Pennsylvania Nurse 2019 74.3 | Page 4
Message from the President
As nursing colleagues, we agree that successful professional practice requires
lifelong learning. Opportunities for learning exist in a variety of methods and
experiences. Leaders in the profession have often demonstrated long lists of
academic credentials and certifications as a means of demonstrating such lifelong
learning. Indeed, we have experienced and observed the incredible opportunities
provided to us through our formal education and credentialing. Today, opportunities
to connect through technology are providing new avenues for nurses to engage in
lifelong learning.
During the October 2019 PSNA nursing summit and annual meeting at Camelback
Mountain Resort in Tannersville, PA, we were fortunate to have our keynote address
be delivered by an energetic, humorous young man who, on social media, goes
by the name Nurse Blake. Many of you may already know Nurse Blake from his
situational, comedic YouTube videos highlighting our shared “experiences” as both
nursing students and practicing generalists. What you may not know about Nurse
Blake is the leadership he is providing in advocating for the health and well-being of
our profession and our society.
You see, Nurse Blake is using his formal nursing education to do what we do best:
advocacy. What we learned about Nurse Blake was that during his time as a nursing
student, sharing his humorous perspectives with everyone, he also took on a national
policy to update our decades-old practices in assuring our national blood supply. I
don’t have the space here to go into full detail – but I encourage you to learn more
about this and more advocacy efforts of this aspiring young nurse at https://www.
nurseblake.com/author/blake/page/3/.
What I learned from Nurse Blake during his keynote address was that all
professional nurses, regardless of the letters displayed following their name, are
engaging in lifelong learning experiences. And that now, through technology, it can
be shared with others. This sharing broadens opportunities for us in contributing
to our own lifelong learning. While Nurse Blake shared his aspirations for formal
higher education in nursing, he didn’t wait to accumulate those letters before making
a difference as a registered nurse. And for his contribution to my lifelong learning, I
thank him for sharing his nursing expertise and advocacy.
I encourage us all to take a lesson from Nurse Blake: As registered nurses we have
something tremendous to share with society. Find
your passion within the ocean of healthcare, grow
and flourish in your nursing care, and harness
those opportunities provided to you in gaining and
contributing to all our lifelong learning.
Thank you, Nurse Blake!
Sincerely,
Mark
Issue 74, 3 2019 Pennsylvania Nurse 2
President: Mark Crider, PhD, MSN, RN
Vice President: Tarik Khan, MSN, RN, FNP-BC
Secretary: Deb Cardenas, DNP, MSN, RN,
Paralegal, LSSYB
Treasurer: Wayne Reich, RN, MSN, MBA
Board of Directors
Terri Bickert, DNP, RN, NEA-BC
Julie Beck, DEd, MSN, RN, CNE
Caroline Cowles, RN, BSN
Chief Executive Officer
Betsy M. Snook, MEd, BSN, RN
[email protected]
Chief of Staff
Jennifer Neidig
[email protected]
Headquarters
Pennsylvania State Nurses Association
3605 Vartan Way, Suite 204
Harrisburg, PA 17110-9301
T: 717-657-1222 F: 717-657-3796
Toll Free: 888-707-7762
[email protected]
Editor-in-Chief
Carol Toussie Weingarten, PhD, RN, ANEF
Editorial Peer Review Board
Patricia Becker, MS, CRNP
Susan Callahan, RN, BSN, CCRN
Joan Clites, BSN, MSN, EdD
Elayne DeSimone, PhD, RN, CRNP
Julia Greenawalt, PhD, RNC
Adele Mueller, PhD(c), MSN, RN
Carol Patton, RN, CRNP
Holly Tavianini, MSN, RN, MSHSA, CNRN
Shelley Watters, DNP, RN
© 2019 Pennsylvania State Nurses Association
www.psna.org