Texas Nurses Association Nurse Practice Call to Action
October 2, 2026
Leslie Norman, DNP, MPH, RN, NEA-BC, FACHE, FAONL
Nurse Practice Council Committee Member
To: TNA District 9
Re: Call to Action for Districts
Following an engaging discussion at the TNA Statewide Nursing Practice Committee meeting, I ask District 9 to encourage nurses to submit Practice Tips and to share the practice concerns they face every day. Your input can help the Nurse Practice Committee identify priorities and opportunities for education and practice support.
Encourage nurses to share a Practice Tip
A Practice Tip is a brief, practical article that helps nurses address a nursing practice issue. It explains why the issue matters and offers clear actions readers can apply, supported by credible evidence or professional guidance.
Sharing a tip gives nurses a way to turn their knowledge and experience into useful guidance for colleagues across Texas. It also gives nurses the opportunity to embrace their professional code of ethics, Provision 7.1: Contributions through Knowledge Development, Research, and Scholarly Inquiry. Additionally, nurses practicing in Texas must conform to BON Rule 217.11 Standards of Nursing Practice (1)(R): Be responsible for one’s own continuing competence in nursing practice and individual professional growth. TNA includes Practice Tips in its weekly communications to members.
- Invite participation. Encourage nurses in clinical practice, education, leadership, and community settings to consider a topic they know well.
- Start with a focused issue. Possible topics include improving shift safety huddles, reducing workflow delays, building trust, or helping patients understand care instructions.
- Share the call for submissions. Use the link or scan the QR code below to review TNA’s guidance before preparing a submission.
Call for Practice Tip Submissions
https://www.texasnurses.org/page/practicetipcall
Discuss current nursing practice concerns
Recent Committee discussions have included the following concerns. Please use these topics to open conversation and invite members to identify additional issues from their own practice settings.
- Workload inefficiencies. What processes, documentation demands, interruptions, or resource barriers create unnecessary work or delay care?
- Trust and willingness to speak up. What helps nurses raise questions and concerns? What makes them hesitate, and how do teams respond when someone speaks up?
- Task demands and critical thinking. When does pressure to complete tasks limit time for assessment, clinical judgment, or recognizing changes in a patient’s condition? What would help?
- Informing vulnerable populations. How do nurses help people facing language, health literacy, disability, financial, or access barriers understand their care and available resources? Where are the gaps?
Ask nurses what keeps them up at night
Set aside time during a district meeting or invite written responses from nurses who cannot attend. Begin with this question:
“What keeps you up at night about your nursing practice or the care your patients receive?”
Follow up by asking which concern is most urgent, how it affects nurses or patients, and what practical change or support would help. Invite perspectives from different roles and practice settings.
Send district feedback to the Committee
Please summarize the discussion and send feedback to a Nurse Practice Committee member. District 9 members may send their feedback directly to me. Include:
- The main concerns and the practice settings where they occur.
- Brief examples of how these concerns affect care or nursing work, without identifying patients or individuals.
- Suggested solutions and topics that would benefit from a Practice Tip or other educational resource.
Leslie Norman, DNP, MPH, RN, NEA-BC, FACHE, FAONL
TNA District 9 Member and TNA statewide Nursing Practice Committee Member
Email: lnorman36@gmail.com
Phone: 832-530-6290
Thank you for helping bring nurses’ everyday practice concerns to the Council and encouraging colleagues to share what they know.
If you have a practice tip article ready to submit, you can email it to Dr. Laura Kincheloe, TNA Director of Practice at lkincheloe@texasnurses.org