& V I E W S Cf

A W H O N N

AWHONN Launching Women’s Health Guide for Consumers Distribution Sites Being Recruited for ‘Essential Guide for Healthy Living’

t a time when more and more women are seeking information

from reputable, expert sources for their own health care deci- A sions, AWHONN is launching Every Woman: The Essential

Guide for Healthy Living. AWHONN is making this publication available

so that nurses can give it out at no charge to their female patients.

Women trust nurses more than any other kind of health care provider,

which ti why Every Woman ti written for women by nurses.

The purpose of Every Woman is to assist women in making health care decisions and behavior modifi- cations that promote their optimal health and wellness. Every Woman builds on the implicit and inherent trust between women and their nurs- es. Public opinion polls demonstrate that women trust nurses to listen to their health care concerns, provide accurate and timely health care advice and to be a valuable ongoing resource in understanding and imple- menting health maintenance and promotion strategies. Women trust ‘

nurses more than any other kind of health care provider, which is why Every Woman is written for women by nurses. Every Woman is a fully indexed, annual health reference tool that women can refer to time and again regarding important health and lifestyle issues.

The content for Every Woman has been developed by a group of nurse experts within AWHONN. The 300-page book is distributed to more than 500,000 women in health care settings across the U.S. Its format is timely, practical, easy- to-read, and concise. Its presenta- tion reflects the highest standards of good taste in publications design, thereby demonstrating AWHONN’s commitment to a usable, approach- able guide women will keep for use time and again.

in this first volume include articles Must-read topics contained with-

on staying healthy, managing health complications and, of course, it wouldn’t be an AWHONN product if it didn’t include a section on women’s health concerns on the cutting-edge of health information, including the following topics:

Nutrition and exercise Heart health Cancers in women, including breast cancer - Hormone replacement therapy Moms and babies Aging well Osteoporosis Continence Irritable bowel syndrome AIDS, HIV, and sexually transmit-

Pain management Emotional well-being Genetics and genetic testing MindJbody connections Choosing your health care provider

This publication, which is free to

ted diseases

women through their nurse health care providers, is bringing the best in evidence-based health mainte- nance and health promotion infor- mation, as well as important lifestyle news, to the women we serve-thus advancing AWHONN’s mission of promoting health for women and their families.

receive 500 copies each of this new, dynamic women’s health publica- tion. This full-color book will include health and lifestyle news, plus advertising from the book’s sponsors, in an oversized magazine- style format. To become a distribu- tion site for Every Woman, simply fill out the Every Woman Site Application Form found on page 51 of this issue and fax it to Executive Editor Carolyn Cockey at (219) 744- 7443, or log on to the AWHONN web site at www.awhonn.org, fill out the site application posted, and e-mail it to Carolyn Cockey. If you have questions regarding Every Woman, you can contact Carolyn Cockey at (219) 744-3899 or (toll- free) at (877) 744-3899.

AWHONN is recruiting sites to

48 A W H O N N L i f e l i n e s Volume 4, Issue 4

Please note that AWHONN can ship the books to any type of health care site that sees at least 500 women annually. For sites that require more than 500 copies, please submit multiple site applica- tion forms with a separate site coordinator identified on each form. Be part of this dynamic new women’s health reference tool and help improve the health and well- being of the women AWHONN members serve.

New Position Statements Released

W H O N N has released A three new position state- ments on several issues critical to nursing practice during preg- nancy and labor:

Professional nursing support of laboring women Fetal assessment Midwifery

Two of the papers are revisions of earlier position statements, and

‘fAWONN maintains that continuouslly available labor support by a professional registered nurse i~ a critical component to

achieve improved birth outcomes. ” the third (Professional Nursing Support of Laboring Women) is a new statement. All three are intend- ed to promote the health of preg- nant women and newborn babies by advancing the standard of pro- fessional nursing care.

es, health care facilities and educa- tional institutions look to AWHONN to provide leadership on issues like this that affect women’s reproductive health care,” said AWHONN Executive Director Gail G. Kincaide, CAE. “With the release of these new statements, we are representing the voices of

“Many practicing obstetric nurs-

obstetric and neonatal nurses who deliver health care to pregnant and laboring women and newborns every day.”

Professional Nursing Support of Laboring Women states in part: “AWHONN maintains that contin- uously available labor support by a professional registered nurse is a critical component to achieve improved birth outcomes ... Only the registered nurse combines adequate formal nursing education and clini- cal patient management skills with experience in providing physical, psychological, and sociocultural care to laboring women ...”

Celebrating Legislative V i n e s The House of Representatives has passed two very important bills affecting women and children. The Children’s Health Care Act, which passed 419-2 and contains provisions on safe motherhood, folic acid, autism, fragile x. and other childhood health issues and the Breast and Cervical Cancer Treatment Act, which passed 421-1.

The current program offers breast and cervical cancer screening to low income women but there is no mechanism to offer them treatment if they are diagnosed with cancer.This bill would allow states the option to cover the treatment for women who are screened under this program.

AWHONN supported these legislative efforts and AWHONN members worked hard to get these bills through. Members sent more than 400 e-mails to their members of Congres regarding these important issues.To be a part of the legisla- tive and advocacy efforts at AWHONN, log onto www.awhonn.org. Support these and other leg- islative initiatives that are ongoing:

H Ensure access to quality health care for women and newborns-including expansion of State Children Health Insurance Programs

W Support nondiscrimination of patients based on genetic testing

W Maintain confidentiality of patient records

W Increase federal funding for women‘s health, nursing education and nursing research pro- grams

who choose to breastfeed for up to one year post-delivery

H Promote reimbursement for advanced practice nurses

W Increase funding levels for breast cancer and osteoporosis treatment

W Secure reimbursement for contraceptives and infertility treatment

W Advance safe motherhood initiatives

W Build funding and support for national folic

H Achieve managed care reform-specifically,

H Address nurse licensure issues

H Support legislation that protects women against abuse and violence

W Endorse enhanced family medical leave legislation

H Protect the safety of the mother and newborn

W improve return-to-work options for women

acid campaign

direct access including advanced practice nurses

from environmental toxins

AugusVSeptember 2000 A W H O N N L i f e l i n e s 49

‘fAWONN supports the practice of- the cert@ed nurse-midwife as a primary care

nurse practitioner who zls prepared to independently manage most aqects

of women k health care. ” The registered nurse facilitates

the childbirth process in collabora- tion with the laboring woman. The nurse’s expertise and therapeutic presence influence patient and fami- ly satisfaction with the labor and delivery experience. Women who are provided with continuously available support during labor experience improved labor and delivery outcomes compared with those who labor without a skilled support person.

addresses the use of electronic fetal monitoring and other practices to assess the well-being of pregnant women and their babies, states in part: “AWHONN supports the use

Fetal Assessment, which

Calling All

of fetal auscultation and palpation of uterine activity as well as the judicious, appropriate application of intrapartum electronic fetal monitoring (EFM) in order to assess and promote maternal and fetal well being. AWHONN does not support the use of electronic fetal monitoring as a substitute for appropriate professional nursing intrapartum care ...”

AWHONN recognizes that only registered nurses, advanced practice nurses, and physicians with profes- sional expertise should initiate and evaluate the ongoing use of EFM technology. Furthermore, AWHONN strongly advises that all nurses who perform fetal assess-

ment during the antepartum or intrapartum period complete a course of study that includes the physiologic interpretation of EFM data and its implications for labor support.

Midwifery, which supports the practice of nurse-midwives as pri- mary care nurse-practitioners, states in part: “AWHONN supports the practice of the certified nurse-mid- wife as a primary care nurse practi- tioner who is prepared to indepen- dently manage most aspects of women’s health care. The certified nurse-midwife’s practice should include appropriate professional consultation, collaboration, and referral as indicated by the health status of the patient and applicable state and federal laws.”

AWHONN supports nurse-mid- wifery education programs that are accredited by the American College of Nurse-Midwives’ (ACNM) Division of Accreditation, and nurse-midwife practitioners who are certified by the ACNM Certification Council, Inc. (ACC).

Copies of the position statements are available on-line at w.awhonn.org, under “Resources.” +

”Every Woman: The Essential Guide for Healthy Living,” a women’s health publi- cation written by nurses and produced by AWHONN entirely for consumers is now available. Every Woman is being distributed directly to women through our nurse members. This free publication wilt bring the best in evidence-based health maintenance and health promotion information, as well as important lifestyle news, to the women we serve-thus advancing our mission of promot- ing health for women and their families.

AWHONN is currently recruiting sites to receive 500 copies each of this dynamic new women‘s health publication this July.This full-color book contains approxi- mately 300-plus pages of fully-indexed health and lifestyle news, plus health-relat- ed advertising information from the book‘s sponsors. If you’re interested in being a distribution site, please complete the following site application form and fax or e- mail to Carolyn Davis Cockey at 219-744-7443 or Life/ines@awhonn.org.

Please note that we regret that we can’t distribute the publication to sites that see fewer than 500 female patients annually. Be part of this dynamic new women‘s health reference tool and help improve the health and well-being of the women we serve.

50 A W H O N N L i f e l i n e s Volume 4, Issue 4

I I l l 1 u EVE RY WOMAN Site Application ~ o r m Fax to: Carolyn Cockey Fax: 219-744-7443

CONTACT INFORMATION FOR SITE COORDINATOR: Questions? Call 219-744-3899

Site Coordinator Name Credentials

Title Institution

Exact Mailing Address

City State Zip Code

Ofice Phone Fax Email

TELL US ABOUT YOUR SITE: 1. Type of Institution/Site: (Check main category that best describes your site) center (FQHC)

Federally qualified health

Health center without FQHC qualification (please specify one of the following:) Public, e.g., health deparhnent, resident clinic Private, e.g., HMO/PPO/Managed Care, private ofice, home health setting Nurse-managed Teaching University/Other Academic Setting, e.g., academic health centers

Other:

2. Number of nurse practitioners and RNs seeing female patients at your site: __________~

TELL US ABOUT THE FEMALE PATIENTS AT YOUR SITE: (plemegiveyourbestestimates)

3. Number of female patients ages 25 and older seen annually at your site:

4. Age of female patients at your site: % Younger than age 25 % Ages 25-34 % Ages 35-50 % Ages 5 1 years old and older

100%

5. Insurance coverage for female patients at your site: % Medicaid % Privately Insured % HMO/PPO/Managed Care % Self-Pay

100%

6. RacelEthnic mix of female patients at your site: % WhiteEuropean-American % Black/Afiican-American % Hispanichtina % Asian % Native AmericdAlaskan Native % Pacific Islander % Multiracial % Other

100%

AUTHORIZATION FOR EVERY WOMAN DISTRIBUTION 7. Do you have a review board or review group that needs to approve EVERY WOMAN before it can be distributed at your site? - Yes - No (we regret that we cannot ship to sites that will not ultimately distribute the publication)

8. Because the publication will not be available for preview prior to distribution, would a letter on AWHONN/EVE RY WOMAN letterhead regarding EVERY WOMAN suffice for your internal review group? Yes No

I verify that I am authorized to accept 500 copies of EVERY WOMAN for distribution at the herein named institutiodsite. I agree to distribute EVERY WOMAN to female patients ages 25 and older at this Same institution and to participate with AWHONN in providing feedback regarding EVERY WOMAN during the 12 months following receipt of the publication.

Site Coordinator: Date

AugustEepternber 2000 A W H O N N L i f e l i n e s 51