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US News & World Report Publishes letter by ANA President
4/26/00In response to an article on the proposed OSHA Ergonomics Standard, ANA President Mary Foley submitted a letter to the editor stating ANA's strong support of the standard. This letter, published in the May 1 issue of US News & World Report in stores now, highlights the fact that nurses suffer debilitating, and often career-ending injuries from lifting and moving patients. The ANA believes that this standard will help prevent injuries and ANA will testify in support of the standard at OSHA hearings in Portland on May 4 and in Washington, DC on May 8. ANA encourages nurses across the country to write similar letters to their local newspapers and magazines in support of the standard. ANA letter
Lyme Disease
4/26/00Do you know enough?
More...
New OJIN Information Resources Column
4/25/00The new Online Journal Of Issues In Nursing (OJIN) information resources column contains information on what constitutes e-journals with emphasis on e-journal accessibility and format information. This column contains a valuable table of current online journals which are especially of interest to nurses and website links for easy accessibility by our readers. PDF files with a link to Acrobat Adobe Reader plugin information is also included, making this column an important reference for nurses interested in e-journals. More...
ANA to Release Study on Impact of RN Staffing on Patient Recovery
4/24/00On May 1 - 2 ANA will host a two-day summit on nurse staffing. On May 2, 2000 ANA will hold a media briefing releasing a new study on nurse staffing and patient outcomes. Read Media Advisory...
New Additions to the Bookstore at www.NursesBooks.org
4/24/00Advanced Cardiac Life Support
Advanced Medical-Surgical Nursing
Clinical Specialist Addendum
Nursing Continuing Education and Staff Development
Emergency Nursing
More...
Nurses Week - NYU Health Information Fair
4/24/00"The Division of Nursing at NYU will host a Health Information Fair on Tuesday, May 9th from 8am to 2pm at the North Bridge which connects the World Financial Center to the World Trade Center located at One World Financial Center, 200 Liberty St. New York, NY 10281.
Visitors can consult with NYU nurses on a wide range of health topics. The purpose of the Fair is to help the public make informed and educated choices about their health care. Look for the purple and white banner and "Ask an NYU Nurse."
There will also be a display on the history of the nursing profession, as well as several staff members dressed in period nursing costumes."
Tammy Fisher, Special Projects Coordinator
Trends and Issues in Nursing
4/21/00A new series of monographs, which provides information to help you better understand and benefit from what is happening in key areas of nursing and health care today, is available from the International Council of Nurses (ICN). The first six of these concise overviews include the latest information on nursing care for older persons, telehealth, implementing nurse prescribing and community development. More...
ANA Calls Hospital Staffing Practices Unsafe: Nurses Being Forced to Regularly Work Excessive Over Time
4/20/00American Nurses Association (ANA) President Mary Foley, MS, RN, today issued an alert to all consumers regarding an alarming trend in many hospitals across the country. Read the Press Release...
ANA Identifies Indicators for Community-Based, Non-Acute Care: Pilot-testing is next step
4/20/00The American Nurses Association (ANA) has identified 10 nursing-sensitive indicators for use in community-based, non-acute care settings. The indicators are now ready for pilot testing in settings, such as long-term care facilities, schools and home care. Read the Press Release...
ANA Board Member Receives Practice Award
4/20/00On April 8, ANA Board Member Patricia Murphy, PhD, RN, CS, FAAN, received the Association for Death Education and Counseling’s (ADEC) Clinical Practice Award.
Each year the award is presented to a candidate who contributes to the field as demonstrated by innovations in practice, developing and carrying out significant research related to clinical practice, dissemination of knowledge based on personal experience and/or research and leadership in organization focusing on clinical practice as it relates to dying, death and bereavement.
Murphy, a grief therapist at University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey University Hospital in Newark, NJ, and a faculty member in the New Jersey Medical School Department of Surgery was a member of the New Jersey Bioethics Commission, the multidisciplinary body which developed the advance directive and brain death legislation in New Jersey.
Mark Your Calendar for Needlestick Injury and Prevention Teleconference!
4/20/00Conclude National Nurses Week (May 6-12) by participating in a national teleconference which highlights caring for the care giver. Preventing Needlestick Injuries: The Time Is Now! will be broadcast live via satellite, Internet and videoconferencing on May 12, 1:30 - 3:30 p.m. EST.
Presented by ANA and the University of Vermont, this teleconference will illustrate the problem of needlestick injuries and explain how to protect yourself from this hazard. The teleconference is an important part of ANA's Safe Needles Save Lives campaign which is leading the fight for the use of safer needle devices. Make plans to participate so you can ask the experts how to fight this silent epidemic which affects 600,000 to 1,000,000 health care workers each year! REGISTER TODAY!!
For more information go to the University of Vermont and ANA's Needlestick.org websites.
Betts Receives Surgeon General’s Award
4/18/00For her services as senior adviser on Nursing and Policy at the U.S. Department of Health, former ANA President Virginia Trotter Betts, JD, RN, FAAN, has received the Surgeon General’s Medallion. A means of acknowledging the contributions of individuals who have provided exemplary services to the Office of the Surgeon General, the medallion has been perceived and utilized as the most prestigious of expressions of the Surgeon General’s Exemplary Service Awards.
The award has been presented to General Colin Powell, Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) Donna Shalala and former Inspector General of DHHS Richard Kusserow.
NY Nurses Picket Over Staffing Issues
4/17/00Demanding solutions to short staffing and excessive overtime, registered nurses at Southside Hospital in New York conducted a two-hour protest on April 6 over management’s refusal to address problems with working conditions and short staffing. The 542 nurses - who are represented by the New York State Nurses Association (NYSNA) - conducted informational picketing in front of the hospital. They have been working without a contract since Feb. 29.
The nurses are also upset that management has refused to sign an interim agreement that would continue the nurses’ health benefits throughout the negotiation period. NYSNA believes such an action is unacceptable and shows disrespect for the hospital’s nursing workforce.
For more information go to: http://www.nysna.org/
The 1st Elections of the New UAN National Labor Assembly
The first National Labor Assembly (NLA) will be held on Wednesday, June 21 through Thursday, June 22, 2000. This year delegates will elect members to the UAN Executive Council, the Hearing Panel and the Nominating Committee. All positions have a two-year term; however, to allow for staggered elections, this year several positions have a one-year term. To be nominated, you must be a member in good standing of a collective bargaining unit represented by one of the UAN member states. If you have been active with a local bargaining unit and are interested in serving on the national level, contact your state nurses association for more information on nominations and vacant positions. The deadline for nominations to be submitted to ANA is May 3, 2000.Download:
These are
in a .pdf format and require Adobe Acrobat Reader to view. Help in downloading PDFs and
using Acrobat Reader.
Additional information regarding nominating appointments to the UAN Nominating Committee, Delegate Credentials Committee and Head Tellers (deadline 4/21/00)
Dodd Receives Award From Nurseweek
Regional director for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Catherine Dodd, MS, RN, has received the NurseWeek Nursing Excellence Award for advancing the profession. The award is presented each year to a nurse who is advancing the profession on the unit, at a facility, in the statehouse, on the airwaves, or in the world at large. The Nursing Excellence Award supports NurseWeek's mission by recognizing and promoting excellence in the profession, and it allows the profession to come together to celebrate the accomplishments of nursing's best and brightest.In her role as regional director, Dodd is responsible for ensuring that federal health policies are carried out in Arizona, California, Hawaii, Nevada and six territories in the Pacific Ocean. A member of ANA\California and former executive director, Dodd is currently involved with overseeing three presidential executive orders: the Southwest Border Initiative, which is dedicated to improving the health of residents along the California-Mexico and Arizona-Mexico borders; the Asian-American and Pacific Islander Initiative, which focuses on plans to improve the health of Asian-Americans and Pacific Islanders in their region; and the Children's Health Insurance Program, or Healthy Families, which seeks to provide all California children with health insurance.
NY Nurses Develop Agenda to Address Shortage
In the wake of shocking statistics about high rates of medical errors and growing public concern about the quality of health care, New York nurses went to their capital, Albany, on March 20 to remind legislators that adequate nursing care is the key factor in patient safety.A survey of RNs conducted by NYSNA in 1999 found that more than 46 percent of nurses reported they could not provide the level of care their patients needed. Nurses on medical/surgical units reported an average patient load of 9.4 patients per nurse and critical care nurses were caring for more than three patients each. On the two days covered by the survey, nearly one-third of the nurses worked one or more hours of overtime.
NYSNA is proposing a Nursing Quality Care Agenda, a package of legislation that will address the nurse staffing crisis. The bill focuses on three areas--increasing patient protections, ensuring safe staffing levels, and breaking the cycle of nursing shortages.
ANA Gears up For National Nurses Week
The American Nurses Association (ANA), along with its 53 constituent associations is gearing up to celebrate the accomplishments and contributions of over 2 million registered nurses during National Nurses Week, May 6-12.Using the theme "Nurses - Keeping the Care in Health Care," the ANA and its constituent associations will join nurses across the nation in highlighting the diverse ways in which registered nurses, the largest health care profession, are working to improve health care. press release | promotional kit.
Nurses Week - North Arundel Hospital of Glen Burnie, MD Gets Community Children Involved
"We have asked children from the community to help us celebrate the week by drawing pictures, writing a paragraph, or writing a poem about a nurse that they know or the nurse that they would like to be. Their responses will be displayed throughout the hospital for everyone to see. We're also having a nurses reception honoring our Nurse of the Year, with recognition for all who are nominated.During the week, birthday cake for Florence Nightingale's birthday will be served to staff on all shifts by Nursing Administrators. Our lobby kiosk will also be decorated with letters from patients and families that have been sent to the hospital in thanks for special nursing care as well as photos of our nurses at work."
Terry DeVeaux, RN
ANA Tailors Lobbying Services to SNAs
In March, ANA's State Government Relations Department (SGR)convened two conference calls for SNA lobbyists to alert them to antitrust legislation being introduced in 10 states at the request of the state medical societies. Consultation was provided to the Illinois and Tennessee Nurses Associations while they were addressing this issue in their states. The antitrust legislation would allow physicians to negotiate contract terms with managed health plans thereby decreasing competition from other providers, including advanced practice registered nurses. SGR has recently consulted with the Illinois, Nebraska, New Hampshire, Oklahoma, and West Virginia Nurses Associations on strategies for passage of needlestick legislation in their states. In addition, a State Needlestick Legislative Guide for SNAs was distributed to provide further assistance and strategies for passage. The issue of sufficient staffing is of great concern to nurses across the nation. To assist SNAs in legislatively addressing this issue, SGR has convened a panel consisting of SNA lobbyists and ANA staff to develop model legislation. An opportunity to comment on this legislation will be provided to SNAs on the ANA listserv, and on the SNA Lobbynet. It also will be discussed in the SNA lobbyists' workshop at the ANA convention in June.A workgroup composed of SNA executive directors and SNA lobbyists has been established to begin working with ANA staff on implementing a nationwide state legislative agenda, which will facilitate SNAs and ANA targeting and passing state legislation on our issues. State legislative activities impact the ability of ANA to address our federal legislative agenda.
ANA is also planning to hold a meeting of SNA lobbyists in the fall to begin the coordination process for this nationwide agenda for 2001. Further updates will be provided through the SNA Insider and on the SNA Lobbynet.
ANA Welcomes FedNA--its 54th Constituent
The Board of Directors has officially accepted the Federal Nurses Association (FedNA) as ANA's 54th constituent member. Nurse representatives from the U.S. Army, Navy, and Public Health Services created FedNA, which limits membership to nurses who are on active duty in the uniformed services. The purposes of the association are to:
- stimulate and promote the professional and educational advancement of federal nurses;
- foster high standards of nursing care in the federal sector;
- enhance the health and improve health care for the beneficiaries served; and
- promote interaction with other nurses and nursing organizations on common issues and interests.
Nurses Week - District 5 of the Texas Nurses Association will have a Banquet Where the Fabulous FIVE are Announced.
These are five outstanding nurses who are nominated by fellow nurses, patients/clients, family members or whoever. The Fabulous FIVE from last year will 'judge' and select the new Fabulous FIVE.Betty Scaggs
Victory for Mass. RNs
5/12/00In a historic ending to a 42-day strike, registered nurses represented by the Massachusetts Nurses Association (MNA) at St. Vincent Hospital/Worcester Medical Center in Worcester reached a tentative agreement of their first contract with Tenet Health Care. The pact, which still needs to be presented to the rank and file membership for a ratification vote, includes key provisions the nurses had sought throughout the strike. Specifically, the contract places strict limits on the amount of mandatory overtime, calls for the phase out of a controversial flex time policy, and provides the nurses with a protected voice and binding arbitration regarding issues related to their move into the new Worcester Medical Center facility. ANA President Mary Foley, MS, RN, applauded the news calling it a "victory for nurses and their patients across the country."
The agreement was reached on May 11 in talks hosted by Sen. Edward Kennedy and Congressman James McGovern in the offices of Sen. Kennedy in Washington D.C. The talks progressed quickly once Tenet agreed to back off its demand for the right to mandate up to eight hours of overtime, a practice the nurses opposed because of its negative impact on patient care.
For more information, visit MNA's website at www.massnurses.org/
ANA Calls Pact a Win For Nurses And Patients - Tentative Agreement Reached in Mass. Strike
5/12/00The American Nurses Association (ANA) applauded yesterday's tentative agreement between the nurses at St. Vincent's hospital in Worcester, Mass, who have been on strike since March 31, and management. The nurses, who are represented by the Massachusetts Nurses Association, went out on strike in response to the facility's demand for mandatory overtime -- that nurses work up to 16 hours straight.
Read the Press Release | Previous News.
MNA To Picket During National Nurses Week (NNW)
5/4/00The Massachusetts Nurses Association (MNA) has designated May 7 as a day for all nurses to join our colleagues at St. Vincent Hospital/Worcester Medical Center, who are still on strike against Tenet Health Care.
Their Fight is Our Fight - Help Send the Message:
“Exhausted Nurses = Unsafe Care.”
For more information contact: David Schildmeier, MNA Director of Public Communications
American Nurses Association Condemns, Pickets Denver Firm Supplying Strikebreaking Nurses in Massachusetts, New York
4/27/00American Nurses Association President Mary Foley and 1st Vice President Barbara Blakeney joined Colorado Nurses Association Executive Director Lola Fehr leading 25 nurses at a picket on April 25 at U. S. Nursing Corporation, headquartered in Denver. The protest was staged in support of nurses, who are members of ANA's constituent associations, on strike at hospitals in Massachusetts and New York. U. S. Nursing Corporation is providing strike breaking nurses in the Massachusetts and New York strikes.
Foley said, "We are tired of U. S. Nursing Corporation betraying the nursing profession and patients. We condemn U. S. Nursing Corporation for engaging in shameful strikebreaking that puts profits before patients."
Association leaders met with U. S. Nursing Corporation executives for about 40 minutes to protest their practice of supplying strikebreakers.
Foley and Blakeney also issued a consumer alert, warning about the patient and provider dangers of mandatory overtime. Mandatory overtime is a key issue in both strikes.
ANA's Constituent Assembly Supports Striking Nurses
4/20/00Leaders of ANA's 54 constituent member associations stated their strong, unified support and admiration for the nurses on strike in Worcester, Mass., and Nyack, NY, during a recent meeting in Washington, D.C. They sent the following letters of support to the nurses: New York letter Massachusetts letter
Nyack Strike Nearing its Fourth Month
4/19/00For more than 100 days, the 450 registered nurses at Nyack Hospital have been on strike fighting to improve staffing at the Rockland County facility. This is their third strike in seven years, and NYSNA’s longest. The RNs have been working without a contract since Dec. 31, 1997. Their first strike occurred in June 1993 and their second was in February and March 1995.
Staffing at the hospital has been so poor that the hospital has regularly been filling holes in the schedule through forced overtime, having part-timers work full-time hours and hiring temporary agency nurses from out of state.
In recent weeks, the nurses have intensified their campaign to pressure members of the hospital’s board of directors. They’ve increased the number of days each week that they distribute leaflets in front of the board members’ places of business, and have started to conduct evening vigils in front of board members’ homes.
Morale on the Nyack Hospital strike line received a boost on March 1, when first lady and U.S. Senate candidate Hillary Rodham Clinton stopped by during a campaign visit to the area. During her half-hour visit, she hugged and shook hands with many of the nurses as she made her way down the line.
For daily updates visit NYSNA’s website, http://www.nysna.org/
Please send letters of support and donate to the strike fund to:
Nyack Nurses Strike Fund
120 Wall Street, 23rd Floor,
New York, NY 10005
The Nyack nurses will appreciate your help.
ANA House of Delegates to Act on Mandatory Overtime
Mandatory overtime is the primary reason St. Vincent and Nyack nurses have gone on strike. The hospital is demanding the right to mandate double shifts for nurses. Given the rampant use of mandatory overtime, the 2000 ANA House of Delegates (HOD) will take action on this unsafe staffing practice.If passed as currently proposed, the report would prompt: an ANA position opposing mandatory overtime except in cases of defined emergencies an ANA definition of patient abandonment based on the ANA Code for Nurses, current case law, and advisory opinions and position statements from the National Council of State Boards of Nursing and its state affiliates definition of an equitable process for assignment of overtime should an emergency arise an outline of the rights and responsibilities of nurses faced with mandatory overtime support for research that examines the relationship between hours worked and the ability to provide safe care.
For more background information about mandatory overtime, see the May/June 1998 issue of The American Nurse.
ANA Supports Striking Nurses in Massachusetts and New York
ANA President Mary Foley and Susan Bianchi-Sand, director of its labor arm, United American Nurses, joined St. Vincent nurses on the picket line in Worcester, Mass. on April 6. Further, ANA has sent letters to both the CEO of St. Vincent and to the CEO of Tenet Health, which owns the hospital, demanding that they settle the strike.In addition, letters of
support have been sent to the striking nurses. St. Vincent nurses have
been on strike since March 31 and Nyack nurses have been out for more than
100 days -- since late December. ANA encourages you to support the nurses
by writing similar letters and by contributing to the strike funds.
For more information, visit: the
Massachusetts Nurses Association web site,
or the New York State Nurses Association web
site.
The Guam Nurses Association will celebrate Nurses Week with (only 4 weeks left):
The Guam Nurses Association will celebrate Nurses Week with several activities:- Proclamation signing in April 2000
- Nurses' Mass May 7 0930 St. Anthony Church
- Nurses Banquet and Awards Presentation - May 7 1100-1500 Guam Nikko Hotel
- Nursing Conference- May 13 Guam Nikko Hotel
- Recognition of 7 outstanding nurses in the following categories:
- Distinguished Membership Award
- Honorary Nursing Practice Award in In-Patient Nursing
- Honorary Nursing Practice Award in Community Health
- Honorary Nursing Practice Award in School Health
- Honorary Nursing Practice Award in Out-Patient Nursing
- Honorary Nursing Practice Award in Nursing/Allied Health Education
- Honorary Nursing Management/Leadership Award
Glynis S. Almonte, RN,
Executive Director
ANA Sponsors Million Mom March
The ANA is a sponsor of the Million Mom March. Outraged by gun violence that has killed or wounded children, thousands of mothers are organizing the Million Mom March aimed at pressuring Congress to enact tougher controls on guns.On May 14, Mother's Day, mothers and "honorary moms" from across the United States will march in Washington, DC, and in their own communities to encourage Congress to pass sensible gun legislation.
The March will take place at the National Mall between the U.S. Capitol and the Washington Monument. An interfaith service will take place at 10:00 a.m. The rally will begin at noon and will finish by 3:00 p.m.
For more information, visit http://www.millionmommarch.com/ or call 1-888-989-MOMS.
ANCC's Certification Application Deadline Extended
ANCC's Certification Application deadline for the June examination has been extended to April 28, 2000. Through our "Open Door 2000" program ALL REGISTERED NURSES are now eligible to become certified. Five (5) certifications examinations are currently being offered to non-BSN prepared nurses (ADN/Diploma):
- Gerontological Nurse (09)
Medical-Surgical Nurse (04)
Psychiatric and Mental Health (03)
Pediatric Nurse (07)
Perinatal Nurse (17)
To receive a catalog and application, please call 1-800-284-CERT
Become a UAN Appointed Official for 2000 National Labor Assembly
The first National Labor Assembly (NLA) will be held on Wednesday, June 21 through Thursday June 22, 2000. Positions are available for appointment to the UAN Nominating Committee, Delegate Credentials Committee and Head Teller. These positions help to facilitate registration, credentialing the delegates and the elections. To be nominated, you must be a member in good standing of a collective bargaining unit represented by one of the UAN member states. The deadline for nominations to be submitted to ANA is April 21, 2000.For more nominations and position information, contact your state nurses association.
Download* the:
These are
in a .pdf format and require Adobe Acrobat Reader to view. Help in downloading PDFs and
using Acrobat Reader.
Free - A Federal OSHA Standard and Compliance Directive for Bloodborne Pathogens Regional Education Workshops (4 hours)
These workshops will focus on the new requirements of the OSHA Standard and Compliance Directive for Bloodborne Pathogens; in cooperation with CDIC Inc. (Consultants in Disease and Injury Control).Contact Hours: 4.5
To be held at:
- Washington, DC - April 10, 2000
- Minneapolis, MN - April 12, 2000
- Providence, RI - April 13, 2000
- Cincinnati, OH - April 14, 2000
- Chicago, IL - April 18, 2000
- Columbus, OH - May 17, 2000
- Orlando, FL - June 1, 2000
- Seattle, WA - June 2, 2000
- Indianapolis, IN - June 23, 2000 at ANA’s 2000 Biennial Convention
What are you and/or your organization doing for Nurses Week?
We asked this question in the last issue of the Nursing Insider (there's only 6 week's left). Between now and then, we will run some of the responses. Click here to sign-up for your copy of NursingInsider3/27/00
At St. Joseph Hospital, Nashua, NH, we have the following
plans for nurses week:
- Monday: "take care of yourself" with sponsored breaks and complementary therapy for nurses
- Tuesday: Mass for the nurses and an interfaith service in the early evening
- Wednesday: Nursing grand rounds and dinner featuring a review of the history of nursing with historical portraits of nursing care through time. Each unit advisory committee is responsible for an era
- Thursday: Clinical specialty recognition and awards. Open forums will be held around the clock with nursing leadership
- Friday: Uniform competition, and a raffle for weekends off (with replacement through nursing leaders)
Pam Duchene, DNSc, RN Vice President Patient Care Services
Volunteer for ANA Convention 2000
Have fun, attend the convention, meet everyone, and get up to 25% off registration fees.Victory For ANA-PAC Endorsed Candidates
Two ANA-PAC endorsed candidates were successful in the Super Tuesday primary in California on March 7. Gerrie Schipske, JD, RN, is one step closer to being the fourth nurse in the U.S. House of Representatives. Schipske defeated two opponents in California's March 7th primary election, earning the Democratic nomination for the 38th Congressional District. She hopes to unseat Rep. Steve Horn (R) in the general election in November.Schipske is a nurse practitioner and health care attorney who currently serves as a health care policy consultant to SEIU International and teaches public policy at the California State University Long Beach. She is also a member of ANA\California. Schipske is a longtime community activist on issues such as the importance of prenatal care and senior health care services. In 1992, she was elected to the Long Beach Community Board of Trustees.
In California's 31st District, ANA-PAC endorsed candidate State Senator Hilda Solis, MPA, who upset nine-term incumbent Rep. Matthew (Marty) Martinez (D-31) with an astounding 62.6 percent of the vote. Solis faces no Republican challenger for the general election, thus assuring her a seat in the 107th Congress.
Bill Introduced to Secure Resources for Minorities
Sen. Edward Kennedy (D-MA) and Rep. Bennie Thompson (D-MS) have introduced similar but not identical bills under the title, "The Health Care Fairness Act" (S.1880 and H.R. 3250). The bills aim to secure the commitment and resources needed to meet the goals identified in the areas of cardiovascular disease, cancer screening, and management, diabetes, infant mortality, HIV/AIDS, and immunizations by 2010, and to ensure that minorities have a fair chance for improved health.S. 1880 and H.R. 3150 contain sections on research, data collection, medical education, and outreach. Title I establishes a Center for Research on Minority Health at the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The Center will oversee the development of an NIH-wide strategic plan for minority health research. Title II establishes demonstration projects to develop effective educational techniques to reduce and eliminate perceptions and biases related to race. These include cultural sensitivity training for practitioners. Title III of S. 1880 directs the Agency for Health Care Research and Quality (AHCRQ), to conduct and support research regarding barriers to care to promote effective interventions in minority communities, and to develop outcome measures to assess and improve health care for minority populations. Title IV directs the National Academy of Sciences to conduct a study of the data collection and reporting systems at the Department of Health and Human Services that include race and ethnicity. The estimated cost of this legislation for Fiscal Year 2000 is just under $350 million. The estimated cost in subsequent years is $260 million. The Administration has expressed interest in advancing this legislation this year.
ANA has been participating on a Health Disparities Coalition, which will be working on this issue.
ANA Opposes Pain Relief Promotion Act
The American Nurses Association is
opposed to Title I of H.R. 2260, the Pain Relief Promotion Act, which was
passed by the House of Representatives in 1999.
Today, April 6, Gladys White, PhD, RN, Director, ANA Center for
Ethics and Human Rights is presenting testimony before the Senate
Judiciary Committee to oppose this legislation. ANA Statement | ANA
letter.
HCFA Issues Rural Health Clinic Proposed Rule
In the February 28, Federal Register, the Health Care Financing Administration (HCFA) published a proposed rule revising the certification and payment requirements for Rural Health Clinics (RHCs).In response to rapid growth in the number of RHCs, Congress, through a provision contained in the Balanced Budget Act of 1997 (BBA), mandated numerous changes to the rules governing the facilities. These included applying a per-visit payment limit, establishing quality assessment and performance procedures, changes in the waiver of nonphysician practitioner staffing requirements, and a prohibition on commingling office space and equipment. The proposed rule also includes new requirements for a qualifying rural shortage area in which a Medicare RHC must be located. It sets criteria for identifying essential RHCs that can continue to be Medicare approved in areas no longer designated as medically underserved.
The BBA also revised the staffing requirements for RHCs to require that a nurse practitioner, physician assistant, or certified nurse-midwife be available to furnish patient care at least 50 percent of the time the clinic is open, rather than the 60 percent that was required before enactment of the BBA. Before the BBA, temporary staffing waivers were available to both RHCs applicants and participating RHC if the facility has been unable to hire one of these providers in the previous 90-day period. The proposed rule limits the temporary waiver only to RHCs that are currently participating and not to facilities that are applying for participation as an RHC.
ANA is currently reviewing the proposed rule and will prepare comments for submission to HCFA. The deadline for public comments is April 28.
White House Announces Effort to Protect Children's Health
Joining First Lady Hillary Rodham Clinton, Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Donna Shalala, of health professionals, and parents, ANA President Mary Foley, MS, RN, participated in a White House working group that subsequently helped launch a public-private effort to ensure that children with emotional and behavioral conditions are appropriately diagnosed, treated, monitored, and managed by qualified health care professionals, parents, and educators.Mrs. Clinton outlined the four elements of this effort, which included: the release of a new, easy- to-understand fact sheet about treatment of children with emotional and behavioral conditions for parents; a new $5 million funding commitment by the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) to conduct additional research on the impact of psychotropic medication on children under the age of seven; the initiation of a process at the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to improve pediatric labeling information for young children; and a national conference on Treatment of Children with Behavioral and Mental Disorders to take place this fall.
While progress has been made in diagnosing and treating these conditions, justifiable concerns have been raised about the inappropriate utilization of medications such as Ritalin, clonidine, and Prozac in very young children. The lack of understanding among parents, teachers, and health professionals about the best diagnostic, pharmacological, and behavioral intervention now available is equally concerning.
ANA will continue to work with the administration and several members of Congress to address the concerns around children with mental health disorders and the need for more school nurses in school systems to appropriately care for these children. "School nurses are critical to providing the best care and process for these children," stated Foley. "Nurses must be the child's biggest advocate."
Congressional Hearing to Focus on Vaccine Safety
ANA has formed a linkage with the National Network for Immunization Information (NNii) to improve communications for immunization programs and address the role nurses can take in this endeavor. As a partner in this effort, ANA will assist in providing education and communications about immunization issues.On Thursday, April 6, Representative Dan Burton (R-Ind.), chairman of the U.S. House Government Reform Committee, is scheduled to hold a hearing on autism and the possible link to vaccines, particularly measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccines. Based on scientific research, Nnii will release a statement to Rep. Burton disputing a link to the development of autism and the use of the MMR or any other vaccine. Evidence shows that autism is a condition whose origins occur before birth, not after. There has been little, if any, scientific evidence to substantiate an association between vaccination and autism.
Additionally, on Saturday, April 8, several autism groups will hold a rally on the Mall in Washington, DC to elevate public awareness of the issue and to urge for more funding for autism research.
NNii is a special initiative of the American Nurses Association, the Infectious Diseases Society of America, the Pediatric Infectious Diseases Society of America, and the American Academy of Pediatrics. It exists to help persons needing accurate information about immunizations sort through the wealth of information currently available, distinguish what is scientifically valid, and make the best possible decisions about immunization. The organization is poised to respond to events occuring this week.
Additional information is available on the NNii website, http://www.immunizationinfo.org/. Press Release.
ANCC Collaboration Results in Magnet UK Pilot Project
Beginning in April 2000, the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) will participate in the first international pilot project for the Magnet Nursing Services Recognition Program in the United Kingdom (UK). In a recent article in the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) publication, Nursing Standard, RCN General Secretary Christine Hancock stated, "The RCN has championed this pioneering work on magnet hospitals in the U.S., which illustrates the link between a strong and motivated workforce with good patient care." ANCC President Jan Jones-Schenk, MNA, RN, CNA, is "looking forward to promoting excellence in nursing services and establishing a foundation for an international system of recognition."The site selected for the pilot is the Rochdale Healthcare National Health Service Trust in northern England, which will undergo a two-year assessment of nursing and multidisciplinary teams. Similar to the Magnet nursing services recognition process in the United States, there w ill be direct consultation with nurses at Rochdale on the quality of patient care delivery systems.
Patients' Bill of Rights Negotiations Continue
House and Senate conferees on managed care reform legislation are continuing to negotiate differences in the Patients' Bill of Rights legislation passed in the two chambers. The two versions, now designated H.R. 2990, contain substantial differences and negotiations are quite slow. Although the conference chair, Senate Majority Whip Don Nickels (R-OK), had hoped to wrap up the conference this week and to have a final version passed by the House and Senate before the April 15 congressional break, it is highly unlikely that this ambitious schedule can be met.ANA encourages all nurses to contact their senators and representatives to urge enactment of the patient protections included in the House bill, the only comprehensive, bipartisan bill that holds health plans accountable for their actions and offers a full range of protections to all Americans who hold employment-based health insurance or who buy their own insurance. The bill also must protect nurses from retaliation when they advocate for their patients.
The Conferees are: Reps. Bill Archer (R-TX), Bill Thomas (R-CA), Nancy Johnson (R-CT), Jim McCrery (R-LA), Thomas Bliley, Jr. (R-VA), Michael Bilirakis (R-FL), James Talent (R-MO), Dan Burton (R-IN), John Shadegg (R-AZ), Joe Scarborough (R-FL), Porter Goss (R-FL), John Boehner (R-OH), Ernie Fletcher (R-KY), Charles Rangel (D-NY), Pete Stark (D-CA), John Dingell (D-MI), Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-NJ), Williams Clay (D-MO), Marion Berry (D-AR), and Henry Waxman (D-CA).
Sens. James Jeffords (R-VT), Judd Gregg (R-NH), Bill Frist (R-TN), Tim Hutchinson (R-AR), Don Nickles (R-OK), Phil Gramm (R-TX), Michael Enzi (R-WY), Edward Kennedy (D-MA), Christopher Dodd (D-CT), Tom Harkin (D-IA), Barbara Mikulski (D-MD), and Jay Rockefeller (D-WV).
ANA President Calls for Increased Funding for Nursing Programs
ANA President Mary E. Foley, MS, RN, will testify today, April 4, before a House subcommittee about FY 2001 appropriations for nursing education, nursing research and workforce programs. ANA recommends increased spending for nursing education and for the National Institute of Nursing Research among others. A full copy of the ANA testimony is available.
Betts Leaves DHHS for Univ. of TN
ANA past President, Virginia Trotter Betts, JD, RN, FAAN, has left her position as senior advisor on nursing and policy at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), to assume the roles of associate director for health initiatives at the new Center for Health Policy at the University of Tennessee and professor of nursing at the University of Tennessee Health Sciences Center.Commenting on her new role, Betts stated, "My departure brings to a close an extremely happy, busy, and satisfying time in my professional life. I have truly enjoyed my time at DHHS. I truly appreciate the trust and confidence that you, the nursing community, the Secretary, and the Surgeon General have shown in me, my work, and my judgment. I know that this transition is the beginning of yet another exciting opportunity to make a significant difference in health policy and health care."
Betts is also the national chairperson of Nurses for Al Gore, a national network of nurses who speak out in favor of the vice president and who are pulling together to affect health care.
Contact Nurses for Al Gore at (615)340-3159
House Passes Minimum Wage
The House of Representatives passed a bill (H.R. 3840) to increase the $5.15 per hour minimum wage by $1 over two years. Earlier, a tax cut package (H.R. 3081) was passed with the support of 41 Democrats. That bill provides tax reductions to benefit businesses, their owners, pensioners, and those receiving inheritance by $122.7 billion in the next decade. The minimum wage increase was attached to H.R. 3081, after action was taken on both measures.President Clinton has promised to veto the minimum wage legislation if it reaches his desk containing what he called the House's "irresponsible" tax cuts.
However, there are shorter-term obstacles ahead for the legislation, with its path through a House - Senate conference committee obscured both by parliamentary issues and by substantive differences between the House-and Senate-passed minimum wage bills. The Senate bill, passed in February, would raise the minimum wage by $1 an hour over a three-year period; would offer somewhat more limited tax cuts than the House; and would rewrite the personal bankruptcy law.
ANA supports an increase in the minimum wage rate and is working closely with members of Congress to achieve it. ANA will monitor closely all action taken on H.R. 3081.
U.S. Nurse to Lead ICNP Program
Amy Coenen, PhD, RN, member of the Wisconsin Nurses Association, has been appointed director of the International Council of Nurses' (ICN) International Classification for Nursing Practice (ICNP) Program. The goal of this project is to create a universal language to describe what nurses do and to develop international standards in health care terminology.The ICNP seeks to connect nurses across the world and to describe nursing to people outside of the profession. It can serve as a unifying framework representing the full range of nursing practice across general and specialty areas, geographic regions, and cultures. The ICNP Alpha Version was published in 1996 and translated into 16 languages. The Beta Version was published last June.
Information about the ICNP and its development can be found at www.icn.ch/icnp.htm. The entire text of the ICNP Beta Version is available by visiting www.icn.ch/icnpupdate.htm and can be ordered online or by contacting ICN at its Geneva headquarters at 41-22-908-0100.
ANA Makes NBC
ANA Sr. Policy Fellow Carol Bickford was interviewed by NBC News as part of a segment on telehealth. The segment is scheduled to air on Tuesday, April 4 during the NBC Nightly News with Tom Brokaw. Bickford gave an overview of telehealth, highlighted its benefits and described how it is used among health care clinicians and patients. The national exposure is great for ANA and once again we have the opportunity to highlight the expertise of nurses in health care.
Mass. RNs Issue Official Notice to Strike
Registered nurses represented by the Massachusetts Nurses Association (MNA) at St. Vincent Hospital in Worcester issued their official notice to strike on March 31, after both sides met for a negotiating session where Tenet Health Care failed to adequately address the key issues of concern to the nurses in their two-year struggle to negotiate a first contract. Learn the latest news...
Barbara Brown Appointed Editor for NurseWeek/MOUNTAINWEST Region
Barbara Brown, RN, EdD, FAAN, FNAP, has been appointed Editor for the NurseWeek/MOUNTAINWEST region. Brown will continue as editor of Nursing Administration Quarterly. Aspen Publishers honored Brown with a silver anniversary reception at AONE in Nashville on the 27th.
AACN Chosen to Coordinate Effort to Improve End of Life Care
The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation has awarded a grant of $2 million to the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) to support a comprehensive, national education program to improve end-of-life (EOL) care by nurses.The 3-1/2 year effort to develop a core of expert nursing faculty in end-of-life care, and to coordinate national nursing efforts related to EOL issues, is a partnership of AACN and the City of Hope Cancer Center. AACN will coordinate the program with nurse researchers at the Los Angeles-based City of Hope (COH), developing the course curriculum in nine core content areas and evaluating the impact of the education.
Representing 10 organizations throughout nursing and health care, the project's Advisory Board will provide extensive expert input for curriculum development. The board also will facilitate networking among national nursing organizations, hospices, and the larger professional community in EOL care. ANA is a part of the Advisory Board. For more information, visit AACN's web site at http://www.aacn.nche.edu/
Dept. of Ed. Recognizes Nursing Commission
U.S. Secretary of Education Richard W. Riley has officially recognized the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE) as a national agency for the accreditation of baccalaureate and graduate-degree nursing education programs.CCNE is an autonomous arm of the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN)–the national voice for university and four-year-college education programs in nursing. Established in 1996, CCNE is the only national agency devoted exclusively to the accreditation of bachelor's- and higher-degree nursing education programs. CCNE accreditation provides students, employers, and other parties with assurance that education programs meet the standards that have been established by the professional nursing community.
School Nurse and School Nurse Practitioner Exams
During the 1999 fall meeting of the Commission of Certification (COC), it was determined that the number of candidates applying to take the school nurse and the school nurse practitioner exams were not adequate to continue offering these exams. More...
AONE Names New ED
Pamela Thompson, RN, BS, MSN, a member of the New Hampshire State Nurses Association, has been appointed executive director of the American Organization of Nurse Executives. For the past 14 years, Thompson has been vice president at Mary Hitchcock Memorial Hospital, part of Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center in Lebanon, NH, where she managed inpatient and regional clinical services -- including a children's hospital, obstetrics, and psychiatry -- and played a leadership role in the Behavioral Health Network, a managed care organization. Thompson has a master's in nursing from the University of Rochester School of Nursing and a BS in nursing from University of Connecticut School of Nursing.(Source: AHA News 3/14/00)
Updated Information - ANCC Members Organizations Receive Discounts on Collaborative Exams
ANCC collaborates with many national nursing organizations on the development and maintenance of our examinations. Members of these organizations receive a discount on the particular exam(s) for which the collaborative agreement is set up. Please see the fee schedule for information on rates. Read more.
Medscape Launches Site for NPs
If you're a nurse practitioner with clinically focused questions, why not get your answers from a panel of leading experts? Ask the Experts for Nurse Practitioners allows you to do just that.Medscape has assembled a team of experts to tackle all of your toughest queries, offering the best information, advice, and interpretation available to nurse practitioners anywhere on the web! Simply go to the Ask the Experts website and submit your most perplexing conundrums to our team of experts today! This valuable free service is available exclusively to nurse practitioners, from Medscape.com.
Genetics
Suzanne Feetham, PhD, RN, FAAN, Chair of the American Academy of Nursing’s Expert Panel on Genetics and Nursing offered expert comments to the Secretary’s Advisory Committee on Genetic Testing. More...
The US Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) has recently made public its HCUPnet
HCUPnet is a free, interactive online service that allows people to look-up data compiled from 7 million patients at 1,000 hospitals and medical centers in 22 states. HCUPnet gives you easy access to national and selected state statistics about hospital stays. Go there... (Please come back)
Linda Stierle Named Chief Operating Officer of American Nurses Association
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Linda J. Stierle, MSN, RN, CNAA, a nurse leader with more than 30 years diverse management experience in health care operations, has been named chief operating officer (COO) of the American Nurses Association (ANA). Read ANA Press Release. |
YK2--March 2000 is the month for counting.
This year will be YK2 (You're Kounted 2 times) for over 54,000 American RN's. The US Census is underway right now completing the tally on all folks living here. The 2000 National Sample Survey of Registered Nurses will be mailed to selected registered nurses licensed in the US during the week of March 20th. Please take the necessary moments to complete each document. Remember, we're counting on you to help us describe the nurses in our nation! Let's make the response rate at least 90% for the National Sample Survey and show the surveyors we care about being recognized as nurses.
Study Confirms "Magnet Hospitals" Provide Higher Quality Patient Care
A new study, conducted by researchers at the Center for Health Outcomes and Policy Research at the University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing, and published in the March issue of the American Journal of Nursing, may shed some light on why "magnet hospitals" consistently provide the highest quality care. Magnet hospital designation is awarded to institutions that have formally been recognized by the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) for their excellence in nursing services, and is considered to be the best mechanism to provide consumers with information on the outcome of care at local hospitals."With reports that as many as 98,000 Americans die each year as a result of medical errors, consumers and medical professionals have a right to know that their local hospitals are providing the highest level of care," says Linda H. Aiken, PhD, RN, FRCN, FAAN, director of the Center for Health Outcomes and Policy Research, and lead author of the study.
"Ultimately, the general public stands to benefit the most from this study," says Carolyn Lewis, PhD, RN, CNAA., executive director, ANCC. "Consumers should be asking if their hospital has magnet designation, and if it doesn't, they should want to know why."
An electronic, full text version of the study and an accompanying editorial in the American Journal of Nursing is available on the Internet at http://www.nursingcenter.com/, the official web site of AJN.
Thank You to OJIN Reviewers
The Online Journal of Issues in Nursing (OJIN) depends upon the support of reviewers in order to maintain the level of scholarship that is evident throughout this peer reviewed journal. We would like to sincerely thank the following individuals who gave their time to this service of scholarship to OJIN in 1999:
| Carolyn Adams Janis P. Bellack Kay Hodson Carlton Charlene Clark Kerry Dominick Sr. Rosemary Donley Mary V. Fenton |
Mary Foley Davina Gosnell Sharron Humenick Judith A. Huntington Ada K. Jacox Virginia Maceda Lan Ann Butler Maher |
Meridean Maas Beverly McElmurry Hugh McKenna Jeannette L. Sasmor Mary Cipriano Silva Carol Spengler Midori Sugimori |
ANA Strongly Opposes the Quality Health Care Act - H.R. 1304
H.R. 1304 ("Quality Health-Care Coalition Act of 1999") would create a broad antitrust exemption to permit doctors and other health care professionals to bargain collectively with health plans. The bill undermines efforts to control health care costs for consumers and to provide consumers with a wide range of choices among health care plans. The proposed legislation would create an unfair playing field for non-physician providers, like advanced practice nurses, by giving an unprecedented exemption to physicians from antitrust law. Read the Fact Sheet.
ANCC Recertification Updates
ANCC recertification continuing education requirements have been updated for 2000. Clearer explanations and examples of Categories I through V will be available in the 2000 catalogs. More...
ANCC 2000 Catalogs
Availability and ordering information is now available. The 2000 catalog for computer-based testing (CBT) for ANCC's Nurse Practitioner and Informatics Nurse initial certification examinations is now available. The catalogs for Clinical Nurse Specialists, Nursing Administration, Generalists, and Modular exams and for recertification will be available any day. More...
ANCC to Make Certification Available to All Registered Nurses Through Open Door 2000 Program - Reflects Growing Recognition of Certification as an Indicator of Competence
In response to the demands of today's health care environment for greater public accountability among nurses and other health care providers and as a means of providing an opportunity to demonstrate competence over a professional's lifetime of practice, the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) has unveiled a new, 21st Century model of credentialing, called Open Door 2000, to make certification accessible to all qualified registered nurses. Read the Press Release.
ANA Reaffirms Commitment to BSN for Entry into Practice - Supports New Certification Program to be Offered by ANCC
The American Nurses Association (ANA) Board of Directors reaffirmed its longstanding position that baccalaureate education should be the standard for entry into professional nursing practice. The reaffirmation follows on the heels of a recent decision by the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) to offer a new certification exam for nurses who hold a bachelor's of science in nursing (BSN), and to offer the present exams to nurses who hold an associate degree or diploma. Read the Press Release.
ANCC Modular Certifications
"Core-certified" nurses without a bachelor's degree in nursing are now eligible to sit for the Nursing Case Mangement and Ambulatory Care Nurse modular examinations. More...
Eligibility Requirements for Advanced Practice Nurses
The American Nurses Credentialing Center's Commission on Certification (ANCC/COC) voted to drop the eligibility requirement of postgraduate supervised clinical practice for all advanced practice certifications as long as 500 hours of supervised clinical practice are required as part of the nursing educational program. More...
National Student Nurses Day - May 8
The third annual National Student Nurses Day will be celebrated on May 8, 2000, during National Nurses Week (NNW). The National Student Nurses Association (NSNA) collaborated with the ANA to establish this special day each year to honor nursing students throughout the country and provide them with special recognition. This is an opportunity for faculty to be recognized, and for faculty recognition of students. Nursing students are honored for their work in the classroom and in the community, as well as for their spirit and dedication to serving the public. Nursing students are encouraged to celebrate this special day through a wide range of campus and community projects.Nursing students also collaborate with SNAs in promoting and participating in Nurses' Week activities while recognizing state student leaders. Activities include organizing health fairs and health screenings; visiting junior and senior high schools to promote nursing as a career choice; visiting long-term care facilities and children's hospital units as well as senior centers; and encouraging local media to do stories about nursing education and the profession of nursing.
The American Academy of Nursing and the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) Jointly Sponsor a Senior Scholar in Residence Program.
The American Academy of Nursing and the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) jointly sponsor a Senior Scholar in Residence program. The purpose is to encourage a senior nurse scientist to develop areas of investigation that integrate clinical nursing care questions with critical issues of quality, costs, and access. Sally Lusk, PhD, RN, FAAN is the 1999-2000 AHRQ Scholar in Residence. Dr. Lusk is focusing on issues related to primary care services and occupational health and on development and coordination of collaboration between NIOSH, specifically the National Occupational Research Agenda and AHRQ.More...
ANA/SNAs Focus Media on Workplace Violence
ANA and the SNAs successfully worked together to highlight the dangers of workplace violence. When ANA learned that the television show "ER" planned to air a storyline where a patient stabs two employees, killing one and severely injuring another, ANA put out a press release and worked closely with the SNAs to secure media coverage. For example, in Ohio, during the Feb. 10 episode of "ER" there were numerous commercials during the 11:00 pm news that mentioned ONA and the news segment included an interview with executive director, Ann Whitlatch, PhD, RN.The segment focused on how workplace violence has become a real threat in central Ohio and across the nation. ANA was mentioned as the advocate for protecting nurses in all settings. An ONA representative stressed that many nurses are afraid to address workplace violence concerns and that ONA is available to help nurses get this message out. The need for hospitals to address workplace safety issues and discuss prevention tactics was reiterated. ONA also noted that local hospitals were addressing these concerns and discussed current contract language that helps to ensure the safety of nurses.
The Michigan Nurses Association also got coverage on the 11:00 pm news on Feb. 17 on WILK in Lansing. That report included an interview with executive director Tom Renkes, MS, RN. The segment focused on how nurses and health care professionals are confronted with violence in the workplace and some of the concerns that need to be addressed. Renkes talked about the importance of dealing with health and safety issues in contracts and ensuring the safety of health care workers who are caring for patients.
The New York State Nurses Association and the Massachusetts Nurses Association are actively working on getting media coverage on this issue.
UK Examining Roles Between Nurses and Doctors
A Pilot Project at Kingston Hospital in Surrey, England, will examine whether the roles of doctor and nurse could be merged to combine many of the tasks performed in hospital settings. Read more
September/October Issue of The American Nurse (TAN)
The Sept/Oct issue of TAN is online. Articles include: Working 'Round the Clock (feature); Massachusetts Board Reprimands Dana-Farber Nurses; Survey Highlights Nurses' Concerns About Health Care; Is there a Clinical Practice Guideline For....?; Nurses Prevail on OSHA Respiratory Protection Standard. Read more.
ICN 22nd Quadrennial Congress - Call for Abstracts
The International Council of Nurses (ICN) has issued its first Call for Abstracts for the 22nd Quadrennial Congress, scheduled for 10 - 15 June 2001, Copenhagen. The deadline for submissions of abstracts is June 1, 2000. The theme for the Congress is Nursing: A New Era for Action. Abstract forms are available online from the ICN website at http://www.icn.ch/.Copies of the brochure may be obtained from ANA by contacting Cheryl Peterson at 202-651-7089 and cpeterso@ana.org, or Willieree Murray at 202-651-7075 and wmurray@ana.org.
New Rules for Controlled Substance Prescriptive Authority Proposed
Recently, the Florida Nurses Association (FNA) and the Florida Association of Nurse Anesthetists (FANA) filed motions to intervene in a rule challenge captioned as Florida Medical Association v. State of Florida, Department of Health Board of Nursing (Case No. 99-5337RP).The Florida Board of Nursing (FBN), after much discussion and differing legal opinions, moved forward and published draft rules for controlled substance prescriptive authority. The Department of Health and the Florida Board of Medicine (FBM) believe that controlled substance prescriptive authority may be obtained only through additional legislation while the Board of Nursing, FNA, FANA and the ANA believe that enabling legislation presently exists which allows the Board to go forward with the rulemaking.
In 1996, the Florida Legislature created the Prescribing of Controlled Substances Task Force, which included physicians, ARNPs, a pharmacist and a hospital administrator. After much testimony and research, the task force prepared a report entitled "Prescribing of Controlled Substances by Advanced Registered Nurse Practitioners" (the "Task Force Report") which was presented to the Governor and the Legislature in Dec. 1997.
The Task Force Report recommended that ARNPs be authorized to prescribe controlled substances under a protocol agreement with a practitioner licensed under Chapter 458 (physician), Chapter 459 (osteopathic physician) or Chapter 466 (dentist). The Task Force Report was reviewed by a joint committee comprised of members of the Board of Medicine, the Board of Nursing and the Department of Health whose legislative mandate is to identify medical acts, including prescriptive authority, to be performed by ARNPs.
The joint committee approved the controlled substance authority in regulation. The FBN used this decision by the joint committee and the original prescriptive authority delegated rulemaking statute, Section 464.006, Florida Statutes (1999) as the basis for going forward with the rules.
ANA President Responds to Aetna U.S. Healthcare Advertisement
On 2/1/00 Aetna U.S. Healthcare placed an advertisement in the 2/1/00 issue of the New York Times urging patients and medical professionals to share their ideas and timely issues in health care by email at dialogue@aetna.com.ANA President, Mary E. Foley, MS, RN, responded to the advertisement on 2/16/00. Aetna continues to maintain a discriminatory policy by refusing to credential Advanced Practice Registered Nurses (APRN), limiting patient access to high quality care provided by APRNs.
ANA encourages all healthcare professionals to answer Aetna's request for ideas by showing your support for APRNs as primary care providers. Read ANA's response.
Susan Bianchi-Sand Named Director of United American Nurses
Susan Bianchi-Sand, an accomplished labor leader and well-known women's rights activist, has been named director of the United American Nurses (UAN). UAN is the newly created national labor entity of the American Nurses Association, the oldest and largest professional association for registered nurses. Bianchi-Sand assumes the post on March 6, 2000. Read the Press Release.
World Health Day 2000
This year's theme for World Health Day 2000 is Be a Life Saver - Be a Blood Donor. The objective of this world initiative is to raise the awareness of the global community about the importance of blood safety and to encourage all nations to establish national blood programs, pass blood safety legislation and establish a framework to ensure a safe and adequate blood supply for their citizens. In the United States, we continue to have an insufficient number of blood donors. Many communities continue to suffer from a shortage of blood and blood products. Please consider giving blood and/or organizing a blood drive in your area. While April 7 is designated as World Health Day, this campaign is a year-long focus.
For information on how to hold a blood drive or additional information on World Health Day, contact the American Association for World Health at http://www.bloodsaveslives.net/.
International Nurses' Day 2000
The International Council of Nurses (ICN) has announced this year's theme for International Nurses' Day 2000--Nurses, Always There for You. International Nurses' Day is celebrated in conjunction with National Nurses Week, May 6-12. ICN has developed an International Nurses' Day Kit that includes: a press release; first person testimonials on nursing from patients and families; facts and figures about nursing around the world; and four fact sheets--Nursing and the Life Cycle, Nursing in Health and Sickness, Tele-nursing and Tele-health, and Nursing Working For Safety and Quality of Care.
For copies of the kit or additional information, contact Willieree Murray, International Nursing Center, at 202-651-7075 or wmurray@ana.org. Information may also be obtained from the ICN at icn@uni2a.unige.ch or by telephone at +41 (22) 908 0100.
New Efforts from WHO and UNO on Safety of Injections
The World Health Organization (WHO) has issued a fact sheet, Safety of Injections, that discusses the risks of unsafe injection to both the patient and the health care worker.
United Nations Organizations (UNO), in conjunction with governments and non-governmental organizations, are initiating a campaign - Safe Injection Global Network - focusing on the safe and appropriate use of injections.
Copies of the fact sheet may be obtained from Willieree Murray, International Nursing Center, 202-651-7075 or mailto:wmurray@ana.org. or by contacting the World Health Organization at http://www.who.int/ or via email at inf@who.ch.
ANA First Vice President Joined President Clinton at White House
ANA First Vice President Barbara Blakeney, MS, RN, CS, ANP, joined President Clinton today, Feb.22, at the White House when he unveiled the administration's proposal to address the problem of medical errors. Ms. Blakeney reiterated ANA's support for a comprehensive approach that addresses the systems causes of errors rather than one that places blame on individuals. Read ANA Statement | ANA Testimony | ANA Press Release
MedicAlert Emergency Medical Information Training Program
MedicAlert Foundation USA, one of the world's largest nonprofit membership organizations, has developed a new training program designed to enhance awareness and use of its emergency medical information services by hospital emergency departments and other emergency responders.ANA and the Emergency Nurses Association Board of Directors have reviewed the new education package and found the material both relevant and important. The training program includes visual aids, instructor and student participation manuals, case studies, and other important information.
To order, call 1(800)825-3785, e-mail mailto:%20materials@medicalert.org, or mail your request to MedicAlert Foundation, 2323 Colorado Avenue, Turlock, CA 95382.
Danish Nurses commemorate 100 years of Achieving Common Goals
The Danish Nurses' Organization (DNO) celebrated its 100th anniversary at The New Theatre in Copenhagen on October 27, 1999. This centennial celebration was one of many events and activities held to commemorate the DNO's 100th anniversary and the role of nurses in Denmark today."The core of nurses' work has always been and will always be care," was part of the message presented to the audience by Jette Soe, president of both the DNO and the Northern Nurses' Federation. The many prominent guests included Her Majesty the Queen Margrethe and Prime Minister Poul Nyrop Rasmussen. Many world-wide nursing representatives attended the centennial celebration, bringing congratulatory messages to the DNO. Judith A. Oulton, CEO of the International Council of Nurses (ICN) was present on behalf of Kirsten Stallknecht, ICN president and former president of the DNO.
National Nurses Week 2000
Ohio Nurses Receive New Bargaining Agreement
The Ohio State University Nurses Organization (OSUNO) has a new collective bargaining agreement. The Ohio Nurses Association, which represents the 1,100 registered nurses at the Ohio State University Medical Center (OSUMC), received the conciliator's award on Jan. 18. The award addressed two primary issues: (1) overtime and (2) salary.On overtime, the conciliator awarded two options: (1) development of unit-by-unit procedures or (2) current contract language. The award also granted across-the-board pay increases- and steps based on seniority, retroactive to July 1, 1999.
"After very long and difficult negotiations, the parties have reached an agreement that allows greater participation by registered nurses in staffing and patient care decisions. We are looking forward to working with OSUMC . We made many improvements in the new agreement, which builds upon previous agreements," said Tracy Gabriel, RN, president of OSUNO.
The Health of Indigenous Peoples; A Concern for Nursing
The International Council of Nurses (ICN) recently released a fact sheet titled "The Health of Indigenous Peoples: A Concern for Nursing." In this fact sheet, ICN takes a closer look at the health status of indigenous people.Historically, indigenous peoples have suffered from colonization, borne the impact of policies seeking to assimilate them into the dominant population, and suffered significantly from the effects of environmental degradation, armed conflict and the application of a western development model.
Today, there is greater acknowledgment that health professions need to add cultural competence to their repertoire of skills. The Canadian Nurses Association (CNA) and the New Zealand Nurses Organization (NZNO) have given much thought to how to promote cultural competence both in the way health care services are delivered and in the behavior of health care providers with respect to indigenous peoples. CNA identified a number of areas for consideration, which include addressing the socio-economic roots of ill health; addressing access issues; using existing strengths, resources and models; recognizing the contribution of traditional healing; educating indigenous health care providers and managers; increasing primary health care resources; and conducting more applied and participatory research.
In New Zealand, nursing has developed the concept of culture safety, which addresses the lack of sensitivity and understanding of some non-indigenous health professionals working with indigenous peoples and the often hostile culture of health care organizations receiving them. Today, indigenous peoples are not interested in integration of the two systems, but in finding ways to articulate traditional health with modern health care. For more information visit ICN's website http://www.icn.ch/matters_indigenous.htm.
Certified Nurses Report Fewer Adverse Events - Survey Links Certification With Improved Health Care
In the wake of an Institute of Medicine study that found that health care errors kill a startling 44,000 to 98,000 people each year, another study indicates that professional certification for registered nurses is a factor in improving patient safety. Read the Press Release.
American Nurses Association Supports Hikes in Health Care Included in FY'01 Budget -Proposal funds Long-Term Health Care, Initiatives to Prevent Medical Errors, and Nursing Education
The American Nurses Association (ANA) praised President Clinton for his commitment to quality health care after reviewing the proposed Fiscal Year (FY) 2001 budget. As mentioned in his State of the Union address (See ANA 1/28/00 Press Release ), Clinton's budget includes proposals that support a strong patients' bill of rights, provide tax credits for those with long-term health care needs, and strengthen the Medicare program. Read the Press Release.
Art Imitates Life: TV Show, "ER," Highlights Threat of Workplace Violence
As health care workers face the daily risk of workplace violence, the NBC television show, "ER," will dramatize this when two characters become victims of a patient assault in this week's episode. The American Nurses Association hopes that the show will draw attention to this serious problem. "It is simply unacceptable that any facility would risk the lives of health care workers and patients by failing to implement a comprehensive workplace violence program and to address serious short staffing problems," said ANA President Mary Foley, MS, RN. Read More.
ICN Board Approves Position Statement on Strikes
The International Council of Nurses (ICN) Board of Directors recently approved a position statement on strikes to guide the nursing community in negotiations for improved quality of care, work environment, and recognition of the profession's contribution to society.Social dialogue is widely recognized as the principal and most effective means of resolving workplace-related problems. When employer/employee negotiation has been unsatisfactory, unsuccessful or refused, frustrated employees may take industrial action. Deficiencies in the quality of working life and in economic rewards have become so serious as to affect the long-range prospects for maintaining high standards of nursing care and nurses may choose to take industrial action. Extreme situations have resulted in strikes and, on occasion, in wide public and intra-professional debate.
The Board acknowledged that the abandonment of critically ill patients is totally inconsistent with the purpose and philosophy of professional nurses; however, strike action is considered a justifiable measure of last resort to be taken only after all other possible means to conclude an agreement have been explored and utilized.
ANA provided ICN with written comments on this position statement. The statement will soon be available on the ICN website.
IOM Committee on HIV Prevention Strategies
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has requested that the Institute of Medicine (IOM) convene a committee to conduct a comprehensive review of current HIV prevention efforts in the United States. The ANA is represented on the liaison panel to the committee by Sally Raphel, MS, RN, CS, director of the ANA Department of Nursing Practice.The committee will review HIV prevention efforts of the CDC and other Department of Health and Human Services agencies, as well as various other public and private sector agencies and organizations. The review will also examine the changing nature of the epidemic, advances in clinical prevention and treatment, evaluations of public health interventions, and emerging research in the behavioral sciences and their impact on HIV prevention. Based on this review, the committee will propose a visionary framework for future national HIV prevention activities and suggest institutional roles for the CDC and other federal, public and private sector agencies in the context of an overall HIV preventions strategy.
The IOM committee will meet three times for information gathering. The first meeting was held Jan. 24-25. This was an introduction to the charge and a brief review of work to date from committee members. A portion of each meeting will involve receiving input from various constituency groups including federal and state agencies, prevention researchers, program directors and community-based and professional organizations. The committee's report is scheduled for release at the end of July 2000.
(Contact Sally Raphel at x7066 or http://www.ana.org/news/mail%20to:%20sraphael@ana.org)
ANA-PAC Endorses Hillary Clinton for U.S. Senate
Citing her strong commitment to improving the health and welfare of children, families and workers, the American Nurses Association Political Action Committee (ANA-PAC) today endorsed Hillary Rodham Clinton for U.S. Senate. ANA-PAC is the first health care PAC to endorse the Democratic candidate for the open U.S. Senate seat. Read More.
Erratum Notice
The ANA Bylaws, amended on June 19, 1999, include a proviso (4) to direct creation of a Task Force on Workplace Advocacy, stipulating that the report of the task force shall include recommendations for a permanent structure within ANA to assure that nurses not represented by a collective bargaining unit have access to an effective workplace advocacy program. However, the proviso as printed on page 31 of the ANA Bylaws does not contain the final language approved by the House of Delegates. The correct language is as follows:"The ANA Board of Directors shall establish and fund (by September 1999) a Task Force on Workplace Advocacy to develop and evaluate models by which the ANA and the SNAs can assure that nurses not represented by a collective bargaining unit have access to effective workplace advocacy.
The Task Force on Workplace Advocacy shall submit a preliminary report by December 1, 1999, and a final report with recommendations no later than March, 2000 to the ANA Board of Directors that addresses strategies to establish a visible and effective workplace advocacy within the ANA. The report shall include, but shall not be limited to, recommendations for a permanent structure within the ANA to assure that nurses not represented by a collective bargaining unit have access to an effective workplace advocacy program.
The board will direct these recommendations in the form of bylaws proposals to the Committee on Bylaws so that the Committee on Bylaws may present them as amendments to the bylaws in a special House of Delegates meeting in the year 2000."
National Sample Survey of RNs Coming in March
The National Sample Survey of Registered Nurses (NSSRN) serves as one of the pivotal tools used to assess the characteristics, supply and adequacy of the nursing workforce. The NSSRN is the nation's most extensive and comprehensive source of statistics on all RNs currently licensed to practice in the U.S., whether or not they are actively employed in nursing.The NSSRN 2000, which will be mailed in March, is based on a scientific sample of about 54,000 RNs that represents licensed RNs nationwide. RNs selected to participate in the sample are asked to complete a questionnaire. Their returned responses are entered into a database and analyzed to describe the characteristics of the registered nursing profession. If you receive the survey, please complete it promptly and mail it back in the postage-paid envelope.
ANA President Establishes Priorities for 2000
Newly appointed ANA President Mary E. Foley, MS, RN has laid out her priorities for the association during the next six months. Foley assumed the presidency on Jan. 10, following former President Beverly Malone’s appointment to the position of deputy assistant secretary at the Department of Health and Human Services. The ANA House of Delegates will elect a new president at its June meeting. "As president of ANA I am committed to representing nurses and working toward a safe environment for all nurses and the patients they care for, as well as increasing access to quality care for all Americans," stated Foley. "In order to keep ANA’s important agenda on track, my presidency will focus on issues such as patient safety and advocacy, workplace health and safety and organizational partnerships," she emphasized.Patient Safety/Patient Advocacy
In efforts to address issues
of medical errors as reported in the Institute of Medicine’s report, "To
Err is Human," Foley has delivered
ANA testimony before the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor,
and Pensions highlighting inadequate nurse staffing as a systems issue
that contributes to errors. In addition to ANA’s efforts to address
medical errors, Foley will also resume ANA’s advocacy for strong patient
protections, such as a federal patients’ bill of rights and to advance the
implementation of ANA’s
Staffing Principles. Other pressing policy issues include efforts to
reform the nation’s health care system. ANA released two papers that seek
to ensure Americans’ access to high quality health care -- its Medicare Reform
Plan, looking at the current Medicare program, and its proposal for
universal Medicare, titled Achieving Access for All
Americans, focused on achieving universal access to care.
Workplace Health and Safety
Foley plans to continue ANA’s
leadership in protecting nurses’ health and safety through initiatives
such as the Safe Needles Save
Lives campaign, education of nurses about the hazards of the workplace
and their rights, aggressive action with OSHA and other federal agencies
to develop and enforce standards and the introduction and support of
legislative remedies.
Organizational
She plans to continue ANA’s financial renewal
program by focusing on the association's core issues,
maintaining and recruiting new members, cutting expenses, increasing
non-dues revenue and passing a dues increase.
Foley’s presidency will focus on partnerships — partnerships with SNAs, the nursing community and other organizations. Through these partnership Foley is committed to working for and with all nurses.
Reaffirming her commitment to nursing Foley stated, "ANA is a credible, trusted voice whose superb policy work is making a difference on Capitol Hill, at the bargaining table, on the unit and at the bedside. We must recognize the power of our voice and resolve to work together to make the quality difference."
ANA Echoes Clinton's Call to Bolster Health Care System
The American Nurses Association praised President Clinton for his forward looking policy agenda outlined in his Jan. 27 State of the Union address and voiced its staunch support for the president's health care proposals.
Nursing Coalition's Quality Monitoring Tool Will Help Shape Future Health Policy and Care Delivery
A new tool that will help hospitals improve nursing quality of care contribute to research, and provide clinical evidence to shape future health policy, was showcased at a Jan. 20-21 conference sponsored by the California Nursing Outcomes Coalition (CalNOC).CalNOC's statewide nursing outcomes database, which compiles information about participating hospitals' nurse staffing practices and links it to patient safety and health outcomes indicators, provides the first standardized methodology that enables a hospital to compare its nursing quality to an aggregated "benchmark." It is the largest ongoing prospective statewide nursing quality measurement database in the nation.
CalNOC, a coalition of nursing administrators, staff nurses, and nationally recognized nursing researchers has enlisted some 80 hospitals throughout California to provide quarterly information for the developing database.
The American Nurses Association (ANA) presented background and findings from its National Database for Nursing Quality Indicators at the CalNOC conference. "CalNOC's important work can add tremendous support to our national nursing quality database and report card project, " said Mary Foley, MS, RN, president of the ANA, Washington, DC. "CalNOC has a wonderful model to be shared with other states."
The California Nursing Outcomes Coalition is a collaborative project of the Association of California Nurse Leaders and the American Nurses Association\California. This initiative engages a diverse team of staff nurses, advanced practice clinicians, educators, researchers, and administrators in designing, implementing, and evaluating a statewide nursing outcomes database. The CalNOC conference is supported by a grant from the federal Agency for Health Care Research and Quality.
American Red Cross Looking For Nursing Heroes
Saving a life is one of the most heroic and significant things anyone can do. As part of National Nurses Week, May 6-12, 2000, the American Red Cross and Nursing Spectrum are joining forces to showcase ten nurse heroes from across the United States who saved or attempted to save a life under difficult conditions.
Individuals wishing to nominate a nurse for this award can obtain a nomination form by visiting http://www.nursingspectrum.com/ or by calling Nursing Spectrum at (703) 237-6515.
Candidates will be selected based upon the following criteria:
All nominations must be received no later than February 15, 2000. Nominations will not be accepted by e-mail or fax.
Healthy People 2010 Launched
The new Healthy People 2010 goals, "Increase Quality and Years of Healthy Life" and "Eliminate Health Disparities," and objectives were launched by U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Donna E. Shalala and U.S. Surgeon General David Satcher at the Partnerships for Health in the New Millennium Conference, Jan. 24-28, in Washington, DC.Healthy People 2010 is the prevention agenda for the nation. A statement of national health objectives, Healthy People 2010 is designed to identify the most significant preventable threats to health and to establish national goals to reduce these threats.
Healthy People 2010 offers a simple but powerful idea: provide the objectives in a format that enables diverse groups to combine their efforts and work as a team. The 28 focus areas of Healthy People 2010 have been developed by leading federal agencies with the most relevant scientific expertise. The development process was informed by the Healthy People Consortium—an alliance of more than 350 national membership organizations and 250 state health, mental health, substance abuse, and environmental agencies, of which ANA is a member.
Healthy People 2010 builds on initiatives pursued over the past two decades. The 1979 Surgeon General's Report, Healthy People, and Healthy People 2000: National Health Promotion and Disease Prevention Objectives, both established national health objectives and served as the basis for the development of state and community plans. Like its predecessors, Healthy People 2010 was developed through a broad consultation process, built upon the best scientific information, and designed to measure programs over time.
Among the many SNA members who took an active part in the process was Marge Drugay, ND, RN (AZ) who represented ANA on the conference planning committee. Additional information as well as searchable text of the document in its entirety can be found on the Healthy People 2010 website at www.health.gov/healthypeople. ANA contact Rita Munley Gallagher.
Nurse Pioneer Dies
Lucille Petry Leone, MA, RN, FAAN, who was the first woman in the United States to hold the rank of Brigadier General, died in January. Leone served as chief nurse officer and assistant surgeon general, as director of nursing education for U.S. Public Health Service, and as technical expert on nursing for the World Health Organization. The National League for Nursing established an award in her honor in 1966 for her contributions to nursing education. She was an active participant in statewide planning for nursing education and for the general upgrading of nursing education in the United States and internationally. After working at Johns Hopkins and Yale University School of Nursing, she was on the faculty of the University of Minnesota School of Nursing for 12 years, first as an instructor and then as associate professor and assistant director.
She received her BA from the University of Delaware in 1924, a diploma in nursing from Johns Hopkins Hospital School of Nursing in 1927 and her MA from Teachers College, Columbia University, in 1929. A memorial service for Leone will be held on Feb. 22 from 2 to 4 p.m. at the Sequoia (1400 Geary St) in San Francisco.
Richer Oxygen Mix in Surgeries Said to Cut Infection Risk
As reported in the Jan. 20 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine, boosting the oxygen level patients get during surgery can cut the risk of surgical infections in half. The Journal report was based on work on 500 patients conducted in Vienna, Austria, and Hamburg, Germany. Twenty-eight of 250 patients getting the standard surgical oxygen mix — usually 30% — developed infections. But when an 80% oxygen mix was used, just 13 of 250 patients developed infections. The finding could have important cost implications for hospitals, because oxygen costs pennies compared to the cost of treating an infection. For details, go to http://www.nejm.org/ (Source: AHA News)
Study: Some Tests Unnecessary Prior to Cataract Surgery
A new study indicates that tests given patients prior to cataract removal — the most common surgery for people over 65 — don't improve safety. Research published in the New England Journal of Medicine says eliminating electrocardiograms, complete blood counts, and checks for electrolytes, blood urea nitrogen, creatinine, and glucose conducted prior to cataract surgery "would reduce costs without a negative impact on patient outcomes." About 1.5 million cataract surgeries are performed in the U.S. annually. Medicare pays about $3.4 billion each year for about 1 million of those procedures. (Source: AHA News)
HCFA Reports Scattered Y2K Problem Filings
Contractors who handle Medicare payments for HCFA have reported sporadic cases of claims containing problems stemming from the year 2000 problem, a HCFA spokesman said. The claims involved are coming in with dates like "2099" and "1900" and contractors are rejecting them, he added. HCFA couldn't say how many Y2K-related problems have cropped up, except that there are extremely few. In fact, problems have been so rare that the agency is paying on claims normally, and didn't even need to hold up payments that are based on the updated physician (Medicare Part B) schedule that took effect Jan. 1, the spokesman said. (Source: AHA News)
ANA President Testifies in Response to IOM Report
In December 1999, the Institute of Medicine released a report titled "To Err is Human: Building a Safer Health System" that details the high human and economic cost of medical errors and calls for system-wide changes to address the problem. The ANA agrees with the report's assertion that the majority of errors result not from human recklessness but from failures in the health care system and believes the report reinforces the need to address all systems issues, including staffing. The report also reinforces the ANA and other organizations' ongoing work to pursue strategies that protect patients from preventable errors and that move organizations away from the traditional "search and destroy" missions that frequently follow serious health care errors.As a result of the findings of the report, ANA along with other health
care organizations, were invited to testify at the first hearing of the
Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions on medical
errors. ANA President Mary Foley, MS, RN, testified
at the event which was held at the Hart Senate Office Building in
Washington, DC on Jan. 26.
Read more: ANA's
Response to the Initial Report.
New Online CE Module Now Available
Now available on RNCE.org is our latest offering: "Nursing Classification I: Nursing Nomenclature and Needed Taxonomies for Health Care." The purposes of this two-part independent study module are to not only explain and discuss the characteristics, levels and outcomes of what is frequently heard of as a "good nomenclature" from a technological and informatics perspective, but also to define the end point of these outcomes and the emerging quality of care delivered by nurses. Ultimately, it is our purpose to propose a model that will move nursing classification toward a more useful universal level.
Federal Demo Projects Planned to Promote Quality Care
The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality and the National Cancer Institute have issued a request for applications, seeking demonstration projects that facilitate patient and consumer use of information on quality in health care. The RFA stems from a December 1998 conference, "Making Choices Count: Helping Consumers Make Better Health Care Choices." AHQR will award up to $1 million and the NCI $500,000 during fiscal year 2000 for three to four demonstration projects. Letters of Intent are due Feb. 11 and applications are due March 24. The RFA, "Making Quality Count for Consumers and Patients," is available online at http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/rfa-files/rfa-hs-00-002.html. — From "AHA News Now"
Hot Issues
- "Safe Needles Save Lives" Campaign Scores Important Victory With Release of New OSHA Directive
- United American Nurses Announces Founding Members
- Keeping Health Care Records Private: ANA Lauds Clinton Administration Initiative
- ANA Joins Fight Against Smoking
- California Mandate Highlights Crisis in Nurse Staffing Nationally
- ANA Celebrates Patient Protection Victory
- ANA Advocates for Children's Health Coverage
- ANA Joins Coalition Formed to Promote Nursing
- HCFA Proposes Revised Nurse Practitioner Qualifications for Medicare Reimbursement
- OSHA Respiratory Protection Standard Upheld
- ANA Statement on Kaiser Family Foundation Survey of Physicians and Nurses
Upcoming: Learning, Training, Conferences
ANA 2000 Convention
Join us in Indianapolis, Indiana June 23-28 as we hold the first biennial convention of the new millennium!Request for Proposal in Patient Safety
The National Patient Safety Foundation (NPSF) at the AMA is calling for Letters of Intent (LOI) for research proposals for projects that enhance patient safety in the United States and Canada. The LOI must be no longer than five pages and must be submitted with the required content and format as described in the Request for Research Proposals. The awards will be up to $100,000 for projects up to 2 years duration. The indirect cost rate is limited to 15% of total direct costs, excluding equipment. Submission deadline is March 29, 2000.National Council of State Boards of Nursing - Call For Papers
The National Council of State Boards of Nursing (NCSBN) has issued a call for papers for the 2000 NCSBN annual meeting. They are seeking presenters for educational and research sessions related to nursing regulation in the areas of credentialing, education, public policy, practice and discipline. The conference will take place August 8-12, 2000, in Minneapolis, MN. Each presentation will be 60 minutes, with an additional 30 minutes for questions. Continuing education credits will be awarded. The application is an abstract of 250 words or less to the National Council. The abstract should identify the central theme and implications related to regulation. A curriculum vitae must be provided. Selections will be made after March 20, 2000 by the National Council's Institute for the Promotion of Regulatory Excellence Task Force. Presenters for other educational conferences will be notified throughout the year.Contact: NCSBN, 676 N. St. Clair Street, Suite 550, Chicago, IL 60611, 312-787-6898 (fax) or visit: http://www.ncsbn.org/
World Alzheimer's Congress
July 9-18, 2000, Washington, DC. This July, world leaders in Alzheimer's research and care will unite at World Alzheimer's Congress 2000 to explore new, integrated ways of thinking about the entire spectrum of Alzheimer's disease. Hosted by the Alzheimer's Association, Alzheimer's Disease International, and Alzheimer Society of Canada, Alzheimer 2000 will mark the first time researchers, physicians, care providers, and other Alzheimer specialists have come together for the vital purpose of improving the lives of people affected by Alzheimer's disease.
World Congress on Osteoporosis
The National Osteoporosis Foundation (NOF) and the International Osteoporosis Foundation (IOF) will jointly sponsor what promises to be the most important meeting on osteoporosis, the World Congress on Osteoporosis. The four-day Congress, June 15 to 18, 2000, will feature plenary sessions, oral abstract presentations, poster sessions, satellite symposia and a major technical exhibition at Chicago's Navy Pier. Pre-Congress activities begin on June 14 with a morning clinical symposium for physicians followed by an afternoon symposium for allied healthcare professionals.To receive a Registration Brochure and the Call for Abstracts refer to
the following contact information:
World Congress on Osteoporosis
2000,
National Osteoporosis Foundation,
1232 22nd St. NW,
Washington, DC 20037-1292, USA
Facsimile: 202/223-2237
E-mail:
wco2000@nof.org
A preliminary
program and registration and housing forms are available online at http://www.nof.org/.
Head Start's Fifth National Research Conference
ANA is pleased to join Head Start again as a cooperating organization in its Fifth National Research Conference on June 28 - July 1, 2000.Grants, Awards
Neonatal Resuscitation Program (NRP) 2000 Research Grant
The American Academy of Pediatrics is pleased to announce the availability of the 2000 Neonatal Resuscitation Program Research Grant. This program provides an opportunity to support research that furthers knowledge in the area of neonatal resuscitation. These funds may also be used to generate pilot data to allow the investigator to develop the basis for an application for independent research support through conventional granting mechanisms. Proposals for up to $25,000 will be accepted. Researchers from Canadian and US institutions are invited to apply.Potential applicants should submit an Intent for Application to the NRP Steering Committee by May 1, 2000. The NRP Steering Committee will evaluate the letters of intent and applications will be invited from those whom the committee recommends. Invitees will receive the formal application by July 3, 2000 and completed applications will be due on September 5, 2000.
To obtain the 2000 Neonatal Resuscitation Program Research Grant Program Guidelines and Intent for Application, please contact: American Academy of Pediatrics Division of Life Support Programs 800/433-9016. Ext 6798 or visit the AAP Website.
2000 ANA Award Winners and Hall of Fame Inductees Announced
ANA established the Honorary Awards Program in the early 1900s to pay special tribute to distinguished registered nurses and individuals whose outstanding contributions to the nursing profession and health care deserve recognition.The awards also assist the public in further understanding the role of nursing and its significant contributions to the delivery of health care.The ANA is pleased to announce the 2000 award winners and Hall of Fame Inductees. A more detailed profile of each award winner will appear in an upcoming issue of The American Nurse. Award recipients will be honored at the ANA 2000 Convention in Indianapolis on Sunday, June 25, from 4:30 to 6 p.m. ANA National Awards Program
- Barbara Thoman Curtis Award: E. Joyce Gould, MSN, BSN, RN - New York
- Mary Mahoney Award: Lillian Stokes, PhD, MSN, BSN, RN - Indiana
- Pearl McIver Public Health Nurse Award: Kaye W. Bender, MS, BSN, RN - Mississippi
- Mary Ellen Patton Staff Nurse Leadership Award: Michael Nilsson, BS, RN - Florida
- Hildegard Peplau Award: Grayce M. Sills, PhD, MS, BSN, RN, FAAN - Ohio
- Jessie M. Scott Award: Toni G. Cesta, PHD, MA, BS, RN - New York
- Shirley Titus Award: Mary S. Runyan, Diploma, RN,CCRN - Ohio; Marva Wade, ADN, RN - New York
- Distinguished Membership Award: Claire Murray, MS, RN, CNAA - New York
- Honorary Human Rights Award: Harriet V. Coeling, PhD, MS, BSN - Ohio
- Honorary Nursing Practice Award: Karen Daley, MPH, RN - Massachusetts
- Honorary Recognition Award: U.S. Senator Thomas Daschle - South Dakota; Lee Ann Hoff, PhD, MA, MSN, BSN, RN - Massachusetts, New York and North Dakota
- Staff Nurse Advocacy Award: Barry L. Adams, BSN, RN - Massachusetts
2000 ANA Hall of Fame Inductees:
- M. Elizabeth Carnegie, DPA, MA, AB, RN, FAAN - New York
- Signe Skott Cooper, MEd, BS, RN, FAAN - Wisconsin
- Maggie Jacobs, MS, RN, CNA (1943-1992) - New York
- Undine Sams, BSN, RN (circa 1919-1999) - Florida
- Margretta Madden Styles, EdD, MN, BS, RN, FAAN - Florida
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