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June 2006
News Watch
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. 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.
The 2006 Summer Seminar will be held July 23-26, 2006 at the Snow
King Resort in Jackson Hole, WY. The theme, Resilient Leadership
in Times of Change and Transition: Responding to the New 'Normal'
for Academic Nursing, speaks to the various challenges in the academic
nursing setting and the need for new leadership strategies. This
year's seminar focuses on increasing the ability to positively approach
change, transitions, and ambiguity while avoiding burnout. Facilitators
Drs. Carole Leland and Rob Williams, both internationally known
leadership development consultants, will help you explore strengths
and talents you may not have known you possess, find new ways to
view old issues, and deal more effectively with faculty in times
of change. Each day has a distinct theme regarding The Art of Leadership:
Mastery of Self, Mastery of Relationships, and Mastery of Action.
Topics include assessment of personal styles in several leadership
dimensions, your values on leadership and "followership",
dealing with conflict and improving communications in times of rapid
change, and "traps" in your leadership style that can
limit flexibility. Deans, directors, associate deans, program coordinators,
and other leaders at all levels of nursing higher education will
benefit from this activity. School teams are particularly encouraged
to attend and strategize pragmatic approaches to leadership development.
For more details, see http://www.aacn.nche.edu/conferences/06SumSem.htm.
3.
REVISED DNP ESSENTIALS AND FAQ SHEET POSTED ONLINE
AACN’s Task Force on the Essentials of Nursing Education for
the Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) has almost finished its work
to define the curricular elements and competencies that must be
present in DNP programs. The latest draft of the DNP Essentials
is posted online for review and comment at http://www.aacn.nche.edu/DNP/pdf/Essentials5-06.pdf.
The DNP Frequently Asked Questions sheet has also been updated,
including substantive changes to questions 2, 13, 21 and 22. See
http://www.aacn.nche.edu/DNP/pdf/faq.pdf.
AACN is pleased to announce that a new tool kit has been developed
to serve as a resource for the education and practice organizations
engaged in the Clinical Nurse Leader (CNL) pilot program. Elements
of the tool kit are organized around Kotter's eight stages of change,
which include 1) establishing a sense of urgency; 2) creating the
guiding coalition; 3) developing a vision and strategy; 4) communicating
the change vision; 5) empowering broad-based action; 6) generating
short-term wins; 7) consolidating gains and producing more change;
and 8) anchoring new approaches in the culture. Tool kit materials
include bibliographies and references; PowerPoint presentations;
a DVD on the CNL role; preceptor job descriptions, guidelines, and
orientations; and an end-of-program competencies checklist among
other resources. See http://www.aacn.nche.edu/CNL/toolkit.htm.
5.
VOTE FOR THE TOP 100 MOST
POWERFUL PEOPLE IN HEALTH CARE
Voting is now open for Modern Healthcare Magazine's annual ranking
of the 100 Most Powerful People in Health Care. Several nurse educators
and leaders are in the running for the 2006 power list, including
AACN's President Jeanette Lancaster and Executive Director Polly
Bednash. Those wishing to cast a vote should visit http://www.modernhealthcare.com,
and click on the "Vote Now" link at the top center of
the page. Voting will be open through Friday, June 23. Please join
us in supporting nursing education by casting a vote.
6.
NEW DNP
PROGRAMS OPENING ACROSS THE COUNTRY
AACN is committed to spreading the word about new Doctor of Nursing
Practice (DNP) programs as they are approved and begin to enroll
students. Since May, five new DNP programs have been added to our
online list, including programs at Oakland University, University
of Maryland, University of Massachusetts-Amherst, University of
Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey and the University of Texas
Health Science Center at Houston. For links to all 16 DNP programs,
see http://www.aacn.nche.edu/DNP/DNPProgramList.htm.
To add your program to this list, send an email message to rrosseter@aacn.nche.edu.
7.
AACN JOINS
COALITION FOR PATIENTS RIGHTS
In response to divisive efforts by the American Medical Association
(AMA) and other physician groups to limit the ability of licensed
health care professionals to provide care to millions of patients,
the newly formed Coalition for Patients’ Rights (CPR) is urging
all health care professionals to work together to counter the AMA’s
actions. CPR was formed to ensure that the growing needs of the
American health system can be met and that patients have access
to quality health care providers of their choice. The coalition
represents more than 3 million licensed professionals who provide
a diverse array of safe, effective and affordable health care services.
AACN is one of 25 organizations currently engaged in this effort.
Read CPR’s first public statement online at http://www.patientsrightscoalition.org/news.htm.
8.
CU DEAN PARTICIPATES IN CONGRESSIONAL BRIEFING
Dr. Nalini Jairath, dean of The Catholic University of America
School of Nursing, was a featured speaker at a congressional briefing
on June 5, 2006. Titled “Caring for Your Communities,”
the briefing highlighted the important role of federal health care
workforce development programs and the need for their continued
existence. As part of a panel, Dr. Jairath discussed the impact
of the existing Nursing Workforce Development programs, using a
grant awarded to Catholic University as an example. The event was
organized by the Health Professions and Nursing Education Coalition
(HPNEC), an alliance representing over 50 national organizations.
AACN, a HPNEC member, helped to organize the briefing in conjunction
with the Association of American Medical Colleges.
9.
SIGN
UP FOR RWJF NEWS ON TRANSFORMING HEALTH CARE
The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) has launched an electronic
newsletter which features news on the foundation’s efforts
to revitalize nursing and improve hospital care. Published on the
second Wednesday of the month, “Transforming Hospital Care:
Sharing Nursing's Knowledge” provides news and information
about research, conferences and grants from the foundation, its
partners and grantees. To subscribe to the newsletter, visit http://www.rwjf.org/portfolios/features/emaillist.jsp?iaid=137
and click on the link to “Sign Up.”
10.
FREE WEBINAR
OFFERED ON STUDENT BACKGROUND CHECK COMPLIANCE
On June 28 at 3:30pm EST, CertifiedBackground.com, AACN’s
partner in the recently launched criminal background check service,
will offer a free educational Web seminar (or Webinar) designed
to take the confusion out of background check compliance. This Webinar
will take you through the background check process as it relates
to colleges and universities in compliance with state and national
regulatory bodies. Topics include JCAHO compliance issues, policies
of some major hospitals, choosing a background check, and establishing
a drug testing program. Those wishing to participate must register
at http://www.meetingbridge.com/seminar/?7353027.
Please direct questions to Wendy Keever at 888-723-4263, x7155,
wlkeeve@castlebranch.com.
11.
AACN
ISSUES A CALL FOR NOMINATIONS
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.
12.
NURSING SHORTAGE FACT SHEETS UPDATED
AACN strives to keep members and stakeholders updated on the latest
facts and figures related to the national nursing shortage. Our
online Nursing Shortage Resource is regularly updated to keep nurse
educators, legislators, students and stakeholders abreast of the
latest findings on the scope of the shortage and strategies used
to address this growing concern. Download the latest fact sheets
on the Nursing Shortage and the Nurse Faculty Shortage at http://www.aacn.nche.edu/Media/pdf/NrsgShrtgFS6-06.pdf
and http://www.aacn.nche.edu/Media/pdf/FacShrtgFS5-06.pdf
13.
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, see http://www.aacn.nche.edu/Government/GAInternship.htm
or contact Gene Throwe at gthrowe@aacn.nche.edu
or 202-463-6930, ext. 237.
14.
ENROLL NOW IN AACN’S
LEADERSHIP NETWORKS
Enrollment is now underway for nursing school faculty and staff
wishing to participate in one or more of AACN’s seven Leadership
Networks. The networks provide a forum for nursing school faculty
and staff to connect with colleagues nationwide while engaged in
professional development activities and resource sharing. Working
through the networks, peer professionals share best practices and
success stories, sharpen leadership skills, and take full advantage
of AACN resources. The networks include Organizational Leadership,
Instructional Leadership, Research Leadership, Practice Leadership,
Business Officers of Nursing Schools, Nursing Advancement Professionals,
and Graduate Nursing Admissions Professionals. The annual membership
fee is $100 per person per network. Faculty and staff may participate
in multiple networks, and schools may send more than one representative
to each network. For more details, see http://www.aacn.nche.edu/Networks
or contact Beth Aronson, Membership Services Manager, at baronson@aacn.nche.edu.
15.
HOUSE
HOLDS TITLE VIII FUNDING TO FY 2006 LEVEL
On June 7, the House Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education
(LHHS) Subcommittee "marked up" its bill for FY 2007.
Nursing Workforce Development Programs, Title VIII of the Public
Health Service Act (PHSA), received $149.68 million from the Subcommittee,
equal to the President's request. Title VII, PHSA, which funds other
Health Professions Education Programs, received $163.58 million.
In addition, the National Institute of Nursing Research (NINR) received
$136.55 million, $790,000 less than in FY 2005. The Agency for Healthcare
Research and Quality was level funded at $318.7 million. For a detailed
chart on proposed FY 2006 funding levels for health programs, follow
this link: http://www.aacn.nche.edu/Government/pdf/FY2007Chart.pdf.
On June 13, the full House Appropriations Committee marked up the
bill leaving funding levels for nursing education and research programs
unchanged.
16.
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.
17.
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.
- On June 1, the Kansas Board of Regents unveiled a ten-year,
$30 million plan to address the state's nursing workforce shortage.
All 22 public nursing programs in Kansas are eligible to participate
in the program which includes funding in three areas: Nurse Educator
Scholarships, Nursing Faculty and Supplies, and Equipment and
Facility Upgrades. Legislators in Kansas understand that “increasing
capacity in nursing programs is a complex process that consists
of acquiring additional qualified nursing faculty, securing additional
clinical instruction sites, and increasing classroom space and
equipment.” For more details, see the What’s New section
at http://www.kansasregents.org.
18.
MEMBER NEWS, ANNOUNCEMENTS, AND AWARDS
- Dr. Melanie Dreher, incoming Dean of the College of Nursing
at Rush University, has been appointed by the National Center
for Healthcare Leadership (NCHL) as co-principal investigator
to study the roles and responsibilities of nurse leaders within
hospital and health system senior management teams for quality
and patient safety. She joins Dr. Pamela Davidson who has been
directing this research since the beginning of the year. Supported
by a $380,000 grant from The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, this
project will use evidenced-based leadership development methods
to improve senior leadership team effectiveness as a predicate
to achieve quality and patient safety performance goals in hospitals
and health systems. "Nurse leaders play a crucial role in
organizational excellence and this research will enable us to
provide more nurses with the knowledge and expertise to be effective
members of senior leadership teams," Dr. Dreher said.
See http://www.nchl.org/ns/index.asp.
- Dr. Michael Limerick of The University of Texas at Austin School
of Nursing has been selected as one of the first Multidisciplinary
Clinical Research Scholars in a new program supported by a $9.7
million National Institutes of Health (NIH) grant. The grant was
awarded to University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in
Dallas to support career development for individuals dedicated
to careers in clinical investigation. Dr. Limerick is one of 14
chosen in the first class of NIH scholars, which also includes
faculty from the areas of medicine, pharmacy and dentistry, and
is the sole representative from nursing. See http://www.utexas.edu/opa/news/2006/04/nursing25.html.
- The Pennsylvania Center for Health Careers (PCHC) has appointed
Donna Snelson, chair of the Department of Nursing at College Misericordia,
to an ad hoc committee formed to study nursing issues across the
state. The Clinical Education Task Force will develop a strategy
to best address the state’s key issues associated with clinical
nursing education. The task force is comprised of industry and
education leaders from disparate clinical practice sites and geographical
locations. The task force will work collaboratively with the PCHC
and the Pennsylvania Workforce Investment Board.
- Dr. Alexia Green, dean of the School of Nursing at Texas Tech
University Health Science Center, has been appointed to serve
on the Texas Health Care Policy Council. The council was established
to advise the governor, lieutenant governor and speaker of the
House on flaws, gaps, inefficiencies or problems in the Texas
health care system. “As the only nurse on the council, I
plan to advocate for strategies which focus on health promotion,
health maintenance and disease prevention,” said Dr. Green.
- Florida International University School of Nursing recently
hosted a planning session with nursing researchers from universities
in Colombia, England, Germany and Italy to implement the school’s
federally supported “nursing research abroad” program
titled “Minority Health and Health Disparities International
Research Training Program” (MHIRT). The purpose of MHIRT
is to provide undergraduate and graduate nursing students from
minority populations with a specific mentored international research
training experience and the opportunity to become future researchers
and advocates for individuals from underserved communities. See
http://chua2.fiu.edu/Nursing.
- Helping overweight children obtain healthier lifestyles is the
focus of a new $368,000 study at The University of Texas at Austin
School of Nursing. Dr. Diane Tyler, associate professor of clinical
nursing, has received a two-year grant from the National Institutes
of Health for her research on “Children’s Health and
Weight Study” (CHEWS). The research is being conducted at
two nurse-managed school-based health centers with participants
ranging in age from 8 to 12. See http://www.utexas.edu/nursing/html/spot06_helping_children.html.
19.
AACN OUTREACH AND ADVOCACY UPDATE
- As of January 1, 2006, HRSA no longer accepts applications for
grant opportunities in paper form. Applicants submitting New and
Competing continuations and a selected number of non-competing
continuation applications will be required to submit their materials
electronically through Grants.gov for all opportunities posted
after January 1. All applicants must submit in this manner unless
the applicant is granted a written exemption in advance by the
Director of HRSA's Division of Grants Policy.
- AACN Government Affairs staff attended two recent congressional
briefings hosted by the Coalition for Health Funding. Julie Rovner,
veteran journalist covering the health care beat for Congressional
Quarterly and National Public Radio, discussed the FY 2007 budget
and appropriations process on May 31. Charles Johnson, Assistant
Secretary for Budget, Technology, and Finance at the U.S. Department
of Health and Human Services spoke on June 13 about the prospects
for health programs in the FY 2008 budget.
- On May 24, Dr. Nalini Jairath, nursing dean from The Catholic
University of America, was videotaped for a national program to
encourage young adults to consider health careers. This project
was coordinated by Learning for Life, a non-profit organization
dedicated to leadership and career development for high school
age youths, and also features presentations by the US Surgeon
General and representatives from other health disciplines. Dr.
Jairath represented nursing in this production on behalf of AACN.
- On May 19 and 20, Dr. Jean Leuner, director of the School of
Nursing at the University of Central Florida, presented on behalf
of AACN at the annual conference of the American Society for Microbiology.
Titled “Scientific Underpinning for Professional Practice:
The Essentials of Baccalaureate Education for Professional Nursing
Practice,” Dr. Leuner discussed the important need for nursing
students to be exposed to a strong base of science and general
studies. Her presentation underscored how the scientific base
of biology, microbiology, anatomy and physiology, and chemistry
serve not only as key elements of foundation for the nursing science
course work but also provide the learner with important skills
in critical thinking, reasoning, and analysis which are needed
for professional nursing practice.
- On May 16, AACN Government Affairs staff briefed 125 nursing
students from Johns Hopkins University on the appropriations process.
Representatives from the American Nurses Association discussed
current practice issues. Former Hopkins School of Nursing faculty
member, Ellen-Marie Whelan, now serving as Staff Director for
the U.S. Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Subcommittee
on Aging, concluded the program. If you would like to bring your
students to Washington to learn more about public health policy,
contact Gene Throwe at 202-463-6930, ext. 237 or gthrowe@aacn.nche.edu.
20. OPPORTUNITIES AND RESOURCES
TO CONSIDER
- June 30 is the deadline to submit a proposal for the national
conference of the Association for General and Liberal Studies
to be held in Indianapolis, IN from October 19-21, 2006. This
year’s theme is “Alignments and Linkages: Strengthening
Curriculum to Improve General Education.” For more details,
see http://www.bsu.edu/agls.
- On July 10-12, the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality
(AHRQ) is sponsoring the 2006 Translating Research Into Practice
and Policy (TRIPP) Conference in Washington, DC. This event will
highlight strategies and tools for designing interventions to
reach different audiences and to promote change in settings where
evidence-based practices might be implemented. The conference
will continue to provide an opportunity to share innovative TRIPP
research and implementation methods, case studies and other experiences.
Health care provider organizations, clinicians, patients, researchers,
innovators, knowledge transfer experts and others from across
the public and private sectors will share experiences, insights,
collaborations and initiatives for moving research into sustained
changes in health care practice and policy. To register, see http://www.epc3.net/TRIPP06/conference/index.html.
- The National Institutes of Health (NIH) has posted a set of
ten fact sheets on its Web site that describe how NIH research
is benefiting the public. Fact sheet topics include examples of
accomplishments that resulted from doubling the NIH budget, new
efforts for FY 2007, and how research is driving the transformation
to predictive, personalized and preemptive medicine, as well as
specific advances in kidney disease, heart disease, arthritis,
Parkinson's disease and stroke. The fact sheets are available
at
http://www.nih.gov/about/researchresultsforthepublic/index.htm.
- The Robert Wood Johnson Health Policy Fellowships Program provides
the nation’s most comprehensive experience at the nexus of
health science, policy and politics in Washington, DC. The fellowship
offers an outstanding opportunity for exceptional mid-career health
professionals in academic and community-based settings to assume
leadership roles in health policy and management. Applications
are due by November 17, 2006. For complete details, see http://www.healthpolicyfellows.org/fellowship_howtoapply.php.
If you would like to subscribe to receive News Watch each month,
please e-mail apathak@aacn.nche.edu.
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