01.
AACN Data Show a 15.9% Increase in Baccalaureate
Enrollments
02. Healthy People 2010 Curriculum Task Force
Needs Your Feedback
03. Deadline Extended for 2004 Academic Leadership
Program
04. “New Nurse” Resource Added to
the AACN Web Site
05. Long-Term Care Commission to Spotlight
Model Partnerships
06. Join Us for the Doctoral Education Conference
in Florida
07. Deadline for 2004 Secretary’s Award
Approaches
08. NCSBN Raises the NCLEX-RN Passing Standard
09. Cover the Uninsured Week Returns May 10-16,
2004
10. Linda Aiken Receives Prestigious Award
for Outcomes Measurement
11. Applications Due in March for Graduate
ELNEC Training
12. RN Recruitment and Retention Conference
Postponed
13. Faculty Practice Conference Coming to
Scottsdale, Arizona
14. Master’s Education Conference Focuses
on Faculty Leaders
15. Nurses Top New Gallup Poll on Honesty
and Ethics
16. Education Scholar Offers Convenient Faculty
Development
17. New Partnerships and Grant-Funded Initiatives
18. Member News, Announcements and Awards
19. AACN Outreach and Advocacy Update
20. Opportunities and Resources to Consider
1.
AACN DATA SHOW A 15.9% INCREASE IN BACCALAUREATE ENROLLMENTS
According
to the preliminary results of AACN’s latest annual
survey, enrollment in entry-level baccalaureate programs
in nursing increased by 15.9 percent in fall 2003 over last
year. AACN determines enrollment trends by comparing data
from the same schools reporting in both 2002 and 2003. This
year’s increase follows an 8.1 percent increase in
entry-level baccalaureate nursing programs last year (2001
to 2002) and a 3.7 percent increase the preceding year (2000
to 2001). Prior to the last three years of enrollment increases,
nursing schools nationwide experienced a six-year period
of enrollment declines that saw the student population shrink
from 127,683 in 1995 to 103,999 in 2000. Though this year’s
increase was substantial, AACN sees the need for much larger
annual increases in student enrollments to meet the growing
demand for nursing care. The final results of AACN’s
annual survey will be released later this month. Read more
at http://www.aacn.nche.edu/Media/NewsReleases/enrl03.htm.
2.
HEALTHY PEOPLE 2010 CURRICULUM TASK FORCE NEEDS YOUR FEEDBACK
The
Healthy People Curriculum Task Force is soliciting feedback
through December 21, 2003 on the proposed "Clinical
Prevention and Population Health Curriculum Framework."
Convened by the Association of Academic Health Centers and
the Association of Teachers of Preventive Medicine, the
task force includes representatives from nursing and nurse
practitioners, allopathic and osteopathic medicine, dentistry,
pharmacy, and physician assistants. Its mission is to accomplish
the Healthy People 2010 goal of increasing the teaching
of health promotion and disease prevention in health professions
education. The Curriculum Framework provides a structure
for organizing curriculum, monitoring curriculum, and communicating
within and between disciplines. Constituents from each health
profession are encouraged to review their specific curriculum
requirements and submit recommendations to the task force.
Comments should also address student evaluation to ensure
basic levels of competency. Dr. Janet Allen from the University
of Maryland is AACN’s representative to the task force.
Members may submit feedback online at http://www.atpm.org/about/HPC_Framework.html.
3.
DEADLINE EXTENDED FOR 2004 ACADEMIC LEADERSHIP PROGRAM
Applications
will be accepted through January 9, 2004 for AACN’s
Leadership for Academic Nursing Program. Supported by the
Helene Fuld Health Trust, this 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 a baccalaureate or graduate
nursing program. The year-long program provides 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 or peers. A
total of 60 Fellows will be selected to participate in this
program. For details including an application form, see
http://www.aacn.nche.edu/Education/fuld.htm.
4.
“NEW NURSE” RESOURCE ADDED TO THE AACN WEB SITE
AACN
is pleased to announce that a new section has been added
to our Web site for information and updates on the Clinical
Nurse Leader (CNL) project: http://www.aacn.nche.edu/newnurse.
Going forward, we will refer to the CNL as the "New
Nurse" until a permanent title is identified. This
Web resource contains information about the development
of the New Nurse, slide presentations given at the pre-conference
in October, key documents including the final report of
the Task Force on Education and Regulation for Professional
Nursing Practice #1, and a link to the draft white paper
that explores the emerging role of the New Nurse. Visitors
to this site may also order copies of the video presentation
by Dr. Gail Wolf, chief nurse officer from the University
of Pittsburgh Health System, which was originally shown
at the New Nurse pre-conference. Videos are available at
cost ($5) from http://www.aacn.nche.edu/newnurse/GailWolfVideo.htm.
5.
LONG-TERM CARE COMMISSION TO SPOTLIGHT MODEL PARTNERSHIPS
On December
5, 2003, AACN Executive Director Polly Bednash attended
the first meeting of the National Commission on Nursing
Workforce for Long-term Care sponsored by the American Health
Care Association. The commission is a collaborative effort
among long-term care, nursing, education, and other national
leaders to address the major workforce issue facing the
nation’s long-term care providers. Members are working
to develop recommendations for practical steps to recruit
and retain a skilled nursing workforce to care for the nation’s
frail elderly and disabled. As part of its charge, the Commission
is looking to highlight model partnerships between baccalaureate
and graduate nursing programs and long-term care settings.
Please submit details on your schools collaborative activities
to Robert Rosseter at rrosseter@aacn.nche.edu
by January 16, 2004.
6.
JOIN US FOR THE DOCTORAL EDUCATION CONFERENCE IN FLORIDA
After
several years of growth, AACN’s Doctoral Education
Conference has outgrown the facilities at Sanibel Island
and will be relocated to the South Seas Resort at Captiva
Island, Florida on February 4-7, 2004. Reflecting the theme
“Sharing Successes in Doctoral Education,” sessions
will focus on faculty productivity; links between National
Institute of Nursing Research center grants and doctoral
programs; federal funding for doctoral education, particularly
for faculty development; institutional and center programs
that address faculty development; and innovative models
of doctoral education. At the enthusiastic recommendation
of previous participants, opportunities for informal dialogue
have been expanded. Conference and registration information
is available at http://www.aacn.nche.edu/Conferences/doctoraleducation04.htm.
For questions, contact Kelly Piringer at kpiringe@aacn.nche.edu
or (202) 463-6930, ext. 242.
7.
DEADLINE FOR 2004 SECRETARY’S AWARD APPROACHES
For
twenty years, students in various health professions have
explored creative ways of promoting health and preventing
disease through their involvement with the Secretary’s
Award for Innovations in Health Promotion and Disease Prevention.
Students in twelve different disciplines are eligible to
enter this competition, including nursing. Student authors
of the first, second, and third place winning papers and
their advisors are brought to Washington, DC to participate
in the Secretary’s Award ceremony and reception. This
awards program is a collaborative effort between the Department
of Health and Human Services, the Health Resources and Services
Administration, and the Federation of Associations of Schools
of the Health Professions. All AACN member schools are encouraged
to apply. The application is available online at http://www.aacn.nche.edu/SecretarysAward.
8.
NCSBN RAISES THE NCLEX-RN PASSING STANDARD
The
National Council of State Boards of Nursing (NCSBN) voted
earlier this month to raise the passing standard for the
NCLEX-RN examination. The new passing standard is -0.2800
logits on the NCLEX-RN logistic scale, 0.070 logits higher
than the previous standard of -0.3500. The new passing standard
will take effect on April 1, 2004, in conjunction with the
new 2004 NCLEX-RN Test Plan. NCSBN increased the passing
standard in response to changes in U.S. health care delivery
and nursing practice that have resulted in the increased
acuity of clients seen by entry-level RNs. After considering
all available information, the NCSBN Board determined that
safe and effective entry-level RN practice requires a greater
level of knowledge, skills, and abilities than was required
in 1998, when NCSBN established the current standard. Read
more at http://www.ncsbn.org/public/news/news_press.htm.
9.
COVER THE UNINSURED WEEK RETURNS MAY 10-16, 2004
Building
on the momentum generated by the last year’s campaign,
The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and stakeholder organizations
are pleased to announce that Cover the Uninsured Week will
return May 10-16, 2004. This effort supports national and
local activities designed to sensitize the public and opinion
leaders to the plight of more than 41 million Americans
who lack health insurance. AACN is proud to serve as a cosponsor
of this campaign. Watch for details in the coming weeks
on how your students can get involved in planning on-campus
activities at the end of April to support this important
initiative. For details, see http://covertheuninsuredweek.org.
10.
LINDA AIKEN RECEIVES PRESTIGIOUS AWARD FOR OUTCOMES MEASUREMENT
On December
3, 2003, the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare
Organizations honored Dr. Linda Aiken with the 2003 Ernest
A. Codman Award for her leadership role in using performance
measures to draw attention to important issues in nursing
care. Dr. Aiken, nursing professor and director of the Center
for Health Outcomes and Policy Research at the University
of Pennsylvania, has been an influential leader in the field
of nursing outcomes research for the past two decades. She
has received every major nursing research award and many
awards in health services research, including this year’s
Article of the Year Award from AcademyHealth for her Journal
of the American Medical Association paper on hospital nurse
staffing, nurse retention and patient mortality. Named for
the physician regarded in health care as the “father
of outcomes measurement,” the Ernest A. Codman Award
recognizes industry leaders who have achieved extraordinary
success in using performance measurement to improve the
quality and safety of health care. A panel of national experts
in quality measurement and improvement selected the recipients
of the 2003 Awards. See http://www.jcaho.org/news+room/latest+news+release/index.htm.
11.
APPLICATIONS DUE IN MARCH FOR GRADUATE ELNEC TRAINING
With
funding provided by the National Cancer Institute, the End-of-Life
Nursing Education Consortium will offer the second training
for faculty in graduate nursing programs on June 24-26,
2004 in Pasadena, CA. Training is available to full- or
part-time graduate faculty interested in end-of-life care
and integrating end-of-life care knowledge and skills within
graduate degree nursing education. The application deadline
to participate in this training is March 10, 2004. For complete
details including an application form, visit http://www.aacn.nche.edu/ELNEC/GraduateELNEC.htm.
12.
RN RECRUITMENT AND RETENTION CONFERENCE POSTPONED
Active
Communications International has announced that the “Recruiting
and Retaining Registered Nurses” conference planned
for January 15-16, 2004 in New Orleans has been postponed
until late Spring 2004. Watch for details on the new date,
time and location of this event in upcoming newsletters.
For more information, contact Kevin Klein at 312-780-0700,
ext. 176.
13.
FACULTY PRACTICE CONFERENCE COMING TO SCOTTSDALE, ARIZONA
The
10th AACN Faculty Practice Conference will be held February
25-26, 2004 at the Doubletree Paradise Valley Resort in
Scottsdale, Arizona. With the theme “A Decade of Dollars,
Delivery, and Data: Faculty Practice Today,” the conference
emphasizes a decade of successes in faculty practice and
considers directions for the future. Join colleagues in
discussions about funding and infrastructure for faculty
practice; faculty incentives and expectations; the changing
practice climate; evaluating faculty practice; and collecting
and using data. Poster and abstract sessions and various
small group discussions will facilitate the sharing of ideas
and successful strategies. For the first time, this conference
is held in conjunction with the Master’s Education
Conference so that faculty may take advantage of both events
for a reduced registration fee. Conference information and
the call for abstracts is available at http://www.aacn.nche.edu/Conferences/facprac04.htm.
Deadline for abstract submissions has been extended until
January 12, 2004. For questions, contact kpiringe@aacn.nche.edu
or 202-463-6930, ext. 242.
14.
MASTER’S EDUCATION CONFERENCE FOCUSES ON FACULTY LEADERS
The
Master’s Education Conference will be held February
26-28, 2004 at the Doubletree Paradise Valley Resort in
Scottsdale, Arizona immediately following the Faculty Practice
Conference. The conference highlights faculty as leaders
with the theme “Master’s Faculty Leaders: Making
a Difference.” Colleagues from various stakeholder
organizations will join us for dialogue about the issues
involved in educating and certifying nurse practitioners
and clinical nurse specialists. Other topics include creating
master’s-unique partnerships between education and
practice; complexities of the master’s faculty role;
providing leadership in practice; and further development
of master’s faculty for leadership roles. Learn of
successes and share experiences in poster and abstract sessions.
Register for one of two free pre-conferences: “Complementary
and Alternative Therapies” supported by grants from
the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine
and “Geriatrics and the Advanced Practice Curriculum*”
sponsored by The John A. Hartford Foundation Institute for
Geriatric Nursing (see below). Conference information and
the call for abstracts are posted at http://www.aacn.nche.edu/Conferences/masters04brochure.htm.
Deadline for abstract submissions has been extended until
January 12, 2004. For questions, contact kpiringe@aacn.nche.edu
or 202-463-6930, ext. 242.
*This
pre-conference session will preview the new AACN document
“Recommended Advanced Practice Nursing Competencies
in Care of Older Adults.” Other topics include the
role of the advanced practice nurse in models of care for
older adults, practical approaches, and the latest resources
for integrating geriatrics into APN curriculum. In addition
to master's-level resources, participants will receive a
complimentary copy of the Partner Program CD-ROM Baccalaureate
Edition ($100 value) which may be used as a baseline of
knowledge for students entering APN programs.
15.
NURSES TOP NEW GALLUP POLL ON HONESTY AND ETHICS
Americans
once again rated nurses as the group of professionals with
the highest standards for honesty and ethics in a recent
Gallup poll. Nurses received top ranking among 23 professions
in the November 14-16, 2003 poll, with 83% of respondents
rating nurses "very high" or "high"
for honesty and ethics, up from 79% last year. Doctors and
veterinarians placed second at 68%, followed by pharmacists
at 67%. Car salesmen scored lowest, followed by HMO managers.
This is the fourth time in the five years since nurses have
been included in the poll that they have ranked the highest
according to the American public. Read the press release
online at http://www.gallup.com/poll/releases/pr031201.asp.
16.
EDUCATION SCHOLAR OFFERS CONVENIENT FACULTY DEVELOPMENT
AACN
now offers a convenient and affordable way for nurse faculty
to enhance their reputation as a scholar and improve their
teaching skills. Education Scholar is a Web-based, interactive
program that is available in seven modules. The experience
includes reading from required references, reflective exercises
to examine beliefs about teaching and learning, and projects
that expand expertise as a health professions educator.
Once registered, participants have one year to complete
one or more of the online modules. For details, see http://www.aacn.nche.edu/Education/edscholar.htm.
17.
NEW PARTNERSHIPS AND GRANT-FUNDED INITIATIVES
In this
section, AACN spotlights new partnerships and initiatives
launched by members, corporate citizens, philanthropies,
and government sponsors that effectively increase student
capacity, add new nursing faculty, increase student diversity,
address the nursing shortage, and enhance the way education
is delivered.
**Advocate
Health Care and the University of Illinois at Chicago College
of Nursing were awarded a $1.6 million HRSA grant to fund
a new program titled "Career-Building for Nurse Retention
and Care Excellence." The partners will use the funding
to conduct research to determine factors that are most likely
to increase nurse retention rates and will facilitate new
approaches to recruitment and retention. The overall objective
of this project is to improve the retention of nurses within
a health care system, thereby improving patient care with
respect to quality (clinical competence), cost-effectiveness
and cultural competence. For more details, see http://www.uic.edu/nursing/RetentionGrant.doc.
18.
MEMBER NEWS, ANNOUNCEMENTS, AND AWARDS
**On
December 4, 2003, the Tennessee State Board of Nursing approved
a partnership agreement between the Vanderbilt University
School of Nursing and Lipscomb University to offer Lipscomb
students a BSN degree with courses provided by Vanderbilt.
Lipscomb will provide the first five semesters of a pre-nursing
liberal arts program of study. The remaining three semesters
of nursing courses and clinical work will be provided by
Vanderbilt. Upon successful completion of the combined programs
of study, a student will be awarded a BSN degree from Lipscomb.
See http://www.mc.vanderbilt.edu/nursing.
**The
Washburn University School of Nursing will host its Third
Biennial International Public Health Conference July 10-12,
2004 in Topeka, Kansas. The conference, "Promoting
Global Health: Sharing Visions and Strategies" will
provide a forum to share strategies and innovations in public
health nursing through keynote speakers, concurrent sessions,
symposia and poster presentations. Internationally renown
speakers from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention,
World Health Organization, American Red Cross, Johns Hopkins
School of Public Health and other notable agencies will
discuss current global public health issues with visions
for future strategies. Participants may submit research
papers, posters and symposia. Deadline for the Call for
Abstracts is January 10, 2004. See submission and registration
information at http://www.washburn.edu/nursing-conference.
19.
AACN OUTREACH AND ADVOCACY UPDATE
**On
December 2, AACN staff attended the Coalition for Health
Funding Annual Meeting. The topic of the meeting was “Health
Professions Shortages and Their Impact on the Delivery of
Health Care Services and the Practice of Public Health."
Featured speakers included Edward Salsberg, School of Public
Health, University of Albany, SUNY, and Dr. Susan Allan,
Health Director of Arlington County, Virginia. For more
information about the Coalition for Health Funding, see
http://www.aamc.org/advocacy/healthfunding.
**On
November 22, AACN President-Elect Dr. Jean Bartels and AACN
staff participated in a panel discussion about organizational
policy development at the Nursing Organizations Alliance
Annual meeting. In 2001, the Federation for Specialty Nursing
Organizations (NFSNO) and the Nursing Organizations Liaison
Forum (NOLF) merged to create the Alliance. For more information
about this group, visit http://www.nursing-alliance.org.
**On
November 19, AACN staff hosted nursing students from the
University of Maryland in our Washington, DC offices. Staff
discussed the importance of nurses becoming involved in
public policy and the different avenues they can take to
affect legislation. Many of the students expressed interest
in the AACN Government Affairs Internship program.
**On
November 16-18, AACN staff participated in the Southern
Regional Education Board’s (SREB) conference titled,
“The Economic Impact of the Registered Nurse Shortage.”
SREB was created in 1948 by 16 southern states and is the
nation’s first interstate compact for education. SREB
helps government and education leaders work cooperatively
to advance education and improve the social and economic
life of the region. For more information about SREB, see
http://www.sreb.org.
20.
OPPORTUNITIES AND RESOURCES TO CONSIDER
**On
December 9, 2003, the U.S. Department of Health and Human
Services (HHS) unveiled Grants.gov (http://www.grants.gov),
a new Web site designed to make it easier for organizations
to learn about and apply for federal grants. HHS led the
development of the cross-agency Web site, which now has
information about more than 800 available grant programs
involving all 26 federal grant-making agencies. The site
provides information in a standardized format across agencies
and includes a "Find Grant Opportunities" feature
to help applicants find potential funding opportunities.
**The
Barbara Jordan Health Policy Scholars Program is now accepting
applications for Summer 2004. This program brings talented
African American, Latino, Asian/Pacific Islander and American
Indian/Alaska Native college seniors and recent graduates
to Washington, DC, where they work in congressional offices
and learn about health policy. Through the nine-week program
(June 1-July 30, 2004), scholars gain knowledge about federal
legislative procedure and health policy issues while further
developing their critical thinking and leadership skills.
The application deadline is January 30, 2004. Visit http://www.kff.org/docs/topics/jordanscholars.html.
**The
American Academy of Nursing (AAN) is seeking an Executive
Director to provide the visionary leadership needed to transform
health care policy and practice through nursing knowledge.
Working with the AAN Board, the executive director will
be responsible for positioning AAN within key professional
and policy-related groups, enhance collaborations for influencing
health care policy and practice, and ensure the growth of
the organization. For more details, see http://www.nursingworld.org/aan.
