MAY
NEWS WATCH
1.
Helene Fuld Health Trust Awards Grant for
Leadership Development
2. New Legislation Introduced to Address
the Nursing Shortage
3. Nursing Students Take Honors in 2001
Secretary’s Award Competition
4. Dr. Carolyn Williams Discusses the Nursing
Shortage Before NINR
5. AACN Participates in a Forum on the
Expansion of Baccalaureate Programs
6. Dr. Dorothy Powell Represents AACN at
NACNEP
7. AACN Sponsors Friends of NINR Congressional
Briefing
8. Sen. Hutchinson Sponsors Field Hearing
on the Nursing Shortage
9. GAO Releases New Report on Nursing Workforce
at Senate Hearing
10. Ask a Nurse: From Home Remedies
to Health Care Hits Bookstores
11. Planning is Underway for the 2002
State of the Science Conference
12. 10th Annual Nurse Practitioner Faculty
Advocate Network Meeting Held
13. Member Nominations and Appointments
1. Helene Fuld Health Trust Awards
Grant for Leadership Development
The
Helene Fuld Health Trust has awarded an academic leadership
grant to AACN to develop an executive leadership institute
for new and aspiring deans. Designed to prepare a more
diverse, younger pool of leaders for nursing programs,
this professional development experience will encompass
an assessment and evaluation of leadership skills, opportunities
for strategic networking and case study development, consultation
to achieve long-term goals, and identification of key
partnerships. This competitive fellowship grant will fund
up to 60 participants with the institute to be offered
in spring 2002. Information about this opportunity will
be available soon on this Web site.
For
details on currently available grants, visit the Opportunity
Alerts page on the Web site. This information is updated
regularly with fellowships and grants for nursing programs,
students, and research. There are currently several Helene
Fuld Health Trust grants that are available to nursing
schools and students.
2.
New Legislation Introduced to Address the Nursing Shortage
On
May 17, 2001, Rep. Eliot Engel (D-NY) introduced the fourth
comprehensive bill addressing the nursing shortage. The
Nurse of Tomorrow Act (H.R. 1897) creates infrastructure
grants for schools of nursing, addresses nurse recruitment
and retention, and provides tax incentives for nursing
education. AACN has endorsed Sen. John Kerry’s (D-MA)
Nurse Reinvestment Act, S. 706; Rep. Lois Capps’
(D-CA) version of the Nurse Reinvestment Act, H.R. 1436;
and Sen. Tim Hutchinson’s (R-AR) Nurse Employment
and Educational Development Act, S. 721. AACN staff is
currently reviewing the Engel bill. For more details on
nursing shortage legislation, visit AACN’s new Nursing
Shortage Resource page.
3.
Nursing Students Take Honors in 2001 Secretary's Award
Competition
Several
nursing students will receive awards in the annual competition
for the Secretary’s Award for Innovations in Health
Promotion and Disease Prevention. Robert Trim, a student
at the University of Wisconsin – Madison School of
Nursing, will receive the first place award in the single
discipline category for his project to increase public
awareness about organ and tissue donation. Leah Jorgenson
at the University of Nebraska shares first place honors
in the interdisciplinary category for participating in
a clinic that provides high quality primary care to uninsured
and underinsured individuals. Tiffany J. Stewart at Auburn
University School of Nursing shares third place honors
in the interdisciplinary category for designing an activity
book to increase interest in health professions among
African-American children. The ceremony will be held in
Washington, DC on June 20. More information on the winning
projects will be available soon in the Education
Center section.
4.
Dr. Carolyn A. Williams Discusses the Nursing Shortage
before NINR
AACN
President Carolyn A. Williams, PhD, RN, FAAN, Dean of
the University of Kentucky School of Nursing, made a presentation
on the nursing shortage to the National
Institute of Nursing Research Advisory Council on
May 22, 2001. She presented AACN's perspectives on declining
enrollments and the future base of scholars for nursing
research. Dr. Williams shared with the advisory board
AACN's efforts to address these issues and the association's
goals for nursing research and faculty development.
5.
AACN Participates in a Forum on the Expansion of Baccalaureate
Programs
On
April 26, 2001, AACN participated in a forum in Atlanta
sponsored by the University HealthSystem Consortium. Approximately
60 deans and chief nurse officers met to discuss options
to expand capacity in baccalaureate nursing programs and
improve the work environment for baccalaureate and higher
degree prepared nurses. Two major demonstration initiatives
have been developed and will be initiated in the fall.
Two task forces of AACN and UHC members will work to identify
mechanisms to support baccalaureate nursing programs wishing
to expand their enrollments and develop a model for a
national post-baccalaureate residency program. Additional
information on these demonstration initiatives will be
available at the fall AACN meeting.
6.
Dr. Dorothy Powell Represents AACN at NACNEP
Dorothy
Powell, EdD, RN, Dean of Howard University’s Division
of Nursing, represented AACN at the National Advisory
Council on Nursing Education and Practice (NACNEP), the
Division of Nursing’s advisory committee. Dr. Powell
reported on AACN's goals and projects to address the future
characteristics of the nursing workforce, improve professional
practice opportunities for baccalaureate and higher degree
nurses, and prepare future nurse faculty. Find out more
about NACNEP at: http://bhpr.hrsa.gov/dn/nacnep/index.htm.
7.
AACN Sponsors Friends of the NINR Congressional Briefing
On
May 16, 2001, AACN joined the Association of Academic
Health Centers to sponsor the Friends of the National
Institute of Nursing Research, “2001 Congressional
Briefing.” Nurse researchers Linda Aiken, PhD, RN,
FAAN, FRCN, and Peter Buerhaus, PhD, RN, FAAN, presented
their findings about the impact of nurse staffing on quality
of care. Dr. Aiken discussed her recently released study,
“Nurses’ Reports on Hospital Care in Five Countries”
and offered suggestions for federal responses to address
the nursing shortage. Dr. Aiken’s study is in the
current issue of Health Affairs, the Policy Journal of
the Health Sphere, and may be downloaded online at: http://www.healthaffairs.org/.
Dr. Buerhaus suggested ways to increase the supply of
RNs that included improving the image of nursing, reducing
the costs of education, eliminating stigmas and barriers
for men and minorities, developing ways to keep older
RNs in the workforce, and anticipating and preparing foreign
educated RNs. See Dr. Buerhaus’ study “Nurse
Staffing and Patient Outcomes in Hospitals” at: http://bhpr.hrsa.gov/dn/staffstudy.htm.
8.
Sen. Hutchinson Sponsors Field Hearing on the Nursing
Shortage
On
April 17, 2001, Sen. Tim Hutchinson (R-AR) held the first
field hearing on the nursing shortage in Little Rock,
AR. Several nurses testified at the Committee on Health,
Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Subcommittee on
Aging hearing including Barbara Williams, PhD, RN, Dean
of the University of Central Arkansas. Dr. Williams’
testimony focused on the nursing shortage’s impact
on the people of Arkansas. The Senator’s testimony
and that of the other hearing witnesses are available
on the subcommittee Web site at: http://www.senate.gov/~labor/107hearings/april2001/041701wt/041701wt.htm.
9.
GAO Releases New Report on Nursing Workforce at Senate
Hearing
On
May 17, 2001, the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and
Pensions Committee held its most recent hearing on the
nursing shortage. Witnesses included William J. Scanlon,
from the Government Accounting Office, who discussed his
new report, “Nursing Workforce: Recruitment and Retention
of Nurses and Nurse Aides Is a Growing Concern,”
[GAO-01-750T] which is available on the GAO Web site at:
www.gao.gov. Witness
Julie A. Sochalski, PhD, RN, Associate Director of the
Center for Health Services and Policy Research at the
University of Pennsylvania, suggested that Congress establish
a demonstration project to research the makeup of the
appropriate health care team and seek innovative ways
to redesign nursing care delivery. For hearing testimony,
see: http://www.senate.gov/~labor/107hearings/may2001/051701wt/051701wt.htm.
10.
Ask a Nurse: From Home Remedies to Hospital Care
Hits Bookstores
The
culmination of a three-year process, AACN is pleased to
report that the book Ask A Nurse: From Home Remedies
to Hospital Care is now available at national bookstore
chains and through Amazon.com. This practical guide was
truly a collaborative effort between AACN, The Peoples
Medical Society, and hundreds of nurses and nursing school
deans who provided their subject matter expertise. Ask
a Nurse is a practical, authoritative reference on
home remedies, over-the-counter medications, and hospital
care for over 50 common ailments, with special sections
on addictions, emergency first aid, consumer rights, home
medical kits, and men’s, women’s and children’s
health issues. For more information about this book, see:
http://www.simonsays.com/book/default_book.cfm?isbn=0684856875.
11.
Planning Is Underway for the 2002 State of the Science
Conference
AACN
and Sigma Theta Tau International are serving as the lead
cosponsors for the 2002 State of the Science Conference.
Dr. Joan Shaver, University of Illinois at Chicago, will
serve as the planning committee co-chair for AACN. The
meeting will take place September 25-28, 2002 at the J.W.
Marriott Hotel in Washington, D.C. The Call for Abstracts
will be mailed in June.
12.
10th Annual Nurse Practitioner Faculty Advocate Network
Meeting Held
Last
month over 80 nurse practitioner faculty members met in
San Antonio, TX for the 10th Annual Nurse Practitioner
Faculty Advocate Network Meeting sponsored by AACN and
the National Health Service Corps. A major focus was on
how the NHSC and faculty advocates can work together to
better serve communities in need. The highlight of this
year’s meeting was an enlightening presentation by
Viola Gomez, a rural opportunities health administrator
and outreach worker as well as a migrant farm worker.
The faculty advocates also heard from agency representatives
and recent scholarship and loan repayment recipients about
their experiences with the NHSC and working with underserved
communities. For more information on this meeting can
be found in the NPFA
section of the Web site.
13.
Member Nominations and Appointments
Carol
Allen, PhD, RN, Chair of the Department of Nursing at
Oakwood College, and AACN President Carolyn A. Williams
were nominated to the Institute of Medicine’s Committee
on Public Health to examine “Assuring the Health
of the Public in the 21st Century.”
Terry
B. Misener, PhD, RN, Dean and Professor of Nursing at
the University of Portland, was nominated to the National
Committee on Vital and Health Statistics.
Jill
Derstine, EdD, RN, Chair of the Department of Nursing
at Temple University, was appointed to serve as AACN’s
representative to the American Public Health Association
to develop interdisciplinary public health curriculum
on human rights.
Elizabeth
Stullenbarger, DSN, and a team of nursing faculty from
the University of Central Florida was nominated to represent
AACN at a national forum on service learning and community-based
education sponsored by the American Association of Higher
Education.
Dorothy
Powell has been named AACN’s official representative
to the Friends of the Division of Nursing, an autonomous,
advocacy group that supports the work of the federal Division
of Nursing.
