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Awards Call

HPNA Award for Innovation in End-of-Life Nursing Care

The HPNA Award for Innovation in End-of-Life Nursing Care recognizes the work of members of the Hospice and Palliative Nurses Association (HPNA) in shaping end-of-life care.

 

AWARD

 

* A 2-year complimentary membership to the HPNA and a $300 cash award, and a plaque presented at the HPNA annual meeting. *

 

ELIGIBILITY

 

* Current members of HPNA are eligible.

 

* Members of the Board of Directors or judging committee are ineligible.

 

CRITERIA

 

* Individual who has developed or influenced the development of an innovation in hospice/palliative nursing

 

* Innovation has influenced an aspect of nursing practice in an agency/institution or nursing practice on a broader scale as in a community or even on a national level

 

SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS

 

1. Completion of nomination form (download from the Web site at http://www.hpna.org or call the National Office at 412-787-9301)

 

2. Documentation of having fulfilled the criteria, including a description of the innovation, and further elaboration on the individual's qualifications for this award (eg, relevant employment, involvement in special initiatives related to end-of-life nursing care, educational background; this documentation should be no longer than 2 pages (8 x 11)

 

3. Up to 2 letters of support, regarding the impact of the innovation on end-of-life nursing care, from others in the field

 

JUDGING

 

* All nominations are reviewed and selected by the Awards Subcommittee of the HPNA Board of Directors. Mail completed materials to:

 

HPNA

 

Awards Subcommittee

 

Penn Center West One

 

Suite 229

 

Pittsburgh, PA 15276

 

All materials must be postmarked no later than January 2, 2003. Faxed or e-mailed materials will not be accepted.

 

Certified Hospice and Palliative Nurse (CHPN) of the Year Award

The annual CHPN Nurse of the Year Award recognizes the work of all end-of-life care nurses from across the country.

 

AWARD

A 2-year complimentary membership to the HPNA and payment of the recertification exam fee, and a plaque presented at the HPNA annual meeting. *

 

ELIGIBILITY

 

* Current CHPNs are eligible.

 

* Current members of HPNA are eligible.

 

* Current member of Board of Directors (HPNA or NBCHPN(R)), Awards Subcommittee, and previous winners are ineligible.

 

CRITERIA

 

* Individual who personifies excellence in the professional practice of hospice/palliative nursing

 

* Individual has made contributions to clinical practice within his or her work setting

 

* Individual has demonstrated leadership qualities in his or her work setting and/or community

 

* Individual demonstrates mentorship of others who provide end-of-life care

 

* Individual maintains up-to-date knowledge and skills in hospice and palliative nursing

 

JUDGING

 

* All nominations are reviewed and the recipient is selected by the Awards Subcommittee of the HPNA Board of Directors.

 

SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS

 

1. Completion of Nomination Form (download from the Web site at http://www.hpna.org or call the National Office at 412-787-9301)

 

2. Documentation of how nominee meets criteria for this award and further elaboration on the individual's qualifications for this award (eg, relevant employment, involvement in special initiatives related to end-of-life nursing care); this documentation should be no longer than 2 pages (8 x 11)

 

3. Up to 2 letters of support from others in the field who can provide a validation of nominee's contribution to end-of-life nursing

 

Mail completed materials to:

 

HPNA

 

Awards Subcommittee

 

Penn Center West One

 

Suite 229

 

Pittsburgh, PA 15276

 

 

All materials must be postmarked no later than January 2, 2003. Faxed or e-mailed materials will not be accepted.

 

Recent Elections

The Board of Directors of HPNA is pleased to announce the results of recent elections. Elected to second 3-year terms are Jane M. Kirschling, RN, DNS from Portland, ME, and Linda Gorman, RN, MN, CHPN from Lost Angeles, CA. Elected to first 3-year terms are Darrell Owens, RN, PhD, CHPN of Seattle, WA, and Jane Sidwell, LMSW-AP, RN, CHPN of Houston, TX. Nancy Harte, RN, MS, CHPN, has been elected to fill a board vacancy. All terms begin January 1, 2003.

 

LPN/LVN Membership Category

Effective January 2003 there will be a distinct HPNA membership category for the Licensed Practical/Vocational Nurse. At a fee of $50.00 per year, the LPN/LVN associate member (non-voting) receives the quarterly Journal of Hospice and Palliative Nursing and all other associate member benefits.

 

Membership Fees

The HPNA Board of Directors recently evaluated the membership fee structure and determined the need to increase fees in most membership categories. The last dues increase was in 1999 and many changes have occurred over the past 3 years. Memberships are now via a rotational year rather than calendar year. The Senior, Nursing Assistant and, as of 2003, the LPN/LVN membership levels have been added. The membership return value related to discounts on publications/conferences/additional journals purchased and certification fee has increased from $325 in 2000 to more than $550 in 2002, reflective of a growing organization. Our continued growth and development is in direct response to meeting your needs. We are excited about new programs coming your way and look forward to your involvement in the organization through regional groups, volunteerism, publications, journal articles, etc.

 

Deadline Dates

Deadline dates must be firmly observed to assure fairness to everyone. Both HPNA and NBCHPN(R) have committed to adhering to deadline dates without exception. Please be aware that "RECEIVED BY ____" will be strictly enforced by the National Office for all situations: elections, charter renewals, certification applications, HPAR, etc.

 

Volunteer Pool

HPNA appreciates opportunities to use members as volunteers in a variety of ways. If you are interested in offering your expertise for short periods of time, please complete a Volunteer Form available on the Web site at http://www.hpna.org or by calling the National Office at 412-787-9301.

 

What's New With Advanced Practice Certification?

Progress continues to be made with the certification plans for advanced practice palliative nursing. The National Board for Certification of Hospice and Palliative Nurses (NBCHPN(R)) has been working with New York University and the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) to conduct the advanced practice role delineation and, subsequently, to develop the test content outline as well as a pool of test questions funded by a grant provided by Project Death in America and matched by New York University.

 

On June 17, 2002, Beverly Paukstis, Judy Lentz, and Margaret Bloom, NBCHPN(R) counsel, met with Jeanne Floyd, Executive Director of ANCC, Mary Smolensky, Director of Certification of ANCC, and Kammie Monarch, ANCC legal counsel, to finalize our joint contract agreement moving toward a May 2003 advanced practice certification test date. Partnering with another certification body in a collaborative manner is precedent-setting. We are very pleased and excited about this relationship and look forward to working closely with ANCC in developing this certification. Patricia Berry, chairs the Content Expert Panel (CEP) under the direction of David Paulson, Psychometrician, Manager-Measurement Services, and Mary Smolensky. Members of the team include: Meg Campbell, Nessa Coyle, Patrick Coyne, Terri Maxwell, Deborah Hoye, M. Murray Mayo, Polly Mazanec, and Tanya Schreiber. More information will be forthcoming as continuing progress indicates. Watch for future announcements in journals, Web sites, newsletters, and e-newsletters. Questions can be directed to Judy Lentz at the National Office by calling 412-787-9301.

 

Hospice and Palliative Alternative Recertification (HPAR) Update

The National Board for Certification of Hospice and Palliative Nurses is pleased to announce that 141 individuals applied for recertification using the HPAR process in 2002. A total of 129 individuals were successful, representing 91% of the applicants. This first opportunity was a learning experience for everyone. We would like to share some tips for those individuals who plan to utilize the HPAR process in the future:

 

* All points must be correlated to the test content outline, which is provided in the HPAR packet.

 

* All continuing education (CE) credits must be approved by ANCC, a state board of nursing, or the NLN. One of these must appear in the "provider" column of the logs.

 

* If audited, send the entire document for any continuing education activity-the document must state who approved, the date, the number of continuing education contact hours approved, the applicant's (your) name, and the title of the program.

 

* CME credits are limited to 10 points.

 

* Do not send your original certificates even if you are audited. Always send duplicates and keep your originals for future reference.

 

* Send your application anytime after January 1st but the application must be received postmarked no later than March 1st of the year of your recertification.

 

* All points must be acquired from January of the year you were certified, or last recertified, through December 31st of the year p rior to when you apply for recertification:

 

* Precepting must be with nursing students.

 

* Journal articles must have been accepted by peer reviewed journals.

 

* It is advisable to submit more than the required points in case some points do not qualify.

 

 

If in doubt, contact the National Office at 412-787-9301 for clarification.

 

American Board of Nursing Specialties

In 1990, the Macy Foundation provided funding for the creation of an organization that would review and approve nursing specialties, their standards, and their processes of certification and accreditation. The foundation did this because in the mid-1980s, a survey of nurses themselves found that 90% of respondents felt it was important or critically important that an authoritative body in nursing recognize a nursing specialty. The organization that was created from this grant is today called the American Board of Nursing Specialties.

 

Since its inception in 1991, the ABNS has worked to develop the tools that would enable a review of nursing organizations in an equitable manner and also provide a valid and measurable set of standards.

 

There are approximately 40 nursing specialties and nearly 70% of them have accreditation examinations that award a credential to the successful candidate. These specialty-certifying bodies work in a fashion similar to NBCHPN(R) in that an examination is prepared, a testing company validates and administers the exam, fees are charged to cover the costs associated with the exam, which include two board meetings a year, two Examination Development Committee meetings a year, arrangements for sites all over the United States for twice a year testing, and a National Office Staff under the leadership of an Executive Director.

 

But how can a person who is sitting for an examination be certain that the content of the test, as well as all of the processes surrounding its creation and administration and scoring, are valid? How can a tester be certain that what is being asked and what is being done has integrity? One way, of course, is to establish a partnership with a reputable testing company such as the NBCHPN(R)'s relationship with Applied Measurement Professionals. An additional method is to submit the examination, the bylaws of the organization, and all reports of activity to an outside agency for scrutiny and approval. Because the NBCHPN(R) believes that the candidate who prepares for the exam deserves the highest level possible of assurance surrounding the examination and all of its peripheral work, the decision was made 2 years ago to prepare for submission of all of our data to the ABNS.

 

ABNS requirements for review require meeting the standards as follows:

 

* Definition and scope of the nursing specialty

 

* Documentation of a research-based body of knowledge as well as how that knowledge is disseminated and what current activities are being undertaken or planned for

 

* Proof that the certification board is an entity with organizational autonomy that has a relationship with a nursing specialty association that supports the specialty and sets practice standards

 

* An elected consumer who is not a nurse sits on the board representing the public interest

 

* Established eligibility criteria for test candidates

 

* Evidence that certification tests are constructed and evaluated using methods that are psychometrically sound and fair to all candidates

 

* Evidence that the certifying body has conducted validation studies to assure that inferences made on the basis of test scores are appropriate and justified

 

* Evidence that the certifying body has a means to assure that test scores and subscores are sufficiently reliable

 

* Evidence that the certifying body does not discriminate among applicants as to age, gender, race, religion, ethnic origin, disability, marital status, or sexual orientation; tests administered in a manner that minimizes construct-irrelevant variance

 

* Procedures in place to maximize the security of all certification test materials

 

* Passing scores set in a manner that is fair to all candidates, using methods that are psychometrically sound

 

* A mechanism in place to periodically evaluate certificate holders for continued knowledge necessary to maintain competence in the specialty

 

* Certifying body provides information that clearly describes that certification process to candidates and other stakeholders

 

* Confidentiality about candidates and certificate holders is protected

 

* There is an appeal process in place for those who have been denied access to an examination renewal or who have had certification revoked

 

 

When all of this data has been submitted, the ABNS studies and audits it utilizing psychometricians, nurses, and officers of their organization in a specific Accreditation Council. It can take up to 6 months to receive definite word of acceptance and approval due to the mass of information needed.

 

For their hospice and palliative nurse examination the National Office Staff submitted work totaling approximately 500 pages. The staff completed this work with the assistance of the members of NBCHPN(R) and it took approximately 7 months to compile.

 

In April 2002 the ABNS officially accredited the examination being offered to hospice and palliative nurses. There are only 19 examinations approved by ABNS.

 

Caring for people at the end of life has always been an activity of nursing. However, it is only within the past 8 years that this care has built a foundation of particular knowledge and a base of appropriate skills that are specific to end-of-life care. The 1994 dream of a few nurses that the care provided at the end of life deserved specialty status with a valid credential has become today's reality of more than 9000 registered nurses who proudly sign "CHPN" (Certified Hospice and Palliative Nurse) after their name.

 

Now, with ABNS accreditation, that credential has additional integrity. Congratulations to us all!

 

FOOTNOTES

*The award recipient is strongly encouraged to receive the award personally at the HPNA Annual Meeting in Denver, Colorado in April 2003. The recipient is responsible to cover travel costs and related expenses. [Context Link]