Sudden Infant Death Syndrome

SUDDEN INFANT Death Syndrome (SIDS) is the leading neonatal cause of death for infants between one month and one year old. Approximately 4,000 infants annually die from unknown causes in our country. Preventing SIDS risks is an important priority for…

The Science of Teams

RENEWED INTEREST in implementation of state of the science interventions and treatments in healthcare settings is promoting collaboration across disciplines and institutions. This requires a change in the way we think about teams and teamwork in healthcare. Team science provides…

Thriving Together: How Generation Z is Transforming Nursing Education

Introduction Working with Generation Z nurses has been both innovative and transformative. Defined as individuals born between 1997 and 2012, Generation Z brings a unique perspective to nursing, shaped by their experiences, educational background, and the global impact of the…

Writing retreats for nurses: Inspiration to share

Invest in your writing skills and journey. Takeaways: Nurses can write about various topics, including evidence-based practice, patient engagement and education, quality improvement, new care approach effectiveness, clinical interests, and more. Writing retreats have become increasingly popular, and they’re associated…