Partner highlight: Nurse Practitioners of Oregon
Nurse Practitioners of Oregon (NPO) represents more than 450 nurse practitioners in the state. It emerged as a special interest group out of Oregon Nurses Association (ONA) in 1977, and in two years achieved independent practice authority.
Larlene Dunsmuir has been a member of ONA since graduation from nursing school and became active in NPO as a student Nurse Practitioner in 1991. “I quickly realized the importance and benefits of being involved in our professional organization. Over the years, I have served NPO as board secretary, treasurer, and president.”
According to Larlene, “Oregon’s nurse practitioners enjoy one of the country’s most progressive practice authorities in the country. We have opportunity for independent practices, great career opportunities, and liberal prescribing laws, all thanks to the strengths of our organization and our effective lobbying the legislature.”
In addition to being a voice for nurse practitioners in the Oregon legislature, NPO offers its members continuing education opportunities. Larlene chairs a 3-day annual educational conference, which takes place in Portland this October.
The partnership between NPO and Project Access NOW emerged from a referral. In late 2009 Larlene’s friend Frank Betzer, who was a Project Access NOW board member at the time, told her about his experience and recommended she consider volunteering with Project Access.
“Later that week I attended a nurse practitioners business meeting where we were awarding scholarship funds to a nurse practitioner student,” Larlene said. “The first awardee, Carla McGee, was a volunteer at Project Access NOW and talked about the amazing work that Project Access was doing. I thought it was more than coincidence to hear about the organization twice in one week and decided I needed to get involved.”
Larlene helped coordinate the first Bridges to Healthcare event last year, and she’s on the planning committee for the upcoming one as well.
“Both NPO and Project Access are organizations that care for the health of our community, so the need to partner is obvious,” Larlene said. She has been working with both organizations to define and expand the relationship. “NPO made a donation to Project Access, and now we’re looking at how we can make the partnership more tangible. ”
(March 2011)
