January  2008

In June 2003, discussions began with representatives of HPNA, NBCHPN and HPNF, and a consultant to discuss how we could collectively move forward to have a greater impact on communicating the value of providing excellent nursing care at the end of life for all Americans. Our unified vision is to ensure that all persons become aware of the impact of those with hospice and palliative nursing care knowledge and expertise and their ability to deliver high-quality end-of-life care. The desire to achieve this purpose has lead to the formation of the Alliance for Excellence in Hospice and Palliative Nursing.

The mission of the Alliance for Excellence in Hospice and Palliative Nursing is to serve as the unified voice in hospice and palliative nursing to integrate and coordinate end of life care with other members of the interdisciplinary team, to act as a visionary for specialty trending nursing issues, to be a primary resource fostering excellence in hospice and palliative nursing, and to advance end-of-life care for the benefit of the public at large.

Note:
Proceeds from the Registered Nurse and the Nursing Assistant Self Assessment Exams now benefit The Alliance.  You can find the Registered Nurse and Nursing Assistant Self Assessment Exams (SAE) on the AMP Web Site.   For further information on the SAEs link here.

2008 AAHPM/HPNA Annual Assembly 
The 2008 Annual Assembly sponsored by the American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine and the Hospice and Palliative Nurses Association will be held January 30 – February 2, 2008 in Tampa, Florida. Link to Conference Information

HPNA Pre-conferences for the 2008 Annual Assembly offered on Wednesday, January 30, 2008
Register with HPNA for these pre-conferences: Link Here to Register Now! Space still available!

1) 8 AM - 5 PM Generalist Clinical Review Train-the-Trainer

2) 8 AM - 12 NOON APN Billing: The Good, The Bad and The Ugly 

3) 8 AM - 12 NOON Psychiatric Illnesses and the Dying

4) 8 AM - 12 NOON From Grassroots to Inside the Beltway: Policy Advocacy for Hospice and Palliative Care Professionals

5) 1 PM - 5 PM History and Physical Findings Related to Drug Therapy Management

6) 1 PM - 5 PM Challenges with Family Dynamics in End-of-Life Care

7) 1 PM - 5 PM Implanted Cardiac Devices and End-of-Life Decisions

Additionally, a FREE pre-conference entitled Nurse Leadership Skills Development Workshop “Clinical Mentoring Matters: Nurturing Nurses” FC3 will be offered on Wednesday, January 30, 2008 from 6 PM-10 PM. This pre-conference is now full.

Additional Generalist Clinical Review Train-the-Trainer workshop scheduled
A Generalist Clinical Review Train-the-Trainer program has been scheduled for Saturday, June 14th, 2008 at the Sheraton Atlantic City in Atlantic City, New Jersey. This one-day workshop is for experienced hospice and palliative Registered Nurses who wish to become HPNA Approved Educators. Presented in a Train-the-Trainer format, participants will be taught facilitation skills to prepare them to teach the Clinical Review. Link to Application

New Corporate Education Product
The Hospice and Palliative Interactive Learning Resource: Generalist Nurse is an interactive learning activity for any nurse caring for persons with life-limiting illness in any setting. Utilizing an outline framework, this tool is a resource of the essential information on hospice and palliative nursing. The Resource’s interactive design allows the user to navigate through the program in a manner that best fits their needs. Using Adobe Reader 7.0, the Resource is designed for agencies to place on their intranet for all staff to use. It can be purchased by calling 412-787-9301 or link here to order online. Cost: $250.00. 

New Advanced Practice Nurse Text: 
Advanced Practice Palliative Nursing: A Guide to Practice and Business Issues
As the specialty of Advanced Practice Hospice and Palliative Nursing evolves, so does the need for tools and mechanisms to help those entering the field. Many APNs are new APNs in practice rather than new practitioners to the specialty. The decision was made to develop this toolkit that an Advanced Practice Hospice and Palliative APN can use as a reference for business practice issues. It serves not only as a check list, but also a way to get a sense of the issues, the requirements, and the considerations of practice. In particular, it is written by APNs who are in the specialty and who have knowledge and expertise to help guide the practice of our colleagues from novice to experts. This item can be purchased from HPNA online or by calling the National Office at 412-787-9301. Cost: $30.00 (HPNA members) or $35.00 non-members.

HPNA welcomes 5 new Chartered Chapters!
Congratulations to our newest chartered chapters! They will receive their official chapter charter at the HPNA Membership Meeting to be held during the Annual Assembly. For a complete listing of our 30 chartered chapters and the many provisional (forming) groups click here.

The HPNA Board of Directors awarded charter chapter status to the:

• HPNA Triad (NC) Chapter, led by Patra Holland, President; Katy Jackson, President-Elect; Jeff Parkinson as Secretary and Barbara Mueller as Treasurer. 

• HPNA North Carolina Foothills Chapter, led by June Perkins, President; Cathy Franklin-Griffin, Vice-President; Lynn Whitener as Secretary/Treasurer

• HPNA Greater Delaware Chapter, led by Sheila Grant, President; Margaret Wilson, Vice-President; Clare Siedlecki as Secretary /Treasurer 

• HPNA Greater Milwaukee Chapter, led by Sandy Muchka, President; Lynda Gruenwald-Schmitz, President-Elect; Cynthia Obletz as Secretary and the

• HPNA Chapter of Southeastern Pennsylvania led by Christina Visco, President; Leslie Nielsen, Vice-President; and Helen Corbett as Secretary.
  

Congratulations to these chapter Executives Boards and their members on this achievement!


Upcoming weekly teleconferences  Must pre-register; call HPNA at 412-787-9301
**Professional Nurse Acute Pain Management of Patients with Active Substance Abuse (Wed. Feb. 13, 2008 12 noon ET).
Journal Club Suffering and Dying Nursing Home Residents: Nurses' Perceptions of the Role of Family Members (Wed. Jan. 16, 2008 3 pm ET)
Nursing Assistant Artificial Nutrition and Hydration (Wed. Jan. 23, 2008 3 pm ET) 

**Please note: beginning in January, 2008 the APN and Clinical Nursing teleconferences are combined and this Professional Nurse Teleconference will be conducted on the second Wednesday of the month at 12 noon ET. Pharmacological information will be included as appropriate to the topic. 

Pain Special Interest Group
HPNA has received funding to begin a PAIN Special Interest Group (SIG). If you are an HPNA member and interested in joining this new SIG please contact Diana at dianaw@hpna.org or phone the National Office at 412-787-9301.

Additional information on your JHPN mailing label
Beginning in September, 2007 the mailing label on your Journal of Hospice and Palliative Nursing will include ‘Renew mm/dd/yyyy’ on the first line near the membership number. This month/day/year is your current HPNA membership expiration date. This is one more method we are implementing to inform members of the membership expiration date to encourage a timely renewal.

Newest posts on the HPNA website:

• Testimonials from current members

• Quality of Life Matters newsletter for this quarter

Save the Date:
HPNA Clinical Practice Forum: Caring for People Who Are Not Like Me
September 5-6, 2008
Pittsburgh, PA


Link to HPNA Monthly Update  

EXCITING NEWS FOR NBCHPN - EXAM ACCREDITATIONS
NBCHPN is proud to announce that they have successfully fulfilled the American Board of Nursing Specialties (ABNS) accreditation requirements for the advanced certified hospice and palliative nurses program and also has fulfilled the reaccreditation requirements for the certified hospice and palliative nurses program. Both accreditations are valid through February 2012.

NBCHPN has successfully fulfilled the accreditation requirements of the National Commission for Certifying Agencies (NCCA) which is the accreditation body for the National Organization for Competency Assurance (NOCA) for the Certified Hospice and Palliative Licensed Nurse (CHPLN) Exam. Achievement of this accreditation was accomplished by demonstration of compliance with the twenty one standards established by the Commission. Our nursing assistant exam, CHPNA, is also accredited through the NCCA. Both accreditations are valid through April 2010.

2008 Item Writing Workshop (IWW) Information and Application is Available!
NBCHPN® will be hosting an IWW on February 20, February 27, and March 12, 2008. Visit our website, www.nbchpn.org for more information and application. Application deadline is Monday, February 4, 2008.

NBCHPN 2008 Computer Based Testing (CBT) 
CBT is about to begin! NBCHPN continues to work with our professional testing company, Applied Measurement Professionals (AMP) for CBT. The online application for the March testing window will close on February 15, 2008. Visit our website www.nbchpn.org for Announcements and the Certification Newsletters for more information.

Link to NBCHPN Monthly Update

2008 is 10th Anniversary for HPNF!
Many events and appeals are planned for 2008 to continue forward with all the good work of the Hospice and Palliative Nurses Association members and HPNF. Each year we successfully raise funds to support education, research and leadership opportunities for hospice and palliative nurses. 

Thanks to all who have contributed to our goals over the past decade, especially those who encouraged me during my first year as Director of Development, and for your enthusiasm and participation as we move forward this year anticipating even more growth for the Foundation!

HPNF 2008 Special Events!

Special Events put the “Fun” into the Fundraising. Because we are a national organization much care is put into selecting events that work for individual members and for large groups like Annual Assembly. We hope to have your participation in many of these events. YOUR PARTICIPATION is what makes them special!

TAMPA: All the action for HPNF in Tampa takes place at the HPNA Information Table (located near Registration) 
1) Jewelry Raffle: over 30 pieces have been collected by board members across the country. Thanks to their hard work we have an eclectic mixture of all types of styles. Featured this year are gift items with appeal for men and women! Tickets are $10 each or three for $25 AND $25 each or three for $50 for our big-ticket items. Which ones are your favorites?
2) Wall of Honor: Donations of any amount accepted. Donor receives recognition on our wall of honor. This event gets us off to a great start for the New Year!
3) 10th Anniversary Assembly Surprise!: Stop by and find out about this HPNF activity!
4) Key to Your Heart: $20 donation each – See Below 

EVERYWHERE: These events take place throughout 2008 wherever you are!
1) Toucan Special Event launches with this E Newsletter!
     • This campaign can be implemented across the country by all our members, in any of our 29 chapters, in individual workplaces and homes or hospices 
     • The goal is to collect loose change or bills in a recycled can* then do it again! 
     • Two times or two cans = Toucan!
        *An often overlooked tidbit of information is the 10th Anniversary is recognized with Tin and Aluminum 
     • Email laurar@hpna.org for the instructions and the label for your can today!

2) 2008 “Key to Your Heart” Debuts in Tampa! 
Two styles of Key to Your Heart cases are available for a $20 donation each. The 2008 version is also heart-shaped, holds three keys and comes with its own beautiful box but it is strikingly different and contrasts nicely with the 2007 model. Together they are the beginnings of a beautiful collection! You can place orders for the 2007 Key to Your Heart jeweled keepsake online or by phone (412-787-9301). The 2008 case will be available only in Tampa until February 4 when they will be back in the National Office ready for shipping in time for Valentine’s Day! Phone orders only for the 2008 case please.

Click here to make a donation to HPNF

Link to HPNF homepage
 

Center to Advance Palliative Care (CAPC) Launches New Discussion Forum
The Center to Advance Palliative Care (CAPC) has launched CAPCconnect – the only discussion forum dedicated to palliative care program development and growth. 
The CAPCconnect palliative care discussion forum is a free resource for health care professionals who want to share information, exchange ideas, and get advice from their colleagues on operational issues affecting their palliative care programs. 

To learn more and join, visit www.capc.org/forums

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