The Pulse | Monday, February 26, 2018

Are You on The Inside Tract?

Michelle Day, MSN RN CGRN, 2017-18 SGNA President

A clear path forward. As professionals in field of gastroenterology nursing, our future depends greatly on the ability to have that clear path forward. That means having access to the right resources, the ability to stay abreast on the latest trends impacting the field, and having a thorough understanding of the matters that impact us the most.

But our day-to-day demands can make that difficult to achieve. We are pulled in many different directions, both personally and professionally. We need a resource that keeps us informed on the latest innovations, and allows us to keep a finger on the pulse of education. That’s why I am so proud to deliver this message for SGNA on the unveiling of The Inside Tract, a new comprehensive online content hub.

So what exactly is an online content hub? Consider it a dynamic resource of intelligence for our profession; an online center of intelligence designed to deliver timely and relevant news, trends and insight, all of which is updated on a consistent basis and available from anywhere on any device. It’s more than a blog—it’s a repository of content that comes in all formats and focuses on the uniqueness of our profession.

New content will be published on a weekly basis and in multiple formats (print, video, graphics, etc.), covering a broad range of topics and themes, including news and updates, membership promotion and industry advocacy.

You will notice the content categories on the top navigation. This represents the way in which content will be segmented on Inside Tract. Here is a glimpse of how that breaks out:
 

Departments	Description
The Pulse	In-depth features and analysis on the latest trends and news impacting our profession.
Gut Check	Thoughts and opinions from the SGNA community; editorials and commentary pieces from leaders both inside and outside the industry.
Behind the Scenes	This is where you will find an inside perspective on the different SGNA programs and resources. Consider it a resource for knowing what goes into things like the development of the SGNA strategic plan.
Moments	Here is where you will find photos from our members. The latest events, programs, and just great moments from our members will be captured here.

What makes me so excited about The Inside Tract is the way in which it aligns with SGNA’s recently announced Strategic Plan for 2018-2020. Comprised of three goals, this plan serves as a roadmap that provides our members with the very best resources to help them best navigate their future. Here’s a quick look at how I see that alignment with content on The Inside Tract:

Goal #1: Membership: In order to enrich the SGNA member experience and gain a more nuanced understanding of members’ varied and unique needs, SGNA will develop behavior-based personas.

The Inside Tract Alignment: The development of unique and timely content will help us deliver resources for members on a consistent basis to help them make the most informed decisions.

Goal #2: Quality Care: As the healthcare landscape shifts from a fee-for-service payment model to quality care measures, SGNA is working to align with this change, ensuring members will be equipped with the right information and prepared to adjust to these changes in their everyday practice.

The Inside Tract Alignment: Innovation is a core theme of our content strategy—and our team will be tapping into experts to create the most useful content focused on this shift in landscape.

Goal #3: Future of Nursing: In order to advance the roles of nurses and associates within gastroenterology, SGNA will develop and update role descriptions for Nurse Navigator, Screener, Advanced Practice Nurse, Registered Nurse, Licensed Practical Nurse, and Nursing Assistive Personnel.

The Inside Tract Alignment: We will use this content hub as a vehicle for delivering the message. In particular, the Behind the Scenes section will provide insider perspectives on how programs are developing.

Most of all, I believe that The Inside Tract comes at the right time for us as an association. With so much change taking place in our industry, and across healthcare in general, the idea of having a single comprehensive resource for industry intelligence is most appealing.

So I urge each of you to take a moment and tell us what you think—and please feel free to step forward if you’d like to contribute. Our content team is eager to tell your story, share your photos and more.

With your help, The Inside Tract will truly become that go-to resource for creating a stronger, broader, more informed and highly engaged community of gastroenterology nurses and associates.