APP SIG Committee August 2020 Update

Over the last year the APP Special Interest Group has continued to work towards increasing involvement of APPs in PCICS while also providing a forum for networking and sharing of information among CICU APPs. We have continued to grow with over 60 members.

We have continued with our format of a monthly call consisting of two parts: a “Center Highlight” focusing on the APP program at a specific center and a discussion of a “Hot Topic” in the field. We have developed a subcommittee with Katherine Harrison and Shauna diBari to help plan these calls in an effort to increase resources and diversify ideas.

The goal for the Center Highlight is to learn how other programs are organized and how the APP role is utilized. We put together a standard format for this presentation, allowing easy comparison between programs. Many of these Center Highlights have spurred interesting discussions and have led to brainstorming and new hot topic ideas.

The Hot Topic discussion is a moderated discussion on pressing issues in the field. Examples of the hot topics we have covered have included orientation and onboarding, APP ladders, and protected time. One goal of the Hot Topic discussion is to help those looking to make changes at their institutions by hearing how others have confronted similar issues.

In addition to our monthly calls, we organized a Google group to allow easy connection to other members. We are also working on a continuing education initiative with topics geared towards APPs in the CVICU. Our next goal is to create a national APP mentorship program to further support our goals of networking and information sharing across our specialty and experience levels.

We will be transitioning leadership this year. Jill Zender will be taking over for Christine Riley in July. Laura Presnell will be rolling off in December with Jessica Mann filling in.  We are always looking for new members, so please do not hesitate to reach out if you are interested in joining.