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July 2009 News Watch 1. Nursing’s Centralized Application Service Takes Shape 1. NURSING’S CENTRALIZED APPLICATION SERVICE TAKES SHAPE Announced in April, AACN is taking steps to launch the first national Centralized Application Service for students applying to nursing programs. This service, similar to ones in place for medicine, dentistry, and pharmacy, will provide applicants with a convenient way to apply to nursing programs while also serving as a mechanism to fill vacant seats in schools of nursing. Called NursingCAS, the service will offer prospective nursing students the option of completing one standardized application that can be disseminated to multiple schools for consideration. Applicants to all types of nursing programs will be able to use NursingCAS once it is fully operational. On July 7-8, 2009, the project’s Advisory Group met in Boston to begin development of the service, including information resources for nursing schools. As a result, new sets of Frequently Asked Questions and Talking Points have been developed to describe the benefits and utility of NursingCAS. See http://www.aacn.nche.edu/CAS. The advisors are also preparing a survey to be distributed to nursing schools in August that will help shape the development of the application service and gauge interest among schools in participating in this effort. 2. HHS ADDRESSES STIMULUS FUNDING FOR NURSING EDUCATION On July 28, 2009, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) held a national conference call on the status of funding for nursing education available through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. The call featured HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius and HRSA Administrator Mary Wakefield, as well as remarks from Dr. Kathleen Dracup, dean of the School of Nursing at the University of California San Francisco, and Dr. John Maupin, president of the Morehouse School of Medicine. Secretary Sebelius announced that new funding would be available to support 8,000 health professions students, including nurses. For more information on this funding, visit http://bhpr.hrsa.gov/recovery. Deadlines and application information for specific grant programs will be posted at http://www.hrsa.gov/grants within the next few weeks. For more information on other programs funded by the stimulus package, see http://www.aacn.nche.edu/Government/StimulusIndex.htm. 3. DEPARTMENT OF LABOR ANNOUNCES WORKFORCE GRANTS On July 21, 2009, the Department of Labor (DOL) announced that $220 million in competitive grant funds are available to prepare individuals for careers in health care and other high-growth fields. As a result of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, this funding will be available for programs focused on nursing, allied health, long-term care, and health information technology. Approximately $25 million of the funds will be awarded to projects serving communities impacted by automotive industry restructuring. The Department of Labor intends to fund 45-65 grants ranging from approximately $2 to $5 million. Specifically, for nursing education institutions, the DOL “is interested in academic strategies that help incumbent workers advance from an ADN to the bachelor’s degree in nursing (BSN) since many RNs with an ADN find it beneficial to enter bachelor’s programs to prepare for a broader scope of nursing practice.” The application deadline is October 5, 2009. For more information, see http://www.doleta.gov/grants/find_grants.cfm. 4. REGISTER NOW FOR A DIVISION OF NURSING REGIONAL WORKSHOP 5. HOUSE PASSES FY 2010 APPROPRIATIONS BILL On July 17, 2009, the U.S. House of Representatives passed H.R. 3293, the FY 2010 Labor, Health and Human Services (LHHS) Appropriations bill, with a vote of 264-153. The bill includes $73.7 billion, which is a $7.4 billion increase over FY 2009 and $2 billion more than the President's FY 2010 budget request. The House bill provides $263.4 million for Title VIII. This funding level, which represents a 54% increase over FY 2009, demonstrates a strong commitment to building a robust nursing workforce. The Nurse Loan Repayment and Scholarship programs and the Nurse Faculty Loan program were the only Title VIII authorities to receive a portion of the $92.37 million funding increase. The Senate LHHS Subcommittee was scheduled to mark up its corresponding bill on July 28. AACN will alert members when the final funding levels for FY 2010 are determined. 6. AACN BOARD MEMBERS AND STAFF INVITED TO WHITE HOUSE EVENT On June 24, 2009, AACN President Fay Raines and Treasurer Janet Allan were invited to the White House, along with AACN staff members and nursing students, to participate in a nationally televised ABC News program focused on the national healthcare reform debate. Titled Questions for the President: Prescription for America, the program was moderated by newscasters Charles Gibson and Diane Sawyer and featured a question-and-answer exchange with President Barack Obama. Joining the Board members at the White House for this event were AACN staff members Suzanne Begeny, Director of Government Affairs, and Dr. Vernell DeWitty, Deputy Director for the New Careers in Nursing Program. AACN also invited two local nursing students to participate: Lauren Underwood, a graduate student from the Johns Hopkins University who is serving as an intern with AACN’s Government Affairs department; and Hershaw Davis, a baccalaureate student from the University of Maryland who is a recent recipient of the AfterCollege-AACN scholarship. For more details, see http://www.aacn.nche.edu/Media/NewsReleases/2009/ABC.html. 7. INTERACTIVE STATE PROFILES PUBLISHED ON THE AACN WEB SITE To further enhance member advocacy efforts, AACN has published a new interactive resource on our Web site titled State Profiles of Nursing Education and Research Funding. Using this tool, individuals can access key state data related to nursing education capacity as well as funding levels for federal Nursing Workforce Development programs (Title VIII) by visiting http://www.aacn.nche.edu/Government/map/FactSheets.html. Simply click on any U.S. state to view statistics on nursing enrollments and qualified students turned away, Title VIII funding, National Institute of Nursing Research funding, and testimonials from nursing students who have received Title VIII support. Please let us know if this resource is helpful by contacting Government Affairs Manager Chandra Burnside at cburnside@aacn.nche.edu. 8. PLAN NOW TO ATTEND AACN’S 40TH ANNIVERSAY CELEBRATION Make plans now to join us for AACN's 40th Anniversary Celebration and Fall Meeting on October 31-November 3, 2009 at the JW Marriott Hotel in Washington, DC. AACN member deans and associate deans are invited to join us for this special event that will honor the contributions all member schools have made to AACN's success over the years. Highlights will include presentations by Ken Bain, the award-winning author of What the Best College Teachers Do, photographic artist Chris Jordan, and Charles "Chic" Thompson, an academician and former Walt Disney employee who will present an engaging and humorous talk on creativity in academe. Fun is also on the agenda with a live performance by the Capitol Steps, an anniversary reception and champagne toast, a photo history of AACN member schools, and other festivities. Program details are posted online at http://www.aacn.nche.edu/Conferences/09Fall.htm. Please note that deans may bring multiple associate deans as guests for this special event. The early registration and hotel reservation cut-off date is October 7, 2009. Deans are encouraged to make reservations early as the hotel will likely sell out quickly. 9. REGIONAL MEETINGS SET FOR THE MASTER’S ESSENTIALS AACN’s Task Force on The Essentials of Master’s Education in Nursing is moving forward with its charge to develop a document that delineates the competencies that should be acquired upon graduation from a master’s-level nursing program. Chaired by Dr. Joanne Warner from the University of Portland, the task force will use a consensus-building process to complete this work. Stakeholders will have multiple opportunities to review and provide feedback on the draft Master’s Essentials as it develops. AACN members, faculty, students, practicing nurses, and representatives of other organizations are invited to provide input at regional meetings planned for the following locations: Baltimore, MD, October 8-9, 2009; Chicago, IL, November 18-19, 2009; San Diego, CA, January 20-21, 2010; and New Orleans, LA, February 24-25, 2010. For more details, see http://www.aacn.nche.edu/regionalmeetings.htm. 10. SPECIAL CONFERENCE DISCOUNT AVAILABLE TO AACN MEMBERS In an effort to be responsive to schools of nursing during these tough economic times, AACN is pleased to offer a reduced rate on conferences taking place in FY 2010 (July 2009-June 2010). Representatives from AACN member institutions will receive a deep discount on our regular conference fees ($399) when signing up in advance for at least three conferences. Through this offer, schools would pay $999 to register for three AACN conferences in advance. Signing up early for additional conferences would be at the reduced rate of $359 per conference. Schools wishing to pursue this offer do not need to identify the registrant for each conference in advance. That information can be sent to AACN closer to the time of the conferences. Members wishing to take advantage of this offer must complete the form found online at http://www.aacn.nche.edu/Conferences and return it to AACN by September 30, 2009. The discount is not available through online registration. Please direct any questions about this opportunity to AACN Conference Coordinator Erica Turner at eturner@aacn.nche.edu. 11. NEW DATA PUBLISHED ON NURSING ATTRITION, TURNOVER & SALARIES
12. CNL CERTIFICATION EXAM RESOURCES AVAILABLE ONLINE The Commission on Nurse Certification (CNC) has updated its Web site to include resources for the CNL Certification Exam. Found at http://www.aacn.nche.edu/CNC, these resources include a recommended reading list, slide presentation, program checklist, and an updated CNL Certification Examination Handbook. The handbook explains the multiple choice (recall, application, analysis) and simulation items (information gathering and decision making), includes the exam content outline, provides a worksheet for identifying strengths and weaknesses, lists recommended study resources, and gives tips on preparing for the exam. In addition, an online simulation item reflecting a CNL scenario is available at http://www.aacn.nche.edu/CNC/process.htm. Faculty are encouraged to show the CNL certification slide presentation (http://www.aacn.nche.edu/CNC/ataglance.html) to students enrolled in CNL programs. Finally, all students should be directed to access the certification information posted on http://www.aacn.nche.edu/CNC as well as information about the CNL role posted on http://www.aacn.nche.edu/CNL. NOTE: The CNC is developing an online self-assessment exercise that will be available Fall 2009. For more information, contact Tracy Lofty, CNC Director, at tlofty@aacn.nche.edu. 13. CALL FOR ABSTRACTS ISSUED FOR 2010 CNL SUMMIT Building on the success of last year’s event, the next Clinical Nurse Leader (CNL) Summit is planned for January 21-23, 2010 at the Town and Country Resort and Convention Center in San Diego, CA. AACN is currently seeking abstracts that illustrate programs, courses, initiatives, case studies, or evaluation findings that showcase the impact of the CNL on outcomes of care. The planning committee is particularly interested in abstracts and case studies that demonstrate the impact the CNL is making on patient outcomes at the microsystems level as well as the role of the CNL in a time of major healthcare reform. Other suggested topics include: CNL-led practice innovations, linking the CNL to major national quality and safety initiatives, making the business case, sustaining the CNL in the healthcare system, the CNL role in diverse clinical settings, CNL curriculum models, and evaluating the CNL impact in education and practice. For details on submitting an abstract, see http://www.aacn.nche.edu/Conferences/10CNL.htm. Please direct questions to Horacio Oliveira, CNL Project Assistant, at holiveir@aacn.nche.edu or 202-463-6930, ext.250. 14. AACN FACULTY AND DOCTORAL STUDENT ROSTER SURVEY LAUNCHED Last month, AACN re-launched the Nurse Faculty and Doctoral Students Roster Survey in an effort to enhance the understanding of a variety of faculty-related issues, such as recruitment, retention, relocation, and promotion. Gathering this data is fundamentally important for the nursing education community in forming sound policies to address the growing shortage of faculty. AACN is also collecting data on nursing students in doctoral programs to better understand the relationship between the production of nursing doctorates and the supply of faculty. To date, approximately 60% of AACN member schools have completed the initial survey and supplied data on more than 8,000 faculty members and 4,000 doctoral students. These respondents only need to update their information for the current year. Data collected can be used by participating schools to generate their own basic reports for free. To complete the survey, see http://ids.aacn.nche.edu/fr and follow the instructions. 15. PRESIDENT’S COUNCIL FORESEES GROWTH IN HEALTHCARE SECTOR On July 13, 2009, President Obama's Council of Economic Advisers released a report titled Preparing the Workers of Today for the Jobs of Tomorrow that offers an overview of how the U.S. labor market is expected to grow over the next few years. In the report, health care is forecasted to remain a large source of job growth in the labor market and the outlook for the nursing profession remains strong. The report states that “the long-term trend toward more employment in health care is expected to continue, with many health care occupations, including medical records and health information technicians, registered nurses, clinical laboratory technicians, and physical therapists, expected to grow.” The authors also conclude that “the expected expansion of health coverage could lead to increased demand for workers – including physicians, non-physician clinicians, health care support workers and nurses – to cover the newly insured population.” See http://www.whitehouse.gov/assets/documents/Jobs_of_the_Future.pdf. 16. FOUR ELNEC CONFERENCES PLANNED THROUGH OCTOBER 2009 Mark your calendars! Faculty interested in enhancing their expertise in end-of-life nursing care are invited to join us for one of the four remaining ELNEC train-the-trainer courses this year. Though space is limited, seats are still available in upcoming programs, including ELNEC-Core courses in Minneapolis and Boston; ELNEC-Critical Care in Washington, DC; and ELNEC-Pediatric Palliative Care in Memphis. For more information and/or to register for any of these courses, visit http://www.aacn.nche.edu/ELNEC. 17. 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. The committee will choose the slate of candidates at the 2009 Fall Semiannual Meeting based on nominations and the committee's deliberations. The positions under consideration are President-Elect, Secretary, Board Member-at-Large (3 vacancies), and Nominating Committee (2 vacancies). Nominations must be received by October 30, 2009. For complete details, see http://www.aacn.nche.edu/MemberServices/CallforNominations.htm. 18. 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.
19. MEMBER NEWS, ANNOUNCEMENTS, AND AWARDS
20. AACN OUTREACH AND ADVOCACY UPDATE
21. OPPORTUNITIES AND RESOURCES TO CONSIDER The Josiah Macy, Jr. Foundation and the Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI) believe that every health professional entering the workforce should be ready to help lead and participate effectively in the continual improvement of quality and patient safety. IHI is seeking six progressive academic institutions with medical and nursing schools to participate in a 12-month demonstration project. The aim of the Retooling for Quality and Safety initiative is to develop and implement innovative methods to assure the integration of healthcare improvement and patient safety content within required curricula at each participating school. If selected, each site will receive $35,000 to support their work. The application deadline is August 14, 2009. See the Call for Proposals at http://www.ihi.org/IHI/Programs/IHIOpenSchool.
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