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February 2009 News Watch 1. Results of the 2009 AACN Board Election Announced
1. RESULTS FROM THE 2009 AACN BOARD ELECTION ANNOUNCED The AACN is pleased to announce the results of the 2009 Election to fill seats on the AACN Board of Directors and Nominating Committee. These winning candidates will assume office at the close of the Business Meeting at the upcoming Spring Annual Meeting, March 14-17, 2009 in Washington, DC. (See item #4 below). Congratulations go to:
2. TITLE VIII APPROPRIATIONS FOR FY 2009 MAY SEE AN INCREASE On February, 23, the House Appropriations Committee released information regarding the FY 2009 Omnibus package which identified funding levels for federal programs. If this proposed bill passes, Title VIII Nursing Workforce Development programs would receive an additional $15 million over the FY 2008 appropriation level. This would bring Title VIII funding up to $171 million. AACN will continue to monitor the appropriations process regarding this funding level. This funding is separate from the new monies made available through the Stimulus Package (see item #9). For complete details, see http://appropriations.house.gov/pdf/LHEFY0902-23-09.pdf. 3. AACN AWARDED FUNDING FOR NEW FACULTY DEVELOPMENT INITIATIVE AACN and the University of North Carolina (UNC) at Chapel Hill School of Nursing have been awarded grants from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation totaling $4.25 million to conduct an innovative project aimed at preparing future nurses to continuously improve the quality and safety of healthcare systems. The grants – $2.45 million for AACN and $1.8 million for UNC – will support the third phase of the multi-year Quality and Safety Education for Nurses (QSEN) initiative. Using a train-the-trainer model, this initiative will focus on developing the faculty expertise necessary to teach essential quality and safety competencies to future generations of nurses. For more details, see http://www.aacn.nche.edu/Media/NewsReleases/2009/qsen.html. 4. JOIN US FOR EDS & THE SPRING ANNUAL MEETING IN WASHINGTON, DC
5. NURSING ADVANCEMENT PROFESSIONALS HOST ANNUAL MEETING Coming to Washington, DC on March 13-14, 2009, the annual Nursing Advancement Professionals (NAP) meeting provides an opportunity for your advancement, development, marketing and communications, public relations, and alumni affairs professionals to build upon your school’s success. Attendees of the NAP conference will discover creative ideas, valuable tips, and proven strategies that bring results. Learn how to shift development strategies in this difficult economic climate and meet leaders in the field who can be tapped for their expertise. For program details, see http://www.aacn.nche.edu/Conferences/09nap.htm. 6. DEADLINE FAST APPROACHING FOR NELRP PROGRAM Administered by the Health Resources and Services Administration, the Nursing Education Loan Repayment Program (NELRP) provides funding to repay up to 60 percent of a qualifying nurse’s educational loans in exchange for a two- or three-year post-graduation service commitment. NELRP is designed to assist in the recruitment and retention of professional RNs dedicated to providing health care in facilities with a crucial shortage of nurses and to provide an opportunity for RNs to consider a career in such facilities. The program offers nurses substantial economic assistance to repay a portion of their educational loans in exchange for full-time service at a designated healthcare facility. Individuals interested in applying for this program must submit an application by March 2, 2009. For details, see http://bhpr.hrsa.gov/nursing/loanreguidance.htm. 7. PRESIDENT OBAMA NAMES DR. MARY WAKEFIELD HRSA ADMINISTRATOR On February 20, President Obama appointed Mary Wakefield, PhD, RN, FAAN, as the new head of the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. AACN and the nursing community at large supported Dr. Wakefield as a candidate for the HRSA position, and we are so pleased to see a nurse advance into this important role within the Obama Administration. Dr. Wakefield has been a strong advocate for professional nursing education and a leading voice for nursing on the national and state level. She currently serves as associate dean for rural health at the School of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of North Dakota (UND) and is also the director of UND's Center for Rural Health. Please join us in congratulating Dr. Wakefield and celebrating this victory on behalf of the nursing profession. See http://www.hrsa.gov. 8. NEW GAANN FUNDING AVAILABLE FOR RESEARCH-FOCUSED DOCTORATES Research-focused doctoral programs take note: Applications are now being accepted by the U.S. Department of Education for the Graduate Assistance in Areas of National Need (GAANN) program. Nursing is once again included as an “Area of National Need,” and schools of nursing are encouraged to apply for these funds. The program provides fellowships to graduate students with excellent academic records who demonstrate financial need and plan to pursue the highest degree available in their course of study. Applications are due March 16, 2009. For complete details including an FY 2009 application packet, see http://www.ed.gov/programs/gaann/index.html. 9. FUNDING FOR NURSING SECURED IN THE STIMULUS PACKAGE AACN applauds President Obama and our nursing champions on Capitol Hill for securing additional funding for nursing education in the newly enacted American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (H.R. 1). Of the $500 million allocated for health professions training in the final stimulus package, $300 million will be awarded to the National Health Service Corps and the remaining $200 million will be divided between the Nursing Workforce Development Programs (Title VIII of the Public Health Service Act) and the Health Professions Training Programs (Title VII). HRSA has 90 days to determine how this funding will be split between Titles VII and VIII. “In their work to stimulate the U.S. economy, federal legislators recognized the connection between funding health professions education and preparing a workforce large enough to meet the nation’s healthcare needs,” said AACN President Fay Raines. “Nurse educators are grateful for this infusion of funding, which will help nursing schools battle the financial challenges they are currently facing.” See http://www.aacn.nche.edu/Government/Stimulus.htm.10. HOT ISSUES CONFERENCE FOCUSES ON CLASSROOM & CLINICAL TECHNOLOGY The biennial Hot Issues Conference focuses on "Technology: Transforming Nursing Education" at the Salt Lake City Marriott City Center, Salt Lake City, UT, April 23-25, 2009. Nursing students and faculty increasingly are exposed to technology, both as a means to care for patients in the clinical setting and as a method to convey information in the classroom. Explore the use of patient care technology for which we must prepare students, including healthcare informatics, the electronic health record, and telenursing. Discuss what’s new in instructional technology, including the use of clinical simulation and the importance of information literacy. Join colleagues for stimulating discussions about the effects of technology on academic dishonesty and faculty resources. Posters and abstract presentations offer opportunities for participants to investigate topics of particular interest and applicability. Topics include Nursing and Healthcare Informatics; Information Literacy; Advancing Critical Thinking with the Electronic Health Record; Replicating Reality for Learners: Innovations in Teaching With Simulation; Clinical Simulation: How Much? Too Much?; Telehealth and Telenursing; and Emerging Perspectives on Technology for Teaching and Learning. Informal collegial discussions occur during breakfast, including Academic Dishonesty and the Use of Technology and Workload and Resource Issues in Using Technology. The hotel cutoff and early conference registration deadlines are March 19 and March 26, 2009, respectively. Full conference information is available online at http://www.aacn.nche.edu/conferences/09HotIssues.htm. 11. AACN AND AAMC COLLABORATE ON LIFELONG LEARNING INITIATIVE On February 9-10, 2009, AACN and the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) hosted the first invitational consensus conference titled Promoting Lifelong Learning in Medicine and Nursing: From Research to Practice, in Alexandria, VA. Supported by the Josiah Macy Foundation, this meeting brought together national leaders in nursing and medicine to develop recommendations for preparing health professionals for lifelong learning. Participants focused on distilling the latest research related to continuing education; explored innovative formats for continuing education and interactive learning strategies; and examined interprofessional learning opportunities and strategies in practice. For more details on this ground-breaking initiative, including preliminary white papers, reports, and a bibliography, see http://www.aamc.org/meded/cme/lifelong/start.htm. 12. NOMINATIONS SOUGHT FOR CCNE BOARD AND NOMINATING COMMITTEE The deadline for submitting nominations for the CCNE Board of Commissioners and Nominating Committee has been extended to Wednesday, March 4, 2009. The following positions on the 13-member Board are open for election:
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 March 4, 2009. To obtain the nominations packet, see http://www.aacn.nche.edu/accreditation. 13. NEW AACN MEMBER BENEFIT: DISCOUNTED STUDENT IMMUNICATION TRACKER CertifiedBackground.com, AACN’s partner provider of criminal background check services, is pleased to announce its newest service, the Student Immunization Tracker. As an AACN member, you have the opportunity to sign up and receive a 35% discount. Student Immunization Tracker is a secure, Web-based document management system that makes managing student immunization records simple. Students conveniently upload, mail, or fax their immunization records. Records are securely stored online where both you and the student can view them. As with all CertifiedBackground.com services, two payment plans are offered: student and school funded. The student funded plan charges the student directly, making the service absolutely free for your school. All participating schools will receive a 35% discount, which translates into a fee of $10 per student versus the regular rate of $15 per student. Student Immunization Tracker was designed to be fully compliant with all federal laws including HIPAA and FERPA. Procedures for gathering, maintaining, and storing student immunization records follow strict guidelines that protect the rights, security, and confidentiality of your students. For more information, contact a CertifiedBackground.com representative at 888-666-7788, ext. 2 or see http://www.aacn.nche.edu/MemberServices/pdf/FaxBackForm.pdf. 14. SPRING DEADLINE SET FOR CNL CERTIFICATION EXAM The next deadline to apply for the Clinical Nurse LeaderSM (CNL®) Certification Examination is around the corner! March 20 is the deadline for AACN’s Commission on Nurse Certification (CNC) to receive CNL certification applications or to register an institution/school of nursing as an exam site for the April 20-May 22 testing period. Other testing dates and deadlines for 2009 are as follows: July 20-August 21 with a registration deadline of June 19; and November 30-December 18 with a registration deadline of October 20. CNL program directors are responsible for coordinating an exam date and notifying Applied Measurement Professionals and CNC (wta@goamp.com and cnl@aacn.nche.edu). For more information about CNL certification, visit http://www.aacn.nche.edu/CNC or contact Tracy Lofty, CNC Director, at tlofty@aacn.nche.edu. 15. CNL PARTNERSHIP SUMMIT ATTRACTS RECORD NUMBERS TO NEW ORLEANS More than 400 nurse faculty, deans, chief nurse officers, practicing Clinical Nurse Leaders (CNLs), and students attended the 2009 CNL Summit which took place January 29-31, 2009 in New Orleans. Jointly sponsored by AACN and the Veteran's Health Administration Office of Nursing Services, the summit focused on the impact CNLs are having on quality and safety at the microsystem level across settings. Highlights included presentations titled The CNL: Moving Evidence to Practice by Sue Hassmiller, PhD, RN, FAAN, Senior Advisor for Nursing, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation; Utilizing Business Methods to Improve Outcomes at the Microsystems Level presented by TimothyShea, FACHE, Director, Veterans Integrated Service Network; andQuality Improvement and the CNL in Today’s Healthcare Environment by Deborah M. Nadzam, PhD, RN, FAAN, Practice Leader, Patient Safety Services, Joint Commission Resources, Inc. The presentations are in the process of being posted on the AACN Web site at http://www.aacn.nche.edu/CNL/09cnlsummit.htm. 16. ONLINE HEALTH WORKFORCE INFORMATION CENTER LAUNCHED Launched on February 5, the new HRSA-funded Health Workforce Information Center provides free access to the most recent resources on the nation’s health workforce in one easy-to-use online location. “As shortages of physicians, nurses and allied health personnel worsen, information available through the center will help lawmakers, hospitals and schools develop strategies to meet future workforce demands,” said HRSA Administrator Elizabeth M. Duke. Operated by the University of North Dakota’s School of Medicine and Health Sciences, the center will offer the latest on health workforce programs and funding sources; workforce data, research and policy; educational opportunities and models; best practices; and related news and events. See http://www.healthworkforceinfo.org. 17. ELNEC PROJECT ANNOUNCES 2009 TRAINING DATES Mark your calendars! Seven national ELNEC train-the-trainer courses will be held in 2009 in different cities across the US. Nurse 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. 18. NATIONAL SUMMIT ADVANCES NURSING SHORTAGE SOLUTIONS On February 4-5, 2009, leaders from 47 states across the country gathered in Baltimore for the 2009 Nursing Education Capacity Summit to address the pressing nursing shortage, but more importantly, help create strategic solutions. The Center to Champion Nursing in America, a joint initiative of AARP, the AARP Foundation and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, in collaboration with HRSA and the U.S. Department of Labor, convened the summit for state teams to help identify and develop approaches to improving nursing education capacity. The ultimate goal is to reverse the persistent nursing shortage that could leave states without enough nurses and put patient care at risk. Participants shared best practices and focused on four key areas: strategic partnerships and resource alignment; policy and regulation; increasing faculty capacity and diversity; and redesigning educational curricula. For more details, see http://www.championnursing.org. 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.
20. MEMBER NEWS, ANNOUNCEMENTS, AND AWARDS
21. AACN OUTREACH AND ADVOCACY UPDATE
22. OPPORTUNITIES AND RESOURCES TO CONSIDER
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