“Nurse Competence in Aging (NCA) is an initiative to improve the quality of health care older adults receive by enhancing the geriatric competence—the knowledge, skills and attitudes—of the 400,000 nurses who are professionally identified as members of approximately 57 specialty nursing associations. Nurse Competence in Aging is committed to:

“Enhancing Geriatric Activities of National Specialty Nursing Associations Associations apply for grant funding and receive technical assistance to move forward with geriatric best practice initiatives. Funded associations are designated ANA-SNAPGs, or American Nurses Association-Specialty Nursing Association Partners in Geriatrics.

“Promoting Gerontological Nursing Certification to encourage specialty nurses to obtain dual certification and validate their geriatric competence along with their specialty expertise. Scholarships available!

“Providing a Web-based Comprehensive Geriatric Nursing Resource Center GeroNurseOnline is a comprehensive website providing current best practice information on care of older adults. We invite you to explore GeroNurseOnline and become a Gero Smart Nurse!

“Nurse Competence in Aging was a 5-year initiative funded by The Atlantic Philanthropies (USA) Inc., awarded to the American Nurses Association (ANA) through the American Nurses Foundation (ANF), and represented a strategic alliance among ANA, the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) and the John A. Hartford Foundation Institute for Geriatric Nursing, New York University.”

SOURCE: ANA, 2007.