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December
2005 News Watch
On December 12, AACN released preliminary data from
the 2005 annual survey which show that enrollment in entry-level
baccalaureate nursing programs increased by 13.0 percent from 2004
to 2005. This marks the fifth consecutive year of enrollment increases
with 14.1, 16.6, 8.1, and 3.7 percent increases in 2004, 2003, 2002,
and 2001, respectively. AACN also found that 32,617 qualified applications
to baccalaureate nursing programs were denied last year due primarily
to a shortage of nurse educators (432 schools reporting). The number
of qualified students turned away each year from these programs
continues to increase with 29,425, 15,944 and 3,600 students turned
away in 2004, 2003 and 2002, respectively.
AACN and Monster Healthcare are pleased to announce
that five scholarship winners have been selected to receive $25,000
awards through a new program created to address the growing shortage
of doctorally-prepared nurse faculty. The Monster Healthcare-AACN
Nursing Faculty Scholarship was launched last fall for students
enrolled in fast-track Baccalaureate to Doctoral programs. The five
scholarship winners selected include:
- Keynan Hobbs, University of Pennsylvania (PhD)
- Meghan McGonigal Kenney, University of Iowa (PhD)
- Courtney Reinisch, Columbia University (DNP)
- Sara Rivera Riemer, State University of New York
at Buffalo (PhD)
- Alison Webel, University of California-San Francisco
(PhD)
Congratulations to all the winners who will
be invited to attend AACN’s Doctoral Education Conference in
San Diego in January.
3.
U.S. CONGRESS HOLDS FIELD HEARINGS ON NURSE FACULTY SHORTAGE
Two field hearings examining the nurse faculty shortage
were recently held by the House Education and Workforce Subcommittee
on Select Education in Greeley, CO, and Henderson, NV. On November
30, Kay Norton, President of the University of Northern Colorado,
was among the panel of witnesses that described the collaborative
approach utilized by Colorado to address the nurse faculty shortage.
The second hearing, held on December 2, featured Dr. Connie Carpenter,
Director of the Nursing Program at Nevada State College, and Dr.
Carolyn Yucha, Dean of the School of Nursing at the University of
Nevada, Las Vegas. Drs. Carpenter and Yucha shared the results of
a statewide initiative to double nursing enrollments within Nevada’s
public schools of nursing. The hearings were held at the request
of Reps. Marilyn Musgrave (R-CO) and Jon Porter (R-NV). To read
the testimony, visit http://www.aacn.nche.edu/Government/testimony.htm.
For details on the November 30 hearing, click http://www.unco.edu/news/releases.asp?ID=438.
4.
NEW
POSITION ENDORSED ON COMMUNITY COLLEGE BACCALAUREATES
At the Fall Semiannual Meeting, AACN members endorsed
the newly created “Position Statement on Baccalaureate Nursing
Programs Offered by Community Colleges.” This position acknowledges
the national movement toward offering baccalaureate nursing degrees
at community colleges, and the positive impact this will have on
the number of baccalaureate-prepared nurses in the workforce. AACN
strongly believes that the community college-based programs must
meet the same quality and accreditation standards as baccalaureate
programs offered at four-year institutions.
5.
DOCTORAL
EDUCATION CONFERENCE RETURNS TO SAN DIEGO
The Doctoral Education Conference will be held January
25-28, 2006 at the Hotel del Coronado in San Diego, CA and includes
the inaugural meeting of the Research Leadership Network. Join colleagues
at this gracious and historic hotel to consider "Preparing
the Next Generation of Doctoral Faculty". Complete program
and registration information can be found at http://www.aacn.nche.edu/conferences/06Dr.htm.
The hotel cutoff is December 20, and the early registration deadline
is January 4.
6.
REGISTER
NOW FOR FACULTY PRACTICE & MASTER’S EDUCATION CONFERENCES
The Faculty Practice Conference (February 15-16)
once again immediately precedes the Master’s Education Conference
(February 16-18) at the San Antonio Marriott Rivercenter so that
graduate faculty can attend both events. The Faculty Practice Conference
offers programming on "Expanding the Boundaries of Faculty
Practice" and includes the inaugural meeting of the Practice
Leadership Network. The Master’s Education Conference theme
"Wrestling With Complexity: The Future of Master’s Education"
offers educators the opportunity to plan for a robust future in
many aspects of master’s education.
7.
TWO
NURSES APPOINTED TO AHRQ’S NATIONAL ADVISORY COUNCIL
On December 9, U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary
Mike Leavitt announced the appointment of five new members to serve
on the National Advisory Council for the Agency for Healthcare Research
and Quality (AHRQ), including two nurses. The Council provides advice
to the Secretary and to the Director of the Agency, and consists
of 21 members from the private sector and seven ex-officio members
from other federal health agencies. New Council members include
Dr. Patricia Flatley Brennan, Moehlman Professor of Nursing and
Industrial Engineering at the University Wisconsin-Madison, and
Dr. Ada Sue Hinshaw, Dean and Professor of Nursing at the University
of Michigan, Ann Arbor.
8.
AACN HOSTS FINAL DNP REGIONAL MEETING THIS SEASON
AACN invites practicing nurses, faculty, employers,
graduate students and other stakeholders to learn more about the
national movement toward the DNP and discuss the draft “DNP
Essentials” at a regional meeting on January 12-13, 2006 at
the University of San Diego. Representatives from AACN's DNP task
forces will share details about their work and provide forums for
attendees to give feedback and discuss related issues. This is the
last DNP regional meeting planned this season. To register, visit
http://www.aacn.nche.edu/Conferences/DNPTX.htm.
To view the draft DNP Essentials, see http://www.aacn.nche.edu/DNP/pdf/Essentials.pdf.
9.
INPUT NEEDED ON DRAFT CNS POSITION STATEMENT
At the Fall Semiannual Meeting, the AACN Board of
Directors circulated a draft position statement titled “AACN
Statement of Support for Clinical Nurse Specialists” (CNSs)
which recognizes the essential role these advanced practice nurses
play in health care delivery. This statement is posted online at
http://www.aacn.nche.edu/Publications/positions/CNS11-05.htm.
This document was produced in response to conversations between
AACN President Jean Bartels and the leaders of the National Association
of Clinical Nurse Specialists. The draft statement underscores the
contributions CNSs make to safe, high quality nursing care and also
differentiates this advanced practice specialty from the generalist
Clinical Nurse Leader role. AACN members are encouraged to send
comments on this statement to Robert Rosseter, Director of Public
Affairs, at rrosseter@aacn.nche.edu
by February 15, 2006.
10.
NURSES TOP GALLUP POLL ON HONESTY
AND ETHICS
Nurses once again got top marks when it comes to
honesty and ethics according to Gallup's annual U.S. survey of professions
released on December 5, 2005. Almost eight in 10 Americans - 79
percent - say nurses have ‘very high’ or ‘high’
ethical standards. Other health professionals including pharmacists
(2), physicians (4), and dentists (8) also made the list this year.
11.
AACN
SPONSORS “REMAKING AMERICAN MEDICINE” SERIES ON PBS
AACN has signed on as a National Partner to support
“Remaking American Medicine™ … Health Care for the
21st Century,” a four-hour primetime television series intended
for broadcast on PBS in April 2006. The series is being produced
by the award-winning filmmaking company Crosskeys Media® and
will focus on advances in improving the quality of health care.
Major themes to be explored in the series include providing chronic
disease care that is efficient, effective and centered on the needs
of the patient; transforming acute care to ensure patient safety;
involving local communities in efforts to improve health care for
everyone; and adopting new technologies that ensure the delivery
of safer and more effective care. See http://www.aacn.nche.edu/RAM.htm.
12.
MARK YOUR CALENDARS
FOR THE 2006 NAP CONFERENCE
“Building Blocks for Success” is the theme
of the 2006 AACN Nursing Advancement Professionals (NAP) Conference
set for March 10-11, 2006. The eighth annual event will be held
at the Fairmont Washington Hotel in Washington, DC. The conference
is designed for fund development officers, public relations and
marketing professionals, deans of colleges of nursing, and other
academic leaders. The NAP Conference is an excellent opportunity
to gain critical information to enhance your college of nursing
and to network with fellow colleagues. More details will be posted
online soon.
13.
SEVEN ELNEC COURSES OFFERED
FOR NURSING FACULTY IN 2006
If you need end-of-life/palliative care education,
2006 will be the year for you to obtain that training through the
End-of-Life Nursing Education Consortium (ELNEC). If you teach in
a graduate nursing program, please note that this is the last year
of the National Cancer Institute's funding for ELNEC-Graduate. New
ELNEC-Critical Care curriculum is now being developed, and the first
course will be held November 13-15, 2006 in Pasadena, CA. Three
ELNEC-Core courses also will be offered around the nation in Pasadena,
Kansas City (MO), and Washington, DC. If you need to update your
pediatric lectures, the ELNEC-Pediatric Palliative Care course will
be held August 2-4, 2006 in Anaheim, CA at Disneyland.
14.
RWJF
SEEKS PROPOSALS FOR INTERDISCIPLINARY RESEARCH INITIATIVE
As part of its efforts to improve the quality of
health care for all Americans, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation
(RWJF) has launched a new program, the Interdisciplinary Nursing
Quality Research Initiative (INQRI), to generate, disseminate and
translate research to improve the quality of care provided in hospitals.
INQRI will support interdisciplinary teams of nurse scholars and
scholars from other disciplines to address gaps in knowledge about
the relationship between nursing and health care quality. The five-year,
$10 million program will be directed by Dr. Mary Naylor, Marian
S. Ware Professor in Gerontology at the University of Pennsylvania
School of Nursing, and co-directed by Dr. Mark Pauly at the University
of Pennsylvania's Wharton School. "Despite nursing's pivotal
role in the delivery of health care," said Dr. Naylor, "there
is little rigorous research that demonstrates causal relationships
between nursing care and high-quality patient outcomes. INQRI will
support projects that examine these relationships and, in doing
so, uncover opportunities to make important clinical, health system
and policy changes."
15.
ANA PLANS POST-CONFERENCE ON SAFE PATIENT HANDLING FOR EDUCATORS
On February 27-March 3, 2006, the University of South
Florida and the American Nurses Association (ANA) are cosponsoring
the 2006 Safe Patient Handling and Movement Conference in Clearwater
Beach, FL. See http://www.cme.hsc.usf.edu/sphm
for complete details. Immediately following the conference, the
ANA is sponsoring a special post-conference for nursing schools
on incorporating safe patient handling and movement content into
curricula. ANA is currently seeking funding for nursing faculty
to be supported to attend this event and will release details on
the competitive application process if funding is secured. See next
month’s newsletter for more details.
16.
APPLICATION DEADLINE NEARS FOR HRSA SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM
January 10, 2006 is the deadline for schools
of nursing to submit applications for funding through the Scholarships
for Disadvantaged Students program. Administered by the Health Resources
and Services Administration (HRSA), this program promotes diversity
among health professions students and practitioners by providing
scholarships for students from disadvantaged backgrounds. Eligible
health professions and nursing schools apply for funds to make scholarships
to students from disadvantaged backgrounds, who have financial need
for scholarships and are enrolled, or accepted for enrollment, as
full-time students at the schools. For more information, contact
Andreina Stampone at astampone@hrsa.gov.
17.
CALL FOR PUBLIC POLICY INTERNS
The AACN Public Policy Internship offers student
nurses the opportunity to gain first-hand experience in the process
of policy formation. Students are placed with various AACN staff
with experience in health policy, quality/patient safety, nursing
education, geriatric nursing, or end of life care. Internships are
designed in collaboration with each student based on her or his
goals and objectives. For more information, please check the AACN
Web site, http://www.aacn.nche.edu/Government/GAInternship.htm,
or contact Gene Throwe at gthrowe@aacn.nche.edu
or (202) 463-6930, ext. 237.
18.
AACN COSPONORS HEALTH IN FOREIGN POLICY FORUM
AACN has signed on to serve as a sponsor for AcademyHealth’s
upcoming conference on Health in Foreign Policy Forum with AACN’s
Executive Director Polly Bednash also serving on the program’s
advisory committee. The conference, titled the “2006 Health
in Foreign Policy Forum: Migration and the Global Shortage of Health
Care Professionals” will take place on February 8, 2006 from
8:30am-5pm in Washington, DC. The forum will focus on an issue that
literally crosses national borders: the migration of health professionals,
including an examination of the causes, consequences, and possible
domestic and foreign policy responses to the global shortage of
nurses and physicians. For information and to register, visit http://www.academyhealth.org/nhpc/foreignpolicy.
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.
- Florida International University and Miami Dade
College have received a $1,282,500 grant titled “Expanded
Nursing Capacity and Diversity Initiative” from the Florida
Department of Education. The grant is part of the Succeed Florida
RFP Program approved by the Florida Legislature this year. The
grant is a collaborative effort between the schools to address
the critical shortage of registered nurses and nursing faculty
in the region. Through this project, 222 new students will be
admitted into the programs while the schools work to recruit,
develop and retain nursing faculty through the “Grow Our
Own Nursing Faculty” project. See http://chua2.fiu.edu/Nursing.
- In an effort to increase the supply of doctorally-prepared
nurses, the University of Kansas School of Nursing announced the
creation of an online PhD program earlier this month. “There
are many nurses who want to study at the doctoral level but have
been unable to do so because of distance from the university,”
said Dr. Rita Clifford, associate dean for student affairs. “Now
they will be able to complete the program from their own localities.”
The new online PhD program includes the type of content and requirements
typically found in traditional classroom programs. Both the BSN
to PHD and the MS to PHD programs will be offered online and in
the classroom depending on the student’s needs and choices.
See http://www2.kumc.edu/son.
- After a decade-long hiatus, the undergraduate
nursing program at University of California–Los Angeles (UCLA)
will reopen in fall 2006. The UCLA School of Nursing had offered
an undergraduate program since it opened in 1949, but the program
was dropped in the mid-1990s due to budget cuts. The school currently
offers master's and doctoral degree programs in nursing. In November,
the school also announced that it is adding a master's degree
program for second-degree seekers. These programs were funded
by the University of California Board of Regents, which gave the
nursing school an additional $5.2 million in the 2006-2007 academic
year. See http://www.dailybruin.ucla.edu/news/articles.asp?id=35093.
20.
MEMBER NEWS, ANNOUNCEMENTS, AND AWARDS
- Dr. Alexa Stuifbergen, associate dean of the University
of Texas at Austin School of Nursing, has received a $1.6 million
National Institutes of Health grant to continue her studies on
improving the quality of life for persons coping with multiple
sclerosis. Stuifbergen has followed nearly 600 men and women with
multiple sclerosis in Texas since 1996. Her NIH funding for the
research now totals more than $3 million and will continue through
2010. See http://www.utexas.edu/nursing/html/spot05_alexa.html.
- Dr. Helen Streubert Speziale, special assistant
to the president for Sponsored Research and National Programs
at College Misericordia, has been appointed to the prestigious
Health Care Quality Panel of Pennsylvania Governor Edward G. Rendell's
Office of Health Care Reform. The Health Care Quality panel consists
of 26 experts from around the Commonwealth including physicians,
attorneys, and faculty from Pennsylvania's leading colleges and
universities. Dr. Speziale maintains her appointment within the
school’s nursing department where she holds the title of
professor and former chairperson. See http://www.misericordia.edu/news/news_full.cfm?news_id=689.
- The University of Cincinnati (UC) College of Nursing
has received a three-year, $621,675 grant from the National Institute
of Mental Health (NIMH) for a study that could improve the way
primary-care providers recognize and manage depression. UC researchers,
led by Dr. Seong-yi Baik, will study depression in primary-care
settings and develop long-term interventions. “What’s
different about our study is that we’ll attempt to understand
depression care from the perspective of primary-care physicians
and their patients,” explains Dr. Baik. “We believe
systematic changes are more sustainable when they make sense to
both groups.” See http://www.uc.edu/colleges/nursing/overview.html.
- The Office of Global Nursing (OGN), a new joint
initiative of the Johns Hopkins University School of Nursing and
the Johns Hopkins Hospital Department of Nursing, will now serve
as the central point for coordinating and supporting international
activities for Hopkins Nursing. The OGN has been created to facilitate
international education of nursing students, provide support to
global nursing research activities, encourage international nursing
practice projects, and coordinate global nursing service outreach
practice. Read more about this interdisciplinary initiative at
http://www.ijhn.jhmi.edu.
- The Arizona State University College of Nursing
has expanded its programming with the creation of an Office for
International Nursing and Healthcare. The new program will provide
nursing students with a real-life perspective of the healthcare
challenges, practices and needs throughout the world and to attract
international students who will return to their countries to strengthen
their national nursing education systems. A unique part of the
International Nursing and Healthcare curriculum is an annual one-month
summer course in Ecuador during which nursing students and faculty
provide nurse-managed care to indigenous people living in small
rainforest and/or Andean Mountain villages. See http://nursing.asu.edu/news/pr/11302005.htm.
- New York University (NYU), on behalf of its College
of Nursing, has received a five-year, $1.96 million grant from
the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation to study newly licensed nurses
in order to track changes in their careers. The national study
will periodically survey recent graduates of registered nurse
programs over the first four years of their careers to track the
underlying reasons for their work decisions. Dr. Christine Kovner
of the NYU College of Nursing is the principal investigator; Dr.
Carol Brewer of the University of Buffalo School of Nursing is
the co-principal investigator; and William Greene, an expert in
econometrics from the NYU Stern School of Business, is a co-investigator.
Read more online at http://www.nyu.edu/public.affairs/releases/detail/704.
- The Society of Pediatric Nurses has named
an award in honor of University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill
School of Nursing research professor emeritus Dr. Margaret S.
Miles. The Margaret Shandor Miles Leadership Award was created
to recognize outstanding leadership in nursing care of children.
The award honors Miles' contributions in pediatric nursing education,
leadership and research throughout her 50-year career. Miles was
the first president of the Society of Pediatric Nurses when it
was founded in 1990. See http://www.unc.edu/news/briefs/2005/121305.htm.
21.
AACN OUTREACH AND ADVOCACY UPDATE
- On December 12 and 13, members of AACN’s
gerontology projects staff attended the 2005 White House Conference
on Aging in Washington, DC. This conference is held once each
decade to share information used by the President and Congress
to make policy recommendations on aging, and to assist the public
and private sectors in promoting dignity, health, independence
and economic security of current and future generations of older
persons. For more details, see http://www.whcoa.gov/about/whcoa_events.asp.
- On December 6, AACN government affairs staff attended
the 17th Annual Labor Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony hosted by
the U.S. Department of Labor. The Labor Hall of Fame honors those
who have improved the quality of life for working Americans. This
year, former Secretary of Labor, Peter J. Brennan, and General
Robert Wood Johnson were recognized. One of the General’s
legacies is the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation; resolving the
nursing shortage and improving the quality of nursing care are
areas of significant interest for the Foundation. See http://www.rwjf.org/portfolios/interestarea.jsp?iaid=137.
22. OPPORTUNITIES AND RESOURCES TO CONSIDER
- To alleviate the challenges contributing to the
nation’s nursing shortage, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation
and Northwest Health Foundation announced a new five-year, $10
million initiative to support partnerships led by local foundations
to address the most pressing nursing issues in their communities.
“Partners Investing in Nursing’s Future” will encourage
local or regional foundations to collaborate with nurses, workforce
investment boards and community organizations on a variety of
projects, including initiatives that bolster the nurse education
system, address the nurse faculty shortage or introduce new curricula,
increase diversity in the workforce, or support leadership development
for nurses. The program will award two-year grants of up to $250,000
each. Brief proposals are due February 16, 2006. See http://www.rwjf.org/applications/program/cfp.jsp?ID=19460.
- A key component of the NIH Roadmap for Medical
Research, the NIH Director's Pioneer Award supports exceptionally
creative scientists who propose pioneering approaches to major
challenges in biomedical research. In September 2006, NIH expects
to make 5 to 10 new awards of up to $500,000 in direct costs per
year for 5 years. Women, members of groups that are underrepresented
in biomedical research, and individuals in the early to middle
stages of their careers are especially encouraged to apply between
January 15 and February 27, 2006. For application instructions,
see http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/rfa-files/RFA-RM-06-005.html.
- The University of Florida College of Nursing is
bringing together national experts and leaders in nursing and
health care administration to discuss improving quality in the
health care system through education, research, practice and policy.
“Quality: The Critical Variable in Health Care, The 2nd Dorothy
M. Smith Nursing Leadership Conference” will take place January
19-20, 2006 in Gainesville, FL. Gain insight into the latest data
and trends related to the nursing shortage, nursing education,
hospital magnet status, quality outcomes and the impact of nurses
on patient care. The conference is the kick-off event for the
college's 50th anniversary. Presenters include Dr. Linda Aiken
from the University of Pennsylvania and AACN Executive Director
Polly Bednash. For more details, see http://www.doce-conferences.ufl.edu/NUR.
- The Robert Wood Johnson Executive Nurse Fellows
Program is seeking applicants for an advanced leadership program
for nurses in senior executive roles in health services, public
health and nursing education who aspire to help lead and shape
the U.S. health care system. Up to 20 three-year fellowships will
be awarded in 2006. Apply now at http://www.enfp-info.org
until February 1, 2006.
- In mid-November, the Carnegie Foundation for the
Advancement of Teaching unveiled the most sweeping changes in
more than three decades in its s ystem of classifying American
colleges and universities. By expanding the Carnegie Classification
of Institutions of Higher Education from a single typology of
American colleges and universities to a set of new classifications
that illustrate a range of ways to think about how colleges and
universities resemble or differ from one another, the Foundation
aims to provide researchers with greater analytic flexibility,
allowing them to choose the classification that is best suited
to their research needs. For more details, see http://www.carnegiefoundation.org.
- The American Association of Diabetes Educators
(AADE) has issued a call for systematic review papers for a special
issue focusing on the evidence-based practice strategy recommendations
of the AADE 7 Self-Care Behaviors (Healthy Eating, Being Active,
Monitoring, Taking Medication, Problem Solving, Healthy Coping,
and Reducing Risks). The objective of this review is to highlight
the evidence and the gaps in the evidence for each of the seven
self-care behaviors. Prospective authors should have experience
in conducting systematic reviews and knowledge of diabetes behavioral
change/outcomes research. Send letters of intent to Lana Vukovljakat
at lvukovljak@aadenet.org
by January 27, 2006.
- On February 13-17, 2006 in Washington, DC, the
American College of Nurse Practitioners will present a Public
Policy Institute for Health Professionals. Learn how the decision-making
process works in Washington and how your presence can make a difference
in health care advocacy. Following completion of this five-day
policy workshop experience, the participating health professionals
will have gathered skills and intelligence about the policy-making
process, and have a better sense of the tasks ahead to impact
change in our current health care world. For more information,
see http://www.nurse.org/acnp/conf/ppi.shtml.
- Applications are now being accepted for the 2006
Barbara Jordan Health Policy Scholars Program. Sponsored by the
Kaiser Family Foundation, this program brings talented African
American, Latino, American Indian/Alaska Native, and Asian/Pacific
Islander college seniors and recent graduates to Washington, D.C.
where they will be placed in Congressional offices in order to
learn first-hand how health policy is developed and implemented.
Through the nine-week program (May 23-July 28, 2006), scholars
will learn about federal legislative procedure and health policy
issues, while developing critical thinking and leadership skills.
Applications are due January 9, 2006. For more details, see http://www.kff.org/about/jordanscholars.cfm.
- Applications are now being accepted for the 2006
NCHS/AcademyHealth Fellowship sponsored by the CDC National Center
for Health Statistics (NCHS) and AcademyHealth. 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.
Fellows can access the data resources provided by CDC and participate
in developmental and health policy activities related to the design
and content of future NCHS surveys. Application deadline is January
9, 2006. See http://www.academyhealth.org/nchs.
See other Opportunity Alerts
including funding options at http://www.aacn.nche.edu/Government/opps.htm.
If you would like to subscribe to receive News Watch each month,
please e-mail apathak@aacn.nche.edu.
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