Early Bird Ends Monday for Louisville APNA Annual Conference!
Save $100 when you register by Monday, 8/30! With 90+ contact hours, you'll get the updates you need from voices you trust. APNA is closely monitoring developments with the COVID-19 pandemic, including local and national guidelines. Your safety at the conference in Louisville this October 13-16 will be a top priority. APNA will follow the most up-to-date safety and distancing recommendations with that in mind.
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Welcome to Your Enhanced APNA Experience
To continue to provide you valuable and personalized service, APNA introduced a new website and membership system last week! All users have been sent an email from inform@apna.org with a link to set a new password in the updated system. If you did not receive the email or have any questions, please reach out to us at inform@apna.org or 855-863-2762. Thank you for your patience and flexibility as we navigate this transition. Explore the New Site

APNA Funded Research: Wellness Interventions for Frontline Nurses in Palliative Care
The APNA Research Grant program invests in the future of psychiatric-mental health nursing by funding the work of new researchers. The APNA Board of Directors is pleased to announce that this year’s APNA Research Grant will be supporting the research of Nasreen Lalani, PhD, MScN, RN. Dr. Lalani will receive $10,000 for her pilot randomized controlled study of self-reflective wellness interventions for frontline nurses in palliative care settings. Read More

Implementing Telemental Health: More Support is Here!
Providing psychiatric-mental health nursing care using telemental health requires innovative approaches, procedures, processes, and more. At the same time, there is an overwhelming amount of information out there to wade through and consider. A carefully curated guide with easily-digestible information and vetted resources is available on the new APNA website to support you as you adapt and explore this mode of care delivery. Read More

Mental Health America report found nearly two thirds of people screened for depression had severe or moderately severe symptoms in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic. The new brief, Severe Depression and COVID-19: Communities in Need Across the U.S., analyzed data collected from 725,949 individuals who took a depression screen (PHQ-9) as part of the MHA Screening Program in 2020. Full Story

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) has awarded 100 grants to increase access to facilities throughout the nation that provide community-based support for Americans in need of substance use disorder and mental health treatment services. Totaling $250 million, including $77 million from the American Rescue Plan (ARP), the grants support the Biden-Harris Administration’s priority of addressing the behavioral health needs of Americans—particularly those impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Full Story

Patients with Lyme disease are at increased risk for any mental disorder, for affective disorders, and for suicidal behavior, new research suggests, reported MedScape.com. Results from a large population-based study show that the rate of depression was 42% higher among patients with Lyme disease than among persons who did not have a history of Lyme disease; the rate of suicide was 75% higher, said lead author Brian A. Fallon, MD, professor of clinical psychiatry and director of the Lyme and Tick-Borne Diseases Research Center, Columbia University, New York City. Full Story

The ANA Center for Ethics and Human Rights Advisory Board seeks public comment on the proposed position statements, Risk and Responsibility in Providing Nursing Care. The deadline for comments is September 16, 2021. Click here to submit comments.

Research presented at the Alzheimer’s Association International Conference (AAIC) 2021 suggests COVID-19 is associated with long-term cognitive dysfunction and acceleration of Alzheimer’s disease pathology and symptoms. These studies were among several pieces of research featured at AAIC 2021. Click here to read highlights.

A recent Daily Nurse article shares six nurse wellness tips. Full Story

Documentation is a vital nursing responsibility, but documentation issues can result in professional liability lawsuits or action against a nurse’s license. An article from AON reviews several steps nurses can take to ensure they are documenting assessments and other information correctly in the EHR. Click here to access the article.

New data reports have been uploaded to the National Partnership to Improve Dementia Care in Nursing Homes website. They include several reports on antipsychotic medication usage and are located in the Downloads section. Click here to access the site.

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) has just made available a new look up tool that allows renters and landlords to find information on rental assistance in their area. Click here to access the tool.

While the Social Security Administration (SSA) offices are not providing service to walk-in visitors due to COVID-19, SSA remains committed to providing ongoing benefits and vital services. Click here for a helpful guide to remote services.

Delaware has joined 23 US states, the District of Columbia, and two US territories in allowing advanced practice registered nurses (APRNs) to provide care to patients independently of physicians. Proponents of the law, signed on August 4 by Delaware Governor John Carney, say that its passage will increase access to care for patients and reduce healthcare disparities, reported MedScape.com. Full Story

The House passed significant funding increases for key mental health and substance use disorder programs included in the FY 2022 Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies and the Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies Appropriations bills. The bill boosts funding for the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) by nearly 50% and increases funding for important research at the National Institutes of Health (NIH), including research on health care disparities and addiction. It also invests in enhancing the mental health and substance use treatment workforce and prioritizes enforcement of the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act by the U.S. Department of Labor. Full Story

A new study in the The Joint Commission Journal on Quality and Patient Safety (JQPS), “Implementing Universal Suicide Risk Screening in a Pediatric Hospital,” details the development and implementation of a hospital-wide program to identify teens at elevated risk for suicide and to connect them with services. Full Story

The Biden-Harris Administration announced key investments that will strengthen telehealth services in rural and underserved communities and expand telehealth innovation and quality nationwide. These investments, totaling over $19 million, are being distributed to 36 award recipients through the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). Full Story

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) issued a final rule that updates Medicare payment policies and rates for the Inpatient Psychiatric Facility (IPF) Prospective Payment System (PPS) for Fiscal Year (FY) 2022 and finalizes changes to the IPF Quality Reporting Program (QRP). CMS is publishing this final rule consistent with the requirements to update Medicare payment policies for IPFs on an annual basis. Click here to read a fact sheet outlining the major provisions of the final rule.

The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) and The Steve Fund have established a new partnership to promote programs and services to support the mental health of Black families and other families of color, uniting two organizations with a mutual goal to build knowledge about mental health and access to needed resources. Full Story

Click here to see letters APNA has signed on to as a part of its participation in coalitions that further policy for nursing and mental health.

The American Psychiatric Nurses Association is accredited with distinction as a provider of nursing continuing professional development by the American Nurses Credentialing Center’s Commission on Accreditation.