AACN - Media - News Watch

1. Location Changed for EDS and Baccalaureate Conferences
2. Deadline Extended for Baccalaureate Conference Abstracts
3. AACN's 27th Annual Survey of Nursing Schools Underway
4. Fall Meeting Spotlights Advocacy and Aiken
5. Practice Doctorate Position Statement Sent to AACN Members
6. Nursing Leaders Named Among the Top 100 Most Powerful
7. New CampusRN/AACN Scholarship Recipients Selected
8. CCNE Completes 2004 Election Process
9. AACN Sponsors Upcoming JCAHO Conference on Nursing
10. Dr. Janet Allan Moderates Briefing on Nurse Faculty Shortage
11. AACN Cosponsors E3 Conference on Expanding Student Capacity
12. Apply Now for the Fogarty International Center Fellowships
13. AACN Call for Nominations Issued
14. Education Scholar Offers Convenient Faculty Development
15. Two ELNEC Courses Sponsored in 2005
16. Call for Abstracts Issued for the Master's Conference
17. NIH Offers $35,000 in Annual Student Loan Repayment
18. Showcase Student Innovation With a Secretary's Award
19. Support the Covering Kids and Families Campaign
20. New Partnerships and Grant-Funded Initiatives
21. Member News, Announcements and Awards
22. AACN Outreach and Advocacy Update
23. Opportunities and Resources to Consider

1. LOCATION CHANGED FOR EDS AND BACCALAUREATE CONFERENCES

The Sanibel Harbour Resort in Fort Myers was badly damaged by Hurricane Charley, and is unable to reopen in time for the Executive Development Series (November 10-11) and the Baccalaureate Education Conference (November 11-13). The new location for both meetings is the Trump International Sonesta Beach Resort, 18001 Collins Avenue, Sunny Isles Beach, Florida. The hotel is equidistant from Miami and Fort Lauderdale. The dates and program schedule are unchanged. Brochures will be mailed next week; updated conference information is online at http://www.aacn.nche.edu/Conferences/confsche.htm. **If you would like to attend the End-of-Life Nursing Education Consortium (ELNEC) mini-course scheduled for November 10-11, 2004, please visit http://www.aacn.nche.edu/ELNEC/pre-conference2004.htm for more information and to register.

2. DEADLINE EXTENDED FOR BACCALAUREATE CONFERENCE ABSTRACTS

Due to the uncertainty of conference location, the deadline for submission of abstracts for the Baccalaureate Education Conference has been extended until Wednesday, September 22. Every effort will be made to adhere to the original review schedule so that status notification still can be emailed by October 8. See http://www.aacn.nche.edu/Conferences/BaccCall04.pdf.

3. AACN'S 27th ANNUAL SURVEY OF NURSING SCHOOLS UNDERWAY

Last week, AACN commenced the 27th annual survey of with nursing schools with baccalaureate and higher degree nursing programs. Information collected from the survey will be incorporated into the nation's premier database on trends in nursing school enrollments and graduations; student and faculty demographics; and faculty and deans' salaries. AACN is pleased to lead this data collection effort with our two partners from the advanced practice community: the National Organization of Nurse Practitioner Faculties and the National Association of Clinical Nurse Specialists. AACN encourages our members to participate in this survey that is vital to our mission of fostering innovation in advancing professional nursing education, research, and practice. All nursing programs affiliated with the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE) are reminded to complete the survey to satisfy CCNE's annual reporting requirement.

4. FALL MEETING SPOTLIGHTS ADVOCACY AND AIKEN

The Fall Semiannual Meeting will celebrate AACN's 35th year by addressing the critical advocacy role of deans. Program sessions will place nursing education in the contexts of both higher education and health care, and focus on advocacy skills in policy, legislative, and political arenas. While national issues and perspectives are the primary focus of this meeting, the skills discussed are easily transferable to institutional, local, and state levels. The meeting schedule is posted online at http://www.aacn.nche.edu/Conferences/FallMeeting04.htm.

Also note: **Dr. Linda Aiken is the 2004 John P. McGovern Award winner and will deliver a lecture on Sunday, October 24 during the Fall Meeting. In addition to directing the Center for Health Outcomes and Policy Research, Dr. Aiken serves as The Claire M. Fagin Leadership Professor of Nursing, Professor of Sociology, and Senior Fellow at the Leonard Davis Institute of Health Economics at the University of Pennsylvania. **The Fall Meeting schedule includes a number of changes in order to maximize participant time. Sessions, especially those during the weekend, have been rearranged and enhanced, and members may need to make choices about which activities they prefer to attend. These changes were made in response to numerous member suggestions. For travel planning, the opening program session will begin on Saturday afternoon, October 23 at 1:30 p.m. and the closing session will end at 11:30 a.m. on Tuesday, October 26.

5. PRACTICE DOCTORATE POSITION STATEMENT SENT TO AACN MEMBERS

On September 10, the deans/directors of all AACN member institutions were emailed a copy of the draft Position Statement on the Practice Doctorate in Nursing which was endorsed by the AACN Board at their July meeting. Members are asked to review this document and will vote to accept or reject this statement at AACN's Business Meeting scheduled for Monday, October 25 (see item #4 above). If approved, the Board will recommend that the membership approve a second motion which establishes a timeline for a transition period to implement this position by no later than 2015. The draft position statement is posted online at http://www.aacn.nche.edu/MembersOnly/PracticeDoctorateDRAFT.pdf.

6. NURSING LEADERS NAMED AMONG THE TOP 100 MOST POWERFUL

AACN is pleased to report that nine nurses, including AACN Executive Director Polly Bednash, are included on the list of the 100 Most Powerful People in Healthcare, which is compiled each year by Modern Healthcare Magazine. Nurse leaders featured on this year's list, include Linda Aiken, researcher and professor, University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing; Diane Mancino, executive director, National Student Nurses Association; Pamela Thompson, CEO, American Organization of Nurse Executives; Barbara Blakeney, President, American Nurses Association; Sister Mary Jean Ryan, president, SSM Health Care; Beth O'Brien, president, Baptist Health System; Rose Ann DeMoro, Executive Director, California Nurses Association; and Cheryl Johnson, President, United American Nurses. Read more about Modern Healthcare's new "Power" list online at http://www.modernhealthcare.com.

7. NEW CAMPUSRN/AACN SCHOLARSHIP RECIPIENTS SELECTED

AACN is pleased to announce the latest recipients of funding through the CampusRN-AACN Scholarship Fund: Darleny Henriquez, a BSN student at the University of Massachusetts-Amherst, and Rebecca Ann Busch, a senior nursing student in the baccalaureate program offered through the Minnesota Intercollegiate Nursing Consortium. Both winners received $2,500 in scholarship monies through this scholarship program that supports both baccalaureate and graduate nursing students. For more information about the scholarship fund including an application for future awards, see http://aacn.campusrn.com/scholarships/scholarship_rn.asp.

8. CCNE COMPLETES 2004 ELECTION PROCESS

The Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE) has successfully completed its 2004 elections process. CCNE distributed ballots to 417 institutions - all with baccalaureate and/or master's degree programs holding accreditation or preliminary approval by CCNE - to be cast in the elections for the CCNE Board of Commissioners and the CCNE Nominating Committee. Valid ballots were returned from 256 institutions, resulting in a 61 percent response rate. Elected to the CCNE Board were Dr. Harriet R. Feldman, dean of the Lienhard School of Nursing at Pace University (NY) as the Representative for Deans, and William Michael Scott, nurse practitioner and manager, NurseFirst Family Health Center Seneca (SC), as the Representative for Practicing Nurses. Elected CCNE Nominating Committee members include Dr. Michael J. Kremer, Rush University Medical Center; Dr. Patricia Kraft, Carson-Newman College (TN); Dr. Christine Latham, California State University Fullerton; Dr. K. Alberta McCaleb, University of Alabama at Birmingham; and Dr. Mary Jo Regan-Kubinski, Indiana University South Bend. For details, see http://www.aacn.nche.edu/Accreditation/CCNEElectionResults04.htm.

9. AACN SPONSORS UPCOMING JCAHO CONFERENCE ON NURSING

AACN is serving as a Sponsoring Organization for an upcoming conference by the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations titled "Critical Linkages: Patient Safety, Nurse Staffing, and Leadership Solutions for Tomorrow." Planned for September 27-28, 2004 at the Omni Shoreham Hotel in Washington, DC, this conference will focus on the impact the nursing shortage is having on patient safety. Presentations will focus on how health care leaders can transform organizations to become preferred workplaces for nurses and to provide safe environments for patient care. Attendees will learn more about the latest nursing initiatives from The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, Institute for Healthcare Improvement, JCAHO and other groups and will also explore solutions for increasing the number of nursing graduates. To register, call 877-223-6866 or see http://www.jcrinc.com/education.asp?durki=6476&site=5&return=5933.

10. DR. JANET ALLAN MODERATES BRIEFING ON NURSE FACULTY SHORTAGE

On September 8, Dr. Janet Allan, dean of the University of Maryland School of Nursing, moderated a congressional staff briefing titled "The Other Side of the Nursing Shortage: The Faculty Crisis." Sponsored by the Americans for Nursing Shortage Relief (ANSR) Alliance, the event was held to educate Capitol Hill staff on the need to fund programs that support nurse faculty development. For more information about this event, see http://nursing.umaryland.edu/communications/releases/news8-31-2004.htm. For the latest data on the nurse faculty shortage, see AACN's fact sheet at http://www.aacn.nche.edu/Media/Backgrounders/facultyshortage.htm.

11. AACN COSPONSORS E3 CONFERENCE ON EXPANDING STUDENT CAPACITY

This fall, AACN is joining with JWT Communications, Sigma Theta Tau International and other sponsors to present a conference on expanding capacity in baccalaureate nursing programs. Titled "E3 - Enroll, Educate and Empower," this invitational event will bring together experts from nursing education and practice to identify practical ways to bridge faculty and resources gaps that impact enrollment in entry-level nursing programs. The conference is planned for October 10-13, 2004 in Louisville, KY. For more information about this event, please contact rrosseter@aacn.nche.edu.

12. APPLY NOW FOR THE FOGARTY INTERNATIONAL CENTER FELLOWSHIPS

Applications are now being accepted for the Fogarty International Center/Ellison Medical Foundation Fellowships in Global Health and Clinical Research, a joint initiative of the National Institutes of Health and the Association of American Medical Colleges. This program offers a one-year clinical research training experience for graduate level U.S. students in the health professions and provides highly motivated individuals with a mentored research training experience at top-ranked NIH-funded research centers in a diverse group of countries, such as Bangladesh, Botswana, Brazil, China, Haiti, India, Kenya, Mali, Peru, Russia, South Africa, Tanzania, Thailand, Uganda, and Zambia. The one-year fellowships will begin with an intensive orientation program on the NIH campus in Bethesda, MD in July 2005 followed by approximately 10+ months of intense research training at the foreign site. Applications are due by January 7, 2005. For details, see
http://www.aamc.org/overseasfellowship.

13. AACN CALL FOR NOMINATIONS ISSUED

AACN's Nominating Committee has issued a Call for Nominations to fill seats on the Board of Directors. AACN members are asked to submit nominations for the following seats: Treasurer, Board member-at-large (4 vacancies), and Nominating Committee member (2 vacancies). Nominations will be accepted until 5:00 p.m. on October 23 at the registration desk during AACN's Fall Semiannual Meeting. For more information on how to nominate a candidate, including copies of the Nomination Form, Consent Statement Form and Nominations Biographical Data Form, see http://www.aacn.nche.edu/Membership/CallforNominations.htm.

14. EDUCATION SCHOLAR OFFERS CONVENIENT FACULTY DEVELOPMENT

An increasing number of nurse faculty members are taking advantage of this convenient and affordable way 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. See http://www.aacn.nche.edu/Education/edscholar.htm.

15. TWO ELNEC COURSES SPONSORED IN 2005

Mark your calendars! The End-of-Life Nursing Education Consortium (ELNEC) is hosting a course for undergraduate nursing faculty on March 9-11, 2005 in Long Beach, CA, and an ELNEC Pediatric Palliative Care Training Program on August 3-5, 2005 in Pasadena, CA. For more information on either course, visit the ELNEC Web site at http://www.aacn.nche.edu/ELNEC.

16. CALL FOR ABSTRACTS FOR MASTER'S CONFERENCE

The Master's Education Conference is scheduled for February 17-19, 2005 at the U.S. Grant Hotel in San Diego, California. The conference theme is "On the Horizon in Master's Education: Teaching, Research, and Practice." Abstracts are solicited for poster and podium presentations that describe innovative initiatives congruent with the theme. For complete abstract details, see http://www.aacn.nche.edu/Conferences/MastersCall04.pdf.

17. NIH OFFERS $35,000 IN ANNUAL STUDENT LOAN REPAYMENT

Applications are now being accepted for the loan repayment programs (LRP) offered by the National Institutes of Health (NIH). These programs will repay up to $35,000 of qualified educational debt for health professionals pursuing careers in clinical, pediatric, contraception and infertility, or health disparities research. Participants must possess a doctoral-level degree, devote 50% or more of their time to research funded by a non-profit organization or government entity (federal, state, or local), and have educational loan debt equal to or exceeding 20% of their institutional base salary. The five NIH Loan Repayment Programs are the Clinical Research LRP, Clinical Research for Individuals from Disadvantaged Backgrounds LRP, Contraception and Infertility Research LRP, Health Disparities LRP, and Pediatric Research LRP. Applications must be received by December 15, 2004. For more details including an online application, see http://www.lrp.nih.gov.

18. SHOWCASE STUDENT INNOVATIONS WITH A SECRETARY'S AWARD

The annual Secretary's Award for Innovations in Health Promotion recognizes students in the health professions who work with health promotion and disease prevention. Winners are presented with a cash award and will be sent to Washington, DC (along with their sponsor) to receive the award. Read about last year's winners, including several nursing winners, online at http://www.aacn.nche.edu/SecretarysAward. For more information, contact Pam Malloy at pmalloy@aacn.nche.edu. Brochures and flyers for this prestigious national award will be posted on the AACN Web site by mid-October.

19. SUPPORT THE COVERING KIDS & FAMILIES CAMPAIGN

More than 8.5 million children in America do not have health care coverage. Most of these children are eligible for Medicaid or the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP), but their parents may not realize they qualify. AACN has joined with Covering Kids & Families, a national initiative of The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation designed to increase the number of children and adults who benefit from federal and state health coverage programs. Last month, Covering Kids & Families launched its annual Back-to-School Campaign with more than 2,300 events taking place in all 50 states and the District of Columbia through the end of September. The campaign will use public service announcements, media outreach, and corporate and organizational partnerships to get the word out that there is help available for these hard-working families and their children. If you are interested in getting involved, the Covering Kids & Families Back-to-School Campaign Action Kit has all the tips and templates you need to participate at any level, whether you want to set up an enrollment event or write a letter to the editor. Free materials are available online at http://www.coveringkidsandfamilies.org/communications/materials/order.

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.

Dr. Karen M. Schaefer, nurse faculty at Temple University in Philadelphia, has secured grant-funding from the Department of Health and Human Services' Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) to launch a program designed to increase the number of African American and Hispanic students entering the nursing profession. The Developing Diverse Diamonds Project (DDDP) will open doors for those whose financial, academic and personal circumstances limit their educational pursuits. "The success of the project will be measured using admission, retention, attrition and graduation rates," said Schaefer, who expects diversity within Temple's nursing school to increase by 5 percent over the next three years. For more details, see http://www.temple.edu/news_media/tah0408_020.html.
Baptist Memorial Health Care in Memphis will award $1 million in educational grants to nursing and allied health students within the next year. The grant program will cover the last two years of tuition for full-time students enrolled in a four-year program and both years for students enrolled in a two-year program. Students, including Baptist employees and family members, must already be accepted to an approved program or school and agree to work for Baptist after graduation to qualify for a grant. The grant program is an extension of a program started at the Baptist College of Health Sciences in 2002. "We are investing in this grant program because it's the right thing to do for our patients and communities," said David Hogan, executive vice president and chief operating officer for Baptist Memorial Health Care. "We hope our investment will encourage other organizations to do the same." See http://www.baptistonline.org.
Boise State University was awarded a $730,800 HRSA grant to develop a statewide cultural competency program for nurses and nursing students. Through Greater Awareness for Idaho Nurses (GAIN) initiative, a cultural competency continuing education course will be developed for registered nurses across Idaho, and a college course will be developed for student nurses. All of the state's nursing schools will be involved in planning and implementing the project, allowing for outreach to nurses and isolated areas of the state. Nurses and students will learn about cultural competency, connect with peers via live videoconferencing, and be able to practice their new skills in clinical settings. See http://nursing.boisestate.edu.
Dr. Wendy Barr, Associate Clinical Professor with the School of Nursing at The University of Texas at Arlington (UTA), has been appointed as the coordinator for the Bridges to Doctoral Study project funded by The National Institute of Health. The project, an inter-institutional partnership with The University of the Incarnate Word (UIW) in San Antonio, Texas, is intended to increase the number of qualified under-represented minority nurses with doctoral degrees. The initiative will increase the competitiveness of UIW graduates applying for doctoral study by providing doctoral level distance education courses, mentorship, and various research oriented workshops and training sessions. Each year two Bridges Fellows will be appointed to receive financial and academic support. See http://www.uta.edu/nursing/news.
The University of North Dakota (UND) was awarded a three-year, $567,000 grant from the Department of Health and Human Services' Bureau of Health Professions Nursing Workforce Diversity Program to bolster its efforts to recruit American Indian students into nursing. The funds will be used to expand its Recruitment and Retention of American Indians into Nursing program (RAIN), which has trained more than 100 American Indian nurses during the past 15 years. UND expects about 40 American Indian students will be admitted to the program during the three-year period. Of those, 30 will be undergraduate students, six will be master's students, and three will enter the doctoral program. See http://www.und.edu/dept/nursing/rain.html.

21. MEMBER NEWS, ANNOUNCEMENTS, AND AWARDS

On August 30, the American Academy of Nursing (AAN) announced the names of the 2004 Fellows who were selected by their peers for outstanding contributions to nursing and health care. Three deans/chairs of schools of nursing at member institutions were included among the Fellows, including Dr. Richard MacIntyre, Mercy College (NY); Dr. Ignatius Perkins, Spalding University (KY); and Dr. Carolyn Yucha, University of Nevada-Las Vegas. AACN's Director of Education Policy, Dr. Joan Stanley, was also selected to receive this high honor. Congratulations to all! For more details, see http://www.aannet.org.
The University of Illinois-Chicago School of Nursing will host the 7th Annual Power of Nursing Leadership Celebration on Friday, October 22, 2004 at the Chicago Hilton and Towers. Keynote speaker Cokie Roberts, a long-time ABC News political correspondent and best-selling author, will discuss her lastest book, "Founding Mothers: The Women Who Raised Our Nation," and make the connection to the nurses who shaped healthcare in America. For more details, see http://www.doitwithimpact.com/uiccon/home.htm.
The Vanderbilt University School of Nursing's Faculty Practice Network has opened a nurse-managed clinic inside the Sanford Corporation's Lewisburg, Tennessee plant, offering the more than 400 workers a convenient way to stay on top of their routine health needs and seek treatment for minor accidents and injuries on the job. "In the past, we've had nurse practitioners in school sites and we knew what we could accomplish there, but we didn't know what we could do in industry. Now we do," said Dr. Bonnie Pilon, senior associate dean for practice at the school of nursing. For more details, see http://www.mc.vanderbilt.edu/nursing.
The new College of Nursing and Health Sciences at Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi launched an accelerated BSN program for second-degree seeking students this fall. The courses and clinical hours required in this 18-month program are identical to the standard program with the exception of the compressed format. The program is supported through a partnership between the Texas A&M University System Health Science Center, Coastal Bend Health Education Center, CHRISTUS Spohn Health System and Driscoll Children's Hospital. See http://www.sci.tamucc.edu/nursing.

22. AACN OUTREACH AND ADVOCACY UPDATE

On September 14, AACN staff participated in the National Advisory Council for Nursing Research meeting at the National Institute of Health. Topics of discussion were the National Quality Forum's Nurse-Sensitive Performance Measures, health services research supported by NINR, palliative care research, biobehavioral research, and integrating cost effectiveness analyses in research. For more information on NINR and its Advisory Council, visit http://ninr.nih.gov/ninr/about/adv-council.html.
On September 14, AACN staff attended the Alliance for Academic Internal Medicine and The Lewin Group sponsored briefing entitled, "Future of the Health Care Workforce." The briefing focused on data for the future health care provider workforce, trends and projections, health care industry's view of workforce issues, and workforce issues affect on our nation's health.
On August 19, AACN hosted a group of graduate students from Bloomsburg University to discuss the evolving role of the nurse in grassroots advocacy; the legislative, regulatory, and political processes; and federal legislation that affects the nursing profession. If you would like to bring your students to Washington to learn more about health policy, contact Gene Throwe at 202-463-6930, ext. 237 or gthrowe@aacn.nche.edu.

23. OPPORTUNITIES AND RESOURCES TO CONSIDER

For a limited time only, the International Journal of Nursing Education Scholarship (IJNES) is offering AACN members a 30 percent discount for a one-year institutional subscription. IJNES is the first fully electronic peer-reviewed journal to publish original papers in nursing education. The journal provides a forum for promoting worldwide scholarship in nursing education, enhancing and advancing nursing education globally, and disseminating international perspectives on nursing education. Now through December 15, 2004, AACN members can subscribe at the discounted rate of $122.50 for one year or $370 for 3 years. Those interested should contact sales@bepress.com and let them know you are an AACN member subscribing at the special rate. For more details, see http://www.bepress.com/ijnes.
The Family Violence Prevention Fund invites nurses, nurse midwives and nursing students to attend the 2004 National Conference on Health Care and Domestic Violence on October 21-23 in Boston. With the theme "Health Consequences Over the Lifespan," the conference provides an opportunity for valuable professional education and networking regarding the latest research and innovative health care prevention and clinical responses to domestic violence for all health care professionals. Over 75 workshop sessions will be featured at this event. For details, see http://www.endabuse.org/health/conference.
AACN has signed on as a supporting organization for the 27th national conference of the Association for Medical Education and Research in Substance Abuse. Programmed around the theme "Promoting Partnerships for Change," the 2003 conference will take place on November 6-8, 2003 at the Wyndham Inner Harbor Hotel in Baltimore. For more details, see http://www.amersa.org.