The Coalition of Geriatric Nursing Organizations

Caring with One Voice
Representing 28,700 Nurses

• Purpose  (Download PDF)
• Member Organizations

Purpose

The Coalition of Geriatric Nursing Organizations (CGNO) represents over 28,700 geriatric nurses seeking to improve the health care of older adults across care settings and is supported by the Hartford Institute for Geriatric Nursing, located at New York University College of Nursing.

The Coalition organized in October 2001 and chose two major issues for action that would affect older persons: 1) positively affecting the quality of long term care through improving and implementing the magnet nursing home project, Pioneer Network practices, and other quality programs or practices; and 2) facilitating the measurement of quality in long term care by supporting and advancing the Minimum Data Set, used in nursing homes, and other tools appropriate for the long term care setting, including quality indicators and measures derived from those instruments.

In 2003, the Hartford Institute with the CGNO convened a one-day expert panel meeting to explore strategies to strengthen the utilization of Advance Practice Nurses (APNs) in nursing homes. Following presentations at the American Medical Directors Association Annual Meeting and the Gerontological Society of America, the six recommended strategies were published in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society in 2005.

In 2005, the Hartford Institute with the CGNO convened a two-day summit to explore the feasibility of developing Teaching Nursing Home (TNH) models to prepare a health care professional work force knowledgeable about long term care. Summit participants articulated goals and principles impacting TNHs. These goals and principles together with the results of two pilot interdisciplinary TNH academic/nursing home collaborative, were presented at the Gerontological Society of America in 2006.

In 2007, The Hartford Institute and each of the CGNO participants joined the National Steering Committee of the Advancing Excellence in America’s Nursing Homes Campaign. This campaign seeks to improve the quality of life and care for nursing home residents and workers. In 2008, these same organizations joined the Elder Workforce Alliance, a broadly based collaborative that seeks to implement recommendations from the Institute of Medicine’s report, Retooling for an Aging America.

The potential for the Coalition to make a positive impact on the care of older adults across the continuum is unbounded. Indeed, by speaking with one voice in letters, committees and hearings, the Coalition of Geriatric Nursing Organizations takes leadership in shaping policy and legislation and improving regulations to benefit older adults.

Member Organizations

COALITION COORDINATOR: Sarah Burger, RN, MPH, FAAN
Email address:sgburger@rcn.com

AMERICAN ACADEMY OF NURSING (AAN) - EXPERT PANEL ON AGING
The Academy serves the public and the nursing profession by advancing health policy and practice through the generation, synthesis, and dissemination of nursing knowledge. Within the organizations are a number of expert panels. The Expert Panel on Aging reviews current research and makes recommendations on projects and /or initiatives the academy should undertake to transform health care policy and practice related to aging issues.
Contact: Christine Mueller, PhD, RN, BC, NEA-BC, FAAN
Email address: cmueller@umn.edu

AMERICAN ASSISTED LIVING NURSES ASSOCIATION (AALNA)
The American Assisted Living Nurses works to promote effective nursing practice for both LPNs and RNs working in assisted living. AALNA provides education and certification.
Executive Director: Kathleen McDermott, BSN, RN
Contact: Ethel Mitty, EdD, RN
Email address: em7@nyu.edu
Web address: www.alnursing.org

AMERICAN ASSOCIATION FOR LONG TERM CARE NURSING (AALTCN)
serves all levels of long-term care nursing staff for the purpose of advancing excellence in the specialty of long-term care nursing by: fostering community among various categories of long-term care nursing staff for common goals and needs; providing relevant educational resources that bridge current best practices with bedside practice; promoting a positive image of long-term care nursing; advocating for long-term care nursing caregivers and the specialty of long term care nursing; supporting and promoting excellence in nursing services for consumers of long-term care.

AALTCN offers specialty educational resources for every level of staff, certificate programs, workshops, train the trainer programs, e-newsletters, regulatory and practice updates, and more. AALTCN represents the voice of all levels of nursing staff on national projects and committees.

AALTCN’s intent is to help bring the well-deserved recognition and respect to the specialty of long term care nursing to yield benefits in recruitment and retention and advancement of the specialty and its practitioners. Membership includes the entire nursing department; individual memberships are available, also.
Contact: Charlotte Eliopoulos, Executive Director
Email address: charlotte@LTCNursing.org
Web Address: www.LTCNursing.org

AANAC
AANAC is a non-profit organization, dedicated to improving the quality of care and life for residents/patients by providing accurate and timely information, education, networking and advocacy opportunities for health care professionals.

AANAC formed in 1999 has 9,500 members and sets the standard for long- term care nursing education when it comes to leadership and management, survey readiness and management, human resources management, risk management, resident care, all aspects of the MDS, case-mix, reimbursement, case management, quality indicators and measures, and improved quality of life and care outcomes for residents. Our membership services include quarterly newsletters, an on-line discussion group with more than 800 nurses participating, our weekly on-line "LTC Leader" newsletter, an archive of frequently asked questions, immediate and daily postings of the latest regulatory information, management and in-service aids, continuing education and two national conferences yearly featuring top experts from CMS and the long term care field. In addition, AANAC has developed the national recognized Resident Assessment Coordinator (RAC-CT) Certification Program, the Nurse Executive (C-NE) Certification Program, Medicare University, and the Quality Indicator Program. Courses are written by national experts on: clinical assessment; regulation and policy, and are reviewed by a national advisory group and other expert reviewers. Our courses are available online, by hardcopy and in workshop format.
Contact: Diane Carter, RN, MSN, CS, President and CEO
Email address: dcarter@aanac.org
Web address: www.aanac.org

GERONTOLOGICAL ADVANCED PRACTICE NURSES ASSOCIATION (GAPNA)
The Gerontological Advanced Practice Nurses Association (GAPNA), formerly the National Conference of Gerontological Nurse Practitioners (NCGNP), is a national organization of advanced practice nurses dedicated to improving the quality of care for older adults. GAPNA represents the interests of nearly 10,000 advanced practice nurses who work with older adults in a wide variety of practice settings. GAPNA has become the the organization of choice for advanced practice nurses who want to pursue continuing education in geriatric care and seek peer support from experienced clinicians. Organizational goals are to advocate quality of care for older adults, promote professional development, provide continuing gerontological education, enhance communication and professional collaboration among healthcare providers, and educate consumers regarding issues of aging. GAPNA supports research related to the care of older adults and sponsors the only annual national convention devoted exclusively to advanced practice nurses in gerontology.
Contact: Pat Kappas-Larson, MPH, APN-C, FAAN, President
E-mail address: Patlarson1@comcast.net or GAPNA@dancyamc.com
Website: www.gapna.org

THE HARTFORD INSTITUTE FOR GERIATRIC NURSING
Housed at the New York, University College of Nursing, the mission of the Hartford Institute is to shape the quality of health care for older Americans by raising the standards of nursing care. The Institute seeks to influence two arenas: 1) Geriatric practice skills within the nursing profession and 2) Nursing care within the interdisciplinary and integrated delivery system of care to the older adults. The Institute has four strategic initiatives in geriatric nursing: education, practice, research, and policy/consumer education.
Contact: Mathy Mezey, EdD, RN, FAAN, Director
Email address: mathy.mezey@nyu.edu
Web address: www.HartfordIGN.org

NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF DIRECTORS OF NURSING ADMINISTRATION IN LONG TERM CARE (NADONA/LTC)
NADONA was organized over 20 years ago to support and assist Directors of Nursing in the longterm care continuum. NADONA/LTC has grown from 40 members to over 6000 with 31 state chapters throughout the U. S. and Canada. NADONA provides its members with mentoring services, quarterly journal, annual symposia journal, three certification exams, (DON/ADON in skilled care, the RN in Assisted Living, and the LPN in the Long Term Care continuum) resource manuals for the exams, a website with a forum for active members and one on one assistance for urgent services, educational meetings including Boot Camps at the Annual meetings to train our members who may be new to LTC, webinars, educational scholarships and subscriptions to five resource publications, to name a few of NADONA’s benefits.

We are active in numerous groups and in initiatives such as; The Pressure Ulcer Quality Improvement with the QIO's, Advancing Excellence, National Council for State Boards of Nursing, The Long Term Care Professional Leadership Counsel, Sigma Theta Tau's Leadership Institute, The Tiger Initiative, Senior Care Digest, Nursing Home Collaborative Steering Committee, LTC Quality Alliance, as well as the American Medical Directors Association s Clinical Practice Steering Committee. We are an independent non-profit organization, and are a member of the Nursing Home Collaboration.

We participate on the JCAHO PTAC committee, participate with CMS reviewing and commented on regulations related to long-term care, on issues related to the nurse leaders in the Long term care continuum. Our overall mission- to Communicate, Educate and Serve and has been successful since NADONA’s birth. We continue to grow and service our members, the “rank and file” Directors and Assistant Directors of Nursing, Wellness Nurses, Nursing Supervisors, Vice Presidents of Nursing, Nurse Managers, Head Nurses, Clinical Care Coordinators, in skilled as well as Assisted Living Facilities throughout the long term care continuum.
Contact: Sherrie Dornberger RNC, CDONA, FACDONA, President Bzynurse1@aol.com
or Jackie Vance RNC, CDONA, Secretary jvance@amda.com
Web Site: www.NADONA.org

NATIONAL GERONTOLOGICAL NURSING ASSOCIATION (NGNA)
NGNA is comprised of approximately 1500 nurses dedicated to improving the quality of nursing care to older adults. With over 20 chapters throughout the U.S., NGNA reaches out to nurses who provide care to older adults in long-term, acute, and community care settings. National and local members are staff nurses, clinical nurse specialists, nurse practitioners, managers, administrators, clinical and academic educators, and researchers who share a vision---nurses prepared in gerontological nursing are key to achieving quality health care for older adults. The organization believes that all older adults should: 1) have access to high quality heath care with positive experiences; and 2) have a sufficient and well-prepared health care workforce. NGNA promotes evidence-based care and specialty certification. Through annual educational conferences, newsletters, the web, and publications, NGNA works to define, educate and recognize successful practice in gerontological nursing. The organization provides scholarships for students and awards for outstanding research and innovations in clinical practice. NGNA supports legislation and policy initiatives directed at improving health care for older adults.
Contact: Susan Carlson, President
Email address: Susancarlson75@sbcglobal.net or susan.carlson2@VA.gov
Website: www.NGNA.org