President's Message
Collaboration, Commitment and Consultation - The beginning of spring is always such a flurry of activity - the sun is shining, the flowers are blooming, and excitement for the year is at a high. It is hard for me to believe that I am already half way through this year as your President - the past six months have been such a whirlwind of activities! The spring season (come a little early this year for many of us) has reminded me of how important it is for us to take a moment to breathe, enjoy the outdoors, and smell the roses. This sense of rejuvenation gives us a chance to embrace and renew our practice as psychiatric-mental health nurses. Here at APNA, we are taking the opportunity to cultivate and maintain our efforts of collaboration, commitment, and consultation within the association. I'd like to take a moment to explore some of these worthwhile endeavors going on within APNA and PMH nursing. (Cont'd)

Going Above and Beyond - Valerie Kolbert
As nurses, we know that it is common for one of us to go the extra mile in caring for a patient. It is so common in fact that we often don't even notice when it happens. However to each patient and family on the receiving end of such care, it is extraordinary. An unsolicited letter from Catherine, a woman who wanted to share her appreciation and gratefulness for the above-and-beyond care a psychiatric nurse gave her family member, was delivered to APNA recently. APNA member Valerie Kolbert, ARNP, BC made an enormous difference in this patient's life and in that of the patient's family member by providing psychiatric-mental health nursing care that she saw as normal. "When you work hard every day doing your best and what you think is the right thing, it becomes ordinary," she says. "When I read Catherine's letter, it reminded me that what we do as nurses IS pretty extraordinary." (Cont'd)

Strategic Planning: APNA Janssen Scholars Report on Key Issues
This past February, the Board of Directors met to revise and update the APNA Strategic Plan. Prior to the meeting, they reached out to the APNA Janssen Scholars, graduate and undergraduate students awarded scholarships to the Annual Conference, to help inform the strategic planning process. Their task was to explore four issues identified by the APNA membership as priorities in PMH nursing: quality indicators, suicide prevention, seclusion and restraint, and workplace violence. The Scholars formed four workgroups, each focusing on one of these issues and supported by an advisor appointed by the Board. Each group conducted an environmental scan and submitted a report sharing their findings. View the Reports

Annual Awards: Now Accepting Nominations
Take a minute to help us honor one of your outstanding psychiatric-mental health nurse colleagues by nominating them for one of the 2012 APNA Annual Awards! Submit nominations by April 23rd for any of the following awards: APNA Psychiatric Nurse of the Year, Award for Distinguished Service, Award for Innovation - Individual, Award for Innovation - Chapter, Excellence in Practice - APRN-PMH, Excellence in Practice - RN-PMH, Excellence in Research, Excellence in Education, Excellence in Leadership - Advanced, Excellence in Leadership - Generalist, Award for Media. More Info

Member News: Celebrating the Achievements of our Members
Catherine Kane receives Hildegard Peplau Award; Jane LeVieux receives Excellence in Dallas Nursing Award; Luc R. Pelletier appointed to AAN Fellow Selection Committee; Pamela Whitely recognized with nomination for an Excellence in Dallas Nursing Award. More Info

APNA Supports National "Joining Forces" Initiative
The American Psychiatric Nurses Association is proud to pledge our support to the national "Joining Forces" campaign. We have partnered with other organizations in the nursing community such as ANA and NLN to collectively champion and further this valuable endeavor. "Joining Forces" is First Lady Michelle Obama's comprehensive national initiative which calls upon us as a nation to take action in providing the support and treatment our service members and their families need as they reconnect with their communities, particularly when it comes to employment, education, and wellness. (Cont'd)

Resource Center: Integrated Care Resources
The newest addition to the APNA Resource Center is a section focused on the integration of physical and mental health care. Its numerous offerings include an FAQ about integrated health put together by members of the Board of Directors, models of integrated care, forms and patient tracking tools, examples of initiatives and best practices, and more. Explore these comprehensive resources to learn why the integration of mental health care into primary and specialty health care matters to PMH nurses. APNA Resource Center | Integrated Care Resources

Publications Discounts
Did you know that APNA partners with publishers to offer our members exclusive discounts on publications? We currently offer discounts with nine different publishers and we are adding to that list all the time! Most recently we partnered with Cambridge University Press to offer substantial discounts on select mental health, psychiatry, and clinical psychology publications and also with two consumer magazines to offer APNA members discounted subscription rates:

• Cambridge University Press, for a limited time only, is offering APNA members 50% off select books in mental health, psychiatry, and clinical psychology! Offer will expire April 30, 2012.
• bp (bipolar) Magazine & esperanza (hope for depression) are award-winning publications tailored to the unique interests and needs of patients and their family members living with bipolar disorder, anxiety and/or depression. APNA members receive a 50% discount on subscriptions to each of these publications.

Publications Discounts Program

Continuing Education: New Podcasts & Free CE
Coming soon to the APNA eLearning Center- 13 more podcasts from the APNA 25th Annual Conference, bringing the final tally of Annual Conference podcasts to 78! Throughout the past couple of months, session recordings from the APNA 25th Annual Conference have been posted in the APNA eLearning Center as they were reviewed and approved for CE contact hours. See the sessions coming soon and the 65 currently available by clicking here.
Free CE: The Keynote Presentation by SAMHSA Administrator Pamela S. Hyde, JD, Shaping the Future of Behavioral Health, is available for FREE in the APNA eLearning Center. Earn up to 1.0 Continuing Education Contact Hours! More Info

New Online Community: Health IT & Informatics Workgroup
APNA is pleased to announce the formation of the Health IT and Informatics Workgroup (HIT-IWG) on Member Bridge! If you have recently visited the APNA Member Bridge, chances are you, too, would have noticed a variety of technology-focused discussion threads, posts, and member blogs on topics such as electronic health records, social media, virtual environments, mobile computing, smart phone Apps, and use of other innovative health information technologies (HIT) by psychiatric nurses. (Cont'd)

New Members: 401 New Members since January 2012!

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced that 11 States and the District of Columbia will participate in the Medicaid Emergency Psychiatric Demonstration, established under the Affordable Care Act to test whether Medicaid beneficiaries who are experiencing a psychiatric emergency get more immediate, appropriate care when institutions for mental diseases (IMDs) receive Medicaid reimbursement. Full Story

Mayo Clinic scientists say they have verified a drug's effectiveness in blunting PTSD-related nightmares, reported PostBulletin.com. A dozen studies about prazosin were reviewed. It was well-tolerated, can take effect within days to weeks, and some patients' nightmares returned when it was stopped, Mayo psychiatrist Dr. Simon Kung said. Full Story

Caring for people with Alzheimer's and other dementias will cost the U.S. an estimated $200 billion in 2012, according to 2012 Alzheimer's Disease Facts and Figures, released by the Alzheimer's Association. Full Story

To view the slides from NASMHPD's Forensic Division webinar on Promoting Alternative to Seclusion and Restraint through Trauma-Informed Practices, click here (PDF file).

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) continues to receive inquiries around the Medicare Electronic Prescribing (eRx) Incentive Program and the 2012 eRx payment adjustment. Click here to view a document from CMS intended to clarify some of the issues from the physician and other health care professional community.

Enrollment in baccalaureate, master's, and doctoral nursing programs increased last year as more nurses answered the call to advance their education, according to new data released by the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN). Though nursing schools have been able to expand student capacity despite faculty and resource shortfalls, the latest data show that 75,587 qualified applications to professional nursing programs were turned away last year, including more than 14,354 applications to graduate programs. Full Story

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) is making available new online shared decision-making (SDM) tools that provide a valuable interactive, collaborative connection between individuals and their health care providers. Through SDM, consumers work with their behavioral health care providers to make informed health care decisions best suited to achieving their own successful path to recovery. The SDM approach helps promote consumer choice, self-determination, and personal empowerment - factors that can be important in leading to positive treatment outcomes. By being active participants in their treatment, consumers can also improve their adherence to treatment regimens. Full Story To assess the SDM tool, click here.

People with schizophrenia report improved functioning after participating in a new, evidence-based clinical program, according to results from a six-month pilot. The program, Advancing Standards of Care for People with Schizophrenia, was spearheaded by the National Council for Community Behavioral Healthcare (National Council) and administered at 10 community behavioral health organizations across the country. The program significantly improved communication, social interaction and coping skills for persons recovering from schizophrenia. Full Story

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved the first generic Lexapro (escitalopram tablets) to treat both depression and generalized anxiety disorder in adults. Full Story

Vitamin D3 may activate key genes and networks to help trigger the immune system to get rid of the amyloid beta protein, the core component of destructive plaques in the brain linked to Alzheimer's disease, according to a new study. Previous lab work has shown that particular immune cells in people with Alzheimer's respond well to vitamin D3 and curcumin (found in turmeric spice) by stimulating the immune system to clear the brain of amyloid beta; however, researchers were unsure of exactly how this worked, reported PsychCentral.com. Full Story

On March 12, 2012, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) published a final rule on Affordable Health Insurance Exchanges, which combines policies from two Notices of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRMs) published last summer. One rule, published on July 15, 2011, outlined a proposed framework to enable states to build Affordable Insurance Exchanges (Exchanges), which are new state-based competitive marketplaces created under the Affordable Care Act. A second NPRM, published on August 17, 2011, outlined proposed standards for eligibility for enrollment in qualified health plans through the Exchange and insurance affordability programs, including premium tax credits. Starting in 2014, one-stop marketplaces called Exchanges will be operational, enabling consumers and small businesses to choose a quality, affordable private health insurance plan that fits their health needs. Full Story

Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius announced final policies that will ensure that millions of uninsured Americans will have a simple, seamless path to affordable health insurance coverage. The Affordable Care Act makes Medicaid available to individuals between ages 19 and 64 with incomes up to 133% of the federal poverty level - currently $14,856 for an individual and $30,656 for a family of four. These changes will become effective in 2014 when Affordable Insurance Exchanges begin operation. The federal government will pay 100% of the cost of the Medicaid expansion for the first three years and at least 90% after that. Full Story

Click here to read the National Council's analysis of the Obama Administration's 2013 budget proposal impacting substance abuse prevention and treatment.

In a Video Streaming Event on March 29, CMS will launch a new initiative aimed at improving behavioral health and safeguarding nursing home residents from unnecessary antipsychotic drug use. As part of the initiative, CMS is developing a national action plan that will use a multidimensional approach including public reporting, raising public awareness, regulatory oversight, technical assistance/training and research. The action plan will be targeted at enhancing person-centered care for nursing home residents, particularly those with dementia-related behaviors. Full Story

The Tri-Council for Nursing, consisting of the American Association of Colleges of Nursing, National League for Nursing, American Nurses Association and the American Organization of Nurse Executives (AONE) will lead a $4.3 million, Phase I two-year initiative, funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF), to advance state and regional strategies to create a more highly educated nursing workforce. An additional two years of work will be funded at the close of Phase I to allow states that have met or exceeded their benchmarks to continue to make progress. Full Story

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced a call for applications for a new Affordable Care Act initiative designed to strengthen primary care in the U.S. Under the Graduate Nurse Education Demonstration, CMS will provide hospitals working with nursing schools to train advanced practice registered nurses (APRNs) with payments of up to $200 million over four years to cover the costs of APRNs' clinical training. 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.