October
2001 News Watch
1.
Semiannual Meeting Draws Hundreds of Deans to D.C.
2. Grants Awarded in Support of Geriatric
Nursing Education
3. AACN's Annual Survey Due November 1
4. Congress Pays Tribute to Nurses/Advances
Legislation
5. Call for Abstracts Issued for the Master's
Conference
6. Nominations Due for RWJ Health Policy
Fellowships
7. Deadline Nears for Fuld Academic Leadership
Program
8. RFP To Be Issued December 1 for New Hartford
Grant
9. 2002 Secretary's Award Seeks Student Nominations
10. Baccalaureate Conference Coming in December
11. New Opportunity Alerts Now Posted on
the Web
12. Few Seats Remaining for Next ELNEC Course
in January
13. Advocacy Update and Member News
1. Semiannual Meeting Draws Hundreds
of Deans to DC
Hundreds
of nursing school deans from around the country joined with
special guests and dignitaries from the nursing community
for AACN's Fall Semiannual Meeting on October 20-23 in Washington,
D.C. More than a dozen new deans were welcomed at this meeting
that featured spirited discussions, power networking, and
timely updates on the state of nursing education today.
The meeting commenced on a high note with keynote speaker
Elizabeth M. Norman, PhD, RN, author of the book "We
Band of Angels: The Untold Story of American Nurses Trapped
on Bataan by the Japanese," receiving the prestigious
John P. McGovern Invitational Lectureship Award. As a special
highlight to the proceedings, the three schools winning
this year's Awards for Exceptional Baccalaureate Curriculum
in Gerontologic Nursing were also announced: Medical College
of Georgia (First Place), University of the Virgin Islands
(Second Place), and Wilkes University (Honorable Mention).
Committee and
task force reports presented at the meeting are
currently posted on the Web.
2.
Grants Awarded in Support of Geriatric Nursing Education
AACN's
advisory committee is pleased to report that 30 grants have
been awarded to schools of nursing in support of innovations
in geriatric nursing education. Funded by The John A. Hartford
Foundation of New York, grant monies will be used to develop
geriatric curriculum and clinical innovations to improve
nursing care to older adults. Click
here for a complete listing of schools receiving
grant funding.
3.
AACN's Annual Survey Due November 1
The
November 1 deadline is fast approaching! Your school's participation
in the 2001 Annual Survey of Institutions with Baccalaureate
and Higher Degree Nursing Programs is vital in forming the
nation's premier database on trends in enrollments and graduations;
student and faculty demographics; and faculty and deans'
salaries. All schools submitting enrollment and graduation
information, faculty salaries, and deans' salaries will
receive complimentary copies of the data reports. If you
have any questions about the survey, contact Dr. Linda Berlin,
lberlin@aacn.nche.edu.
If you would like to report your data online and have misplaced
your school ID or password, contact Janis Stennett, jstennet@aacn.nche.edu.
4.
Congress Pays Tribute to Nurses/Advances Legislation
On October
3, AACN's governmental affairs staff joined Sen. John Kerry
(D-MA), Sen. Jim Jeffords (I-VT), and Rep. Lois Capps (D-CA)
at a press event to call for immediate passage of the Nurse
Reinvestment Act (S. 706/H.R. 1436). Sen. Kerry said, "The
nursing workforce in our country is top-notch, and its response
to the terrorist attacks on New York City and the Pentagon
exemplify their dedication, but the profession needs our
help." Featured at the event were Dr. Elizabeth Ayello,
Associate Professor at the New York State University School
of Nursing, and two of her students who shared harrowing
accounts of their efforts to aid victims of the World Trade
Center attack. AACN has endorsed the Nurse Reinvestment
Act. Click
here for details on AACN's legislative strategies
to address the nursing shortage.
5.
Call for Abstracts Issued for the Master's Conference
Echoing
the theme "Contrasts and Decision Points: Innovative Models
for Master's Education," the annual Master's Education Conference
will be held February 21-23, 2002 at Amelia Island, Florida.
The conference will examine models of master's education
for new audiences, such as entry-into-practice; new specialty
programs such as genetics, palliative care, and gerontology/geriatrics;
and re-emergence of traditional functional specialties such
as administration, education, and the CNS role. Strategies
for developing niche markets, attracting students, and delivering
programs in non-traditional ways will be explored. Poster
abstracts are currently being solicited in the following
categories: Master's education for new audiences; innovative
specialty or niche programs; and re-emergence of traditional
functional areas. The Call for Abstracts will be posted
on the AACN Web site shortly.
6.
Nominations Due for RWJ Health Policy Fellowships
The
Robert Wood Johnson Health Policy Fellowships Program is
designed to develop the capacity of outstanding mid-career
health professionals in academic and community-based settings
to assume leadership roles in health policy and management.
This career development program provides opportunities for
professionals to gain an understanding of the health policy
process and to contribute to the formulation of new policies
and programs. Six Fellows participate each year in a one-year
program of orientation and full-time work experience in
the nation's capital. Complete
details and the 2002 Call for Nominations brochure
may be found online. Nominations are due by November 16.
7.
Deadline Nears for Fuld Academic Leadership Program
Supported
by the Helene Fuld Health Trust, AACN's Leadership for Academic
Nursing Program is designed to enhance the leadership capabilities
of individuals aspiring to lead academic nursing organizations
and those new to the role of chief academic administrator
of baccalaureate or graduate nursing programs. The year-long
program will provide participants with a focused assessment
experience, a range of content and case studies related
to successful leadership, and the opportunity to establish
networks of mentors and peers for the development of lasting
partnerships. A selection committee of senior nurse leaders
will choose program participants with a priority given to
those who have the potential for a long-term commitment
to the role of a chief academic administrator of a nursing
program. Applications must be received by December 14, 2001.
Click
here for eligibility and selection criteria, timeline
information, and an application.
8.
RFP To Be Issued December 1 for New Hartford Grant
In September,
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. Competitive scholarship funds
will be available to schools with geriatric advanced practice
nursing programs who demonstrate that funds would be used
to increase enrollment in these programs. Funds will be
awarded up to a maximum of $300,000 over a three-year period.
Awards will be granted to schools that provide 1-to-1 matching
funds and meet criteria that address their ability to recruit
nationally with geographic, cultural, and ethnic diversity,
and prepare graduates with skills to sustain careers in
geriatric nursing. All graduates of master's programs in
geriatric Advanced Practice Nursing who receive scholarships
must be eligible to sit for ANCC or other nationally recognized
certifications in geriatric Advanced Practice Nursing. The
Request for Proposals (RFP) will be issued on December 1
and posted on AACN's Web site. Grant applications will be
due on February 15, 2002. To sign up on an interest list
to receive the RFP as soon as it becomes available, please
contact Sara Gore at sgore@aacn.nche.edu
or (202) 463-6930, ext. 248.
9.
2002 Secretary's Award Seeks Student Nominations
The
Secretary's Award for Innovations in Health Promotion and
Disease Prevention competition is an opportunity for health
professions students to enter papers describing innovative
health promotion or disease prevention projects for consideration
for cash awards. The U.S. Department of Health and Human
Services, Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA)
sponsors this annual competition in collaboration with the
Federation of Associations of Schools of the Health Professions.
AACN staff have consistently earned high marks for their
administration of this program, and HHS has recently awarded
AACN the contract to administer this competition for the
next three years. Nursing school leaders are encouraged
to share details about this program with students. Details
on the
2002 competition including an application may be
accessed by here. The deadline for students to submit entries
to their schools is January 25, 2002.
10.
Baccalaureate Conference Coming in December
Faculty
members from baccalaureate nursing programs across the country
are invited to join AACN for the Fourth Annual Baccalaureate
Education Conference coming to The Ritz Carlton in Washington,
D.C. on December 6-8. Focused on the theme "Building on
Success," the conference will feature abstract presentations,
interest forums, task force updates, poster presentations,
and networking opportunities. General sessions will showcase
a range of hot topics for today's nurse educator including
"Spotlight on Nursing: "Big Picture" Issues Facing the Profession,"
"Career Fitness: Prepping Students for Job Seeking in Today's
Work World," "NCLEX Issues, Challenges, and Successes,"
and "Post-Baccalaureate Residencies: Models for Professional
Success." Click
here for complete program details and to register
online.
11.
New Opportunity Alerts Now Posted on the Web
AACN
strives to keep our members informed about new sources of
grant funding, scholarships, and fellowships. Eight new
Opportunity
Alerts have just been posted on our Web site including
several from the American Cancer Society.
In
addition, AACN members are encouraged to visit the federal
Division of Nursing Web site to discover the many grant
programs open to schools of nursing and nursing students.
In FY 2002, HRSA expects to award $74 million to public
and private nonprofit schools and programs in the US. Among
the grant programs now accepting applications for FY 2002
are: Faculty Development in Geriatrics (deadline November
9); Advanced Education Nursing Traineeship (deadline November
19); Advanced Education Nursing (deadline December 3); Nursing
Workforce Diversity (deadline December 7); and Basic Nurse
Education and Practice (deadline January 28). For complete
information on these and other grant programs, click
here.
12.
Few Seats Remaining for Next ELNEC Course in January
The
registration deadline has been extended for the next faculty
development course offered as part of the End-of-Life Nursing
Education Consortium (ELNEC) project. This course for baccalaureate
and associate degree faculty will assist participants in
teaching and integrating end-of-life care into nursing education
programs. A few seats are still left for the ELNEC course
scheduled for January 10-12, 2002 in Pasadena, CA. Applications
will be accepted on a space available basis. For details,
click
here.
13.
Advocacy Update and Member News
**On
September 28, HHS Secretary Tommy G. Thompson announced
that $27 million in grant funding, including $20 million
in FY 2001 funding for schools of nursing, has been set
aside to address the nursing shortage. The announcement
was made at a press event hosted by Bette Keltner, PhD,
RN, FAAN, dean of Georgetown University School of Nursing
and Health Studies. AACN Executive Director Polly Bednash
and Ann Marie Brooks, DNSc, RN, FAAN, dean of The Catholic
University of America School of Nursing, were also in attendance.
For details, click
here.
**On
October 25, AACN's Deputy Executive Director Anne Rhome
and Director of Special Programs Barbara Penn presented
an abstract on the ELNEC project at the National Conference
on Professional Nursing Education and Development. Held
in Seattle, the conference was sponsored by the University
of Washington.
**On
October 29, AACN hosted the fall meeting of the Tri-Council
for Nursing at our offices in Washington, D.C. The Tri-Council
is an alliance of four autonomous nursing organizations
(AACN, ANA, AONE, and NLN), each united by common values
and focused on leadership for education, practice, and research.
AACN will also host the next two meetings of the Tri-Council
in January and April 2002.
**AACN
honorary member Norma Lang, PhD, RN, former dean of the
University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing, won the Ernest
A. Codman Award from the Joint Commission on Accreditation
of Healthcare Organizations. Dr. Lang received this honor
for her leadership role in promoting the use of performance
measures to improve health care services. She is the first
nurse and the first woman to ever receive this honor. Click
here for complete details.
