We are pleased to present the August issue of the ARN Health Policy Digest. This member benefit provides updates on health policy and legislative and regulatory developments that may be of interest to rehabilitation nurses.

We are pleased to present the July issue of the ARN Health Policy Digest. This member benefit provides updates on health policy and legislative and regulatory developments that may be of interest to rehabilitation nurses.

We are pleased to present the June issue of the ARN Health Policy Digest. This member benefit provides updates on health policy and legislative and regulatory developments that may be of interest to rehabilitation nurses.

We are pleased to present the April issue of the ARN Health Policy Digest. This member benefit provides updates on health policy and legislative and regulatory developments that may be of interest to rehabilitation nurses.

ARN is proud to introduce two new partnerships with Chamberlain University and Walden University that empower our ARN members to achieve their goals, find success, and make inspiring contributions to the global nursing rehab community. Learn about tuition savings opportunities for ARN Members and other benefits.

This Monday, July 25, ARN has opened applications for their annual awards and scholarship opportunities. Nominate yourself, your organization, or your colleagues for numerous chances to be recognized for outstanding services in rehabilitation nursing.

The Association of Rehabilitation Nurses (ARN) is aware of our June 2022 Certified Rehabilitation Registered Nurse (CRRN) exam test takers' experience, and we hope to bring clarity to the situation. We greatly appreciate your feedback and patience during this time. We'd like to shed light on the root cause of the delay, which is the exam standard setting process.

The ARN Advancing Science and Practice Committee is providing the opportunity for up to (2) winners of a Quality Improvement Grant, which focuses on improvement projects within rehabilitation. Applications will remain open until July 15, 2022. 

The Certified Registered Rehabilitation Nurse (CRRN®) exam is offered twice a year, in June and December, and offers rehab nurses an opportunity to demonstrate their knowledge and commitment to the field through specialty certification. To learn more about the certification process, please visit https://rehabnurse.org/crrn-certification/earn-your-crrn. 

You could become a fellow of ARN! Applications are now open for the ARN Fellow Designation (FARN) - the most distinguished level of membership. You may qualify based on the new qualifications.

Have you recently worked on a project that has the potential of changing systems of care for patients with disabilities and chronic illnesses? The ARN Advancing Science and Practice Committee is providing the opportunity for up to (2) winners of a Quality Improvement Grant, which focuses on improvement projects within rehabilitation. Applications will remain open until July 15, 2022. Learn more and apply.

As a nurse, you can take your career any direction you wish. Encompass Health's Vice President of Nursing Operations and ARN Board of Directors member, Mary Ellen Hatch, speaks to the tremendous career growth she's witnessed in her decades of service. Whether you're an early career nurse working toward additional certification, a nurse leader ready to take on more responsibility or a seasoned care provider seeking other ways to make an impact on patients' lives, the opportunities are endless. Read more

We have all been charting a course through the unknown of the COVID pandemic. As we emerge into new realities, it is more important than ever to lean on one another. Together, we can overcome such challenges like retaining our staff and recruiting new nurses to our teams. None of us alone have the answers needed to thrive in this post-pandemic healthcare environment. But working together – each of us contributing our expertise, passion, and energy – we can chart a new course into a brighter future.

Expect ARN to be by your side collecting and sharing your ideas, providing some of our own, and outfitting each of you with the resources you need to succeed.​

Thank you to all our 2022 Abstract Reviewers who volunteered their time! Your hard work and dedication will help make ARN's 2022 Annual Rehabilitation Nursing Conference a success. Over 100 submissions were reviewed and scored by our incredible group of dedicated volunteer Abstract Reviewers.

The Association of Rehabilitation Nurses (ARN) Board of Directors and Nominating and Leadership Development Committee position nominations are quickly ending next week on May 15. With the President-Elect position open for nominations, learn how the current president of the association found her way to the head of the table.

The relationships rehabilitation nurses form with their patients is key to helping patients get back to what matters most after a life-altering injury or illness. There's a reason many patients return to the hospital to thank their nurses after discharge. Encompass Health's Vice President of Nursing Operations and ARN board member Mary Ellen Hatch shares how the Company provides opportunities and support to nurses so they can continue providing the best care possible. Learn more

With the Board of Directors elections quickly approaching, hear from the current ARN President-Elect about her journey to leadership.

Bring your leadership skills and ideas to contribute to the future of the organization. ARN voting members in good standing are eligible to run for office and elect future leaders of ARN. ARN provides the resources and support that enable rehabilitation nurses like you to thrive in your workplace and careers. To apply for one of the positions, below, please complete your application by May 15, 2022*.

Association of Rehabilitation Nurses (ARN) was granted reaccreditation for nursing continuing professional development (NCPD) for an additional 4 years from the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC). This reaccreditation proves ARN's commitment to using evidence-based criteria when developing high-quality educational activities that promote the professional growth of rehabilitation nurses.

The Association of Rehabilitation Nurses (ARN) gives a big congratulations to The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, Dodd Rehabilitation Hospital for Newsweek Magazine rating them the number one Best Physical Rehabilitation Center of Ohio in 2021.

We are pleased to present the March issue of the ARN Health Policy Digest. This member benefit provides updates on health policy and legislative and regulatory developments that may be of interest to rehabilitation nurses.

The Association of Rehabilitation Nurses (ARN) Health Policy Committee is pleased to announce the winners of the 2022 Nurse in Washington Internship (NIWI) Scholarship: Yvette Salas, MSN CRRN, and Nanci Steinebach, MSN RN CCM CRRN.

Since 2018, Tammy Lepucki, RN CRRN, has worked as a floor nurse in a rehabilitation unit for Franciscan Alliance. In her nursing journey, she started as a licensed practical nurse (LPN) in 1998 and graduated with an associate degree in nursing (ASN) in 2000.

As hospitals across the nation struggle with retaining nurses, one Massachusetts rehabilitation hospital has been able to not only retain nurses but also improve nursing retention rates and trust throughout the pandemic. What's its secret? According to nursing leadership at Encompass Health Rehabilitation Hospital of Western Massachusetts, it's all about communication and keeping staff informed. Learn more >

We are pleased to present the February issue of the ARN Health Policy Digest. This member benefit provides updates on health policy and legislative and regulatory developments that may be of interest to rehabilitation nurses.

"My CRRN has allowed me to stand out as a top candidate for many roles along my professional career in rehabilitation and more," says our Certified Rehabilitation Registered Nurses (CRRN) Spotlight of the week, Lydia Hendrix, BSN, RN, CRRN.

The Association of Rehabilitation Nurses (ARN) wants to celebrate and high-five you, our members, through our Member Spotlight. We want you to show off your team's successes and provide that soap box to shout about your coworkers and friends who go beyond without thinking about recognition.

ARN is seeking reviewers to read and evaluate abstract submissions for our 2022 Rehabilitation Nursing Conference, which will be held September 19-23 in San Diego, California and online.

We are pleased to present the January issue of the ARN Health Policy Digest. This member benefit provides updates on health policy and legislative and regulatory developments that may be of interest to rehabilitation nurses.

ARN is committed to impacting healthcare as a leader in influencing rehabilitation public policy. As a part of this commitment, we want to ensure that our members have the knowledge and opportunity to participate in the creation of public policy and advocacy related to rehabilitation nursing. In that spirit, we are pleased to announce that we are now accepting applications for the ARN Nurses in Washington Internship (NIWI) Scholarship!

As we begin a new year, ARN continues its commitment to supporting rehab nurses. The impact of the COVID pandemic continues to challenge our healthcare systems. Many inpatient rehabilitation units have been admitting acute patients. Acute hospitals are challenged to care for COVID patients while meeting the needs of their non-COVID patients.

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

We are pleased to present the December issue of the ARN Health Policy Digest. This member benefit provides updates on health policy and legislative and regulatory developments that may be of interest to rehabilitation nurses.

Each year at this time, RNJ Editorial Board membership changes and we say goodbye to outgoing members. This year three members are rotating off the board after serving 5 years. Outgoing members are Deborah Almauhy, Terrie Black, and Leslie Neal-Boylan. Deborah is the Chief Nursing Officer of Emory Rehabilitation Hospital in Atlanta. Terrie is a clinical associate professor in the College of Nursing at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst. Leslie is a nurse practitioner at the Mansfield Kaseman Health Clinic in Rockville, MD. Thank you for your commitment to the journal!

ARN is excited to announce the 2021 ARN Member Award Winners!  The winners were announced at ARN's 2021 Rehabilitation Nursing Conference. 

We are pleased to present the November issue of the ARN Health Policy Digest. This member benefit provides updates on health policy and legislative and regulatory developments that may be of interest to rehabilitation nurses.

During this time of Thanksgiving, I want to express my appreciation for you as rehabilitation nurses. You have persevered and endured through two challenging years not only for your patients and their families but for your families as well.

If you are an ARN member or a Rehabilitation Nursing Journal (RNJ) subscriber, you should soon receive your November/December 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 last act as ARN's 2020-2021 President, Patricia A. Quigley, PhD MPH APRN CRRN FAAN FAANP FARN, installed the incoming 2021-2022 Board of Directors on November 12 at ARN's 2021 Rehabilitation Nursing Conference.

The ARN Fellow Designation (FARN), established in 2019, is the most distinguished level of member, as well as a public hallmark of professional esteem. On November 11, ARN inducted its 2021 class of fellows during ARN's Rehabilitation Nursing Conference.

The Association of Rehabilitation Nurses (ARN) Past-President Patricia A. Quigley, PhD MPH APRN CRRN FAAN FAANP FARN, awarded Mary Ellen Hatch, MSN RN CRRN FARN, and Maureen Musto, MS RN APRN-CNS ACNS-BC CRRN FARN, the 2021 President's Award. The award, which recognizes outstanding contributions to the field of rehabilitation nursing, was presented at ARN's 2021 Rehabilitation Nursing Conference. 

The ARN Board of Directors selected Dr. Michele Cournan, DNP RN CRRN FARN ANP-BC FNP, as the 2021 recipient of the Distinguished Service Award. This award acknowledges her service and contribution to rehabilitation nursing and to the organization. This award also recognizes her leadership and commitment to the field through her active participation in ARN events and activities.

We are pleased to present the October issue of the ARN Health Policy Digest. This member benefit provides updates on health policy and legislative and regulatory developments that may be of interest to rehabilitation nurses.

Often, leadership training in nursing is generic and is generally based on the assumption that the nurse is working in the setting of an acute care hospital. However, those of us in post-acute care know that these settings are very different, and so are the challenges their leaders face.

 In her final message as ARN's 2020-2021 President, Dr. Patricia Quigley reflects on the past year and looks ahead to a month of gathering at ARN's upcoming Rehabilitation Nursing Conference and during the Thanksgiving holiday. The conference will take place virtually November 10-12.

​*Please note that the ARN DEI Listening Session has been postponed, and the November 3 Zoom session has been cancelled.

ARN's core values are to provide visionary leadership, professionalism, community, client care, and vision for the future and serve our membership by creating an environment where each member feels connected, valued, and respected for their differences. The November 3 ARN DEI Listening Session will offer an opportunity for rehab nurses (regardless of their membership, CRRN, or conference registration status) to hear directly from leaders of ARN's DEI Task Force and share their own experience and questions.

By earning and maintaining your CRRN certification, you're showing that you're committed to providing outstanding care to individuals with a physical disability or chronic illness and helping them toward the restoration, maintenance and promotion of optimal health – something you already do every day.  

Join ARN via Zoom on October 28 from 4-5 pm CT for the Annual Members Meeting! In this new, engaging format, you'll hear updates from current ARN leaders on the ARN strategic plan, a summary of 2021, and what ARN is looking forward to most in 2022!  

In her October President's Message, ARN President Dr. Patricia Quigley reports on recently held ARN member town hall meetings and provides an update on ARN's membership engagement efforts, including summarizing results from ARN's recent member and CRRN engagement survey. Pat also outlines the path ahead for these efforts and how they will shape ARN for years to come.

The ARN Board of Directors recently met to examine the risks of holding the in-person elements of ARN's upcoming 2021 Rehabilitation Nursing Conference this November in Providence, in light of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. The Board also carefully reviewed the results from a recent survey asking members and registered attendees to share their perspectives on this topic.

After much consideration and with your health and safety our priority, the decision was made to move ARN's 2021 Rehabilitation Nursing Conference to a virtual-only format. With much disappointment, the Board decided this is the surest way to keep everyone safe during the recent surge in COVID-19 cases.

ARN staff have already begun the work of transitioning the meeting to be a fully virtual event. While we were so looking forward to seeing rehabilitation nurses from around the country in Providence, we are still so excited for the opportunities ahead to connect through the virtual conference. Last year's virtual meeting was an energizing, engaging, inspiring environment where we were all able to come together, learn from and lean on one another. We look forward to bringing the same energy and connection to 2021.

Here is a message from members of your executive committee: 

What does the move to an all-virtual format mean for you?

We're still working on how best to transition this year's event to be fully virtual, but you can expect

• impactful programming covering a breadth of topics in rehab nursing, available on-demand from the beginning of the conference through February 10, 2022

• a robust virtual poster hall with the latest in rehab

• access to more than 60 CNEs if you take advantage of all the content available

• multiple ways to connect with your fellow attendees during the conference, including breaktime discussions, virtual special interest group (SIG) events, and more.

We'll be in touch with everyone who has already signed up for the conference with more information as we continue to navigate this change.

Attendees registered for the hybrid option will be automatically transferred to the virtual conference and refunded the difference beginning Monday, October 18. If you do not wish to attend the virtual conference, please send a request in writing to info@arn.org by Friday, October 15 for a cancellation and full refund. Requests received after October 15, 2021 will be subject to a $100 cancellation fee.

We're so excited to see everyone online again this fall, looking forward to another amazing virtual event with ARN!

Join ARN on October 12 at 12 pm CT for a live webinar that will review principles of staffing a patient care unit with nurses and various staffing models identified in the literature. Christopher Allen, BSN BS RN CRRN, Mary Jo Barnett, MSN RN NE-BC, Susan B. Fowler, PhD RN CNRN CRRN FAHA, Dan Tischer, BSN RN CMSRN CRRN, and Jason Atienza, MD MBA FACHE will discuss the structure, processes, and outcomes of implementing an innovative team care model. 

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.

We are pleased to present the September issue of the ARN Health Policy Digest. This member benefit provides updates on health policy and legislative and regulatory developments that may be of interest to rehabilitation nurses.

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.

The Certified Registered Rehabilitation Nurse (CRRN^®) exam is offered twice a year, in June and December, and offers rehab nurses the opportunity to demonstrate their knowledge and commitment to the field through specialty certification.

Join ARN on Wednesday, September 22 from 12 -1 pm CT via Zoom to network and learn more about the new Special Interest Group (SIG) program. The new SIG program will be explained during the first part of the meeting and then all attendees will be sent into SIG breakout rooms based on their interests.

ARN is committed to creating a safe and healthy environment for all 2021 Rehabilitation Nursing Conference attendees, exhibitors, vendors, staff, and community. It is in this spirit that ARN has elected to require masks as well as proof of vaccination for anyone who wishes to participate in the in-person components of the conference taking place November 9-12, 2021, in Providence, RI. A negative COVID-19 test will not be accepted in place of proof of vaccination to attend. 

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 and the National Association of Orthopedic Nurses (NAON) on September 9 at Noon CT for a livestream webinar on preventing hip fractures. ARN and NAON recognize and celebrate integration of expert orthopedic and rehabilitation clinical nursing knowledge, skills, and practices that maximize function, independence and safety of patients living with risk for hip fractures or known hip fracture. Across orthopedic injury conditions, hip fractures are one of the most disabling orthopedic conditions.

We are pleased to present the August issue of the ARN Health Policy Digest. This member benefit provides updates on health policy and legislative and regulatory developments that may be of interest of rehabilitation nurses.

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.

Interested in publishing a clinical manuscript but not sure where to start? Join ARN and Pamala D. Larsen, PhD MS RN, on August 25 at 12 pm CT for an informational webinar that will focus on how to identify clinical topics, search the literature, and develop and write clinical papers that are publishable. Time will also be spent on finding the right journal for publishing the article, key steps in writing the paper, how to decipher a journal's author guidelines, and the use of query letters.

We are pleased to present the July issue of the ARN Health Policy Digest. This member benefit provides updates on health policy and legislative and regulatory developments that may be of interest to rehabilitation nurses.

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 >

*August 6, 2021 Update: The livestream version of this webinar has been cancelled and will no longer take place at the originally planned time of August 10, 12 pm CT. A recording remains available. Get this webinar on demand >

Join Raquel Neves, PhD MSN CRRN RN to demystify the secrets of correct and safe practice. Raquel has been a rehab nurse for nine years in three different countries. She is passionate about stroke and rehabilitation and sharing her experience with others. In this webinar she will explain what moving and handling is, where it takes place, the importance of doing it safely, and best practices.

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.

​The Certified Registered Rehabilitation Nurse (CRRN^®) exam is offered twice a year, in June and December, and offers rehab nurses an opportunity to demonstrate their knowledge and commitment to the field through specialty certification.

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.

*August 4, 2021 Update: The livestream version of this webinar has been cancelled and will no longer take place at the originally planned time of August 5, 12 pm CT. A recording remains available. Get this webinar on demand >

Join ARN & NAON on August 5 at 12 pm CT for this informative webinar as Alena Lester, DNP APRN FNP-C ONP-C, discusses an overview of osteoporosis risk factors and screening practices, and associated fracture risks. The latest evidence-based practice guidelines for the nonpharmacological and pharmacological prevention and management of osteoporosis and associated fractures will also be discussed.

The Rehabilitation Nursing Certification Board (RNCB) is accepting applications for the CRRN Advocacy Award for 2021. The purpose of the award is to recognize healthcare organizations that advocate for certification for rehabilitation nurses, providing support to and recognition of certified staff.

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.

Join Patricia Quigley, PhD MPH APRN FAAN FAANP FARN, and Lyndee Leavitt, BSN RN ONC, on July 22 at 12 pm CT as the Association of Rehabilitation Nurses (ARN) and the National Association of Orthopedic Nurses (NAON) recognize and celebrate the integration of expert orthopedic and rehabilitation clinical nursing knowledge, skills and practices that maximize function, independence and safety of patients living with orthopedic conditions across settings for care. Across orthopedic conditions treated with conservative or surgical interventions, pain, restricted mobility, and loss of muscle strength and range of motion, and other conditions influence even further loss of function and independence. These same conditions increase the risk for falls. While falls remain a leading adverse event among this population, especially the elderly, solutions do exist to prioritize and reengineer fall prevention programs to mitigate and eliminate modifiable risk factors, avoid over-reliance on universal fall prevention practices and shift practice to population-based fall prevention. Examples of leading populations include orthopedic conditions that result in chronic pain, back injuries, hip and/or knee replacements.

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!

One of the most looked-forward-to aspects of ARN's annual conference is the opportunity to recognize and celebrate stand-out rehab nurses through award recognition. ARN represents thousands of rehab nurses. Nurses who work day-in and day-out to advance patient care and rehab nursing as a specialty. ARN's awards program has historically recognized nurses based on their role, including awards for advanced practice nurses, case managers, educators, nurse executives, nurse managers, and researchers. View past role award winners >

ARN is soliciting input from its members on the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Fiscal Year (FY) 2022 Medicare Hospital Inpatient Prospective Payment System (IPPS) and Long Term Care Hospital (LTCH) Rates Proposed Rule (CMS-1752-P).

We have all had patients who don't seem to want to take our advice or listen to our education. Join Tracey L. Connolly, MSN RN AGCNS-BS CRRN WCC, for this webinar on July 13 at 1 pm CT that will offer tips you can use every day to help motivate patients to participate in their own care and listen to the education that you need to provide. 

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.

​Throughout the month of May, Nurses Month, ARN joined with ANA and organizations around the world to recognize nurses and the tremendous work they do. Each week of the month focused on a different theme, including self-care, recognition, professional development, and community engagement. All month long, ARN members were invited to participate in a call for video reflections, responding to questions like 'What do you love most about being a rehab nurse?' Today we are sharing some of our favorite submissions from ARN members Debbie Thomas, RN CRRN and Pat Quigley, PhD ARNP CRRN FAAN FAANP FARN.

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!

As Americans prepare to celebrate the Memorial Day holiday this week, we also commemorate the one-year anniversary of George Floyd's murder at the hands of police last Memorial Day on May 25, 2020. Since Mr. Floyd's death, ARN has been steadfast in its commitment to condemn unjust treatment, acts of racism, and discrimination. It is in this spirit that the ARN Board of Directors and members of the ARN Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Task Force share this statement today regarding the April 2021 Derek Chauvin Trial Verdict. 

Family caregivers are central to a successful discharge home for patients receiving inpatient rehabilitation services; yet their needs and concerns are often not assessed. Completing and documenting a comprehensive caregiver assessment has become a national priority.

This final week of May and Nurses Month, ARN encourages all members to engage with their local chapters as we celebrate the theme community engagement. More than two thirds of ARN members belong to a chapter. Thank you to the many hardworking chapter leaders and members whose work provides needed community and resources to rehab nurses at the local level.

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.  

This third week of Nurses Month is focused on the theme professional development. It's an opportunity for you to create a professional development action plan to help you excel and lead in your nursing career. It's also a great time to inspire and help other rehab nurses in their professional journeys.

Read on to learn about ARN resources designed to help you take the next step in your career (and some great Nurses Month promos, too!).

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.

We are pleased to present the May issue of the ARN Health Policy Digest. This member benefit provides updates on health policy and legislative and regulatory developments that may be of interest to rehabilitation nurses.

Join ARN for two upcoming poster series webinars designed to provide information and resources for poster presenters at ARN21!

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.

Here at ARN, honoring rehabilitation nurses is our passion, joy, and purpose. More than a year into the COVID-19 pandemic, we feel it's more important than ever to make sure rehab nurses get the extra support and appreciation they deserve. So we're following ANA's lead, and we're celebrating rehab nurses the entire month of May, with a special focus on weekly themes of self-care, recognition, professional development, and community engagement.

Join ARN health policy expert, Jeremy Scott, on May 27 at 12 pm CT and learn how to make your voice heard at the federal level by engaging with Congress and the Administration. This webinar will provide an overview of the key issues on the ARN health policy agenda in 2021 to advance the rehabilitation nursing profession. ARN's new advocacy platform, Congress Plus, will be introduced. Scott will also provide a summary of the health care priorities expected to advance in the 117^th Congress and under the Biden Administration.  

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.

A key goal of ARN's 2020-2023 Strategic Plan is to enhance stakeholder engagement, including how we engage members and Certified Rehabilitation Registered Nurses (CRRN®s). An Engagement Task Force was deployed in 2021 to develop tactics towards advancing this goal. One of the task force's first actions is to conduct a comprehensive engagement survey.

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! 

During the past year the ARN Board of Directors, Governance Task Force, and staff have been busy on many fronts to enhance the ARN programs, structure, and processes. The vision has been to increase inclusivity, efficiency, and effectiveness for ARN members.