National League for Nursing Announces the Hearst Foundations Excellence in Geriatric Education Awards
A Program of the ACES/Integrating Geriatrics in Nursing Education Grant
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE/CALENDAR LISTING
New York, NY — January 19, 2012 — As part of an intensive focus on teaching care of older adults, the NLN will recognize schools of nursing that demonstrate exceptional instruction and innovation in this key area of nursing education. The inaugural award for Excellence in Geriatric Education is the first step in a multi-year competitive awards program; a dozen schools of nursing will be selected for this prestigious honor between 2012 and 2015.
The Excellence in Geriatric Education Awards program is a component of the Hearst Foundations $400,000 grant to the NLN — renewable for three years, up to $1.2 million — to expand Advancing Care Excellence for Seniors (ACES). This web-based program was developed with Community College of Philadelphia with the support of the John A. Hartford Foundation, Independence Foundation of Philadelphia, and Laerdal Medical. Building on the work already completed, new Hearst-funded state workshops will provide guidance for teaching geriatrics using ACES Essential Nursing Actions as a guide.
Only schools of nursing that participate in one of these workshops are eligible to apply for the award. Criteria also include demonstrated use of ACES resources to provide students with exceptional instruction in geriatrics nursing. Applications, which are due at the NLN by May 1, will be judged by a national review committee of experts in geriatric education. Awards will be presented at the NLNs 2012 Education Summit in Anaheim, California in September. The winning schools will present its innovative approaches to teaching geriatrics at the ACES pre-Summit workshop.
Paul "Dino" Dinovitz, executive director of the Hearst Foundations, commented: "This award will recognize the outstanding efforts of nurse faculty in integrating the tools and curriculum demonstrated at the ACES workshops into the classroom setting. The Hearst Foundations staff and board are consistently impressed by the diligence and commitment of nurse faculty in improving the student experience, and we look forward to learning and sharing how they are applying ACES after having attended the workshops."
ACES/Integrating Geriatrics into Nursing Education entails webinars and workshops in at least 20 states. Over the next three years at least 2,200 nurse educators from about 300 undergraduate RN and PN programs will benefit from the Hearst Foundations-funded ACES programs and resources accessible online at www.nln.org/ACES.
"The NLN applauds the Hearst Foundations for its far-sighted investment in nursing education, raising the standards of care for a growing vulnerable population," said NLN CEO Beverly Malone, PhD, RN, FAAN. "The time is right to recognize schools of nursing whose creative approaches to teaching geriatrics nursing makes them models for other programs."
Application materials are available at www.nln.org/ACES/hearst_app.htm
Editors and reporters: For interview opportunities, please contact NLN chief communications officer, Karen R. Klestzick at 212-812-0376 or kklestzick@nln.org.
Dedicated to excellence in nursing, the National League for Nursing is the premier organization for nurse faculty and leaders in nursing education. The NLN offers professional development, networking opportunities, testing services, nursing research grants, and public policy initiatives to its 35,000 individual and 1,200 institutional members. NLN members represent nursing education programs across the spectrum of higher education and health care organizations and agencies.
The Hearst Foundations support nonprofit organizations working in culture, education, health, and social service in the United States. The charitable goals of the foundations reflect the philanthropic interests of William Randolph Hearst, with a focus on ensuring that people of all backgrounds have the opportunity to build healthy, productive, and inspiring lives.