| Purpose
To provide scholarship monies
to schools of nursing to expand opportunities for nursing
students to choose a career in geriatric advanced practice
nursing.
The Issue
The need for geriatric advanced
practice nurses (APN) is growing as our nation's older adult
population continues to expand with baby boomers nearing retirement
age. Geriatric APNs are expert nurses prepared at the master's
degree level who provide, direct, and influence the care of
older adults and their families in a variety of settings.
These nurses are uniquely prepared to improve outcomes of
care, promote quality of life, and provide comprehensive care
for older adults.
Though the need for geriatric
nurses has been identified, the number of students pursuing
this field of expertise has not expanded sufficiently, nor
been distributed appropriately to various geographic regions
and health care settings. The reasons behind the lack of student
interest include a limited number of master's programs in
this area, few scholarship opportunities, and the lack of
visible leadership to attract new students to this career
path. If we are not successful in recruiting new students
into geriatric nursing, we will limit the access to and quality
of care available to our aging population.
The Opportunity
In September 2001, the American
Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) received a $2 million
grant from The John A. Hartford Foundation of New York to
promote career opportunities in geriatric advanced practice
nursing and improve the quality of care for older adults.
Through this initiative, AACN will provide scholarship monies
to schools of nursing with geriatric advanced practice nursing
programs to expand their student base. In addition to eliminating
financial barriers to education, the project will also provide
for networking, mentorship, role modeling, and leadership
activities between scholarship awardees and experts in geriatric
nursing. Stronger links between students and clinical leaders
will help to solidify the role of the geriatric APN and attract
new students to the field.
A national advisory committee
has been selected to guide and direct AACN in the administration
of the grant. Advisory committee members are expert leaders
of baccalaureate and graduate geriatric nursing education
programs.
Selection Criteria
Competitive scholarship
funds were awarded to schools with geriatric advanced practice
nursing programs. The annual number of scholarship students
varies in each school. Schools must demonstrate that funds
would be used to increase enrollment in geriatric nursing
programs, rather than provide support for students already
in the pipeline. Schools must provide 1:1 matching funds up
to a maximum of $300,000 over a 3-year period. Awards were
granted to schools that met criteria that addressed their
ability to recruit nationally with an emphasis on geographic,
cultural, and ethnic diversity, as well as the ability to
prepare graduates with skills to sustain careers in geriatric
nursing.
Outcomes
Along with increasing the
supply of geriatric nurses, this initiative will also help
to define the role of the geriatric APN and spark the development
of a broader range of career opportunities in geriatric nursing.
This step is necessary to improving the field's appeal as
an attractive and dynamic career option.
In an effort to reach the
larger nursing community, AACN will create a Web site to facilitate
online communication, disseminate information, and foster
networking among clinical leaders, scholarship recipients,
and noted experts in geriatrics. AACN will also work to ensure
national visibility for this project while boosting awareness
of its goals and outcomes.
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