New Directions | February 2026 | | A Message from the President | | |
We are a month into 2026, and the world around me continues to swirl. I have been reaching out to my NHCGNE colleagues hoping for a centering anchor. Although, to some extent that has worked for me… what I am really feeling is the impact of profound changes in their local worlds, their local communities.
As we see, hear, and feel the impact of an unsettled world the work of NHCGNE is designed to keep our attention riveted to the needs of our fellow nurses advancing knowledge, engaging students, and caring for older adults.
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Having NHCGNE as my professional home helps me stay engaged during challenging, times. My NHGNE work with committee leadership and members, board members, and our has allowed me to think deeply about older adults interfacing with a changing health care system, changing policy and rules for health care. We are staying nimble in the face of change and challenge fostering implementation of best practices in across health care settings. We are committed to advancing the knowledge of our colleagues in the complexities of nursing care of older adults. We value opportunities to collaborate with educators, practitioners, and researchers whose own nursing education was not focused on gero-specific content and experiences.
In a January 2026 RGN Editorial I spoke about the need to strengthen our NHCGNE focus to reach out to all nurses. NHCGNE collaboration with more nurses will help others see why gero-nurses see age not as a demographic variable but as a complex intertwining of changing health, wellness, and both expected and unexpected health care problems with usual and novel solutions. Nurses caring for older adults find engagement, joy, empathy, the excitement of new discoveries, implementation of best practices, and an ongoing sense of accomplishment. These are the commitments of our NHCGNE members we want to share with our colleagues. I hope you will share your own excitement and stories from your gero-nurse perspective with everyone you meet. This is one of the reasons NHCGNE, my professional home, keeps me grounded in the midst of the swirling winds.
Donna C. Owen
NHCGNE President, 2025 - 2026
| | 2026 Faculty Development Bootcamp | | |
Gerontological Nursing Educator Boot Camp (Virtual)
Teaching Gerontological Nursing Competencies in Pre-Licensure and RN-BSN Programs
Date: February 28, 2026
Location: Online
Highlights:
- Insightful presentations from experts in gerontological nursing
- Evidence-based teaching strategies tailored for competency-based education
- Access to comprehensive resources to enhance your instruction
- Designed for both new and experienced faculty teaching age-related nursing content
- Earn 6.0 hours of continuing nursing education credits
- Unfolding case studies that support teaching strategies for the classroom, clinical, simulation, and assignments
- Access to a wide range of up-to-date teaching resources curated by NHCGNE members
This Bootcamp is designed for faculty at schools of nursing who teach gerontological nursing and want to use a competency-based approach. It is also appropriate for those who are experienced or just beginning to integrate age-related content into their courses.
| | Each month, the NHCGNE Fireside Chat Series offers a virtual opportunity to learn directly from leaders shaping the future of gerontological nursing. These sessions highlight innovative research, education strategies, and best practices that improve the lives of older adults. | |
Honoring Risk, Preserving Dignity: Transforming Decision‑Making in Dementia Care
Wednesday, February 18, 2026
6:00 PM ET
Dr. Behrens specializes in nursing, health professions, and community engagement, with research focused on person-centered care, dementia, and nursing home residents and staff. Her clinical experience spans hospitals, clinics, nursing homes, and home-based care. She has held leadership roles in nursing and clinical research and contributes to initiatives such as the DIGNITY project, which supports decision-making for older adults with dementia. Her work centers on improving nursing home care and advancing nursing education and research. Drawing on 25 years as an adult learner, Dr. Behrens emphasizes engagement and strong student‑teacher relationships. She aims to create an inclusive learning environment that fosters professional growth and leadership in nursing.
| | Liza Behrens PhD, RN
Penn State University
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Recent Fireside Chats have featured experts such as:
- Dr. Jill Brennan-Cook, Dr. Gillian Jackson, and Deirdre Thornlow PhD, RN, CPHQ, CNE on using art as innovation.
- Dr. Rebecca Koszalinski on integrating smart technology in human health outcomes of exposure to harmful algae blooms (HAB) research
- Dr. Lisa Kirk Wiese on community-engaged initiatives to promote brain health among rural multicultural older adults.
- Dr. Tom Blodgett on delirium diagnosis and management simulation in Nurse Practitioner training.
- Dr. Letha Joseph on the Patient Priorities Care framework and its impact on conversations that center on what matters most to patients.
- Dr. Sarah Holmes on optimizing meaningful activity for persons with dementia.
From dementia care and delirium management to community health and student engagement, the Fireside Chat Series provides practical insights and inspiration for nurses at every stage of their career.
Missed a session? You can catch up anytime by watching the recordings in the link below.
| | Join An NHCGNE Committee Today! | | Grow your professional network by joining one of our committees! Options include Education, Communications, Finance, Mentor, Conference, Awards Membership, Bylaws, and Nominations! Committee not for you? Engage with a Special Interest Group (SIG) instead! To learn more about these opportunities or others like the , please reach out to info@nhcgne.org. | | Messages from the Membership Committee | | |
Important Information for persons designated as NHCGNE Distinguished Educators in Gerontological Nursing (DEGN)
The NHCGNE Board of Directors has made a recent change to DEGN designation. Specifically, effective January 2027, all DEGN designees are required to hold membership (individual or institutional) in the NHCGNE to maintain their DEGN designation. The board values the expertise of DEGN designees and encourages all DEGN designees to join the NHCGNE and become involved in current and future opportunities to advance gerontological nursing research, education and practice. Beginning January 2026 through December 31, 2026, anyone holding DEGN designation can join the NHCGNE as an individual member with a 50% discounted membership rate ($75). To join at the discounted individual membership rate, here is the link for individual membership application. If you believe your organization would like to become an institutional member, here is a link to the institutional membership application. When an organization holds institutional membership, all faculty and students in the organization are members of the NHCGNE.
| | Apply for membership below! | | NHCGNE Official Journal: Research in Gerontological Nursing | | NHCGNE & Research in Gerontological Nursing | | |
NHCGNE and Research in Gerontological Nursing (RGN) have joined forces, and RGN is now the official journal of NHCGNE.
What is RGN? RGN is a bimonthly, peer-reviewed journal publishing cutting-edge, interdisciplinary gerontological nursing research for educators, academicians, clinicians, and policymakers involved with older adults in all health care settings. The journal publishes quantitative, qualitative, methodological, and theoretical research articles; featured intervention studies; and an annual State of the Science Review, authored by national gerontological leaders.
What does this mean for me?
NHCGNE members will receive a 20% discount on RGN subscriptions. Contact NHCGNE for your discount code.
| | Press Release: Age-Friendly Health Care Systems | | |
THOROFARE, NJ - January 2026 – Each year in the January/February issue, Research in Gerontological Nursings (RGN) publishes an Annual State of the Science Review (formerly State of the Science Commentary) to update the professional community on the state of the science for one aspect of gerontological nursing research. Written by esteemed experts, this contribution to the scientific discussion is designed to review progress, chart the course of future research, and coalesce priorities.
The 2026 Annual State of the Science Review, “Age-Friendly Health Care Systems: State of the Science, Past and Future Directions,” by Barbara King, PhD, RN, FAAN; Marie Boltz, PhD, GNP-BC, FAAN, FGSA; Sarah Fraiman, MA, RN; and Anna Zisberg, PhD, RN, FAAN, FGSA, with a Response to the Annual Review by Terry T. Fulmer, PhD, RN, FAAN, highlights the Age-Friendly Health Systems movement and the role of the 4Ms (What Matters, Medication, Mobility, Mentation) in improving reliable, evidence-based care.
| | A Sharing from a SIG-IED Writing Group: Experience of Conducing an Umbrella Review on Loneliness Among Older Adults | | |
Submitted By: Ken Hok-man HO
Background:
Published online in Jan 2026, this Umbrella Review recommends 3 points to mitigate
older adults’ loneliness:
- Social facilitation interventions that provide synchronized interaction, psychological therapies, health and social care provision, and animal (−assisted) interventions are recommended
- Leisure/skill development and befriending interventions warrant more rigorous evidence.
- Facilitators to participation are group settings, synchronized interaction and purpose-driven; barriers are technological and safety issues.
Reflection:
This is the first time for this SIG-IED writing group to produce an umbrella review. As such, it took longer than usual to complete this project because team members spent time to familiarize with the methodology of umbrella review. Since SIG-IED is a community of practice among members of NHCGNE, on top of developing a shared research interest (e.g., loneliness in this case), efficiently drawing on resources from team members and providing opportunities for mentoring were identified as effective
strategies to produce quality output. For example, a team member was able to provide access to COVIDENCE to support project management and collaboration between team members from different time zones. Other team members were able to involve colleagues sharing same research interest, but not yet a member of NHCGNE, in this project. All these contributed to the success of this umbrella review
by facilitating the inclusion of various perspectives of scholars from Australia, Ghana, Hong Kong, Israel, Italy, and US.
Conclusion:
SIG-IED is an excellent platform for sparking off research ideas, and collaborate internationally. It facilitates the development of gerontological nurse researcher and educator.
Article: Oosterhouse, K., Atakro, C, A., Chan, J. H. M., Matsuo, Y., Zhang, Y. J., Parris, F., Mandebvu, F., Khalaila, R., Giannetta, N., Stievano, A., Song, Y., & Ho, K. H. M. (2026). Systematic reviews of psychosocial interventions for loneliness among older adults in community and residential care settings: An umbrella review. Journal of Advanced Nursing. https://doi.org/10.1111/jan.70464
| | Check Out This Edition's Top Reads! | | The Integration of AI in Nursing: Addressing Current Applications, Challenges, and Future Directions | | | | Artificial intelligence is increasingly influencing healthcare, providing transformative opportunities and challenges for nursing practice. This review critically evaluates the integration of AI in nursing, focusing on its current applications, limitations, and areas that require further investigation. A comprehensive analysis of recent studies highlights the use of AI in clinical decision support systems, patient monitoring, and nursing education. | | However, several barriers to successful implementation are identified, including technical constraints, ethical dilemmas, and the need for workforce adaptation. Significant gaps in the literature are also evident, such as the limited development of nursing-specific AI tools, insufficient long-term impact assessments, and the absence of comprehensive ethical frameworks tailored to nursing contexts. The potential of AI to reshape personalized care, advance robotics in nursing, and address global health challenges is explored in depth. This review integrates existing knowledge and identifies critical areas for future research, emphasizing the necessity of aligning AI advancements with the specific needs of nursing. Addressing these gaps is essential to fully harness AI's potential while reducing associated risks, ultimately enhancing nursing practice and improving patient outcomes. | | |
HIGN at NYU Meyers continues their partnership with NHCGNE!
From this partnership, NHCGNE Institutional Members receive a 50% discount and Individual Members receive a 25% discount to all HIGN online learning modules. Interested? Contact Dr. Ellarene Sanders for the discount code.
| | 2026 Western Institute of Nursing Conference | | |
Join WIN in San Francisco in April for the 59th Annual Communicating Nursing Research conference.
This year's theme is "Navigating the Currents in Healthcare and Academia: Bridging Research, Practice, and Education."
An early registration discount of $50 will be given to those who register by February 15, 2026.
| | | Academic/Scholarship Opportunities | | Adult-Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner. | | | | |
The School of Nursing at the University of Kansas Medical Center seeks a nurse faculty to support the Adult-Gerontology, Acute Care Nurse Practitioner (AGACNP) in the DNP nursing program. This full-time (12-month appointment), faculty position reports to the Chair, Department of Acute, Chronic, and Continuing Care. Appointment, rank and salary are commensurate with experience.
Key Roles and Responsibilities
| | The faculty member will be expected to fulfill the tripartite mission of the School of Nursing: teach, participate in service-related activities that support the school, and engage in clinical scholarship or practice. As an advanced practice nurse educator, the faculty member is encouraged to maintain a clinical practice. | | NHCGNE-NACNS Gerontological Nursing Courses | | |
NHCGNE has partnered with NACNS (National Association of Clinical Nurse Specialists) to present the following two gerontological nursing courses:
- Leadership on Aging Individual Caregiving
- Nursing for Aging Individuals
These courses are led by instructors who are NHCGNE members and accomplished nursing educators and leaders in their respective domains. Both on-demand classes offer the flexibility to be completed all at once or within 90 days.
| | Get Involved With NHCGNE! | | |
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Your generous donation will be instrumental in the development of new programs, such as our new grant program, and products and services that will enable us to continue to develop and strengthen gerontological nursing and leadership.
The importance of your contribution cannot be overstated. In addition to all the work that you already do on behalf of aging individuals, this gift further demonstrates your personal commitment to preparing our country with a competent gerontological nursing workforce. NHCGNE is a 501(c)3 organization and you can claim a deduction on your federal taxes.
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Do you have a research opportunity or ad you would like to include in our next newsletter? If so, please send any submissions to NHCGNE Staff at info@nhcgne.org with NHCGNE New Directions Submission in the subject line. The next deadline for submissions is February 15, 2026.
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| | Do you know any faculty or PhD student in your school or university that is not receiving New Directions? If so, please send their name and email address to info@nhcgne.org. | | | | |
