HGNI New Directions

Welcome to New Directions, a publication of the Hartford Geriatric Nursing Initiative (HGNI). This e-newsletter is designed to inform interested academic and practice leaders, faculty members, students, practitioners, and others about the work of the HGNI and provide the latest news and information relevant to geriatric nursing.

If you have items you would like mentioned in New Directions, please contact Pamela Dudzik at pdudzik@aannet.org, Deirdre Thornlow at dthornlo@aacn.nche.edu, or Elaine Gould at elaine.gould@nyu.edu . We look forward to hearing from you! Please look for the next issue of New Directions in mid-October.

In this Issue

1. 2005 Leadership Conference Moved to Orlando
2. HGNI to Feature Your Work on Its Web Site!
3. Tools, Resources & Opportunities
4. Announcements
5. Link of the Month: AARP’s Internet Resources on Aging

1. 2005 Leadership Conference Moved to Orlando

The HGNI offers its most sincere, heartfelt sympathy to all hurricane victims. We understand that the full impact of this tragedy has yet to be realized. Due to the current circumstances, the 2005 Leadership Conference, as well as the GSA meeting, will not be held in New Orleans as planned, but will instead take place in Orlando, FL, at The Peabody Orlando. (GSA will take place at the Orlando Marriott.) Please visit www.geriatricnursing.org/leadership for regularly updated information.

The following is a news release written by Dr. Eileen Sullivan-Marx, PhD, CRNP, FAAN, Associate Professor, Associate Dean for Practice & Community Affairs at the University of Pennsylvania, as a “nurses response” to this disaster.

Hurricane Katrina roared into the United States and tore through the safety net for large numbers of frail and chronically ill older adults living in their homes, boarding and nursing homes, and assisted living residences. The images of frail older adults this past week in New Orleans and the Gulf Coast have shown us what happens when the safety net fails and harsh elements bombard the lives of elders.

Disaster workers, loved ones, and volunteers must now provide the complex care usually provided by nurses. Nurses are in short supply, but we can inform the public about care principles that may save lives, reduce pain, and prevent complications when caring for older adult survivors.

Here is a mnemonic for ELDER CARE to help people know about basic care for older adults.

Elders should:

Eat small meals often–they will provide regular calories for energy and healing.

Laugh with you–if elders do not laugh easily, consider grief or depression.

Drink often–water, juice or any liquid.

Exercise all muscles and joints several times a day.

Rest enough.

Caregivers should:

Consider confusion a sign of disease or infection–seek treatment.

Ask about the elder’s life stories; you will learn and the elder will be uplifted.

Reposition frequently to prevent pressure sores.

Ease the elder’s pain.

This information is supported by the American Association of Colleges of Nursing, The John A. Hartford Foundation Building Academic Geriatric Nursing Capacity Program, and The John A.Hartford Foundation Institute for Geriatric Nursing.

2. HGNI to Feature Your Work on Its Web Site!

Don’t miss this opportunity to have your research included on the HGNI Web site for your colleagues and others to see! Beginning in October, HGNI.org will feature the work of scholars in a new section of the site called “Research Highlights.” This feature is the start of an HGNI project to develop a database of scholars to share research, link those who are conducting similar research, and create a resource for nurses and other disciplines involved in aging research. Initial topic areas will include:

acute care;

caregiver/family;

community-based care;

cultural/ethnic/minority issues;

delirium, dementia/Alzheimer’s;

disease management;

evidence-based practice;

gero-psychology;

long-term care/rehab and end-of-life care;

models of care; preventative/primary care;

skin/wound/pressure ulcers; and

transfer of care.

To share your work as part of this exciting new resource, please send a summary of your research and your contact information to Chris Gherst at cgherst@aboutscp.com. If your topic of research is not on the list above, please let us know!

3. Tools, Resources and Opportunities

ACTION NEEDED! Web-based Training Just for You!
The HGNI is developing a series of Web-based seminars (“webinars”) to help nursing professionals hone their skills in a variety of topics, from creating more effective posters to improving PowerPoint presentations and more. The first HGNI webinar, “Thinking Inside the Box: A Strategic Approach to Powerful Posters,” held in June, was a resounding success, with 100% of participants saying they would recommend it to their colleagues. To help us decide which topics are most important to you, we ask that you go to the HGNI Webinar survey on SurveyMonkey.com and complete a very brief multiple-choice survey. If you have any questions, please email Chris Gherst at cgherst@aboutscp.com.

Call for Scholarship & Fellowship Applications
Applications for 2006 BAGNC Scholarships and Fellowships in geriatric nursing are now available on the Web at www.geriatricnursing.org. The grant-funded programs offer (1) up to $100,000 scholarship to nurses enrolled or accepted in a PhD nursing program; (2) up to $120,000 to PhD-prepared nursing faculty conducting research in the field of geriatrics and a $50,000 scholarship award to nurses accepted into an MBA program with plans to administer programs providing care to the elderly. An additional financial award is given to selected scholars and fellows who focus on the assessment, management, and treatment of pain in the elderly.

BSN Geriatric Competencies Now Available in Spanish
The Spanish translation of "Older Adults: Recommended Baccalaureate Competencies and Curricular Guidelines for Geriatric Nursing Care" (2000) is now available. "ADULTOS MAYORES: Competencias Recomendadas y Guia Curricular para EL CUIDADO DE ENFERMERIA GERIATRICO en el Programa de Licenciatura [Baccalaureate]" (2005) is a publication of The American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) and The John A. Hartford Foundation Institute for Geriatric Nursing in conjunction with the College of Nursing, New York University, a Collaborating Center of the World Health Organization (WHO). This document is available here.

LAST CHANCE! Call for Nominations: Springer Award in Geriatric/Gerontologic Nursing
Co-sponsored by the Hartford Institute for Geriatric Nursing, the annual Springer Award recognizes a distinguished single work of research in applied geriatric nursing. The award, which will be presented in November at the Geriatric Nursing Interest Group meeting of the Gerontological Society of America, includes $500 and consideration for publication by Springer Publishing Co. as either a book or journal article. Eligible candidates for the award are nurses whose work applies to improving the nursing care of older adults. Submission requirements for the award are: three copies of double-spaced typescript; five-page maximum description of research and its significance for practice; two-page curriculum vitae; and letter of endorsement from dean or supervisor. Submissions must be received by September 30, 2005. Faxes are not accepted. Mail applications to:

Springer Publishing Co.
536 Broadway
New York, NY 10012
Attn: Sheri Sussman

RFP: Research on the Aftermath of Hurricane Katrina: Immediate Call by NSF for SGER Proposals for Research in Fields of Science, Engineering and Education
The National Science Foundation (NSF) is requesting immediate submission of proposals for Small Grants for Exploratory Research (SGER) regarding the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. The SGER program is designed to allow investigators to write brief proposals for funding up to $200,000 for 1-2 years; promising a very short turn-around time to address research topics that are relevant to the victims of Hurricane Katrina. For more information, visit: http://www.nsf.gov/funding/pgm_summ.jsp?pims_id=11678&from=fund.

New Document Provides "Tips for Nurses" on Medicare Part D Drug Benefit
The Coalition of Geriatric Nursing Organizations has developed a helpful resource, "The Medicare Modernization and Improvement Act, Medicare Part D Drug Benefit: Tips for Nurses." The publication, authored by Barbara Resnick, PhD, CRNP, FAAN, FAANP and Kathleen Jett, PhD, GNP, in conjunction with the Coalition and The Hartford Institute, serves to assist nurses in helping older adults make informed decisions about their Medicare Part D coverage. The Coalition of Geriatric Nursing Organizations, established in 2001, represents more than 20,000 geriatric nurses seeking to improve the health care of older adults across care settings. The document is available at http://www.hartfordign.org/programs/niche/TipsNurses.pdf.

Geriatric Education Nursing Project: Showcasing Curriculum Grant Innovations
Each month, the AACN geriatric education Web site showcases a stand-alone course from a Hartford-awarded school's geriatric nursing program. This month features Florida International University and Western University. FIU's project director recognized the wisdom in integrating gerontology content throughout the curriculum and creating a stand-alone gerontology course. “Nursing Care of Older Adults,” which began as an elective, will be offered for the first time this fall as a required Web-assisted final semester synthesis course, addressing the complexities of older adult health care needs.

Western University created a unique “Self Assessment of Geriatric Knowledge” for its incoming family nurse practitioner students, as well as “Concepts in Geriatric Care,” a self-administered, online gerontological nursing module series that instructs family nurse practitioners in geriatric care concepts. To learn more about these courses, visit the AACN Web site.

“Try This” for the PDA: Best Practices in the Palm of Your Hand
They say you can't take it with you...but now you can! Try This Assessment Series and Try This Dementia Series are available for FREE download to your Palm OS PDA. Post a link for students and faculty on BlackBoard or WebCT to encourage taking evidence-based tools to the bedside. The Try This Assessment Series was developed by The John A. Hartford Foundation Institute for Geriatric Nursing at NYU. The Try This Dementia Series was developed by the Institute in collaboration with the Alzheimer’s Association. Seventeen issues of Try This for the PDA are available at http://www.geronurseonline.org/.

Awards in Gerontological Nursing Research
The Hartford Institute supports Regional Nursing Research Society Awards in gerontological nursing research. Below is information on one upcoming annual conference and the call for abstract deadline. For more information about this and other regional awards, please see the Hartford Institute Web site.

Western Institute of Nursing
April 6-8, 2006, in Albuquerque, NM
Submission deadline October 14, 2005

Note: The 2005 deadlines for the Midwest, Eastern and Southern societies have passed.

NIH Offers $35,000 In Annual Student Loan Repayment
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) is accepting applications to its five Loan Repayment Programs (LRPs). Deadline for applications is December 1, 2005. The five LRPs offered by the NIH include the Clinical Research LRP, Clinical Research LRP for Individuals from Disadvantaged Backgrounds, Contraception and Infertility Research LRP, Health Disparities LRP, and Pediatric Research LRP. Additional details, including qualifying criteria and the online application, are available at www.lrp.nih.gov.

AHRQ Announces Small Grant Program for Conference Support
The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) recently announced its continued interest in supporting conferences through its Small Conference Grant Program. AHRQ small conference grants are for those with direct costs of $50,000 or less over the project period. This program is intended to complement and promote AHRQ's core research by providing a mechanism for Agency stakeholders and others to (1) develop health services research agendas and identify strategies and mechanisms for studying them; (2) discuss and develop consensus around health services research methodological and technical issues; (3) disseminate health services research information for formulating or evaluating health policy, managing health care programs, and using or purchasing health services; and (4) develop partnerships with stakeholder organizations and build their capacity to participate in research activities and use the results of health services research. Application deadlines are: August 20, October 20, December 20, February 20, April 20, and June 20 annually (beginning August 20, 2005 and ending June 20, 2008). For more information, visit the NIH grants Web site.

To receive the AHRQ publication:

Send an E-mail message to: listserv@list.ahrq.gov.

In the subject line type: Subscribe.

In the body of the message type: sub public_list-L and your full name.

You will receive an E-mail confirmation.

4. Announcements

Attention Hartford Grantees!
For the past six years, The John A. Hartford Foundation has engaged in a Communications & Dissemination Initiative designed to build the communications capacity and broader impact of Foundation grantees and the Foundation as a whole. As the Foundation considers its next investment in communications, it is interested in getting your thoughts on the initiative, its value to you as a grantee, and suggestions for improving/expanding the initiative in the future. Toward this end, the Foundation is asking you to take a few minutes in the next week or so to complete a survey about the initiative in particular, and about your communications needs more broadly.

In the next few days, you will receive an email with the survey link. Please complete the survey by September 27th. Also, please be assured that your responses to this survey are completely confidential. If you have any questions about this survey, please don’t hesitate to contact John Beilenson at jbeilenson@aboutscp.com or Jim O’Sullivan at james.osullivan@jhartfound.org. Thank you in advance for your participation!

Save the Date! Nurses Improving Care for HealthSystem Elders (NICHE)

Leadership Conference: February 27-February 28, 2006

Clinical Updates Conference: March 1, 2006

Users Conference: March 2, 2006

About NICHE
Started in 1992, NICHE has evolved into a national geriatric nursing program. A program of The John A. Hartford Foundation Institute for Geriatric Nursing at New York University, the goal of NICHE is to achieve systematic nursing change that will benefit hospitalized older patients. The vision of NICHE is for all patients 65 and over to be given sensitive and exemplary care. The mission of NICHE is to import principles and tools to stimulate a change in the culture of healthcare facilities to achieve patient-centered care for older adults. For more information about NICHE, please visit the NICHE Web site.

The Conference
The Hartford Institute for Geriatric Nursing provides a two-day Leadership Conference in New York City about how to prepare staff to implement NICHE. Mathy Mezey, EdD, RN, FAAN, Terry Fulmer, PhD, RN, FAAN, and Elizabeth Capezuti, PhD, RN, FAAN, lead this conference. In addition, presentations are lead by renowned nursing experts and nurses from experienced NICHE sites. The goal of the conference is for hospitals to learn the skills needed to implement NICHE. For more information contact Marie Boltz, MSN, GNP, at 212.998.5567 or mb1363@nyu.edu.

Preparing Nursing Students to Care for Older Adults: Enhancing Gerontology in Senior-level Undergraduate Courses
The American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) is pleased to announce a new program supported by The John A. Hartford Foundation. This initiative builds on a previous Hartford Foundation-AACN effort to stimulate the creation of geriatric-focused curricula for baccalaureate and graduate nursing programs. Funding for the new Enhancing Gerontology Content grant will be used to prepare a cadre of nursing faculty with the necessary knowledge, skills, and resources to strengthen geriatric content in senior-level baccalaureate program courses. Nurse educators completing this program will be expected to share their new expertise with their faculty colleagues as well as students preparing to enter the nursing workforce. AACN will issue a call for applications in January 2006 for baccalaureate nursing programs interested in participating in this initiative. For more information about the geriatric nursing education initiatives supported by AACN and The Hartford Foundation, visit the AACN Web site. For details about other gerontological nursing programs supported by the Foundation, go to: http://www.hgni.org.

Standing Room Only for Hartford Institute Session at NNSDO Annual Conference
Nearly 500 staff development educators attended the National Nurse Staff Development Education Organization (NNSDO) session on "Enhancing Nurse Competence in Aging through Staff Development" presented by the Hartford Institute. The session focused on resources and strategies to incorporate geriatric best practice in staff development and included the premiere of a videoclip previewing the new Webinar series, "A New Look at the Old."

Successful Summer Institute on Aging Research Pre-Conference Workshop for Nurses
The Summer Institute on Aging Research Pre-Conference Workshop for nurses, sponsored by NIA, JAHF, and the AAN Coordinating Center, was held July 7-8, 2005, at the Aspen Wye River Conference Center in Maryland. This highly-successful, first-ever program was a collaborative effort to enhance new nurse researchers’ capacity to design and conduct clinical research in aging with human participants. Eight BAGNC and Hartford Institute postdocs attended the preconference, as well as the NIA Summer Institute on Aging Research, and gave the program outstanding marks. We hope to offer the same program in 2007—watch for information in future issues of New Directions.

Welcome Pamela Dudzik to the BAGNC Coordinating Center
Please join us in welcoming Pamela M. Dudzik to the BAGNC Coordinating Center. Pamela comes to BAGNC from the World Bank, where she worked on disability and development issues for several years. Pamela brings a wide range of grant management, contract management, strategic planning, and communications skills to the program. Although involved in all BAGNC activities, her primary responsibilities will be Scholar and Fellow finances and overall communications. Pamela can be reached at: pdudzik@aannet.org. Welcome Pamela!

5. Link of the Month: AARP’s Internet Resources on Aging

AARP maintains a Web site with a directory of more than 900 carefully selected Web sites on aging. The sites included in the directory are chosen for their usefulness for older adults and their families, as well as for researchers, students, and professionals in the field of aging, and are updated every four months. Most of the sites are produced by government agencies or nonprofit organizations. Commercial sites are not included unless they contain a substantial amount of free information that is interesting to a wide spectrum of older adults.

Write to Us

We are committed to creating a monthly publication that serves your needs and interests. New Directions, therefore, welcomes your feedback and encourages you to supply ideas, stories, resources, news, and other content for subsequent issues. To make a contribution, please contact Pamela Dudzik at pdudzik@aannet.org, Deirdre Thornlow at dthornlo@aacn.nche.edu, or Elaine Gould at elaine.gould@nyu.edu.

Please Note

If you know of someone or a group of people who would like to receive this newsletter, please send an email to John Beilenson at jbeilenson@aboutscp.com, and we will subscribe them.

If you have received this message in error or would like not to receive this newsletter, please reply to this e-mail and type “Delete from New Directions” in the subject line. For more information about the HGNI's ongoing evaluation, please see: www.geriatricnursing.info.