Leadership in Nursing Science: Four Scholarly Journeys Rooted in Historically Black College and University Excellence.

The intricacies of the unique educational and leadership development trajectories of Black PhD-prepared nurse scientists are largely invisible in nursing faculty development literature. A broadened understanding of nursing leadership development and science mentorship can facilitate support for the next generation of Black nurse scientists. Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) can serve as formative launch pads for nurse scientist development. However, the role of HBCUs and strategies for supporting robust educational and mentor/training opportunities for Black PhD-prepared nurse scientists require thoughtful description and application. Incorporating an intrapersonal, interpersonal, and integrative leadership framework, we describe and synthesize four Black nurse scientists and HBCU graduates' experiences to highlight early science mentorship and leadership resilience through the excellent educational foundations provided at HBCUs.

National Institute on Aging Butler-Williams Scholars Program: The first 30 years.

The development of a skilled research workforce in aging is fundamental to understanding conditions associated with growing older and extending healthy, active years of life. The National Institutes of Health (NIH) supports the training of health scientists, and its National Institute on Aging (NIA) prioritizes the professional development of investigators with an interest in aging. Since 1987, NIA's Summer Institute on Aging Research, renamed the Butler-Williams (B-W) Scholars Program in 2013, has offered an intensive one-week experience on issues, opportunities, and challenges of research on aging, with emphasis on disparities and health equity. The first 30 years of the Program are described in this report, including its history, selected curriculum highlights, Scholar outcomes, and qualitative data from faculty, and the program's impact on the training, growth, and development of scientists in aging research. Questions raised over a decade ago by the Committee on the Future Health Care Workforce for Older Americans Board on Health Care Services are revisited, and recommendations for the future are provided. This important Program remains an exemplar for the training and development of health scientists for careers that advance biomedical research and emphasize an equitable understanding of factors related to extending healthy years of life.

Black nurse scientists and the undeniable role of historically Black colleges and universities.

The pandemics of COVID-19 and systemic racism highlighted health inequities that have existed for decades among Black communities. Nurses are positioned to address these health inequities through innovative ideas and research. More specifically, Black nurses, because of their shared lived experience, understand sociostructural factors underpinning health inequities and how to best engage with Black communities. However, only 8% of Black nurses make up the overall nursing workforce and far fewer are nurse scientists. Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) can offer critically important options for success in addressing the dearth of Black nurse scientists working across sectors and contributing to rich academic milieu, informing innovative national policy, and creating impactful practice. We discuss challenges and strategies to promoting research careers at HBCUs to attract Black nurse scientists as the next leaders in health inequities research.

Gerontological nursing: Growth, adaptation and change after John A. Hartford Foundation investments.

This article chronicles the John A. Hartford Foundation (JAHF) funded gerontological nursing initiatives 1996-present. These initiatives, in particular BAGNC, were designed to impact the health of older adults through building gerontological nursing capacity by preparing new and retooling current faculty with expert gerontological nursing competencies, preparing new researchers, developing a knowledgeable nurse workforce with competency in gerontological nursing and prepare leaders in academics and health care systems. A description of major programs funded by the Foundation is presented and the impact, adaptation, and change in gerontological nursing resulting from over $86 million in funding awarded to these efforts is examined and intended to inform our way forward. NHCGNE, Legacy Affiliates and partners named in this article continue to innovate and transform healthcare systems as a way forward.

The growth and development of gerontological nurse leaders in policy.

BACKGROUND: The National Hartford Center of Gerontological Nursing Excellence (NHCGNE) Scholars/Fellows Award Program was designed to promote the growth and development of nurse scientists, educators, and leaders in aging. PURPOSE: McBride's conceptual framework of the growth and development of nurse leaders was used to examine the NHCGNE impact on health and aging policy work among scholars/fellows, including barriers, facilitators, and resources. METHODS: A multimethod two-phased approach included an online survey (phase I) focused on research and policy impact at local, state, or national level. Telephone interviews (phase II) were conducted to further understand the nature, depth, and focus of respondents' policy work. DISCUSSION: Based on our findings, we propose multilevel recommendations for advancing nurse scientists' capacity to be leaders in shaping policy. Keen research skills are influential in policy advancement but not sufficient to advance policy. Preparing nurse scientists with competencies in translating research into policy can ultimately transform health and health care for older adults.

They Are Called Nursing Homes for a Reason: RN Staffing in Long-Term Care Facilities.

According to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), the Consolidated Medicare and Medicaid regulations have not been systematically reviewed and updated since 1991. Existing regulations require that, with certain exceptions, an RN provide services in a facility for 8 consecutive hours per day, 7 days per week; licensed practical nurses (LPNs) 24 hours per day; and sufficient staff to meet residents' needs. The requirements to determine "sufficient" staff remain undefined by CMS. Several national organizations support RN staffing 24 hours per day each day of the week (24/7). These organizations provided evidence refuting CMS' position that it does not have sufficient information at this time to require a specific number of staff or hours of nursing care per resident. Consideration should be given to the Institute of Medicine recommendation affrming the need for and requiring the presence of at least one RN within every nursing home facility at all times. Currently, there is a bill in the House of Representatives that supports 24/7 RN coverage in nursing homes, which must become both bipartisan and bicameral to be passed.

The National Hartford Center of Gerontological Nursing Excellence: An Evolution of a Nursing Initiative to Improve Care of Older Adults.

The mission of the John A. Hartford Foundation is to improve the health of older Americans. This mission has been realized throughout the evolution of the National Hartford Center of Gerontological Nursing Excellence-an international collaboration between Schools of Nursing and Sigma Theta Tau International Honor Society of Nursing-whose goal is to support research, education, and practice to provide better nursing care for our aging society. The National Hartford Center is the focus of this supplement and an example of the Foundation's grant-making to prepare the nursing workforce to be competent to care for our aging society. This article traces the innovative origin and inception of the National Hartford Center, first as the Building Academic Geriatric Nursing Capacity (BAGNC) Initiative in 2000 under the leadership of two groundbreaking scholars in nursing and aging sciences: Claire M. Fagin, PhD, RN, and Patricia G. Archbold, DNSc. We continue through to today's leadership and culminate by describing the Center's influence on the gerontological nursing workforce and clinical practice; the paper also includes a brief introduction to the articles, highlighting advances in gerontological nursing science. With funding from the John A. Hartford Foundation, The Atlantic Philanthropies, The Mayday Fund, and a number of creative public and nonprofit partnerships, the National Hartford Center celebrates two decades and its greatest asset-the nearly 300 gerontological nursing leaders, including Archbold nursing pre-docs, Fagin nursing post-docs, and expert faculty, along with its Hartford Centers of Gerontological Nursing Excellence across the country. We trace the transition of BAGNC to the membership-based National Hartford Center and its move to The Gerontological Society of America to become a self-sustaining, autonomous unit. Current needs, challenges, lessons learned, and strategies of the National Hartford Center are examined within the context of sustainability, which has become paramount as Hartford Foundation funding ends in 2016. Despite the auspicious beginnings of the National Hartford Center, system change has been slow. There remains a strong need to continue to grow the field of gerontological nursing and aging sciences. We are working diligently to drive health system reform, and develop and support gerontological nursing leaders and members of the National Hartford Center as exemplars for innovation in care of older adults. The contributing authors of this supplement are from member schools of the National Hartford Center or are current or past program Scholars or Fellows. Herein these authors showcase innovation for older adults through their research that addresses an array of diseases and conditions affecting human systems, embedded in a variety of environments, including in-home care, subsidized housing communities, nursing homes, assisted living facilities, memory care units, and rural community environs.

A review of our roots: blacks in gerontology.

The historical underpinnings in the field of gerontology rest on the contributions of scholars across a myriad of racial and ethnic backgrounds. With the increasing diversity of the adult population, there is a need to increase the number of researchers who study older adults from diverse racial and ethnic populations in general and Black elderly people in particular. Furthermore, it is important to document the participation of Black older adults in our earliest and continuing research efforts. Understanding the historical context and the foundational influence of Black scholars in this field is critical. To realize its humble beginnings, one must become aware of the contributions by Black scholars who have a vested interest in the aging process. With universal similarities and unique differences among older adults, there is a need to acknowledge the past and current scholarship of those who study the aging processes of Blacks while marveling over the future possibilities. The purpose of this review is to elucidate the legacy and current contributions, philosophies, and research of Black scholars in the field of gerontology. In addition, exploration of the theoretical and conceptual frameworks used to establish national and organizational initiatives is reviewed. The impetus in initiating and continuing this work requires a "knowledge of our roots" while moving into the future. It is important to learn the history and significance of Black scholars in gerontology, the contributions of older Blacks, and appreciate the resiliency and marveled life course of this unique population.

NIA outreach to minority and health disparity populations can a toolbox for recruitment and retention be far behind?

The ability to locate the right research tool at the right time for recruitment and retention of minority and health disparity populations is a challenge. This article provides an introduction to a number of recruitment and retention tools in a National Institute on Aging Health Disparities Toolbox and to this special edition on challenges and opportunities in recruitment and retention of minority populations in Alzheimer disease and dementia research. The Health Disparities Toolbox and Health Disparities Resource Persons Network are described along with other more established resource tools including the Alzheimer Disease Center Education Cores, Alzheimer Disease Education and Referral Center, and Resource Centers for Minority Aging Research. Nine featured articles are introduced. The articles address a range of concerns including what we know and do not know, conceptual and theoretical perspectives framing issues of diversity and inclusion, success as a result of sustained investment of time and community partnerships, the significant issue of mistrust, willingness to participate in research as a dynamic personal attribute, Helpline Service and the amount of resources required for success, assistance in working with Limited English Proficiency elders, and sage advice from social marketing and investigations of health literacy as a barrier to recruitment and retention. Finally, an appeal is made for scientists to share tools for the National Institute on Aging Health Disparity Toolbox and to join the Health Disparities Resource Persons Network.

American Academy of Nursing Expert Panel report: developing cultural competence to eliminate health disparities in ethnic minorities and other vulnerable populations.

The members of the Expert Panel on Cultural Competence of the American Academy of Nursing (AAN) envisioned this article to serve as a catalyst to action by the Academy to take the lead in ensuring that measurable outcomes be achieved that reduce or eliminate health disparities commonly found among racial, ethnic, uninsured, underserved, and underrepresented populations residing throughout the United States. The purposes of this article are to (a) assess current issues related to closing the gap in health disparities and achieving cultural competence, (b) discuss a beginning plan of action from the Expert Panel on Cultural Competence for future endeavors and continued work in these areas beyond the 2002 annual conference on Closing the Gap in Health Disparities, and (c) provide clearly delineated recommendations to assist the Academy to plan strategies and to step forward in taking the lead in reshaping health care policies to eliminate health care and health disparities.

Fictive kin: friends as family supporting older adults as they age.

Assessing social support or social capital is receiving renewed attention in health care. A search of the nursing literature revealed limited attention to a potential resource in the care of older adults--fictive kin. Transdisciplinary searches indicated that "fictive kin" or "chosen kin" are increasingly important as family size shrinks and older adults live longer lives. Fictive kin are common across cultural groups and some have designated special names for these quasi-family members. The purpose of this article is to advance the concept of fictive kin as a resource for older adults and to provide strategies to promote engagement of fictive kin in health care planning by nurses.

Meeting the challenge of the new millennium: caring for culturally diverse patients.

The world is shrinking, and as a consequence, the United States is changing rapidly. In this new environment, health care providers must navigate a new cultural terrain and develop new skills to provide appropriate care for patients from increasingly diverse backgrounds. The new millennium demographic data of the United States and the essential elements of cultural assessment are necessary to understand how patient care should be approached in an increasingly diverse population.