01.
Deans Needed to Serve on AACN Committees and
Task Forces
02. Plan Now to Attend AACN’s Spring
Annual Meeting
03. Academic Leadership Program Seeks Mentors
04. Tenet Commits Millions to Support Accelerated
BSN Programs
05. Member Feedback Welcomed on AACN’s
Strategic Goals
06. Registered Nurses Rank Number One in Job
Growth
07. CCNE Issues a Call for Nominations
08. AACN Reacts to the President’s FY
2005 Budget
09. IOM Releases New Report on Workforce Diversity
10. Nurse Faculty Recruitment Campaign Launched
11. Apply Now for NHSC Scholarship and Loan
Repayment Programs
12. Faculty Deadline Approaches for 2004 Secretary’s
Awards
13. Nursing Advancement Professionals Host
Upcoming Meeting
14. Business Officers to Meet in Seattle in
April
15. Applications Due March 10 for Graduate
ELNEC Training
16. Dr. Eileen Sullivan-Marx Selected as Primary
Care Fellow
17. Create an Online Career Center through
an AACN Partnership
18. Cover the Uninsured Week Returns May 10-16,
2004
19. Apply Now for the ELNEC Pediatric Palliative
Care Program
20. New Partnerships and Grant-Funded Initiatives
21. AACN Outreach and Advocacy Update
22. Member News, Announcements and Awards
23. Opportunities and Resources to Consider
1.
DEANS NEEDED TO SERVE ON AACN COMMITTEES AND TASK FORCES
With
the incoming presidency of Dr. Jean Bartels, AACN is seeking
dean volunteers to serve on four standing committees, including
Program, Finance, Government Affairs and Membership. Please
register your interest by completing the Membership Expertise
Survey found at http://www.aacn.nche.edu/DeanSurvey/deanSurveyJan2000.asp.
You may also email Jennifer Ahearn at jahearn@aacn.nche.edu
to indicate your interest in serving on a committee or task
force which are formed as needed. In your email, please
identify the committee(s) you are interested in joining
and provide us with information about your related expertise.
For more details on AACN's service opportunities and the
time commitments involved, see http://www.aacn.nche.edu/Membership/BeALeader.htm.
2.
PLAN NOW TO ATTEND AACN’S SPRING ANNUAL MEETING
Supporting
the theme "Critical Resources: The Cost of Doing Business,"
AACN’s Spring Annual Meeting will be held March 27-30,
2004 at the Fairmont Washington Hotel in Washington, D.C.
Deans and directors will participate in resource-related
program sessions as well as discussions of timely issues.
The new Gannett Lectureship, funded by Gannett and Nursing
Spectrum, will be presented Sunday evening by Dr. John V.
Lombardi, Chancellor of the University of Massachusetts-Amherst.
More details may be found on the Web at http://www.aacn.nche.edu/Conferences/springannualbrochure04.htm.
Please note that the American Association of Nurse Anesthetists
will sponsor a post-conference on Tuesday, March 30 from
1:00-3:30 p.m. on "How to Establish a New Nurse Anesthesia
Educational Program." There is no charge to attend;
simply indicate your interest on the registration form.
Please
note that hotel deadline to receive the conference rate
is March 3, 2004. AACN will offer the reduced meeting registration
rate if paid by March 5, 2004.
*SCHEDULE
CHANGE: The AACN Board of Directors requested a change to
the printed meeting schedule in order to host a discussion
on the Clinical Nurse Leader (CNL). Accordingly, the discussion
forum with the Task Force on the Professional Clinical Doctorate
has been moved from Monday, March 29 to Saturday, March
27 from 1:30-3:00 p.m. (replacing the Discussion Forums)
which may affect travel plans for those wishing to participate
in this forum. During the new session on Monday, March 29
from 8:00-9:15 a.m., the Board will present decisions recently
reached on the CNL initiative.
3. ACADEMIC LEADERSHIP PROGRAM SEEKS
MENTORS
AACN
is seeking members interested in becoming a mentor as part
of the Leadership for Academic Nursing Program. Supported
by the Helene Fuld Health Trust, this program is designed
to enhance leadership skills in new and emerging administrators
in baccalaureate and graduate nursing programs. Mentors
play a pivotal role in leadership development by sharing
their expertise and experiences. Those interested in becoming
mentors should complete the application found at http://www.aacn.nche.edu/Education/fuld.htm.
Applications must be received by March 19, 2004.
4.
TENET COMMITS MILLIONS TO SUPPORT ACCELERATED BSN PROGRAM
Earlier
this month, Tenet Healthcare Foundation announced that it
will award $2.78 million in grants over the next three years
to support accelerated baccalaureate programs in nursing
in Florida, Georgia, Texas, and Southern California. Grants
exceeding $500,000 each have already been awarded to Georgia
State University and Florida Atlantic University. In a press
statement, Dr. Lauren Arnold, Tenet’s vice president
of nursing, said: “The typical second-degree nursing
student is highly motivated, more mature, and has a strong
academic foundation, having already earned a bachelor’s
degree in another field. They tend to excel in class and
are eager to excel in their clinical experiences. Graduates
of these programs are prized by nurse employers, who value
the many layers of skill and education that they bring to
the workplace.” For more details, see http://chhs.gsu.edu/nursing
and http://www.bizjournals.com/southflorida/stories/2004/02/09/daily26.html.
5.
MEMBER FEEDBACK WELCOMED ON AACN’S STRATEGIC GOALS
At its
February meeting, the AACN Board of Directors reviewed the
organization’s FY 2005-2006 Strategic Plan. The new
plan will focus the association’s activities on three
goals: (1) Provide strategic leadership that advances professional
nursing education, research and practice; (2) Advance academic
leadership to meet the challenges of changing healthcare
and higher education systems; and (3) Institute innovative
strategies to recruit a highly qualified and diverse nursing
workforce, including faculty, sufficient to meet societal
needs. AACN welcomes your input on these new goals and corresponding
objectives, which may be found online at http://www.aacn.nche.edu/ContactUs/strategicplan.htm.
Please forward any comments to Jennifer Ahearn at jahearn@aacn.nche.edu
by March 15, 2004.
6. REGISTERED NURSES RANK NUMBER
ONE IN JOB GROWTH
For
the first time, registered nurses topped the U.S. Bureau
of Labor Statistics (BLS) list of occupations with the largest
projected job growth from 2002 through 2012. Released February
11, 2004, the BLS data show that total RN employment is
expected to grow from 2,284,000 in 2002 to 2,908,000 in
2012. More than 1.1 million new and replacement nurses will
be needed during this timeframe to meet the demand for nursing
care and fill job openings. For more details, see the press
release at ftp://ftp.bls.gov/pub/news.release/ecopro.txt
and read an analysis of BLS projections at http://www.bls.gov/emp.
7. CCNE ISSUES A CALL FOR NOMINATIONS
The
Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE) is seeking
nominations for candidates to run for election to its 13-member
Board of Commissioners. Two positions are available: one
representative of the deans of CCNE-approved or accredited
nursing programs; and one representative actively engaged
in nursing practice as his or her primary professional role.
The Commission is seeking additional nominations for candidates
to serve as members of its Nominating Committee. Four positions
are available. All nominations must be submitted to CCNE
by March 31, 2004. To learn more about the required qualifications
and expectations regarding service, or to obtain a nominations
packet, see http://www.aacn.nche.edu/accreditation
or contact Sarah Bloom, Accreditation Manager, at sbloom@aacn.nche.edu
or 202-887-6791, ext. 245.
8.
AACN REACTS TO THE PRESIDENT’S FY 2005 BUDGET
On February
4, 2004, AACN announced its support for the $147 million
in funding for nursing education programs included in President
Bush’s FY 2005 budget proposal. In this tough fiscal
year, the President proposed a $5 million increase for nursing
education, specifically for the Nursing Education Loan Repayment
and Scholarship Program. Though pleased to see this increase
in a Nursing Workforce Development program (Title VIII of
the Public Health Service Act), AACN is concerned that funding
levels are still inadequate to meet the nation’s growing
demand for nurses. Further, AACN is worried that proposed
cuts to other health professions programs (Title VII) will
limit access to health care for underserved populations.
Read the press release at http://www.aacn.nche.edu/Media/NewsReleases/2004AACNReacts.htm.
9.
IOM RELEASES NEW REPORT ON WORKFORCE DIVERSITY
On February
5, 2005, the Institute of Medicine (IOM) released a new
report titled “In the Nation's Compelling Interest:
Ensuring Diversity in Health Professions.” Commissioned
by the W.K. Kellogg Foundation, this report examines institutional
and policy-level strategies to increase diversity among
health professionals. Specific issues addressed include
admissions policies and practices of health professions
schools; public sources of financial support for health
professions training; standards of health professions accreditation
organizations pertaining to diversity; the "institutional
climate" for diversity at health professions schools;
and the relationship between Community Benefit principles
and diversity. Dr. Colleen Conway-Welch, dean of Vanderbilt
University School of Nursing, was a member of the expert
committee that produced this report. See http://www.iom.edu/project.asp?id=4888
for more details. Watch the press event announcing this
report online at http://www.kaisernetwork.org/healthcast/iom/05feb2004.
10.
NURSE FACULTY RECRUITMENT CAMPAIGN LAUNCHED
Earlier
this month, Nurses for a Healthier Tomorrow (NHT), a coalition
of 43 leading nursing and health care organizations including
AACN, launched a new public awareness campaign to generate
interest in careers as nurse educators. The campaign consists
of four print advertisements and a flyer that may be downloaded
for free from the NHT Web site; a career profile on the
nurse educator that has been posted online; and a public
relations campaign coordinated by Hetrick Communications.
Distribution of the advertisements through formal and grassroots
methods began this month with major support from the campaign’s
platinum sponsor, Lippincott Williams & Wilkins. For
more information on the campaign and how you can support
this effort, see http://www.nursesource.org/campaign_news.html.
11.
APPLY NOW FOR NHSC SCHOLARSHIP AND LOAN REPAYMENT PROGRAMS
The
National Health Service Corps (NHSC) is committed to improving
access to health care services in underserved populations
across the U.S. The NHSC actively recruits clinicians, including
advanced practice nurses, to provide primary health care
to adults and children in communities with the greatest
need. As part of its recruitment efforts, the NHSC offers
competitive scholarship and loan repayment programs for
clinicians who agree to work in underserved areas for a
specific period of time. For more details, see http://nhsc.bhpr.hrsa.gov/applications.
Please note that the application deadline for both programs
is March 26, 2004.
12.
FACULTY DEADLINE APPROACHES FOR 2004 SECRETARY’S AWARDS
March
12, 2004 is the deadline for faculty to submit student papers
to AACN as part of the 2004 Secretary’s Award for Innovations
in Health Promotion and Disease Prevention. This national
awards program invites nursing and other health professions
students to develop creative ways of promoting health and
preventing disease. 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 collaboration
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. For
more details, see http://www.aacn.nche.edu/SecretarysAward.
13.
NURSING ADVANCEMENT PROFESSIONALS HOST UPCOMING MEETING
The
sixth annual Nursing Advancement Professionals Conference
will be held March 26-27, 2004 at the Fairmont Hotel in
Washington, DC with the theme "A New Era for Nursing:
Raising Money in a Time of Heightened Awareness." The
conference is designed for development officers, deans,
academic leaders, and public relations and marketing professionals
within nursing schools who wish to enhance awareness and
fundraising initiatives at their institutions. Speakers
include Kathleen Larey Lewton, past Public Relations Society
of America President, and Sondra Shaw-Hardy, author of "Creating
a Women's Giving Circle: A Handbook." For complete
details and to register, see http://www.aacn.nche.edu/Conferences/napc04brochure.htm.
14.
BUSINESS OFFICERS TO MEET IN SEATTLE IN APRIL
The
19th Annual Business Officers of Nursing Schools (BONUS)
conference will be held on April 21-23, 2004 in Seattle,
WA. BONUS is dedicated to facilitating networking among
those who work in the administration of nursing education
and to providing education in areas of business, technology,
and financial and administrative management. Assistants
to the dean, fiscal managers, business officers and any
personnel involved in the operational management of a school
of nursing will benefit from attending this conference.
For more information, see http://www.aacn.nche.edu/Conferences/bonus04.htm.
15.
APPLICATIONS DUE MARCH 10 FOR GRADUATE ELNEC TRAINING
With
funding provided by the National Cancer Institute, the End-of-Life
Nursing Education Consortium (ELNEC) 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 integrating
end-of-life care knowledge and skills within graduate degree
nursing education. Those selected to participate will receive
a $350 stipend to off-set expenses, three nights accommodation
at the Pasadena Hilton, 18 CEUs, texbooks and resource materials,
meals, and a welcome reception. Application deadline is
March 10, 2003. For complete details including an application
form, visit http://www.aacn.nche.edu/ELNEC/GraduateELNEC.htm.
16.
DR. EILEEN SULLIVAN-MARX SELECTED AS PRIMARY CARE FELLOW
The
Department of Health and Human Services selected AACN nominee,
Dr. Eileen Sullivan-Marx, Associate Dean for Practice and
Community Affairs at the University of Pennsylvania, as
a 2004 Primary Health Care Policy Fellow. This program is
administered by the Health Resources and Services Administration
and provides fellows with a six-month intensive curriculum,
including four weeks of on-site training in the development
and implementation of primary care policy, programs, and
legislation. For more information about Primary Health Care
Policy Fellows, see http://www.primarycaresociety.org/index.htm.
17.
CREATE AN ONLINE CAREER CENTER THROUGH AN AACN PARTNERSHIP
As part
of our partnership with CampusRN, AACN member institutions
are invited to take advantage of a free service designed
to benefit students, alumni, career counselors, and your
practice partners. Through UniversityConnect, the experts
at CampusRN will create a career search Web site personalized
for your students. This online resource will be linked from
your school's Web site and allow students to search for
jobs and internship opportunities, locate scholarships,
and access information tailored to your institution. CampusRN
has already built sites for nursing programs at Johns Hopkins
University (http://jhmi.campusrn.com),
University of Kansas (http://kumc.campusrn.com),
Carlow College (http://carlow.campusrn.com)
and many other institutions. There is no charge to take
advantage of this service. Schools interested in finding
out more should contact Robert Rosseter at rrosseter@aacn.nche.edu.
18.
COVER THE UNINSURED WEEK RETURNS MAY 10-16, 2004
AACN
is proud to serve as cosponsor of the second annual Cover
the Uninsured Week (CTUW) coming May 10-16, 2004. An initiative
of The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, CTUW will feature
national and local activities designed to sensitize the
public and opinion leaders to the plight of more than 44
million Americans who lack health insurance. AACN member
institutions are encouraged to show their support for this
effort by planning on-campus activities during the week
of April 19, 2004. For details on how your students and
faculty can get involved, see http://www.aacn.nche.edu/CovertheUninsuredWeek.htm.
19.
APPLY NOW FOR THE ELNEC PEDIATRIC PALLIATIVE CARE PROGRAM
Applications
are now being accepted through April 1, 2004 for the second
ELNEC Pediatric Palliative Care training program which will
take place August 12-14, 2004 in Pasadena, CA. This professional
development opportunity in end-of-life nursing care is offered
for clinical staff development educators, nursing continuing
education providers, representatives from national nursing
organizations, and others who will educate nurses in pediatric
settings. Participation is free, but applications must be
received by April 1. Space is limited to 100 participants;
early registration is encouraged. For more information including
an application form, see http://www.aacn.nche.edu/ELNEC/ELNECPediatric.htm.
20.
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.
**On
February 4, 2004, the Pennsylvania Higher Education Foundation
announced the distribution of $604,000 in grants to area
nursing programs through the Foundation’s Nursing Education
Grants Program. This funding will help address the nursing
shortage in Pennsylvania by assisting schools in their efforts
to recruit and retain nursing students. The funding was
distributed to 15 nursing schools, including College Misericordia,
the University of Scranton and Wilkes University. For details,
see http://www.misericordia.edu/news_archives/news_full.cfm?news_id=460.
21.
AACN OUTREACH AND ADVOCACY UPDATE
**As
a part of the Coalition for Health Funding, AACN staff participated
in meetings with key House Budget Committee staff. The meetings
focused on the President’s FY 2005 budget proposal
for health care programs. A chart of the President’s
budget figures for nursing and other health programs is
on the AACN Web site at http://www.aacn.nche.edu/Government/FY2005Chart.pdf.
**On
February 17, AACN Executive Director Polly Bednash presented
at the American Nurses Association Congress on Practice
and Economics. The presentation focused on the Clinical
Nurse Leader (CNL) initiative, including recent Board decisions
related to the CNL. Dr. Bednash addressed the same topic
in a presentation before the Council of Deans of the Association
of American Medical Colleges on February 19, 2004.
**On
February 9, AACN staff participated in a briefing by Dr.
Carolyn Clancy, Director of the Agency for Healthcare, Research
and Quality (AHRQ). Dr. Clancy discussed the FY 2005 budget
for AHRQ, recent accomplishments, and future directions
for the agency. The briefing was sponsored by the Friends
of AHRQ. Learn more about AHRQ at http://www.ahrq.gov.
**On
February 9, AACN staff attended a briefing hosted by the
Coalition for Health Funding. The guest speaker was Julie
Rovner, health reporter for CongressDaily and National Public
Radio. Ms. Rovner spoke about the outlook for the FY 2005
budget and appropriations process for health programs. More
information on the Coalition for Health Funding is online
at http://www.aamc.org/advocacy/healthfunding/start.htm.
**On
February 5, AACN staff attended the Annual National Black
Nurses Day on Capitol Hill. The event was titled “Creating
Intergenerational Health Solutions: Healthcare Across the
Life Span.” The featured speakers included Reps. Stephanie
Tubbs Jones (D-OH) and Donna Christian-Christensen (D-VI)
who are key members of the Congressional Black Caucus. More
information about the National Black Nurses Association
is available at http://www.nbna.org.
**On
February 3, AACN staff attended a briefing with Dr. Elizabeth
Duke, Administrator for the Health Resources and Services
Administration (HRSA). Dr. Duke discussed the FY 2005 budget
proposal for HRSA programs, which includes funding for the
Division of Nursing. The briefing was hosted by Friends
of HRSA, a coalition of more than 125 organizations representing
public health and health care professionals, and consumers.
For more information about HRSA, visit http://www.hrsa.gov.
**On
February 2, AACN staff attended a Department of Health and
Human Services (HHS) press conference. Secretary Tommy Thompson
outlined the FY 2005 budget for HHS, which includes the
Division of Nursing and the National Institute of Nursing
Research. For more information about the press conference,
see http://www.hhs.gov/news/press/2004pres/20040202.html.
**On
January 15, the University of Maryland School of Nursing
hosted a briefing and tour for AACN staff and four key staffers
from the House Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education
Appropriations Subcommittee. The briefing and tour allowed
these staffers to learn more about the operations, funding,
and struggles of a modern school of nursing. Further, the
event offered staffers and educators an opportunity to discuss
the impact and importance of federal grants for schools
of nursing awarded by the National Institute of Nursing
Research and the federal Division of Nursing.
22.
MEMBER NEWS, ANNOUNCEMENTS, AND AWARDS
**Founded
as a training school for nurses in 1914, the Indiana University
School of Nursing celebrates its 90th anniversary in 2004.
“As we adapt academic programs to reflect new demands,
we are also researching methods to more effectively teach
our nurses of tomorrow,” said Dr. Sharon Farley, interim
university dean and executive associate dean of academic
affairs. “Through a dedicated team of faculty and staff,
the nursing school will strive to achieve new levels of
excellence.” Read more online at http://www.newscenter.iupui.edu/newsreleases/nurse_90_04.htm.
**Dr.
Alexa Stuifbergen, associate dean for research in the School
of Nursing at the University of Texas at Austin (UT Austin),
received a $1.34 million grant from the National Institutes
of Health to test a wellness program for fibromyalgia syndrome,
a chronic disabling condition characterized by widespread
muscular pain and fatigue. Dr. Sharon Horner, associate
professor of nursing at UT Austin, received a $1.5 million
federal grant from the National Institute of Nursing Research
to evaluate the effectiveness of an asthma health education
program for parents and their school-age children. Read
more online at http://www.utexas.edu/nursing/html/fac_research.html.
**Dr.
Rosanna F. DeMarco, assistant professor, Boston College
William F. Connell School of Nursing, recently received
the Dedication and Service Award from the Dana Farber Cancer
Institute Patient and Family Advisory Council. Her colleague
Dr. Mary M. Aruda, also an assistant professor at Boston
College, was recently awarded a 2003-2004 Winter-Spring
Research Expense Grant for her work on issues related to
pregnancy among adolescents and was recognized by the U.S.
Department of Labor for her involvement in the Women’s
Bureau e-mentoring programs, which work to ensure that more
young women enter the fields of science, engineering, technology,
and nursing.
**Elisabeth
Howard, Certified Nurse-Midwife and coordinator of the West
End Women’s Health Center operated by the Vanderbilt
University School of Nursing, has been chosen as a recipient
of the American College of Nurse-Midwives Award for Excellence
in Teaching. Howard said: “I am honored that the graduates
have given me this award. They all exemplify the heart of
midwifery; which is to empower women to be true participants
in their health care."
23.
OPPORTUNITIES AND RESOURCES TO CONSIDER
**The
VHA Health Foundation announces the availability of a free
program kit to educate middle school students and their
families on type 2 diabetes. Called Type 2-We're On to You!,
this highly interactive program includes a student/parent
workbook in both English and Spanish and a CD with the following
downloadable materials: an instructors guide, an on-site
guide, student surveys in English and Spanish, a PowerPoint
presentation and an overhead presentation. To order your
free copy, go to http://www.vhahf.org
and click on the top item on the right sidebar.
**Graduate
nursing students are invited to apply for the Paul Ambrose
Health Promotion Student Leadership Symposium. The symposium,
funded by the federal Office of Disease Prevention and Health
Promotion, aims to provide leadership training and prevention
education to medical students, physician assistant students
and graduate nursing students interested in health professions
education, public health, prevention, and health care policy.
The application deadline is April 16, 2004. The symposium
is held June 25-27, 2004 in Washington DC. For details,
see http://www.atpm.org/meetings/PA_Symposium.htm.
**The
Honor Society of Nursing, Sigma Theta Tau International,
has published a report of Arista3, the results of a series
of five global think-tank meetings held to develop strategies
for changing nursing practice. Over one hundred health care
experts and reactors representing nursing, medicine, health
policy, government, economics and finance, administration,
and nongovernmental organizations explored the environments
in which nurses practice, the way nurses lead, the knowledge
nurses need, the settings in which nurses work, the conditions
under which the profession operates, the influence of nurses,
and the way nurses learn. Read the executive summary online
at http://www.nursingsociety.org/programs/arista_exec_summary.pdf.
To purchase the full report, contact 888-634-7575.
**The
Association of American Universities (AAU) has posted an
online toolkit for use by campuses during the debate over
reauthorization of the Higher Education Act (HEA) titled
“Keep College Possible.” This resource contains
information on the Higher Education Act and on proposals
to amend the Act during the reauthorization process, talking
points, Q&A's, sample articles and letters to the editor,
and other advocacy tools. See http://www.aau.edu/heatoolkit.pdf.
