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2015 HOSPICE AND PALLIATIVE NURSES ASSOCIATION (HPNA) AWARD PRESENTATIONS

The following HPNA awards were presented during the 2015 American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine (AAHPM)/HPNA Annual Assembly in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in February, 2015. These are in addition to the awards noted in our previous Association pages.

 

HPNA OUTSTANDING RESEARCH ABSTRACT

This award recognizes an outstanding research abstract chosen from the presentations and posters selected during the research call for the recent AAHPM/HPNA Annual Assembly. Marie A. Bakitas, DNSc, ACHPN, CRNP, is the 2015 recipient of this award for her abstract "Depression Moderates the Positive Impact of Early Palliative Care on Survival Among Advanced Cancer Patients."

 

HPNA POSTER AWARDS

Two posters accepted for the 2015 AAHPM/HPNA Annual Assembly that received the highest points by reviewers were acknowledged on opening night as HPNA member poster award winners:

 

* "Want to Graduate Clinicians Who Care?: A Caring Behavior Scale for Healthcare Students" by Mary Gergis, PhD, MSc, BSN

 

* "Events Preceding Final Hospitalizations or Deaths and End-of-Life Decisions in Patients on Chronic Dialysis" by Maureen Metzger, PhD, RN

 

 

NEW FELLOWS IN PALLIATIVE CARE NURSING

Approved by the HPNA Board at the October 2014 Board Meeting, the 2015 cohort of Fellows in Palliative Care Nursing was welcomed during the 2015 AAHPM/HPNA Annual Assembly:

 

* Holli Martinez, FNP-BC, ACHPN

 

* Beverly Paukstis, MS, RN, CHPN, CHPCA

 

 

TEN MEASURES TO DRIVE QUALITY PALLIATIVE AND HOSPICE CARE

Patients with serious and life-threatening illnesses may be less likely to experience unnecessary physical and emotional suffering if they receive palliative or hospice care that meets 10 key quality indicators identified by AAHPM and HPNA. The findings and recommendations of the organizations' consensus project, Measuring What Matters (MWM), were published in the Journal of Pain and Symptom Management. MWM was launched to ensure palliative and hospice care patients receive the highest quality care by identifying the 10 best existing indicators-measures-to gauge that care. The 10 measures range from a complete assessment (including physical, psychological, social, spiritual, and functional needs) to a plan for managing pain and shortness of breath to having patients' treatment preferences followed. They were selected from among 75 indicators largely based on what's most important to patients and families.

 

Palliative care improves quality of life for patients who are being treated for a serious illness by managing pain and other symptoms. Hospice is a specific type of palliative care for patients in their last year of life. The goal of the project was to select a set of measures that are scientifically rigorous and that all palliative and hospice care providers should use to ensure they are giving the highest quality care and to eventually enable benchmarking in the field. Currently there is no consistency regarding which measures are required by various groups, from accrediting organizations to payers. As the population ages and the demand for this type of care grows, the ability to assess quality throughout the country and across care settings is increasingly important.

 

"It was essential that the measures be meaningful to patients and families," said Sally A. Norton, PhD, RN, FPCN, FAAN, member of HPNA, cochair of the Measuring What Matters project and Independence Foundation Chair of Nursing and Palliative Care at the University of Rochester School of Nursing. "The selected measures allow us to systematically evaluate our effectiveness and develop strategies to keep improving our practice to ensure patients and families get the very best care possible across settings." Other HPNA members active on this joint project are Keela Herr, PhD, RN, AGSF, FAAN, cochair of the Clinical User Panel; and Susan McMillan, PhD, ARNP, FAAN, who is cochair of the Technical Advisory Panel. The HPNA Research Advisory Council and more than 10 other HPNA members are involved in the MWM project with AAHPM. More information on this work can be found on the HPNA Web site, http://www.goHPNA.org, under the Research menu.

 

HPNA DIRECTOR OF RESEARCH

HPNA President Joy Buck, PhD, RN, provided the following comments during both the 2015 HPNA Annual Membership Meeting and the State of the Science Plenary Session at the 2015 AAHPM/HPNA Annual Assembly.

 

"I would like to take this opportunity to recognize Dr June Lunney, who is retiring from the Director of Research position later this year. As many of you know, Dr Lunney has been instrumental in moving end-of-life and palliative care research forward in a career that began at the National Institutes of Health, where she helped to develop NIH support for research on end-of-life issues. She was the lead author on the Institute of Medicine's report, Describing Death in America, and has chaired the planning committee for the NIH State-of-the-Science Conference, Improving End-of-Life Care. June retired as the associate dean for research at the West Virginia University School of Nursing in 2008 and became HPNA's first Director of Research in 2010. Her current research, Describing Trajectories of Dying, focuses on functional decline at the end of life.

 

June has gone above and beyond in her role with HPNA. More importantly, June has been a role model, a mentor, a trusted advisor who is always willing to "noodle" on issues, and a dear friend to many of us. She is also a mother, grandmother, and sojourner, and her retirement will allow her the time and freedom to focus more on those aspects of her life. Please join me in thanking Dr June Lunney for her many contributions to the advancement of the science that will help us transform the care and culture of serious illness."

 

2015 Train-the-Trainer Courses

The End-of-Life Nursing Education Consortium (ELNEC) project is a national educational initiative to improve palliative care. The course provides nurses with education in palliative care preparing them to teach the information to practicing nurses and other health care professionals. ELNEC Trainers are given tools to provide this specialized care and to positively impact the lives of patients and families facing serious illness or the end of life.

 

HPNA collaborates with the ELNEC project (administered by the American Association of Colleges of Nursing, Washington, DC, and the City of Hope, Los Angeles, California) to offer the following ELNEC Train-the-Trainer Courses:

 

* ELNEC-Core in Scottsdale, Arizona

 

 

May 20-21, 2015

 

* ELNEC-Core in Atlanta, Georgia

 

 

July 28-29, 2015

 

* ELNEC-Pediatric Palliative Care in Atlanta, Georgia

 

 

July 28-29, 2015

 

* ELNEC-Core in Houston, Texas

 

 

October 14-15, 2015

 

To view all upcoming 2015 courses, please visit http://www.aacn.nche.edu/ELNEC/ or http://www.goHPNA.org. Online registration for the courses noted above is available at http://www.goHPNA.org.

 

COMMON QUESTION: WHAT IS THE HPNA FELLOWS PROGRAM?

In support of HPNA's Mission of "Advancing Expert Care in Serious Illness," the HPNA Board has initiated the Fellow in Palliative Care Nursing (FPCN) intended for our members who are nursing leaders in education, leadership, advanced practice, and research. This would include organization or agency executives, chancellors and deans, hospital chief executives and vice presidents of nursing, nurse consultants, and researchers and entrepreneurs. Designation as an FPCN recognizes the individual's accomplishments within the nursing profession; however, FPCNs also have a responsibility to continue to engage with other health care leaders in enhancing and promoting the specialty of palliative nursing. Once approved by the HPNA Board of Directors as an FPCN, the applicant is awarded the credential, Fellow in Palliative Care Nursing or FPCN.

 

More information about the HPNA Fellows program can be found on the http://www.goHPNA.org Web site. Applications are now being accepted, and the application deadline is September 1, 2015.

 

ONLINE VOTING AGAIN COMING YOUR WAY IN JUNE

Again in June, 2015 HPNA will utilize an online process for the election of the Board of Directors. This Web-based voting process has provided HPNA with higher rates of voter participation and greater overall accessibility. Please watch for election announcements and further instructions to be delivered through upcoming HPNA e-newsletter articles, HPNA Web site updates, and your personal e-mail notifications. Your vote is very important!

 

SECOND CALL FOR PROPOSALS OPEN

Planning is beginning for the 2016 AAHPM/HPNA Annual Assembly to be held in Chicago, Illinois, March 9 to 12, 2016. Dates for the 2 upcoming calls are as follows:

 

* July 1 to August 4, 2015-second call for scientific papers and posters

 

* October 1 to November 3, 2015-third call for case submissions

 

 

All proposals must be submitted via http://www.aahpm.org.

 

HPNA PRESENTS THE NINTH ANNUAL 2015 CLINICAL PRACTICE FORUM

Please join us and the exceptional faculty for the 2015 HPNA Ninth Annual Clinical Practice Forum: "Clinical and Professional Issues in Hospice and Palliative Care" on October 23 to 24, 2015, at the Sheraton Station Square Hotel, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

 

The conference will provide state-of-the-science information related to the practice of palliative nursing that includes case presentations with interactive discussions. The Clinical Practice Forum focuses on current hospice and palliative care issues for registered nurses and advanced practice nurses. This year, there will be evidence-based presentations related to symptom management, communication, professional issues, regulations, and leadership.

 

Highlights for this 2015 conference include the following:

 

* Keynote address: Nurses Improving the Health of a Nation: On the Sidelines or Leading? Presented by Diana J. Mason, PhD, RN, FAAN

 

* Day 2 plenary session address: Constance Dahlin, ANP-BC, ACHPN, FPCN, FAAN

 

* 3 Preconference session offerings

 

* Posters, Exhibits, Networking!

 

* Back by popular demand: Advanced Certified Hospice and Palliative Nurse (ACHPN) and Certified Hospice and Palliative Nurse (CHPN) Certification Review Courses will be offered on October 22, 2015.

 

 

For full details and registration, visit the HPNA Web site, http://www.goHPNA.org.

 

HOSPICE AND PALLIATIVE CREDENTIALING CENTER CHANGES REGARDING RECERTIFICATION

The Hospice and Palliative Credentialing Center (HPCC) Board of Directors and staff have thoughtfully reviewed the Hospice and Palliative Accrual for Recertification (HPAR) process taking into account our commitment of supporting a model of continuing competence as well as feedback expressed by our certificants and employer supporters. Changes have been made to the requirements, and the criteria have been expanded to include additional activities, some of which may be accomplished in the workplace. A major enhancement in the HPAR process is the new LearningBuilder platform, which now allows all ACHPN and CHPN HPARs to be completed online.

 

All HPAR submissions whether online or paper have a new due date of 8 weeks prior to the date of expiration of certification to pay the standard fee. Those submitting HPAR in 2015 have until October 31, 2015, to collect points and complete/submit their recertification requirements at the standard fee.

 

A summary of HPAR requirements is as follows:

 

* ACHPNs are required to use the HPAR process for recertification. HPAR includes completion of the Situational Judgment Exercise (SJE) and application submission through LearningBuilder. HPAR requires professional development activities totaling 125 points achieved in the categories of Continuing Education, Scholarly Accomplishments, or Professional Contributions. A requirement of 10 points in the categories of Scholarly Accomplishments and/or Professional Contributions is mandatory beginning in 2015.

 

* CHPNs may recertify by testing or by HPAR IN 2015. HPAR includes completion of the SJE and application submission through LearningBuilder. HPAR requires professional development activities totaling 100 points achieved in the categories of Continuing Education, Scholarly Accomplishments, or Professional Contributions. Beginning January 1, 2016, you may choose to submit at least 10 points in the categories of Scholarly Accomplishments and/or Professional Contributions OR if you choose not to submit 10 points in Scholarly Accomplishments and/or Professional Contributions you must submit 20 additional points of Continuing Education. In 2016, testing will no longer be an option for recertification.

 

* Certified Hospice and Palliative Pediatric Nurses (CHPPN) may recertify by testing or by HPAR in 2015. HPAR submission is through a paper application. HPAR requires professional development activities totaling 100 points achieved in the categories of Continuing Education, Scholarly Accomplishments, and/or Professional Contributions. Beginning January 1, 2016, you may choose to submit at least 10 points in the categories of Scholarly Accomplishments and/or Professional Contributions OR if you choose not to submit 10 points in Scholarly Accomplishments and/or Professional Contributions you must submit 20 additional point of Continuing Education. In 2016, testing will no longer be an option for recertification.

 

* Certified Hospice and Palliative Licensed Nurses (CHPLN) may recertify by testing or by HPAR. HPAR submission is through a paper application. HPAR requires professional development activities totaling 75 points achieved in the categories of Continuing Education, Scholarly Accomplishments, and/or Professional Contributions. Beginning January 1, 2016, you may choose to submit at least 10 points in the categories of Scholarly Accomplishments and/or Professional Contributions OR if you choose not to submit 10 points in Scholarly Accomplishments and/or Professional Contributions you must submit 20 additional point of Continuing Education. In 2016, testing and HPAR will continue to be options for recertification.

 

* Certified Hospice and Palliative Care Administrators (CHPCA) may recertify by testing or HPAR. HPAR submission is through a paper application. HPAR requires professional development activities totaling 125 points achieved in the categories of Continuing Education, Scholarly Accomplishments, and/or Professional Contributions. Beginning January 1, 2016, you may choose to submit at least 10 points in the categories of Scholarly Accomplishments and/or Professional Contributions OR if you choose not to submit 10 points in Scholarly Accomplishments and/or Professional Contributions you must submit 20 additional point of Continuing Education. In 2016, testing and HPAR will continue to be options for recertification.

 

* Certified Hospice and Palliative Nursing Assistants (CHPNA) continue to recertify by testing.

 

* Certified in Perinatal Loss Care (CPLC) professionals will begin to recertify in 2017. The requirements for the CPLC HPAR are currently under development, and CPLC certificants will be notified once they are available.

 

 

For detailed information regarding recertification, see the Competence menu of the Web site, http://www.goHPCC.org, or e-mail mailto:[email protected] or call the National Office at (412)-787-1057.

 

2016 HPCC AWARD NOMINATIONS ARE OPEN

HPCC offers Certificant of the Year Awards for certified individuals at 5 levels of nursing and for the administrator and perinatal loss care professional: ACHPN, CHPN, CHPPN, CHPLN, CHPNA, CHPCA, and CPLC. Award recipients receive their award at the Certification Recognition Event during the AAHPM/HPNA Annual Assembly. Nominate a deserving individual for 1 of these prestigious HPCC awards! Contact the National Office at 412-787-1057 via phone, mailto:[email protected], or visit our Web site http://www.goHPCC.org for a nomination application. All nominations are due to the National Office by July 1, 2015.

 

CALL FOR EXAMINATION DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE POSITIONS

HPCC is looking for qualified individuals holding both HPCC certification and HPNA membership for nomination, including self-nomination, for application to 1 of the 8 HPCC Examination Development Committees.

 

Great care is taken to select candidates from both hospice and palliative care backgrounds, representing various geographic areas of the country and with clinical, management, and academic expertise. It is very important that a sufficient number of qualified individuals apply to ensure the ongoing leadership for the certification process and accomplishment of the goals of the organization. Completed application packets are due to the National Office by July 1, 2015.

 

If interested, please contact the National Office at 412-787-1057, via fax at 412-787-9305, or via e-mail at mailto:[email protected] for an application packet. Applications are also available on our Web site, http://www.goHPCC.org.

 

The HPCC Board Development Committee is seeking applicants to serve on the HPCC Board of Directors in 2016. The mission of HPCC is to advance expert care in serious illness.

 

The board of directors is responsible for the affairs of the organization. Major responsibilities include supervision of business and financial affairs and the strategic plan. We are seeking experienced, energetic, and passionate professionals who will lead the provision of certification in hospice and palliative care into the future.

 

Potential applicants include individuals who hold an HPCC certification, other professional certifications or have great interest in certification. Applicants are NOT required to hold a current HPCC certification.

 

To review full details of the Call for Board Nominations process and board competencies or to complete an application please visit, http://www.goHPCC.org.

 

The deadline for Board applications is July 1, 2015.

 

HOSPICE AND PALLIATIVE NURSES FOUNDATION SCHOLARSHIPS, GRANTS, AND AWARDS-ANNOUNCING APPLICATIONS OPEN!

In late 2014, the $5 million campaign, Advancing Expert Care, was created to transform the care and culture of serious illness through 6 core strategies:

 

* ongoing evaluation and research into the educational needs of hospice and palliative professionals;

 

* the design of programs, courses, and curriculum to advance expert care in serious illness;

 

* advancing research into best practices of hospice and palliative care, while supporting and developing palliative nursing researchers;

 

* the development of nursing leadership programs at the local and national levels;

 

* enhancing nursing competence through certification; and

 

* the creation of programs to support and increase the number of nurses and other professionals certified in hospice and palliative care.

 

 

The Hospice and Palliative Nurses Foundation (HPNF) program of scholarships, grants, and awards speaks to these 6 core strategies. HPNF announces that applications are now open with a deadline of June 1, 2015. Opportunities offered at this time include the following:

 

* 6 Chapter Education Grants for HPNA Chartered Chapters to support education and expansion of membership

 

* 6 Individual Education Scholarships for nurses earning academic degrees

 

1 each-$750 for associate and $1500 for bachelor's

 

2 each-$2000 for master's and $3000 for doctorate

 

* 5 Conference Scholarships for the HPNA Clinical Practice Forum to be held October 22 to 24, 2015, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

 

* 7 Certification Scholarships for HPCC certification and recertification at all levels, achieved since December 1, 2014: CHPNA, CHPLN, CHPN, CHPPN, ACHPN, CHPCA, and CPLC

 

* HPNF/Project on Death in America (PDIA) Nursing Leadership Award in Palliative Care

 

* Hospice and Palliative Nurses Foundation Certification Research Award

 

 

Thank you for the financial support that you have provided to HPNF! Your contributions promote the professional development of HPNA members and HPCC certificants through the provision of scholarships, grants, and awards.