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July 2006
News Watch
Last month, the House of Delegates of the American Medical Association
(AMA) passed a resolution (#211) titled "Need to Expose and
Counter Nurse Doctoral Programs Misrepresentation." AACN is
very concerned about this resolution that misrepresents the purpose
and intent of Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) programs. AACN will
continue to monitor the AMA's actions related to the DNP and work
with our colleagues at the American Association of Nurse Anesthetists,
American Nurses Association and other groups to respond accordingly.
To assist nursing deans and faculty who may need to respond to the
AMA resolution, AACN has developed a set of talking points which
are posted online at http://www.aacn.nche.edu/dnp/pdf/amatalkingpoints.pdf.
Any member institution that encounters resistance from the AMA or
other groups to the opening of a DNP program is encouraged to contact
rrosseter@aacn.nche.edu.
The Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE) invites comments
on its Procedures for Accreditation of Baccalaureate and Graduate
Nursing Education Programs. In accordance with its commitment to
ongoing self assessment and continuous quality improvement, CCNE
periodically undertakes a review of its core documents and provides
opportunity for constituents to suggest revisions. The entire Procedures
document is available for review at http://www.aacn.nche.edu/Accreditation/PDF/Procedures.pdf.
CCNE is also considering changes to its current policy that requires
nursing programs to inform CCNE of substantive program changes.
CCNE invites comments on the proposed changes, which respond to
constituents' requests for additional guidance regarding the kinds
of programmatic changes warranting substantive change notification,
as well as the timing of such notification. The proposed changes
also are intended to respond to U.S. Department of Education requirements
that recognize accrediting agencies which regularly monitor student
achievement and identify thresholds for such outcomes. To review
the current policy on substantive changes, as well as the proposed
revisions, see http://www.aacn.nche.edu/Accreditation/PDF/SubstantiveChangePolicy.pdf.
Please submit comments by August 15, 2006 to Ms. Crystal Pool, CCNE
Assistant Director, via email at cpool@aacn.nche.edu
or fax to 202-887-8476. Alternatively, mail comments to: Crystal
Pool, CCNE Assistant Director, One Dupont Circle, NW, Suite 530,
Washington, DC 20036. CCNE values constituent input and will consider
all written comments in which name, affiliation, and contact information
are identified. Please direct any questions to Crystal at 202-887-6791
x245 or cpool@aacn.nche.edu.
3.
TROOPS
TO NURSE TEACHERS LEGISLATION INTRODUCED
Following a three-year lobbying effort led by AACN, U.S. Senator
Dick Durbin (D-IL) introduced new legislation last month to address
the nation's shortage of nurse faculty. On July 15, the Senate passed
an amendment by voice vote creating the Troops to Nurse Teachers
(TNT) Program. Offered by Senator Durbin to the FY 2007 Department
of Defense Authorization bill (S. 2766), the TNT Program encourages
retiring or separating military nurses to become nurse faculty.
The legislation would provide scholarships or transitional assistance,
so these nurses may teach in schools of nursing. The amendment is
the first step in the authorizing process, since the House Defense
Authorization bill (H.R. 5122), which passed on May 11, did not
contain a similar provision. The TNT Program must be retained in
the House-Senate conference committee to complete the process. Simultaneously,
funding must be included in the final FY 2007 Defense Appropriations
bill to pay for the program. Then the regulatory process will begin
to implement the program. Other cosponsors included Sens. Collins
(R-ME), Inhofe (R-OK), Inouye (D-HI), Menendez (D-NJ), Mikulski
(D-MD), Murkowski (R-AK), Obama (D-IL), and Reed (D-RI). See http://durbin.senate.gov/record.cfm?id=258371&&.
AACN's Nominating Committee has issued a Call for Nominations for
candidates to fill five Board seats and two committee vacancies.
Chaired by Dr. Pamela Watson from the University of Texas Medical
Branch School of Nursing, the committee will choose the slate of
candidates at the 2006 Fall Meeting based on nominations and the
committee's deliberations. The positions under consideration are
Treasurer, Board Member-at-Large (4 vacancies), and Nominating Committee
(2 vacancies). Nominations must be received by October 28, 2006.
See http://www.aacn.nche.edu/MembersOnly/CallforNominations.asp.
5.
CCNE
CONSTITUENTS ELECT NEW BOARD MEMBERS
The Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE) has successfully
completed its 2006 election process. CCNE distributed ballots to
456 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 Nominating Committee. Valid ballots were returned by 285 institutions,
resulting in a 63% response rate. Elected to the CCNE Board were
Dr. Richardean Benjamin, Chair of the School of Nursing at Old Dominion
University (VA), as the representative for deans; Dr. Cynthia Flynn
Capers, Professor at the College of Nursing at The University of
Akron (OH) and Dr. Carol A. Ledbetter, Professor at the School of
Nursing at Oregon Health & Science University as the representatives
for faculty; Ms. Constance Taylor Curran, Community Health Nurse
at Bayside Community Center (CA), as the representative for practicing
nurses; Dr. Mary Ann McGinley (incumbent), Senior Vice President
for Patient Care Services and Chief Nursing Officer at Thomas Jefferson
University Hospital (PA), as the representative for professional
consumers; and Ms. S. Regina Smith, President, Service Center for
Non-Profits (CA), as the representative for public consumers. Their
Board terms will begin on January 1, 2007. CCNE Nominating Committee
members for 2007 include Dr. Laurel S. Garzon (chair), Old Dominion
University (VA); Dr. Sara L. Campbell, Illinois State University;
Dr. A. Gretchen McNeely, Montana State University-Bozeman; Dr. Kathleen
M. Thies, University of Massachusetts-Worcester; and Dr. Angela
F. Wood, Carson-Newman College (TN). More information about the
election results will be available at http://www.aacn.nche.edu/accreditation.
6.
VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES
AVAILABLE THROUGH NURSING OVERSEAS
Nursing Overseas, a division of Health Volunteers Overseas (HVO),
is seeking volunteers for two new assignments:
- Volunteers are needed to collaborate with the Christian Medical
College nursing faculty in Vellore, India to further their development
in specific areas such as advanced clinical, academic and research
competency; curricula consultation with a focus on development
of master's degree curricula for advanced practice nursing; instruction
in educational technology and nursing informatics; and clinical
mentorship experiences for faculty in clinical specialty areas
such as end-stage renal disease with dialysis care. Volunteers
must have an MSN, though a PhD is preferred. Nurse practitioners
are also needed.
- The Angkor Hospital for Children in Cambodia needs volunteers
to improve the quality of nursing care by educating clinician-educators.
The objective is to provide instruction to senior-level nurses
to allow them to become expert teachers to the remainder of the
nursing staff. Subjects include teaching methods, surgical nursing,
curriculum, normal newborn care, assessment skills, and other
topics. Volunteers should have at least an MSN degree and at least
two years teaching experience in pediatric nursing.
Nursing Overseas is one of ten active health divisions within HVO
and is sponsored by AACN. For more information about volunteering,
contact the Programs Department at 202-296-0928 or visit http://www.hvousa.org.
7.
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. Later
this summer, Covering Kids & Families will launch its annual
Back-to-School Campaign with events taking place in all 50 states
and the District of Columbia in August and 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.
8.
AACN
TO OFFER GERONTOLOGY FACULTY DEVELOPMENT INSTITUTES
AACN is pleased to announce the dates and locations for the first
two Faculty Development Institutes offered through the Geriatric
Nursing Education Consortium (GNEC). Administered by AACN in collaboration
with the John A. Hartford Foundation Institute for Geriatric Nursing,
these programs are scheduled for June 27-29, 2007 in Portland, OR,
and October 3-5, 2007, in Atlanta, GA. Using a train-the-trainer
approach, six regional GNEC institutes are planned for 2007-2009
to give nursing faculty the skills and resources to strengthen geriatric
content in senior-level baccalaureate nursing courses. Faculty completing
an institute will be expected to share their new expertise with
colleagues and students. Applications will be available in the fall.
For more information on this program, which is funded by the John
A. Hartford Foundation, visit http://www.aacn.nche.edu/Education/Hartford/gnec.htm.
9.
NOND
SEEKS INPUT FOR WEB-BASED SURVEY ON DISABILITY ISSUES
The National Organization of Nurses with Disabilities (NOND) is
looking for nursing students with disabilities, nurses with disabilities,
and nurse educators/administrators (with or without disabilities)
to complete a new Web-based survey. Conducted jointly with the Department
of Disability and Human Development at the University of Illinois
at Chicago, this research study is focusing on the identification
and exploration of professional issues that support or impede nursing
education and nursing career opportunities for individuals with
disabilities. The survey may be accessed at http://www.nond.org
and must be completed by September 30, 2006. Please forward this
notice to individuals from the three target audiences listed above.
10.
ELNEC
HOSTS COURSES THROUGH NOVEMBER 2006
Using a train-the-trainer format, the End-of-Life Nursing Consortium
(ELNEC) project is a national education initiative to improve end-of-life
care through nursing education. Five courses remain this year, including:
- ELNEC-Pediatric Palliative Care, August 2-4, Anaheim, CA
- ELNEC-Oncology, September 13-15, Pasadena, CA
- ELNEC-Core, October 12-14, Washington, DC
- ELNEC-Oncology, November 8-9, Pittsburgh, PA
- ELNEC-Critical Care, November 13-15, Pasadena, CA
For more details, see http://www.aacn.nche.edu/ELNEC/Upcomingtrainings.htm.
11.
FNINR
PLANS 20TH ANNIVERSARY NIGHTINGALA CELEBRATION
The Friends of the National Institute of Nursing Research (FNINR)
is pleased to announce that this year's Nightingala celebration
in Washington, DC is planned for October 11 from 6-10pm. In celebration
of two decades of nursing research, investigators from around the
country will come together to look back at where we started 20 years
ago, assess the current body of research, and imagine nursing research
in the year 2026. Cokie Roberts, senior news analyst for National
Public Radio and political commentator for ABC News, will deliver
the keynote address. More than 1,000 researchers, deans, faculty,
members of Congress, and corporate leaders are expected to attend.
For details including sponsorship opportunities, see http://www.friendsninr.org/events.html.
12.
CALL
FOR PUBLIC POLICY INTERNS
The AACN Policy Internship offers student nurses the opportunity
to gain first-hand experience in the process of policy formation.
Students are placed with various AACN directors with experience
in health or education policy. Internships are designed in collaboration
with the student based on the student's goals and objectives. For
more information, please visit 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.
13.
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.
- Led by Drs. Linda Aiken and Richard "Buz" Cooper from
the University of Pennsylvania, the newly created Council on Physician
and Nurse Supply will bring a group of national health care leaders
together to address the growing problem of nurse and physician
shortages. The Council is based in the University of Pennsylvania's
Consortium for Health Workforce Research and Policy, a joint program
of the Schools of Nursing and Medicine and the Leonard Davis Institute
of Health Economics. The Council will monitor data and act as
an advocate for change, advising legislators and others on ways
that the supply of nurses and physicians can be altered to meet
the public's needs. The Council's goals are to bring objectivity
to the study of physician and nurse supply and to shape public
policy. This group is the only multidisciplinary organization
in the nation dedicated exclusively to addressing issues of nurse
and physician supply. In addition to Dr. Aiken, representatives
from nursing education also include Dr. Kathleen A. Long, dean
of the College of Nursing at the University of Florida, and Dr.
Marla Salmon, dean of the Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing
at Emory University.
14.
MEMBER
NEWS, ANNOUNCEMENTS, AND AWARDS
- The University of California-San Francisco (UCSF) School of
Nursing is celebrating 100 years of nursing excellence with a
year-long series of special events that honor the accomplishments
of alumni and faculty and the leadership of nurses throughout
the university. Beginning with a "centennial kick-off"
on the UCSF campus on September 13, the celebration will continue
through the 2006-07 academic year. For more information on upcoming
events, see http://nurseweb.ucsf.edu/centennial.html.
- President George W. Bush recently announced his intention to
nominate Vanderbilt University School of Nursing Dean Colleen
Conway-Welch as a member of the Board of Regents of the Uniformed
Services University of the Health Sciences (USUHS). "Colleen
is uniquely qualified to serve on this important board,"
said Dr. Harry Jacobson, vice chancellor of Health Affairs for
Vanderbilt University Medical Center. "As a national leader
in nursing education as well as emergency preparedness, she will
have the opportunity to share her extraordinary insights and draw
on her years of experience with these crucial issues." See
http://www.mc.vanderbilt.edu/nursing.
- The Arizona State University College of Nursing has signed an
agreement with the Pan American Health Organization of the World
Health Organization (PAHO/WHO) to develop an online evidence-based
practice course in Spanish. This innovative program will generate
resources and educational opportunities for nurses and mentors
with the goal of advancing evidence-based practice and improving
nursing outcomes in Mexico, Central and South America, and the
Caribbean. For more details, see http://nursing.asu.edu.
- On July 11, Florida International University (FIU) School of
Nursing received a Recognition of Excellence Honorable Mention
Award at the U.S. Department of Labor's Workforce Innovations
Conference in Anaheim, CA. The award, presented to FIU Dean of
Nursing Divina Grossman, was in the category of "Educating
America's 21st Century Workforce". FIU was honored for its
unique New Americans in Nursing program, which takes foreign-educated
physicians living in the U.S. who are unemployed or underemployed
and enables them to complete an accelerated, 5-semester BSN program
to become professional nurses. The program has already graduated
166 BSNs who are now practicing as RNs in FIU's partner hospitals.
The program was supported by a $1.4 million grant from the Department
of Labor and $500,000 matching funds from the Hospital Corporation
of America.
- In an effort to develop better support systems for older African-American
cancer patients, the National Institute of Health (NIH) has awarded
a three-year grant to Dr. Jill B. Hamilton, Assistant Professor
at Emory University's Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing.
Dr. Hamilton will study support networks and coping strategies
for older cancer patients within African-American families and
communities. While previous studies have concluded that this population
lacks social support during and after their treatment, Dr. Hamilton's
research indicates that those conclusions are problematic because
the questions asked of study participants were informed by the
experiences of white middle class interviewers. See http://prod-www.nursing.emory.edu/nursing.
- The College Misericordia (PA) recently appointed Dr. Cynthia
Mailloux as associate professor and chairwoman of the department
of nursing. Dr. Mailloux has been a nurse educator for 20 years,
has served on numerous committees, and has made presentations
locally and statewide. Her primary teaching responsibilities will
include nursing research and undergraduate nursing education courses.
Her research interests include the principles of learner empowerment
and professional nurse autonomy. "I want to continue to build
upon the strengths of the nursing programs at College Misericordia,"
said Dr. Mailloux, "to help decrease the nursing shortage
and better meet the needs of the community." See http://www.misericordia.edu/news.
15.
AACN
OUTREACH AND ADVOCACY UPDATE
- On July 19, AACN staff attended the 4th Annual Student Aid Alliance
event honoring legislators who advocated for increasing student
support through Pell Grants, Perkins Loans and other federal programs.
Senators Arlen Specter (R-PA), Edward Kennedy (D-MA), Tom Harkin
(D-IA) and Susan Collins (R-ME) all spoke about the importance
of these programs at a time when the costs of higher education
continue to escalate. See http://www.studentaidalliance.org.
- On July 17, AACN staff met with John Agwunobi, MD, Assistant
Secretary for Health at the Department of Health and Human Services.
Discussions focused on Public Health Service Act programs and
the current budget challenges.
- On June 23, AACN staff sponsored a congressional briefing hosted
by the Coalition for the Advancement of Health through Behavioral
and Social Science Research and the Consortium of Social Science
Associations. The National Institute of Nursing Research (NINR),
one of the participating Institutes, presented examples of their
behavioral research to the numerous staffers in attendance.
- On June 19, AACN staff met with the Government Accountability
Office (GAO) about the Nurse Reinvestment Act and data that would
help substantiate the effectiveness of the nursing education programs.
- On June 16, AACN staff attended an event in celebration of the
20th Anniversary of NINR titled, Celebrating Nursing Science:
the Research-Practice Link. Presentations highlighted nursing
research discoveries followed by the clinical advances that resulted
in cost savings.
16.
OPPORTUNITIES
AND RESOURCES TO CONSIDER
- The "TRY THIS: Best Practices in Care for Older Adults"
series of assessment tools for nurses is now available on the
Internet and as personal digital assistant (PDA) downloads at
no cost to nurses, nurse educators, and nursing leaders. They
can be found on the Web site of The John A. Hartford Foundation
Institute for Geriatric Nursing, http://www.hartfordign.org,
and on the interactive Web site of the Nurse Competence in Aging
initiative, http://www.geronurseonline.org.
"Now nurses can bring best practices in care for older adults
to their patients' bedsides using portable electronic devices,"
says Dr. Mathy Mezey, director of the Hartford Institute, which
is based at the New York University College of Nursing.
If you would like to subscribe to receive News Watch each month,
please e-mail apathak@aacn.nche.edu.
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