Lydia Albuquerque, DNP, RN, ACNP-BC, CCRN, FNAP, FAAN
Candidate for Nomination Council
Campaign Message:
Health care is going through rapid evolution and Nurse Practitioners are essential to meet the workforce needs of the country: physicians cannot do it all. We need out-of-the-box thinking, and ways to grow and support the AANP community. The Nominating Committee is key to not only vetting interested members but reaching out to find members with key skills and experience in these areas. To slate candidates for AANP elected positions who provide unique value, views and interests we must be diverse and inclusive as we choose candidates. Diversity in excellent leaders includes not only different nationalities and cultures, but also diverse gender identification, ages, backgrounds and experiences, and spirituality. AANP members should vote for me to serve on the nominating committee because a great board begins with great members. If elected to this position, I will tap into great leaders to assist and build the slate.
Current Professional Position
Assistant Professor/ Acute care Nurse Practitioner
Leadership Experience in the Past Three Years
I have served as the president of the National Association of Indian Nurses of America (NAINA) for the term 2021-2022, www.nainausa.org. This is a non-profit 501(c) 3 organization with 21 chapters in 15 states. This position has given me an opportunity to collaborate with the American Nurses Association and other minority organizations. My term began with strategic plans that focused on communication, advocacy, research, education, and storytelling. To improve communication among our members, our website was developed to host a virtual back-office space for all our committee chairs. The visibility of the organization was increased by utilizing social media platforms. We received our reaccreditation as a provider unit. I am a strong advocate of Diversity, Equity, and inclusion and served as a commissioner on the ANA commission to address racism. As an organization, we have led Research Interest Groups and initiated studies among the Asian Indian population to address disparities in care, and vaccine hesitancy. I believe in the storytelling which was encouraged among our membership. Stories of their first-hand experience as immigrant nurses were captured. I will be serving as the advisory board chair of NAINA and education committee chair of the Heart Failure Society of America (HFSA) 2023-24.
Biggest Challenge Facing Nurse Practitioners and How AANP Can Help
The job outlook for nurse practitioners is the fastest growing in the medical field with a projected growth rate of more than 50% over the next decade. Like any other job, it comes with the challenges of emotional work, varying hours, power imbalance and hierarchy, restrictive practice settings, and charting. COVID-19 has placed an additional burden on nurse practitioners causing bruising to mental and emotional health. Currently nursing overall is facing human resource management challenges. Nurse Practitioners also face the challenge of not being included in different models of care discussions by the health systems they work in. There should be evidenced-based research to demonstrate that the legislative reform that was initiated during COVID -19 to remove barriers was successful. Roles and responsibilities and compensation should be clearly articulated with different models of care. There needs to be an increase in the NP residency program and funds directed toward these efforts. Diversity, Inclusion, and Equity should be part of the recruiting process across specialties. AANP should collaborate with minority nursing organizations to recruit NPS as members and also provide opportunities for NPs to be present at Hill Day and increase the visibility of the organization through influencers on social media.
Example of Initiative or Outcome of Leadership
I bring in 40 years of international nursing experience and am a doctoral-prepared nurse serving in academia and clinical practice as a nurse practitioner in an acute care setting. Currently, I have over 4 million dollars in grants. My projects focus on improving cardiovascular health and the prevention of stroke among women through increased physical activity, dietary portion control, and medication compliance. My most recent project is on Virtual Peer Support and Fit Bit to increase physical activity and promote weight loss and quality of life in African American and Hispanic women. I also focus on scholarships for disadvantaged nursing students to improve student success. My leadership experiences have ranged from serving on the Board of the American Association of Heart Failure Nurses, the National Association of Indian Nurses of America, and the Heart Failure Society of America. These experiences have strengthened my ability to be a listener, advocate, and influencer. As NAINA president, I have worked closely on committees with ANA and other minority organization. I believe in building a TEAM to achieve the organization's strategic goals. I have served as the founding chair of the NAINA APN council started in 2016.
If Elected, I Propose to Advance the AANP Mission as Follows:
If elected I will align myself with the vision, mission, and goals of the organization. I have reviewed the strategic plan for the term and the bylaws. I am appreciative of the work done by past and present leaders of AANP and will forge ahead to reevaluate the future strategic plan and align with its goals. As a nomination council member, I will ensure that the roles and responsibilities listed in the bylaws will be held to the highest standards from start to finish. In my current role in academia and practice, I educate and empower nurse practitioners through education and mentoring program. Education about the AANP mission begins at home and I will serve as an advocate to increase registration and educate and inform the newer generation of nurse practitioners, about the value of belonging to a professional organization. I will bring to my minority organization more information about the opportunities to participate in conferences such as the health policy conference to make meaningful and important dialogues to bring changes in policies to remove barriers and have Full Practice Authority. My vision as a nomination council member is to motivate and encourage NP be a voice for change.