We are proud to celebrate the successful accomplishments of the Future of Nursing: Campaign for Action and the Center to Champion Nursing in America (CCNA), both initiatives of AARP Foundation, AARP, and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. As we reflect on the journey we have shared to build a healthier America through nursing, we are filled with immense pride and gratitude for the remarkable achievements we have accomplished together. It is bittersweet for us to announce the sunsetting of the Campaign for Action and CCNA.

Since its launch in 2007, this collaboration has made great strides, driven by the unwavering dedication of colleagues, allies and volunteers like you. Together, we have achieved remarkable milestones, improving the health of communities throughout the nation. We are grateful for the countless hours, enthusiasm, and energy you shared with us; you are the heart of the Campaign for Action and the reason for its success.

While the Campaign and CCNA are ending, the journey toward health equity through and within nursing continues. We are committed to harnessing the momentum we have built together to keep striving for a healthier nation.

We especially thank our state-based Action Coalitions, volunteer groups that stretched far beyond nursing and health care to include nearly 2,000 organizations, working together to make a difference in their communities. Thank you also to the visionary leaders who helped shape Campaign strategy as chairs of its Strategic Advisory Committee: Antonia M. Villarruel, PhD, RN, FAAN; Sheila P. Burke, MPA, BSN, FAAN; Daryl G. Kirch, MD; and Matt Longjohn, MD, MPH.

We also celebrate the innovative leadership of Susan B. Hassmiller, PhD, RN, FAAN, and Susan C. Reinhard, PhD, RN, FAAN, who built the unprecedented collaboration between the country’s largest philanthropy devoted to health (RWJF) and the largest nonprofit, nonpartisan organization dedicated to empowering people 50 and older to choose how they live as they age (AARP). AARP Foundation, AARP and RWJF launched CCNA in 2007, and the Campaign in 2010, guided by two landmark nursing reports: the then-named Institute of Medicine’s Future of Nursing: Leading Change, Advancing Health and the National Academy of Medicine’s Future of Nursing: 2020-2030: Charting a Path to Achieve Health Equity. CCNA ran the Campaign for Action, and we are grateful for the many staff and volunteers who have contributed over the years.

CCNA and the Campaign produced results, in collaboration with our national and state champions, which include:

• Twenty-seven states and the District of Columbia now allow nurse practitioners to provide care to the full extent of their education and training, giving 98 million people better access to care.
• Through the establishment of the Nurses on Boards Coalition in 2014, we improved the health of communities throughout the nation with more than 10,000 nurses now serving on boards and influencing the health of communities.
• The Campaign helped lead progress in diversifying the nursing workforce so that it more closely reflects the communities it serves, though more progress needs to be made.
• We have made tremendous gains in advancing nursing education, tripling the number of RN-to-BSN graduates between 2009 and 2017.
• We are also making strides in the work to support nurses in the workforce, including creating and scaling pathways to nursing and allied health careers, and addressing barriers to faculty and student retention, graduation, and nurse licensure passage rates, particularly for communities underrepresented in nursing.

Read the full list of accomplishments on the Campaign’s timeline.

As we celebrate Nurses Week, we are pleased to announce that AARP will continue its support of initiatives that improve access to care for consumers, recognize and value nurses at all levels and from all backgrounds, strengthen recruitment, retention and diversity of our nation’s nursing workforce, and foster opportunities for nursing career success. Additionally, we are collaborating with a number of organizations to ensure the sustainability of programs initiated by the Campaign. We will keep you updated as agreements are finalized.

There are many ways to stay involved and connected with opportunities to strengthen nursing and build a healthier America, and we share those options here. Please stay engaged and keep the momentum going!

Lastly, on Tuesday, May 27, we invite you to join us in a celebration of the Campaign’s accomplishments and future opportunities to advance health equity through nursing. We hope to see you there. Register at: https://events.aarp.org/healthequitynursing052725.

We thank you again for all you have done. With deepest gratitude,

The post AARP RWJF Conclude Major Nursing Collaborative appeared first on Campaign for Action.

In the U.S.—where more women die in childbirth than any other wealthy nation—the joys of pregnancy and motherhood are often overshadowed by fear. Amid a growing maternal health crisis, especially for women of color, American Deliveryis a documentary that tells the story of the glimmers of hope: women finding their voices and autonomy; nurses listening to women and offering birth choices; and hospital leaders welcoming the community as the patient. The movie is by filmmaker Carolyn Jones, who also directed The American Nurse.

Will you host a screening of the movie in your community?

Jones hopes to have screenings in all 50 states in honor of International Day of the Midwife (May 5th) and National Nurses Week (May 6-12).

There are two ways to host a screening:

1. Host a theatrical screening.
2. Host a screening in your facility.

Once your screening is confirmed, the team from American Delivery will provide you marketing materials to help spread the word, and suggestions for a post-screening Q&A.

The post Here’s your opportunity to screen American Delivery appeared first on Campaign for Action.

AARP’s investment in four pathway programs brings economic opportunities through careers in health care and nursing to people underrepresented in those fields, with the long-term goal of strengthening the nursing workforce and advancing health equity. Pathway programs provide academic, financial and social supports to encourage more people to enter the health care professions.

Pathway programs are important for a number of reasons. They expose individuals from backgrounds underrepresented in nursing to the profession and other health careers. They also bring economic opportunities to rural and underserved communities, and communities are healthier when health practitioners are part of their fabric. The following four pathway programs received funding from the 2021 Nursing Innovations and 2022 Health Equity Innovations Funds, awarded by AARP and funded by AARP and the Future of Nursing: Campaign for Action, an initiative of AARP Foundation, AARP and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.

Brandywine School District Lifesavers Program
Wilmington, Delaware

The Brandywine School District in Wilmington, Del., received AARP funding in 2021 for a pathway program for middle school students.

While pathway programs are more common for high school students, Richele Lawson, a middle school nurse, wanted to provide her students with options for a future career in nursing. Beth Mattey, MSN, RN, who was then the Brandywine school health services coordinator, worked with the Delaware Action Coalition, a nurse-led, multisector coalition working to improve health and nursing, to apply for funding.

Once she received the grant, Mattey partnered with the University of Delaware (UD) School of Nursing to enable students to use its state-of-the-art simulation center. Students conduct simulations related to first aid and CPR, vital signs, wound care, and IV therapy, among other areas. Members of UD’s Student Nurses Organization, Black Student Nurses Association, and Men in Nursing group serve as mentors for Brandywine students. Nurses from Christiana Care Health Care System teach students about a variety of acute care nursing roles.

Of the 153 students who participated in the program, 95% reported planning to pursue a health care career. The first cohort of 28 students is now in eleventh grade, and Mattey plans to track outcomes to see how many participants pursue health care careers. 

After the initial grant ended, the Brandywine School District, Christiana Care Health System and the UD School of Nursing provided funding for the program to continue. UD wants to expand the program to other school districts to expose more students from backgrounds underrepresented in nursing to the field at earlier ages. Mattey says the school nurses’ dedication is instrumental to the program’s success.

Summer Health Institute for Nursing Exploration and Success (SHINES) Program
Sacramento, California

The Summer Health Institute for Nursing Education and Success program (SHINES) is a 2022 Health Equity Innovations Fund awardee now in its fourth year.

The immersive, two-week summer curriculum at the Betty Irene Moore School of Nursing at the University of California, Davis, exposes high school students or recent high school graduates to a curriculum providing in-depth insights into various nursing roles, as well as how to navigate academia and prepare a professional portfolio. Students receive breakfast and lunch during the program and a monetary award upon completion. They participate in hands-on simulations and receive mentoring from clinicians affiliated with the Capitol City Black Nurses Association and UC Davis Health. 

By the program’s end, participants understand the impact they can make by becoming respected health practitioners serving people in their communities.

A SHINES alumni survey found 100% of the 39 respondents reported a continued interest in pursuing their career goals, with 90% interested in a health science career, and 67% specifying an interest in nursing as a career. The survey had a 48% response rate. Results will be published in a forthcoming issue of the American Journal of Nursing.

AARP is providing funds this year to expand SHINES. Support provided will help up to 30 program alumni become certified nursing assistants (CNAs). Additionally, funding will go toward adapting the current curriculum so it is designed for older adults ─ many of whom are experienced family caregivers ─ interested in entering the nursing field. SHINES hopes to offer the program to older adults in 2026.

Compete, Complete, and Repeat Health Care Mentorship Program
Columbia, Tennessee

The Compete, Complete, and Repeat Health Care Mentorship program received a 2022 Health Equity Innovations Fund award to mentor high school students. The program exposed 34 students to various health professions, discussed health care disparities and the need to advance health equity, and instilled the importance of community service.

The program, based at Mt. Calvary Missionary Baptist Church, was directed by Andrea Poynter, PhD, RN, a nursing school professor. It provided test prep for college admissions in general and for nursing school in particular. In fact, four of the five seniors who graduated in May 2023 enrolled in nursing school or a pre-med program. Poynter continues to mentor the remaining students.

Participants also completed job shadowing at Maury Regional Medical Center in Columbia. Four students participated in a paid summer internship program there, with Maury subsequently hiring them and making them eligible for tuition discounts. Poynter says the hospital will continue to conduct outreach to students from backgrounds underrepresented in nursing for its summer internship program.

Poynter parlayed her experience running the mentorship program to become the inaugural executive director of the NursesMC charter school in Nashville. The school, modeled after a successful nursing charter school in Rhode Island, will immerse high school students starting in the fall of 2025 in a nursing-focused STEM curriculum to meet Tennessee’s workforce needs.

Meritus Health
Hagerstown Maryland

Meritus Health in Western Maryland used its 2022 Health Equity Innovations Fund award to expose high school freshmen from backgrounds underrepresented in nursing to the profession, with the intent of increasing student participation in Washington County’s high school class offerings in the health professions fields.

The county provides opportunities for juniors and seniors to gain health-care related work experience through an apprenticeship program and allied health programs offering CNA certification.

Meritus partnered with Hagerstown Community College and the Washington County Public Schools to offer a five-day summer camp, with 27 students participating over two years. Students learned nursing skills and information about financial aid. They also toured Meritus’ simulation lab and the nursing program at Hagerstown Community College. Nurses from backgrounds underrepresented in nursing who work at Meritus shared their career journeys.  

According to a post-summer camp survey, 56% of participants were unaware of the health care high school course offerings before the camp. After the camp, 100% were aware, and 88% of participants reported they were either “very interested” or “extremely interested” in participating in them. By the program’s end, 100% of participants were either “somewhat interested,” “very interested,” or “extremely interested” in becoming a nurse.

Meritus will continue the program with its partners.

The Nursing Innovation Fund

Since 2018, the Nursing Innovations Fund has awarded over $1.8 million across 30 states and DC, funding 63 projects that improve access to care and services, strengthen the nursing workforce, and create healthier work environments.  Read more on the Nursing Innovations Fund.  

The post Grants Fund Pathway Programs appeared first on Campaign for Action.

An AARP-backed Nursing Innovations Fund award saw an increase in nurses serving on boards and nurses who express a desire to serve on boards in 13 participating states, according to the Nurses on Boards Coalition (NOBC), which co-led the effort.

The number of nurses who want to serve on boards in states was up two percent in 2024 compared with 2023, while the number of nurses who serve on boards and want to serve on another board was up seven percent, according to NOBC data. Similarly, the number of nurses expressing a desire to serve on a board was up six percent.

The 2022 Health Equity Innovations Fund award is sponsored by AARP and the Future of Nursing: Campaign for Action, an initiative of AARP Foundation, AARP, and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.

NOBC, which co-led the effort with the Campaign’s Mississippi-based Action Coalition co-lead Rita Wray, also used the funds to provide engaging materials to prepare nurses for board service and communicate the value nurses bring to boards.  

Materials include a self-assessment to determine readiness for board service, a list of board competencies, how to identify and engage key supporters, webinars intended to prepare nurses from underrepresented backgrounds for board service, an elevator pitch to explain the value nurses bring to boards and social media messaging to encourage more nurses to serve.

Nurses Bring Trust and Broad Understanding of Health

Nurses, repeatedly ranked by Gallup as the most trusted profession, are the health professionals who spend the most time with patients and families and intuitively understand how social factors affect health. They bring a powerful voice to board discussions and decisions, which can result in improved health outcomes for people served by the organization.

NOBC, which was established in 2014 by the Campaign as part of its efforts to implement recommendations from the 2010 Institute of Medicine (IOM) report, The Future of Nursing: Leading Change, Advancing Health, seeks to improve the health of communities through the service of nurses on boards. Nurses serving on boards have opportunities to address the impact of the social determinants of health within their communities and lead change to advance health for all.

NOBC’s Project

NOBC’s project sought to identify and address gaps and barriers preventing nurses from serving on boards and advancing health equity through their service.

The group developed and tested the first comprehensive tool to measure the value of nurses on boards. A total of 3,905 nurses responded to a survey about the value nurses bring to boards.  

The survey revealed a need to bolster more nurses serving on hospital, legislative/policy, pharmaceutical/insurance, and rural boards. It found nurses from racial and ethnic backgrounds underrepresented in nursing also are underrepresented on boards.

However, the survey found nurses are improving health equity in their communities through service on their United Way boards, school boards and community boards related to health.

After conducting the survey, NOBC convened town halls to discuss the findings with 13 of the Campaign’s state-based  Action Coalitions, nurse-led, multisector coalitions working to improve health and health care through nursing. Participants expressed a need for materials to explain the benefits nurses bring to board service. They also requested resources to fill gaps needed to prepare more nurses for board service, so NOBC placed its most effective resources available in one location on its website.

NOBC also incorporated Action Coalition feedback to track the zip codes of nurses registered in NOBC database, allowing NOBC to match board opportunities with nurses living in those communities. The goal is for nurses living in rural communities who want to serve on boards to find more opportunities.

Why This Work Matters AARP’s mission is to empower people to choose how they live as they age. The organization knows that increasing the number of nurses who influence health and health care through board service and community boards can lead to improved access to care and services for all people. Since 2018, the Nursing Innovations Fund has awarded over $1.8 million across 30 states and DC, funding 63 projects that improve access to care and services, strengthen the nursing workforce, and create healthier work environments. More information on the Nursing Innovations Fund is available here.

The post Grant Leads to Engaging Materials appeared first on Campaign for Action.

Media Contacts:
Ilse Zuniga, AARP Communications, izuniga@aarp.org
Kristie Aylett, AACN Communications, kristie.aylett@aacn.org

AARP continues its collaboration with the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses to support initiatives to strengthen the nursing workforce with grants from the 2025 Nursing Innovations Fund

ALISO VIEJO, Calif. – Feb. 20, 2025 – Proposals are being accepted for grants from the 2025 Nursing Innovations Fund, a continuing collaboration between the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses (AACN Critical Care) and AARP to strengthen the nursing workforce.

This program seeks innovative and replicable solutions to create and sustain healthy work environments and improve recruitment and retention rates of registered nurses, through implementation of one or more AACN Critical Care’s Standards for Establishing and Sustaining Healthy Work Environments.   

“Nurses play a critical role in protecting the health of our nation, but they cannot effectively deliver care without healthy work environments. AARP is proud to provide ongoing support to ensure a strong nursing workforce across all care settings where nurses practice,” said Megan O’Reilly, AARP Vice President of Government Affairs for Health and Family.

“Stressful working conditions and unhealthy work environments are key reasons nurses are leaving their profession at alarming rates. Research has shown that nurses who work where healthy work environments are actively created report higher job satisfaction, better quality of care, more shifts with appropriate staffing, and less intent to leave their current positions,” said AACN Chief Clinical Officer Vicki Good.

Projects will use AACN’s Healthy Work Environment Assessment Tool as a pre- and post-measure. The free online tool helps teams assess and measure progress in establishing and sustaining a healthy work environment. Awardees will submit a final report on the impact of the project as part of the grant’s emphasis on sustainability and sharing best practices.

Proposals are due by April 4, 2025, with finalists notified in May and funded projects to commence July 1. Awards of up to $20,000 will be given for projects completed in one year.  AARP will administer the grants.

For complete information about the awards, eligibility criteria, application and other details, visit /2025-innovations-fund/.

AARP is the nation’s largest nonprofit, nonpartisan organization dedicated to empowering Americans 50 and older to choose how they live as they age. With a nationwide presence, AARP strengthens communities and advocates for what matters most to the more than 100 million Americans 50-plus and their families: health and financial security, and personal fulfillment.

To learn more, visit www.aarp.org/about-aarp or follow @AARP,
@AARPenEspañol, and @AARPadvocates on social media.  

American Association of Critical-Care Nurses is the world’s largest specialty nursing organization, with more than 135,000 members and nearly 200 chapters in the United States. To achieve its vision of a healthcare system driven by the needs of patients and families, where nurses make their optimal contribution, AACN’s advocacy priority is to establish and sustain healthy work environments that support nursing excellence.

American Association of Critical-Care Nurses, 27071 Aliso Creek Road, Aliso Viejo, CA 92656; 949-362-2000; www.aacn.org; facebook.com/aacnface; x.com/aacnme

The post Initiatives to Strengthen Nurse Work Environments appeared first on Campaign for Action.

AARP continues its collaboration with the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses to support initiatives to strengthen the nursing workforce with grants from the 2025 Nursing Innovations Fund.

Awards of up to $20,000 each will be provided for selected projects that can be completed in one year.

Proposals are due no later than 10 p.m. ET on Friday, April 4, 2025, and an informational webinar will be held on March 5.

View the FAQs and application

Please help us spread the word about this opportunity! Below are suggested social media posts you can share with your networks,

Facebook post:

Are you working on a project that strengthens the nursing workforce by creating and sustaining healthy work environments and improving recruitment and retention rates of registered nurses? If so, don’t miss your chance to apply for the 2025 Nursing Innovations Fund by April 4. /2025-nursing-innovations-fund/

X posts:

The 2025 Nursing Innovations Fund: Nursing Workforce and Healthy Work Environments is a new funding opportunity from @AARP & @AACNme. Apply by April 4. /2025-nursing-innovations-fund/

.@AARP & @AACNme are now accepting applications for the 2025 Nursing Innovations Fund: Nursing Workforce and Healthy Work Environments. Applications are due by April 4. /2025-nursing-innovations-fund/

LinkedIn post:

Here’s an opportunity to help strengthen the nursing workforce and build healthy work environments across the health care system. @AARP and @AACN are seeking proposals through the 2025 Health Equity and Nursing Innovations Fund: Nursing Workforce and Healthy Work Environments. 

Learn more about the fund and how to apply at the link by April 4, and please share widely! #RFP #Nurses

/2025-nursing-innovations-fund/

The post Strengthen the Nursing Workforce appeared first on Campaign for Action.

The Future of Nursing: Campaign for Action is saddened to learn of the passing of Linda Burnes Bolton, DrPH, RN, FAAN, known to many as LBB. Among her many historic contributions to nursing, Dr. Burnes Bolton was the vice chair of the committee that developed the Institute of Medicine’s Future of Nursing: Leading Change, Advancing Health report in 2010, which created a crucial blueprint for transforming nursing care to meet the increasingly complex demands on the health care system. That report also gave rise to the Campaign, an initiative of AARP Foundation, AARP and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, which was launched to implement its recommendations.

Dr. Burnes Bolton started her career at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in 1971 and rose to senior vice president, director of nursing research, and chief nurse executive before accepting the inaugural role of senior vice president and chief health equity officer in 2019.

Her influence, and championing of nurses and nurse leadership, was felt in many organizations, including the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, where she served on its board of trustees from 2012 to 2022.

“Going back to Florence Nightingale, it was never about the culture of hospitals or the culture of agencies,” Burnes Bolton said at a 2016 American Academy of Nursing policy conference. “It was about a culture of health, and who better to lead that than nurses?”

The Campaign will always be grateful to Dr. Burnes Bolton for her leadership and support. Friends of the Campaign will recall Burnes Bolton’s participation in numerous Campaign events, including co-hosting for years – along with her friend Catherine “Alicia” Georges, EdD, RN, FAAN, an annual Campaign reception to honor new AAN fellows.

Tributes to Burnes Bolton have poured in from throughout the nursing world and beyond since her passing on Jan. 11 at the age of 76.

On LinkedIn, the American Academy of Nursing, which gave Burnes Bolton its Lifetime Legacy Award in 2022, writes:

She served as the sixth president of the National Black Nurses Association (NBNA), which highlights some of her achievements in their biography of her:

Dr. Richard Besser, president of RWJF, wrote on LinkedIn: “Burnes Bolton was a fierce advocate for nurses, the nursing profession, and for the leadership role nurses can play in creating the kind of healthcare system we all deserve. She taught us that it is possible to balance individual acts of loving, compassionate care with policy change and institutional pathways for nurses’ education and empowerment to transform healthcare.”

The post In Memoriam: Dr. Linda Burnes Bolton appeared first on Campaign for Action.

This webinar will review the basics of an effective mentoring program as a strategy to enhance the academic success of nursing students at historically marginalized nursing schools. It will also inform and remind participants of available resources for the successful implementation of your mentoring program.

Goals:

• Describe the essential elements of an effective mentoring program.

• Describe available resources to assist the mentoring program

• Discuss the AARP volunteer mentor recruitment process and improvement.

Presenters:

• Vernell P DeWitty, PhD, RN, FAAN

• Jazmine Cooper, MBA

Resources:

Mentoring for Success Presentation

The post Mentoring for Student Success 3.0 appeared first on Campaign for Action.

If you were among the 200 nurses who joined the AARP virtual open house for nurses on Thursday, December 12, you’ve already heard about three great opportunities to volunteer your time to improve patient care, promote brain health, and celebrate nurse appreciation.

If you missed it, or would like to revisit it, you can access the recording here.

https://aarp-org.zoom.us/rec/share/ubNLPJu4pTxdBbvrew-LpXr4U4ZCB1bzzAjs7mEuvjXDyXeD31Eh6IF4m9HCSTK4.esWvn2CCTGemj3YX

Passcode: NursesRock24@

Below, I’ve included links to the three great opportunities highlighted during the session:

• Patient and Family Advisory Council and Peer Network
  • Join a local PFAC to directly impact patient care and improve caregiver experiences. 

• DAISY Foundation volunteer
  • Support DAISY Coordinators in running their hospital’s DAISY Award program to honor extraordinary nurses. 
• Brain Health volunteer
  • Get trained to increase awareness of brain health through speaking engagements, events, and conferences. 

AARP also offers the opportunity for nurses to serve as mentors to nursing students enrolled, and some faculty, at federally designated Minority Serving Institutions, including Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Hispanic-serving institutions, and American Indian/Alaska Native- serving schools.

I am thrilled about your interest in volunteering with AARP. If these opportunities aren’t quite the right fit, visit aarp.org/volunteer to explore more. If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to reach out to Wenonah Pinn at wpinn@aarp.org.

AARP looks forward to helping you on your volunteer journey and are excited for you to turn a lifetime of experience into the experience of a lifetime

The post Follow up: AARP Open House for Nurses appeared first on Campaign for Action.

The post NC Future of Nursing Action Coalition Nomination Form appeared first on Campaign for Action.