Information will shortly be available about the DANA Annual General Meeting (AGM) that will be held on Friday June 21^st 2013 in Auckland. One of the agenda items deals with changes to the DANA Constitution.  To give you plenty of time to familiarize yourself with the proposed constitution, and to have any question that you would like to ask answered, we have prepared the following information.

There are two main reasons for the changes; to bring the constitution in line with the laws that apply in NSW (where DANA is incorporated) and to position DANA for the future.

Some of the specific changes and inclusions that are proposed:

• An important sentence about “cultural awareness” has been added to the Mission statement;
• A comprehensive list of definitions has been added;
• Electronic signing of minutes will be allowed;
• In recognition of the changing nature of nursing careers there is no longer a requirement for life member nominees to be retired;
• There is provision to appoint a patron or patrons to further the interests of DANA;
• Simplifying the  administration of  joining DANA;
• Increasing flexibility around membership renewal dates in that the joining date for new members becomes their annual renewal date ;
• The award of “commendation”  has been added to allow formal recognition of work that has furthered the interests of DANA;
• With the introduction of electronic technology and fully automated membership payments the role of membership secretary may not be required;
• There is the potential to combine Management Committee positions and the ability to combine chapters if required;
• “Deemed nomination” allows Chapter Representatives or Office Bearers  to continue in their roles unless another person is nominated for the position or they choose to step down;
• The availability of electronic (direct) voting;
• The ability to appoint Advisory Committees;
• The possibility of using proxy voting;
• The introduction of non-DANA member volunteers (e.g. professionals offering their services pro bono).
• Italicized quotes and footnotes are used throughout the constitution to guide readers, and future DANA Management Committees,  to the relevant sections of the Act should they need clarification in the future.

Follow this link to access DANA Proposed Constitution 2013.  Follow this link to access DANA Constitution 2012. If you have any questions please direct them to [email protected]

It’s that time of year again; time to prepare for the DANA Annual General Meeting (AGM) that will be held during the 1st Australasian Mental Health and Addiction Nursing Conference in Auckland at breakfast time on Friday June 21st.

One of the many important agenda items at the AGM is the appointment of the DANA Management Committee. Positions become vacant every two years and while the incumbents are welcome to renominate, other candidates can also be put forward for these positions. When there is more than one candidate for a position a vote is required.

If you are the type of person who would like to contribute fresh and innovative ideas to drug and alcohol nursing, even if you haven’t been a member for long, give serious thought to nominating for one of the vacant positions or, strongly encourage another DANA member/ colleague to nominate. Nominations close on May 15th 2013.  The form to use  is available by clicking at this link to nomination form

There is a time commitment that you should consider carefully as you will be required to participate regularly at monthly teleconferences and various working parties. In return you will be provided with a great professional development opportunity.

The vacant positions are:

• Secretary
• International Vice President
• Qld Representative
• NSW Representative
• ACT Representative
• Vic Representative
• Tas Representative
• WA Representative
• NZ Nth Island Representative
• NZ South Island Representative.

Would you like to know more?   Feel free to contact Colleen Blums ([email protected]) for more information, or your local chapter representative. Contact details are available by clicking on the tab labelled ‘people’ on this website.

Would you like to be more closely associated with DANA’s organisation and management?  Keep reading even if you are a really new member.

Some exciting changes are happening within DANA which means that we are looking for members to join the management team and help fulfil important roles for our organisation.

You would have a chance to be directly involved with:

• Conference planning;
• Regional educational activities;
• Strategic planning;
• Policy development;
• Development of DANA submissions;
• Influence nursing workforce development;
• Support innovative practice;
• Organising local chapter meetings;
• Contributing to DANA communication tools;
• Hosting DANA trade booths at conferences and events;
• And more!

There is a time commitment that you should consider this carefully as you will be required to  participate regularly at monthly teleconference meetings and various working parties.

In return for your hard work you will gain:

• Valuable experience and professional development (looks great on your résumé);
• Opportunity to meet and learn from other nurses who work in the field from across  Australia and New Zealand;
• Increased  knowledge about all aspects of drug and alcohol nursing, and
• Satisfaction in the knowledge that you are doing something really useful for your colleagues and professional area.

Positions on the DANA Committee become vacant every two years. The incumbents are welcome to renominate. However other candidates can also be put up for election for these positions.

Under this system several positions are due to become vacant and need to be filled at the next DANA Annual General Meeting in June 2013 either by the incumbent re-nominating or by alternative candidates. When there is more than one candidate for the position an election is required.

Would you like to know more?   Feel free to contact Colleen Blums ([email protected]) for more information, or your local chapter representative.

Apply now for membership of the DANA Credentialling Advisory Committee

DANA is delighted to announce the next important stage of its credentialling program* for drug and alcohol nurses; the formation of a Credentialling Advisory Committee.

Applications are now being taken for positions on this Committee.  Its members will represent the diverse professional groups working across the spectrum of the specialist drug and alcohol field. Members will serve up to two terms each of 24 months. The roles are voluntary.

Committee members will meet face to face annually, and then via second monthly teleconference. The Credentialling Advisory Committee is charged with supporting the DANA credentialling and re-credentialling process by:

• promoting the benefits of nurse credentialling in general and of DANA credentialling in particular;
• ensuring that credentialling / re-credentialling selection criteria meet current standards;
• reviewing each application against the credentialling / re-credentialling criteria;
• advising the DANA Management Committee if individual applicants meet the credentialling / re-credentialling criteria, or not;
• preparing an advisory response if applicants, in the first instance, do not meet credentialling / re-credentialling criteria.

Qualifications

Essential skills and experience

• a  broad knowledge, experience and expertise in the drug and alcohol speciality;
• specialist drug and alcohol qualifications or equivalent;

• superior communication skills and the ability to work effectively with a broadly based peer group.

Desirable

• Nurse applicants need to be  licensed to practice in Australia or New Zealand;
• Employed (full or part time) or self-employed within the drug and alcohol specialty in Australia or New Zealand;
• DANA member,  or member of an affiliated organisation;
• Nurse applicants need to be committed to becoming a credentialled Drug and Alcohol Nurse.

How to apply-

For further inquiries telephone Colleen Blums, the President of DANA on 0427 013 033 during business hours or apply at [email protected] no later than 28th February 2013.

The application needs to:

a) include a current CV;

b) address the criteria listed above;

c) Include a statement regarding the importance of credentialling to the applicant and the reason for their interest in the appointment;

d) Include two professional referees.

*Find out more about DANA and Credentialling at this link  DANA Credentialling Background Document v2

https://www.danaonline.org/2013/01/22/apply-now-for-membership-of-the-dana-credentialling-advisory-committee/

We are keen to keep you up to date with progress towards the launch of the DANA Credentialling Program.

A DANA working group, the Credentialling Working Party (CWP) has been formed.  Our recent call for volunteers drew responses from around Australia and New Zealand. The CWP has met twice by teleconference and we are currently working on:

• governance issues;
• organisational issues and;
• the development of policies.

The CWP is responsible for putting in place the processes and systems needed for a credentialling program to work. A few examples include:

• systems for managing confidential information;
• development of application forms, (including organising legal input);
• development of associated paperwork/forms;
• consumer input;
• communication with DANA members;
• pricing;
• development of  policies on verifying credentials; insurance, eligibility criteria; appeals processes; mandatory and suitable qualifications for credentialling to take place etc.

The CWP is also developing the Credentialling Advisory Committee (CAC). This independent group of people (approx. 5-6), will determine if an applicant’s education, clinical experience and ongoing professional development meet the pre-determined credentialling standards. The final composition of this committee is yet to be determined but it will feature a well-balanced representation of D&A nurses.

Questions from DANA members that have arisen so far have been answered below:

 What do we mean by ‘credentialling’?

Credentialling is “a process of professional validation by which an individual nurse may be designated as having met established professional nursing practice standards.”

Credentialling is sometimes also referred to as ‘certification’.

 What are some of the benefits of credentialling?

• Ensuring a consistent standard of quality patient care;
• A consistent standard of practice;
• Retaining a strong identity as specialist A&D nurses;
• Opening up employment prospects;
• Being a recognised expert in the field.

 Is credentialling only for nurse practitioners?

No.  Credentialling allows nurses to voluntarily measure their practice and experience against a pre-determined standard.  It is not necessarily about “advanced practice” but it is about “best practice”.  Nor is credentialling about deeming a nurse competent at any tasks. This would require an observational evaluation and this is not a part of the credentialling process. Credentialling is open to all practitioners who choose to volunteer for the process. It provides a benchmark – if someone has been through the process then there is a known standard against which they have been compared.

 What are the options for experienced nurses who may not have post graduate qualifications?

There can be several pathways to becoming credentialled. The role of the Credentialling Advisory Committee (CAC) will be to finally determine these pathways.  In the formative days of other credentialling programs, some organisations have used a “grandfather clause” to address the issue of some nurses who do not hold formal university qualifications, yet are extremely experienced clinicians. This might prove to be an option for DANA.  These clauses normally cease after an initial period.

 Would non DANA members be able to participate in the credentialling process?

Yes, but they would be required to pay a higher premium for this, so they would be advantaged by joining DANA.

 Other organisations undertake a re-credentialling program.  Is this something being considered by DANA?

Yes, because it is important that we demonstrate our ongoing commitment to professional development.  The opportunity to re-credential would occur every 3 years.

 We will continue to keep you updated on the development of the DANA Credentialling Program over the next six months.  If you have any questions or queries, or would like to contribute in any way to the project, please send an email to Colleen Blums (DANA President) on [email protected]