November 2008 News Watch 1. NCIN Scholarship Program Issues Second Call for Proposals 2. Join Us at the Baccalaureate Conference in San Antonio 3. Annual Doctoral Conference Returns to San Diego in January 4. Slate Announced for AACN's 2009 Board Election 5. Nominations Sought for CCNE Board and Nominating Committee 6. Task Force on the Master's Essentials Formed 7. AACN Presentations at National and International Forums 8. Second CNL Partnership Conference Coming to New Orleans 9. Joint Commission Spotlights CNL Role in New Report 10. CNL Certification Eligibility Waiver Continued for Faculty 11. Apply Now for the Minority Nurse Faculty Scholarship 12. RWJF Seeks Applications from Nurse Educators and Researchers 13. University of Pennsylvania Hosts PhD Forum 14. Apply Now for Sigma's Practice/Academe Collaboration Award 15. Faculty Development Conference Slated for Savannah 16. ELNEC Project Announces 2009 Training Dates 17. Faculty Training to Enhance Gerontology in BSN Courses 18. Blueprint for a Healthier America Released 19. Recommendations for Undergraduate Public Health Education 20. New Partnerships and Grant-Funded Initiatives 21. Member News, Announcements and Awards 22. AACN Outreach and Advocacy Update 23. Opportunities and Resources to Consider   1. NCIN SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM ISSUES SECOND CALL FOR PROPOSALS On November 3, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) and AACN issued the second Call for Proposals (CFP) to nursing schools seeking funding through the RWJF New Careers in Nursing Scholarship Program. This groundbreaking program is designed to alleviate the nursing shortage by dramatically expanding the pipeline of students in accelerated nursing programs. Scholarships in the amount of $10,000 each will be awarded to at least 500 entry-level nursing students during the second round of funding. Preference will be given to students from groups underrepresented in nursing or from a disadvantaged background. AACN serves as the National Program Office for the NCIN initiative and will oversee the grant application submission and review processes. The proposal deadline is January 21, 2009. Review the CFP online at http://www.rwjf.org/applications/solicited/cfp.jsp?ID=20621. 2. JOIN US FOR THE EXECUTIVE DEVELOPMENT SERIES AND BACCALAUREATE CONFERENCE The Executive Development Series will be held December 3-4, 2008 at the San Antonio Marriott Rivercenter, San Antonio, TX. The theme, "Leveraging Resources Through Powerful Leadership Communication" offers pragmatic advice to academic nursing leaders about maximizing fiscal and personnel resources in challenging times. Topics include implementing shared governance; facilitating cross-gender communication; cultivating civility; developing a business plan; and securing resources for your program. EDS is held immediately prior to the Baccalaureate Education Conference so that participants may attend both. For full program and registration information, see http://www.aacn.nche.edu/conferences/08bec.htm#EDS. The 10th Anniversary Baccalaureate Education Conference will be held December 4-6, 2008 at the San Antonio Marriott Rivercenter, San Antonio, TX with the theme "Keeping Pace With Rapid Change in Baccalaureate Nursing Education." This annual conference offers undergraduate faculty a forum to explore issues of particular interest and share ideas and successful strategies with colleagues. Topics include using technology and simulation; implementing the revised Baccalaureate Essentials; preparing students for innovations in patient care; and redesigning clinical teaching-learning to better prepare baccalaureate nursing graduates for the complexities of practice. Concurrent, abstract, and poster presentations allow participants to choose topics of interest in a smaller forum. Everyone is invited to register for the special Instructional Leadership Network Program session. For more details, see http://www.aacn.nche.edu/conferences/08bec.htm. 3. ANNUAL DOCTORAL CONFERENCE RETURNS TO SAN DIEGO IN JANUARY The Doctoral Education Conference will be held January 21-24, 2009 at the beautiful Hotel del Coronado in San Diego. The conference theme is "Health Systems Transformation and Doctoral Education in Nursing: A New Era", and offers a forum in which to discuss the many ways doctorally educated nurses impact the health system. The conference boasts high caliber speakers, thought-provoking topics, and interesting breakout sessions for those active in both research and practice doctoral programs. From opening speaker Mary Wakefield (Health Policy and Doctoral Education in Nursing) to closing speaker George Walker (The Challenge of Preparing Scholars), the conference hosts sessions of wide interest to doctoral educators. Brochures are being mailed to member schools, and full conference and registration details can be viewed at http://www.aacn.nche.edu/conferences/09doc.htm. 4. SLATE ANNOUNCED FOR AACN'S 2009 BOARD ELECTION Online balloting for AACN's 2009 Election to fill seats on the Board of Directors and Nominating Committee will commence in January 2009. All AACN member deans and directors are encouraged to cast votes. The slate of candidates vying for open seats includes: Treasurer: Janet Allan, University of Maryland; and Greer Glazer, University of Massachusetts-Boston Board Member-at-Large: Connie Delaney, University of Minnesota; Donna Hathaway, The University of Tennessee Health Science Center; Peggy Hewlett, University of South Carolina; Patricia Kraft, Carson-Newman College; Jean Leuner, University of Central Florida; Teri Murray, Saint Louis University; Heidi Taylor, West Texas A&M University; and Mary Walker, Loyola University Chicago Nominating Committee: Terese Burch, Saint Anthony College of Nursing; Susan Fetch, Avila University; Loucine Huckabay, California State University Long Beach; Carolina Huerta, University of Texas Pan American. Watch for more details in the December AACN News Watch. 5. NOMINATIONS SOUGHT FOR CCNE BOARD AND NOMINATING COMMITTEE The Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE), the autonomous accrediting arm of AACN, is seeking nominations for the CCNE Board of Commissioners and Nominating Committee. The following positions on the 13-member Board are open for election: one representative of chief nurse administrators (e.g., deans or equivalent) of CCNE-accredited nursing programs; two representatives of the faculties of CCNE-accredited nursing programs; one representative who is actively engaged, as his or her primary professional role, in the practice of nursing; one professional consumer who serves in a leadership position in a health care delivery system that employs professional nurses (individuals who have experience with a post-baccalaureate nurse residency program are encouraged to apply); one public consumer who is not a nurse, who represents the general public, and who has knowledge of health care and higher education systems. Each Board position is for a three-year term of service. The Commission is also seeking nominations for candidates to serve as members on its Nominating Committee. Four positions are available, and the members are eligible to serve a one-year term. Nominations must be postmarked by February 20, 2009. To obtain the nominations packet, see http://www.aacn.nche.edu/accreditation. 6. TASK FORCE ON THE MASTER'S ESSENTIALS FORMED In September 2008, the AACN Board of Directors finalized the charge for the new Task Force on The Essentials of Master's Education for Advanced Generalist Nursing Practice. The task force will develop a document that delineates the essential professional nursing competencies that should be acquired upon graduation from a master's program for advanced generalist nursing. Members will seek a wide range of opinions and feedback from representatives of higher education, professional nursing education and practice, and consumers in developing its recommendations. The new Master's Essentials will address articulation of the entry-level generalist nurse to advanced generalist education and the advanced generalist to doctoral education, either the DNP or the PhD. Task force members include: Joanne Warner, University of Portland (Chair); Linda Thompson Adams, Oakland University; Lynn Babington, Northeastern University (CCNE Liaison); Jean Bartels, Georgia Southern University; Joyce Batchellor, Seton Family of Hospitals; Patricia Martin, Wright State University; and David Reyes, Public Health - Seattle & King County Washington (Public Health Practice Liaison). Read the full charge online at http://www.aacn.nche.edu/ContactUs/MastersEssentialsTF.htm. 7. RECENT AACN PRESENTATIONS AT NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL FORUMS On November 7, Joan Stanley, AACN Senior Director of Education Policy, presented on nursing's critical role in providing primary care before the American Medical Association Council on Medical Education Panel on Workforce Issues. In her presentation on Collaboration Among Health Professions: The Key to Access and Quality, Dr. Stanley provided an overview of the nursing workforce, shared data on the growth of APRNs, and discussed the strong links between nursing care and quality patient outcomes. On November 10, AACN CEO and Executive Director Polly Bednash presented at the XI Pan American Nursing Research Colloquium hosted by the Pan American Health Organization in Quito, Ecuador. Dr. Bednash's was invited to give remarks on how nursing care is regulated in the United States as part of a panel that also addressed nursing regulation in Bolivia, Cuba and the Caribbean. See http://devserver.paho.org/hq/index.php?lang=en. On November 13, Joan Stanley presented to National Advisory Council on Nurse Education and Practice (NACNEP) in Bethesda, MD, on The Doctorate of Nursing Practice and Preparing Nurse Faculty. Her remarks focused on the national movement toward the DNP, trends in doctoral education, and the need to prepare more faculty in DNP and PhD programs. Dr. Stanley also was asked to report on the RWJF New Careers in Nursing Scholarship Program (see item #1 above). NACNEP advises Congress and the U.S. Secretary for Health and Human Services on nursing issues. See http://bhpr.hrsa.gov/nursing/nacnep.htm. On November 18, Polly Bednash represented both AACN and the National Association of Hispanic Nurses at the 2008 VIDA Awards held in Washington, DC. Sponsored by the National Alliance for Hispanic Health Care, the VIDA Awards (Vision, Innovation, Dedication, and Advocacy) are given annually to individuals who have done much to secure the promise for health and prosperity for America's Hispanic communities. See http://www.hispanichealth.org. On November 20, Joan Stanley was invited to present before the workforce committee of the American Health Care Association on ways the two organizations can work together to strengthen ties between professional nursing programs and long-term care providers. Dr. Stanley focused her comments on the national GNEC project (see item #17 below), the Clinical Nurse Leader, and the new APRN Consensus Model. See http://www.ahca.org. 8. SECOND CNL® PARTNERSHIP CONFERENCE COMING TO NEW ORLEANS Building on the success of last year's event, AACN is hosting the second CNL Partnership Conference on January 29-31, 2009 in New Orleans. All deans, faculty, healthcare executives, chief nursing officers, practicing CNLs, and students engaged in or interested in the CNL are invited. Jointly sponsored by AACN and the Veteran's Health Administration Office of Nursing Services, the focus of the conference will be on the impact of the CNL on quality and safety at the microsystem level. In addition to plenary sessions, concurrent, abstract, and poster presentations will be featured. Special forums will be held for CNL students and graduates, CNL faculty, and nursing/healthcare executives. See http://www.aacn.nche.edu/CNL/09cnlsummit.htm. 9. JOINT COMMISSION SPOTLIGHTS CNL ROLE IN NEW REPORT On November 20, the Joint Commission released a white paper urging the healthcare industry to consider specific actions within five core areas of hospital development: economic vitality, technology adoption, patient-centered care, staffing and design to better meet the needs of patients. Titled Health Care at the Crossroads: Guiding Principles for the Development of the Hospital of the Future, the commission's recommendations were chosen through the work of an expert panel made up of hospital executives and clinical leaders, who analyzed what effect current social, economic and healthcare trends that will have on hospitals in the future. The steps recommended in the white paper include aligning performance and payment systems for quality and efficiency; incorporating information technology into business plans and strategies; adopting patient-centered care values as a priority; establishing skills and knowledge training programs for staff; and adding safety measures to hospital design and construction plans. One of the innovations spotlighted in the report to address the increase in patient acuity and complexity is the Clinical Nurse Leader (page 30). Download the full report at http://www.jointcommission.org. 10. CNL CERTIFICATION ELIGIBILITY WAIVER CONTINUED FOR FACULTY The Commission on Nurse Certification (CNC) Board of Commissioners is pleased to announce that faculty teaching in existing Clinical Nurse Leader rograms may continue to apply for CNL certification through December 31, 2012. CNL faculty who meet the following criteria are eligible to sit for the CNL Certification Examination: Teach in an existing CNL education program; hold RN licensure; and hold a graduate degree in nursing or a related healthcare discipline (such as healthcare administration or public health) from an institution accredited by an agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. CNL faculty need only submit three forms along with payment to apply: CNL Certification Examination Application, CNL Standards of Conduct, and the CNL Eligibility Documentation Form. For more information, visit http://www.aacn.nche.edu/CNC, or contact CNC Director Tracy Lofty at tlofty@aacn.nche.edu. AACN LEADERSHIP NETWORKS - JOIN NOW! To date, more than 950 nursing school faculty and staff at member institutions have joined AACN's Leadership Networks. These networks provide a forum for peer professionals to share best practices and success stories, sharpen leadership skills, participate in professional development activities, and take full advantage of AACN resources. Networks include Organizational Leadership, Instructional Leadership, Research Leadership, Practice Leadership, Business Officers of Nursing Schools, Nursing Advancement Professionals, and Graduate Nursing Admissions Professionals. For more information about the Networks, see http://www.aacn.nche.edu/Networks. 11. APPLY NOW FOR THE MINORITY NURSE FACULTY SCHOLARSHIP AACN and the Johnson & Johnson Campaign for Nursing's Future are pleased to announce that a third call for applications has been issued for the 2009-2010 Minority Nurse Faculty Scholars Program. Launched in 2007, this national program was created to help increase the number of nurse faculty from ethnic minority backgrounds. The program provides financial assistance and support service to underrepresented minority nursing. In addition to $18,000 in scholarship funding, the program features mentorship and leadership development components to assure successful completion of graduate studies and preparation for a faculty role. The deadline to submit an application is June 5, 2009. See http://www.aacn.nche.edu/JJApp09.doc. 12. RWJF SEEKS APPLICATIONS FROM NURSE EDUCATORS AND RESEARCHERS The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Nurse Faculty Scholars was created to help talented junior nursing faculty advance in their careers by giving them the opportunity to develop a research program and participate in other scholarly activities; engage in mentoring, leadership training, and networking among scholars and colleagues in nursing and other fields; and have protected time to gain the critical skills needed for a successful career in academic nursing. Directed by Dr. Jacquelyn Campbell at the Johns Hopkins University, this program invites applications from schools interested in nominating nurse educators with at least two and no more than five years of experience in a faculty role. Up to 15 awards of up to $350,000 each over three years will be granted. Applicant Web conferences are scheduled for December 11 and 17. Deadline to apply is February 11, 2009. See http://www.rwjfnursefacultyscholars.org. Proposals are also being sought for RWJF's new Evaluating Innovations in Nursing Education program. Directed by Dr. Michael Yedidia at the Rutgers University Center for State Health Policy, this initiative supports evaluations of interventions that expand teaching capacity or promote faculty recruitment and retention in schools of nursing. Funding is available to evaluate interventions that have demonstrated potential to increase enrollment and teaching capacity; improve faculty work-life; and/or enhance faculty recruitment and retention. Up to nine awards of up to $300,000 each will be available in this round of funding. An applicant Web conference is planned for December 2. A brief proposal is due January 23, 2009. For complete details, see http://www.evaluatinginnovationsinnursing.org. The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Executive Nurse Fellows program is an advanced leadership program for nurses in senior executive roles in health services, public health, and nursing education who aspire to help lead and shape the U.S. healthcare system. The three-year fellowships allow nurses to remain in their current positions while they gain the experiences, insights, competencies and skills necessary to advance in executive leadership positions in a healthcare system that is undergoing unprecedented change. This Fellows program is supported by RWJF with direction and technical assistance from the Center for the Health Professions, University of California, San Francisco. Up to 20 fellowships will be awarded this year. Applications are due January 15, 2009. See http://www.enfp-info.org. 13. UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA HOSTS PHD FORUM On October 29, the University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing invited representatives from AACN and 13 schools of nursing to participate in a PhD Forum in Philadelphia. Participants discussed a broad range of issues related to research-focused doctoral education in nursing with a focus on issues related to student recruitment, curriculum and examinations. The closing speaker, Dr. George Walker with Florida International University, will also be featured at AACN's Doctoral Education Conference in January (see item #3 above). "In the 40 years since nurses first received the PhD, the science has grown to become interdisciplinary, translational, a critical point on the NIH roadmap, and a major contributor to the nation's healthcare policy," said dean Afaf Meleis. "While nurses continue to advance the science, nursing schools face educational challenges. The top schools of nursing gathered at Penn to map out new directions for the 21st century that create opportunities to expand the scope of scholarship by breaking through established boundaries in pursuit of new knowledge." See http://www.nursing.upenn.edu. 14. APPLY NOW FOR SIGMA'S PRACTICE/ACADEME COLLABORATION AWARD Given that healthcare systems and schools of nursing have a stake in each other's success, the Honor Society of Nursing, Sigma Theta Tau International (STTI) has issued a Call for Entries for the new Practice/Academe Innovative Collaboration Award that will recognize an institution or group of institutions. A successful submission will demonstrate how the collaboration optimized the way nursing practice and academe worked together to accomplish the honor society's vision of creating a global community of nurses who lead in using knowledge, scholarship, service and learning to improve the health of the world's people. In addition, collaborations should advance the profession and the discipline of nursing within their respective community/communities resulting in improved patient care outcomes. Award entries must be submitted via STTI's online submission system by March 5, 2009. Instructions and award criteria are available at http://www.nursingsociety.org/awards under "International Awards". 15. FACULTY DEVELOPMENT CONFERENCE SLATED FOR SAVANNAH AACN will host the third annual Faculty Development Conference February 12-14, 2009 at the Savannah Marriott Riverfront in Savannah, GA. 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. Sessions explore the academic environment, teaching strategies, clinical teaching, evaluation, and being successful in an academic career. Concurrent sessions encourage participants to select topics according to their own needs and interests. Several particularly popular topics are repeated from last year, and new topics are added, allowing both new and returning participants to pursue personally relevant topics. The brochure is in final preparation and will be mailed to member schools in the next few weeks. For more information, see http://www.aacn.nche.edu/Conferences/confsche.htm. 16. ELNEC PROJECTS ANNOUNCES 2009 TRAINING DATES Ten national ELNEC train-the-trainer courses will be held in 2009 in nine different cities across the US. Nursing faculty are invited to attend one of the four sub-specialty courses: Core, Pediatric Palliative Care, Critical Care, and Geriatric. For California nurses, there are two courses that will be fully grant funded, providing free registration (Critical Care and Geriatric). For more information and/or to register for any of these courses, visit http://www.aacn.nche.edu/ELNEC. 17. FACULTY TRAINING TO ENHANCE GERONTOLOGY IN BSN COURSES In recognition of the need for faculty development in geriatrics, AACN invites faculty to attend one of the upcoming Geriatric Nursing Education Consortium (GNEC) institutes. GNEC is an innovative national initiative to enhance geriatric content in senior-level baccalaureate courses. GNEC focuses on faculty development as a necessary precursor to successfully implementing and sustaining enhancements in nursing education programs. This institute 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, nursing faculty are prepared to lead their colleagues in "gerontologizing" senior-level curricula as well as teaching and mentoring students in the care of older adults. Two upcoming institutes are scheduled: April 1-3, 2009, in San Diego and June 24-26, 2009, in Philadelphia. There is no registration fee or tuition for these institutes. Up to two applicants per baccalaureate school of nursing are eligible for a stipend to help defer travel expenses. For more details, see http://www.aacn.nche.edu/gnec.htm. 18. BLUEPRINT FOR A HEALTHIER AMERICA RELEASED In late October, the Trust for America's Health (TFAH) released a report - The Blueprint for a Healthier America: Modernizing the Federal Public Health System to Focus on Prevention and Preparedness - with recommendations for the new Administration and Congress on ways to improve the health of Americans. More than 150 experts and organizations helped identify gaps and fixes for federal public health agencies and programs through a year-long consensus-building process. "America's public health system is broken. Serious gaps exist in the nation's ability to safeguard health, putting our families, communities, states, and the country at risk," said Dr. Jeff Levi, Executive Director of TFAH. "This Blueprint reflects ideas from the best and the brightest minds in public health for ways to prevent disease, prepare for disasters, and bring down health care costs." The Blueprint was supported by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. AACN staff members Polly Bednash, Robert Rosseter and Suzanne Begeny are cited as contributors to this report. See http://healthyamericans.org/report/55/blueprint-healthier-america. 19. NEW RECOMMENDATIONS FOR UNDERGRAUATE PUBLIC HEALTH EDUCATION Lead by the Association for Prevention Teaching and Research, the APTR Undergraduate Public Health Education initiative aims to fulfill the Institute of Medicine recommendation that all undergraduates should have access to education in public health. In 2006, the APTR Board of Directors approved a motion to make undergraduate public health education an organizational priority. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has provided funds to the APTR through a cooperative agreement to support the integration of undergraduate public health into the liberal arts curriculum. APTR has taken the lead to develop a new document - Recommendations for Undergraduate Public Health Education which serves as a curriculum guide to assist faculty who are developing undergraduate courses in public health as well as educational administrators and faculty curriculum committees who are designing undergraduate public health curricula. To download this document, see http://www.atpm.org/resources/pdfs/Recommendations.pdf. 20. 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. Shenandoah University (SU) has formed a collaborative affiliation with Inova Health System in support of SU's second-degree BSN program. "This agreement will enable the Division of Nursing to increase enrollment numbers for second-degree BSN students, helping to increase the number of qualified nurses available for the workforce," said SU President Tracy Fitzsimmons." Under the agreement, enrollment in the second-degree BSN program willincrease from 30 to 60 students in 2009, and from 60 to 90 students by 2010; and tuition will be reduced by 15% for students awarded scholarships. In return Inova Health System will provide $7,500 scholarships for up to 25 qualified second-degree BSN students in 2009, and up to 30 qualified students in 2010 who make a two-year employment commitment to Inova. The health system will also contribute $500,000 during a two-year period to fund new classrooms, nursing skills/simulation laboratories and/or administrative spaces and provide additional clinical rotation slots at three Inova hospitals. See http://www.su.edu/temp_news.cfm?urlnum=1214. Tuskegee University's Nursing Program in the College of Veterinary Medicine, Nursing, and Allied Health has been awarded a $1,279,302, three-year Nursing Workforce Diversity grant from the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA). Funding will be used to increase the number of baccalaureate-prepared nurses who are from ethnic minority and/or disadvantaged backgrounds. Funding will be used to support four goals: provide educational enhancement and supportive activities designed to increase the awareness of minorities and/or disadvantaged middle and high school students of health professional careers; increase the retention rate of students; prepare culturally competent nurses and provide needed financial support. See http://www.tuskegee.edu/Global/story.asp?S=9218841. 21. MEMBER NEWS, ANNOUNCEMENTS, AND AWARDS Citing her outstanding international, professional and personal achievements in global health, the Commission on Graduates of Foreign Nursing Schools (CGFNS International) has named Dr. Afaf I. Meleis, dean of the University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing, the recipient of the 2008 International Distinguished Leadership Award. The award will be presented to Dr. Meleis at CGFNS International's fifth annual Building Global Alliances Symposium on December 8, 2008. The international symposium's theme will be "The Challenges of Migration for Health Professional Women." For more details on this event, see http://www.cgfns.org. The School of Nursing at the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston will receive $615,448, the most of any college or university in Texas, from a program that rewards nurse education programs for increasing the number of students who become registered nurses. The money comes from the Nursing Shortage Reduction Program, which was put in place by the state following the 2007 legislative session to address the shortage of qualified faculty in nursing education programs. Forty-nine institutions throughout the state will receive money from the program this year for results achieved during the 2008 fiscal year that ended in August. "Under this program we were rewarded for increasing enrollment and graduation rates," said Dr. Pamela G. Watson, dean of the UTMB School of Nursing. Between the 2007 and 2008 fiscal years, the school increased by 83 the number of nursing students who successfully completed the nursing licensure examination. Because of the effect of Hurricane Ike on the UTMB campus, Watson does not expect a similar result next year. "However, I have every intention of bringing us back up after this year." Read more about UTMB's efforts to recover from the impact of Hurricane Ike at http://www.son.utmb.edu. The University of Texas-Arlington has been awarded $104,700 from HRSA in the form of Professional Nurse Traineeship Grants for nursing students. This grant provides assistance to graduate students enrolled in full-time study for tuition, fees, and books. For more than 20 consecutive years, the Graduate Program in Nursing has received Traineeship Grant funding. Student awards are based on funds available and are calculated according to the number of applicants for the fall, spring, and summer semesters of 2008-09. Dr. Linda A. McCauley, the Nightingale Professor in Nursing and Associate Dean for Nursing Research at the University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing, is one of the 65 newly elected members of the Institute of Medicine. Election to the IOM is considered one of the highest honors in the fields of health and medicine and recognizes individuals who have demonstrated outstanding professional achievement and commitment to service. Dr. McCauley has conducted large community-based participatory research projects targeted at reducing pesticide exposures among minority farm workers. Dr. McCauley also has just been named dean of Emory University's Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing and will assume that new role on May 1, 2009. Dr. Tracie Harrison, assistant professor of nursing at The University of Texas at Austin, has received $1.3 million from the National Institutes of Health for a study comparing experiences of women with disabilities. Harrison is studying white and Hispanic women ages 55-75 to compare how women developed mobility impairment and how it impacts their lives. She is interested in how impairment affects functioning and how the timing of disability in women's lives impacts subsequent health as they age. For more details, see http://www.utexas.edu/nursing. 22. AACN OUTREACH AND ADVOCACY UPDATE In AACN's efforts to participate in the current health reform dialogue, the Government Affairs staff is leading a nursing community task force to draft a consensus document that will highlight a set of principles nurses believe is necessary for meaningful reform. This document, expected to be completed early December, will be shared with Congress and the new Administration as the policy debate continues. On November 13-15, AACN participated in the mid-year convention of the National Student Nurses Association in Reno, NV. Dr. Patsy Ruchala, dean of the University of Nevada-Reno Orvis School of Nursing, presented on behalf of AACN at the Nursing Specialty Showcase and the Nursing Organizations Update. At the meeting, AACN also hosted a session on Exploring Graduate Nursing Education which featured an interactive Q&A session led by Clay Hysell with the University of Virginia; Dr. Judy Martin Holland from the University of California-San Francisco; and Robyn Nelson, dean of the Touro University School of Nursing. On November 13 and 14, AACN staff attended the 119th meeting of the National Advisory Council on Nurse Education and Practice (NACNEP). The topic of the meeting was "The Impact of the Faculty Shortage on Nurse Education and Practice." On November 12, AACN staff received a copy of the comprehensive health reform plan authored by the Chair of the Senate Finance Committee, Senator Max Baucus (D-MT). The plan, titled "Call to Action: Health Reform 2009," describes a reformed American health delivery system which includes increased access to coverage, improved value, and an efficient financing approach. AACN President Fay Raines sent a letter to Senator Baucus applauding the work that has already been done, but encouraging the Senator to include our nation's nurses in the discussions about health reform. Read the AACN letter and Senator Baucus' plan at http://www.aacn.nche.edu/Government. On October 20 and 21, AACN CEO Polly Bednash and ELNEC Director Pamela Malloy attended the Institute of Medicine's National Cancer Policy Forum Workshop on Ensuring Quality Cancer Care Through the Oncology Workforce: Sustaining Research and Care in the 21st Century. Dr. Betty Ferrell, a distinguished research scientist at the City of Hope National Medical Center, facilitated this forum focused on improving and ensuring the quality of cancer care through the oncology workforce. AACN Government Affairs staff reminds you to complete the online form in CapWiz every time you make a connection with your Congressional Representatives, including those meetings you hold in DC during our Fall and Spring Annual Meetings. If you have not filled out the form for your Fall Hill meetings, it is not too late! Simply visit our AACN Grassroots website at http://capwiz.com/aacn/home/ and click on "Tell Us About Your Capitol Hill Visits." This feedback is critical in helping us identify our strongest allies in Congress. 23. OPPORTUNITIES AND RESOURCES TO CONSIDER The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) and AcademyHealth are seeking applications for their 2009 Health Policy Fellowship. The fellowship allows visiting scholars to conduct new and innovative analyses and participate in developmental and health policy activities related to the design and content of future NCHS surveys. Applicants may be at any stage in their careers-from doctoral students in the dissertation phase of their programs to senior investigators. The application deadline is January 5, 2009. See http://academyhealth.org/nchs/program.htm. The DAISY Foundation is awarding new funding to nurses seeking to improve treatment of patients with auto-immune diseases and cancer. Applications are now being accepted for the J. Patrick Barnes Research Grant, which funds nursing research and evidence-based practice projects. Two types of grants will be awarded: $5,000 grants for projects that can be completed within two years and $1,000 grants for projects completed within 12 months. This program supports RNs nurses who continually evaluate their practice, seek answers to clinical questions in an effort to improve their practice, and change their practice based on evidence and evaluation of that change. Deadline to apply is March 1, 2009. See http://www.DAISYfoundation.org.   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”. Top | News Watch Home | Media Relations | AACN Home Copyright © 2008 by the American Association of Colleges of Nursing. All rights reserved.