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April
2002 News Watch
1. Dr.
Kathleen Ann Long Assumes Role of AACN President
2. White Paper on Professional Nursing Practice
Settings Released
3. May 1 Deadline Approaches for Hartford Institute
Award Program
4. Submissions Needed for Journal of Professional
Nursing
5. Applications for NELRP Funds Available Mid-April
6. AACN’s Annual Meeting Attracts Hundreds
of Members to D.C.
7. Free Student Recruitment Materials Available
8. Findings from Joint AACN-NONPF Survey Released
9. New Faculty Shortage Fact Sheet Posted on
the Web
10. ELNEC Sponsors Training for Continuing
Education Providers
11. Last Call for Faculty Practice Conference
and BONUS Meeting
12. Call to the Profession Releases Strategic
Plan
13. “Ask a Nurse” Book Now Available
in Paperback
14. New Funding Opportunities in Nursing Research
15. Fellowship Program in Health Leadership
Development
16. Student Internship in Women’s Health
Services Available
17. AACN Outreach and Advocacy Update
1.
DR. KATHLEEN ANN LONG ASSUMES ROLE OF AACN PRESIDENT
At the
annual meeting in March, Kathleen Ann Long, PhD, RN, FAAN,
University of Florida School of Nursing, was elected to serve
a two-year term as AACN President. “As President, I plan
to further AACN’s mission by working to build consensus
on future directions for nursing education, pursuing legislative
support for nursing education and research, and raising public
awareness about the importance of nurses in health care delivery,”
said Dr. Long. Also at the meeting, Jean E. Bartels, PhD,
RN, Georgia Southern University, was elected as AACN’s
President-elect; Dorothy L. Powell, EdD, RN, FAAN, Howard
University, was chosen as Secretary; and Roberta K. Olson,
PhD, RN, South Dakota State University, was chosen as Board
Member-at-Large. Board members reelected for second terms
included Cynthia Flynn Capers, PhD, RN, University of Akron;
and Mary Mundt, PhD, RN, University of Louisville. For details,
click here.
2.
WHITE PAPER ON PROFESSIONAL NURSING PRACTICE SETTINGS RELEASED
AACN released
a new white paper in March entitled Hallmarks
of the Professional Nursing Practice Setting.
In 2000, the AACN Board of Directors created a task force
to identify those environmental characteristics or hallmarks
of the practice setting that allow baccalaureate- and higher
degree-prepared nurses to practice to their full potential.
Having been identified in the white paper, these hallmarks
serve to inform students, new graduates, nurse educators,
executives, and practicing nurses about key characteristics
of health care settings that promote professional nursing
practice. A companion brochure entitled What Every Nursing
Graduate Should Consider When Seeking Employment has also
been developed as a tool to match graduates with practice
settings that value their education. This handy reference
features a series of questions that new nurses can ask to
screen potential employers. AACN is in the process of mailing
a copy of the white paper and 100 brochures to all members.
Schools wishing to make additional copies of the brochure
may download a camera-ready version at http://www.aacn.nche.edu/Publications/positions/hallmarks.htm.
3.
MAY 1 DEADLINE APPROACHES FOR HARTFORD INSTITUTE AWARD PROGRAM
The John
A. Hartford Foundation Institute for Geriatric Nursing, in
collaboration with AACN, announces the fourth award competition
for exceptional baccalaureate curriculum in gerontological
nursing. Schools that offer baccalaureate nursing programs
with strong curriculum in gerontological nursing are encouraged
to apply. Reviewers will evaluate curricula from large and
small schools that can be showcased as models of excellence.
First place award is $1,000. For information and an application,
call (202) 463-6930 or click
here. Applications must be postmarked by May 1, 2002.
Please direct any questions to Joan Stanley at jstanley@aacn.nche.edu
or 202-463-6930, ext. 254.
4.
SUBMISSIONS NEEDED FOR JOURNAL OF PROFESSIONAL NURSING
The Journal
of Professional Nursing (JPN), AACN’s official journal,
is seeking papers that address the practice, research, and
policy roles of nurses with baccalaureate and graduate degrees;
the educational and management concerns of the universities
in which they are educated; and the settings in which they
practice. Reports of original work, research, reviews, and
policy papers focusing on professional nursing will be considered
for publication. Authors interested in publishing their paper
in JPN are encouraged to submit papers to: Eleanor J. Sullivan,
Editor, Journal of Professional Nursing, AACN, One Dupont
Circle, NW, Suite 530 Washington, DC 20036. Detailed information
for authors is included in all issues of the journal. For
further information, contact Bill O’Connor, managing
editor, at woconnor@aacn.nche.edu.
5.
APPLICATIONS FOR NELRP FUNDS AVAILABLE MID-APRIL
The federal
Division of Nursing (HRSA) announces the availability of $10.2
million for the Nursing Education Loan and Repayment Program
(NELRP). Open to all registered nurses, participants must
enter into a contract to serve two to three years at a health
facility in an underserved area. For two years of service,
the NELRP will pay 60% of the participant's student loans,
and for three years of service, the NELRP will pay 85% of
the participant's student loans. Application kits will be
available mid-April 2002. For more details, see http://bhpr.hrsa.gov/nursing/loanrepay.htm.
6.
AACN’S ANNUAL MEETING ATTRACTS HUNDREDS OF MEMBERS TO
D.C.
Hundreds
of nursing school deans and directors from around the country
converged on Washington last month for AACN’s 2002 Spring
Annual Meeting. Programmed around the theme "Preparedness
for Survival," highlights included inspiring words from
Brigadier General Clara L. Adams-Ender, MS, RN, US Army Retired
Former Chief, Army Nurse Corps; an update on the International
Nursing Coalition on Mass Casualty Events from CAPT Veronica
Stephens, MSN, ANP-C, Senior Advisor to the Director, Office
of Public Health Preparedness (HHS); and a discussion of nursing
education’s role in responding to bioterrorism presented
by Scott Lillibridge, MD, Special Assistant for National Security
and Bioterrorism, Office of the Secretary (HHS). Selected
task force and committee reports distributed at the meeting
are now available online in the Members
Only section of the Web site.
7.
FREE STUDENT RECRUITMENT MATERIALS AVAILABLE
As part
of Johnson & Johnson’s “Campaign for Nursing’s
Future”, new recruitment materials are now available
free of charge to schools of nursing. This nationwide, multimedia
initiative is designed to promote careers in nursing in response
to the nursing shortage. Materials available include a recruitment
video, 8 different posters, and a brochure that comes in both
English- and Spanish-language versions. To order materials,
call 1-888-981-9111. For details on the campaign, see http://www.discovernursing.com.
8.
FINDINGS FROM JOINT AACN-NONPF SURVEY RELEASED
AACN and
the National Organization of Nurse Practitioner Faculties
(NONPF) are pleased to announce the release of a new publication,
“Master’s-Level Nurse Practitioner Educational Programs: Findings
from the 2000-2001 Collaborative Curriculum Survey.” Survey
findings relate to general NP program characteristics and
requirements; core master’s and clinical course content; faculty
workload; interdisciplinary education; and Web-based curriculum.
The 275 schools that participated in this survey (83.8 percent
response rate) received a copy of this publication. Additional
copies may be purchased online; click
here for the publications order form.
9.
NEW FACULTY SHORTAGE FACT SHEET POSTED ON THE WEB
Faculty
shortages at nursing schools across the country are contributing
to the overall decline in new enrollments at a time when the
need for nurses is continuing to grow. Budget constraints,
an aging faculty, and increasing job competition from clinical
sites have contributed to this emerging crisis. To assist
members in discussing the faculty shortage with legislators,
the media, and stakeholders, a new fact
sheet has been created and is now posted on the Web.
Please assist us in framing the faculty shortage issue by
sending any data or new reports on nursing faculty shortages
to rrosseter@aacn.nche.edu.
10.
ELNEC SPONSORS FREE TRAINING FOR CONTINUING EDUCATION PROVIDERS
Funded
by The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, the End-of-Life Nursing
Education Consortium (ELNEC) is a national education program
to improve end-of-life care by nurses, administered through
a partnership between AACN and the City of Hope. The second
course designed specifically for continuing education/staff
development educators will be held June 20-22, 2002 in Chapel
Hill, NC. Participants will receive extensive materials, two
meals a day during the course, and a $100 stipend to help
defray travel and lodging costs. Application deadline is April
26, 2002. Applications will be accepted after this date if
space is available. More details may be found in the ELNEC
section of the AACN Web site.
11.
LAST CALL FOR FACULTY PRACTICE CONFERENCE AND BONUS MEETING
AACN's
Faculty Practice Conference will be held April 18-20, 2002
at the Doubletree Guest Suites in Chicago. (This is a change
from the original conference location.) Programmed around
the theme “Confronting Controversies in Faculty Practice,"
the conference will offer plenary, poster, and abstract sessions
that address selected controversial questions.
The 2002
Business Officers of Nursing Schools (BONUS) Meeting will
be held May 1-3, 2002 at the Sundial Beach and Tennis Resort
on Sanibel Island, Florida. Assistants to the dean, fiscal
managers, business officers, and any personnel involved in
the operational management of a nursing school are encouraged
to attend. Click here
for the complete program brochure.
12.
“CALL TO THE PROFESSION” RELEASES STRATEGIC PLAN
On April
4, 2002, The Call to the Profession, a coalition of 19 leading
nursing organizations including AACN, released its strategic
plan entitled “Nursing’s Agenda for the Future.”
This plan focuses on strategies that will move the profession
forward, thereby ensuring that consumers have access to high-quality
nursing care. Leaders from more than 60 national nursing organizations
contributed to the plan that identifies the nursing profession's
vision for the year 2010 as well as key strategies to be actualized
in the short term to achieve that vision. The complete plan
is available online at http://www.NursingWorld.org/naf.
13.
“ASK A NURSE” BOOK NOW AVAILABLE IN PAPERBACK
The book
Ask A Nurse: From Home Remedies to Hospital Care is
now available in paperback from national bookstore chains
and through Amazon.com. This practical guide, a collaborative
effort between AACN and The Peoples Medical Society, features
subject matter expertise contributed by hundreds of nurses
and nursing school deans. “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. To order the book, contact
1-800-223-2348 (bulk discount available) or http://www.amazon.com.
14.
THREE NEW OPPORTUNITIES IN NURSING RESEARCH ANNOUNCED
**The
Department of Defense, Breast Cancer Research Program (BCRP)
is accepting applications from nurses with an interest in
breast cancer clinical research. Through the BCRP, Clinical
Research Nurse Awards are granted to nurses with a baccalaureate,
master’s, or doctoral degree looking to pursue a career
in breast cancer research and testing. This mentored research
training experience awards up to $75,000 a year for salary
and up to $25,000 a year for other direct and indirect costs
for up to 2 years. For more information and an application,
see http://cdmrp.army.mil/funding/02bcrp2.htm
or call (301) 619-7079. Applications must be received by June
12, 2002.
**The
National Institute of Nursing Research (NINR) offers a popular
course, “Research Training: Preparing Nurse Scientists,”
for doctorally-prepared nurses who have not been successful
in obtaining NIH funding to support their research proposals.
The course is competitive with space for only 40 participants
each summer. See http://www.nih.gov/ninr/research/dir/flyer.html
for details. Because there are many more applicants for this
course than can be accommodated each year, NINR is now offering
the course in two mediated segments for any nurse wishing
to enroll: an online segment and a 5-part videotape segment.
For more information, see http://ninr.cm.net.
**The
Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) and the
Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) announce a joint program
to encourage research that addresses a critical priority for
the quality of U.S. health care: the translation of research
findings into improved quality, patient safety, and health
care outcomes. Research supported under this announcement
will build on work currently underway to provide essential
information to health care decision-makers regarding implementation
of evidence-based improvements in care. For more information,
go to the NIH Guide at http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/pa-files/PA-02-066.html.
15.
FELLOWSHIP PROGRAM IN HEALTH LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT
The International
Center for Health Leadership Development at the University
of Illinois at Chicago is currently recruiting applicants
for the Health Partners Fellows Class of 2002-2004. The Health
Partners Fellowship is a two-year leadership development program
that seeks to prepare leaders committed to creating organizational
collaborations between communities and academic institutions
to improve health. Five-week long intensive seminars are held
each year intended to strengthen and practice collaborative
leadership skills. The deadline to apply is May 17, 2002.
For details, visit http://www.uic.edu/sph/healthleaders
or call (312) 355-1087.
16.
STUDENT INTERNSHIP IN WOMEN’S HEALTH SERVICES AVAILABLE
The National
Association for Women’s Health (NAWH) and Subaru of America
are pleased to announce a unique opportunity for individuals
interested in the field of women’s health. This two-week
student internship will allow an individual with no prior
experience in women’s health to be mentored by a leader
in women’s health services. Current MPH students are
strongly encouraged to apply. The internship is available
to nursing students with a baccalaureate degree who are currently
enrolled in or have recently completed a master’s or
doctoral program. Travel, food, and lodging expenses, as well
as a stipend for the interns, are covered by an educational
grant from Subaru. For complete information on eligibility
requirements and an application, see http://www.nawh.org
or call (312) 786-1468. Applications are due on June 28, 2002.
17.
AACN OUTREACH AND ADVOCACY UPDATE
**The
People to People Ambassador Program is seeking nominations
for colleagues to participate on the Leaders in Nursing Delegation
in November. The delegation will travel to Beijing, Chengdu,
and Guiyang and will have the opportunity to observe and gain
an understanding of how health services are rendered in China
and how education for nurses is provided. To nominate a candidate,
send an email to Sara Gore at sgore@aacn.nche.edu
and include the candidate’s name and mailing address.
Nominations are due April 22, 2002.
**The
National Rural Health Association will host their 25th Annual
Conference on Rural Health on May 15-17, 2002 in Kansas City,
MO. This year, AACN will serve as a co-host for the conference
that explores many issues including telehealth, emergency
medical services in rural areas, recruitment and retention
of health professionals in rural areas, migrant health issues,
and legislative policy updates. For more information or to
register, visit http://www.nrharural.org/conf/main.html.
**On April
8, 2002, the American Hospital Association released two reports
of interest to AACN members. “In Our Hands: How Hospital
Leaders Can Build a Thriving Workforce” details specific
recommendations to help hospitals address health care worker
shortages now and in the future. “Emergency Department
Overload: A Growing Crisis” reports that hospitals with
the most emergency department diversions also have the highest
RN vacancy rates. Both reports may be downloaded from http://www.aha.org.
**On March
21, 2002, Dr. Patricia Grady, Director of the National Institute
of Nursing Research (NINR) testified before the Senate Subcommittee
on Labor-HHS-Education Appropriations on how NINR-funded research
has resulted in innovative changes in nursing practice. In
her statement, she presented NINR’s budget request of
$130 million and highlighted the nursing shortage and the
increased demands on the health care system. She stressed
the need to identify strategies to address these challenges
with scientifically-tested methods. For details, see http://www.nih.gov/ninr/about/legislation.html.
**Since
March, AACN government affairs staff has conducted over 20
meetings with key congressional staff about appropriations
and the nursing shortage. They emphasized the need to fully
fund the Nurse Education Act programs in FY 2003 and the importance
of conferencing the Nurse Reinvestment Act (NRA). Staff will
continue to meet with leaders and Hill staff over the next
few months to ensure enactment of the NRA and the annual appropriations
bills.
**On March
20, 2002, fifteen students and professors from Lycoming College
(PA) came to Washington for a briefing with AACN’s governmental
affairs staff. Before they lobbied their legislators on Capitol
Hill, the delegation visited AACN to learn of the federal
efforts to alleviate the nursing shortage and bioterrorism
preparedness. If you are planning a trip with students to
the Capital, make a point to meet with AACN staff to learn
more about what Congress is doing in the nursing arena. Please
take advantage of this member benefit by contacting Gene Throwe
at gthrowe@aacn.nche.edu.
**On March
25, 2002, at least 46 deans met with their members of Congress
or their key Hill staff in conjunction with AACN’s Spring
Annual Meeting. If you arranged a Hill visit from March 22-April
7, 2002, please let us know by filling out a Congressional
Communications Debriefing Form and returning it to AACN. If
you did not receive a form, please contact (202) 463-6930,
ext. 237 or gthrowe@aacn.nche.edu.
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