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August
2005 News Watch
AACN invites practicing nurses, faculty, employers,
graduate students and other stakeholders to learn more about the
national movement toward the Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) degree
at a series of regional meetings held September 2005 through January
2006. Representatives from AACN's two DNP task forces will share
details about their work, including a draft of the "Essentials"
for DNP programs, and provide forums for attendees to give feedback
and discuss related issues. The following conferences are scheduled:
- September 14-15, Simmons College, Boston,
MA
- September 29-30, St. Louis University, St.
Louis, MO
- November 3-4, Emory University, Atlanta,
GA
- December 8-9, University of Texas, HSC,
Houston, TX
- January 12-13, University of San Diego,
San Diego, CA
2.
AACN AND AONE BOARDS HOLD JOINT MEETING IN VANCOUVER
In conjunction with AACN’s Summer Seminar in
Vancouver last month, the AACN Board of Directors met with the board
of the American Organization of Nurse Executives (AONE) to discuss
several issues of mutual concern. The AACN
Board applauded AONE’s
recent position in support of baccalaureate preparation for registered
nurses. Both boards also agreed to appoint a task force to revise
the Joint
Position Statement on Nursing Administration Education which
was released in March 1997. AACN looks forward to continued collaboration
with AONE, including the group’s active participation in the
Clinical Nurse Leader demonstration project.
In late July, Monster Healthcare and AACN announced
the creation of a new scholarship program to address the growing
shortage of doctorally-prepared nurse educators. The Monster Healthcare-AACN
Nursing Faculty Scholarship is designed to increase the number of
nurse educators needed to expand student capacity in entry-level
nursing programs. Students enrolled in either a Baccalaureate to
Doctoral degree or a Doctor of Nursing Practice program will be
eligible to apply. Five scholarships in the amount of $25,000 will
be awarded in Fall 2005. Students will be expected to use this money
to cover living expenses which will allow the student to attend
school full-time. In addition to providing scholarship funds, Monster
Healthcare will attempt to provide students with part-time jobs
(a minimum of 10 hours a week) to enhance the students' clinical
experiences and give award recipients health benefits while enrolled
in school. Upon graduation, students will be expected to serve in
a teaching capacity at a nursing school for a minimum of one year
for every year scholarship monies were received. The application
will be posted on the AACN Web
site on August 15, 2005.
4.
AACN
SUPPORTS NEW LEGISLATION ON FACULTY SHORTAGE
On July 28, 2005, Representatives Nita Lowey (D-NY),
Peter King (R-NY), and Lois Capps (D-CA), introduced the Nurse Education,
Expansion and Development (NEED) Act (H.R. 3569) to assist schools
of nursing in increasing the number of students and faculty. The
capitation grants may be used to hire new and retain current faculty,
purchase educational equipment, enhance audiovisual and clinical
laboratories, expand infrastructure, or recruit students. Senators
Jeff Bingaman (D-NM) and John Cornyn (R-TX) introduced the Nurse
Faculty Education Act (S. 1575) on July 29, 2005 to increase the
number of doctorally-prepared nurses serving as nurse faculty. Grant
funding may be used by schools to hire new or retain existing faculty,
purchase educational resources, and support transition into the
faculty role. Priority will be given to those institutions from
states experiencing the greatest RN and nurse faculty shortages.
Read the overview of federal Nursing
Workforce Development programs (Title VIII, Public Health Service
Act).
5.
CNL
SPOTLIGHT ADDED TO AACN NEWS WATCH
Beginning this month, AACN will highlight the work
of the education-practice partnerships participating in the national
Clinical Nurse Leader (CNL) demonstration project. CNL partnerships
are now in place in 35 states and involve 92 schools of nursing
and 180 practice sites.
AUGUST’S CNL SPOTLIGHT:
The Department of Nursing at
Xavier University in Cincinnati, OH received a $1.1 million grant
to implement a career ladder into their nursing program at the graduate
level that incorporates the CNL role. Awarded by the Health Resources
and Services Administration (HRSA) within the U.S. Department of
Health and Human Services, this is the largest federal grant the
school has ever received. The curriculum for the MIDAS
program - Master of Science in Nursing: Direct Entry as a Second
Degree - incorporates AACN's CNL content as well as the Ohio Board
of Nursing's pre-licensure content. In total, the program features
90 credit hours and 1,035 clinical contact hours over the course
of 20 months. Xavier’s program is the second in the state approved
by the board of nursing as a graduate level pre-licensure program.
Xavier’s Department of Nursing is partnering
with four hospital systems who are redesigning their health care
to implement the CNL role. These partners include TriHealth (Good
Samaritan and Bethesda North Hospitals), Summit Behavioral Health
Care, St. Luke Hospital in Kentucky, and the Cincinnati Veteran’s
Affairs (VA) Hospital. TriHealth and the VA have already developed
CNL job descriptions.
6.
AACN ENDORSES NOA’S PRINCIPLES FOR HEALTHFUL WORK ENVIRONMENTS
At their July meeting, the AACN Board of Directors
voted to endorse the Principles & Elements of a Healthful Practice/Work
Environment prepared by the Nursing Organizations Alliance (NOA).
The AACN Board recognizes these nine principles as important elements
to sustaining work settings that support professional nursing practice.
The Alliance’s work reinforces many of the recommendations
highlighted in AACN’s white paper on the Hallmarks of the Professional
Nursing Practice Environment which was released in January 2002.
AACN will publish the principles in the July/August 2005 issue of
our bimonthly newsletter Syllabus. Those wishing to receive a copy
should contact Ayesha Pathak, AACN’s communications assistant,
at apathak@aacn.nche.edu.
7.
AMERICAN CANCER
SOCIETY OFFERS GRADUATE SCHOLARSHIPS
The American Cancer Society, the largest not-for-profit
funding source for cancer research and training, invites applications
from master’s and doctoral nursing students. Master’s
Degree Scholarships in Cancer Nursing are available to graduate
students and may be renewed for up to two years in the annual amount
of $10,000. Doctoral Degree Scholarships in Cancer Nursing are available
to students pursuing doctoral study in cancer nursing in the areas
of research, education, administration, or clinical practice. Awards
are made for up to four years with a stipend of $15,000 per year.
The Society offers several other research and training grants in
addition to these offerings. Application deadlines are December
1, 2005 for the doctoral scholarship and February 1, 2006 for the
master’s scholarship.
8.
JPN NOW ACCEPTING ONLINE MANUSCRIPTS
AACN is pleased to report that the Journal of Professional
Nursing (JPN) recently converted to an exclusively electronic system
for submitting and processing manuscripts. AACN will no longer accept
hard copies of manuscripts. The online system allows authors to
easily monitor the progress of their manuscript as it goes through
the system. To submit your manuscript electronically, see http://ees.elsevier.com/jpn.
9.
ADDITIONAL
LOAN FORGIVENESS PROPOSED FOR NURSE FACULTY
On July 14, 2005, Representatives Jon Porter (R-NV)
and Carolyn McCarthy (D-NY) offered a successful amendment during
consideration of the College Access and Opportunity Act of 2005
(H.R. 609) by the Subcommittee on 21st Century Competitiveness.
This amendment expands an existing loan forgiveness program for
childcare providers and K–12 teachers to include nurse faculty,
nurses, early childhood educators, and speech-language pathologists.
The amendment also designates the aforementioned occupations as
areas of national need and provides for the repayment of up to $5,000
in educational loans for service in these fields.
10.
SUPPORT
THE NATIONAL COVERING KIDS & FAMILIES CAMPAIGN
AACN has signed on as a supporting organization for
the national Covering Kids & Families Campaign. As part of this
effort, thousands of activities will take place across the country
in August and September to inform working families about the availability
of low-cost and free health care coverage through Medicaid and the
State Children’s Health Insurance Program. Covering Kids &
Families provide free planning guides and materials, including a
Back-to-School Action Kit and free fliers, bookmarks, posters and
stickers. AACN encourages our members to use these materials to
help spread the word in their own communities. Thank you for your
help in connecting uninsured kids with the health care coverage
they need. The campaign
kick-off event took place on August 2.
11.
AACN
SPONSORS JCAHO CONFERENCE ON HEALTH PROFESSIONS EDUCATION
AACN is serving as a sponsoring organization for
an upcoming conference sponsored by the Joint Commission for the
Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO) titled "Transforming
Health Care Professional Education: Core Competencies, Microsystems
and New Training Venues." Coming September 14-15 to the Hyatt
Rosemont in Chicago, attendees will gain insights into changes in
health professions education that are centered on implementing the
IOM's five core competencies. Presenters will discuss innovations
in education and practice that can be applied to enhance patient
safety, health outcomes, professional satisfaction, and efficiency.
All will be encouraged to contribute to recommendations for improving
education and practice.
12.
FALL
SEMIANNUAL MEETING PLANNED FOR OCTOBER 22-25, 2005
AACN’s Fall Semiannual Meeting will be held
October 22-25, 2005 at the Fairmont hotel in Washington, DC. The
theme “Taking the Helm of Nursing Education: Navigating Uncertain
Waters” will allow participants to consider the future of nursing
education. Leaders from other national organizations will share
their perspectives in the opening session; a respected nurse executive
describes characteristics and needs of the practice setting; the
Delaware Study is considered as an analytical tool for nursing;
informal sessions allow colleagues from like schools to converse
about important issues; and members have the opportunity to discuss
in detail the CNL and DNP initiatives. The meeting closes with three
past AACN presidents sharing their views about the future of nursing
education. Other highlights include:
- Cathy Rick, RN, CNAA, FACHE, Chief Nursing Officer
with the Veterans Health Administration, was selected by the AACN
Board to receive the 2005 McGovern Award. Her award and presentation
are scheduled for October 23 at 5:15pm.
- The new Organizational Leadership Network will
hold its first meeting on Saturday morning, October 22. Network
members may register for a special program and business meeting
to be held during breakfast. Participants are encouraged to become
active leaders and shape the direction of this group.
The deadline for early registration and hotel reservations
is September 28.
NOTE: Each dean/director is invited to bring one associate/assistant
dean to the meeting as a way to familiarize these senior academic
leaders with content and issues they will find useful to enhancing
education at their institutions. A reduced rate is offered for this
representative. Deans must be registered in order for the associate/assistant
dean to attend.
13.
ELNEC
TRAININGS OFFERED ON THE EAST AND WEST COASTS
On October 28-30, 2005, the first national
ELNEC course to be held in 3 years on the East Coast will take place
at the Washington-Dulles Airport Marriott (outside of Washington,
DC). This train-the-trainer program for undergraduate faculty provides
a wealth of resources, including a 1,000+ page syllabus, case studies,
numerous references, and many supplemental teaching strategies.
Application deadline is September 10. In addition, the Archstone
Foundation is funding an ELNEC course for California nurses only
on October 10-12, 2005 in Pasadena, CA. Application deadline is
September 10.
14.
FREE
GERIATRIC ASSESSMENT TOOLS FOR YOUR PALM PDA
The John A. Hartford Foundation Institute for Geriatric
Nursing at New York University has developed a new “Try This”
series for Palm PDA technology used in clinical nursing education.
The Try This Assessment Series offers assessment tools with each
issue covering a topic specific to the older adult population. The
Try This Dementia Series focuses on care of persons with dementia.
Both series are available for free in downloadable Palm OS PDA format
using Word-to-Go software. These products are also available for
posting on Blackboard/WebCT and may be downloaded
in PDF format.
15.
TOBACCO FREE NURSES PROJECT
SEEKS YOUR ASSISTANCE
AACN member deans will soon receive a letter from
Tobacco Free Nurses (TFN) asking you to distribute copies to incoming
nursing students this fall. Because the health of nurses and nursing
students is a high priority, AACN has partnered with TFN to assist
students with their smoking cessation efforts. The TFN initiative
offers nurses and nursing students support in their efforts to quit
and additional information about tobacco and how to quit smoking.
If we all work together to tackle tobacco use, the leading cause
of preventable death and disease in the United States, we will be
well positioned to promote excellent health for our students, the
profession of nursing, and our nursing practice.
16.
WATCH FOR AACN’S ANNUAL SURVEY IN SEPTEMBER
In early September, AACN will distribute the 2005
Annual Survey of institutions 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. Participation in this survey is
vital to AACN's mission to advance professional nursing education,
research, and practice. We appreciate the effort required to complete
the Annual Survey; and we will provide participating schools with
free copies of the data reports to which they contribute information.
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.
17.
NOMINATIONS
NEEDED FOR 2006 AACN BOARD ELECTIONS
AACN’s Nominating Committee has issued a Call
for Nominations for candidates to fill five Board seats and two
committee vacancies. Chaired by Dr. Timothy Gaspar from Winona State
University, the committee will choose the slate of candidates at
the 2005 Fall Semiannual Meeting based on nominations and the committee’s
deliberations. The positions under consideration are President-Elect,
Secretary, Board Member-at-Large (3 vacancies), and Nominating Committee
(2 vacancies). Nominations must be received by 5pm on October 22,
2005.
18.
GRASSROOTS
STARS AWARDS COMING IN OCTOBER
The Government Affairs Committee will recognize the
winners of the STARS awards at the Fall Semiannual Meeting in October.
The STARS awards were created in 2001 to honor those AACN members
that have gone above and beyond in their advocacy efforts for nursing
education at the federal and state levels. If you would like to
nominate an AACN member for these awards or even yourself, contact
Gene Throwe, government affairs assistant, at gthrowe@aacn.nche.edu
or send a fax to 202-785-8320. Please submit a brief description
of the grassroots advocacy activities that the nominee undertook
during the past year.
19.
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.
- The Virginia Tobacco Commission recently awarded
the University
of Virginia School of Nursing a $248,828 grant to provide
a nursing career ladder in the economically disadvantaged areas
of Southside and Southwest Virginia. The program will serve graduates
of hospital-based RN programs looking to earn baccalaureate and
graduate degrees in nursing. In addition to satisfying the educational
needs of RNs, this grant program will improve access to quality
health care for the area's citizens and play a positive role in
attracting business and industry to this region as well.
20.
MEMBER NEWS, ANNOUNCEMENTS, AND AWARDS
- The geriatric nursing program at the University
of California-San Francisco (UCSF) School of Nursing has received
a $1 million grant from The John A. Hartford Foundation to continue
its work in educating nurse scientists. Through a grant from the
Foundation in 2001, the school launched the UCSF/John A. Hartford
Center of Geriatric Nursing Excellence under the leadership of
Dr. Jeanie Kayser-Jones. The renewal award for $1,050,000 over
the next five years will allow the UCSF Center to continue its
mission of preparing an exceptional cadre of nurse scientists
who will provide academic leadership in the teaching, research
and practice of geriatric nursing. In addition to UCSF, the Foundation
funds geriatric nursing centers at the Oregon Health Sciences
University, University of Arkansas, University of Iowa, and University
of Pennsylvania.
- The Yale
School of Nursing is pleased to announce that Margaret Grey,
DrPH, RN, FAAN, a pediatric nurse and diabetes expert, has been
named dean of the nursing school for a five-year term beginning
September 1. Dr. Grey is the Annie Goodrich Professor of Nursing
and Associate Dean for Scholarly Affairs at Yale. A graduate of
the school who joined the faculty in 1993, her responsibilities
have included oversight of the school’s scholarly activities
and teaching in the doctoral program.
-
The University
of Minnesota School of Nursing is pleased to announce the
appointment of Connie White Delaney, PhD, RN, FAAN, FACMI, as
dean. An internationally recognized health informatics scholar,
Dr. Delaney is the country’s only dean of nursing who is
a fellow in the American College of Medical Informatics.
-
The University
of Tennessee College of Nursing will offer a new master's
degree in Homeland Security Nursing designed to meet a critical
need in America's health care industry. Funded by a three-year
HRSA grant, the degree program will address a largely unmet
need in public health by preparing nurse leaders, managers and
clinical nursing specialists to plan for mass casualty disasters,
effectively manage logistics of an event in progress, work cooperatively
with local, state and federal officials and responders, and
provide direct patient care to victims of trauma or toxic exposure.
-
Two new graduate options now offered by the Johns
Hopkins University School of Nursing will prepare nurses
for pivotal leadership roles during disasters and mass casualty
incidents. The Health Systems Management: Emergency Preparedness/Disaster
Response options — a clinical nurse specialist track in
the Master of Science in Nursing program and a Post-Master’s
certificate option — are designed for nurses seeking strategic
skills in planning, managing and responding to large scale emergencies
or disasters.
-
The University
of Virginia School of Nursing is proud to announce the creation
of 3 new endowed chairs in addition to the school’s existing
4 endowed chairs: Elizabeth Merwin, PhD, RN, FAAN, Associate
Dean for Research, Madge M. Jones Professor of Chronic Illness
in Nursing; Barbara J. Parker, PhD, RN, FAAN, Theresa A. Thomas
Professor in Primary Care Nursing; and Arlene W. Keeling, PhD,
RN, Centennial Distinguished Professor in Nursing.
-
For nearly 20 years Dr. Susan Grove, Associate
Dean for the MSN program at University of Texas-Arlington (UTA)
School of Nursing has received federal funding for financial
assistance to qualified full-time students. The Professional
Nurse Traineeship Grant is funded by HRSA, and this year has
provided $78,973 for UTA students. This grant will provide assistance
to graduate students for tuition and fees, a monthly stipend,
and books. Over the past 5 years, $410,204 has been awarded
to MSN students at UTA.
-
The University
of Illinois at Chicago College of Nursing and the first
U.S. World Health Organization Collaborating Center for Nursing
are hosting an upcoming conference titled “Optimizing Global
Health through Nursing Science” on October 28-29, 2005
in Chicago. Speakers include Dr. Bill Holzemer from the University
of California-San Francisco, Dr. Marjorie Muecke from the University
of Washington, and Yolanda King, daughter of Dr. Martin Luther
King, Jr.
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The Ronald
McDonald Care Mobile, a nurse-managed mobile health and
dental clinic serving the Spokane, WA area, has completed its
second full year of operations with a 37 percent increase in
patient visits over the previous year. Staffed and operated
by nurse practitioners from the Washington State University
Intercollegiate College of Nursing, the Care Mobile unit provides
free treatment for minor illnesses and injuries, check-ups,
immunizations, sports physicals, and vision and hearing screening
to children from birth to age 21. More than 68 percent of the
unit’s new patients this year were children living in poverty.
- On July 27, 2005, US Senator Jon Kyl (R-AZ) announced
that HRSA awarded a federal grant of $372,907 to the University
of Arizona College of Nursing to develop an online acute care
nurse practitioner program. "I strongly urged HRSA to support
this funding because there's a critical need to train more advanced
practice nurses and improve access to quality health care in Arizona’s
urban and rural communities," Kyl said.
21. AACN OUTREACH AND ADVOCACY
UPDATE
- On August 10, AACN Government Affairs and Public
Affairs staff met with representatives of the Education Service
and the Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment Service divisions
of the US Department of Veterans Affairs on August 10, 2005. Topics
discussed included the Montgomery G.I. Bill and facilitating the
enrollment of nurse veterans into graduate education with the
goal of becoming faculty, and encouraging other interested veterans
to pursue nursing education.
- On August 2-4, AACN Executive Director Polly Bednash
and staff attended the annual meeting of the National Council
of State Boards of Nursing (NCSBN) in Washington, DC. Topics discussed
included a new NCSBN position statement on the delegation of nursing
tasks to nursing assistants, a model criminal background check
standard for state boards of nursing, and a position statement
on clinical instruction in prelicensure nursing education programs.
22. OPPORTUNITIES AND RESOURCES
TO CONSIDER
- The George W. Merck Fellowship Program at the
Institute for Health Care Improvement was created to prepare clinical
leaders with the skills to promote the spread of improvement nationally
and build organizational capability to drive quality improvement
to dramatically higher levels of performance. The fellowship provides
$50,000 a year for stipend, tuition and travel support. The application
deadline is October 15, 2005. For questions about the program
and an application, contact Dr. Sharon Muret-Wagstaff at smuretwagstaff@ihi.org.
- The Friends of the National
Institute of Nursing Research will host the 2005 Nightingala
in Washington, DC on Tuesday, October 11 from 6-10pm. This year,
the theme is “Nursing Research: Advancing the Health of America,”
and the evening’s events will focus on gerontological nurse
researchers and the impact that they have had on our nation’s
health. Not only will Bill Novelli, CEO of AARP, serve as the
keynote speaker, but the evening will feature ten renowned investigators
whose work has had a significant affect on individuals in this
age group.
- The Robert
Wood Johnson Community Health Leadership Program (CHLP) honors
outstanding individuals who overcome daunting odds to expand access
to health care and social services to underserved and isolated
populations in communities across the United States. The program
seeks to elevate the work of these individuals through financial
support, opportunities for growth and networking, and assistance
raising awareness of their contributions. Ten winners will receive
$120,000 to be used for up to a three-year period. Candidates
must have between five and 15 years of community health experience.
- CDC’s
National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) and AcademyHealth
have issued a Call for Applications for the 2006 NCHS/AcademyHealth
Fellowship. This program brings visiting scholars in health services
research-related disciplines to the NCHS to collaborate on studies
of interest to policymakers and the health services research community
using NCHS data systems. The application deadline is January 9,
2006. For details, see .
- CMS recently released the Toolkit
for Healthcare Professionals: Medicare Prescription Drug Coverage
which includes downloadable educational materials specifically
for health care professionals and students. The kit contains reproducible
artwork, a fact sheet (English and Spanish), a brochure, and a
list of other resources.
If you would like to subscribe to receive News Watch each month,
please e-mail apathak@aacn.nche.edu.
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