October 2007 News Watch 1.  AACN’s Fall Meeting Commences this Weekend 2.  Visit Legislators While in DC for AACN’s Fall Meeting 3.  Drop By the EBI Booth at the Fall Meeting on October 28 4.  Input Needed on Baccalaureate Essentials at Regional Meetings 5.  CNL® Certification Examination Schedule and Resources 6.  New Winners Selected for AfterCollege & Lydia’s Scholarships 7.  Executive Development Series Focuses on Strategic Planning 8.  Attend the Baccalaureate Education Conference in New Orleans 9.  Dr. Melnyk Selected for IOM Committee on Evidence-Based Medicine 10. New Resources Available to Enhance Older Adult Care 11. Graduate ELNEC Course Planned for February 2008 12. Apply Now for a Gerontology-Focused Faculty Development Institute 13. Applications Available Now for the NEPR Program 14. Join Us for the Doctoral and Faculty Development Conferences 15. Submit Abstracts for the 2008 State of the Science Congress 16. Hartford Foundation Establishes New Centers for Geriatric Care 17. Multiple Sclerosis Society Offers Nursing Fellowships 18. RWJF Seeks Proposals on Interdisciplinary Nursing Quality Research 19. New Partnerships and Grant-Funded Initiatives 20. Member News, Announcements and Awards 21. AACN Outreach and Advocacy Update 22. Opportunities and Resources to Consider 1. AACN’S FALL MEETING COMMENCES THIS WEEKEND AACN is looking forward to welcoming almost 500 attendees to the Fall Semiannual Meeting coming October 27-30, 2007 to The Fairmont Washington in Washington, DC. Here are some last minute reminders: AACN members will vote on a draft position statement titled “AACN Guidelines Regarding Faculty Teaching in Baccalaureate and Graduate Nursing Programs” on Monday, October 29 at the Business Meeting. To review the draft statement, see http://www.aacn.nche.edu/Education/pdf/Facexpect.pdf. In response to member requests, the Like-School Discussions have been moved from Saturday afternoon to Sunday morning from 10:30am-Noon.  Please check registration materials for exact room locations. The 2007 John P. McGovern Award will be presented to Dr. Paul Farmer, Founding Director of Partners in Health. In advance of this lecture, attendees may wish to read the book written about Dr. Farmer’s work, Mountains Beyond Mountains by Tracy Kidder. 2. VISIT LEGISLATORS WHILE IN DC FOR AACN’S FALL MEETING  AACN encourages those attending the Fall Meeting to schedule visits with your legislators’ key health care staff while you are in Washington, DC. The best times for these meetings are in the afternoon on Monday, October 29 or Tuesday, October 30. AACN State Grassroots Liaisons will schedule meetings with both Senators on behalf of all the deans and directors in the state. However, you will need to schedule a meeting with your Representative. To obtain contact information for members of the House of Representatives, visit: http://www.house.gov. If you have questions about setting up your meetings, contact Gene Throwe, Government Affairs Assistant, at gthrowe@aacn.nche.edu or 202-463-6930, x237. 3. DROP BY THE EBI BOOTH AT THE FALL MEETING ON OCTOBER 28 AACN encourages members to meet with representatives from Educational Benchmarking, Inc. (EBI) who will be exhibiting at AACN's Fall Semiannual Meeting.  On Sunday, October 28 from Noon-8pm, EBI representatives will be available in the Ballroom Lobby at the Fairmont Hotel to answer questions about their services which are designed specifically for nursing schools.  EBI has developed several assessment tools in conjunction with AACN to support the continuous improvement efforts and accreditation review activities of nursing education programs. Since joining with AACN, over 71,000 nursing students and alumni have participated in more than 1,100 studies conducted by EBI at colleges and universities nationwide. EBI currently offers the following assessments: Exit Assessment (perceptions of your graduating students) http://www.webebi.com/_AsmtServices/Nursing/exit.aspx Master's Level Nursing Exit Assessment http://www.webebi.com/_AsmtServices/Nursing/msn.aspx Undergraduate and Masters Alumni Assessment (perceptions of your alumni) http://www.webebi.com/_AsmtServices/Nursing/alumni.aspx Employer Assessment (perceptions of employers of your alumni) http://www.webebi.com/_AsmtServices/Nursing/employer.aspx To find out more about EBI’s services, see http://www.aacn.nche.edu/IDS/AssesmentSurveys.htm. 4. INPUT NEEDED ON BACCALAUREATE ESSENTIALS AT REGIONAL MEETINGS The AACN Task Force on the Revision of the Essentials for Baccalaureate Nursing Education is working to define the expected competencies of graduates of baccalaureate nursing programs with input from many stakeholders. The latest version of the revised Essentials is posted online at http://www.aacn.nche.edu/Education/pdf/BEdraft.pdf. This document will be discussed at a series of regional meetings sponsored through April 2008. These meetings will give stakeholders the opportunity to review and provide feedback regarding the Essentials, including the end-of-program competencies. Deans and directors from AACN member institutions, faculty, practice partners, and representatives of other healthcare and education organizations are invited to attend. Upcoming meetings are scheduled for November 2-3 in Savannah, GA; January 15-16 in Tucson, AZ; March 13-14 in Nashville, TN; and April 24-25 in Boston, MA. For more information, see http://www.aacn.nche.edu/BACEssentMtg.htm. 5. CNL® CERTIFICATION EXAMINATION SCHEDULE AND RESOURCES The next testing windows and registration deadlines for the CNL Certification Examination are as follows: November 26-December 14, 2007, with a registration deadline of November 2; and January 7-18, 2008, with a registration deadline of December 7. This computer-based exam will be administered on-site at select schools offering the CNL degree. Program Directors are responsible for setting the testing date within the window and notifying Applied Measurement Professionals and AACN by contacting wta@goamp.com and cnl@aacn.nche.edu. The fall 2007 and winter 2008 exams are 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 required forms are posted online at http://www.aacn.nche.edu/CNL/certification.htm.  All faculty and CNL candidates are encouraged to read the CNL Certification Examination Handbook in advance (http://www.aacn.nche.edu/CNL/pdf/CertExamHndbk.pdf). If you plan to sit for the exam but did not graduate from a CNL program, contact AACN at cnl@aacn.nche.edu so a testing site can be arranged. For questions, contact AACN’s Certification Department at 202-463-6930 or cnl@aacn.nche.edu. 6. NEW WINNERS SELECTED FOR AFTERCOLLEGE & LYDIA’S SCHOLARSHIPS AACN is pleased to announce the latest recipients of the AfterCollege-AACN Scholarship, which was created to support students seeking baccalaureate, master’s or doctoral degrees in nursing. Enrolled in the Clinical Nurse Leader program at the University of Maryland, Ryan James Beckwith plans to work in an intensive-care unit for three years before pursuing a teaching role. Angelina Marie Arbisi, an MSN student at the University of San Diego, is dedicated to advancing the field of nursing through research and education. She plans to pursue a teaching career after completing her PhD.  Please join us in congratulating these outstanding students! For more details on this scholarship, see http://go.aftercollege.com/events/AACN/2006/index.cfm. AACN is also pleased to recognize the latest winners of the Excellence in Academics Nursing Scholarship funded by Lydia’s Professional Uniforms, a leading supplier of apparel for health professionals. Lydia’s joined with AACN to offer this scholarship for BSN students in their junior year. Through this partnership, Lydia's is providing $2,500 in competitive scholarship monies to two eligible nursing students. Congratulations go to Meghan Campbell from the University of Illinois at Chicago and LaShonda Jones from the University of Cincinnati. For details on this program, see http://www.aacn.nche.edu/Media/NewsReleases/2004/04LydiasScholarship.htm. 7. EXECUTIVE DEVELOPMENT SERIES FOCUSES ON STRATEGIC PLANNING AACN’s popular Executive Development Series (EDS) is designed for new and aspiring deans as well as faculty members who want to improve their leadership skills within the nursing academic unit.  The first of two identical programs is scheduled for November 28-29, 2007 at the Royal Sonesta Hotel in New Orleans.  The second will precede the 2008 Spring Annual meeting in Washington, DC.  This year’s theme, “Strategic Planning: Key to Successful Academic Leadership,”emphasizes an essential skill that leads to enhanced organizational outcomes as well as improved priority setting and time management. The interactive nature of this conference offers opportunities for academic leaders to think about challenges in new ways and seek solutions with colleagues.  The November EDS precedes the Baccalaureate Education Conference to enable educators to participate in both events. For program and registration details, see http://www.aacn.nche.edu/Conferences/07BEC.htm. 8. ATTEND THE BACCALAUREATE EDUCATION CONFERENCE IN NEW ORLEANS The Baccalaureate Education Conference is scheduled for November 29-December 1, 2007 at the Royal Sonesta Hotel in New Orleans. The theme “Striving for Quality in Baccalaureate Nursing Education” offers participants opportunities to think deliberately about how high-quality nursing education prepares graduates to provide high-quality nursing care. Hear Dr. Patricia Benner describe the recent national study of teaching and learning in nursing.  Learn more about how colleagues are teaching quality and safety in nursing.  Join an author of the book Teaching IOM: Implications for IOM Reports for Nursing Education to identify pragmatic strategies for improving quality education and practice. Learn about changes to the Baccalaureate Essentials and CCNE accreditation standards. Select concurrent and abstract topics according to personal interest. For program and registration information, see http://www.aacn.nche.edu/Conferences/07BEC.htm.  Teams of faculty are encouraged to attend. Members of the Instructional Leadership Network are invited to register for the special meeting preceding the conference. 9. DR. MELNYK SELECTED FOR IOM COMMITTEE ON EVIDENCE-BASED MEDICINE Dr. Bernadette Melnyk, dean of the College of Nursing & Healthcare at Arizona State University, was among five nursing leaders who served as members of the Healthcare Professionals Sector working group, one of nine sector groups convened by the Institute of Medicine’s Roundtable on Evidence-based Medicine. The Roundtable seeks to help transform the way evidence on clinical effectiveness is generated and used to improve health and health care. The 20 physicians, pharmacists and nurses on the Healthcare Professionals Sector worked collaboratively to set a goal that by 2020, 90 percent of clinical decisions will be supported by accurate, timely, up-to-date clinical information and will reflect the best available evidence. Participants developed a statement outlining the key challenges and opportunities for this sector and identifying a program of activities by which health professionals might contribute to achieving the Roundtable goal. This statement, along with those from the other eight sectors, will be published by the IOM in March 2008. 10. NEW RESOURCES AVAILABLE ON ENHANCE OLDER ADULT CARE Developed by the Hartford Institute for Geriatric Nursing at the New York University College of Nursing, ConsultGeriRN.org is a rich evidence-based, online resource for nurses in clinical and educational settings. This site features a wealth of information about caring for older adults, including: Evidence-based geriatric content, by topic, symptoms and specialty nursing practice; The Try This Assessment tools series (see below); hospital competencies; and opportunities to acquire continuing education. All of the clinical content formally stored at GeroNurseOnline.org has been transferred to this new online location. ConsultGeriRN.org is funded in part by a grant from The Atlantic Philanthropies (USA) Inc. The Hartford Institute is partnering with the American Journal of Nursing (AJN) to launch the “How to Try This” project. Now through December 2008, two topics from the Try This series will be detailed and shown in cost-free, Web-based resources, including demonstration videos and companion articles in AJN. These resources will help build knowledge and assessment skills among those caring for older adults. CEs are available for both the articles and the videos. To access materials featured this month, visit http://www.NursingCenter.com/AJNolderadults and click the How to Try This link. 11. 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. This program provides nursing educators with the skills, knowledge and resources needed to ensure that the "best geriatric practices" are included 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 February 27-29, 2008 in San Antonio, TX; and October 14-16, 2008 in St. Louis, MO. The application deadline for the San Antonio institute is November 5, 2007. For more information or to apply, see http://www.aacn.nche.edu/gnec.htm. Please note the change in dates for the October 2008 institute. 12. GRADUATE ELNEC COURSE PLANNED FOR FEBRUARY 2008 The End-of-Life Nursing Education Consortium (ELNEC) offers a variety of train-the-trainer courses for nurse educators across settings. Plan now to attend an ELNEC course specifically for undergraduate and graduate nursing faculty on February 20-21, 2008 in Newport Beach, CA. This training is offered as a pre-conference to AACN Master's Education Conference. ELNEC courses in specific subspecialties such as geriatrics, critical care, and pediatrics are also available in 2008.  For more information about ELNEC and/or to register, visit http://www.aacn.nche.edu/ELNEC.  Please direct questions to ELNEC Project Director Pam Malloy at pmalloy@aacn.nche.edu. 13. APPLICATIONS AVAILABLE NOW FOR THE FEDERAL NEPR PROGRAM The federal Division of Nursing is now accepting applications for the 2008 Nurse Education, Practice and Retention (NEPR) Program. Grants are awarded to schools of nursing and other entities to strengthen and enhance the capacity for nurse education, practice and retention to address the nursing shortage. Funding priorities for education include expanding enrollment in baccalaureate nursing programs; developing and implementing internship and residency programs to encourage mentoring and the development of specialties; and providing education in new technologies, including distance learning methodologies. For more details, look for the announcement (HRSA-08-028) at http://www.hrsa.gov/grants/default.htm. Application deadline is December 6, 2007. Please direct questions to Michele Richardson at 301-443-6193. 14. JOIN US FOR THE DOCTORAL AND FACULTY DEVELOPMENT CONFERENCES Join colleagues at the 2008 Doctoral Education Conference, January 23-26 at the South Seas Island Resort, Captiva Island, Florida. The theme "Shaping Doctoral Education in Nursing: The Future is Now" offers opportunities to consider the future of heath care and how nursing can best respond. This conference is designed for deans, associate deans for research, directors of doctoral programs, and other faculty interested in the issues concerning this unique level of nursing education.  Topics are designed to meet the needs of representatives from both research and practice doctoral programs.  Program sessions include "A Futuristic View of Health Care" with Ed O’Neil;"A Futuristic View of Nursing Education" with Michael Bleich; a reaction panel on planning the future by spokespersons from education and practice, and Fostering Evidence-Based Research and Translating the Results into Practice.  Concurrent and poster sessions allow participants to select topics of particular interest. The Research Leadership Network meets during this conference. Brochures will be mailed shortly. In response to the number and enthusiasm of participants at last year’s inaugural event, AACN offers the second annual Faculty Development Conference February 7-9, 2008 at the Loews Vanderbilt Hotel, Nashville, TN.  Designed for early-career nurse educators, the conference is aimed at those new to the faculty role and those who would like to gain more self-confidence in teaching in baccalaureate and higher degree programs.  Topics include the academic mission and the faculty role, learner-centered teaching, creating an active learning environment, clinical teaching and evaluation, test construction and analysis, and being successful in an academic career. Three sets of concurrent sessions encourage participants to select topics according to their own needs and interests.  Brochures will be mailed shortly. 15. SUBMIT ABSTRACTS FOR THE 2008 STATE OF THE SCIENCE CONGRESS The Council for the Advancement of Nursing Science is pleased to announce that abstracts are now being solicited for the 2008 National State of the Science Congress on Nursing Research, coming to Washington, DC on October 2-4, 2008. This biannual event creates a national forum for dialogue on advances in nursing science related to nursing and healthcare practice; disseminates research findings that can influence healthcare practice, education, research and policy; and influences the nursing research agenda of the future. The program committee is seeking papers, posters, and symposia that best exemplify the state of nursing and healthcare science in a focused area of study, including methodological innovations, research technologies, and multidisciplinary research. Investigators should submit abstracts derived from completed research only and should clearly specify the contributions of the work to the current state of nursing and healthcare science. Areas of special interest include translational science and global health. Abstracts must be submitted electronically by January 15, 2008 from the following Web site: http://www.nursingscience.org. 16. HARTFORD FOUNDATION ESTABLISHES NEW CENTERS FOR GERIATRIC CARE In response to the critical shortage of nurses prepared to care for a growing elderly population, The John A. Hartford Foundation recently announced a major expansion of its Centers of Geriatric Nursing Excellence (CGNE) initiative. Four Centers — at Arizona State University, Pennsylvania State University, the University of Minnesota and the University of Utah — will each receive $1 million to prepare over 500 nursing faculty with expertise in geriatrics. These new faculty will educate the next, and critically needed, generation of nurses to improve the health and well-being of older adults. The four new CGNEs will join five existing Centers at the Universities of Arkansas, Iowa, and Pennsylvania; the University of California, San Francisco; and Oregon Health and Science University. For more details, see http://www.geriatricnursing.org. 17. MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS SOCIETY OFFERS NURSING FELLOWSHIPS The National Multiple Sclerosis Society offers registered nurses an advanced training opportunity in multiple sclerosis (MS) nursing care. Under a special grant from the John Dystel Fellowship Fund, the program provides nurses with an overview of multiple sclerosis, including the variety of MS symptoms, their management, and strategies to provide specialty care for patients living with MS. The preferred candidate will hold a bachelor’s degree and will practice under the tutelage of an MS nursing expert in a specialized MS clinical setting. Two nursing fellowships are available: A six-month fellowship (960 hours) with a $44,000 award, and a three-month fellowship (480 hours) with a $22,500 award. Applications must be received by February 11, 2008. Applications are available at http://www.NationalMSSociety.org under “For Professionals” button, then the “Fellowship and Training” link. 18. RWJF SEEKS PROPOSALS ON INTERDISCIPLINARY NURSING QUALITY RESEARCH The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) has issued a call for proposals for a new round of funding through its Interdisciplinary Nursing Quality Research Initiative (INQRI). This program was launched to generate, disseminate and translate research to improve the quality of care provided in hospitals. Funding will support interdisciplinary teams of scholars to address gaps in knowledge about the relationship between nursing and health care quality. Deadline to submit a proposal is December 12, 2007. Review the full call for proposals at http://www.rwjf.org/files/applications/cfp/cfp_INQRI3.pdf. 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. The Health Resources Services Administration (HRSA) awarded the University of North Dakota College of Nursing two grants to support new Master’s degree tracks specializing in Gerontology and Public/Community Health Nursing.  Enrollment for both degree options began in fall 2007 with options to earn an RN to MS degree, MS degree, or post-nursing master's certificate. “We at the College are thrilled with this news”, shares Dr. Chandice Covington, dean of nursing.  “Education in the areas of gerontology and public/community health is in high demand in North Dakota and the nation.  The faculty directing these programs are dedicated to success and seeing an impact on health in our region. We at the College applaud their hard work and commitment.” See http://www.nursing.und.edu. Funded by the Vanderbilt University School of Nursing, the Vine Hill Community Clinic and its four satellite sites have achieved status as a Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) by the Department of Health and Human Services.  The clinic is the flagship of the University Community Health Services, a network of eight area health clinics, and the $650,000-a-year, three-year grant will go toward expanding services at Vine Hill and funding other health outreach efforts. “Achieving designation as a federally-qualified health center opens many doors for our nurse practitioner and nurse midwife faculty to provide more services to more patients,” said Dr. Colleen Conway-Welch, dean of the School of Nursing. Read more at http://www.nursing.vanderbilt.edu. Earlier this month, Northeastern University announced that Dr. Carol Glod, research director and professor of nursing, received a $625,000 HRSA traineeship grant to expand the university’s child psychiatric nursing program. Aiming to help eliminate the severe shortage of nurses for underserved populations, the three-year project will prepare advanced practice registered nurses in child and adolescent psychiatric nursing to provide culturally competent care to vulnerable children, adolescents and their families with acute and chronic mental illness. See http://www.northeastern.edu/bouve/nursing. 20. MEMBER NEWS, ANNOUNCEMENTS, AND AWARDS NewCourtland Elder Services has made a $5 million endowment gift to the Center for Transitions and Health at the University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing in support of the Center’s work in the emerging field of transitional health. In recognition of the gift, only the second of its kind at this level in the School’s history, the Center will be renamed the NewCourtland Center for Transitions and Health. As the first of its kind in the nation, this center will serve as a hub for research, education and policy making related to the needs of those with chronic illnesses such as heart failure, diabetes or depression. “A gift like this makes an immeasurable difference in people’s lives and is a substantive and significant contribution to health care,” said Dr. Afaf I. Meleis, dean of Penn Nursing. See http://www.nursing.upenn.edu. Southern Illinois University Edwardsville (SIUE), School of Nursing is proud to announce that Public Health Nursing Professor, Dr. Louise Flick, in conjunction with Public Health Professor Terry Leet  from St. Louis University (SLU) School of Public Health, is one of 22 national teams awarded the NIH contract for the National Children’s Study research study.  Drs. Flick and Leet have been working on this grant development for five years when it was first announced, and this study is projected to continue for at least 20 years. The goal is to learn the effects of environmental, social, educational, genetic, childhood diseases and other factors on developing children from birth to 20 years of age. The researcher are working to gain a better understanding of diseases in children in order to establish prevention measures as well as new therapies. This research could result in billions of dollars saved on health care costs.  This award to SIUE and SLU is in the amount of $26 million dollars over five years.  The SIUE School of Nursing will realize $4 million dollars for Dr. Flick’s involvement. This is the largest grant awarded to date to a single individual in the School of Nursing as well as at the SIUE campus, which celebrates is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year. At a reception held for Dr. Flick, Dean of the School, Dr. Marcia Maurer, remarked that this award was an “eclipsing present to the University for its 50th birthday!”  Michigan-based Cybernet Systems Corporation has donated more than $60,000 worth of telemonitoring equipment to the Wayne State University College of Nursing. This donation includes remote monitoring kits for persons with such chronic health conditions as diabetes and congestive heart failure, two-way videophones and a kiosk station that allows simultaneous collection of data from multiple patients. Cybernet will also provide tutorials and on-site instruction to help nursing faculty and students learn the equipment’s functionality. “My philosophy always has been that every student coming out of our College should be familiar with the latest health technologies,” said Dr. Stephen J. Cavanagh, Associate Dean for Academic and Clinical Affairs. New York University College of Nursing's (NYUCN) Dean Terry Fulmer, NYUCN co-investigator Dr. Sheryl Strasser, and co-investigator Dr. Stefanie Russell from NYU College of Dentistry, have received a two-year, $346,569 grant from the National Institute on Aging to study elder mistreatment. In the study, Primary Care Clinics for Estimating the Prevalence and Incidence of Elder Mistreatment, researchers will conduct screenings for elder mistreatment among 982 older adults who visit their doctors at five primary care clinics.  The aim is to estimate the prevalence of elder mistreatment in a large urban sample of community-dwelling elderly persons; estimate the six-month incidence of elder mistreatment among these patients; and compare a standardized, valid, reliable instrument used for screening for elder abuse with a newly developed instrument. 21.  AACN OUTREACH AND ADVOCACY UPDATE On October 23, 2007, the full Senate passed the LHHS-ED Appropriations bill by a vote of 79 to 19. This bill provides $169.68 million for the Title VIII Nursing Workforce Development Programs. Of particular interest, the Senate provided $8 million for the Nurse Faculty Loan Program, which is $3 million more than the FY 2007 funding level. Additionally, the Senate provided $140.5 million for the National Institute of Nursing Research, $3 million over last year. The House and Senate still must conference the final LHHS-ED appropriations bill. AACN is hopeful that nursing education and research programs will receive an increase in funding for FY 2008. On October 3, 2007, staff attended a meeting with Chairman of the Senate Labor Health and Human Services, and Education (LHHS-ED) Appropriations Subcommittee, Sen. Tom Harkin (D-IA), who stated that we have a battle ahead of us to ensure the LHHS-ED Appropriations bill is enacted into law. He reinforced the message that the President continues to assert a veto threat, and it is uncertain if there are enough votes to override a Presidential veto. It is anticipated that the President will, indeed, veto LHHS-ED. If that does occur, Senator Harkin asked all health care, education, and labor groups in attendance to call upon their grassroots networks to reach out specifically to Republicans and encourage them to vote in favor of overriding a Presidential veto. AACN Government Affairs Committee would like to thank the State Grassroots Liaisons and Deans from the following states for making a concerted effort during the Spring Semiannual Meeting to visit with both their Senators and nearly all their Representatives: Colorado, Florida, Idaho, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, New York, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Wisconsin, and Virginia. It is not too late to set up Congressional visits for the Fall Semi-Annual Meeting! Congress has increased appropriations for our nursing programs. It is vital that Members of Congress hear how important it is to sustain these funding increases as they work to pass the final FY 2008 LHHS-ED Appropriations bill. They need to hear this message from you! 22. OPPORTUNITIES AND RESOURCES TO CONSIDER The National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) is a systematic assessment tool that provides a quantitative measure of stroke-related neurologic deficit. The NIHSS was originally designed as a research tool to measure baseline data on patients in acute stroke clinical trials. Now, the scale is also widely used as a clinical assessment tool to evaluate acuity of stroke patients, determine appropriate treatment, and predict patient outcome. The NIH Stroke Scale Program is the first and only program originally designed to focus exclusively on NIH Stroke Scale education for nurses, emergency physicians, neurologists, clinical research raters and medical students. For more information, see http://www.nihstrokescale.org. The University of Texas at Arlington is pleased to offer two upcoming sessions of its Travel, Study, Learn program in Cuernavaca, Mexico on January 4-11, 2008 and May 16-23, 2008. This immersion program is designed for nurses, health professionals and faculty in all health-care settings who wish to begin or refine Spanish language skills and learn about Mexican culture and health firsthand. The program includes intensive Spanish language and culture study; field trips to hospitals, local cultural and historical sites; a welcome reception; lodging and food with a Mexican family; and a Spanish language certificate from the Universidad Internacional. For more information, contact Dr. Wendy Barr at 817-272-5376 or barr@uta.edu.   If you would like to have your email removed from the distribution list, send an email to lguetter@aacn.nche.edu with the subject “UNSUBSCRIBE NEWS WATCH”. 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