Ohio Directors of Nursing in Long Term Care, or ODONA/LTC as it is known for short, is the only organization in Ohio established by DON’s (Directors of Nursing), for DON’s, and managed by DON’s. Many directors of nursing within the state of Ohio are members of this particular society. In addition the association has a number of patron members, including Boehringer-Ingelheim, DermaRite Industries, Leader Stat, Mobilex USA, Pharmacy Management Group (PMG), Plante and Moran Clinical Group, Remedi SeniorCare, and Source Diagnostics. Being a Director of Nursing can be a very daunting position to hold in the nursing profession, and it is therefore essential that you seek the support that you need in order to make the most of your career. Ohio is one of the few states that actually go out of their way to ensure that there are structures in place through which Directors of Nursing can access networking opportunities and educational resources. By making a distinct effort to keep this area of nursing up to standard, the Ohio Directors of Nursing in Long Term Care group is making a distinct difference to the field and a lot can be said for its efforts. Membership with this group is highly recommended for any Directors of Nursing currently residing within Ohio.
Membership
There are three main types of membership that you could have with the Ohio Directors of Nursing in Long Term Care. These membership options with the annual fees required are listed below:
- Active Members pay $25.00 a year
- Associate Members pay $85.00 a year
- Patron Members pay $500.00 a year
An active member is literally any licensed nurse who is serving as a Director of Nursing or an Assistant Director of Nursing or who has served ion one of those positions in the past and who has paid his or her fees. An associate member is defined on the Ohio Directors of Nursing in Long Term Care’s website as being a “professional such as RN, Dr., or any professional healthcare organization involved in the long term health care field, who is interested in supporting the goals and objectives of this association”. Patron members, who are generally speaking organizations rather than individuals, join for the purpose of receiving public recognition from the association on their website as well as in their newsletter.
If you are a Director of Nursing who is experiencing personal or facility hardships but who would still like to belong to ODONA and attend the annual convention there is an ODONA Courtesy Membership category that you may interested in. The process for becoming a courtesy member is as follows:
- It is important to note that you can only receive one courtesy membership in a region a year or five courtesy memberships nationwide throughout the year.
- Application forms must be filled out accurately and in full. They can be found at ODONA offices.
- Once you have successfully submitted the form you must wait for it to be approved by the ODONA board. If your application for courtesy membership is approved you will be notified in writing by ODONA President.
- Courtesy Membership includes one year ODONA dues paid, plus registration and two nights lodging paid for ODONA Annual Convention.
You can download the membership application form and the patron membership form and information about courtesy membership can be found by phoning the ODONA office at 1-866-226-3662.
There are a number of benefits to belonging to an association such as this one. For one thing you will have access to the scholarship opportunities listed below. In addition you will be able to attend the conference held by the group every year. This conference is valuable for two key reasons:
1. It provides you with an opportunity to network with other directors of nursing that are in your area. By building a network you know that you will always have another expert to turn to for advice and guidance on a number of different topics. This is also one of the best ways in which to learn about new employment and education opportunities.
2. The conference itself consists of useful information that is directly relevant to your line of work, thereby improving your skills as a Director of Nursing.
Membership with a group such as this one looks very good on your resume, which means that you will, in a way, be helping your career substantially simply by joining ODONA. Membership shows potential employers that you are committed to the profession on all levels and it also indicates that you most likely do have the skills and knowledge required to be a successful Director of Nursing within their particular institution or health care facility. In short, membership has many benefits.
Scholarships
One of the main reasons why individuals who would be excellent directors in the nursing profession do not reach this goal is because they cannot afford to. Ohio Directors of Nursing in Long Term Care offers three scholarships each year to various individuals. These are:
- The ODONA Scholarship
- The Nursing Assistant Scholarship
- The ODONA LPN to RN Scholarship
The ODONA Scholarship is awarded to five separate individuals located in each of the association’s five regions. There are a number of aspects to keep in mind here:
- You must be a current ODONA member in order to apply for this scholarship
- The scholarship must be used for education related to the role of the Director of Nursing
- You should contact the ODONA office for an application
- You must submit your application to the ODONA office by February 1st
- You must include a letter from your school of nursing verifying your enrollment with your application submission
- Scholarship awards are paid directly to the school where the applicant is enrolled
The application form can, alternatively, be downloaded by visiting the following link: http://www.odonaltc.org/data/ODONA-DON-Scholarship%20Application.pdf
The Nursing Assistant Scholarship is awarded to only one candidate each year. The following considerations apply for this scholarship:
- In order to be eligible for this scholarship you must be a State Tested Nursing Assistant
- You also must be currently enrolled in a nursing program in the state of Ohio
- Eligible candidates must work for a facility where the D.O.N. or A.D.O.N. is a current member of ODONA
- You must provide a letter of recommendation from your D.O.N.
- You must provide a letter of recommendation from your school of nursing verifying your enrollment
- Applicants should contact the ODONA office for an application
- Applications, letters of recommendation, and verification of your enrollment from your school of nursing must be submitted to the ODONA office by February 1st
- Scholarship awards are paid directly to the school where the applicant is enrolled
The application form can, alternatively, be downloaded here.
The ODONA LPN to RN Scholarship is given to an LPN currently employed at a facility where the DON or ADON is a current member of ODONA and the award is paid directly to the Ohio school where the applicant is earning his/her RN degree. The award’s application form can be found at this link.
Job Listings
ODONA is an excellent resource for a number of reasons, not least of which is the fact that it provides members with a number of job listings on its website, allowing you to expedite the process of finding the perfect job for you. These can be found here. The following instructions appear on the ODONA website for anyone who would like to post a job:
Any facility wishing to post a DON or ADON position on the ODONA Website should email ODONALTC@gmail.com with the following information:
- Position available (DON or ADON only)
- Facility name
- Address
- Phone/Fax #’s
- Email address
- Contact name
The charge is $50.00, payable to ODONA/LTC, for a 30 day listing on the website. Mail payment and hard copy of the above information to:
- ODONA/LTC
- 2460 Wesley Chapel Road
- Zanesville, Ohio 43701
Listing will appear in this space when payment and hard copy is received.
Becoming a director of nursing is one of the highest professions that you can strive towards in the industry, but once you are there you will need all the help and support that you can get. ODONA is an organization that exists specifically to help you make the most of your position. Although it is an association that only benefits Directors of Nursing living and practicing in Ohio, it is still a valuable resource to turn towards. You do not have to be alone in your career as there is a large network of others in similar positions to you who would like your input as much as you would like theirs.
If you would like to find out more about this organization, please use the contact information provided below:
ODONA LTC, Ohio Directors of Nursing Administration
2460 Wesley Chapel Rd. Zanesville, OH 43701
(866) 226-3662
