Voting in the 2023 AURN Annual Elections will open April 24 and close April 30. Be sure to remind your AURN colleagues to join and become full union members to vote, and make sure they have an email address registered with ONA to receive their ballot. If you are receiving this email, you're all set!

Our annual process includes the election of several key positions on the AURN Board, PNCC, and Staffing Committee.

Through uncontested nominations and consents to serve, several people are automatically elected. We're excited to welcome the following nurses to begin serving their terms of office on June 1st:
AURN Board of Directors
• Vice-President - Duncan Zevetski
Staffing Committee
• Hospital Based Nurse Staffing Committee Co-Chair: Erica Swartz
• Acute Care/KPV Representative (filling partial term due to vacancy): Dani Chiero
• Acute Care Main Hospital Representative: Sasha Olszewski
• Pediatrics Representative: Theodore Wiesehan
• Perioperative/Perianesthesia Representative: Lace Velk
• Women & Infants Representative: Mackenzie Chown

We are also excited to announce that we have two contested elections. You can see the positions, with the number of openings in parentheses (#), and the candidates listed below.
AURN Board of Directors
Secretary candidates (1 position)
• Cara Arsenault
• Eric Carlson
• Kartika Vasavada

Professional Nursing Care Committee candidates (PNCC) (3 positions open)
• Kim Katri
• Ryan McIntosh
• Kartika Vasavada
• Melissa Vazquez

You can read the candidates' statements at the bottom of this blog post.

Elections will open on April 24 and each member will receive an email that day with their voting credentials.

Vote Info and Timeline

• Vote will open April 24 at 8 a.m. and close April 30 at 11:59 p.m.
• The vote will be held virtually. All ONA members will receive an email and/or text message with voting information when it opens.
  
• To receive a ballot, ONA must have a valid email address on file for you. To ensure you receive the vote email when it opens, please be sure to update your contact information at www.OregonRN.org/Update.
  

What to Do if You Do Not Receive a Ballot on April 24

• Search your junk/spam folders (and your promotions or other tabs in Gmail) for an email from Oregon Nurses Association (invitations@mail.electionbuddy.com) with the subject "ONA: VOTE in the AURN Elections”
• If you do not receive an email with voting info and a link on April 24, email news@OregonRN.org
  

Voting Eligibility

• Only ONA members are eligible to vote. If you have questions about your membership status, please email MemberServices@OregonRN.org.
• If you are not a member and want to join to be eligible to vote, go to www.OregonRN.org/Apply to become a member.

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Candidate Statements for Secretary
(3 candidates for 1 position):

Cara Arsenault
I was a Travel Nurse who came here in 2019 from Florida after traveling to Texas, North Carolina, Massachusetts, Tennessee, and Colorado. I started nursing in 2010 and began traveling in 2013 after becoming so burnt out working in Florida I believed I would not be a nurse past year 5. I have seen many healthcare systems and never worked for a Hospital that had a working Union. I could tell the difference. It is why I ultimately stayed. I believe OHSU is a great hospital to work for. But I also think OHSU could set a new standard for healthcare simply by doing better by its nurses and staff. I look forward to offering my help to the Union and I believe my unique viewpoint and experiences will bring much to the table.

Eric Carlson
I feel very strongly about helping AURN keep organized. I have written, recorded, and posted minutes in a timely fashion for the 3 years I worked as chair on UBNPC. I enjoy note-taking and ensuring accuracy.
I want to ensure continued transparency that we have with our minutes and make them available as needed/wanted.

Kartika Vasavada
I feel it's important for our committees to have adequate representation of our hospital. I would like to be a voice for the ambulatory side at OHSU. I also want to help advocate for our nurses to ensure we have safe working conditions, and equitable distribution of our resources.

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Candidates Statements for PNCC
(4 candidates for 3 positions):

Kim Katri
(statement to be added)

Ryan McIntosh
As a still newish-in-practice RN trained during the pandemic I am eager to bring this perspective to the NPCC, as well as advocate for both Emergency Department units and pursue solutions to the ongoing systems challenges we face. I have been with OHSU since October 2021 and currently sit on ED Obs’ UBNPC, as well as serving as our unit’s union steward. I charge on the unit and will begin precepting my second student nurse in May. (The forward trajectory of our profession seems very fast-paced these days.) Nursing is my second career. Prior to completing OHSU’s ABSN program I was a teacher and regional school inspector for the German Foreign School Service. I taught History and English Literature for 9 years at the German School in Seoul, South Korea, 1 year in South Africa, and 4 years in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. I was a member of leadership, chaired both departments, wrote the regional white paper for Southeast Asia on diversity and inclusion, coordinated special ed programs, inspected schools for quality and compliance, and sat on innumerable committees and task forces. I believe that I have the appropriate skill set to successfully represent OHSU’s RNs on the NPCC and participate in its activities with a watchful and critical eye on best practices and optimal outcomes, both for us and the patients we care for.

Kartika Vasavada
I feel it's important for our committees to have adequate representation of our hospital. I would like to be a voice for the ambulatory side at OHSU. I also want to help advocate for our nurses to ensure we have safe working conditions, and equitable distribution of our resources.

Melissa Vazquez
My name is Melissa Vazquez I have worked at OHSU for 18.5 years in ACFP. During those years I also have been cross trained to MBU and ED Obs. With these additional floors have acquired additional education. I know how vital education is to my nursing career and it is a big reason why I have served on PNCC for the last 3 years. I am the current Chair of PNCC. PNCC is not just about education, but it is also an advisory committee to nurses. Since, I started on PNCC, we have been working at empowering nurses. I would like to continue the work we have started and to assist with bringing the many great ideas from fellow PNCC nurses to fruition.

Please consider me as one of the 2023 elected positions for PNCC.
Thanks.