As our 20th year continues, we are celebrating the overachievement of one of our goals for this year. At the end of 2005, HPNA had 17 chapters. We made an anniversary goal of achieving 20 chapters in our 20th year. We have surpassed our own goal. In the first 6 months of 2006, the HPNA Board of Directors approved the charters of five new chapters and renewed the charters of the other 17 chapters. The new chapters are the following:
A. San Diego Chapter
B. Texas Midwest Chapter
C. Magnolia Chapter (Louisiana)
D. The Triangle Chapter (North Carolina)
E. Central New Jersey Chapter
Several additional provisional groups are building and growing, and they hope to be chartered soon. Our anniversary celebration continuesVjoin in the celebration by becoming active in a chapter in your area. If there is none available, consider starting one. For more information, contact Deena Butcher, Director of Membership, at [email protected].
Generalist Clinical Review Train-the-trainer
Saturday, October 7, 2006
Seattle, Washington
Holiday Inn Select
One South Grady Way,
Renton WA 98055
425-226-7700
8:00 AM to 5:00 PM
HPNA's "Generalist Clinical Review Train-the-Trainer" is a one-day conference to prepare experienced registered nurses to teach both "Clinical Review for the Generalist Hospice and Palliative Nurse" and "Clinical Review for the Hospice and Palliative Nursing Assistant." The focus of the day is not on teaching the participants the content. Communication and cultural and ethical issues are threads throughout each of the modules. This conference is intended to train registered nurses to teach others, provide orientation and continuing education to fellow staff, and assist with exam preparation.
The "Generalist Clinical Review Train-the-Trainer" course will be presented in Seattle, Washington, on October 7, 2006. The course will be presented in a train-the-trainer format. Space is limited. HPNA has been approved to provide continuing nursing education by the Pennsylvania State Nurses Association, which has been accredited to approve education providers by the American Nurses Credentialing Center's Commission on Accreditation. Participants will receive 8.7 contact hours based on a 50-minute contact hour and an HPNA Approved Educator certificate. The Approved Educator status is valid until December 31, 2007, and is renewable as long as the educator is a member of HPNA. All Approved Educators must be members of HPNA. Course materials cannot be guaranteed for applications received less than 2 weeks before the program.
Participants will receive, as part of the registration fee, the Clinical Review for the Generalist Hospice and Palliative Nurse Faculty Guide, Core Curriculum for the Generalist Hospice and Palliative Nurse, and Study Guide for the Generalist Hospice and Palliative Nurse. The faculty guide includes a binder that contains speaker notes in an outline format for each of the four modules and a CD-ROM with an evaluation form, the four modules, and PowerPoint slides for the four original generalist nurse core modules. The four core modules are Care Goals & Decisions in Palliative Care, Pain Management, Symptom Management, and Care at the Time of Dying.
RN Self-Assessment Examination Now Available Through HPNF
HPNF is pleased to announce the availability of a Registered Nurse Self- Assessment Examination (RN SAE). A portion of the proceeds generated from this SAE will be donated to HPNF. Preparing to take the certification examination increases the quality of care provided by the motivated candidate regardless of the outcome of the examination. This SAE is a wonderful addition to the many other available products that assist candidates preparing for the certification examination. It is an excellent study tool for certified practitioners and anyone interested in measuring or improving performance. Because there is not one source for preparation, we encourage candidates to refer to the reference list in the Candidate Handbook and the educational products available through our sister organization, Hospice and Palliative Nurses Association (HPNA). For more information regarding the RN SAE, please visit the HPNF Web site at http://www.hpnf.org or contact Connie Cavrich at [email protected].
20/20 Campaign Continues Through December 2006
Please join HPNF in celebrating the 20th anniversary of HPNA by donating $20 to HPNF in honor of the many programs and services of HPNA or in memory of a loved one. Thanks to those who have already donated. If you have not sent your donation yet, please do so today.
We are grateful for the gifts that HPNF receives. All proceeds from this campaign will benefit the nurses and other healthcare professionals who provide end-of-life care. To make online donations, please go to http://www.hpnf.org and click on "Donate Now;" you can also mail directly to HPNF at the National Office, One Penn Center West, Suite 229, Pittsburgh, PA 15276.
HPNF Salutes Florence Wald Fellow-Bonnie Glod
HPNF has a new Florence Wald Fellow to add to its list of distinguished members. Ms Bonnie Glod, a volunteer at Ann's Haven in Denton, TX, is now a Florence Wald Fellow. Bonnie has been a faithful volunteer for the local hospice and a volunteer for the Hospice and Palliative Nurses Foundation. Her partner, Mr Quinn Sowell, made the donation and named Bonnie as the Florence Wald Fellow. Please join us in thanking Mr Sowell for his generous donation and welcoming Bonnie Glod to this distinguished group. Other Florence Wald Fellows are Mary Ersek, Betty Ferrell, Linda Gorman, Judy Lentz, and Jeanne Martinez.
If you are interested in becoming a Florence Wald Fellow, please contact Connie Cavrich, Director of Development, at 412-787-9301 or [email protected]. To obtain more information on the Florence Wald Fellows program, log on to http://www.hpnf.org.
Ways to Give
In the last issue of Journal of Hospice and Palliative Nursing, HPNF reviewed several ways to give a gift to the Foundation, whether it is a gift made today or one that is deferred. If you missed it, please visit our Web site at http://www.hpnf.org and click on "Ways to Give." There, you will find information on the right gift for you and your family. Please remember, if you plan to name HPNF as a beneficiary in your will, you will automatically be placed in the Legacy of Tomorrow Society. Finally, if you would like to discuss a particular gift for a specific purpose, please contact the Director of Development, Connie Cavrich, at 412-787-9301 or [email protected].
A National Framework for Palliative and Hospice Care Quality Measurement and Reporting
The National Quality Forum (NQF)'s Board of Directors has endorsed A National Framework for Palliative and Hospice Care Quality Measurement and Reporting, a palliative care document based on and complementary to the NCP's Clinical Practice Guidelines for Quality Palliative Care.
The Framework is the culmination of the NQF's Framework and Preferred Practices for a Palliative and Hospice Care Quality Project. The final version is scheduled for public release in late summer 2006.
Because the new NQF document is largely based on the NCP's Guidelines, the two documents share many commonalities:
* Both attempt to formalize the concept of palliative care by providing extended descriptions and definitions differentiating palliative from other types of care and by establishing standards for quality palliative care programs.
* Each attempts to operationalize palliative care by structuring theory and practice into eight discrete "domains": (1) the structure and process of care, (2) physical aspects of care, (3) psychosocial and psychiatric aspects of care, (4) social aspects of care, (5) spiritual, religious, and existential aspects of care, (6) cultural aspects of care, (7) care of the imminently dying patient, and (8) ethical and legal aspects of care.
* Both recommend practices on such matters as how to assemble an interdisciplinary palliative care team and how to ensure continuity of care across diverse healthcare settings.
Each document has its own specific function, however. As the first step in a process intended to generate quality measures for palliative care, the NQF Framework offers a set of expectations and associated best practices designed to meet rigorous standards. In contrast, as part of the NCP's more expansive mission to raise awareness of the need for quality care, the NCP Guidelines provides historical and philosophical background on the field and suggests a range of recommended practices that should be in place in all care settings and communities.
When the Framework document is released to the public, excerpts can be found on the NQF's Web site at http://www.qualityforum.org, along with information on how the entire document may be ordered. The NCP Guidelines can be downloaded for free at http://www.nationalconsensusproject.org.
Exciting News for CHPN(R)s!
If you are ready to move up in your nursing career or planning on graduate studies, then your are ready to enroll in Excelsior College's BS in nursing program. Excelsior College, an accredited, affordable, flexible distance education degree program for nursing professionals will grant nurses certified in hospice and palliative nursing (CHPN(R)) 3 nursing elective credits toward their bachelor of science degree. This credit is granted in addition to awarding maximum credit for prior learning (30 credits are awarded for prior learning validated by successful completion of NCLEX-RN). This means that RNs are two steps ahead toward the completion of their bachelor's degree as they enroll! To find out more about Excelsior College School of Nursing and the BS in nursing program, log on to http://www.excelsior.edu or call toll free at 888-647-2388, press 2-7 at the prompt to speak to an admissions counselor.
2007 HPAR for CHPN(R)s Now Available
The Hospice and Palliative Alternative Recertification Packet for CHPN(R)s is now available. This packet can be downloaded from our Web site, http://www.nbchpn.org, or a packet can be mailed to you by calling the National Office at 412-787-1057.