In 2003, The Alliance for Excellence in Hospice and Palliative Nursing (the Alliance) was established as a formal coalition of three hospice/palliative care nursing organizations: the Hospice and Palliative Nurses Association (HPNA), the National Board for Certification of Hospice and Palliative Nursing (NBCHPN), and the Hospice and Palliative Nurses Foundation (HPNF). The mission of the Alliance is to serve as a unified voice for hospice and palliative nursing, to act as a visionary for specialty trends and issues, and to be a primary resource for education and other activities fostering high-quality end-of-life and palliative care. Each of these Alliance member organizations is operated by separate boards, supporting hospice and palliative nursing in the following specific, but complementary, ways:
* The HPNA, the largest membership organization dedicated to hospice and palliative nursing, is a major resource for education, networking, and other member interests. Educational offerings by HPNA include an annual conference, weekly teleconferences, monographs on clinical topics, and patient education materials. HPNA provides associate membership for licensed practical/vocational nurses and nursing assistants, and has developed educational resources for these members of the nursing team as well. HPNA offers technical assistance for the development of local HPNA chapters and special interest groups. HPNA recently collaborated with the Academy for Hospice and Palliative Medicine, the Center to Advance Palliative Care, Last Acts Partnership, and the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization, on the National Consensus Project for Quality Palliative Care (NCP). In May 2004, this consortium published the "Clinical Practice Guidelines for Quality Palliative Care," defining palliative care practice standards.
* The NBCHPN offers specialty certification in hospice and palliative care for the following members of the nursing team: the generalist RN, the LPN/LVN, and the nursing assistant. In 2003, NBCHPN collaborated with the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) to offer specialty certification in palliative care for Advanced Practice Nurses. In addition to development of the written exams for the nursing team to achieve specialty certification, NBCHPN provides the option of a portfolio assessment called Hospice/Palliative Alternate Recertification (HPAR), available for the generalist RN to recertify every other exam. NBCHPN is a member of the American Board of Nursing Specialties (ABNS) and has achieved accreditation of the RN hospice and palliative exam as board-certified.
* The HPNF was created with the goal of providing funding for research and education for nurses and healthcare team members working in end-of-life care. HPNF collaborates with nursing, healthcare, and community groups, as well as HPNA and NBCHPN, to provide grants and awards that recognize and further excellence in end-of-life nursing care. Most recently, HPNF has launched the Florence Wald Fellows Program. This philanthropic opportunity is named in honor of the woman and nurse who is considered the "mother of hospice and palliative nursing in the United States."
The three member organizations are equally represented on the Alliance Board of Trustees, with the organizations rotating officer positions. Judy Lentz, current Executive Director for each of the member organizations, serves as CEO of the Alliance. The Alliance for Excellence in Hospice and Palliative Nursing looks forward to ensuring continued visibility and a strong voice for nursing in the future evolution of hospice and palliative care.
For more information on any of the organizations mentioned in this view, please visit the following Web sites:
HPNA, http://www.hpna.org (You can link to the Alliance and HPNF from the HPNA Web site.)
NBCHPN, http://www.nbchpn.org or http://www.nursecredetialing.org
Jeanne M. Martinez, MPH, RN, CHPN
Do You Like to Write?
I am always eager to receive well-written manuscripts for possible publication in the Journal of Hospice and Palliative Nursing. Since the re-launch of the journal in 2001, the type and variety of articles published in JHPN has expanded. If you have an idea for a manuscript but are not sure if it would be appropriate for the journal, please take a moment to contact me and we can discuss it further. Use this opportunity to be creative!! "Information for Authors" is published in the journal periodically and is available to you electronically upon e-mail request.
In addition to the peer-reviewed articles, there are opportunities to review software and books, write conference reports, and submit news items for "Panorama." "I'll Never Forget" is your place to share memorable patient stories and anecdotes, and "Reflections" showcases poetry. I look forward to hearing from JHPN readers. To reach me directly, please call or write:
Leslie H. Nicoll, PhD, MBA, RN
Editor-in-Chief, Journal of Hospice and Palliative Nursing
10A Beach Street, Suite 2
Portland, ME 04101
(207) 553-7750 fax: (207) 553-7751
e-mail: [email protected]
E-mail inquiries are preferred, and encouraged.