AONE: AONE eNews Update

May 30, 2008

AONE NEWS AND HIGHLIGHTS

1. CNA suffers rare election loss
2. Nurse staffing bill approved in Massachusetts House
3. NPSF calls for letters of intent for 2009 grant projects

4. NY state assembly supports bill to aid nursing students, counteract state's nursing shortage

5. HRSA accepting scholarship applications for fall nursing programs

6. As nursing shortage looms, Oregon's nursing education programs can't keep pace

7. HRET offers free one-day workshops on eliminating mother-to-child HIV transmission
8. Oklahoma State University builds new school of nursing
9. AONE member honored as key expert

1. CNA suffers rare election loss
A California Nurses Association (CNA) bid to represent more than 800 nurses at Saint Agnes Medical Center in Fresno was defeated this week by an overwhelming margin. The vote, 452-327, represents a rare loss for the CNA in its home state. "Our nurses have expressed their position on third-party representation," said Mathew Abraham, the medical center's president and CEO. "We respect their position and will continue to work with our nurses to ensure the quality of care at Saint Agnes." (AHA News Now, 5/23/08)

2. Nurse staffing bill approved in Massachusetts House
The Massachusetts House of Representatives recently approved a bill that would regulate nurse staffing levels at hospitals statewide, as reported in the Springfield Republican. Viewed as a compromise between nurses and hospital executives, the bill calls for a study of patient safety at hospitals statewide. Based on the study data, the public health department would establish regulations limiting nurses' maximum patient load, although it would not specify nurse-to-patient ratios. Standards could vary depending on the type of medical unit, patient acuity, and other factors. In addition, the law would establish a nursing advisory board and a trust fund for scholarships for nursing students. The law still faces a tough senate vote where opponents worry that if passed, the bill could cost hospitals statewide $1 billion.

3. NPSF calls for letters of intent for 2009 grant projects

The National Patient Safety Foundation (NPSF) recently issued a call for letters of intent (LOI) to conduct research and development in patient safety. The Research Grants Program seeks to stimulate new and innovative projects directed toward enhancing patient safety in the United States. The program's objective is to promote studies leading to the prevention of human errors, system errors, patient injuries, and the consequences of such adverse events in the health care setting. In this first stage of a two-stage application process, LOIs are solicited for research and development that is broadly related to identifying the causes of preventable injuries and errors and/or developing prevention strategies and methods to implement them. From these LOIs, a subset will be selected for preparation of a final proposal. For details visit the NPSF website.

4. NY state assembly supports bill to aid nursing students, counteract state's nursing shortage
Facing a shortage of 37,000 nurses by 2015, the New York state legislature has submitted a series of bills addressing the ongoing nursing shortage and taking direct aim at fixing the problem, as reported in a recent Suffolk Life newspaper article. One bill would allow nursing students to claim unemployment insurance benefits while attending school; another calls on the state Department of Health to provide loans to nursing students through a nursing assistance program. Also proposed is the establishment of the Empire State Professional Nursing Scholarship Program, which would offer school loan reimbursement to graduates who agree to stay and work in New York hospitals and health care facilities. New York Assembly minority leader, James Tedisco (R-Albany) supports the bills, "New York's nurses serve on the frontlines in administering quality, compassionate medical care in our hospitals, nursing homes, schools, and clinics. However, New York is not doing enough to give nurses the tools and incentives they need-and rightfully deserve."

5. HRSA accepting scholarship applications for fall nursing programs
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) is currently accepting applications for its 2008 nursing scholarship program. In exchange for at least two year's service in a facility with a critical shortage of nurses, the nursing scholarship program pays tuition, a monthly stipend of $1,233 for the 2008-2009 academic year, required fees, and additional costs including books, clinical supplies, and lab expenses. The deadline to apply is next Friday, June 6, 2008. For more information on eligibility requirements and an on-line application visit http://bhpr.hrsa.gov/.

6. As nursing shortage looms, Oregon's nursing education programs can't keep pace

A recent article in the Eugene Register-Guard details the plight of community colleges to place students seeking nursing degrees into classrooms. With the state estimating a shortage of 5,000 nurses by 2025, Oregon legislators in 2005, approved additional funding to expand the health care workforce but cannot agree whether the funding should come through increased taxes or from taking money away from another program. In 2007, Oregon's community colleges received only $2.2 million of the $20.5 million earmarked by the state to bolster health care workforce training efforts. Even as tuition has risen on average 60 percent, community colleges are still seen as the pathway to a career in nursing. Lane Community College must turn away four out of five qualified applicants, a common occurrence shared by other community college nursing programs in the state. The state's 14 community colleges offering a two-year nursing degree produce half of the state's nursing graduates. A lack of funding coupled with the ongoing retirement of nursing faculty place Oregon's nursing education future in a bind.

7. HRET offers free one-day workshops on eliminating mother-to-child HIV transmission

The Health Research & Educational Trust (HRET), the research and education arm of the American Hospital Association, is conducting free one-day workshops around the country. HRET and the Hospital Council of Northern and Central California are combining efforts to present "Getting to Zero: How Hospitals Can Use Rapid Tests to Virtually Eliminate Mother-to-Child HIV Transmission." This workshop will take place on June 27 at the Hilton Oakland Airport, Oakland, CA, and is open to hospital staff from labor and delivery, nursery, emergency, laboratory, infectious disease, and pharmacy departments. The workshop will discuss implementation of perinatal, rapid-screening HIV tests. Space is limited, and registration will be open until Friday, June 6. HRET will also be hosting this free workshop in Washington DC, on July 29, in Baltimore on July 31, and in Miami on September 8. For more information on having a workshop in your state, contact Joan Miller at jmiller@aha.org or 312-422-2619.

8. Oklahoma State University builds new school of nursing
Oklahoma State University's Institute of Technology recently began construction of its newest facility-the $6 million Rural Health Science and Technology building. Scheduled to open in July 2009, the building will feature four classrooms, a computer lab, and three nursing labs. According to an article published in the Oklahoma City Journal Record, the additional space will allow expansion of the school's nursing program with student enrollment expected to double. School officials expect the location to draw students from Oklahoma's rural areas. The school's focus is to keep the new nurses working in rural Oklahoma where school officials say the nursing shortage is critical.

9. AONE member honored as key expert

AONE member Gail E. Latimer, RN, MSN, FACHE, vice president and chief nursing officer for Siemens Healthcare, was inducted as a Principle Key Expert into the Siemens Key Expert Program. The Key Expert program recognizes employees who strive for innovation and focus on cross-organizational initiatives promoting collaboration in addressing clinical problems. Latimer, as Siemens first chief nursing officer, established a shared vision for nursing across Siemens, for industry CNOs and other C-level executives. In addition to working on product development, Latimer provides clinical leadership and direction for leadership and sales teams within the company.

AONE NEWS AND RESOURCES

AONE board nominations - Deadline extended through June 13
AONE has issued a call for members who seek to be nominated for the 2008 national election ballot. In September 2008, AONE members will be electing the president-elect, members of the AONE Board of Directors for Regions 1, 3, and member at large (three-year terms) and Regions 5, 7, and 9 (two-year terms). Nominations are also being accepted for AONE Nominating Committee members for Regions 2, 4, 6, and 8. AONE is seeking qualified candidates who are committed to the advancement of AONE and the practice of nursing leadership. Download all necessary forms from the AONE website. Completed applications should be sent via email to Jo Ann Webb at jwebb@aha.org.

Few spots remain for June's Aspiring Nurse Leader Institute session
Recognize aspiring nurse leaders in your organization by registering a member of your team for the AONE Aspiring Nurse Leader Institute (ANLI) session, to be held June 22-25, in Boise, ID. This program has been tailor-made specifically for any individual on your staff who aspires to a nurse leadership role.
View program summary and agenda | Apply

AONE EDUCATION CALENDAR

Date	Event	Location
ONGOING	Essentials of Nurse Manager Orientation (an online collaboration between AACN and AONE )	ONLINE
June 22-25, 2008	AONE Aspiring Nurse Leader Institute (ANLI) http://www.aone.org/	Boise, ID
September 21-24, 2008	AONE Nurse Manager Institute http://www.aone.org/	Albuquerque, NM
October 5-7, 2008	Nevada Organization of Nurse Leaders (NONL) Annual Conference http://www.nonl.org/	Las Vegas, NV
November 2-5, 2008	AONE Aspiring Nurse Leader Institute (ANLI) http://www.aone.org/	Charleston, SC
November 9-15, 2008	Celebrate Aspiring Nurse Leader Week AONE has great ideas to honor your nurse leaders!	Nationwide

For a complete list of continuing education events of interest to nurse leaders, please visit theAONE Education Calendar . AONE reserves the right to determine the contents of this calendar.

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