Excellence in Hospice and Palliative Nursing
HPNA's mission statement clearly states that we are "dedicated to quality end-of-life care through the promotion of excellence in hospice and palliative nursing." Recognizing that the US nursing shortage will worsen in the years to come as nurses from the baby boom generation retire and that the growing aging population will place greater demands on what already seems to be a healthcare system under stress, it is essential that we collectively reaffirm out commitment to "excellence" in end-of-life nursing care. Your active involvement in HPNA sends a clear message that you value the work of our Association and that you believe that collectively we can make a difference in assuring quality end-of-life care.
The HPNA Board of Directors will be developing a new strategic plan at our June meeting. This plan will serve to guide the Board's decision-making over the next 3 years and will be based in our unwavering commitment to supporting our members to achieve and sustain excellence in hospice and palliative nursing.
HPNA is firmly committed to supporting its members through educational efforts that better prepare each of us, whether we are a nursing assistant, a registered nurse, an advanced practice nurse, a nurse administrator, or a nurse educator to meet the evolving demands in hospice and palliative nursing. For example, the new Clinical Review for Generalist Hospice and Palliative Nurses was offered during a pre-conference session at the 3rd Joint Clinical Conference and Exposition on Hospice and Palliative Care. This summer, HPNA will also be offering the Clinical Review for Hospice and Palliative Nursing Assistants. HPNA is collaborating with nursing faculty from New York University and the American Nurses Association on the development of similar educational materials for hospice and palliative advanced practice nurses.
In 2002, HPNA, in collaboration with the Hospice and Palliative Nurses Foundation, will initiate a research grant program to support research on some aspect of end-of-life nursing care. Additional research activities will be announced during the coming year to meet the following overall goals:
* Encourage nursing research in end-of-life care;
* Increase HPNA's visibility in nursing research; and
* Recognize research excellence in end-of-life care.
In addition to supporting HPNA's individual members, the Board of Directors and National Office staff are exploring ways to support employers of hospice and palliative nurses. Our efforts during the coming years will focus on activities that enhance retention and recruitment of hospice and palliative care nurses and the ongoing development of hospice and palliative advanced practice nursing.
On behalf of my colleagues on the HPNA Board of Directors, I welcome your input and feedback on how we can best support you in achieving and sustaining excellence in end-of-life nursing care. I can be reached via e-mail at [email protected] or you are welcome to call me at 207-780-4404.
Jane Marie Kirschling, DNS, RN
President, Board of Directors, 2002 HPNA
HPNA'S Train-the-Trainer Program
In March 2002, the Hospice and Palliative Nurses Association inaugurated a new Clinical Review for Hospice and Palliative Nurses Train-the-Trainer program, which will provide the tools and techniques for participants to become HPNA-approved educators on end-of-life care for hospice and palliative nurses.
The 1-day workshop offers participants HPNA's new standardized curriculum of hospice and palliative practice, which they can take back to their own practice settings and communities to share with colleagues. The curriculum is formatted to serve a variety of purposes, from an introduction to end-of-life care for new staff to a practice review for nurses in hospice and palliative nursing.
To attend, candidates must complete an application and submit a $150 registration fee, which includes all the curriculum materials. The first Train-the-Trainer workshop was held on March 20, 2002, at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in New Orleans, in conjunction with the Joint Clinical Conference in Hospice and Palliative Care. Remaining sessions for 2002 include: June 29 in Denver, CO, and October 5 in Pittsburgh, PA. Applicants must be HPNA members and can download an application from the HPNA Web site, http://www.hpna.org/, or call the national office at 412-787-9301.
The Train-the-Trainer program replaces the HPNA Practice Review Course, which has been offered nationwide for the past several years. The Practice Review Courses were discontinued March 31, 2002.
Nursing Assistants Join Together
Keweenaw Home Nursing and Hospice of Calumet, MI, is the first to utilize the HPNA Nursing Assistants Join Together membership campaign. This campaign promotes growth of the newly established Nursing Assistant membership category by offering a free 1-year Nursing Assistant membership for each five Nursing Assistant memberships purchased. Nursing Assistants Join Together membership campaign forms can be found online at http://www.hpna.org/.
Keweenaw Home Nursing and Hospice purchased six Nursing Assistant memberships and received the seventh for free!!
Specialty Certification for Hospice and Palliative Care
What Is the Exam Development Committee?
The Exam Development Committee (EDC) of the National Board for Certification of Hospice and Palliative Nursing (NBCHPN (R)) is charged with the task of developing each examination for conferring the specialty certification, CHPN (Certified Hospice and Palliative Nurse). The examination consists of 150 multiple-choice test items. These items are distributed across a content outline of seven domains of practice encompassing end-of-life nursing care (see Table 1). The content outline is based on a Role Delineation Study (job analysis) of end-of-life nursing practice conducted in 1998 by the NBCHPN (R) to ensure applicability of the examination to all palliative care settings.
The NBCHPN (R) contracts with Applied Measurement Professionals, Inc. (AMP), a testing agency that assists in the development, administration, scoring and analysis of the examination. Using item writing guidelines recommended by AMP, members of the Exam Development Committee have the following responsibilities:
* Develop two examinations each year;
* Write new examination items, as assigned;
* Update and refine previously written items; and
* Review completed examinations.
The Exam Development Committee consists of CHPN-certified nurses representating of various hospice and palliative care settings from regions throughout the country. Other recommended qualifications for committee members include attendance at an NBCHPN (R) Item Writer's Workshop or prior experience with item writing, and recent experience with direct patient care. The Exam Development committee includes at least two NBCHPN (R) Board members, one of whom fills the role of committee Chair.
The NBCHPN (R), with support from a grant by the Fan Fox and Leslie R. Samuels Foundation, has applied this certification process to a new innovative venture-the Certified Hospice and Palliative Nursing Assistant (CHPNA). In January 2002, the newly formed NA-EDC had their inaugural meeting in Kansas City, KS. The next issue of JHPN will feature details of the roll-out of this ground-breaking certification in 2002.
For more information about the nurse and nursing assistant Exam Development Committees of the NBCHPN (R), or attending an Item Writer's Workshop contact the NBCHPN (R) at phone: (412) 787-9301, e-mail: [email protected].
2002 RN-Examination Development Committee
Jeanne Martinez (Chair) Oak Park, IL
Mary Janet Bergstrand El Dorado Hills, CA
Sue Erlewine Athens, OH
Jane Sidwell Houston, TX
Tracy Szirony Sylvania, OH
Kerstin McSteen Shoreview, MN
Jeanne M. Martinez, RN, MPH, CHPN
Chair, Exam Development
Committee for NBCHPN (R)
Membership Campaign
Five NEW = Free RENEW MEMBERSHIP CAMPAIGN 2002
For each five new associate or voting memberships in HPNA, a free 1-year associate or voting membership renewal will be granted. The campaign flier will be mailed with each 2002 renewal notice. (This program applies to the 1-year $60.00 membership for voting or associate members of HPNA and does not apply to Nursing Assistant memberships.)
The campaign continues through December 31, 2002.
Nursing Assistants Join Together
Membership Campaign
For each five nursing assistant memberships in HPNA, a free 1-year nursing assistant membership will be granted.
The campaign continues through December 31, 2002.
Who can participate?
* Individuals
* Regional groups
* Work groups at hospitals/long-term care facilities/hospices/etc.
HPAR
The deadline for recertification via HPAR in 2002 has passed. The next deadline for recertification by HPAR will be March 1, 2003. Candidates still have the option to renew their certification by examination in 2002. See "2002-2003 Examination Dates" on page 71 for more information.
NBCHPN (R) Examination Information
Marlene L. Kestner, Nursing Assistant Appointed to NBCHPN (R) Board of Directors
Marlene L. Kestner is the first Nursing Assistant to be appointed to the Board of Directors of the National Board for Certification of Hospice and Palliative Nurses. In accordance with NBCHPN (R) bylaws, Ms. Kestner was appointed by the NBCHPN (R) Board to provide nursing assistant representation. Her 3-year term of office began in January 2002.
Call for Applications
National Board for Certification of Hospice and Palliative Nurses
The National Board for Certification of Hospice and Palliative Nurses (NBCHPN (R)) is seeking CHPN-certified RNs for Board positions for a 3-year term (2002 through 2004) and for Examination Development Committee positions for a 2-year term (2002 through 2003). Please send a Letter of Interest to the HPNA/NBCHPN (R) office: Penn Center West One, Suite 229, Pittsburgh, PA 15276; phone: (412) 787-9301; fax: 412-787-9305. Upon receipt of the Letter of Interest, an application and questionnaire will be sent to qualified candidates. The completed application and questionnaire must be returned to the National Office by September 15, 2002.
Thank you in advance for your work in supporting end-of-life care!!