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August
2006 News Watch
1.
AACN BOARD ENDORSED DNP ESSENTIALS; IDENTIFIED GUIDING
ASSUMPTIONS
At their July meeting, the AACN Board of Directors discussed many
key issues facing nursing education and made decisions to:
- Endorse "The Essentials of Doctoral Education for Advanced
Nursing Practice" which will come forward for a vote by the
AACN membership at the Fall Semiannual Business Meeting in October.
This Essentials document is posted online at http://www.aacn.nche.edu/DNP/pdf/Essentials.pdf.
- Approve the final report of the DNP Roadmap Task Force which
delineates the key institutional and academic issues that must
be addressed by schools of nursing seeking to transition to the
DNP by the year 2015. See http://www.aacn.nche.edu/DNP/pdf/RdmpRprt8-9-06.pdf.
- Offer a new faculty development conference in January 2007 to
address the growing shortage of nurse educators. Watch for more
details on this new program in the September AACN News Watch.
A more detailed summary of the July Board meeting will be featured
in the September-October issue of Syllabus and posted on the AACN
Web site within the next two weeks.
AACN and the California Endowment are pleased to announce that
nine scholarship winners have been selected to receive $18,000 awards
through a new program created to increase the number of nursing
faculty from minority backgrounds. The California Endowment-AACN
Nurse Faculty Scholarship was launched earlier this year to support
nursing students pursuing master's or doctoral degrees who commit
to teaching in a California nursing school after graduation. Scholarship
winners include:
- Sunny Yim Alperson, University of San Diego (PhD)
- Maria Lourdes Bayog, University of California-San Francisco
(MSN)
- Rita R. Callahan, University of San Diego (PhD)
- Erik V. Carter, University of California-San Francisco (MSN)
- Elena Flowers, University of California-San Francisco (MSN)
- Denise A. Johnson-Dawkins, California State University-Bakersfield
(MSN)
- Joseph Morris, University of California-Los Angeles (PhD)
- Robert C. Pope, Sr., University of California-San Francisco
(PhD)
- Charlotte Louise Stoudmire, University of San Diego (PhD)
For more details on all the scholarship winners, see http://www.aacn.nche.edu/Media/CAEwinners8-06.htm.
3.
FALL
SEMIANNUAL MEETING FORMAT MODIFIED
AACN's Fall Semiannual Meeting will be held at the Fairmont Washington
hotel in Washington, DC on October 28-31, 2006, with the theme "Recognizing
Challenges and Opportunities in Nursing Higher Education".
Speakers include Scott Jaschik, Editor of Inside Higher Ed; Richard
Ekman, President, Council of Independent Colleges, and the John
P. McGovern awardee, Dr. Louis Sullivan. During the Monday, October
30 business meeting, members will vote on The Essentials of Doctoral
Education for Advanced Nursing Practice. This new document will
be discussed Sunday, October 29, 10:00-11:30 a.m. during the Task
Force Updates.
In response to feedback regarding the length of the meeting and
down time in the schedule, this meeting will introduce a slightly
modified format. Saturday afternoon, October 28 and Sunday morning,
October 29 will offer a number of pre-meeting activities including
the popular like-schools informal discussions and important task
force updates. The meeting opens at 1:00 p.m. on Sunday and ends
at noon on Tuesday, October 31. Hopefully, this format will give
attendees more flexibility in planning. Brochures have been mailed
and are online at http://www.aacn.nche.edu/conferences/06FallMtg.htm.
4.
JOHNSON
& JOHNSON SEEKS SPONSORS FOR NEW ORLEANS GALA
Through its highly successful Promise of Nursing events, Johnson
& Johnson (J&J) has raised more than $9 million over the
past few years for nursing communities all across the country. This
November, organizers are planning a special gala event in New Orleans
to benefit nurses impacted by Hurricane Katrina. Though J&J
will cover the costs associated with this event, the company is
looking for donors to pledge $400 to sponsor individual nurses who
will be recognized at this event. Monies raised will benefit Louisiana
and help to rebuild the nursing community and fund faculty scholarships.
AACN has already committed to sponsoring a number of nurses, and
we hope that each member institution will sponsor at least one person
at this special event. For more details on this opportunity, see
http://www.discovernursing.com/form.pdf.
5.
AACN APPROVED TO BECOME AN AFFILIATE MEMBER OF THE ANA
AACN is pleased to announce that the organization has been officially
approved as an affiliate member of the American Nurses Association
(ANA). Among the many benefits of this new association, affiliate
members have one voting and one non-voting seat at the ANA House
of Delegates, and may also send a representative to the ANA's Congress
on Nursing Practice and Economics. Dr. Jane Kirschling, dean of
the University of Kentucky College of Nursing, has agreed to represent
AACN at the ANA Congress. AACN will keep members updated on any
developments from this new relationship with the ANA.
6.
ONLINE TOOL KIT
DEVELOPED FOR SCHOOLS CONSIDERING A DNP
Developed by the DNP Roadmap Task Force, AACN is pleased to announce
that a new "tool kit" is available to provide resources
for nursing schools planning a Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP)
program. Elements of the tool kit include: 1) Template for Negotiating
the Process in the Academic Setting; 2) Needs Survey for the DNP;
3) Exemplars of Collaboration Between Academic Institutions; 4)
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs); 5) Contrast Grid of the Key Differences
between DNP and PhD/DNSc/DNS; 6) Bibliography; and 7) Power Point
Presentation: "The Doctor of Nursing Practice: Visionary Leadership
for the Practice of Nursing, Evolution, and Current Status of the
National Movement." To access these resources, see http://www.aacn.nche.edu/DNP/toolkit.htm.
7.
AACN
SUPPORTS NEW JERSEY'S BSN IN 10 YEARS PROPOSAL
On August 3, AACN sent a letter to the New Jersey State Nurses
Association in support of the recent resolution to require RNs to
obtain a baccalaureate degree within 10 years of completing an associate
degree or diploma. Similar to a proposal under consideration in
New York, AACN believes this new requirement, if enacted, will enhance
patient safety and improve care outcomes. Read the endorsement letter
online at http://www.aacn.nche.edu/Media/pdf/NJSNALetter.pdf.
AACN will continue to monitor this proposal, and we welcome updates
from members as the resolution moves forward. Send comments to rrosseter@aacn.nche.edu.
8.
AONE
SEEKS BACCALAUREATE PROGRAM EXEMPLARS
Last year, the American Organization of Nurse Executives (AONE)
endorsed a position which called for moving the education needed
to practice as a registered nurse to the baccalaureate level. In
support of this position, AONE is looking for "BSN Exemplars"
to post on their Web site which show how schools are working individually
and collaboratively to increase the number of baccalaureate prepared
nurses in the workforce. To submit information about your work in
this area, see https://www.hospitalconnect.com/secure/aone/BSNexemplars.jsp.
9.
NEW DIRECTORY
OF DEAN PHOTOS POSTED ON THE WEB
To enhance networking among member institutions, AACN has created
a new directory featuring photographs of the dean or director from
each school of nursing. With almost 350 photographs included in
this directory, deans are listed alphabetically by state. Contact
information was not included since that information is available
using the Online Membership Directory found in the Members Only
section of the AACN Web site. To access the directory, which is
also in Members Only, visit http://www.aacn.nche.edu/MembersOnly/index.asp.
New photos will be added as they are received. Please send photos
to AACN project assistant Laura Guetter at lguetter@aacn.nche.edu.
10.
NURSING LEADERS NAMED
AMONG HEALTHCARE'S 100 MOST POWERFUL
AACN is pleased to report that five 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; Pamela Thompson, CEO, American Organization of
Nurse Executives; 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.
11.
ELNEC TRAINING OFFERED
PRIOR TO THE AACN MASTER'S CONFERENCE
On February 21-22, 2007, the End-of-Life Nursing Education Consortium
(ELNEC) project will offer the ELNEC-Graduate train-the-trainer
course immediately prior to AACN's Master's Conference in Albuquerque,
NM. Though the ELNEC-Graduate curriculum is geared for graduate
nursing faculty, undergraduate nursing faculty are invited to attend
as well. Since 2001, 502 faculty members from 460 (69%) baccalaureate
nursing programs, and 300 faculty from 255 (58%) graduate schools
of nursing from all 50 states and the District of Columbia have
received ELNEC training. For further information about this course
and the ELNEC project, go to http://www.aacn.nche.edu/ELNEC.
12.
SUPPORT
THE COVERING KIDS & FAMILIES CAMPAIGN
More than 8 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. The
Covering Kids & Families project has launched its annual Back-to-School
Campaign with events taking place in all 50 states and the District
of Columbia through September. The campaign will also 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 with this important campaign, see http://coveringkidsandfamilies.org/whatyoucando.
13.
NOMINATE
AACN GRASSROOTS STARS FOR OCTOBER 2006
The Government Affairs Committee will recognize the winners of
the Grassroots Stars awards at the Fall Semiannual Meeting. The
Stars awards were created in 2001 to honor those AACN members that
have gone above and beyond in their grassroots efforts for nursing
education both at the federal and state levels. If you would like
to nominate yourself or an AACN member for this award, contact Gene
Throwe at gthrowe@aacn.nche.edu
or by fax at 202-785-8320. Simply forward a brief description of
your nominee's grassroots activities from the past year. For more
information and a list of past winners, see http://www.aacn.nche.edu/Government/LegislativeStrategies/GrassRootsStars.htm.
14.
NEW NURSING PROGRAM ROUNDUP
Over the past few months, AACN member institutions have launched
a number of new programs for nursing students seeking baccalaureate
and higher degrees. Some of these new offerings include:
- In June 2006, the Arizona State University College of Nursing
and Healthcare Innovation introduced the Master's of Healthcare
Innovation (MHI) degree program which is accessible anywhere in
the US. See http://nursing.asu.edu/news/pr/mhi.htm.
15.
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 University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Nursing
and the North Carolina Area Health Education Centers program have
created a new partnership to improve the health of North Carolina's
elderly population by bringing education in geriatric care to
nurses in rural or underserved areas. "North Carolina's elderly
population is growing rapidly, but few nurses are formally trained
in geriatric nursing," said Dr. Mary H. Palmer, UNC Umphlet
Distinguished Professor in Aging in the School of Nursing. "Our
program uses innovative geriatric clinical simulations to train
nurses how to recognize and respond to changes in acutely ill
older patients, and improve the quality of their responses, ultimately
leading to better patient outcomes." See http://nursing.unc.edu/new/releases/ns_AHEC_geriatric082906.html.
- Recognizing the need for better-trained nurses to care for patients
in the central Alabama area, Baptist Health and Auburn University-Montgomery
(AUM) have joined forces to increase the number of nursing professors,
and thereby nursing graduates, in this area. With a total contribution
of more than $500,000 over a four-year period, Baptist Health
will enable AUM to create two additional nursing professor positions.
"Baptist Health's investment in AUM's School of Nursing was
an easy decision to make because of the quality of its graduates,"
said W. Russell Tyner, Baptist Health president and CEO. See http://www.aum.edu/administration/university%5Frelations.
16.
MEMBER NEWS, ANNOUNCEMENTS,
AND AWARDS
- Dr. Gail W. Stuart, professor and dean of the Medical University
of South Carolina College of Nursing, has been asked to join the
Board of Scientific Advisors for United Behavioral Health (UBH),
a leading health care provider of emotional wellness services
featuring professional, innovative solutions with behavioral health
services, employee assistance, work/life/wellness programs, pharmacy
management services and other support programs to more than 22
million Americans. As the board's only nursing professional, Dr.
Stuart joins a team of nationally recognized leaders who will
collaborate with UBH clinical and administrative leaders to advise
on behavioral health services, policy, education, research and
administration as well as major trends and issues in the behavioral
health fields. Dr. Stuart will serve a two-year term until summer
2008.
- The University of Maryland School of Nursing is proud to announce
that its Pan American Health Organization/World Health Organization
(PAHO/WHO) Collaborating Center for Mental Health Nursing has
been re-designated for a period of four years, from 2006 to 2010.
The Center is the first in the nation and one of only two in the
world that are WHO-designated nursing centers dedicated to improving
mental health care. The Center focuses on mental health nursing
through education, training, information, and research projects
that involve interdisciplinary collaborations with institutions
in South and Central America. See http://nursing.umaryland.edu/index.htm.
- The Center for Hispanic Studies in Nursing and Health at the
University of Texas at Arlington is sponsoring "Travel, Study,
Learn," a one week study tour and cultural immersion experience
in Cuernavaca, Mexico in January and May 2007. This program is
designed to educate the health professional in Spanish language
skills while participants learn about Mexican culture and health
firsthand. For more information, call 817-272-5376 or contact
Dr. Wendy Barr at barr@uta.edu.
17. AACN OUTREACH AND ADVOCACY
UPDATE
- On August 4, AACN staff met with the new David A. Winston Health
Policy Fellows to discuss issues related to the nursing shortage,
education, and research. For more information, see http://www.winstonfellowship.org.
- AACN staff met with the Federal Nursing Service Chiefs on August
2 to discuss the Troops to Nurse Teachers Pilot Program, the Doctorate
of Nursing Practice, and the Clinical Nurse Leader. For more information
on the Federal Nursing Service Council, click here: http://phs-nurse.org/FSNC.htm.
- On July 26, staff attended a briefing hosted by the Coalition
for Health Funding where policy experts Ellen Nissenbaum and Jim
Horney from the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities discussed
budget process reforms. Specifically, they provided insights on
legislation on the line item veto and bills which create a Sunset
Commission which are making their way through the House and Senate.
For more information on the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities,
visit http://www.cbpp.org.
18. OPPORTUNITIES AND RESOURCES
TO CONSIDER
- On March 5-9, 2007 in Washington, DC, the American College of
Nurse Practitioners will present a Public Policy Institute for
Health Professionals. Take advantage of this opportunity to network
and discuss current health care policy, legislation, and practice
issues that are critical to advancing Nurse-Manager and APN roles
while meeting with a multidisciplinary group health professionals.
For more information, contact 703-740-2529 or policyinstitute@acnpweb.org.
- The National Center for Research Resources (NCRR) is funding
a two-year effort to track developments and to inform the research
community in the area of clinical research information technology.
As part of the project, NCRR has produced a series of targeted
research reports on clinical research informatics under a contract
with the MITRE Corporation. See http://www.ncrr.nih.gov/CRinformatics/mitre.asp.
If you would like to subscribe to receive News Watch each month,
please e-mail apathak@aacn.nche.edu.
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