Dermatology Nurses' Association

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Press Room / News Release Archive

Please note that due to a change in management companies, the contact information found in all press releases prior to January 1, 2008 are no longer applicable.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 5, 2004

PITMAN, NJ - The Dermatology Nurses' Association (DNA) has been awarded a $13,000 Nurse Competence in Aging Grant by the American Nurses Association (ANA). The funds will be used over 2 years to enhance the education of nurses in caring for older adults.

The grant is part of a 5-year "Nurse Competence in Aging" initiative funded by The Atlantic Philanthropies (USA) Inc. awarded to ANA through the American Nurses Foundation (ANF). The initiative is part of a strategic alliance between ANA, the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC), and the John A. Hartford Foundation Institute for Geriatric Nursing, New York University, Steinhardt School of Education, Division of Nursing.

The program will enhance the geriatric competence - the attitudes, knowledge, and skills - of the 400,000 nurses who are members of 60 national specialty nursing associations. Education will be disseminated through activities, certification exams, and Web-based resource centers.

"We are honored to have been given this important grant and know that it will not only enrich our members but most significantly our patients for many years to come," said DNA President Robin Weber, MN, RN, FNP-C, DNC. "It is anticipated that we will use these funds to develop a new depth in our education programs and patient education materials."

DNA will also use the grant funds for articles in DNA's official journal, Dermatology Nursing, and in the association's newsletter, FOCUS; for Web site links; and for sessions at the DNA Annual Convention.

Geriatric care is one of the fastest growing segments of nursing, but very few of the nation's 2.2 million practicing registered nurses (RNs) have been adequately prepared in school or on the job. Less than 1% of nurses in the U.S. are certified by the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) as gerontological nurses. One goal of the Nurse Competence program is to inspire nurses to boost their knowledge of geriatrics best practices.

DNA will submit ongoing progress reports and participate in an evaluation of the competence program. This documentation will help ANA determine the lasting impact of the funding on geriatric nursing.

For more details on the competence program, visit www.hartfordign.org/nca/index.html. For more information about DNA, visit www.dnanurse.org.