The Alliance for Excellence in Hospice and Palliative Nursing is the new umbrella organization incorporated in 2004. The board of trustees for the alliance is made up of the presidents and one designated board member from each of the three sister organizations it covers: the Hospice and Palliative Nurses Association (HPNA), the National Board for Certification of Hospice and Palliative Nurses, and the Hospice and Palliative Nurses Foundation. The mission of the alliance 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. The alliance has dedicated its purpose to providing a unified vision 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.
To achieve this purpose, each individual organization brings valuable information to the Alliance Board of Trustees, who then discuss, strategize, and disseminate the information back to their respective boards for actions, if indicated. As a member of the alliance, HPNA values this opportunity to explore common concerns.
At this time, our 20th anniversary year, HPNA is conducting an environmental scan to assess activity trends and monitor internal and external forces within the field of nursing and within the specialty of hospice and palliative nursing. Scanning the environment periodically allows the Alliance Board of Trustees to be aware of those forces that will affect the future of our specialty. Collecting data, asking questions, and collating the answers create the guiding information for future decision making.
To begin the process, HPNA conducted a literature search of other organizations who have conducted recent environmental scans, such as the American Society of Association Management, the Oncology Nursing Society, or the American Board of Nursing Specialties. External trends such as demographics, workforce issues, economics, technology, and regulation are identified. Trends within the association industry are also analyzed. The information gathered provides a foundation of data for the field of nursing as a discipline.
The second step of the process is to analyze the specialty of hospice and palliative nursing by surveying past leaders, current leaders, and internal stakeholders. Throughout this year, an assortment of questions are being asked of our Past Presidents Council, the Alliance Board of Trustees members, attendees of the Leadership Weekend, and the Educational Program Directors. Upon completion of these inquiries, the data gathered will be collated and assessed by the HPNA Audit and Assessment Committee. After their review, recommendations will be made to the members of the alliance for further strategizing and disseminating to the sister organizations for actions, if indicated.
This process is very interesting, and one that will provide great insight to future trends and issues. It is collaborative behaviors such as conducting this environmental scan that allow us to continue to build our future and develop our organizations. We are grateful to those who have assisted us along the way. This is another example of HPNA "leading the way" in collaboration with our sister organizations. The outcomes are evident: individually we are great, collectively we are outstanding.
Janet Snapp, MSN, OCN, CHPN
President-Elect, Hospice and Palliative Nurses Association Chair, Audit and Assessment Committee