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June 2007 News Watch 1. AACN Mourns the Loss of Two Nursing Education Champions 1. AACN MOURNS THE LOSS OF TWO NURSING EDUCATION CHAMPIONS AACN is sad to report that two long-time advocates for nursing education passed away recently: Dr. Terry Misener, dean of the University of Portland School of Nursing, and Dr. John P. McGovern, noted physician and philanthropist from Houston, TX. Dr. Misener, who recently stepped down from the AACN Board of Directors in March 2007, enjoyed a distinguished career in the Army Nurse Corps for 22 years before leaving his mark as a nationally recognized leader in nursing education. He was a founding board member of the Oregon Nursing Leadership Council and a president of the Oregon Center for Nursing. For more information on Dr. Misener’s legacy, see http://nursing.up.edu. Dr. McGovern, an inspiring physician, researcher and medical historian, died at the age of 85 on May 31, 2007. Over the course of his career, he held faculty appointments at 16 universities, served as chairman of the Board of Regents of the National Library of Medicine, was appointed to the National Advisory Council on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, and received the Private Sector Initiative Commendation from President Reagan for his “lifetime of meritorious service in medicine.” Since 1995, Dr. McGovern has endowed AACN’s John P. McGovern Award which is presented at the fall meeting every year to individuals making substantial contributions to nursing, health care, or higher education. See http://www.texmedctr.tmc.edu/root/en. 2. REGIONAL MEETINGS PLANNED TO SEEK INPUT ON THE BACCALAUREATE ESSENTIALS Led by Dr. Patricia Martin from Wright State University, the Task Force on the Revision of the Essentials of Baccalaureate Nursing Education is moving ahead with its charge to identify the competencies that all graduates of baccalaureate nursing programs must possess. The task force met at AACN’s offices on June 20-22 to prepare a draft statement of competencies that will soon be shared with stakeholders via the Web and at regional meetings. These meetings will be held to collect feedback and build consensus. The following regional meetings have been scheduled: September 27-28, 2007 San Diego, CA Stay tuned for more information about these meetings including details on how to register. 3. SUMMER SEMINAR INVITES ALL WHO WORK WITH "DIFFICULT PEOPLE" The 2007 Summer Seminar will focus on the theme “Managing Difficult People: Practical Approaches for Nursing Academic Leaders”at the Marriott Portland City Center, Portland, OR on July 22-25, 2007. The challenge of difficult people and difficult situations is not unique to nursing education. However, the intense pace and serious nature of the nursing academic enterprise can make difficult people even more problematic for co-workers, the organization, and the academic mission. This year's summer session focuses on increasing your ability to deal positively with difficult people, difficult situations, and difficult messages, led by Dr. Virginia Bianco-Mathis, a consultant in organizational behavior and professor of human resources. The deadline for early conference registration is June 29, 2007. For more details, see http://www.aacn.nche.edu/Conferences/07SumSem.htm.4. DEDICATED EDUCATION UNIT SYMPOSIUM PLANNED FOR JULY The University of Portland School of Nursing is sponsoring a half-day symposium (Noon to 5pm) designed to provide theoretical and practical information on the Dedicated Education Unit (DEU), an innovative clinical teaching model. The symposium will be held on Sunday, July 22 in Portland, OR, just prior to the AACN Summer Seminar. The DEU, developed in collaboration with the University of Portland, Providence Health System and the Portland VA Medical Center, is a patient care unit that provides quality care to patients and offers a supportive learning environment for students. Read more about the DEU in Moscato et al. (2007) Nursing Outlook, 55: 31-37. More information is posted at http://nursing.up.edu. Sign up soon and bring your practice partners!5. HOUSE AND SENATE MOVE TO INCREASE FUNDING FOR NURSING EDUCATION AACN is pleased to report that the Senate Appropriations Committee has recommended an increase in funding for Nursing Workforce Development Programs (Title VIII of the Public Health Service Act) by almost $20 million more than last year, for total FY 2008 funding of $169.7 million. This is particularly good news given the funding cuts to nursing education proposed in the President's FY 2008 budget. Of special interest, the Senate is calling for the Nurse Faculty Loan Program to receive $8 million (6.8% increase) and the Advanced Education Nursing Grants was provided $68.9 million (20.7% increase) over FY 2007. Funding for Title VIII has not yet been taken up by the full House Appropriations Committee, but the House Labor, Health and Human Services, Education and Related Agencies Subcommittee has recommended $165.6 million in funding for Title VIII. We anticipate that the full House Appropriations Committee will take up the bill after the July 4 recess. AACN will keep you updated as the final appropriations bill moves through the legislative process. For more details, see http://www.aacn.nche.edu/Government/FY08.htm.6. AACN ANNOUNCES SUMMER 2007 CNL CERTIFICATION EXAM DATES The Clinical Nurse Leader (CNL) Certification Examination is scheduled this summer from July 23 to August 24. The summer 2007 exam is open to all CNL program graduates, current CNL faculty with a master's degree, and master's-prepared candidates who have been practicing in the CNL role for at least 6 consecutive months. The exam promotes high quality patient care through the certification of qualified individuals. This web-based examination will be administered on-site at registered schools of nursing. All faculty and CNL candidates should read the CNL Certification Examination Handbook in advance: http://www.aacn.nche.edu/CNL/pdf/3-07CNLCertExamHandbook.pdf. If you plan to sit for the exam but did not graduate from a CNL Program, please contact AACN immediately at cnl@aacn.nche.edu to ensure that AACN is able to find a testing site for you in a timely fashion. For more details, see http://www.aacn.nche.edu/CNL/certification.htm.7. CAST YOUR BALLOT FOR THE 100 MOST POWERFUL PEOPLE IN HEALTHCARE Voting is now open for Modern Healthcare Magazine's annual ranking of the 100 Most Powerful People in Healthcare. Several nurse educators and leaders are in the running for the 2007 power list, including AACN's Executive Director Polly Bednash. Those wishing to cast a vote should visit http://www.modernhealthcare.com/apps/pbcs.dll/section?category=100mp. 8. CONSTITUENTS ELECT NEW CCNE BOARD MEMBERS The Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE) has successfully completed its 2007 election process. CCNE distributed ballots to 462 institutions – all with baccalaureate and/or master’s degree programs holding accreditation by CCNE – to be cast in the elections for the CCNE Board of Commissioners and the CCNE Nominating Committee. Valid ballots were returned by 265 institutions, resulting in a 57% response rate. Elected to the CCNE Board were Dr. Harriet Feldman (incumbent), Dean and Professor of the Lienhard School of Nursing at Pace University (NY) and Dr. Jeanne Novotny, Dean and Professor of the School of Nursing at Fairfield University (CT), as the representatives for deans; and, Mr. William Michael Scott (incumbent), Director, School of Nursing Clinics at Duke University (NC), as the representative for practicing nurses. CCNE Nominating Committee members for 2008 include Dr. Sarah Campbell (chair), Illinois State University (IL); Dr. Jean Bartels, Georgia Southern University (GA); Dr. Patricia Burns, University of South Florida (FL); Dr. Karen Devereaux Melillo, University of Massachusetts Lowell (MA); and Dr. Teresa Thompson, Madonna University (MI). More information about the election results will be available at http://www.aacn.nche.edu/accreditation 9. CCNE CALLS FOR COMMENTS ON ACCREDITATION STANDARDS The Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE) invites comments on its Standards for Accreditation of Baccalaureate and Graduate Nursing Programs (October 2003). All are invited to suggest changes, including university and program administrators; faculty; practitioners; representatives of regulatory, certification, accreditation, state and federal agencies; students; alumni, employers of nurses; and others with an interest in the preparation of competent nurses. The entire Standards document is available for review at http://www.aacn.nche.edu/Accreditation/PDF/Procedures.pdf. This document is used by CCNE to evaluate baccalaureate and master’s degree nursing programs for accreditation. A revision is needed to accommodate the review of baccalaureate and master’s degree nursing programs, as well as Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) programs. Comments must be received by July 13, 2007. Comments may be directed at the standards in their entirety or at any individual standard or key element. Please be specific in offering your comments, including specific language you would like to see incorporated, deleted, or amended in the Standards. Send comments via e-mail to lcooperm@aacn.nche.edu or fax to 202-887-8476. Alternatively, mail comments to: Libby Cooperman, CCNE Executive Administrative Assistant, 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. All comments will be shared with the CCNE Standards Committee. 10. AACN WELCOMES TWO NEW PROGRAM DIRECTORS AACN is pleased to welcome two new directors to the AACN staff: Stacey Pine, Government Affairs Director, and Tracy Lofty, CNL Certification Director(a newly created role). With a broad background in legislative advocacy at both the state and national levels, Stacey formerly served as the Vice President of Government Relations for a Washington, DC lobbying firm and Vice President of Community Development and Public Affairs for the Cumberland County Business Council in Fayetteville, NC. At AACN, she oversees all legislative advocacy efforts including staffing the Government Affairs Committee. Tracy, who comes to AACN with nearly 20 years of association management experience, was employed most recently at the Construction Specifications Institute and the American College of Osteopathic Surgeons. She oversees the new Clinical Nurse Leader (CNL) Certification Exam which includes staffing the CNL Certification Advisory Board. Please join us in welcoming these new staff.11. NATIONAL PUBLIC HEALTH EDUCATION INITIATIVE LAUNCHED The Institute of Medicine has recommended that “all undergraduates have access to education in public health.” To operationalize this recommendation, a Consensus Conference on Undergraduate Public Health Education was recently sponsored by the Association of Schools of Public Health (ASPH), the Association for Prevention Teaching and Research (APTR,) and the Council of Colleges of Arts and Sciences (CCAS) with support from the Josiah Macy, Jr. Foundation. Conference participants concluded that all colleges and universities should offer introductory courses, including Public Health 101, Epidemiology 101, and Global Health. Conferees also recommended a Faculty Development Program, including workshops and production of a curriculum guide, to assist schools without programs in public health. A pilot Faculty Development Program funded through the CDC-APTR Cooperative Agreement received more than 60 applications for the initial 20 slots, many of which include faculty from colleges of nursing. Offered this July, the program will involve several schools with nursing programs including Avila University (MO), Brenau University (GA), Colby-Sawyer College (NH), Moravian College/St. Luke's College of Nursing (PA), and the University of North Carolina-Pembroke. An expanded Faculty Development Program is being planned for the summer 2008 at which participation by nursing schools will be encouraged. On September 14, 2007 the MMWR will publish a supplement devoted to the recommendations of the Consensus Conference on Undergraduate Public Health Education. APTR will also launch a new website on September 15, 2007 - www.teachpublichealth.org – that will include resource materials related to this initiative. Look for a reminder coming in AACN News Watch in September.12. NEW DATA SHOWS HIRING PREFERENCE FOR BACCALAUREATE NURSES According to the latest data from the Council on Physician and Nurse Supply housed at the University of Pennsylvania, more than 96% of hospital CEOs surveyed agreed that the U.S. has too few nurses while 82% are seeing a shortage of physicians. Eighty-six percent of hospital CEOs surveyed are currently recruiting physicians, while 89% are recruiting nurses. Of those recruiting physicians, 80% are seeking primary care doctors while 74% are seeking specialists. The majority of those recruiting nurses (54%) prefer to hire nurses with baccalaureate degrees. The Council has voiced concern that the proposed 2008 federal budget calls for significant cuts in funds for both physician and nursing education. Given the shortages, the Council recommends that Congress consider ways to increase rather than diminish physician and nurse supply. The survey was conducted on behalf of the Council by AMN Healthcare, the nation’s largest healthcare staffing company. See http://phx.corporateir.net/phoenix.zhtml?c=130589&p=irol-news&nyo=0.13. 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 Mary Mundt from Michigan State University, the committee will choose the slate of candidates at the 2007 Fall 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 October 27, 2007. See http://www.aacn.nche.edu/MemberServices/pdf/NOMPACK07.pdf. 14. NEW FACT SHEET AND WEB-BASED RESOURCES AVAILABLE TO MEMBERS In an effort to keep the media, the public and other stakeholders informed about issues impacting nursing education, AACN has created two new resources to support your advocacy and outreach efforts. A new fact sheet titled “Creating a More Highly Qualified Nursing Workforce” provides a snapshot of today’s nursing workforce, highlights the link between nursing education and patient outcomes, and covers how AACN and its member institutions are poised to help raise the education level of the RN workforce. See http://www.aacn.nche.edu/Media/FactSheets/NursingWrkf.htm. To assist in state government advocacy efforts, a new online resource has been created to complement the issue bulletin released last fall titled “State Legislative Initiatives to Address the Nursing Shortage.” The online “State Advocacy Resources for Nurse Educators” page features examples of successful legislation to address the faculty shortage, links to 10 state loan forgiveness programs for nurse faculty, an overview of several statewide nursing shortage initiatives, and other state resources. See http://www.aacn.nche.edu/Government/StateResources.htm. 15. DISCOVER THE NATIONAL YOUR CONGRESS-YOUR HEALTH INITIATIVE AACN has partnered with Research!America and the Albert and Mary Lasker Foundation on Your Congress-Your Health, an important new initiative creating a dialogue on health and research between Congress and the public. PARADEmagazine launched the initiative in its March 11 issue, asking readers what they would like to ask Congress about health. The response was overwhelming, and the article received more online comments than any PARADEstory to date. This feedback shaped a questionnaire recently sent to all members of Congress to get their positions on record about a range of health related issues. To see how your Members of Congress responded to the questionnaire, visit 16. AMERICAN CANCER SOCIETY OFFERS SCHOLARSHIPS TO GRADUATE STUDENTS The American Cancer Society (ACS), the largest not-for-profit funding source for cancer research and training, is pleased to invite applications from master's and doctoral students for support of graduate study. ACS offers scholarships ranging from $10,000 to $15,000. Please note that the doctoral scholarship application annual deadline is October 15, 2007, and the master’s scholarship's deadline is February 1., 2008 The Society offers several other research and training grants in addition to the ones described above. For a full description of all American Cancer Society grants, including applications, instructions, and policies, see http://www.cancer.org/research. 17. BAGNC ANNOUNCES 2007-2009 COHORT OF SCHOLARS AND FELLOWS On May 22, 2207, the Building Academic Geriatric Nursing Capacity (BAGNC) program named 24 new scholars and fellows in keeping with the program’s long-term investment in improving patient care for older adults. The scholarship honor is accompanied by funding up to $100,000, and the fellowship honor comes with a $120,000 award. The funding enables awardees to focus on full-time study and honing their skills in research, education and leadership. BAGNC was conceived seven years ago in response to the nation’s nursing shortage which stems in part from an under capacity of educational programs and faculty. The program is administered by the American Academy of Nursing and funded by the John A. Hartford Foundation, which to date has committed $63 million to prepare gerontology nurses, educators, researchers, practitioners and curriculum. BAGNC’s excellence has attracted additional partners in the Atlantic Philanthropies and the Mayday Fund. To find out more about the BAGNC scholars, see http://www.geriatricnursing.org.18. DEADLINE NEARS FOR NEW GERONTOLOGICAL NURSING EDUCATION AWARDS AACN, in collaboration with The John A. Hartford Foundation Institute for Geriatric Nursing, is pleased to announce that applications for the 2007 Awards for Excellence in Gerontological Nursing Education are now available. Currently in its tenth year, this awards competition recognizes schools of nursing that model strong and innovative gerontological curricular enhancement and provide relevant clinical experiences. For the first time ever, the program is open to both baccalaureate and graduate nursing programs. This year’s program features four NEW award categories: Baccalaureate-Level Curricular Innovation; Advanced Practice-Level Curricular Innovation; Geriatric Nursing Faculty Champion; and Outstanding School of Nursing Communications. Winners will receive $500 awards at the AACN’s Fall Semiannual Meeting in Washington, DC in October. Applications must be postmarked by July 15, 2007. Applications available at http://www.aacn.nche.edu/Education/Hartford/pdf/AwardApp07.pdf.19. APPLY NOW FOR A GERONTOLOGY-FOCUSED FACULTY DEVELOPMENT INSTITUTE AACN is accepting online applications for the upcoming Faculty Development Institutes offered through the Geriatric Nursing Education Consortium (GNEC). GNEC is an innovative national initiative to enhance geriatric content in senior-level baccalaureate courses. Administered by AACN, this program provides nursing educators with the skills, knowledge and resources needed to ensure that the "best geriatric practices" are imbedded in baccalaureate curricula and subsequently in the clinical care provided by newly educated nurses. Using a "train-the-trainer" approach, nurse faculty attending the GNEC institutes are expected to serve as leaders and mentors by sharing their new expertise with colleagues. This program is generously funded by The John A. Hartford Foundation. Institutes are scheduled for October 3-5, 2007 in Atlanta, GA; February 27-29, 2008 in San Antonio, TX; and October 8-10, 2008 in St. Louis, MO. The application deadline for the Atlanta institute has been extended to July 2, 2007. For more information or to apply, see http://www.aacn.nche.edu/gnec.htm. 20. FOUR NATIONAL ELNEC COURSES REMAINING IN 2007 The End-of-Life Nursing Education Consortium (ELNEC) is offering a variety of train-the-trainer courses in 2007 for nurse educators across settings. An ELNEC-Pediatric Palliative Care Course (August 1-3, Anaheim, CA), an ELNEC-Geriatric Course (September 12-14, Pasadena, CA), an ELNEC-Super Core Course (October 17-19, Washington, DC), and an ELNEC-Critical Care Course (November 7-9, Pasadena, CA) remain for 2007. At each course, participants will receive materials including Powerpoint slides, "talking points" for each slide, supplemental teaching materials, case studies, updated reference list, and the 2006 edition of Textbook of Palliative Nursing among other resources. Seating is limited for each of these courses, so early registration is encouraged. For more information and/or to register, see http://www.aacn.nche.edu/ELNEC or contact ELNEC Project Director Pam Malloy at pmalloy@aacn.nche.edu or 202-463-6930, x238. 21. NOMINATE AACN GRASSROOTS STARS FOR OCTOBER 2007 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. 22. 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.
23. MEMBER NEWS, ANNOUNCEMENTS, AND AWARDS
24. AACN OUTREACH AND ADVOCACY UPDATE
25. OPPORTUNITIES AND RESOURCES TO CONSIDER
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