National League for Nursing and Convenient Care Association (CCA) Host Roundtable to Strengthen Ties of Graduate Nursing Education and Clinical Practice for Emerging Health Care Models

Health Care Corporations Underwrite Gathering of Participants from Ten Top Graduate Nursing Programs

Planet Hollywood, 3500 Las Vegas Boulevard, Las Vegas, Nevada Wednesday, May 15, 8:00 am - 1:00 pm

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

New York, NY — May 15, 2013 — Since the passage of the Affordable Care Act, developing new and better models of health care delivery has been a priority for many of the nations health care strategists. Among the innovations now emerging to improve access, efficiency, quality, and cost effectiveness are tele-health centers and convenient care clinics, staffed by advanced practice nurses. But how many advanced degree RNs are potentially needed, and how can graduate education best be structured to prepare them for clinical practice in these novel environments?

"While the US moves toward the redesign of both nursing education and clinical practice, this is a time to support those clinicians providing exceptional care as advanced practice registered nurses, in a wide variety of emerging care delivery models," noted Judith A. Halstead, PhD, RN, FAAN, ANEF, the National League for Nursing president and professor of nursing and director of the Center for Interprofessional Health Education and Practice at Indiana University.

That is why, said Dr. Halstead, the NLN and CCA, the national trade group of companies and health care systems that provide accessible and affordable health care in retail settings, have chosen to sponsor a gathering to explore key issues. Five leading health care corporations have signed on to underwrite the cost.

At the invitation of the NLN and CCA, deans and other select leaders in nursing education from 10 top schools of nursing, including Indiana University, are convening Wednesday, May 15 at Planet Hollywood in Las Vegas, to examine current employment trends around the country for advanced practice nurses and to brainstorm transformative educational strategies to meet the staffing needs for new models of health care delivery.

Participants are considering the following questions:

• What is the role of graduate education in preparing nurses to deliver advanced practice nursing care in a reformed health care system within new models of care delivery?
• What strategies are required for graduate education to meet the needs of a reformed multi-racial ethnic health care system and to embrace new care delivery models for clinical training?
• Who are the key stakeholders to implement an innovative approach to strengthen the partnership between advanced practice nursing programs and new models of care delivery?
• What recommendations are needed for the NLN and CCA to develop and disseminate important information to the nursing community related to graduate nursing education and new approaches to clinical training?
• How do we create a sustainable model for the future?

"With the rapid expansion of the industry to provide accessible, affordable, quality services to millions of people across the country, CCA is very excited to collaborate with the NLN and nursing schools around the country to explore strategic partnerships, build a sense of community among Convenient Care practitioners, and contribute to recruitment and retention of the clinician workforce" said Tine Hansen-Turton, MGA, JD, FCPP, FAAN, executive director of the CCA.

Added NLN CEO Beverly Malone, PhD, RN, FAAN, "The League is so pleased to be partnering with CCA to launch this important collaborative national discussion. We are looking forward to considering the varied viewpoints nurse faculty bring to the table to reframe masters education to meet nursings commitment to build a strong and diverse workforce to advance the nations health."

Editors and reporters: See below for lists of participating schools and corporate sponsors. For interview opportunities at the NLN, 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 faculty development, networking opportunities, testing services, nursing research grants, and public policy initiatives to its 37,000 individual and more than 1,200 institutional members, comprising nursing education programs across the spectrum of
higher education and health care organizations.

Founded in 2006, Convenient Care Association (CCA), the national trade association of companies and healthcare systems that provide consumers with accessible and affordable healthcare in over 1,400 retail locations throughout the US, was created to enhance the growth of the convenient care industry through sharing best practices, common standards of operation, experiences and ideas; developing common standards of operation to ensure the highest quality of care throughout all convenient care clinics (CCCs); a united voice to advance the needs of CCCs and their customers; a unified effort to promote the concept of CCCs; reaching out to the existing medical and educational communities and creating new partnerships; building the provider workforce; and building synergies with traditional medical service providers. CCA member clinic organizations have created a sound business model that is being brought to scale and the biggest concern of the clinic organizations is the supply of advanced practice nurses to staff the clinics.

Participating Roundtable Schools:

• University of Alabama Capstone College of Nursing,
• Duke University School of Nursing
• Indiana University School of Nursing
• Johns Hopkins University School of Nursing
• School of Nursing, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
• Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center School of Nursing
• The George Washington University School of Nursing
• University of California, Los Angeles School of Nursing
• University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing
• Yale University School of Nursing

Roundtable Corporate Sponsors:

• MinuteClinic/CVS
• RediClinic
• Take Care Health System/Walgreens
• Target Clinic
• The Little Clinic