Behind the Scenes | Monday, May 15, 2017

Our Strategic Look Forward

SGNA Editor

Following several months of planning, discussion, revision and alignment from key stakeholders, the SGNA Board of Directors is proud to announce the development of our Strategic Plan for 2018-2020. Developed with input from ABCGN and other partners, this plan will serve as a roadmap to ensure SGNA remains at the forefront of issues affecting our specialty.  The plan is comprised of three goals with actionable objectives to ensure that we are addressing trends such as a shift in the role of  gastroenterology nurses in the administration of many tests previously done by physicians, an emerging Nurse Navigator role, new diagnostic tools and advancements in technology.  Although every New Year starts fresh with opportunity, we’re particularly excited to kick off 2018 with these strategies that will bring new and important resources relevant to our specialty practice.

Goal #1: Membership
To further enrich the SGNA member experience and gain a more nuanced understanding of your unique needs, SGNA will develop behavior-based personas. This will help us more effectively guide and create the resources you need. Through this goal, SGNA is committed to increased engagement and education, incorporating a clear role for retired members and creating a depository of patient educational resources that allow you to have more detailed conversations with your patients.

Goal #2: Quality Care
With a healthcare landscape that emphasizes quality care measures, SGNA is working to ensure you will be equipped with the best practices and evidence-based education to feel confident in your daily practice. A taskforce will convene to establish gaps in knowledge related to quality measures, then develop education resources based on those findings. We will establish a program to encourage the adoption of quality measure best practices, and SGNA will develop a long-term plan to assure nurses have a seat at the table in all relevant professional discussions.

Goal #3: Future of Nursing
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. SGNA will partner with key stakeholders to define each role’s scope, allowing our members to provide clear justification for the role they serve within the field. In addition, two advanced education modules will be created to support specialization in key therapeutic areas that will be determined by you.

SGNA is excited to embark on this new strategic plan with you, and we look forward to 2018 being one of our best years yet. With these three goals in place, we are primed for continued growth in our mission of providing you with greater educational opportunities, and advancing the practice of gastroenterology and endoscopy nursing.