FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 15, 1999
CONTACT:
Michael Stewart, 202-651-7048 mstewart@ana.org
Michelle Slattery, 202-651-7027 mslatter@ana.org
rn=realnews@ana.org
www.nursingworld.org
ANA LAUNCHES MENOPAUSE HEALTH EDUCATORS PROGRAM
Continuing Education Prepares Nurses to Care for Growing Tide of Menopausal Women
Washington, D.C. — The American Nurses Association (ANA) is launching a comprehensive continuing education (CE) program to inform nurses about the unique health concerns of menopausal and post-menopausal women. The Menopause Health Educators Program provides nurses with information on the latest research findings and therapeutic options aimed at improving the health and quality of life for menopausal patients.
"This program gives nurses the tools they need to make a difference in the lives of a large segment of the population," said Virginia Burggraf, DNS, RN, C, grants program coordinator at the American Nurses Foundation (ANF). "Since nurses are on the front-lines of patient care, they are uniquely qualified to help women make lifestyle changes and plan therapeutic interventions that can improve their health and their quality of life."
With more than 50 million women expected to reach menopause by the year 2000, health education about this pivotal time of life is growing increasingly important. This is particularly true as researchers discover more about the effects of estrogen loss after menopause on long-term health issues such as osteoporosis, cardiovascular disease, Alzheimer's, colorectal cancer, and the potential role of hormone replacement therapy in forestalling disease. In addition to the most current scientific information about menopause, its immediate consequences (vasomotor symptoms, vaginal dryness), and its long-term health implications, ANA program participants will study the role of nurses in helping women manage and maintain good health.
Curriculum for the program consists of three CE educational monographs and a teleconference on topics such as vasomotor symptoms, osteoporosis management, cardiovascular protection, and cognitive function. Participants will earn two to three contact hours for each monograph test completed. Contact hours will be awarded by the ANA's Department of Continuing Education, which has been accredited as a provider of continuing education in nursing by the American Nurses Credentialing Center's Commission on Accreditation.
The Menopause Health Educators Program is funded by an unrestricted educational grant from Wyeth-Ayerst Laboratories, a leader in women's health care, and sponsored by the ANF and MBK Associates, a medical communications company.
For more information contact:
600 Maryland Avenue SW, Suite 100 West
Washington, DC 20024-2571
www.NursingWorld.org
The American Nurses Association is the only full-service professional organization representing the nation’s 2.6 million Registered Nurses through its 53 constituent associations. ANA advances the nursing profession by fostering high standards of nursing practice, promoting the economic and general welfare of nurses in the workplace, projecting a positive and realistic view of nursing, and by lobbying the Congress and regulatory agencies on health care issues affecting nurses and the public.
The American Nurses Foundation is the research and education arm of the American Nurses Association. ANF provides research grants to nurses at the early stages of their careers as well as woroking ot increase public understanding of nursing and improving access to and quality of health care. ANF is a non-profit charitable organization established in 1955. The Foundation is supported by contributions from individuals, nursing organizations, corporations, and foundations concerned with our nation's health care.
1999 press releases
