Thank you to all the candidates and voting members who participated in the recent ARN leadership election. It is with tremendous pride and excitement that ARN issues this announcement of the election results and the association's newest class of leadership.

Each manuscript submitted to RNJ is processed through the Editorial Manager software system. Melissa Bellows, the RNJ Editorial Assistant, checks the manuscript to make sure that all the pieces are there that the journal requires. This "check" does not look at the quality of the manuscript but looks at the details required in submitting the manuscript. If the manuscript is complete, Melissa forwards it to me as editor-in-chief. I look at every manuscript and decide if the topic is in the scope of the journal and would be of interest to RNJ's readers. If the manuscript is poorly written and there are many gaps in the paper, I might send it back to the author(s), explain the issues and ask them to re-submit. These manuscripts receive a disposition of "revise, no guarantee of publication". Other times if I feel that the manuscript cannot be revised enough to be published, I will send it back to the author with reasons why it did not go out for peer review.

In her September President's Message, ARN President Dr. Patricia Quigley examines a recent, first-of-its-kind study that quantifies the impact of visitation restrictions during the COVID-19 pandemic on patient experience and safety outcomes. The article is a must-read for rehab nurses as they continue to face ongoing challenges of limited and eliminated visitation privileges for their patients in the midst of the pandemic.

If you are an ARN member or a Rehabilitation Nursing Journal (RNJ) subscriber, you should soon receive your September/October issue in the mail. Check out a preview of three great articles that will be gracing the pages of this issue, or visit the journal online to read the full issue.

Join ARN for the Post-Acute Care Nursing Leadership webinar series! This four-part webinar series presented by ARN Board Member and VP of Nursing Operations at Encompass Health, Mary Ellen Hatch, MSN RN CRRN, will cover main topics in post-acute care nursing like personal foundation, leading people, engaging patients, and peer collaboration.

We were notified by LWW, Rehabilitation Nursing Journal's publisher, that the impact factor (IF) for 2020 was 1.645. This is an incredible jump from last year's factor of .931. So, what is an impact factor and why are we journal folks so excited about it? Each year in June the journal receives an IF from Journal Citation Reports. This organization tracks citations from 20,000 journals from 113 countries. Journals are from the sciences, arts and humanities, and the social sciences.

In her August President's Message, ARN President Dr. Patricia Quigley revisits past months' calls for ARN member participation and introduces a new opportunity for rehab nurses to contribute: Reimagining the rehabilitation nursing specialty by "disrupting—for the better—long-standing practices that leave nurses under-developed, under-utilized, and under-appreciated."

Gabrielle P. Abelard, DNP PMHNP PMHCNS-BC RN and Terrie Black, DNP MBA CRRN FAHA FAAN recently published an editorial in Rehabilitation Nursing, the official journal of ARN, about self-care and gratitude in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. The editorial, which is accessible to all ARN members, is published in the May/June 2021 issue of RNJ. Access the full article >

If you are an ARN member or a Rehabilitation Nursing Journal (RNJ) subscriber, you should soon receive your July/August 2021 issue in the mail. Check out a preview of three great articles that will be gracing the pages of this issue, or visit the journal online to read the full issue.

In her July President's Message, ARN President Dr. Patricia Quigley encourages rehabilitation nurses to begin preparing for Fall Prevention Awareness Day (September 22) and Week (September 22-28) to help raise awareness about how to prevent falls.

Each year, ARN offers members scholarships to advance their development and their practice. The application deadline for the scholarships listed below has been extended through July 15, 2021.

Novice writers often find writing for journals intimidating. The internet has brought many other writing opportunities such as blogs, wikis, e-newsletters, etc. Oftentimes these other options can be a 'jump-start' to publishing in a journal or writing a book chapter. What is different, though, is the writing style. On social media, the writing style is conversational versus the scholarly writing in Rehabilitation Nursing. As an example, a conversational style of writing is used in writing articles for the RNJ Corner. Some of you might want to take the next step of writing scholarly articles. You have a great quality improvement project that changed practice in your facility; however, you don't know how to turn it into an article.

Most people who have had COVID-19 recover completely within a few weeks. But too many people continue to experience symptoms and negative impact after their initial recovery. These people have been called "long haulers." This includes a variety of possible symptoms, including cognitive impairment, fatigue, headaches, shortness of breath, and kidney dysfunction and many others.  

Last month, ARN members and CRRN certificants were invited to participate in an Engagement Survey conducted by ARN's Engagement Task Force. Thank you to everyone who responded to this call for feedback and shared their insights!

The impact of effective discharge training on our patient's quality of life.

Post-surgical care plays an important role in the success rate of heart surgery and it improves patients' quality of life. A recent Rehabilitation Nursing Journal study details how a better quality of post-operative care will increase the success rate of cardiac surgery and can help prevent any further complications.

In her June President's Message, ARN President, Dr. Patricia Quigley, shares a personal reflection on how far we have come to face the COVID-19 pandemic. She also shares ideas to help nurses celebrate and enjoy the start of the summer season!

ARN Board Member Mary Ellen Hatch explores long-term COVID-19 implications in new article​ 

Last year began with plans to celebrate nurses as the World Health Organization designated 2020 as The Year of the Nurse and the Midwife. Then just a few months into the new year, the COVID-19 pandemic created a massive challenge that nurses and healthcare providers worldwide stepped up to handle. Now as these same nurses and healthcare providers begin reflecting on the past year to both continue fighting COVID-19 as well as to begin assessing how to take steps into a post-pandemic future, leaders like Mary Ellen Hatch, MSN RN CRRN, are beginning to publish their insights and experiences.  

If you are an ARN member or a Rehabilitation Nursing Journal (RNJ) subscriber, you should soon receive your May/June 2021 issue in the mail. Check out a preview of three great articles that will be gracing the pages of this issue, or visit the journal online to read the full issue.

Each submitted manuscript to RNJ is processed through iThenticate, a plagiarism detection software. As the editor, I receive the manuscript as well as a percentage score from iThenticate (1-100%).iThenticate calls the score and accompanying phrases a 'similarity report'. The software compares the submitted manuscript with a database of web pages - 70 billion active and archived ones; works from scholarly publishers representing every discipline from online and offline content - 90 million (including PubMed/Medline, EBSCOhost, and a host of others); newspapers magazines, encyclopedias, periodicals and books – 170 million; and 300,000 theses and dissertations that are available through ProQuest. The result (percentage) measures to what extent the submitted manuscript matches writing from previously existing sources. The software then highlights the phrases that match the text in an existing source and provides links to those sources. iThenticate and Turnitin are part of a parent company called iParadigm. Turnitin is similar to iThenticate in that it searches the same sources, but in addition, searches 1 billion student papers.

In her May 2021 President's Message, Dr. Patricia Quigley invites ARN members and all rehab nurses to celebrate Nurses' Month, which will take place throughout the month of May, by taking time to celebrate themselves and their colleagues.

ARN congratulates Board Member Susan B. Fowler, PhD RN CNRN CRRN FAHA FCNS, on her achievement of receiving the 2021 Mary Decker Mentorship Award at American Association of Neuroscience Nurses (AANN) 53rd Annual Educational Meeting! 

Does multiple sclerosis and its symptoms impact your patient's risk of loneliness? The Rehabilitation Nursing Journal article, "Loneliness in Multiple Sclerosis: Possible Antecedents and Correlates," discusses the relationship between multiple sclerosis (MS) and loneliness. The article, which was written by Drs. Balto, Pilutti, and Motl, is centered around a study that uses the Perlman and Paplau's social psychology theory of loneliness and the UCLA loneliness scale to examine and compare the extent of loneliness between adults with MS and healthy adults.

Learning to write an abstract is a skill that will help you disseminate scholarly work through publication, a poster, or conference presentation. An abstract is a summary of a research study, quality improvement (QI) or evidence-based practice (EBP) project, or body of work. The abstract is as important as the article itself since it is often the first part of the article read. It allows the reader to determine if they want to read the entire article. The abstract should be concise (typically 150-250 words) but detailed enough to stand on its own. Abstracts are written after the article is complete and should be written in the past tense since you are reporting on what has already been completed. Below are headings typically found in abstracts:

Dr. Patricia Quigley's April 2021 President's Message discusses steps ARN and other organizations can take to address the aging nursing workforce by researching workflow, practice, and environmental changes that support older nurses' health and function.

A new publication co-authored by ARN Board Member Dr. Grace Campbell discusses the challenges of pain management in patients with serious illnesses and a history of substance use disorders (SUDs).

The Rehabilitation Nursing Journal (RNJ) contains educational content that focuses on contemporary rehabilitation nursing practice across the continuum of care and the lifespan. The journal is published every other month and provides opportunities for professional development, as well as a forum for the dissemination of information pertinent to practice, education, research, and administration. RNJ strives to provide a journal that disseminates timely information and new trends in practice each issue.

This 8 article collection from ARN's Journal, Rehabilitation Nursing, details the impacts, both psychological and physical, of stroke, while containing research and clinical articles that focus on stroke survivors and their family caregivers.  

If you are an ARN member or a Rehabilitation Nursing Journal (RNJ) subscriber, you should soon receive your March/April 2021 issue in the mail. Check out a preview of three great articles that will be gracing the pages of this issue, or visit the journal online to read the full issue.

There are many benefits to being an ARN member, but did you know that it might make you eligible for a scholarship? If you're looking to earn your Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) or are looking to earn a graduate degree like a Master of Science in Nursing (MSN), or a doctorate in nursing (PhD, DNP, DNS/DNSc), you should strongly consider applying for an ARN Scholarship. Each of these scholarships offers financial assistance of $1,500.

Dr. Patricia Quigley's March 2021 President's Message highlights key aspects of ARN's history and role in establishing a competency model for rehabilitation nursing, as ARN prepares to issue an updated model later this year.

ARN President, Dr. Patricia Quigley, issued the following message via Member Circle on February 22, 2021, to memorialize the grim milestone passed in the U.S. on this day when the country exceeded more than half a million lives lost to COVID-19. Members may login to view responses to Pat's original message and leave their own comments here.

Complete with its own launch event on February 26, the World Health Organization (WHO) has announced the initiation of their new Rehabilitation Competency Framework (RCF). In development since 2017, this framework is designed to serve the needs of countries whose rehabilitation workforce is under-equipped to meet their population's pressing needs, whether due to large-scale shortages across professions and specializations or issues of quality and relevance.

Did you know that the number one reason new members cite for their decision to join ARN is that a friend or colleague referred them? Through the ARN Refer-a-Friend program, current members are able to expose their colleagues to ARN's nursing education resources, certification opportunities, an extensive network of rehab nursing professionals, and research—all while making themselves eligible to win awesome prizes like a free year of membership or complimentary conference registration.

Did you know that accidental falls is considered a national health crisis with a high-risk factor amongst individuals with cancer?  

Rehabilitation Nursing uses the online editorial management system, Editorial Manager, for submission of manuscripts. The website (https://www.editorialmanager.com/rnj/default.aspx), in addition to serving as the repository of manuscripts, provides important information for both authors and reviewers. Here is an overview of the information you can find on the Editorial Manager website.

Dear Colleagues,

As the year 2020 entered its final month, a groundbreaking, must-read article was published in The Lancet that necessitates ARN's attention and action. ARN is the only national and international specialty association for rehabilitation nurses in the world positioned to respond to the call for action posed in this article.

The ARN Board of Directors selected Kathy Clark, MSN RN CRRN FARN, and Rosemarie King, PhD RN, as the 2020 recipients of Distinguished Service Awards. This award acknowledges their service and contribution to rehabilitation nursing and to the organization as a whole. This award also recognizes their leadership and commitment to the field through their active participation in ARN events and activities.

ARN is excited to announce plans to renew Encompass Health as an institutional member for the year 2021-2022. Established in 2020, this partnership allows ARN to enhance its advocacy for rehabilitation nursing and the improvement of healthcare delivery.

ARN is proud to announce that three ARN members have been officially appointed to National Quality Forum (NQF) committees. NQF's mission is to promote and ensure patient protections and healthcare quality through measurement and public reporting. The ARN and NQF work hand in hand to support quality health care delivery. This partnership now includes three ARN appointees who will provide vital rehabilitation nursing perspectives to the following national NQF Committees:

In June of last year following the murder of George Floyd at the hands of police in Minneapolis, ARN 2019-2020 President Barbara Lutz, PhD RN CRRN PHNA-BC FAHA FAAN and Executive Director Gayle Irvin, MPH CAE issued a joint statement on racism and public health. In the statement, Barb and Gayle wrote, "ARN is committed to standing with our nursing, public health, and community partners to address issues of racial inequality, health inequity, and implicit bias. As rehabilitation nurses, we are committed to helping people recover from disabling illness and injury and prevent further disability. We can use that same commitment to address the debilitating and disabling effects of racism on the health and well-being of our citizens and our communities. It is our duty…it is our calling."

A statement from ARN President Dr. Patricia A. Quigley in response to the January 6, 2021, insurrection at the U.S. Capitol.

If you are an ARN member or a Rehabilitation Nursing Journal (RNJ) subscriber, you should soon receive your January/February 2021 issue in the mail. Check out a preview of three great articles that will be gracing the pages of this issue, or visit the journal online to read the full issue.

In her first President's Message of 2021, Dr. Patricia Quigley calls on rehabilitation nurses to fill in gaps within existing COVID-19 research literature by publishing their stories, and, in doing so, assert the vital role of rehabilitation nurses in the care of COVID patients, their families, and their caregivers.

The Association of Rehabilitation Nurses (ARN) presented the 2020 Chapter Award to our two newest chapters—the Delaware Chapter, established in July 2019, and the Baystate Chapter, established in March 2020. The award, which recognizes the hard work and perseverance of chapters, was presented at ARN's 2020 REACH conference held virtually October 20–22. 

The Rehabilitation Nursing Journal (RNJ) contains educational content that focuses on contemporary rehabilitation nursing practice across the continuum of care and the lifespan. The journal is published every other month and provides opportunities for professional development, as well as a forum for the dissemination of information pertinent to practice, education, research, and administration. RNJ editors strive to provide a journal that disseminates timely information and new trends in practice each issue.

Revisiting a popular Rehabilitation Nursing Journal study that used manual and automatic chronometers to evaluate the test-retest reliability of the timed up and go test in women with fibromyalgia.

The Association of Rehabilitation Nurses (ARN) Past-President Barbara J. Lutz, PhD RN CRRN PHNA-BC FAHA FAAN, awarded Michelle Camicia, PhD MSN RN NEA-BC CCM CRRN FAHA PHN FARN, the 2020 President's Award. The award, which recognizes outstanding contributions to the field of rehabilitation nursing, was presented at REACH 2020, ARN's Annual Educational Conference held virtually October 21–24.

On October 21, ARN inducted its 2020 class of fellows during the REACH 2020 virtual conference. Established in 2019, the ARN Fellow Designation (FARN) is the most distinguished level of member, as well as a public hallmark of professional esteem.  

In her December 2020 President's Message, Dr. Patricia Quigley reflects on 2020 Year of the Nurse and Midwife celebrations in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic and applauds ARN members for their resilience. In the spirit of giving this holiday season, Dr. Quigley urges members to consider giving their colleagues a gift that keeps giving: The gift of an ARN membership.

From the first world war to more recent disasters, such as the 2015 Nepal earthquake, the importance of integrating rehabilitation into emergency responses to conflicts and disasters has been clear. To help meet this need, the World Health Organization (WHO) has worked alongside a number of organizations to support the development of a field handbook and eLearning modules on "Early Rehabilitation in Conflicts and Disasters".  

The Rehabilitation Nursing Journal (RNJ) contains educational content that focuses on contemporary rehabilitation nursing practice across the continuum of care and the lifespan. The journal is published every other month and provides opportunities for professional development, as well as a forum for the dissemination of information pertinent to practice, education, research, and administration. RNJ editors strive to provide a journal that disseminates timely information and new trends in practice each issue.

In this issue of RNJ Corner, RNJ Associate Editor, Linda L. Pierce, PhD MSN RN CRRN FAAN, discusses what to look for in an author mentor and mentee relationship, and how you can look at the relationship from a learning perspective.

During REACH 2020, ARN's annual conference held virtually last month, we announced recipients of the 2020 ARN Role Awards. ARN Role Awards are given for outstanding contributions in various aspects of rehabilitation nursing. They offer members and opportunity to acknowledge their peers and colleagues for their exemplary work and service. Please join us in congratulating and celebrating the following Role Award recipients!

​Each year, ARN's annual conference features poster presentations that provide access to the latest research and emerging treatments and therapies in rehabiliation nursing. Presented virtually this year, the 2020 REACH posters again showed us the breadth and depth of the work of rehabilitation nurses.

 If you are an ARN member or a Rehabilitation Nursing Journal (RNJ) subscriber, you should soon receive your November/December 2020 issue in the mail. Check out a preview of three great articles that will be gracing the pages of this issue, or visit the journal online to read the full issue.

ARN Is Your Voice Around the World 

Since its founding in 1976, the Association of Rehabilitation Nurses (ARN) remains the only nursing specialty organization for rehabilitation registered nurses recognized by the American Nurses Association. I am so proud to be your 2020-2021 President! 

ARN members practice a rehabilitation nursing philosophy of care
Having been an ARN member since 1977, I can attest that our association truly believes that rehabilitation nursing is a philosophy of care, not a work setting or a phase of treatment. We base our practice on rehabilitative and restorative principles by:

• managing complex medical issues
• collaborating with other specialists
• providing ongoing patient/caregiver education
• setting goals for maximum independence
• establishing plans of care to maintain optimal wellness.
  
  

The vision of ARN is "to transform health care by integrating rehabilitation nursing concepts into care for all people." To this end, our members form a community devoted to the advancement and promotion of rehabilitation nursing in every practice setting, including acute care, inpatient rehabilitation units, long-term care hospitals, skilled nursing facilities, home health agencies, and academia.

ARN members are passionate about their profession and we love to celebrate all the hard work each member puts into their patient care. This month, we are recognizing Ramesh (Ram) Upadhyaya, MBA MSN RN CRRN and his recent induction into the prestigious Society of Luther Christman Fellows of the American Association for Men in Nursing.

Join WOCN Society on October 28 at 6:30 pm CT to learn about practical interventions following indwelling urinary catheter removal that you can take to your rehab setting. Earn 1.5 CE at this interactive session and register for free before it starts.  

The Rehabilitation Nursing Journal (RNJ) contains educational content that focuses on contemporary rehabilitation nursing practice across the continuum of care and the lifespan. The journal is published every other month and provides opportunities for professional development, as well as a forum for the dissemination of information pertinent to practice, education, research, and administration. RNJ editors strive to provide a journal that disseminates timely information and new trends in practice each issue.

In this issue of RNJ Corner, RNJ Editorial Board Member, Pamala D. Larsen, PhD MS RN, provides information on which updates to keep at the top of your mind when writing your manuscript.

An investigation published in RNJ seeks to identify what role resilience plays in the rehabilitation outcomes of elderly people ​

In general, resilience is thought of as the capacity to bounce back from injury or trauma. With regard to older adults, resilience can be described as the ability to achieve, retain, or regain a level of physical or emotional health after illness.  

Thank you to all of the candidates and voting members who participated in the recent ARN leadership election. It is with tremendous pride and excitement that ARN issues this announcement of the election results and the association's newest class of leadership. 

With the change of seasons comes a week of awareness for ARN and rehab nurses everywhere—Fall Prevention Week. Besides preparing your fall décor and stocking up on pumpkin flavored creamer, we have some great resources to refresh your fall knowledge and get into the spirit of the season!

The Rehabilitation Nursing Journal (RNJ) contains educational content that focuses on contemporary rehabilitation nursing practice across the continuum of care and the lifespan. The journal is published every other month and provides opportunities for professional development, as well as a forum for the dissemination of information pertinent to practice, education, research, and administration. RNJ editors strive to provide a journal that disseminates timely information and new trends in practice each issue.

 In this issue of RNJ Corner, RNJ Editorial Board Member, Pamala D. Larsen, PhD MS RN, provides tips for honing in on your manuscript submission process—starting with the planning.

Research published in Rehabilitation Nursing Journal makes the case for incorporating cancer rehabilitation as part of cancer survivorship care 

The number of cancer patients and survivors is rising worldwide. An American Cancer Society 2019–2021 report on cancer treatment and survivorship estimates that the U.S. population of cancer survivors will increase to more than 22.1 million by 2030 due to the growth and age of the population alone.

Last month Catherine Alfano, PhD, vice president of cancer care management and research at Northwell Health Cancer Institute and published Rehabilitation Nursing Journal (RNJ) author, wrote an op-ed in Newsday titled "Doing right by cancer patients." In the piece, Dr. Alfano discusses the growing need for the medical community to focus energy and resources on caring for cancer patients and survivors. "It's time to take a broader view of cancer care. Treatment is not just about vanquishing the disease; it's also about keeping people healthy and feeling as good as possible for the rest of their lives," writes Dr. Alfano.

ARN's journal, Rehabilitation Nursing, has complied a collection of 8 articles regarding family caregiving to offer rehab nurses a chance to expand their knowledge of care and perspectives while earning CE credit.

These freely accessible articles cover topics on identifying stroke caregiver concerns, using websites to reduce caregiver burden, spinal cord injury rehabilitation, caregiver engagement, quality of life of family caregivers, information needs of family caregivers, and assessment of the preparedness of family caregivers.

If you are an ARN member or a Rehabilitation Nursing Journal (RNJ) subscriber, you should soon receive your September/October 2020 issue in the mail. Check out a preview of three great articles that will be gracing the pages of this issue, or visit the journal online to read the full issue.

How do you make a difference? What do you hope to see in the future of nursing? The World Health Organization designated 2020 as the Year of the Nurse and Midwife in recognition of the contributions made, and the risks associated with, nursing shortages. Help us continue our vision for the future of rehab nursing. A donation to ARN's $2,020 in 2020 fund will help facilitate the development of new programs and drive the rehabilitation specialty foreword. 

Let's show how strong we are by raising $2,020. Learn more and donate today.

In March 2020, the Garnet Health Medical Center (GHMC; formerly the Orange Regional Medical Center), received notice that it had earned Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities (CARF) accreditation based on CARF's recent survey. The 3-year accreditation is for the medical center's inpatient rehabilitation program and the report identified no recommendations—an accomplishment achieved on only 3% of CARF surveys.

We spoke with ARN member Carmella Pistone-Halpern, MA NEA-BC CRRN, nursing director of inpatient rehabilitation at the medical center, to learn more about this incredible achievement.

The Rehabilitation Nursing Journal (RNJ) contains educational content that focuses on contemporary rehabilitation nursing practice across the continuum of care and the lifespan. The journal is published every other month and provides opportunities for professional development, as well as a forum for the dissemination of information pertinent to practice, education, research, and administration. RNJ editors strive to provide a journal that disseminates timely information and new trends in practice each issue.

In this issue of RNJ Corner, RNJ Editorial Board Member, Leslie Neal-Boylan, PhD APRN CRRN FAAN, provides tips for honing in on your manuscript submission process—starting with the planning.

ARN members are invited to participate in the First Annual Pediatric Orthopedic Symposium, which will be presented virtually by Hackensack Meridian Children's Health on September 15, 2020, 3-8:15 pm CT. This pediatric orthopedic symposium was designed collaboratively to provide physicians, rehabilitation therapists, PAs, APNs, RNs and other healthcare providers with an increased understanding of treating musculoskeletal challenges in the pediatric population. This course will provide participants with an appreciation of prompt diagnostic identification, new surgical interventions, and best practice intervention management.  

The Rehabilitation Nursing Journal (RNJ) contains educational content that focuses on contemporary rehabilitation nursing practice across the continuum of care and the lifespan. The journal is published every other month and provides opportunities for professional development, as well as a forum for the dissemination of information pertinent to practice, education, research, and administration. RNJ editors strive to provide a journal that disseminates timely information and new trends in practice each issue.

In this issue of RNJ Corner, RNJ Editorial Board Member, Laura Dzurec, PhD PMHCNS-BC ANEF FAAN, provides tips for conducting manuscript reviews.

If you are an ARN member or a Rehabilitation Nursing Journal (RNJ) subscriber, you should soon receive your July/August 2020 issue in the mail. Check out a preview of three great articles that will be gracing the pages of this issue, or visit the journal online to read the full issue.  

 Tackling a manuscript review can seem like a daunting task. Through preparation and up-front organization, though, you can simplify the review process. Here are some tips that have been helpful to me.

To celebrate the 200th birthday of Florence Nightingale on May 12, 2020, we invited you to make a donation to honor a nurse or organization for their outstanding work. Thank you to the following honorees, that have clearly made an impact both on their patients and on those who donated in their honor.

Thank you to ARN member Jennifer Riccobono-Nichols, BSN RN PHN CRRN, for sharing this powerful reflection. Jennifer is a proud rehabilitation nurse who currently works in Monterey, California - at the William R. Lewis, MD Inpatient Rehabilitation Unit - Community Hospital of the Monterey Peninsula. ARN members can connect with Jennifer in Member Circle.

Last May I was privileged to visit the Florence Nightingale Museum in London. Walking through Florence's era of nursing was fascinating and thought-provoking. During that month there was a special exhibit about the Spanish flu pandemic of 1918–1919. Never in my wildest dreams did I imagine a pandemic in 2020.

 The ARN Fellowship Program launched in 2019 to celebrate the Association's 45th anniversary. The inaugural class of fellows included 15 long-standing members of ARN. The ARN Fellow Designation (FARN) is the most distinguished level of membership, as well as a public hallmark of professional esteem.

As the COVID-19 health crisis continues, many post-acute rehab facilities are preparing for, or are actively managing, an influx of COVID-19 admissions to their facilities. This expected increase in admissions will impact patient care, staff safety, and discharge protocols in a significant way.

​ARN and MedBridge co-hosted a free webinar, "Prep for COVID-19 Admissions & Patient Care in Rehab Facilities: Panel Discussion," on June 4. If you missed attending the webinar, you can still access the recording completely free!

Visit the Medbridge site for the free recording.

The following message was issued by ARN leadership to members on June 5, 2020. 

If you are an ARN member or a Rehabilitation Nursing Journal (RNJ) subscriber, you should soon receive your May/June 2020 issue in the mail. Check out a preview of three great articles that will be gracing the pages of this issue, or visit the journal online to read the full issue.

 ARN publishes Rehabilitation Nursing Journal (RNJ) six times each year using an external publisher, currently Lippincott Williams & Wilkins in Philadelphia. The journal is provided to all ARN members as a benefit of membership; it is also sold on a subscription basis to individuals, organizations, and libraries in the United States and foreign countries.

We're so grateful for you—you're putting yourself at risk to care for your patients and providing essential medical support and the company and care isolated patients need to have a positive quality of life.

Please join us in congratulating Maureen Musto, MS RN APRN-CNS ACNS-BC CRRN, on her recent appointment to the Development Group for Traumatic Brain Injury and Parkinson's Disease, a carefully selected group of clinicians from around the world working on the World Health Organization (WHO) Package of Rehabilitation Interventions (PRI)! 

The Rehabilitation Nursing Journal (RNJ) contains educational content that focuses on contemporary rehabilitation nursing practice across the continuum of care and the lifespan. The journal is published every other month, and it provides opportunities for professional development, as well as a forum for the dissemination of information pertinent to practice, education, research, and administration. RNJ addresses current healthcare topics relevant to nursing, other professions, and rehabilitation. Your RNJ editors strive to provide a journal that disseminates timely information and new trends in practice each issue.

 Sixty percent of American adults live with at least one chronic condition, according to a Rand study. These conditions range from diabetes and asthma to arthritis, fibromyalgia, irritable bowel syndrome, and more—and they require daily management.

We sat down with Crystal Saulsberry, MSN, Assistant Academic Chair for Nebraska in the School of Nursing at Purdue University Global, to discuss how rehabilitation nurses can teach patients how to manage a chronic condition.

If you are an ARN member or a Rehabilitation Nursing Journal (RNJ) subscriber, you should have received your March/April 2020 issue in the mail. Check out a preview of three great articles that will be gracing the pages of this issue, or visit the journal online to read the full issue. 

 One in four American adults is living with a disability that affects their major life activities, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports. Rehabilitation nurses play a vital role in helping these people live happier, healthier lives.

We sat down with Lisa Riecke, MSN, faculty member in the School of Nursing at Purdue University Global, to discuss how acute care nurses can make a difference in their patients' lives.

Do you want to advance your professional development and practice? ARN offers financial assistance scholarships to member nurses who are interested in advancing their education.

Do you have an exceptional peer who goes above and beyond to advance the practice of rehabilitation nursing and enhance the care of rehabilitation patients? Recognize a rehabilitation nurse by nominating them for an ARN Role Award!

Peer review is the foundation of publication in scholarly journals. The quality of an article is only strengthened through a rigorous double-blind peer-review process. Double-blind peer review means the reviewers don't know who the authors are, and the authors do not know who the reviewers are. The editor is the only one who knows both the author(s) and the reviewers. Rehabilitation Nursing Journal (RNJ) reviewers number close to 100 and are most likely to be Association of Rehabilitation Nurses (ARN) members. In addition there are a fair number of reviewers who are not ARN members who are experts in their fields and volunteer their time to RNJ.

Have you been reading the Rehabilitation Nursing Journal? If not, pick up your copy today to get up-to-date on the industry insights and dynamic data that is influencing the practice of rehabilitation nursing today! ARN Members receive a free subscription.

I can't believe it's February already and the groundhog didn't see his shadow, so spring is right around the corner. We've been very busy at ARN!

ARN's 2020 Conference is in the Works

The Conference Planning Committee is well underway developing an exciting and engaging annual conference program for REACH 2020. We hope to include content that many of you have suggested on your past conference evaluations. If you'd like to be a part of the education, please consider submitting an abstract to present a paper, poster, or case study in San Antonio this coming October. The REACH call for abstracts is now open. You are all doing fantastic work in your rehab settings, and presenting at REACH is a great way to showcase your innovative work.

Strategic Planning

Last month, the board, a few members-at-large, and ARN staff met to engage in an energetic and forward-looking strategic planning session led by a nationally renowned consultant, Mary Byers. We participated in 2 days of discussion, exploration, and visioning for our future. We hope to have the final version of the plan available later in the spring and are excited about our opportunities on the horizon. More to follow!

Leadership Development

We are also re-energizing the Nominating and Leadership Development Committee, led this year by our past-president extraordinaire, Michele Cournan. We are striving to implement leadership development for those elected and create a leadership pathway for those interested in getting more involved with ARN. If you are looking to get more involved with ARN, keep an eye out for the annual call for nominations and volunteer opportunities later this year. Our current committees are underway. With the new strategic plan, new committees or volunteer opportunities may arise. We want to ensure we utilize our best resources–you, our members, to reach our goals.

ARN is excited to invite submissions to the 2020 Fellow Designation program—the most distinguished level of membership and a public hallmark of professional esteem!

This honor can be achieved by nurses who have demonstrated outstanding leadership in rehabilitation nursing, provided notable contributions, have notable service to ARN, and demonstrated commitment to the specialty of rehabilitation nursing.

Applications are being accepted February 1 through July 1, 2020 (new, extended deadline). The 2020 FARN class will be honored at the ARN REACH Annual Meeting in San Antonio, TX, October 21–23.

Encompass Health recently announced a new membership with the Association of Rehabilitation Nurses (ARN), and I couldn't be more excited about the opportunities this will bring to our nurses. Not only does it allow us to provide ARN membership to individual nurses at each of our hospitals across the country, as well as attendance to the 2020 REACH conference, the alliance of our organizations shows commitment to enhancing the expertise of rehabilitation nursing.

CHICAGO (November 6, 2019): The Association of Rehabilitation Nurses (ARN) just released the 8^th edition of The Specialty Practice of Rehabilitation Nursing: A Core Curriculum. The latest edition of the Core has 25 chapters of content from across the breadth of the specialty compiled and reviewed by 66 experts. There is no more comprehensive reference on the specialty of rehab nursing.  

Alcohol and substance use disorder has been around for centuries, but is a growing concern in the United States today with significant effects on economic, social, and healthcare systems. The estimated cost of addiction to illicit drugs alone in the U.S. is over $600 billion per year (Herman & Roberto, 2015). Short term use can cause changes to blood pressure, heart rate, and mental status, while cardiac arrest or stroke has been known to occur even after just one use (NIDA, 2017). Not everyone who partakes in alcohol or drug use will become addicted, but when addiction does occur, it is due to changes in normal brain activity which ultimately leads to long-lasting drug-induced neuroplastic changes. 

The Association of Rehabilitation Nurses (ARN) – Past-President Stephanie Vaughn, PhD RN CRRN FAHA, and current ARN President Michele Cournan, DNP RN ANP-BC FNP CRRN – have been asked by the World Health Organization (WHO) to participate as the only designated nurse members of WHO's recently organized Competency Framework Steering Group. 

​Recently, my 11-year-old son and I visited an Urgent Care about what I suspected was a urinary tract infection. The doctor asked my son basic questions related to his symptoms, including something about pain in his testicles. My son looked at me quizzically and I explained to the doctor that my son doesn't have testicles. He's transgender, born with female anatomy. To my great relief, the doctor nodded his acknowledgment and continued the conversation. My son, too, breathed a sigh of relief. We'd gotten through the tricky part.

Tune into ARN's next live webinar, Essential Steps in Using & Training Apps, on June 13. Michelle R. Wild, MA, will show you how apps can be used as a cognitive resource in rehabilitation, as well as how to use apps to conduct systematic instruction training.

In recognition of Stroke Awareness Month, ARN wants you to know about President-Elect Barbara Lutz, PhD RN CRRN PHNA-BC FAHA FNAP FAAN, for the Stroke Article of the Year Award she received at the American Heart Association International Stroke Conference, in Hawaii, in February earlier this year!