Published June 09, 2021 
Weekly Digest
Dr. Patricia (Polly) Pittman, professor of Health Workforce Equity at George Washington University’s Milken Institute School of Public Health, and a team of authors--including AACN President/CEO Dr. Deborah Trautman and AACN Director of Policy Dr. Colleen Leners--have collaborated on the article Value-Based Payment: What Does It Mean for Nurses?, published in the July/September 2021 issue of Nursing Administration Quarterly. The article addresses the failure of the current fee-for-service healthcare system to respond to patient needs or offer financial sustainability. Deficits in educational preparation and resistance to considering cost alongside quality have hindered the nursing profession’s contribution to the conversation regarding value-based payments. Addressing this deficit will allow nurses to more fully engage in redesigning health care.
The June 3, 2021 edition of Associations Now, published by the American Society of Association Executives (ASAE), features Toolkit to Teach Next Generation of Nurses about Importance of Innovation, an article that describes AACN’s new initiative focused on embedding innovation in the nursing curriculum. AACN Chief Communications Officer Robert Rosseter spoke to ASAE senior editor Rashida Childress and described the tool kit under development, which distills the themes and teachable moments captured in the Johnson & Johnson-produced documentary 5B about the early days of the AIDS crisis. With the tool kit launching in the fall, AACN will provide webinars and resources to help nursing educators integrate the lessons into their curriculum.
AACN Updates
AACN Data Spotlight: Trends in Black/African American Nursing Graduates and Faculty
Opportunity to Comment on Proposed Revisions to CCNE Procedures for Accreditation of Baccalaureate and Graduate Nursing Programs
Application Deadline is June 15 for Inaugural Digital Academy
The Social Pulse
Liquid Compass Blog Highlights Self-Care Activities for Nurses
“Think of yourself as a bank account, you can keep spending, but if you don't put something back in, you're going to end up in a serious deficit." - Dr. Wendy Mason, Purdue University
While many nurses would agree that nursing is one of the most rewarding professions - nurses are also often exposed to trauma. Read this blog post by Liquid Compass with a list of activities in which nurses can participate to create a self-care routine that can help them thrive in their personal and professional lives.
‘Spirit of Inquiry’ Challenge Unites Nursing Students During Time of Isolation
The COVID-19 pandemic forced nursing school faculty to think outside the classroom and develop ways to engage students in a remote setting. Read this story about a University of Buffalo professor who created a "Spirit of Inquiry" contest that challenged nursing students to connect what they were learning in class with clinical practice.
Washington Weekly
Inside this edition of Washington Weekly: June Designated as National Vaccine Month of Action; Senate Dear Colleague Letter Supporting Title VIII Sees Strong Support; Join the Conversation: How to Amplify Your Advocacy Efforts.
Read AACN's Washington Weekly >>
New Partnerships & Grant-funded Initiatives
- The School of Nursing at the University of Mississippi Medical Center (UMMC) recently received a $3.8 million grant from the Bower Foundation. This grant will support the project “Building a Strong Future for Nursing in Mississippi,” which provides funding for 64 registered nurses to advance their education at UMMC School of Nursing. The project addresses the need for additional nursing educators at the state’s community colleges by providing full tuition and a stipend to registered nurses with associate degrees entering UMMC’s RN-MSN program. Read more >>
- Valparaiso University’s College of Nursing and Health Professions has received a $277,000 community-based partnership grant for 2021–2023 from the Tobacco Prevention and Cessation Commission at the Indiana Department of Health. The funding allows the college to continue implementing initiatives to decrease youth tobacco use rates, the number of citizens exposed to secondhand smoke, and the adult smoking rate. Read more >>
- The National Institutes of Health has awarded a $2.7 million, four-year grant to Dr. Andrea Wallace, Chair, Division of Health Systems and Community-Based Care at the University of Utah College of Nursing. Dr. Wallace's research will explore different strategies for getting patients help for social needs such as housing, childcare, food, and transportation—and whether doing so improves health outcomes during the pandemic and in other situations. Read more >>
- Chamberlain University and LCMC Health have established The Called-to-Care Scholars Program, which addresses the need for more nurses by expanding access to a tuition-free education. The program, which is open to applicants nationwide, proactively addresses healthcare workforce shortages and community health needs in the region served by the LCMC Health system and aligns with priorities outlined in the National Academy of Medicine report The Future of Nursing 2020-2030: Charting a Path to Achieve Health Equity. Read more >>