Alaska Nurses Association
3701 E Tudor Road, Suite 208, Anchorage, AK 99507 Phone: 907-274-0827 Fax: 907-272-0292     aknurse@aknurse.org

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Dr. Judith Briles

Dr. Judith Briles
Dr. Judith Briles(center) poses with AaNA Executive Director Debbie Thompson and PAMC Chief Human Resources Officer Scott Jungwirth during a break at the AaNA Statewide Conference

Dr. Judith Briles was the keynoter for the 2009 Alaska Statewide Nurses Conference October 16th and 17th. Briles is an award winning author and internationally renowned speaker and researcher on healthcare work place issues. Briles entitled her keynote address, “Stabotage!” after her bestselling book by the same title. Dr. Briles also lead two breakout sessions.

Known within healthcare as the Conflict Doctor, Briles is a workplace trailblazer. Dr. Briles pioneered new research on dealing with conflict and toxic behavior and the ins and outs of determining a workplaces true culture. In her lecture, Dr. Briles also discussed the current phenomenon ravaging many healthcare workplaces; workplace bullying. Attendees listened in rapt attention as Briles professed “every workplace has them - -pit bulls that hide behind lipstick and designer clothes; snakes who flip their abrasive tongues…; scorpions who sting…; skunks that seem innocent until you get in their space; and the slugs....”

Dr. Briles went beyond identifying the traits and tactics of problem managers and co-workers. She offered common sense advice for optimum job satisfaction and survival in the workaday jungle. Briles advice included teaching on enhanced listening and communication skills and strategies on “the art of confronting.” For best results, according to Briles, “you must be composed and have your facts together.”

While in Alaska, Briles also gave a workshop attended by managers and supervisors at Providence Alaska Medical Center. The AaNA was pleased to host Dr. Briles and looks forward to an ongoing interactive relationship. Dr. Briles may be contacted through her website—www.briles.com.

Legislative Hearing on
House Bill No. 50

(Safe Nursing & Patient Care Act)
(read full text of the bill here)

Where: Room 307, University of Alaska Anchorage Library
When: Tuesday, October 27 - 9 AM until 12 PM (or until done)

Please attend and show your
support for Alaska’s nurses!

A Subcommittee of House Finance is meeting in Anchorage on Tuesday, October 27 starting at 9 AM to hear Rep. Wilson’s House Bill No. 50. The meeting will be in Room 307 at the University of Alaska’s Library. HB50 prohibit mandatory overtime for nurses and provides other protection to eliminate excessive overtime by nurses.

Nurses are needed to attend to show support for the bill. Wear your scrubs. Come over from work for as long as you can stay.

We believe testimony will be by invitation. It’s possible the Subcommittee will open it up to hear from more people. Be prepared to give 2 minutes of testimony If the opportunity is there and you would like a chance to be heard. There will another hearing in January when anyone who wants to speak will be able to do so.

What is needed for Tuesday is your physical presence to provide a strong showing of support and solidarity to get HB50 enacted into law!

Please let your Nursing colleagues know and invite them to attend!!!!!!

(read full text of the bill here)


Members of the AaNa take time from their busy schedule to pose for a photo. Members were in Juneau January 27th, and 28th talking with legislators concerning House Bill 50. Left to right: Debbie Thompson, RN, ED, Jamie Easterly, RN, Joshua Meals, RN, BSN, Donna Phillips, RN, BSN, Megan Orien, RN, BSN, and Mary Stackhouse, RN.

 As the Alaska State Legislature started it’s 26th session, members from the AaNa were in Juneau January 27th and 28th for the annual AFL-CIO state convention this past week. During their visit to the state capital, members were out in full force talking with state representatives and senators relaying the importance of the passing of House Bill 50 & Senate Bill 12 during this year’s session. We were even lucky enough to spend a brief moment talking about mandatory overtime with Governor Sarah Palin! With the aid of Senator Bettye Davis & Representative Peggy Wilson, RN and other co-sponsors, the no mandatory overtime bill/ patient safety act continues to push forward in the halls of the legislature. Although this year looks promising in the passing of this patient and nurse oriented bill, the Alaska Nurses Association needs your help.

Please take time and call or write your representative and senator to tell them how important this bill is to you and the patients you care for. The purpose of this bill is to promote patient safety and better working conditions for nurses, and we can all agree that as primary caregivers, nothing is more essential than nurse and patient safety. This is truly a safety issue, and nothing more. By eliminating mandatory overtime, registered nurses can rest assured that the only overtime worked will be made out of personal and professional judgment.

Each year we continue to move closer to the passing of this important legislation, and in past years we are met with many obstacles. This is why it is important that your senators and representatives hear from their constituents…this is how it works, and this is what it will take for the bill to pass. If you have any questions please feel free to call the Alaska Nurses Association at 274-0827. If you have any stories about mandatory overtime, including being “on-call”, and would like to share your story…we need them STAT. Please call Joshua Meals, RN, BSN at 748-1735, or the AaNA. Thanks for your help and involvement.

If you're not familiar with House Bill 50 or Senate Bill 12, check out: http://www.legis.state.ak.us/basis/get_bill_text.asp?hsid=HB0050A&session=26 (HB 50)

http://www.legis.state.ak.us/basis/get_bill_text.asp?hsid=SB0012A&session=26 (SB 12)

Unsure who your legislators are? Check out: http://w3.legis.state.ak.us/misc/districts.php

Here’s what happened to the bill last year: http://www.aknurse.org/NewSite/aklegislation.shtml

Representative Don Young assists nurses by signing on to HR 2122 and HR 2123

Representative Don Young has signed on to assist nurses in Alaska and across the country by backing the Safe Nursing and Patient Care Act (HR 2122) and Nurse Staffing Standards for Patient Safety and Quality Act (HR 2123). These acts help restrict mandatory overtime and set nurse to patient ratios for the highest quality patient care potential. At the same time, they insure a well staffed nursing workforce by offering an improved working environment for those interested in the public's most trusted profession. For more information please visit www.uan.org and click under legislative action.

Congressman Don Young Co-Sponsors RESPECT Bill

Alaska nurse leaders Kathleen Gettys and Donna Phillips visited the offices of Congressman Don Young, R-Alaska, as part of the United American Nurses lobby effort, March 22, in Washington D.C.  Gettys and Phillips also met with the Congressman's wife Lou who took them as her guests to a D.C. Republican luncheon.

Congressman Young, at the request of the two Alaskan nurses, agreed to co-sponsor an important piece of national legislation: The Re-Empowerment of Skilled and Professional Employees and Construction Tradeworkers (RESPECT) Act.- Congressman Young introduced the bill along with Reps. Robert Andres (D-New Jersey) and Sen. Christopher Dodd (D-Connecticut), making the bill a bi-partisan effort.

The bill (HR 1644 and SB 969) would reverse a recent National Labor Relations Board ruling that slashed long-time federal labor law protection of workers' freedom to form unions. The ruling essentially enabled employers to designate as "supervisors" any worker - including nurses - who has the authority to assign or direct another and uses independent judgment. This ruling, in many cases, would have applied to charge nurses. Under federal labor law, supervisors are not protected against retaliation for forming unions.

The NLRB ruling has the potential of negatively impacting Alaska's 6,000 nurses and their patients. During the meeting, Young agreed that the NLRB decision undermined workers' ability to form unions and was a form of "union-busting"; With Congressman Young's support, the UAN and American Nurses Association are optimistic about the newly introduced legislation's chance of becoming law.

AaNA Position Paper Re: Registered Nurse Supervision of EMT/Paramedic Student Training in Alaska

AaNA Report & Position Paper - Administration of Dietary Supplements by Registered Nurses in Alaska
(Be patient; it is a large document).

Online Continuing Education:
CEs from the comfort of your own home.

American Nurses Association: Join, renew or inquire about your membership: www.nursingworld.org

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