As the site describes it:

AACN: Critical Care Pharmacology is a Web-based course for new and experienced critical care nurses looking to increase their knowledge on safe administration of medications commonly used in critical care.  A brief review of pharmacology is followed by an in-depth look at how drugs used to treat critical care patients work to achieve the desired effects.

The course is designed for veteran and new nurses, and allows them the flexibility to stay up-to-date on the latest trends in the profession all from their laptop.  The course is designed to build critical thinking skills in an eight-step lesson.

“This course breaks new ground in online clinical education,” said AACN Director of Communications and Strategic Alliances Ramon Lavandero, RN, MA, MSN, FAAN to the Sacramento Bee. “The unique interprofessional framework provides nurses with 360-degree knowledge of the safe administration of medications within the highly complex critical care environment.”

CTIA – the Wireless Association is highlighting a few of the wireless products and services that may help consumers improve their heart health and live healthier lives.  To help consumers improve their heart health, CTIA’s February edition of “Wonder of Wireless” (WOW) webcast and blog (http://blog.ctia.org) talks with health experts and app creators on how consumers can use wireless to receive better quality of care and practice preventative and wellness living while reducing costs.  Beyond making calls and sending texts in medical emergencies, the site will highlight mobile apps that can be used for weight loss or healthy eating, medical technology that can improve quality of care while reducing costs, and devices that can improve a person’s health habits.

For more information, visit their site here.

Some “did you know” facts from the 2012 International CES:

• This year’s event was the largest in its 44 year history, with more than 3,100 exhibitors and over 153,000 attendees (a record).  More than 34,000 of these attendees were international visitors to Las Vegas.
• More than 20,000 new products were launched at 2012 International CES, including products from Google, Facebook, Wal-Mart, and Verizon.
• New products that debuted at the show include a new Android 4.0 tablets, next generation smart phones, and 3-D printers.

While the 2012 International CES is larger than most association shows, it is an excellent and high-profile example of how association meetings can benefit the economy and society, while providing valuable education and training to members.

The editorial, entitled “Starve the Beast. End the Stalemate,” was written by columnist Steve Pearlstein in response to the Congressional inaction over the budget and year-end tax extenders.  In the column, Pearlstein blames Americans for giving to “special interest” organizations that help cause this inaction and suggests the remedy is to stop giving to these organizations: “The next time anyone calls you for a campaign contribution or tries to bill you for next year’s association dues…. Do yourself and all the rest of us a favor: Just say no.”  He equates paying association dues with making a political contribution and decries these payments as the cause of the political mess in Washington.

In response, Graham noted a few legal and logical points in the submitted letter, which can be seen here.  First, he notes that dues payments to an association cannot be used as a federal campaign contribution and any money an association may give to a federal candidate through its political action committee is expressly raised separately from dues.  In addition, he notes that equating professional associations with political groups misunderstands the role of associations in society: “Associations are communities where people go to learn more and become better at their chosen profession, which benefits society at large.  Who does not want their doctors to know the latest surgical techniques or their children’s teachers to know the best teaching methods?”

The letter is an edited version of a longer op-ed that ASAE submitted to the Post (which can be seen here).  Graham points out the ASAE and associations are already fighting back against this misunderstanding of the role of associations through the Power of A campaign: “This interactive campaign is designed to show how associations are improving society and driving economic recovery every day at all levels of society, from the local to international level.  I would invite all of your readers to visit thepowerofa.org to see how associations are really improving this country.”

Photo by goXunuReviews

Many book buyers are adjusting to the new world of reading books not in physical form but on their tablets or digital reading devices.  For those consumers loyal to independent book sellers, this has been a rough adjustment as the major ebook sellers have been larger online companies like Amazon who can offer books regardless of location.  To help independent booksellers connect with customers and buy ebooks from these local sellers, the American Booksellers Association (ABA) has teamed up with Bluefire Productions to release a new “IndieBound Reader” app.

IndieBound Reader is a way for an indie-loving customer to find, download, and read ebooks sold by a local seller.  After downloading the app, a customer can find sellers by zip code and search for ebooks from a list of local participants.  These sellers have partnered with Google Books to provide a platform to sell their ebooks.  Consumers can buy the ebook and read it on their device, just like they could if they were purchasing an Amazon or Barnes & Noble ebook.  The app currently is only available for Android systems (like the Samsung Galaxy tablet or Motorola Droid smartphone), but ABA plans to announce an Apple app in the near future.

“With the release of IndieBound Reader, independent bookstores are taking another major step forward as players on the digital stage, “said ABA Technology Director Matt Supko. “A year after the launch of Google eBooks, indies have become a vital and fast-growing part of the ebook market, thanks to their creativity, marketing savvy, and knack for matching the customer with the best book for them-print or digital. The IndieBound Reader app gives independent bookstores a home on the most popular mobile devices, making it easier than ever for customers to shop local when they shop digital.”

To download the app for your Android system, visit here.

MSAE promotes the value of associations in a new radio program on the Michigan Business Network, a streaming radio show you can listen to from your computer or anywhere with an internet connection and speakers. The show is called “Association Impact” and its goal is to consider diverse perspectives in the association world on a myriad of topics.  The show airs on Thursdays at 9 AM, 2 PM, and 7 PM, as well as Fridays at midnight and 4 AM.  Each episode features association leaders from the state and the full schedule can be seen here.  Tune in to see how one state association and its members are changing America!

November 26 will mark the second annual Small Business Saturday^®, a day to support the local small businesses that create jobs, boost the economy and preserve neighborhoods around the country. Small Business Saturday^®, according to the SBA press release, will help drive shoppers to America’s “job creators”. Small businesses have generated two out of every three net new jobs over the past 15 years and employ over half of all private sector employees, according to the release.

“Small businesses are the foundation of our economy – half of America’s workers either own or work for a small business,” said SBA Administrator Karen Mills.  “Small Business Saturday^® is an opportunity to show our support for our friends and neighbors who throughout the year are growing our local economy, as well as supporting many local initiative and organizations.”

Associations are getting in the act as well.  NFIB, “the leading small business association representing small and independent businesses”, has a website dedicated to their members participating in the event and offering discounts to customers.  NASE, the National Association for the Self-Employed, is promoting various prizes that customers can win for shopping on Saturday at small businesses.

For more information on how to support Small Business Saturday® in your area, or to get great Small Business Saturday^® marketing tips and resources, check out www.sba.gov/saturday or visit Facebook.com/smallbusinesssaturday and follow them on Twitter @SBAgov, #SmallBizSat.

The National Association of EMS Educators is a 501 ( c ) non-profit educational association that has been incorporated since 1995. It is a professional membership organization that is made up of over 3,000 EMS educators, both nationally and internationally, that include Instructors, Program Directors, Deans, Training Officers, EMS Physicians, EMS Nurses and EMS State Officials. It is governed by a board of directors and the home office is headquartered in Pittsburgh, PA. The mission of The National Association of EMS Educators is to inspire excellence in EMS education and lifelong learning within the global community.

NAEMSE is a leader in the EMS world and provides a vast amount of resources and guidance to the EMS education community. NAEMSE implements an array of educational programs throughout the year including an educational symposium, EMS instructor course and education standards workshop.

NAEMSE proudly implements the EMS Instructor Course all over the country, several times per year. In 2005 this program, which has been designed and developed by the same individuals who produced the DOT/NHTSA 2002 National Guidelines for Educating EMS Instructors, represents the didactic component and practical application of the beginning education process to become an EMS instructor. The content of this course aligns the NAEMSE developed modules with the curriculum objectives of the 2002 National Guidelines, and has been designed to provide a basic introduction of concepts for the beginning EMS educator. NAEMSE recognizes that the development of a professional EMS educator requires many components including: formalized education in all aspects of the educational process, practical experience in teaching and mentoring by other members of the educational team to foster personal growth and development.

Over 4,000 EMS educators at all levels of instruction have participated in this course and have vastly improved the way they now teach their students. Many EMS educators are not professionally trained teachers, this course covers topics related to the foundation of education including; Adult Learner, Learning Styles, Motivation , Discipline, Cultural Awareness, Lesson Plans, Ethics, Affective Domain, Teaching Psychomotor Skills, Evaluation & Remediation, Legal, Goals & Objectives / Domains of Learning, Facilitation & Communication, Teaching Thinking Skills and presentation Styles. Educators walk away from this class excited and inspired to teach a new generation of EMS professionals.

A superior faculty and support staff are the masterminds behind the NAEMSE EMS Instructor Course. These individuals are traveling around the country with the simple mission of inspiring excellence in EMS education and lifelong learning within the global community. The workshop not only affects the participants but the students back at their designated institutions.

NAEMSE would like the general public to know that by us helping EMS educators become better professionals they in turn are helping shape skilled, safe and responsible public safety professionals of the future. Public safety is an important aspect of life both in urban and rural areas of the country. NAEMSE hopes that every citizen should rest assure that they are being properly taken care of in an emergency situation and we know proudly that our course may have affected the way they perform.

While we encourage you to submit your own comments to OGE, our goal is to have a large number of associations, business partners, and travel organizations join ASAE in our comments as well to show the Obama Administration the value of association meetings and events, particularly for federal employees.  While we recognize that exemptions have been built in for different types of associations and meetings, the fact that the proposed rule singles out trade associations with stricter restrictions and then fails to give any examples or guidelines for organizations planning these events is concerning.

We urge you to sign on to our comments (you can do so via our webform here, Microsoft Word document here or pdf document here) as well as submit your own comments to the Office of Government Ethics with your own stories.  The deadline for signatures to ASAE’s comments is Tuesday, October 18 by close of business. If you have any questions, please contact the Public Policy Department at (202) 626-2703 or publicpolicy@asaenet.org.

OGE was directed by the White House to write regulations extending the lobbyist gift ban for political appointees to all executive branch employees, and published its proposed rulemaking in the Sept. 13 Federal Register. The proposed rules would not allow government employees to use the “widely attended gathering” exception to attend various programs and events held by lobbying organizations. The rules, however, carve out exceptions for events held by professional societies, scientific organizations and learned societies, even if the organization is engaged in lobbying. Trade associations are not covered by the exception because, OGE said, their “primary concern” is not education and professional development.

ASAE believes strongly that trade associations are unjustifiably excluded from the exception, and that government employees benefit greatly from attending programs, seminars, trade shows and other events held by associations that represent different industries. ASAE last week asked OGE for a meeting to air its concerns and clarify the intent of the proposed rule, and OGE has responded that it is considering the request.

An OGE official confirmed that appointees and other government employees could still attend a trade association program if they are speaking in an official capacity or if they pay the registration fee to attend a conference. ASAE contends, however, that crafting separate, stricter rules that apply only to trade association programs will discourage government employees from attending these types of events.

Since first learning of OGE’s proposed amendments two weeks ago, ASAE has received feedback from hundreds of members who have shared their frustration and concerns with the administration’s singling out of trade associations in the rulemaking.

ASAE’s comments will be shared for sign-on by members before they are submitted to OGE. Comments are due to OGE before Nov. 14. ASAE will keep members apprised should OGE grant ASAE’s request for a meeting. For more background on the proposed rule, download ASAE’s fact sheet.