Leadership

CCNA’s Pat Polansky spoke to NurseZone.com during Nurses' Week about ways nursing has changed since the first Nurses' Day in 1954. Pat, who serves as Director of Policy and Communications for the Center, emphasized that the changing needs of patients and families has really driven the nursing profession to respond and lead – an underlying theme of the Institute of Medicine Report, The Future of Nursing: Leading Change, Advancing Health.

In advance of National Nurses Week, and as an opportunity to "recognize the multitude of ways the nursing profession contributes to the health of the nation," the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has created a webpage of useful tools for nurses. Foremost on the site is a video from Secretary Kathleen Sebelius and HRSA Administrator Dr. Mary Wakefield, discussing contributions that nurses make in keeping America healthy and how the work they do will be more important under the Affordable Care Act (ACA).

Meet six inspiring men and women who are helping to transform health and health care in America.

The January/February 2012, issue of the Journal for Healthcare Management (official journal of the Association of Healthcare Executives) features an article by Susan Hassmiller, PhD, RN, FAAN, director of the Campaign for Action and senior adviser for nursing at the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and John Combes, MD, president of the Center for Healthcare Governance.

Location: AHRQ HQ, Rockville, MD.

AHRQ seeks a senior level clinician to serve as the Scientific Director of the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF).

The Scientific Director will lead the development and implementation of a comprehensive national program of research related to clinical prevention and provide overall scientific leadership and direction to the USPSTF, working closely with its leaders, and direct a team of medical professionals.

The California Action Coalition, which includes over 700 nurses and other health care workers partnering with organizations such as the California Hospital Association, the Association of California Nurse Leaders and the California Academy of Family Physicians, is championing nurses in a big way. The AC, selected as one of five state groups in 2010 to pilot the implementation of the IOM report recommendations has wholeheartedly embraced the implementation of not one, but all eight recommendations.