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MARCH 2006 eNewsletter

The mission of the Alliance for Excellence in Hospice and Palliative Nursing is to serve as the unified voice in hospice and palliative nursing, act as a visionary for specialty trending issues, and be a primary resource fostering excellence in hospice and palliative nursing. Our unified vision is to ensure that all members of the nursing workforce who provide hospice and palliative nursing care have the knowledge and expertise to deliver high-quality end-of-life care. HPNA News   HPNA Call for Nominations HPNA is looking for energetic, experienced hospice and palliative nurses to serve on the board of directors. The association proudly serves as the voice for over 8,000 nurses providing quality end-of-life care. Board terms are for three years. Director obligations include attendance at a minimum of four board meetings a year and active work on two committees. Expenses related to board and committee participation are reimbursed. No other remuneration is offered.  Applications must be received by March 1, 2006.   2007 Annual Assembly Call for Proposals The 2007 4th Annual Assembly sponsored by the American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine and the Hospice and Palliative Nurses Association will be held February 14-17, 2007 in Salt Lake City, Utah.   Save the dates!   The call for Clinically Based proposals opens on March 15, 2006 and the deadline for submission of Clinically Based Proposals is May 1, 2006. Proposals are submitted via the Internet. Note: The call for Proposals for Research Based topics will be from June 15, 2006 to July 17, 2006. The AAHPM/HPNA Annual Assembly Program Committee invites the submission of proposals for concurrent sessions (didactic sessions with questions and answers) and in the following clinical categories: Hospice Administrative/Programmatic Issues Palliative Care Administrative/Programmatic Issues Symptom Management Disease Updates and Advances Education (Medical, Nursing, Patient) Ethics Humanities International Health/Public Policy Pediatrics Psychosocial/Spiritual Issues Special Vulnerable Populations Research Methods Career/Professional Development   Upcoming weekly teleconferences  (Must pre-register; call HPNA at 412-787-9301) Advanced Practice Nurse   Altered Consciousness and Cognitive Impairment: Making Distinctions Among Neurologic Pathologies (Wed. Apr. 5, 2006 12 noon ET) Clinical Nursing   Care Planning Documentation (Wed. Apr. 12, 2006, 12 noon ET) Nursing Assistant    Seizures (Wed. Mar. 22, 2006 3 pm ET)                                 HPNA Special Interest Groups Would you like more information specific to your area in hospice and palliative care?  Special Interests Groups (SIGs) aid you in keeping current within a specialty area and provide an opportunity to network with members with similar interests via email. You do not need to have expertise in a particular topic area to be a member of the SIG.  In fact, some SIGs may be particularly helpful if you are exploring an area of professional development as any member of the SIG can post a question or answer a question.  As an HPNA membership benefit, there are no additional fees associated with participating in the SIGs.   The current SIGs include: Advanced Practice Nurses Geriatrics Nursing Administration Nursing Assistant Pediatrics Public Policy Research Sign up for one or more of our Special Interest Groups by emailing michellew@hpna.org !   Journal of Hospice and Palliative Nursing Online HPNA members are able to view full text content of the Journal of Hospice and Palliative Nursing (html and pdf files) free of charge as a membership benefit.  Just log into the Members Only area of our website and scroll down to the JHPN button!   Newest HPNA Products available from Kendall Hunt Core Curriculum for the Generalist Hospice and Palliative Nurse (2nd edition) Study Guide for the Generalist Hospice and Palliative Nurse (2nd edition) Compendium of Treatment of End Stage Non-Cancer Diagnoses  Four texts are now available in this series of seven: Heart Failure Hepatic Renal  Pulmonary   Quality of Life Matters enewsletter now available The February-April 2006 edition is now posted on the website.   NBCHPN News Secrets Of Competency Testing: Writing Items for Hospice And Palliative Certification Exams Twenty one individuals attended a web based workshop to develop skills in writing questions for the certification exams: APN exam; RN exam; LP/VN exam; NA exam. Each 90 minute session was presented by Larry Fabrey, Vice President for Measurement Research at the testing company of Applied Measurement Professionals, Inc. Participants were given an overview of test measurement and development with general rules for item writing. Each had the opportunity to write several items which were reviewed by the group, and submitted to NBCHPN?®, for future use on the examinations.     HPNF News NBCHPN Certification Scholarships The Hospice and Palliative Nurses Foundation supports the certification scholarship program. The application deadline is June 1, 2006 for successful March 2006 test takers.  Applications are available through the website www.hpnf.org or by calling the National Office at 412-787-9301.   STTI Grant Application Deadline The deadline is fast approaching for the 2006 STTI/HPNF Joint End of Life Nursing Care Research Grant. Information about the grant is available on the HPN Foundation area of our website, or visit http://www.nursingsociety.org/research/grant_hpnf.html.  Abstracts will be accepted until midnight on April 3, 2006.  Starting in 2006, the grant has been increase to $10,000.  Apply now!   SECOND EDITION OF TEXTBOOK OF PALLIATIVE NURSING NOW AVAILABLE Have you seen it?  It's unbelievable!!  Expanded to 1246 pages (from 854), this textbook is magnificent.  Oxford Publishing is offering it at a MUCH REDUCED rate to HPNA members (only $85).  What book is this large and this valuable? Where could you purchase a book of this magnitude for such a small sum of money?  The best part is that Betty Ferrell and Nessa Coyle have graciously contributed all of the royalties from the sales to the HPNFoundation.  This is a win-win for all of us.  Buy your copy TODAY before the discount offer ends.  Oxford University Press   ISBN 0-19-5175492 $99.50/$84.50*    Promo Code 24787 for HPNA members To order by credit card, call toll free: 1-800-451-7556   (1-800-387-8020 in Canada) To order online, go to http://www.oup.com/us and use promo code 24787   HPNF Launches 20/20 Campaign/Every Member Campaign To celebrate the 20th Anniversary of HPNA, the Hospice and Palliative Nurses Foundation is conducting a 20/20 Campaign in 2006.  HPNF is asking that every HPNA member donate $20 to the Hospice and Palliative Nurses Foundation in honor of 20 years of HPNA services and programs that promote excellence in end-of-life care.  HPNF is coordinating an ???every member??? campaign with the HPNA Chapters across the country.  Please support HPNF as it pays tribute to its sister agency, HPNA during this milestone event.  More information can be found on the HPNF website and in upcoming events and materials. Every HPNA Chapter who achieves 100 percent participation of its membership will be eligible for a free membership drawing.  Look for details of the Every Member and the 20/20 Campaign in your mailbox in April.   Website Update The Members Only area of the HPNA website has been enhanced to permit current members to renew online by editing personal contact information: address, phone number, email address, etc.  As a thank-you for a timely renewal, members renewing in the Members Only area receive one additional month of membership, FREE!  Renew your membership at Member Login.    HAVE YOU MOVED? If you are not receiving the publications included with your membership, please contact us.  The mailing lists for Journal of Hospice and Palliative Nursing, the HPNA Nursing Assistant Newsletter, etc. are all prepared from our database at the National Office.  The journals are sent second class mail and are not forwarded.  Please keep us informed of your address changes so that you receive full benefit of your membership.  The Members Only area of the HPNA website has been enhanced to permit current members to edit personal contact information: address, phone number, etc.  Change your contact information by clicking here or call us at 412-787-9301.  Thank you.