The practice of nursing has been defined by change over the last decade. Innovations in technology and health care management have increased the demands made on nurses, and an aging baby boom generation is creating an urgent need for legions of new nurses with expanded skills. These nurses must provide the primary and preventive care, chronic care management and care coordination necessary to care for these older Americans, while keeping costs low and quality high.
Ever since the philosophical debate over how many teeth were in a horse’s mouth was settled by actually counting them, evidence-based research has been the cornerstone of good science and sound policy. This is exactly what’s happening at the Florida Center for Nursing in Orlando, where a veteran nurse administrator and a sociologist are setting the standard for how to measure a state’s nursing shortage with a precision that results in targeted solutions.
Although it is clear that a growing patient population requires a larger nurse workforce, the nursing shortage Americans face is not just about numbers; it’s about skills for the future. The aging Baby Boomer generation is creating a pressing need for legions of new nurses with expanded skills who can provide the primary and preventive care, chronic care management and care coordination these older Americans need. Further, as more Americans have access to health care through health care reform provisions, more advanced practice nurses, especially those who provide primary
Healthwatch, The Hill’s daily health care blog, recently covered CCNA’s work with twelve states that have successfully launched state-level partnerships to address the nursing shortage. The Center to Champion Nursing in America (CCNA) is helping 31 states build multi-stakeholder collaborations that are redesigning nursing education, implementing policy change, and addressing faculty recruitment and diversity.
A complete list of the program details and applications are located on the Health Resources and Services Agency (HRSA) website. Selected programs are listed below.
The latest edition of the Charting Nursing’s Future examines state efforts to increase education capacity and build a 21st century nursing workforce. The Center to Champion Nursing in America (CCNA) has worked to help states build multi-stakeholder teams across the country that are collaborating to redesign nursing education, implement policy change, and address faculty recruitment and diversity, among other strategies.
The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) and the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) recently announced that 63 schools of nursing are the recipients of the RWJF New Careers in Nursing Scholarship Program (NCIN) scholarship awards. This year, 511 students entering accelerated programs for the 2010-2011 academic year will get scholarships of $10,000 each.
This year-long program is designed for nurse educators who wish to assume a leadership role in simulation. Participants will be expected to examine issues related to research in simulation and the administrative role of managing simulation activities within a school of nursing or a service setting. After engaging in both research and administration, participants will focus their efforts in an area of their choice. The one year program is directed by Pamela R.
CCNA's Nursing Council member, the American Academy of Nursing (AAN), has announced that over $2 million in awards will be handed out to its latest cohort of fellows and scholars in academic geriatric nursing. Each of the eight Claire M. Fagin postdoctoral fellows will receive $120,000 to support their career development and eleven predoctoral scholars will each receive $100,000 to help launch careers in academic geriatric nursing. Read AAN’s press release here.
