NGNA news
Article Outline
- New section coeditor
- Kudos
- Call for nominations for annual NGNA awards
- NGNA photo contest
- NGNA celebrates 20th anniversary convention in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, October 21–23, 2005—be there or be square!
- Corporate Membership
- Memorial and honor gifts
- Legislative update
- Nursing and Health bills to watch
New section coeditor
Neva L. Crogan, PhD, APRN, BC, assistant professor at the University of Arizona College of Nursing and current NGNA Vice President, has been appointed coeditor of the NGNA Section of Geriatric Nursing. Neva has more than 25 publications on nutrition and nutritional care in long-term care and served as an NGNA representative on the GN Editorial Board. She has served as nurse consultant, director of nursing services, nurse surveyor/complaint investigator, and director of staff development. Neva is an NGNA fellow and the recipient of numerous nursing awards including the Knowledge Dissemination Grant, Beta Mu Chapter, Sigma Theta Tau International; and the Dean's Research Scholar, University of Arizona, College of Nursing. Welcome Neva!
NGNA would like to acknowledge outgoing NGNA section coeditor, Ed Latham, RN. Ed has worked in Maine's long-term care facilities since 1980 as a CNA, LPN, and RN. He has served in all areas including staff nursing, supervisory, staff development, human resources, and infection control. Currently he is director of nursing services at Cedars Nursing Care Center in Portland, Maine. He is a popular national convention and meeting speaker and consultant, past president of the National Gerontological Nursing Association, and a founding member of the coordinating team of the Nursing Organizations Alliance, an alliance of 80 national nursing organizations representing 600,000 paid members. Ed believes that there is humor in everything and that we should use it to lighten our load, a philosophy that makes working with him a true joy. Thanks Ed!
Kudos
Shirley Travis, PhD, RN, CS, was inducted into the American Academy of Nursing. Shirley is the newly appointed dean of the George Mason University School of Nursing and formerly the D.W. Colvard Distinguished Professor at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte School of Nursing. She is a past president of the National Gerontological Nursing Association and current chair elect of the Clinical Medicine Section of the Gerontological Society of America. Congratulations, Shirley!
Jim McCauley and Shirley Travis at the 2004 American Academy of Nursing Fellow Induction Ceremony.
Call for nominations for annual NGNA awards
The Distinguished Service Award
The Distinguished Service Award, established in 1999 by the NGNA Board of Directors, is presented to a member of NGNA in recognition of outstanding leadership, participation, and contributions toward achieving the goals of NGNA. Nominations should be mailed to the NGNA National Office by June 1, 2005.
Excellence in Gerontological Nursing Awards
The Excellence in Gerontological Nursing Awards has been established to recognize excellence in individuals who provide care to older adults. These awards are intended to honor an advanced practice registered nurse, registered nurse, licensed practical nurse, or a certified nursing assistant who has consistently provided outstanding care to older adults and has been an inspirational role model and mentor to other health care workers. Nominations are due to the National Office by June 30, 2005.
Mary Opal Wolanin Scholarship program
Each year NGNA awards 2 Mary Opal Wolanin Scholarships, 1 to a graduate and 1 to an undergraduate nursing student. Graduate nursing students with a major in gerontology or geriatric nursing enrolled in a nationally accredited nursing program in the United States and carrying a minimum of 6 credits are eligible for the graduate scholarship. Undergraduate full-time or part-time nursing students in a nationally accredited U.S. school of nursing are eligible for the undergraduate scholarship. Applicants must intend to work in a gerontology or geriatric setting after graduation. A $1,500 scholarship will be awarded to each recipient at the annual convention. Scholarship applications must be submitted to the NGNA National Office by June 1, 2005.
NGNA photo contest
Each year NGNA holds a photo contest seeking pictures that promote and highlight the older adult population in a positive manner. NGNA photo contest is open to NGNA members and NGNA Chapters. One prize winner will receive complimentary registration to NGNA's 2005 convention. Photos may not have been published or recognized by any other award. All entries become the property of NGNA and will not be returned to the entrant. The photos are judged on the following attributes: 1) General appeal—Does the image capture the eye? Does it positively portray the older adult? 2) Uniqueness—Is the photo special, a great or one-of-a-kind shot? 3) Composition—Does the picture look at the subject in a new and interesting way? 4) Human Interest—How does the picture make you feel about the older adult? Photo contest entry deadline is June 1, 2005.
All NGNA Award recipients will be recognized at the Annual Membership Meeting at the NGNA Convention, October 21–23, 2005, in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. For more information on the awards go to http://www.ngna.org/html/awards.htm.
NGNA celebrates 20th anniversary convention in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, October 21–23, 2005—be there or be square!
Accommodations
Make your plans now to attend NGNA's 20th Anniversary Convention at the Myrtle Beach Marriott Resort at Grand Dunes in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, October 21–23, 2005. The Myrtle Beach Marriott Resort at Grand Dunes is holding rooms for NGNA at a rate of $119 single or double occupancy.
Make your reservations today, while rooms are still available at the convention rate! Call Marriott Nationwide Reservations at (800) 228-9290. Be sure to tell the reservations personnel that you are with the NGNA Convention in order to receive this special rate. Rooms at this special rate are available until September 19, 2005, or until the room block is filled. Once this date is passed or the room block filled, the special NGNA rate cannot be guaranteed.
Travel
Association Travel Concepts (ATC) has been selected as the official travel agency for the 2005 NGNA Convention in Myrtle Beach. By booking your travel through ATC you will receive 10%–15% off airline tickets purchased more that 60 days before your travel dates. For tickets purchased less than 60 days before the travel dates, the discount will be 5%–10%. ATC also offers
To take advantage of these great rates and services, please call (800) 458-9383 between the hours of 8:00 a.m. and 8:00 p.m. CST, Monday through Friday. Advise the travel agent that you are attending the NGNA Convention to receive the discount rates.
You may book travel online through http://www.atcmeetings.com/ngna; once at http://www.tripmanager.com, use the following information to log in the first time (this will allow you to create your own user profile for future travel):
Member ID: new user
Password: no password is needed the first time—just click “login”
Myrtle Beach Airport
The Myrtle Beach International Airport is just 10 miles from the Myrtle Beach Marriott Resort. Taxis, limousines, buses, and shuttles provide transportation service from the airport to the hotel.
Corporate Membership
Members may not be aware of NGNA's Corporate Membership Program. Consider asking your facility, institution, or company to become an NGNA corporate member. Each $1000 Corporate Membership includes:
If you are interested in a Corporate Membership for your company, please call the NGNA National Office at (800) 723-0560 for more information.
Memorial and honor gifts
Memorial and honor gifts made to NGNA are a way to acknowledge the significance of someone in your life who has passed on or to commemorate a special occasion or relationship. When a memorial or honor gift is received by NGNA, a letter is sent to the donor to acknowledge the gift. Letters are also sent to the family or individual to let them know of the donation. The amount of the gift is not revealed.
Donations may be made to the NGNA Travel and Academic Scholarship Funds or to the NGNA Research Fund.
The NGNA Research Fund is used to award research grants to NGNA members conducting research in gerontological nursing.
For more information contact the NGNA National Office:
NGNA National Office
7794 Grow Drive, Pensacola, FL 32514
ngna@puetzamc.com www.ngna.org
Phone: (850) 473-1174 Toll Free: (800) 723-0560 Fax: (850) 484-8762
Legislative update
Tamara Jones, PhD, RN, NGNA Public Policy Liaison
On March 17, 2005, both the House and Senate passed a fiscal year 2006 budget resolution, H. Con. Res. 95 and S. Con. Res. 18, respectively. After the spring recess, conferees will meet to reconcile these 2 very different measures. The House budget proposal requires approximately $20 billion in savings from the Energy and Commerce Committee, which legislates Medicaid funding. This could mean a $14 billion reduction to Federal Medicaid support to the states. Sponsored by Senators Gordon Smith (R-OR) and Jeff Bingaman (D-NM), the Senate passed a bipartisan amendment to their budget resolution, which restores $15 billion in proposed Medicaid reductions in the Administration's budget proposal.
Nursing and Health bills to watch
H.R. 1372, the Quality Nursing Care Act of 2005, introduced on March 17 by Representatives Lois Capps (D-CA) and Robert Simmons (R-CT) will amend the Social Security Act to impose minimum nurse staffing ratios in Medicare. This measure has been referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.
H.R. 1262, the Ronald Reagan Alzheimer's Breakthrough Act of 2005, introduced on March 10 by representative Chris Smith (R-NJ) would double funding for biomedical research on Alzheimer's disease at the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the National Caregiver Support Program, and the Administration on Aging's Alzheimer's Demonstration Grant Program. It also would call on the NIH Director to work with the CDC, and stakeholders, to develop an Alzheimer's Disease Prevention Initiative. A companion measure, S. 602, introduced by Senator Barbara Mikulski (D-MD). H.R. 1262, was referred to the House Committees on Energy and Commerce, and on Education and the Workforce. The House companion measure, S. 602 would provide a tax credit of up to $3,000 to help pay for caregiving costs such as prescription drugs, home health care, and specialized day care. S. 602 has the original 34 cosponsors from last year's measure and was referred to the Senate Committee on Finance.
Robin E. Remsburg, PHD, APRN, BC, FNGNA, and Neva L. Crogan, PhD, APRN, BC, FNGNA, Section Editors
PII: S0197-4572(05)00083-2
doi:10.1016/j.gerinurse.2005.03.010
