GAPAN Revitalization 2020-2023: Update March 2021

It is difficult to speak to the challenges that each of us have experienced in the past 12-months- personally and professionally. Throughout our component stories have trickled in of the extraordinary efforts each of you have had moving forward through the unknown. Perianesthesia nurses have been tasked to step forward to move away from traditional pre/post anesthesia care and dig deep into their intensive care and medical/surgical roots uplifting ICUs in the PACUs, smiling through reassignments, and for some, dealing with furloughs as elective surgeries have paused again and again.

When all could have collapsed you held strong and kept the engines running.

We are grateful for your steadfastness. We are grateful for your compassion. We are grateful for you.

Our component has undergone changes as well. In January 2020, the BODs met for our annual retreat and continued an ongoing discussion of component revitalization. We are not unique in our challenges to adapting our organization to meet the needs of our membership today. Founded in 1977 GAPAN has had many changes, but the vision and mission remain.

Following that meeting our BOD was scheduled to have a retreat in March 2020 with additional members-at-large to discuss our needs going forward. And those plans did not materialize. As one day moved into the next, we drifted further from that retreat and the priorities of GAPAN. We have been remiss in meeting your needs during this time. And for that I apologize and offer my commitment to increase visibility and accountability.

We have had changes in the membership of the board of directors in the past four months.

President:

Pamela Terwilliger has led this organization with distinction in her multiple roles in district and component leadership. In 2018 Pam was elected to represent our component as President-elect and was sworn in as President in 2019. She presented the plan for revitalization and obtained approvals by the official vote of the board of directors to suspend our bylaws to allow for the time to have the work completed. In addition to her efforts with GAPAN, Pam continues to serve on several national committees. Pam has requested to transition from President of GAPAN and we all wish her continued success in her continued professional and academic pursuits. Pam has agreed to serve as consultant to the board to allow us to glean from her well-versed knowledge base.

Immediate- Past President:

Betty Cantrell has been a member of ASPAN since 1993 and CAPA certified for more than 25 years. She held multiple district and state level roles in GAPAN to include GAPAN President 2018-2019. In addition, she has served on national committees including the Clinical Practice Committee. Beginning her career in 1976, Betty is transitioning her position of Immediate Past President to focus on a much-deserved retirement this year.

Newsletter/Website/Social Media Editors

Heather Gault Wagenbrenner and Abby Chilson joined the GAPAN board of directors in 2019 to support the communication efforts of the component. Active in multiple sectors they brought a varied experience to the board. Moving forward in their careers both Heather and Abby have transitioned from their positions in our communications team. We wish them nothing but the best.

Component Districts

Augusta/Atlanta/Northeast

Just like the component board has had challenges, so too have the district boards. While we undergo the revitalization, we want to meet the needs of all of the members, even if the districts are not meeting through offering component wide educational events such as virtual journal clubs and conferences as well as membership meetings such as virtual Town Halls.

We will be having two members-at-large during revitalization from each district, as well as three members-at-large from all the rest of the state that are not represented by a local district. WE NEED YOU- if you would like to help us shape the future of GAPAN please volunteer to be a part of the member-at-large group.

Please encourage your colleagues to register for our Nursing Network page so they may take advantage of all that is planned to be offered.

Yours in Service,

Sarah M. I. Cartwright, DNP, MSN-PH, BAM, RN-BC, CAPA, FASPAN

President, 2021-2023.