1.
AACN Awarded Grant to Strengthen Geriatric Nursing Programs
2. Call for Abstracts Announced for Baccalaureate
Conference
3. AACN Participates in a Symposium on Health
Personnel in the U.S.
4. Senate Committee on Veterans' Affairs
Holds Nursing Shortage Hearing
5. ELNEC Sponsors Upcoming Training Sessions/Debuts
New Newsletter
6. GWU Sponsors Forum on "Nurse Workforce:
Condition Critical"
7. National Health Service Corps Scholarships
Now Tax-Free
8. Register Now for the Annual Summer Seminar
in Vancouver
9. AACN Supports the U.S. Preventive Services
Task Force
10. Florence Nightingale Commemoration Set
for the National Cathedral
11. AHC Launches New Initiative to Increase
Access to Health Care
12. AACN Outreach and Advocacy Update
1. AACN Awarded Grant to Strengthen Geriatric
Nursing Programs
AACN
has received a $3.99 million grant from The John A. Hartford
Foundation of New York that champions innovation in geriatric
nursing education programs. Open to all baccalaureate and
graduate schools of nursing, grant monies will be available
to support gerontology curriculum development and new clinical
experiences. Schools seeking funding under this grant should
note that a Request for Proposals (RFP) will be issued in
late summer with award applications due in early October.
More details about the scope of this grant and the criteria
for application will be available in a few weeks and posted
on our Web site: http://www.aacn.nche.edu.
Read more about the award online at: http://www.aacn.nche.edu/Media/NewsReleases/hartfordgrant.htm.
2.
Call for Abstracts Announced for Baccalaureate Conference
AACN
has issued a Call for Abstracts for the 2001 Baccalaureate
Education Conference that will take place in Washington,
DC on December 6-8, 2001. To support the conference theme
of "Building on Success," the association is soliciting
abstracts that describe successful initiatives in the areas
of
innovative curriculum; improvement of NCLEX scores; creative
clinical partnerships; recruitment and retention of students;
models of student outcomes assessment; and models of RN
to BSN education. The Planning Subcommittee will select
a wide range of abstracts representing varied types of institutions
from all parts of the country. For information on submitting
abstracts, see: http://www.aacn.nche.edu/Conferences/bacc01call.htm.
Please note that a conference brochure and Web information
will be available in late July.
3.
AACN Participates in a Symposium on Health Personnel in
the U.S.
On June
18 and 19, AACN participated in a symposium on the 10th
"Report of Health Personnel in the United States, 2000-2015"
hosted by the Center for Health Workforce Studies at the
State University of New York at Albany. Participating organizations
represented a variety of health care providers including
nurses, physicians, dentists, dental hygienists, occupational
and physical therapists, and nursing assistants. The primary
goals of the project are to produce an analysis of national
trends in health professions, identify the key issues impacting
those trends, and develop supply and demand projections
for the health professions. Input from the symposium will
be used to formulate the biannual "Report to the President
and Congress on Health Personnel in the United States."
Copies of the 8th and 9th reports are now available online
at http://chws.albany.edu/HRSAreports.
4.
Senate Committee on Veterans' Affairs Holds Nursing Shortage
Hearing
At a
June 14 hearing on the Looming Nursing Shortage: Impact
on the Department of Veterans' Affairs, John D. Rockefeller
(D-WV), Chairman of the Senate Committee on Veterans' Affairs
stated: "The problems facing the VA health care system
-- including funding constraints and nurse shortages --
in many ways mirror the problems facing health care organizations
nationwide. We must address
this situation before we have a severe health care crisis
on our hands." Nurses held seven of nine witness slots
at the hearing including chief consultant Catherine J. Rick,
RN, MSN, CHE, CNM, with the VA's Nursing Strategic Health
Care Group who testified that the Veterans' Affairs health
system is experiencing nursing shortages in some regions
and that mandatory overtime may contribute to nurses choosing
to practice in other settings. Thomas L. Garthwaite, MD,
Under Secretary for Health, also testified that the VA will
continue to devote its resources to averting the impending
national nurse shortage and minimizing any impact on VA
health care. AACN members may receive copies of hearing
testimony by contacting gthrowe@aacn.nche.edu.
5.
ELNEC Sponsors Upcoming Training Sessions/Debuts New Newsletter
The
End-of-Life Nursing Education Consortium (ELNEC) project
offered its third course for undergraduate faculty on June
21-23 in Cleveland. To date 325 faculty have completed the
course to become ELNEC Trainers. Applications are now being
sought for final ELNEC course for undergraduate faculty
on January 10-12, 2002. If your school has not been represented
at an ELNEC program, you are encouraged to alert faculty
to this opportunity. Application deadline is August 23;
details may be found at http://www.aacn.nche.edu/elnec.
Furthering its efforts to develop a core of expert nurse
educators in end-of-life care, ELNEC is offering the first
course for continuing education/staff development educators
on November 15-17. Application deadline is August 20. Schools
with continuing education programs may send a faculty member
to this course in addition to the undergraduate faculty
course. To keep stakeholders apprised of ELNEC activities,
the first issue of ELNEC Connections, a quarterly electronic
newsletter, was distributed in mid-June and may be found
online at http://www.aacn.nche.edu/ELNEC/connections.htm.
The next issue will come out in September.
6.
GWU Sponsors Forum on "Nurse Workforce: Condition Critical"
During
the National Health Policy Forum sponsored by the George
Washington University on June 1, AACN member Marla Salmon,
RN, ScD, FAAN, discussed factors contributing to the current
nursing shortage and identified steps to tackle the problem.
She suggested that policymakers focus on the need for health
workforce development, practice improvement research, and
coordinated efforts between
state and federal governments. Other speakers suggested
collecting annual data to supplement the Division of Nursing's
National Sample Survey of Registered Nurses which is published
every four years, making changes to Medicare graduate medical
education funding that supports nursing; and evaluating
current national programs as models for nursing including
the National Health Service Corps, Cadet Nurse Corps (which
attracted 170,000 nurses in 1943), and the Robert Wood Johnson
funded Project Link that brought 1,000 economically disadvantaged
and minority health workers employed in hospitals into nursing.
For more details, visit the Policy Forum Web site at http://www.nhpf.org.
7.
National Health Service Corps Scholarships Now Tax-Free
On June
7 as part of the Economic Growth and Tax Relief Reconciliation
Act of 2001 (H.R. 1836), President Bush signed into law
legislation that makes National Health Service Corps (NHSC)
scholarship funding used for tuition payments tax-free.
The NHSC is a federal program that places health care professionals
in underserved areas in exchange for government scholarships
or assistance with loan repayments. By mandate, the NHSC
sets aside 10% of its funding to award scholarships and
loans to nurse practitioners, certified nurse midwives,
and physician assistant programs in exchange for practicing
in shortage areas. The Bush administration hopes this move
will encourage more health care professionals to participate
in this program. Read more about the NHSC at http://www.bphc.hrsa.dhhs.gov/nhsc/Pages/toc.htm.
8.
Register Now for the Annual Summer Seminar in Vancouver
AACN's
2001 Summer Seminar will provide intense training for those
who hold or aspire to executive positions in nursing higher
education. Nationally recognized experts on leadership in
health care and higher education will address the dramatically
changing perspectives and responsibilities of executive
leaders in these fields, and competencies required to thrive
in the evolving health care academic leadership role. Deans
and directors are invited to bring their associates/assistants
as well as faculty who are likely to assume leadership roles
in the future. The seminar format is designed to provide
opportunities for both learning and leisure. Bring your
colleagues, families, and friends and enjoy the scenery
and recreational activities of the Vancouver area. Find
details on how to register online at:
http://www.aacn.nche.edu/Conferences/summer01.htm
9.
AACN Supports the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force
Sponsored
by the Agency for Health Care Research and Quality (AHRQ),
the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) is a private
sector independent panel of experts charged with reviewing
the clinical evidence on a variety of health conditions.
In support of their efforts, AACN will provide members with
regular updates on USPSTF resources and initiatives like
the following:
**Chlamydia
is an often "silent" sexually transmitted disease
since it can show no symptoms for 6 months or more. Untreated
chlamydia can have serious consequences, including pelvic
inflammatory disease, infertility, and if pregnant, may
cause pre-term delivery and problems for the baby. Chlamydia
is
easily treated with antibiotics and treatment is 100% effective.
A fact sheet on this disease may be found at http://www.ahrq.gov/clinic/prev/chlamwh.htm.
**High
cholesterol puts people at risk for coronary heart disease
(CHD) which kills more than 500,000 individuals each year
- an equal number of men and women. CHD is the leading cause
of death in the U.S. A new fact sheet, "Screening Adults
for Lipid Disorders," has been developed by AHRQ to
provide
more information about this condition. Download a copy at
http://www.ahrq.gov/clinic/prev/lipidwh.htm.
10.
Florence Nightingale Commemoration Set at the National Cathedral
In July
2000, Florence Nightingale was commemorated by the Episcopal
Church of the United States of America in the volume, "Lesser
Feasts and Fasts." The church's first annual service
to honor the founder of modern nursing will be held on August
12, 2001, at 4 p.m. at the National Cathedral in Washington,
DC. This service will also honor nurses as they continue
Nightingale's mission of caring and healing. The event is
free and open to all. For more details, see http://www.cathedral.org/cathedral
or contact Barbara
Dossey at bdossey@ix.netcom.com.
11.
AHC Launches New Initiative to Increase Access to Health
Care
The
AACN Board of Directors has endorsed a new national initiative
by the Association of Academic Health Centers (AHC) to increase
access to health care. The "Academics for Access to
Health Care Initiative" is supported by a broad-based
coalition of higher education leaders and organizations
seeking to provide health care coverage for all Americans
and reduce the size of our nation's uninsured population.
To assist in this effort, AHC has developed a set of PowerPoint
slides that may be used when making presentations on this
issue. The slides contain the most current data and analysis
available on health care access issues. We urge members
to use the slides and actively pursue opportunities to speak
out on the issue of health care access. Please contact cgazlay@aacn.nche.edu
to request a copy of the slides.
12.
AACN Outreach and Advocacy Update
Below
is a roundup of recent outreach and advocacy efforts undertaken
by AACN leadership and staff:
**AACN
members were represented at the International Council of
Nursing's 22nd Quadrennial Conference held in Copenhagen
on June 10-15 which focused on the theme "Nursing:
A New Era for Action." Staff members Dr. Linda Berlin
and Janis Stennett gave a presentation on "The Transition
of a National Survey Effort from Traditional to Internet-Based
Format." Executive director Polly Bednash conducted
a poster presentation on the ELNEC project. Copies of the
PowerPoint presentation are available by contacting jstennet@aacn.nche.edu.
**On
June 19, Dorothy Powell, EdD, RN, Dean of Howard University's
Division of Nursing, represented AACN and the academic perspective
on the nursing shortage at a meeting with Tommy G. Thompson,
Secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
At the session hosted by the Division of Nursing, Bureau
of Health Professions, Secretary Thompson heard from representatives
of the nursing
community and offered his solutions to the nursing shortage
including streamlined record-keeping, enhanced "welfare
to work" recruitment, and bar coding medications and
hospital supplies. Dr. Powell presented information on the
continued decline in graduations and enrollments and the
importance of
enhancing the image of nursing to make the profession a
desirable career option for prospective students. Secretary
Thompson, who is well aware of the nursing shortage and
its affects on the health delivery system, is in the process
of assessing the Bureau of Health Professions priorities.
**AACN
Board Secretary Jean Bartels, PhD, RN, Chair of Georgia
Southern University School of Nursing and AACN's Director
of Education Policy Joan Stanley represented the association
at the International Nursing Coalition on Mass Casualty
Events meeting in Anniston, AL on June 24-26. The purpose
of the
Coalition is to provide leadership to the nursing profession
regarding mass casualty incidents (MCI). Dr. Bartels has
been asked to head the workgroup that will be drafting the
mission statement and action plan for the coalition. Dr.
Stanley has been asked to head the workgroup that will be
drafting a statement
on the roles nurses can and should play in MCIs and the
necessary competencies. Other AACN members in attendance
included Colleen Conway-Welch, PhD, Chair of the Coalition,
and Dean of the Vanderbilt University School of Nursing;
Patricia Hinton Walker, PhD, RN, FAAN, Dean of University
of Colorado Health Sciences Center School of Nursing; Nancy
Langston, PhD, RN, Dean of Virginia Commonwealth University
School of Nursing; and Eileen Zungolo, EdD, Dean of Northeastern
University School of Nursing.
**The
Association of Academic Health Centers (AHC) hosted their
8th annual Congress on June 4 and 5 in Washington, DC. Member
deans and AACN staff attended presentations centered around
the theme "Solving the Workforce Crisis: Lessons from
Clinical Practice and the Corporate World."
**AACN
President-Elect Kathleen A. Long, PhD, RNCS, FAAN, Dean
of the University of Florida College of Nursing, published
an opinion piece entitled "Needed: Better Educated
Nurses" in the June 17 edition of The Gainesville Sun.
Read the article online at:
http://www.sunone.com/EDITS/articles/2001-06-17speaklong.shtml
**On
May 30, AACN in its affiliation with the governmental affairs
staff of the Federation of Associations of the Schools of
the Health Professions (FASHP) met with Dr. Elizabeth M.
Duke, acting administrator of the Health Resources and Services
Administration (HRSA). Discussion focused on FASHP's concerns
regarding Public Health Service Act support for the health
professions and the need for interdisciplinary teams to
provide quality care that produces optimal patient outcomes.
**The
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services awarded a contract
to the American Physical Therapy Association for a multidisciplinary
consensus conference on clinical education. AACN Board Member
Jeanette Lancaster, PhD, RN, FAAN, Dean of the University
of Virginia's School of Nursing, will be representing AACN
at the conference on August 2-4 in Washington, DC. The purpose
of the conference is to achieve agreement on issues related
to clinical education across multiple health-related disciplines.
