Jean A. Proehl, RN, MN, CEN, CCRN, FAEN
2007/2008 Chairperson

Demographics Ms. Jean A. Proehl is an Emergency Clinical Nurse Specialist at Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center in Lebanon, NH. Ms. Proehl is a member of the New Hampshire State Council. Personal Statement - Why I Want to Serve and What I Would Like to Contribute While Serving as Chairperson-Elect The first AEN Board will lay the groundwork for the future of the Academy. I am motivated to serve to ensure that the Academy is more than a credential distributing organization. I envision it as a working body with an active role in shaping the future of emergency nursing.

Position Statement - Personal Perspectives and Strategies on How the Academy of Emergency Nursing Can Help Advance the Profession of Emergency Nursing
The formation of the Academy of Emergency Nursing is a notable milestone in the specialty of emergency nursing. However, our primary function should not be to bestow the FAEN credential. Recognizing the accomplishments of peers by inducting them into AEN is important, but we have the potential to do much more. We can harness the collective talents and wisdom of the Fellows to help advance the specialty of emergency nursing and improve our ultimate bottom line - patient care.

The direction of Academy activities will ultimately be decided by the Fellows and the ENA Board of Directors. From those two sources, I am confident that many creative ideas will emerge. Because membership in the Academy is an enduring obligation and not an elected office with a limited term, the opportunity exists to embark on long-term activities with the consistency of seasoned Fellows complimented by the annual induction of new Fellows. Potential activities that come to mind include:

• Facilitation of research projects, especially multi-site efforts, in conjunction with the ENA Research Department. We lack evidence to support much of what we do in emergency care. AEN can help build the body of knowledge on which to base future practice.
• Assist ENA with the development of practice recommendations and consensus statements. AEN Fellows have the requisite knowledge to formulate evidence-based practice recommendations and can facilitate the expert consensus process when a higher class of evidence does not exist.
• Provision of advice and counsel to the ENA Board. The Academy Fellows are recognized contributors to emergency nursing and represent a variety of practice settings from across the United States. As such, they are a rich repository of knowledge and skill.
• Networking to bridge the divide between nursing academia and the nurse at the bedside. Specifically, I think we can help strengthen nursing curricula with basic emergency nursing knowledge and skills that are useful regardless of practice setting. Baseline nursing competencies in rapid assessment, priority setting, and life-saving intervention could help decrease the incidence of "failure to rescue" errors throughout health care.

These ideas just scratch the surface of what is possible with the collective energy and knowledge of our ranks. I look forward to involvement in this dynamic body and I am willing make the commitment that will be required of early leaders to chart the course for our future.

Back to AEN Board Menu