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September 2009 News Watch 1. Dr. Judy Beal Elected to the AACN Board of Directors 1. DR. JUDY BEAL ELECTED TO THE AACN BOARD OF DIRECTORS In a special election held earlier in September, deans and directors from AACN member institutions elected Judy A. Beal from Simmons College in Boston, MA to the AACN Board of Directors. Dr. Beal will serve in an unexpired Board Member At-Large seat through 2011 and will attend her first Board meeting immediately prior to the Fall Semiannual Meeting, which commences October 31, 2009 in Washington, DC. Please join us in welcoming Dr. Beal to the Board.
2. PLAN NOW TO ATTEND AACN’S 40TH ANNIVERSAY CELEBRATION Anticipation is building for AACN's 40th Anniversary Celebration and Fall Meeting planned for 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 Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Kathleen Sebelius; 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 from AACN member schools, and other festivities. Program details are posted online at http://www.aacn.nche.edu/Conferences/09Fall.htm. NOTE: 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. 3. AACN INTRODUCES FACULTY LINK In response to member requests, AACN has created Faculty Link exclusively for individuals teaching full- or part-time in baccalaureate and graduate nursing programs. Through this new service, nurse faculty who are registered in AACN's faculty roster will have access to a number of benefits and resources including the following:
Those looking to receive Faculty Link updates via email are encouraged to contact Program Manager Aimee Stoian at astoian@aacn.nche.edu. 4. QSEN FACULTY DEVELOPMENT INSTITUTES ANNOUNCED AACN is pleased to announce that eight faculty development institutes have been scheduled as part of Phase III of the Quality and Safety Education for Nurses (QSEN) initiative funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. Earlier this year, AACN unveiled plans to launch a national initiative to better prepare nurse faculty to teach quality and safety content. Registration for the first two faculty development institutes begins October 1, 2009, and a competitive process will be used to select attendees. Faculty are invited to visit http://www.aacn.nche.edu/qsenec/ApplicantInfo.html to learn more about this train-the-trainer initiative that is modeled after successful AACN programs focused on geriatric nursing and end-of-life care. 5. GNEC INITIATIVE ACHIEVES FACULTY DEVELOPMENT OBJECTIVE AACN is pleased to report that the Geriatric Nursing Education Consortium (GNEC) project has achieved its objective to “educate faculty at a majority of the baccalaureate schools of nursing across the country.” A total of 808 faculty representing 418 schools of nursing from all 50 states and Puerto Rico have attended a GNEC institute. Mexico and Canada have also been represented. GNEC is a national initiative of AACN with generous funding from the John A. Hartford Foundation to enhance geriatric content in senior-level undergraduate nursing courses. Administered by AACN in collaboration with the Hartford Institute for Geriatric Nursing, faculty have been educated in the fundamentals of geriatric nursing and the use of geriatric curriculum resources. GNEC’s primary goal is to support and empower baccalaureate nursing faculty as they champion geriatric education, educate other faculty, and oversee revision of the senior-level undergraduate curriculum at their home institutions. For more details, see http://www.aacn.nche.edu/gnec.htm. 6. NEW CAREERS IN NURSING PROGRAMS ISSUES NEW CALL FOR PROPOSALS The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) and AACN have issued a third Call for Proposals for the RWJF New Careers in Nursing Scholarship Program. During this round of funding, scholarships in the amount of $10,000 each will be awarded to up to 400 entry-level nursing students in accelerated programs. Preference will be given to students from groups underrepresented in nursing or from disadvantaged backgrounds. Schools are invited to apply for funding for scholarship monies to be distributed to students meeting the award criteria. The Call for Proposals is posted at http://www.rwjf.org/applications/solicited/cfp.jsp?ID=20905. Proposals must be received by December 15, 2009. Two Web conferences for schools interested in applying for funding are scheduled for October 21, 2009 at 2pm EST and November 6, 2009 at 11am EST. To register for a Web conference, see http://www.newcareersinnursing.org/CallAppl-6279.html. 7. AACN and J&J SELECT NEW MINORITY NURSE FACULTY SCHOLARS The Johnson & Johnson Campaign for Nursing’s Future – AACN Minority Nurse Faculty Scholars Program provides support to students in master’s and doctoral programs who will serve as faculty after completing their degree programs. Scholarship recipients were selected by a 10-member application review committee, and awards in the amount of $18,000 each will be disbursed this fall. This program provides financial support, leadership development, and mentoring for the faculty role to nursing students from minority backgrounds. The latest recipients of this high honor include:
Profiles of all 38 Minority Nurse Faculty Scholars funded through the Johnson & Johnson Campaign for Nursing’s Future program and a similar initiative funded by The California Endowment are posted online at http://www.aacn.nche.edu/Media/minorityfaculty.htm. 8. READ THE LATEST ISSUE OF AACN POLICY BEAT In August, the association’s government affairs team launched AACN’s Policy Beat, a monthly e-newsletter covering the latest information on nursing education and research policy. The latest issue provides updates on Healthcare Reform and House and Senate Appropriations as well as details on a constituents’ meeting with new NIH Director Dr. Francis Collins. To download Policy Beat, see http://www.aacn.nche.edu/Government/npb/09Sept.pdf. NOTE: This newsletter is distributed through the online Capwiz service. Please encourage your students and faculty to sign up for this publication by joining AACN’s grassroots network at http://capwiz.com/aacn/mlm/signup. 9. REGIONAL MEETINGS SET FOR THE MASTER’S ESSENTIALS DEVELOPMENT 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 outcomes 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. The first draft of this document is now posted online at http://www.aacn.nche.edu/Education/pdf/DraftMastEssentials.pdf. 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. See http://www.aacn.nche.edu/regionalmeetings.htm. 10. 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 illustrates 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 in practice 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 complete details on submitting an abstract, see http://www.aacn.nche.edu/Conferences/10CNL.htm. Please direct questions to Horacio Oliveira, CNL Project Coordinator, at holiveir@aacn.nche.edu or 202-463-6930, ext.250. 11. CNC LAUNCHES CNL SELF-ASSESSMENT EXAMINATION The Commission on Nurse Certification (CNC) is pleased to announce the new Clinical Nurse Leader Self-Assessment Examination (SAE). The 40-question online SAE is a self-paced tool developed by practicing CNLs and academicians in conjunction with Applied Measurement Professionals, Inc. It is designed to familiarize test-takers with the CNL Certification Examination; the SAE parallels the content and difficulty of the CNL exam and reflects the format of the multiple choice items. The SAE may be used by students, program directors, CNL candidates, and CNL certificants. The cost to purchase the SAE is $50. For more information, see http://www.aacn.nche.edu/CNC/selfassess.html or contact Tracy Lofty, CNC Director, at tlofty@aacn.nche.edu. 12. REGISTER NOW FOR UPCOMING AACN CONFERENCES THIS FALL
13. RESPOND NOW TO THE NURSINGCAS QUESTIONNAIRE AACN is working to develop nursing's first national Centralized Application Service, known as NursingCAS, which is projected to launch in Spring 2010. The advisory group charged with guiding this project met over the summer to begin development of the online application and to address the many issues connected with offering this service. To ensure that the application captures the right information, AACN has developed a short, 12-question survey to gather input from schools of nursing. Please take a moment to complete the survey or forward it to the appropriate staff person at your institution to complete. Please provide your input by October 5, 2009. To access the survey, see https://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=Hg7_2fXBB0cRk2MurWwa9m5Q_3d_3d. Questions about NursingCAS should be directed to AACN Membership Director Beth Aronson at 202-463-6930, ext. 263 or baronson@aacn.nche.edu. 14. RWJF ANNOUNCES FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES FOR NURSES
15. HHS RELEASES $33 MILLION IN STIMULUS FUNDING TO HEALTH PROFESSIONS On September 11, 2009, HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius announced awards totaling $33 million to expand the education of healthcare professionals, including nurses. These funds are part of the $500 million allotted to HHS’ Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) to address workforce shortages under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. Programs receiving funding include Nursing Workforce Diversity ($2.6 million); Scholarships for Disadvantaged Students ($19.3 million); Public Health Traineeships ($3 million); and Health Careers Opportunities ($2.5 million). For the latest news on funding available through the Stimulus Package, see 16. AACN’S ANNUAL SURVEY CURRENTLY UNDERWAY The 2009 AACN Annual Survey of institutions with baccalaureate and higher degree nursing programs commenced on September 8 and will close Friday, October 30. Information collected from the survey will be incorporated into the nation's premier database on trends in nursing school enrollments and graduations; student and faculty demographics; and faculty and deans' salaries. Participation in this survey is vital to AACN's mission to advance professional nursing education, research, and practice. We appreciate the effort required to complete the Annual Survey; and we will provide participating schools with free copies of the data reports to which they contribute information. All nursing programs affiliated with the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE) are reminded to complete the survey to satisfy CCNE's annual reporting requirement. Please direct questions to Christine Tracy, Research and Data Coordinator, at ctracy@aacn.nche.edu. NOTE: AACN’s data team is working to reduce the respondent burden on schools looking to complete the ongoing Faculty and Doctoral Student Roster Survey. Schools may now submit spreadsheets containing faculty and/or student information directly to AACN, rather than entering names individually. Schools interested in using this service should send information directly to Dr. Di Fang, Director of Data and Research Services, at dfang@aacn.nche.edu. 17. TWO ELNEC CONFERENCES STILL ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS IN 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 two remaining ELNEC train-the-trainer courses this year. Though space is limited, seats are still available in upcoming programs, including ELNEC-Critical Care in Washington, DC on October 23-24; and ELNEC-Pediatric Palliative Care in Memphis on October 16-17. For more information and/or to register for any of these courses, visit http://www.aacn.nche.edu/ELNEC. 18. HVO APPOINTS DR. DERSTINE TO NURSING EDUCATION COMMITTEE Health Volunteers Overseas (HVO) has appointed Dr. Jill B. Derstine to serve as Chair of the Nursing Education Steering Committee. This committee coordinates HVO's nursing programs around the world, evaluating potential program sites and monitoring the educational and training projects. Dr. Derstine brings a wealth of experience to the position, having served as a nurse educator for over 35 years. She recently retired as Chair of the Department of Nursing at Temple University. A member of HVO since 1994, Dr. Derstine has volunteered her expertise in Vietnam and Cambodia. In 2006, she was recognized by HVO with the President's Call to Service Award, which honors those who have volunteered over 4,000 hours. "Nursing education has been identified throughout the world as one of the greatest needs. Jill's input will be invaluable as we look at expanding the scope of our programs," said HVO Executive Director Nancy Kelly. AACN sponsors HVO’s nursing programs. See http://www.hvousa.org/whereWeWork/nursing.html. 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 As you make your plans to attend the AACN’s 40th Anniversary Celebration and Fall Meeting next month, we encourage you to remember the importance of advocacy. During a time when healthcare reform is at the forefront of our nation’s legislative agenda, please make it a priority to schedule your Hill visit and support the advocacy goals of nursing education and research. Now is the time for legislators to hear from our nation’s nursing leaders! Your State Grassroots Liaisons will plan Senate visits for your state delegation on Monday, November 2, 2009. However, you should begin scheduling your meeting with your member of the House of Representatives. Please visit AACN’s Legislative Resource Center at http://capwiz.com/aacn/home for help in identifying and contacting your members of Congress. The Government Affairs Committee (GAC) is excited to offer a number of events at the upcoming 40th Anniversary Meeting for participating deans and associate deans. On Monday, November 2, the following events are scheduled:
The meeting will culminate on November 3 from 8:30-10:00am when GAC Chair Dr. Teri Murray gives a retrospective on 40 years of AACN policy work followed by an address on healthcare reform from HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius. Make plans now to attend! 22. OPPORTUNITIES AND RESOURCES TO CONSIDER
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