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.

Please note: New Directions is now published six times per year-January/February, March/April, May/June, September/October, November, and December.

In This Issue

1. News from Washington, DC
2. Opportunities, Resources & Tools
3. HCGNE News
4. Announcements
5. Link of the Month: Health AGEnda Blog from the Hartford Foundation

1. News from Washington, DC

President Obama Selects Nurse as Administrator of HRSA
President Obama has appointed one of the nation's top rural health care professionals as Administrator of the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA). Dr. Mary Wakefield, Director of the Center for Rural Health at the University of North Dakota, will oversee this critical agency, which helps to deliver health care to those who are uninsured and underserved by our current health care system.

"As a nurse, a PhD, and a leading rural healthcare advocate, Mary Wakefield brings expertise that will be instrumental in expanding and improving services for those who are currently uninsured or underserved," President Obama said. "Under her leadership, we will be able to expand and improve the care provided at the Community Health Centers, which serve millions of uninsured Americans and address severe provider shortages across the country."

In addition to Community Health Centers across the country upon which millions of uninsured Americans depend for coverage, HRSA oversees many programs that the federal government runs to bring health care providers to underserved areas throughout the nation. In addition, HRSA will administer $2.5 billion allocated in the Recovery Act to invest in our health care infrastructure and train health care professionals.

Dr. Wakefield was most recently the Associate Dean for Rural Health at the University of North Dakota School of Medicine and Health Sciences, where she was a tenured professor and Director of the Center for Rural Health. Dr. Wakefield has expertise in rural health care, quality and patient safety, Medicare payment policy, workforce issues, and public policy. She has authored many articles and columns on health policy and is on the editorial board of a number of professional journals.

Dr. Wakefield received her MS in nursing and her Doctor of Philosophy from the University of Texas at Austin and her BS in nursing from the University of Mary at Bismarck, ND. She is a fellow in the American Academy of Nursing and a recipient of numerous awards, including the American Organization of Nurse Executives (AONE) 2006 Nurse Research Award and the 2008 Nursing Economics Margaret D. Sovie Writer's Award.

Nursing Home Transparency & Improvement Act
On March 19, 2009, Senators Chuck Grassley (R-IA) and Herb Kohl (D-WI), Chairman of the Senate Special Committee on Aging, reintroduced the Nursing Home Transparency and Improvement Act, a bill that would give consumers more information about individual nursing homes and their track record of care, give the government better tools for enforcing high quality standards, and encourage homes to improve on their own. "Improving the quality of care in nursing homes is a constant challenge. More transparency, better enforcement, and improved staff training are needed, and this legislation works to make changes in those areas and improve the quality of life of nursing home residents and to empower the family members and loved ones of those residents," Grassley said.

Patient Safety and Abuse Prevention Act
Senators Herb Kohl (D-WI) and Susan Collins (R-ME) introduced the Patient Safety and Abuse Prevention Act, a bill that would require a national criminal history background check for all long-term care facility employees with direct access to patients. "While the vast majority of professional caregivers are conscientious and dedicated, an unfortunate few are not, sometimes with tragic results," said Collins. A 2002 Government Accountability Office (GAO) report found widespread inconsistencies in state inspections of nursing home facilities. The report also found that state surveyors missed serious care problems, even in states that had succeeded in improving overall patient care.

Silver Act Reintroduced to Congress
On March 10, 2009, Senators Herb Kohl (D-WI), chairman of the Senate Aging Committee, and Mel Martinez (R-FL) reintroduced the Silver Alert Act, which directs the US Attorney General to establish a national communications network within the US Department of Justice (DOJ) for alerting both law enforcement and the public when a senior goes missing. Much like the Amber Alert System already in place for missing children, the Silver Alert System would use radio, television, and highway signs to inform the public. The bill would allocate $10 million to help states implement the system. States such as Florida and North Carolina already have Silver Alert systems in place. "With the growing number of aging Americans, especially those with dementia or Alzheimer's disease, thousands of adults go missing every year," said Martinez. For more information, visit: www.aging.senate.gov/hearing_detail.cfm?ie&.

2. Opportunities, Resources & Tools

Hartford Institute Geriatric Nursing Research Scholars Program: Call for Applications
The Hartford Institute will be hosting its annual week-long, intensive, summer seminar at New York University, July 13-17, 2009. The seminar is an in-depth mentoring experience with nationally recognized gerontologic nursing researchers. It is open to nurses who have completed an accredited doctoral degree and who wish to hone their research skills and advance their own program of research. The application deadline is April 8, 2009.

For more information, visit the Web site: www.hartfordign.org/Research/Scholars_Program, or contact Deborah A. Chyun, PhD, RN, FAAN, at dc116@nyu.edu or 212.998.5264.

Health and Aging Policy Fellows Program Applications Due
The Health and Aging Policy Fellows Program is now accepting applications for 2009 fellowships. This national program provides professionals in health and aging with the experience and skills necessary to make a positive contribution to the development and implementation of health policies that affect older Americans. The program offers two different tracks for individual placement: (1) a residential track that includes a 9-to-12-month placement in Washington, DC (as a legislative assistant in Congress, a professional staff member in an executive agency, or in a policy organization) or at a state agency; and (2) a non-residential track that includes a health policy project and brief placement(s) throughout the year at relevant sites. Core program components focused on career development and professional enrichment are provided for fellows in both tracks. The application deadline is April 15, 2009.

For more information, please visit: www.healthandagingpolicy.org or contact the deputy director of the program, Phuong Huynh, at huynhpt@pi.cpmc.columbia.edu or 212.543.6213.

NAKFI Conference Applications Due April 15
The National Academies Keck Futures Initiative (NAKFI), a project of the National Academy of Sciences, the National Academy of Engineering, and the Institute of Medicine, with generous support from the W.M. Keck Foundation, is seeking candidates to apply for this year's conference on synthetic biology, November 20-22, 2009, in Irvine, CA. NAKFI conferences bring together some of the nation's best and brightest researchers from academic, industrial, and government laboratories to explore and discover interdisciplinary connections in important areas of cutting-edge research.

Additional information about the conference, including the online application, is available at: www.keckfutures.org/site/PageServer?pagename=Upcoming_Conferences_Synthetic_Biology_2009.

Doris Schwartz Gerontological Nursing Research Award Nominations Due
This award, presented by the Health Sciences section in collaboration with the John A. Hartford Foundation Institute for Geriatric Nursing, is given to a member of the Society in recognition of outstanding and sustained contribution to geriatric nursing research. The person selected will present a special lecture at the nursing special interest group meeting during the Annual Meeting of GSA, and will receive a $300 cash prize.

Applications are due May 4, 2009. For more information, visit: www.geron.org/Membership/Awards/Society-Wide%20Awards?start=6.

$78M Now Available For Health Disparity Research
The National Cancer Institute (NCI), the National Heart, Lung & Blood Institute (NHLBI), and the Office of Behavioral & Social Sciences (OBSSR) are cosponsoring $78 million in new funding for research into health disparities. The funding is meant to promote research of health inequities with the purpose of contributing directly to improved health outcomes and quality of life for populations with a higher disease burden. The deadline for applications is May 29, 2009.

For more information on eligibility and application procedures, go to: grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/rfa-files/RFA-CA-09-001.html.

Transdisciplinary Research on Fatigue and Fatigability in Aging (R01, R21)
The National Institutes of Health encourages submission of research grant applications on fatigue and fatigability in aging. This Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) is intended to promote research studies employing transdisciplinary approaches that could lead to increased understanding of mechanisms contributing to, assessment of, or potential interventions for increased fatigue or fatigability in older persons. Up to $275,000 in funding is available. R01 deadlines are June 5 and October 5 and R21 deadlines are June 16 and October 16. For more details on this announcement, visit: grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/pa-files/PA-08-161.html.

IOM Nurse Scholar in Residence Program
What a great time to be in Washington, DC! Consider applying for the IOM Nurse Scholar in Residence Program Sponsored by AAN/ANF/ANA. The Call for Applications is now open for the 2009-2010 fellowship. Click here to find information about the program and the application process: www.aannet.org/i4a/pages/index.cfm?pageid=3496. The deadline for applications is June 30, 2009.

University of Utah College of Nursing Seeks Established Gero Researcher
The University of Utah College of Nursing presents an exciting opportunity for an established researcher in gerontology, nursing, or related fields to fill the Robert L. and Joyce T. Rice Endowed Chair in Healthy Aging. Qualified applicants will bring research expertise in the prevention and management of age-related diseases with sustained research congruent with the strategic direction of the College of Nursing and University of Utah Center on Aging. Please address inquiries to Dr. Ginette Pepper, Chair of the Rice Endowed Chair Search Committee, at ginny.pepper@nurs.utah.edu. To submit a CV and a letter of interest, please visit the Web site at: www.nurs.utah.edu or email danette.lyman@nurs.utah.edu.

OU College of Nursing Seeking Senior Faculty Member
The OU College of Nursing announces an opportunity for a senior faculty member in geriatric nursing to support the mission of the College and the newly established Donald W. Reynolds Center of Geriatric Nursing Excellence. Candidates with well-established programs of research within a community-based aging-in-place framework and successful records of extramural research support are encouraged to inquire. For more information, please contact Lazelle Benefield, PhD, RN, FAAN, Director. Email: Lazelle-Benefield@ouhsc.edu; Phone: 405.271.2401, ext. 49209; or go to the Web site: nursing.ouhsc.edu/Geriatric_Nursing.

New, Revised Online Gerontological Nursing Certification Review Course from the Hartford Institute
The Hartford Institute's Gerontological Nursing Certification Review Course has been updated in both content and format and reflects the current test content outline of the American Nurses Credentialing Center Gerontological Nurse Certification Examination. It includes a summary of current key clinical information and issues central to caring for the highly specialized needs of older adults and reviews the financial, social, political, and cultural issues that affect nursing care for the elderly. In addition to those nurses who intend to sit for the certification examination, this course is useful to any practicing nurse, nurse faculty, or student wanting to acquire fundamental knowledge of geriatric nursing care. Contact hours are available. Visit www.Hartfordign.org.

"How To Try This" from the American Journal of Nursing

Monitoring Medication Use in Older Adults
Sheila L. Molony, PhD, RN, GNP-BC

Age-related changes have a significant impact on the appropriateness of using certain medications in older adults. The Beers Criteria for Potentially Inappropriate Medication Use in Older Adults assessment instrument highlights specific medications whose risks may outweigh their benefits to older adults. Nurses can use the tool in various settings, including hospitals, nursing homes, and private homes, to evaluate medications that warrant follow-up with their patients. Watch a free video demonstrating how to use the Beers Criteria at: links.lww.com/A266.

Editor's Note: Dr. Mark Beers, the geriatrician who developed the Beers Criteria, died on February 28th, 2009. In addition to his study of prescription medications and older adults, Dr. Beers was a champion of geriatric education. To read a tribute to Dr. Beers from the John A. Hartford Foundation, go to the Foundation's blog: www.jhartfound.org/blog/?p=230.

To read The New York Times obituary, go to: www.nytimes.com/2009/03/10/health/10beers.html.

Assessment of Transient Urinary Incontinence in Older Adults
Annemarie Dowling-Castronovo, MA, GNP, RN
Janet K. Specht, PhD, RN, FAAN

Urinary incontinence in older adults is associated with an increased risk of institutionalization, as well as with urinary tract infections and depression. Transient urinary incontinence arises suddenly, lasts less than six months, and results from reversible causes. Yet many caregivers erroneously consider urinary incontinence to be inevitable in older adults, especially in hospitalized patients. Failure to identify and respond to transient urinary incontinence may lead to established incontinence and to other poor outcomes after hospital discharge. This free online video demonstrates how to assess and treat transient urinary incontinence and can be viewed or downloaded from: links.lww.com/A311.

Postdoctoral Fellow Positions Available
The Betty Irene Moore School of Nursing at UC Davis seeks applications for two postdoctoral fellows to work under the guidance of expert mentors while helping to position the school as a leader in nursing research and education. The school will open for enrollment in fall 2010, giving these two postdoctoral fellows a unique opportunity to be part of a founding faculty and fellows cohort. One postdoctoral fellow will work under the mentorship of Associate Vice Chancellor for Nursing and Dean Heather M. Young, RN, PhD, FAAN. This fellow should have a research focus in aging. The second postdoctoral fellow will work under the mentorship of Deborah Ward, RN, PhD, FAAN, in health policy and system change. Both postdoctoral fellows will be funded through the school's $100 million grant from the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation. Postdoctoral fellowships are for two years, beginning September 1, 2009. Postdoctoral fellows will receive an annual stipend commensurate on experience as well as University of California benefits and support funds for research and professional development.

Applicants must have a doctorate degree in nursing or another health-related field. The positions will be open until filled with an initial application deadline of May 15, 2009. Early application is encouraged and applications will be reviewed as they are received. Interviews will be scheduled in May and early June 2009 with final decisions announced by July 1, 2009. For more information, contact the Betty Irene Moore School of Nursing at 916.734.2145 or BettyIreneMooreSON@ucdmc.ucdavis.edu. Full position and application details are available at:www.ucdmc.ucdavis.edu/nursing/pdfs/Postdoctoral_Fellow_Opportunities.pdf

Pressure Ulcer Data Available Online
The latest Long-Term Care Statistics Branch NCHS Data Brief: Pressure Ulcers Among Nursing Home Residents: United States, 2004, is now available from the Division of Health Care Statistics (DHCS) of the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS).

To view the data brief, go to: Pressure Ulcers Among Nursing Home Residents: United States, 2004.

3. HCGNE News

Awards & Achievements
Rita A. Jablonski, PhD, CRNP (2001-2003 BAGNC Hartford Foundation Predoctoral Scholar), was recently selected as a Brookdale Leadership in Aging Fellow for the 2009-2011 period. Dr. Jablonski is currently an assistant professor at The Pennsylvania State University School of Nursing. For more information on the Brookdale Leadership in Aging Fellowship, please see : www.brookdalefoundation.org. And, for more information on BAGNC scholarships and fellowships, please see: www.geriatricnursing.org/applications.

4. Announcements

30th Video Completes How to Try This Assessment Series
The How to Try This assessment series, published in the American Journal of Nursing and a collaborative project of the Hartford Institute for Geriatric Nursing at NYU's College of Nursing and the American Journal of Nursing, is now complete. Started in October 2007, the Hartford Institute's How to Try This series now includes 30 topics available as cost-free, Web-based demonstration videos and companion articles designed to build knowledge and assessment skills among those caring for older adults. The videos are unique in that they feature students, practicing nurses, other health professionals, and patients. Some of these topics include: fall risk assessment, delirium screening, restraint prevention, and pressure ulcer prevention.

The How to Try This assessment series showcases best practices and interdisciplinary approaches and is recommended for associate, baccalaureate, and graduate nursing programs as well as for practicing nurses. CEs are available for both the articles and the videos through the Web site, www.nursingcenter.com/ajnolderadults. To view the videos, go to: www.nursingcenter.com/library/static.asp?pageid=730390.

AAN President's Letter to the Editor
The February 15, 2009, issue of The Washington Times included a letter to the editor from AAN CEO Patricia Ford-Roegner, MSW, RN, FAAN. The letter was written in response to an article in the paper that refers to one patient's positive experience with nurse-led care coordination. "The article refers to this as a 'rare' success story, but the truth is that Americans all over the county are experiencing better health outcomes thanks to care coordination led by nurses. For example, Mary D. Naylor of the University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing has developed effective ways to transition elderly patients from hospitals to their homes."

To read the full text of the letter-to-the-editor, go to: www.washingtontimes.com/news/2009/feb/15/successful-nurses/.

For more information on Mary Naylor's work, visit: www.innovativecaremodels.com/care_models/21/leaders. There is also a new Try This about the model: "The Transitional Care Model (TCM): Hospital Discharge Screening Criteria for High Risk Older Adults".

Terrance Keenan, Philanthropist and Friend of Nursing, Dies
Terrance Keenan, a philanthropic leader and friend of nursing, died on February 25, 2009, at the age of 85. Mr. Keenan became vice president of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation in 1972 and before that worked for the Ford Foundation and The Commonwealth Fund. Mr. Keenan helped the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation improve access to health care to rural areas and urban neighborhoods, established programs to prepare minority students to enter the health professions, and provided funding to educate more health care practitioners. In addition, he was a champion of nurses and provided leadership for the foundation to initiate programs to expand specialty nursing, restructure nursing care delivery models, create nurse-run clinics and nurse-staffed school clinics, expand the role of nurses in emergency care in rural areas, and promote education to help nurses move to executive leadership positions in health organizations.

To read more about Mr. Keenan please visit: www.rwjf.org/newsroom/product.jsp?id=39508.

NICHE Conference Addresses Older Adult Patient Safety
More than 300 nurses and other health professionals from 92 hospitals attended the 12th annual conference of NICHE (Nurses Improving Care for Healthsystem Elders), held February 23-26, 2009, in Orlando. The theme of the conference was "Patient Safety: Evidence-Based Solutions for Quality Geriatric Care."

"Patient safety is a critical issue for all health care organizations, particularly for those caring for older adults, and we're seeing heightened expectations of quality by both consumers and regulators," said Elizabeth A. Capezuti, PhD, RN, APRNBC, FAAN, the Dr. John W. Rowe Professor in Successful Aging at NYU College of Nursing and co-director of The Hartford Institute for Geriatric Nursing. "Several high-level reports have outlined steps to counter unintended negative outcomes in the US health system. It's our job to make sure that information reaches everyone, from hospital leaders to the bedside nurse."

Based at The Hartford Institute for Geriatric Nursing at NYU College of Nursing, the unique NICHE program has been adopted by more than 285 hospitals in the United States and Canada. For more information visit: www.nicheprogram.org.

GSA Annual Meeting—Save the Date!
Information about this year's Gerontological Society of America (GSA) annual meeting, to be held November 18-22, 2009, in Atlanta, GA, is now posted on the GSA Web site: www.geron.org. The theme for the meeting is "Creative Approaches to Healthy Aging." The submission deadline for abstracts is April 8, 2009.

Eldercare Workforce Alliance Gets to Work
The Eldercare Workforce Alliance (EWA), created in response to the IOM report Retooling for an Aging America: Building the Health Care Workforce, with funding from the Hartford Foundation and Atlantic Philanthropies, will undertake a three-year, flexible campaign to achieve the implementation of IOM recommendations. EWA's top priorities in its first year will be: (1) increasing compensation and training for direct care workers who deliver home and institutional care in order to expand this critical workforce and reduce the high worker turnover that undermines quality long-term care, and (2) building competence in geriatric care among health professionals through expansion of funding for federal training programs. As opportunities and progress dictate, the EWA will work to educate and inform policymakers about the recommendations of the IOM committee, provide analysis of policy options in response to particular proposals, and engage in limited public education efforts.

Read more about the EWA's key policy priorities here or visit: www.eldercareworkforce.org.

Specialty Nursing Associations Endorse Global Vision Statement on Care of Older Adults
Twenty-six national nursing organizations, including 19 specialty associations and seven members of the Coalition of Geriatric Nursing Organizations (CGNO), have endorsed the Specialty Nursing Association Global Vision Statement on Care of Older Adults, as of March 22, 2009. The statement emphasizes that, with the rapid increase in the population of US older adults, the nurse workforce must become equipped to meet their changing and specific health care needs. Older adults constitute the largest group of health care users across all settings, and virtually all nurses care for older adults in their subspecialties. Nurses must be competent to deliver care to older adults, being sensitive to the physiological, functional, and psychological needs that set them apart from younger adults.

The vision statement was developed through REASN (Resourcefully Enhancing Aging in Specialty Nursing), a project of The Hartford Institute for Geriatric Nursing at NYU College of Nursing. REASN seeks a comprehensive response among nursing specialties to support evidence-based best practices in care of older adults in hospitals, home care, and institutional long-term care settings. The Specialty Nursing Association Global Vision Statement on Care of Older Adults and updates of those endorsing it can be viewed at: www.consultgerirn.org/uploads/File/REASN_Global_Vision_Statement.pdf.

5. Link of the Month: Health AGEnda Blog from the Hartford Foundation

The John A. Hartford Foundation launched its new blog, Health AGEnda, in March. The purpose of the blog is to share Foundation perspectives and stimulate discussion of the important health and aging issues of today, create another avenue of communication with grantees, and inform those in the health arena outside of aging about the issues that it cares so deeply about. Take at look at: www.jhartfound.org/blog. The Foundation encourages you to follow the blog regularly and comment on what you read.

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 Malvina Kluger at malvina.kluger@nyu.edu.

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