NW Regional CNS Conference, Nov. 9
Join the Oregon Council of Clinical Nurse Specialists at the NW Regional CNS Conference 2024 in Oregon City on Saturday, Nov. 9, 2024.This conference is for all Advanced Practice Registered Nurses (APRNs) and RNs. A great opportunity for all Clinical
Nurse Specialists in the Pacific Northwest.
Save the Date: OCCNS General Meeting, Jan. 14
Members are invited to the next OCCNS Virtual General Meeting on Jan. 14, 2025 at 6 pm. This meeting will be held via Microsoft Teams. To get the meeting link, please contact one of the OCCNS leaders: Sherri Atherton (sherri.atherton@comcast.net), Ann Busch (annmhbusch@aol.com), or Sandra Bunn (Sandra.Bunn@salemhealth.org).
ONA and ANA Benefits for OCCNS
The Oregon Council of Clinical Nurse Specialists (OCCNS) is a special interest group of the Oregon Nurses Association (ONA). All members of ONA who are clinical nurse specialists are members of OCCNS. Membership in ONA also includes membership in the
American Nurses Association (ANA) and all the benefits that entails! By joining ONA/OCCNS you have a voice to advance CNS practice statewide and nationally.
Significant outcomes of OCCNS and ONA:
- Lobbied and obtained Oregon legislation for CNS title protection and full practice authority in the 1990s.
- Worked with Oregon State Board of Nursing on regulations to make Oregon CNSs among the 1st in the U.S. to achieve full practice authority.
- Created pathways for Oregon CNSs to obtain credentialing and privileging in their employment organizations. This included the option for prescriptive authority.
Click here for more information on the benefits of membership in ONA and OCCNS, as well as the ANA benefits.
Peer Support and Networking
OCCNS members have unique peers support and networking opportunities through in-person or virtual meetings and social events with other CNSs in Oregon.
Online Continuing Education
OCCNS members have free access to OCEAN, an online/on-demand learning environment that provides continuing education opportunities in a convenient and user-friendly format. OCCNS meetings usually also provide a one hour education topic with CEUs.
Conferences and Events
As an OCCNS member you receive discounted registration rates for the various events such as the NW Regional CNS Conference.
Legislative and Practice Advocacy
ONA engages with members of the Oregon Legislature, the Oregon State Board of Nursing, and other regulatory bodies to address future issues that may impact your practice.
ONA Government Relations staff and volunteers advocate for CNSs and their patients. As leaders and members, we connect with community partners, elected officials, and other health care organizations.
Advocacy work in Salem and during elections helps achieve policy goals and support Oregon’s CNSs interventions at the patient, nursing, organizational, and state level in order improve patient outcomes.
News and Updates
...click here to view archived news and updates
Contact
Executive Board
- Chair: Ann Busch, MS, APRN, CNS-PP, ACNS-BC, CWOCN, FCNS, FAAN
- Immediate Past Chair: Sherri Atherton, MS, APRN, CNS-BC
- Chair Elect: vacant
- Board Position 1: Sandra Bunn MSN, CNS-PP, ACNS-BC, BC-ADM
- Board Position 2: vacant
ONA Staff Liaison
- Therese Hooft hooft@oregonrn.org
About OCCNS
OCCNS is a special interest group of ONA that was established in the early 1980’s as a group in which practicing clinical nurse specialists (CNSs) in Oregon could share information, influence practice, participate in relevant legislation and education,
and address issues and challenges to their practice. Since it’s beginning, OCCNS has successfully obtained recognition for CNSs in the state by the Oregon State Board of Nursing (1999), and obtained prescriptive and dispensing privileges for CNSs
who need them (2007). In addition, OCCNS is an affiliate of the National Association of Clinical Nurse Specialists (NACNS) thus offering a setting in which members of NACNS can link to state-level CNS activities and issues.
