Looking for Research Funding?
The deadline to apply for an APNF research grant is February 18. As a part of an ongoing commitment to broadening the body of psychiatric nursing research, the Foundation will award up to five individual grants of up to $5,000 to psychiatric mental health nurse applicants who are in the early stages of their research careers.  If you’ve resolved to further your research project in 2013, this is your opportunity to make it happen. Learn More & Download the App

Submit an Abstract for the APNA 27th Annual Conference!
Are you interested in presenting at the APNA 27th Annual Conference? Submit an abstract for consideration. We are looking for abstracts from psychiatric mental health nurses of all backgrounds and areas of practice. Submit an abstract to be considered for presentation as a 2-hour preconference, 45-minute concurrent session, 20-minute mini-concurrent session, or poster presentation. All submissions will undergo a peer review by the Scholarly Review Committee. Submission Deadline: March 4, 2013 Click here for more information.

APNA Elections: Call for Nominations!
APNA's 2013 Elections process has begun - NOW is the time to consider taking a leadership position with your organization of professionals! If you are interested in nominating yourself or a colleague, please send your contact information to APNA Executive Director Nicholas Croce, Jr., MS at ncroce@apna.org by Friday, March 15th. Click here for more information.

Recognition for PMH APRNs!
APNA is pleased to have worked with American Nurses Association Government Affairs to effect an important change to language in the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). To encompass both NPs and CNSs, APNA and ANA successfully advocated that the NDAA language for conducting PTSD pre-separation medical examinations be changed to "psychiatric advanced practice registered nurses". Previously, the NDAA had used the wording "Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioners", thus excluding PMH Clinical Nurse Specialists. However, thanks to our collaborative efforts, now all PMH APRNs are able to conduct these examinations.  Read the American Nurses Association's article by clicking here.

Nursing and Healthcare Delivery Under the 113th Congress - Webinar
February 6, 2013, 1:00-2:00pm ET
The recent elections and current fiscal challenges of our nation will have a significant impact on our healthcare system and the nursing profession. Two experienced federal representatives from the Nursing Community, Frank Purcell (American Association of Nurse Anesthetists) and Jo Ann Webb (American Organization of Nurse Executives), will provide insight on how leadership changes in the House and the Senate as well as recent legislation to address the fiscal cliff will affect nursing. In addition, they will outline how implementation of provisions within the Affordable Care Act may impact the practice of Registered Nurses and Advanced Practice Registered Nurses. Members of the organizations belonging to the Nursing Community are highly encouraged to register.  Participants will have question and answer time, and will be provided further knowledge about participation in the advocacy process. To register for this free webinar click here.

Miss the conference in November? You can still get the info!!
More than 50 session recordings from the APNA 26th Annual Conference this past November are now online for you to access. Put together your own program by choosing from podcasts covering a variety of topics, such as workplace safety, substance use, integrated physical and mental health care, and recovery. You'll be able to listen to these podcasts virtually anywhere - on your computer or on any device that plays mp3s. Remember, if you are an APNA member, you can use your bonus points to order these sessions at no cost! Click here for more information.

A new online report from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) highlights recent progress in NIH-supported Alzheimer’s disease research. Prepared annually by the National Institute on Aging (NIA) at NIH, the latest report, 2011-2012 Alzheimer’s Disease Progress Report: Intensifying the Research Effort, describes new investments and summarizes research in several areas. Click here to access the report.

The Mental Health Liaison Group, of which APNA is a member, sent  letter to President Obama regarding "Recommendations for reducing violence and accessing effective mental health care." Click here to read the letter.

The Nursing Education Loan Repayment Program (NELRP) and Nursing Scholarship Program (NSP) have a new name and identity. These programs now fall under NURSE Corps: Caring for Communities in Need. While this name may be new, these are still the same great programs which have supported a community of nurses and nurse practitioners since 2002 who provide quality health care to underserved areas throughout the U.S. and its Territories. Through the NURSE Corps Scholarship Program (formerly the Nursing Scholarship Program) and the NURSE Corps Loan Repayment Program (formerly the Nursing Education Loan Repayment Program), NURSE Corps is empowering and enabling nurses to follow their passion for helping and healing others. To learn more, please visit the new NURSE Corps web page.

Senior Advisor to the Jonas Center, Dr. Claire Fagin, was awarded the Guggenheim Honor by the University of Pennsylvania for her legendary leadership at the University, including serving as Dean of the School of Nursing from 1977 to 1992. Notably, she was the first woman to serve as Interim President of an Ivy League school, a position she held at Penn from 1993-1994. Prior to her role in University administration, Claire was a psychiatric nurse. Among numerous other honors, Claire also received the American Academy of Nursing Living Legend award in 1998.

The American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) released preliminary survey data showing that enrollment in all types of professional nursing programs increased from 2011 to 2012, including a 3.5% increase in entry-level Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) programs. AACN’s annual survey findings are based on data reported from 664 of the 856 nursing schools in the U.S. (77.6% response rate) with baccalaureate and/or graduate programs. In a separate survey, AACN found a strong hiring preference for new nurses prepared at the baccalaureate level as well as a comparatively high job-placement rate for new BSN graduates. Full Story

Prescription drug misuse is second only to marijuana as the nation’s most prevalent illicit drug problem, with approximately 22 million persons nationwide initiating nonmedical pain reliever use since 2002, according to a report by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). The report also shows variations in use by state, with combined 2010 and 2011 data indicating that rates of past year misuse among those aged 12 or older ranged from 3.6% in Iowa to 6.4% in Oregon. Full Story

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration issued a draft guidance document to assist industry in developing new formulations of opioid drugs with abuse-deterrent properties. The document “Guidance for Industry: Abuse-Deterrent Opioids - Evaluation and Labeling,” explains the FDA’s current thinking about the studies that should be conducted to demonstrate that a given formulation has abuse-deterrent properties, how those studies will be evaluated by the agency, and what labeling claims may be approved based on the results of those studies. Full Story

Senator Al Franken (D-MN) and U.S. Rep. Richard Nugent (R-FL) announced the introduction of the Justice and Mental Health Collaboration Act (JMHCA), bipartisan legislation to improve access to treatment for veterans and the mentally ill in our criminal justice system. The JMHCA will authorize investments in veterans treatment courts, which serve arrested veterans who suffer from PTSD, substance addiction, and other mental health conditions. Full Story

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services has released a State Medicaid Directors Letter (SMDL) clarifying how the requirements of the 2008 parity law apply to Medicaid expansion plans under the Affordable Care Act. The letter notes that all Medicaid Alternative Benefit plans (including benchmark equivalent and Secretary-approved benchmark plans) are required to meet the law’s parity requirements, regardless of whether services are delivered in managed care or non-managed care arrangements.  This includes evaluating Alternative Benefit Plans to ensure that financial requirements, treatment limitations, medical necessity criteria, and availability of out-of-network services are no more restrictive for mental health and substance use services than they are for medical/surgical services. Click here to read the letter.

Several members of Congress urged Vice President Joe Biden’s task force on gun control legislation to support two important pieces of legislation that will increase access to mental health services in the United States: the Mental Health First Aid Act and the Excellence in Mental Health Act. The Excellence in Mental Health Act would provide a secure, steady funding stream for community-based mental health and addictions services provided by qualified organizations, to be designated as Federally Qualified Behavioral Health Centers. Full Story

Advanced practice nurses in Massachusetts say the state poses too many legal barriers for them to properly treat patients. Nurse practitioners say Massachusetts has outdated laws that prevent them from addressing the needs of their patients to the full extent of their ability. Currently, advanced practice nurses in Massachusetts cannot prescribe medicines or provide care without strict supervision by primary care physicians, reported WWLP.com. Full Story

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has launched a new webpage directed specifically to clinicians. Physicians, nurses, nurse practitioners, physician assistants, paramedics and other health care professionals often encounter work-related health and safety issues as they care for their patients. The Clinicians’ web page provides information, resources and links to help clinicians navigate OSHA's website and provide care for workers. Topics on the webpage include evaluating occupational exposures, OSHA requirements for recordkeeping and medical records, and setting up a safe outpatient office.

Expanding the scope of practice for nurse practitioners (NPs) would not diminish quality of care, reported MedpageToday.com. In fact, states struggling to meet the growing demand for primary care services should expand scope-of-practice laws for NPs and other advanced practice registered nurses (APRNs), the National Governors Association said in its review of the issue. "Most studies showed that NP-provided care is comparable to physician-provided care on several process and outcome measures," the report, The Role of Nurse Practitioners in Meeting Increasing Demand for Primary Care stated. "Moreover, the studies suggest that NPs may provide improved access to care." Full Story

The American Psychiatric Nurses Association is Accredited as a provider of continuing nursing education by the
American Nurses Credentialing Center's Commission on Accreditation.