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New Directions: The e-Newsletter of the Hartford Geriatric Nursing Initiative | |
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 Volume
3, Issue 10
July 7, 2006 If you have received this newsletter without graphics but would like to receive it with graphics, please write to John Beilenson at jbeilenson@aboutscp.com for instructions on how to view an HTML email, or go to: www.hgni.org. Welcome
to New Directions, a publication of the
If you have items you would like mentioned in New Directions, please contact Pamela Dudzik at pdudzik@aannet.org, Debbie Latimer at dlatimer@aacn.nche.edu or Elaine Gould at elaine.gould@nyu.edu. We look forward to hearing from you! In
this Issue
1. Summer Reading 2. Tools, Resources & Opportunities 3. Announcements 4. Link of the Month Please note: New Directions will take a summer hiatus and will return in September. 1.
Summer Reading
Looking for something new to read this summer? Pick up a novel, a classic, or catch up with what’s going on in the field of gerontological nursing with these selections from previous issues of New Directions, plus some new suggestions! Fiction Two Old Women : An Alaska Legend of Betrayal, Courage and Survival by Velma Wallis Based on an Athabascan Indian legend passed along for many generations from mothers to daughters of the upper Yukon River Valley in Alaska, this is the suspenseful, shocking, ultimately inspirational tale of two old women abandoned by their tribe during a brutal winter famine. Seek My Face by John Updike A meditation on art, aging, and memory, John Updike's Seek My Face is the fictional equivalent of a PBS documentary on postwar American art. Seventy-nine-year-old Hope Chafetz, a painter of merit but, most importantly, wife to two major American artists, allows a young journalist named Kathryn to interview her for an online magazine. Having expected perhaps a two-hour talk over coffee, Hope is dismayed to find that her guest has brought sheaves of questions, a tape recorder, and the kind of scrupulous attention to detail that Hope would rather avoid. She gives an entire day to Kathryn, who, like memory itself, seems oblivious to Hope's need to eat, rest, or breathe fresh air. Distance by Jack Hodgins Sonny Aalto, a restless middle-aged businessman, has spent his life running away from those closest to him. When his estranged, larger-than-life father, Timo, becomes too sick to care for himself, Sonny reluctantly returns to his childhood home of Vancouver Island, where he learns his father is not only dying but wants to die on his own terms—with Sonny’s help. But before facing the gravity of what’s ahead, the two embark on a journey to Australia, in search of a woman from their past, and over the course of the next few months their adventures will reveal difficult truths about fathers and sons, about families, about how we live and how we die—and about the good and bad things that distance can sometimes provide. Wise and irreverent, deeply moving, at times comic, Distance is Jack Hodgins’ most rewarding novel to date. Eleanor and Abel by Annette Sanford When a storm tears a hole in Miss Eleanor Bannister's roof, the itinerant carpenter who volunteers to repair it is so capable and charming that he remodels Miss Eleanor's life. A retired schoolteacher in the town where she's always lived, Eleanor, at age sixty-nine, finds the sudden presence of Abel Brown in her life unnerving and unsettling—and after a time, irresistible. He shakes up her fixed ideas of who she is and starts her wanting something she never imagined for herself. Amid many complications, Eleanor and Abel proceed on the fractious course of their courtship, in a novel that is never less than captivating, witty, and pointedly clear-eyed. *Book descriptions from www.amazon.com. For additional fiction visit: www.jocolibrary.org/index.asp?DisplayPageID=286 and www.vpl.ca/branches/LibrarySquare/prl/booklists/bookstoretirewith.html. Classics Aging Well by George E. Vaillant, MD Based on the Study of Adult Development at Harvard University, this book offers models for aging successfully. Using the study and its subjects’ individual histories, Vaillant concludes that individual lifestyle choices play a greater role than genetics, wealth, race or other factors in determining how happy people are in their later life. Another Country by Mary Pipher, PhD Another Country provides a glimpse into the minds, hearts, and bodies of older adults and offers scenarios to bridge the communication gap among generations. Pipher’s work is based on her experience as a therapist and draws from interviews with families and older people across America. The Old Man and the Sea by Ernest Hemingway In this Nobel Prize-winning classic, Hemingway tells of an old man who has gone 84 days without catching a fish. Everything about the man is old except his eyes. He finally catches a fish, but it is no ordinary fish nor is his fierce and determined response ordinary. Journals/Journal Articles This article provides personal accounts from each BAGNC alum on how she or he built a career in the field of geriatric nursing. Their passion for this field is clear, and their narratives invite student nurses to seriously consider this specialty for their career path. Available at: www.nsna.org/pubs/imprint/septoct05/sept-oct-05_geriatric_fagin.pdf. This series, funded by The Atlantic Philanthropies, aims to increase the knowledge and skills of those providing care to older adults. Information about the care of those over 65, derived from cutting-edge research and best practices, is available in either print format or streaming video, at any time and at no cost, at www.nursingcenter.com/library/static.asp?pageid=527873. 2.
Tools, Resources & Opportunities
New York Times 2006 Nursing Awards Here is a fantastic opportunity to elevate the status of geriatric nurses and nurse educators! The New York Times Job Market is honoring three practicing nurses and one nurse educator through its 2006 Nursing Awards program. The four winners will be recognized at a reception in New York City, have their stories featured in The New York Times Magazine, and receive $2,000. Nominate your colleagues today! (Application deadline is August 6, 2006.) AACN to Offer Gerontology Faculty Development Institutes The American Association of Colleges of Nursing is pleased to announce the dates and locations for the first two Faculty Development Institutes offered through the Geriatric Nursing Education Consortium (GNEC). Administered by AACN in collaboration with the John A. Hartford Foundation Institute for Geriatric Nursing, these programs are scheduled for June 27-29, 2007 in Portland, OR, and October 3-5, 2007, in Atlanta, GA. Using a train-the-trainer approach, six regional GNEC institutes are planned for 2007-2009 to give nursing faculty the skills and resources to strengthen geriatric content in senior-level baccalaureate nursing courses. Faculty completing an institute will be expected to share their new expertise with colleagues and students. For more information on this program, which is funded by The John A. Hartford Foundation, visit www.aacn.nche.edu/Education/Hartford/gnec.htm WEBCAST: Shades of Grey: Depression & Dispiritedness in Older Adults Screening for depression is far simpler than many perceive. In fact, many tools exist that can be self-administered while waiting for appointments, and new models of care for depression can dramatically reduce the incidence and improve overall health status. This program discusses the importance and benefits of screening for and treating depression; many of the screening tools available; and highlights the success of project IMPACT (Improving Mood: Promoting Access to Collaborative Care). Follow this link anytime to access the 30-minute webcast: www.NursingCenter.com/AJNolderadults. This program will remain available, on demand, through 2006. This is the ninth in a series of 18 webcasts and is a collaborative effort among the American Journal of Nursing (AJN), the Gerontological Society of America (GSA) and Trinity Healthforce Learning. The broadcast series is designed to provide information and skills to improve the care and well-being of older adults. If you have any questions about the broadcast (or the associated print series), please contact Katherine Kany, Project Manager, at 703-729-6050 or katherinekany@adelphia.net. 2007 Call for Applications John A. Hartford Foundation BAGNC Scholarships and Claire M. Fagin Fellowships Information on the 2007 Call for Applications for Predoctoral and MBA Scholarships and Postdoctoral Fellowships is available on the BAGNC website: www.geriatricnursing.org/applications. This year the program is moving to a simple online application system, which is currently under construction, and due to be ready September 1, 2006. There is plenty of information currently available online, and if you plan on applying, start thinking now! Applications are due January 9, 2007. Reminder: The 2006 Leadership Conference will be held November 14-16 at the Adam's Mark Hotel, Dallas, TX. Packer Policy Fellowships On behalf of the Australian Government Department of Health and Ageing, The Commonwealth Fund is promoting the Packer Policy Fellowships, an Australian-American health policy fellowship program. The Packer Policy Fellowships offer a unique opportunity for outstanding, mid-career U.S. professionals—academics, physicians, decision-makers in managed care and other private health care organizations, federal and state health officials, and journalists—to spend up to 10 months in Australia conducting original research and working with leading health policy experts on issues relevant to both countries. Applicants must be citizens of the U.S. and submit a formal application, including a project proposal that falls within an area of mutual policy interest to Australia and the United States, such as: health care quality and safety, the private/public mix of insurance and providers, the fiscal sustainability of health systems, the health care workforce, and investment in preventive care strategies. The deadline for receipt of applications for the 2007-08 fellowships is August 15, 2006. For further information on the 2007-2008 Packer Policy Fellowships and to obtain an application, please go to: www.cmwf.org/fellowships/fellowships_list.htm?attrib_id=9158 or contact Robin Osborn at The Commonwealth Fund at 212-606-3809 or ro@cmwf.org). Hartford Institute Try This! Assessment Series Assessing and Managing Delirium in Persons with Dementia Delirium superimposed on dementia is thought to occur 4-5 times more often and is less likely to be recognized and treated than is delirium without dementia. Delirium in persons with dementia may be a sign of preventable and treatable medical problems or serious underlying illnesses, or may be caused by common medications. For an assessment tool that focuses on the key features of delirium, go to: www.hartfordign.org/publications/trythis/AssesMangeDeleriumWDementia.pdf. 3.
Announcements New AAN Executive Director Hired The American Academy of Nursing has announced its new executive director. Pat Ford-Roegner, MSW, RN, FAAN, will start August 7, 2006, and will be based in Washington, DC. Her primary responsibilities are to lead the Academy's work in health policy and promote the work of the Academy in shaping policy and practice. She will work with the AAN's expert panels, commissions, committees, and task forces to leverage their efforts with other key partners and stakeholders such as the National Quality Forum, Institute of Medicine, Research!America and others. Ms. Ford-Roegner will also lead efforts in collaboration with the AAN Development Committee to identify funding priorities and opportunities to support the work of the Academy. Evercare Creates Scholarships at Hartford Centers of Geriatric Nursing Excellence In honor of its 100,000th enrollee, Evercare, an innovative leader in care management and health care services for the frail elderly, disabled, and chronically ill, will commit $100,000 to the five John A. Hartford Centers of Geriatric Nursing Excellence to fund an Evercare Scholar at each center. Patricia Kappas-Larson, Senior VP of Professional Development, said she is pleased with this first step toward a solid relationship with Hartford's Building Academic Geriatric Nursing Capacity initiative. The scholarships will fulfill the missions of the Foundation and Evercare to recruit and train a geriatric nursing workforce to care for our nation's aging population. Both Evercare and the Foundation look forward to a productive partnership. Recent Scholar and Fellow Accomplishments Janet Mentes (2001-2003 Postdoctoral Fellow), published an article in the June 2006 edition of the American Journal of Nursing titled “Oral Hydration in Older Adults: Greater awareness is needed in preventing, recognizing, and treating dehydration.” This newest article in the journal’s “New Look at the Old” series provides current research about the hydration status of older adults across care settings and in the community, as well as a range of tools to improve assessment skills, including a "Dehydration Risk Appraisal Checklist." To read the article, go to: www.NursingCenter.com/AJNolderadults. Olimpia Paun (2004 Postdoctoral Fellow) received a travel scholarship to attend the Office of Behavioral and Social Sciences Research’s “OBSSR 10th Anniversary: Celebrating a Decade of Progress and Promise” conference in Bethesda, MD, in June 2006. She was also selected to participate in the Summer Geriatric Seminar as a Hartford Institute/AJN Geriatric Nursing Research Scholar at NYU in July 2006. 4.
Link of the Month: Hartford Foundation Action Briefs
Four nursing-related “action briefs” are available online. Part of The John A. Hartford Foundation’s report, Celebrating 75 Years, published last year, these four-pagers cover issues related to curriculum, leadership, and institution-building. They provide compelling examples and concrete strategies for making needed change. Centers of Geriatric Nursing Excellence: Recruiting Faculty and Students to Enhance the Care of Older Adults provides learnings from the five Hartford Centers for Geriatric Nursing Excellence and suggests ways schools of nursing can build a critical mass of gero-faculty, prepare future academic leaders, and help translate research into clinical practice. NICHE: Nursing Care Models and Systematic Assessment Improve Care for the Hospitalized Elderly describes the NICHE program, the Geriatric Institutional Assessment Profile (GIAP), and four models of nursing practice care. Creating Careers in Geriatric Advanced Practice Nursing presents the need for geriatric advanced practice nurses and highlights several successful programs. “Gerontologizing” Nursing Curricula: New Courses, Technologies Designed for Patients Needs describes several nursing school programs and initiatives designed to provide students with the knowledge, skills, and abilities they need to care for a growing older population. A full listing of all the Foundation’s 20 action briefs can be found at: www.jhartfound.org/2004_annual_report.htm. 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, Debbie Latimer at dlatimer@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. |
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Copyright 2006 Hartford Geriatric Nursing Initiative (HGNI) |