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March 2008 News Watch 1. Spring Annual Meeting Commences March 29 in Washington
1. SPRING ANNUAL MEETING COMMENCES MARCH 29 IN WASHINGTON Next week, nursing school deans and directors from across the country will come together for AACN’s Spring Annual Meeting on March 29-April 1 at the Fairmont hotel in Washington, DC. Please note the following:
For more information, see http://www.aacn.nche.edu/Conferences/08spring.htm. 2. AACN’S PRESIDENT TESTIFIES BEFORE CONGRESS On March 14, AACN President Jeanette Lancaster presented testimony before the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies. As the sole representative from professional nursing education, Dr. Lancaster requested $200 million for Nursing Workforce Development programs (Title VIII of the Public Health Service Act), the funding level agreed upon by the nursing community and our House and Senate champions. Noting the continued concerns regarding the nursing shortage and the need to increase the nurse faculty population, she cited evidence collected by AACN regarding the important role Title VIII funding plays in assisting students acquiring graduate degrees. Read the testimony at http://www.aacn.nche.edu/Government. 3. CCNE CALLS FOR COMMENTS ON ACCREDITATION STANDARDS 4. CCNE SEEKS NOMINATIONS FOR OPEN SEAT ON ITS BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS The Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE) is seeking nominations of candidates for election to a public consumer position on its 13-member Board of Commissioners. Per the U.S. Secretary of Education's Criteria for Recognition of Accrediting Agencies, the public consumer member may not be a nurse and may not be employed by an institution that has a CCNE-accredited nursing program. Knowledge of the healthcare system and/or the higher education community is preferred. The term for the public consumer position is one year to fulfill an unexpired term. The term begins January 1, 2009. For more details or to obtain the nominations packet, visit the CCNE Web site at http://www.aacn.nche.edu/accreditation/cfn.htm. Nominations must be postmarked by March 28, 2008. 5. CCNE REQUESTS NOMINATIONS FOR PRACTICING NURSE EVALUATORS CCNE is seeking nominations of practicing nurses to serve as volunteer evaluators on its accreditation review teams. The practicing nurse who serves on a CCNE evaluation team must engage, as his or her primary professional role, “in the provision of nursing care to individuals, families, groups or communities.” Practicing nurses who precept students, have adjunct teaching appointments, or other involvement in academe are encouraged to apply, as are advanced practice nurses. Send letter of recommendation; letter from the nominee indicating his/her interest, areas of expertise, and current practice role; and nominee's resume to: Marge Jackman, Associate Director, CCNE, One Dupont Circle, NW, Suite 530, Washington, DC 20036. Alternatively, materials may be sent electronically to mjackman@aacn.nche.edu. The deadline for submitting nominations to be considered for the next evaluator training program is March 28, 2008. 6. APPLY NOW FOR AN INNOVATION IN NURSING EDUCATION AWARD The AACN Board of Directors created the new Innovations in Professional Nursing Education Award to showcase creative and successful efforts to advance nursing education. This award recognizes the work of AACN member schools to re-envision traditional models for nursing education and lead programmatic change. Innovation awards, including a monetary prize of $1,000, will be given in four institutional categories: Small Schools, Academic Health Center (AHC), Private School without an AHC and Public School without an AHC. Nominations may be made by submitting a letter to Dr. Mary Walker, chair of the AACN Membership Committee. The submission deadline is April 14, 2008. For complete details including award criteria and the nomination process, see http://www.aacn.nche.edu/MemberServices/pdf/IPNEcriteria.pdf. 7. UHC-AACN RESIDENCY SIGNIFICANTLY LOWERS NURSE TURNOVER RATE Last month, Dr. Mary Lynn, research and evaluation consultant for the UHC-AACN residency collaborative, presented the fourth year of evaluation data at the UHC meeting in Grapevine, Texas. This year, Dr. Lynn found that the resident turnover rate had declined for the fourth year to 5.7%, which is far below reported national averages. At the meeting, nursing residents also presented poster abstracts on their evidence-based practice initiatives which are a part of the residency program. Nursing clinicians and faculty from the residency programs met for discussion and sharing of best practices. CCNE is in the final stages of developing the standards for accreditation of the residency programs. CCNE has circulated widely the draft standards for the residency to nurse educators, clinicians, and administrators. Additionally, AACN and the UHC are close to finalizing an agreement to make the post-baccalaureate residency program available to a wider array of non-UHC hospitals nationwide. 8. GANES ISSUES CALL FOR ABSTRACTS FOR INAUGURAL CONFERENCE The Global Alliance on Nursing Education and Scholarship (GANES) is pleased to announce that the group’s inaugural conference will be held October 1-3, 2008 in Toronto, Ontario. This convening of nurse educators from around the world will bring together leaders in education and policy to debate the global challenge of increasing capacity and ensuring sustainability in the nursing workforce. GANES has issued a Call for Abstracts for topics which reflect the conference theme: “Educating the Future Nursing and Health Workforce: A Global Challenge.” For details and to submit an abstract online, see http://www.casn.ca/abstract.php?mode=StartAbstract&abstractID=6&xwm=true. 9. AACN APPLAUDS TROOPS TO NURSE TEACHERS LEGISLATION On March 5, AACN applauded Senator Richard Durbin (D-IL) for introducing the Troops to Nurse Teachers (TNT) Act of 2008 (S. 2705). At a time when the military and civilian healthcare systems have been crippled by an acute nursing shortage, innovation solutions like the TNT program are essential to increasing the number of educators who will prepare the next generation of registered nurses. “Our schools of nursing are struggling to increase student capacity in the face of a severe nurse faculty shortage. The TNT program would offer nursing schools a great incentive to partner with the military to overcome this obstacle,” said AACN President Jeanette Lancaster. “AACN is committed to working with Senator Durbin and Congress to see this important piece of legislation passed.” Read more about TNT online at http://www.aacn.nche.edu/Media/NewsReleases/2008/TNTAct.html. 10. NEW WINNERS OF THE LYDIA’S UNIFORMS-AACN SCHOLARSHIP SELECTED AACN is 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 in the Spring and Fall semesters. Congratulations go to Monique Henry from the University of North Florida and Sadie Jones from the Sinclair School of Nursing at the University of Missouri-Columbia. For more information on the scholarship recipients, see http://www.lydiasuniforms.com/scholarship.asp. To apply for a scholarship, see http://www.aacn.nche.edu/Education/doc/LydiaApp.doc. 11. AACN SPOTLIGHTS FACULTY DEVELOPMENT RESOURCES AACN is the recognized leader in providing faculty development opportunities and resources for nurse educators teaching in baccalaureate and graduate programs. AACN encourages professional growth and engagement in the organization through an extensive array of faculty services, including conferences and regional courses; funding opportunity announcements; scholarships and award programs; government advocacy resources; leadership development programs; opportunities to assume leadership roles; networking with colleagues; and resources for new and future faculty. More than 3,000 nurse educators attend AACN’s conferences each year making these offerings the preferred professional development option for baccalaureate and graduate nursing program faculty. For more details on all of AACN’s services for nurse educators, visit the online Nurse Faculty Resource Center found at http://www.aacn.nche.edu/Faculty. 12. APPLY NOW FOR A GERONTOLOGICAL NURSING EDUCATION AWARD AACN, in collaboration with The John A. Hartford Foundation Institute for Geriatric Nursing, is now accepting applications for the annual Awards for Excellence in Gerontological Nursing Education. Schools and programs of nursing that offer baccalaureate or graduate degrees and demonstrate a strong commitment to geriatric nursing are encouraged to apply. Applicant programs may be large or small, new or well-established. Only one entry per award category per school will be permitted. The following are the four NEW award categories: Baccalaureate-Level Curricular Innovation; Advanced-Practice-Level Curricular Innovation; Geriatric Nursing Faculty Champion; and Outstanding School of Nursing Communications. For details on the 2008 awards, see http://www.aacn.nche.edu/Education/Hartford/pdf/AwardApp.pdf. Applications must be received by May 1, 2008. Please direct questions to Debbie Latimer at dlatimer@aacn.nche.edu. 13. DEADLINE APPROACHES FOR THE SPRING CNL CERTIFICATION EXAM Deadlines to register for the Spring 2008 Clinical Nurse LeaderSM (CNL®) Certification Examination are just around the corner. The first testing window for the CNL Certification Examination is scheduled April 21, 2008-May 10, 2008; registration deadline: March 28, 2008. The second testing window is May 11-May 23, 2008; registration deadline: April 18, 2008. CNL Program Directors are responsible for setting the testing dates within the testing window and notifying Applied Measurement Professionals and AACN’s Commission on Nurse Certification (wta@goamp.com & cnl@aacn.nche.edu). Other testing dates and deadlines for 2008 are as follows:
For more information about the CNL Certification Program and registration requirements, visit http://www.aacn.nche.edu/CNC. 14. HVO SEEKS EDUCATION SPECIALIST TO VOLUNTEER IN CAMBODIA Health Volunteers Overseas (HVO) is seeking applicants for a temporary volunteer assignment in Cambodia. The Sihanouk Hospital Center of Hope (SHCH) in Phnom Penh is seeking a volunteer to provide training to the hospital staff on how to teach health care professionals. Much of the training will be aimed at the physicians, nurses, and anesthesia staff. The goals of the volunteer assignment are to help the professional staff teach and mentor each other, new trainees, and health care professionals visiting SHCH for continuing education. The volunteer assignment is 2-3 weeks in length, longer if there is interest. The volunteer is desired sometime between May and December 2008, though the sooner would be better. Principals of adult learning, goal setting and evaluations are some of the requested topics. Health care professionals who have previous experience with training programs, program development, and/or a mentorship program are preferred and are encouraged to contact m.dea@hvousa.org for more information. 15. FINAL BACCALAUREATE ESSENTIALS REGIONAL MEETINGS PLANNED 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 the final regional meeting scheduled for April 24-25 in Boston. The meeting will give stakeholders the opportunity to review and provide feedback regarding the Essentials, including program outcomes. Deans and directors from AACN member institutions, faculty, practice partners, and representatives of other healthcare and education organizations are invited to attend. See http://www.aacn.nche.edu/BACEssentMtg.htm. 16. WIDE VARIETY OF ELNEC COURSES PLANNED FOR 2008 The End-of-Life Nursing Education Consortium (ELNEC) offers a variety of train-the-trainer courses for nurse educators across settings. Six courses remain in 2008, including Core and Super Core programs in addition to specialty sessions focused on Geriatrics, Critical Care and Pediatrics. For a complete schedule of upcoming courses, see http://www.aacn.nche.edu/ELNEC/CourseSchedule.htm. Please note that the Critical Care course on April 21-23, 2008 offers free registration for California nurses, including nursing faculty, thanks to the generous support of the Archstone Foundation. For more information, contact ELNEC Project Director Pam Malloy at pmalloy@aacn.nche.edu.17. APPLY NOW FOR A GERONTOLOGY-FOCUSED FACULTY 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. The first three GNEC Institutes were oversubscribed and very well-reviewed by participants. A total of 414 faculty representing 231 schools of nursing from 44 states have been trained. The remaining three institutes are scheduled for October 14-16, 2008 in St. Louis; April 1-3, 2009 in San Diego; and June 24-26, 2009 in Philadelphia. The application deadline for St. Louis is May 26, 2008. For more information or to apply, see http://www.aacn.nche.edu/gnec.htm. 18. REGISTER FOR THE 2008 NURSING ADVANCEMENT PROFESSIONALS (NAP) CONFERENCE “Eyes Wide Open: Looking through the Constituents' Perspective” is the theme for the tenth annual NAP conference held at The Fairmont Washington in Washington, DC on March 28-29, 2008. A variety of activities are planned, including a best practices exhibit, roundtable discussions, a meet and mingle, and networking dinners. The keynote address given by Robert Henry, Executive Director of Emerging Constituencies with the Council for Advancement and Support of Education, will focus on diversity and nursing advancement. This year’s Conference is a great opportunity for Nursing Advancement Professionals to interact with peers, network, and gain added knowledge and skills. Complete meeting and registration information can be found online at http://www.aacn.nche.edu/Conferences/08nap.htm.19. U.S. PUBLIC HEALTH SERVICE OFFERS STUDENT EXTERN PROGRAM The U.S. Public Health Service offers a Commissioned Corps Officer Student Training and Extern Program (COSTEP) for junior or senior full-time students to serve on the frontlines of public health while completing a baccalaureate or master’s degree. Juniors may be interested in the summer program to gain a paid clinical experience after they complete their junior year of nursing education. Seniors can receive an early commissioning as an officer with full benefits and salary while studying in the senior year. If you are interested in a public health career, we encourage you to apply. A Senior COSTEP application must be postmarked by December 31 of the year before you begin your final year of school. For more details about the USPHS Student Programs, see http://usphs.gov/student or contact 1-800-279-1605. 20. APPLICATIONS NEEDED FOR INSPIRED COMFORT AWARDS Nominations will be accepted through May 31, 2008 for the Cherokee Uniforms Inspired Comfort Award. This program provides a meaningful way for peers, friends, and colleagues to acknowledge healthcare professionals for their significant contributions to patients and health care. Candidates may be nominated in two of the following categories, but can only win in one: Registered Nurses (RNs); Advanced Practice Nurses (APNs); and Licensed Practical Nurses/Licensed Vocational Nurses (LPNs/LVNs); students enrolled in schools of nursing; and other Non-Physician Healthcare Professionals. To submit a nomination, visit http://www.CherokeeUniforms.com. 21. 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.
22. MEMBER NEWS, ANNOUNCEMENTS, AND AWARDS
23. AACN OUTREACH AND ADVOCACY UPDATE
24. OPPORTUNITIES AND RESOURCES TO CONSIDER
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