The American Academy of Nursing

Geriatric Nursing Initiative Secures Significant Funding

Washington, DC --Seven schools of nursing will together receive $2.2 million from the John A. Hartford Foundation to help build geriatric nursing education capacity. These seven are in addition to five Centers of Geriatric Nursing Excellence, participating in the Building Academic Geriatric Nursing Capacity Program. This extensive initiative, which includes other capacity building components, is funded by the John A. Hartford Foundation (JAHF) based in New York City. It is a focused effort to address the pressing need for geriatric nursing capacity.

"Funding to these additional seven universities helps bring even more energy to our effort to develop nursing expertise in this important area of care," said Program Director Claire M. Fagin, PhD, RN, FAAN.

Each school of nursing will receive $75,000 per year for three years, which will be matched in each of those years with university funding of $25,000. With this three-year total of $300,000, each school will enhance its course offerings and training in geriatric nursing.

The seven recipients are:

• University of Michigan School of Nursing (Ann Arbor, Michigan)
• University of Rochester School of Nursing (Rochester, New York)
• University of Washington School of Nursing (Seattle, Washington)
• University of North Caroline Chapel Hill School of Nursing (Chapel Hill, North Carolina)
• University of Texas School of Nursing (Houston, Texas)
• University of Minnesota School of Nursing (Minneapolis, Minnesota)
• Case Western Reserve University Francis Payne Bolton School of Nursing (Cleveland, Ohio)

These seven schools of nursing have already built a foundation in geriatric nursing programs, curriculum innovations, university collaborations in geriatrics and faculty leadership locally and nationally. Four of the seven are in the top ten programs listed by US News and World Report in its Graduate Nurse Practitioner (GNP) masters program report and several have been listed among the top schools of nursing in the country.

"The field of geriatric nursing is deservedly drawing increased attention as many in the health care community recognize the need for developing expertise in this important area of care," said Fagin. "This Nursing School Geriatric Investment Program is another critical step toward ensuring that nurses are prepared to understand and respond to the unique challenges posed by our aging nation."

Made possible by the vision and support of the John A. Hartford Foundation (JAHF), based in New York City, the Building Academic Geriatric Nursing Capacity Program is designed to develop geriatric nursing leaders and advance geriatric nursing research and practice. The program is coordinated by the American Academy of Nursing (AAN) and is directed by Claire M. Fagin, PhD, RN, FAAN, former Dean of the University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing and an American Academy of Nursing Living Legend.

The program officially began in July 2000 but builds on years of effort throughout the health care community. Then AAN President Ada Sue Hinshaw, PhD, RN, FAAN, championed the program and the partnership with JAHF. Hinshaw is also the Dean and a professor at the University of Michigan School of Nursing, and is a member of the Executive Committee of the Institute of Medicine (IOM).

The John A. Hartford Foundation, Inc. (JAHF) of New York City is a private philanthropy established in 1929 by John A. Hartford. Mr. Hartford and his brother, George L. Hartford, both former chief executives of the Great Atlantic & Pacific Tea Company, left the bulk of their estates to the foundation in the 1950s. Since 1995 the Foundation has focused extensively on enhancing the nation's capacity to provide effective and affordable care to its growing older adult population through grantmaking related to enhancing geriatric research and training, as well as grantmaking related to integrating and improving health services for older adults.

The American Academy of Nursing (AAN) represents leaders in nursing care who have been recognized for their outstanding contributions to the profession and to health care. The Academy was established in 1973 under the aegis of the American Nurses Association, the professional organization representing the nation's 2.7 million registered nurses.

For more information, contact Patricia D. Franklin, MSN, RN, Program Manager, at 202.651.7047 or pfrankli@ana.org.

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The American Nurses Association is the only full-service professional organization representing the nation's 2.7 million Registered Nurses through its constituent member nurses associations. The ANA advances the nursing profession by fostering high standards of nursing practice, promoting the rights 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.

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