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May 2008 News Watch 1. RWJF & AACN Partner on New Careers in Nursing Scholarship
1. RWJF & AACN PARTNER ON NEW CAREERS IN NURSING SCHOLARSHIP On April 22, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) and AACN announced the creation of the RWJF New Careers in Nursing Scholarship Program. This groundbreaking program is designed to alleviate the nation’s 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 1500 entry-level nursing students over the next three years. Preference will be given to students from groups underrepresented in nursing or from a disadvantaged background. AACN will serve as the National Program Office for this RWJF-funded initiative and will oversee the grant application submission and review processes. A Call for Applications has been issued with a deadline of June 26, 2008. Read more online at http://www.aacn.nche.edu. **AACN is pleased to welcome Vernell DeWitty, PhD, MBA, RN, to our staff as the Deputy Program Director of the RWJF New Careers in Nursing Scholarship program. Dr. DeWitty comes to AACN from The Center for American Nurses, an affiliate organization member of the American Nurses Association, where she worked as the Director of Program Development since 2004. She earned her PhD in Nursing from George Mason University, where she is an adjunct faculty member, and received her MBA from Howard University. Please join us in welcoming Dr. DeWitty to the AACN staff! 2. CCNE AMENDS ACCREDITATION STANDARDS The Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE), an autonomous arm of AACN, has amended its Standards for Accreditation of Baccalaureate and Graduate Degree Nursing Programs. Following a year-long standards revisions process with multiple opportunities for public comment, the CCNE Board of Commissioners voted to approve the amended standards at its meeting on April 10-12, 2008. The most substantive change to the standards centers around CCNE’s move to accredit Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) programs, in addition to baccalaureate and master’s programs. The amended standards also include elaborations, which provide guidance and interpretations at the key element level. The new Standards will go in to effect on January 1, 2009 for all programs. Therefore, any program hosting an on-site evaluation or submitting a report to CCNE in 2009 will need to address the amended (2008) Standards. Institutions hosting Fall 2008 on-site evaluations (except those whose DNP programs are under review in that term) must address the 2003 Standards. To access the amended standards, see http://www.aacn.nche.edu/Accreditation/pdf/standards.pdf. 3. NEW STUDY CONNECTS NURSING EDUCATION WITH PATIENT OUTCOMES Dr. Linda Aiken and her colleagues with the Center for Health Outcomes and Policy Research at the University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing have once again provided evidence that the level of nursing education has a direct impact on patient care. In an article published in the May 2008 Journal of Nursing Administration, Dr. Aiken found that hospitals with better care environments, the best nurse staffing levels, and the most highly educated 4. AACN PRESIDENT ADVANCES “SOLUTIONS FOR OUR FUTURE” In honor of National Nurses Week, AACN President Fay Raines was asked by the American Council on Education (ACE) to write a guest perspective about the national nursing shortage. The piece is currently featured in ACE’s Solutions for Our Future newsletter. Solutions for Our Future is a national project to increase awareness of the many ways in which American colleges and universities serve the public. Higher education addresses pressing societal needs by preparing the people who solve the problems and teaching people who change the world. This newsletter is targeted to college presidents and chancellors. Dr. Raines’ commentary, titled “Seeking Collaborative Solutions to the Nursing Shortage,” is available at http://www.solutionsforourfuture.org/site/PageServer?pagename=guest_perspective_raines. 5. 2008 LEADERSHIP FOR ACADEMIC NURSING PROGRAM SEEKS APPLICATIONS AACN is soliciting applications for the 2008 Leadership for Academic Nursing Program offered August 11-14, 2008 at The National Conference Center in Lansdowne, VA. The program again will be facilitated by the Fanning Institute for Leadership at the University of Georgia. Applicants are sought who aspire to be the dean/director of a baccalaureate or graduate nursing program as well as those serving within their first three years in that role. Every effort has been made to keep costs modest, though the high standards and excellent content of years past have not changed. "Development of executive level academic leaders is absolutely critical to the future of nursing education," says AACN President Fay Raines. "With the intensifying faculty shortage and increasing retirements of current deans and directors, we have an urgent need to identify and prepare academic leaders. This program is highly regarded, has been tested for years, and offers an extraordinary member service." Full program information and application requirements are at http://www.aacn.nche.edu/Education/LANP.htm. Applications are due May 30, 2008, and final notifications will be made by June 6, 2008. 6. DVD ON THE “EVOLUTION OF THE BACCALAUREATE” NOW AVAILABLE AACN is pleased to announce that the taped presentation of Dr. Joanne Disch prepared for the regional meetings on the revision of the Baccalaureate Essentials is now available on DVD. Titled Setting the Stage for the Evolution of Baccalaureate Nursing Education, Dr. Disch gives an insightful overview on the current state of professional nursing education and the need for change moving forward. Dr. Disch is a clinical professor at the University of Minnesota School of Nursing who also serves as the director of the Katharine J. Densford International Center for Nursing Leadership and the Katherine R. and C. Walton Lillehei Chair in Nursing Leadership. DVDs may be ordered for $8 each from http://www.aacn.nche.edu/Education/dvd.htm. 7. CCNE REVISES FAQS RELATED TO DNP PROGRAM ACCREDITATION Nursing schools seeking CCNE accreditation for Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) programs should note the following revision to the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) developed for DNP program accreditation: The CCNE Board determined at its April 10-12, 2008 meeting that DNP programs with a nursing education track (major) will not be eligible to pursue accreditation, as CCNE subscribes to the definition of practice identified in The Essentials for Doctoral Education for Advanced Nursing Practice (AACN, 2006), which broadly defines advanced nursing practice as "any form of nursing intervention that influences health care outcomes for individuals or populations, including the direct care of individual patients, management of care for individuals and populations, administration of nursing and health care organizations, and the development and implementation of health policy" (p. 2). This decision applies only to DNP programs. CCNE encourages DNP programs that are preparing nurses for faculty roles to offer electives or a minor with focus on the education-related content in addition to the DNP practice content. The complete set of FAQs may be accessed at http://www.aacn.nche.edu/Accreditation/dnpFAQ.htm. 8. EVALUATORS NEEDED FOR NURSE RESIDENCY PROGRAM ACCREDITATION CCNE is currently accepting nominations of qualified individuals to be considered for volunteer service as evaluators in the accreditation review of post-baccalaureate nurse residency programs. Accreditation of nurse residency programs in acute-care settings is a new CCNE activity that is expected to launch in Fall 2008; it is separate and distinct from CCNE’s accreditation of baccalaureate and graduate degree nursing programs. If you and/or your colleagues in education or practice have had meaningful participation in a post-baccalaureate nurse residency program, and are interested in serving as a CCNE evaluator, please refer to the Nurse Residency Program section of the CCNE web site at http://www.aacn.nche.edu/Accreditation/nrpeval.htm. The deadline for submitting nominations is May 30, 2008. 9. SIGMA THETA TAU SOLICITS DNP FINAL PROJECT ABSTRACTS Graduates of Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) programs are invited to submit final project or dissertation abstracts to Sigma Theta Tau International’s Virginia Henderson International Nursing Library for posting in the Registry of Nursing Research. DNP submissions can include scholarly activities, such as clinical projects, health care policy changes, clinical outcomes/evaluations projects, translational research, and other types of projects designed to improve the quality and/or implementation of clinical practice. To submit an abstract, use the DNP template found by clicking on “HELP” on the library’s homepage: http://www.nursinglibrary.org/Portal/Main.aspx?PageID=4002. The Registry of Nursing Research is a searchable and free resource located at http://www.nursinglibrary.org which contains more than 32,000 studies. Institutions wishing to collaborate with the library to post their DNP projects as a collection or individuals with questions should contact Library Services Coordinator Margie Wilson at 1-888-634-7575 or librarymanager@nursinglibrary.org. 10. RESPOND NOW TO CRIMINAL BACKGROUND CHECK SURVEY CertifiedBackground.com is conducting a survey to examine student background check policies and procedures of AACN member schools. The survey is an opportunity for you to help your colleagues evaluate their own policies and procedures. Regardless of whether or not your institution currently requires student background checks, your answers will help others to evaluate their own practices. You must complete this survey by June 20, 2008 to obtain the final summary of results from all participating schools. The survey may be completed online at http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=CTZy3dskx8C6BPyT4kBOow_3d_3d. 11. FACULTY TRAINING: ENHANCING GERONTOLOGY CONTENT IN BSN COURSES AACN believes that educating students with significant course content and clinical experiences in gerontology is the key to improving the quality of nursing care for our aging population. In an effort to enhance faculty development in geriatrics, AACN invites faculty to attend a Geriatric Nursing Education Consortium (GNEC) Institute. GNEC is an innovative national initiative to enhance geriatric content in senior-level baccalaureate courses. Institutes provide 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 new nurses. Using a train-the-trainer approach, 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. Upcoming 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 the St. Louis Institute has been extended to June 30, 2008. Thanks to the generous funding by the Hartford Foundation, there is no registration fee or tuition. Up to two applicants from a baccalaureate school of nursing are eligible for a stipend to help defer travel expenses. See http://www.aacn.nche.edu/gnec.htm.12. JOIN AACN IN SAN FRANCISCO FOR THE SUMMER SEMINAR Coming July 20-23, 2008 to the Hyatt at Fisherman’s Wharf in San Francisco, the 2008 Summer Seminar offers guidance on Building and Leading High-Performing Teams: Essential Skills for Nursing Academic Leader. Although nurse educators typically have much experience working with groups, they may lack specific insights and skills that are pivotal to full success as team leaders. This year's Summer Seminar focuses on the personal development of academic leaders as skilled team leaders who can garner support from team members to accomplish the increasingly complex work of nursing education. Join a nationally recognized executive consultant, Lisa K. Nabors, MEd, PCC in three interactive, practical morning sessions designed to increase your ability to build, lead, evaluate, and guide teams. Learn specific approaches to maximize your effectiveness as a leader. Share successful strategies with colleagues and take away ready-to-use tools. The hotel cutoff is June 16, and the conference early registration deadline is June 27. For complete details, see http://www.aacn.nche.edu/conferences/08SumSem.htm. 13. NEW DVD ON THE CLINICAL NURSE LEADER ROLE AVAILABLE The U.S. Department of Veteran's Affairs (VA) has produced a new DVD about the implementation of the Clinical Nurse Leader (CNL®) in the Veteran's Affairs Health Care System. Titled Clinical Nurse Leader: Principles and Practice, this 9-minute presentation includes interviews with CNLs, medical professors, nursing deans, students, preceptors, and nurse managers and other leaders. The DVD features a commentary from James Harris, the Associate Director of Patient Care Services at the VA Tennessee Valley Healthcare System; Cathy Rick, CNO of the VA; and AACN Executive Director Polly Bednash. DVDs may be ordered for $8 each at http://www.aacn.nche.edu/CNL/vadvd.htm. 14. NURSES WEEK PROMOTION NETS HUNDREDS OF FACULTY ADS In honor of National Nurses Week (May 6-12), AACN offered member institutions an opportunity to post free faculty vacancy announcements on our Web-based Faculty Career Link in May. Response from members was tremendous with almost 120 ads featuring more than 200 teaching opportunities now posted online. See http://www.aacn.nche.edu/CareerLink/2008/May/ads.htm. In addition to vacancy announcements, AACN’s Faculty Career Link features information for nurses considering teaching careers, including a nurse educator career profile, listings of academic programs that prepare faculty, financial aid options, and links to faculty development programs. AACN is always working to raise awareness of Faculty Career Link, including spreading the word to nurse employers in practice settings and contacting organizations comprised of advanced practice nurses to draw attention to these opportunities to teach. For more information about Faculty Career Link, contact Communication Assistant Laura Guetter at lguetter@aacn.nche.edu. 15. 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.ganes.info. 16. LEARN ABOUT QUALITY AND SAFETY IN CLINICAL MICROSYSTEMS On June 25-27, 2008 in Oakbrook Terrace, IL, the Joint Commission Resources will present a conference titled Quality and Safety in Nursing Education: A Clinical Microsystems Approach. Cosponsored by AACN, this visionary event is designed to help academic and clinical practice partners deepen their understanding of quality and safety issues, learn and apply clinical microsystems techniques, and strengthen nurses’ readiness to respond effectively to these issues. Sessions weave together theory, research-based practices, and experiential learning to help educators and clinicians identify and improve how quality and safety issues are addressed in current curricula as well as nursing practice. Attendees will learn about high-performing organizations that have successfully applied microsystems thinking to reduce risk and errors, streamline productivity, and thoroughly prepare the next generation of nurses. Dr. Joan Stanley, AACN’s Senior Director of Education Policy, is a featured speaker. See http://www.jcrinc.com/28497. 17. ELNEC CELEBRATES ITS 50TH NATIONAL COURSE The End-of-Life Nursing Education Consortium (ELNEC) is pleased to announce that nurse educators from around the country will gather in Chicago on June 28, 2008 to celebrate the 50th national ELNEC course. Now in its 8th year, the ELNEC project is a groundbreaking initiative developed to enhance end-of-life nursing care. The upcoming reunion will provide an opportunity for nurse educators to receive palliative care updates, network with other trainers, and honor those who have made exceptional contributions to this vital work. At the 50th celebration gala, six distinguished ELNEC trainers will be honored for their efforts in implementing and disseminating the ELNEC curriculum. Over 20 trainers will provide posters of their work in disseminating and implementing ELNEC. The cadre of ELNEC core, graduate, oncology, pediatric, critical care, and geriatric faculty will also be honored for their commitment in providing lectures at these 50 national courses. See http://www.aacn.nche.edu/ELNEC/pdf/ENEC50RegFrm.pdf. 18. AACN ISSUES A CALL FOR NOMINATIONS AACN's Nominating Committee has issued a Call for Nominations for candidates to fill five Board seats and two committee vacancies. Chaired by Dr. Judy Beal from Simmons College, the committee will choose the slate of candidates at the 2008 Fall Semiannual Meeting based on nominations and the committee's deliberations. The positions under consideration are Treasurer, Board Member-at-Large (4 vacancies), and Nominating Committee (2 vacancies). Nominations must be received by October 18, 2008. For complete details, see http://www.aacn.nche.edu/MemberServices/CallforNominations.htm. 19. CHEROKEE UNIFORMS STUDENT SCHOLARSHIP WINNERS ANNOUNCED On May 10, Cherokee Uniforms announced 10 winners of the 2008 Cherokee A Nurse I Am Scholarship. Recipients were each awarded $2,000 toward defraying the cost of their nursing education. Winners included Crystal Anthony (Coppin State University, Baltimore, Md.), Bridget Baginsky (University of Pennsylvania), Stephanie Chu (University of Pennsylvania), Coretta Collins (University of Alabama, Huntsville), Daria Fitzgerald (Anne Arundel Community College), Liza Kessling, (Pensacola Christian College), Neil R. Kocalis (Davis & Elkins College), Amanda Oswald (Azusa Pacific University), Angela Sweers (Hope College), and Lindsay Williams (University of California, Los Angeles). Selection was based on an essay written in response to the inspirational nurses film “A Nurse I Am.” For complete details, including essays from the winners, see http://anurseiam.com/winners.php. 20. SULLIVAN ALLIANCES GIVES GUIDANCE ON FORMING STATE ALLIANCES On May 15, the Sullivan Alliance to Transform America's Health Professions held a Web conference on forming state alliances needed to help increase the number of minority health professionals in the workforce. Alliance Chairman Dr. Louis W. Sullivan presented along with AACN Executive Director Polly Bednash, Dr. Jeanne Sinkford from the American Dental Education Association, and Dr. Michael Ehlert from the American Medical Student Association. Panelists discussed the impact that state-based alliances of educational institutions are able to achieve on increasing diversity in the health professions. Discussion centered on strategies for developing state alliances including start-up organizational priorities, funding sources, faculty and student engagement, and the national environment. Slides from the event will be posted on the AACN Web site by June 1. 21. AAMC RELEASES NEW “ROADMAP TO DIVERSITY” PUBLICATION The Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) has just released a new document titled Roadmap to Diversity: Key Legal and Educational Policy Foundation for Medical Schools. Authored by Dr. Art Coleman and other experts in providing legal and policy guidance to higher education institutions, this hands-on publication was developed to help schools establish institution-specific, diversity-related policies that advance core educational goals with minimal legal risk. The document contains an institutional diversity self-assessment checklist and an action plan template. Nursing schools may also use this publication to guide collaboration and discussions among institutional leaders; deans and faculty; admissions, minority affairs, financial aid, and recruitment officers; legal counsel; students; and others engaged in diversity-related issues. Download this free publication at https://services.aamc.org/Publications/showfile.cfm?file=version109.pdf&prd_id=219&prv_id=275&pdf_id=10. 22. DEADLINE FOR THE NEW FINANCIAL BENCHMARKING SURVEY Please note that the deadline to complete AACN’s Financial Benchmarking Survey has now past, but we are still accepting late submissions. AACN launched this survey to collect data which will help member schools compare their financial performance with peer institutions. Participating schools can generate standard benchmarking reports for free using an online report tool. Fees will be charged for more complex reports. Schools will need to complete both the Benchmarking Survey and the Faculty and Doctoral Student Roster Survey before financial benchmarking reports can be generated. To participate in this survey, members must visit http://ids.aacn.nche.edu and use your school’s member ID as both the login name and password for both surveys. Please refer any questions to surveysupport@aacn.nche.edu. 23. 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.
24. AACN OUTREACH AND ADVOCACY UPDATE
25. AACN OUTREACH AND ADVOCACY UPDATE
26. OPPORTUNITIES AND RESOURCES TO CONSIDER
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