Driving Policy and Advocacy Conversations
By Jennifer Kim
To fulfill GAPNA’s mission of “promoting excellence in advanced practice nursing for the well-being of older adults,” the Health Affairs Committee drives policy and advocacy conversations focused on older adults and those involved in their care.
Committee Objectives
- Leverage established relationships to advance policy priorities.
- Disseminate policy statements that reflect GAPNA’s mission, vision, and guiding principles.
- Engage members in advocacy activities.
Strategic Objectives
- Maintain relationships with government officials, organizations, employers, and key stakeholders, educating them on issues affecting older adults.
- Advocate for legislation, regulation, and financing opportunities that will optimize the health and care of older adults.
Policy Priorities
Care of Older Adults. Engage in opportunities that promote the role of APRNs with specific focus on removing barriers to practice that impact the quality of health care provided to older adults across diverse settings. Examples include:
- Remove practice and reimbursement barriers.
- Promote policy:
- Remove restrictions by sharing APRN outcomes related to the safety, health, and care of older adults.
- Create innovating models of care that leverage the expertise of an APRN with specific education and training in care of older adults.
Geriatric Workforce. Address the gap between the healthcare needs of an aging population and number of clinicians adequately trained to provide these services. Examples include:
- Promoting the Gerontological Specialist (GS) certification examination.
- Facilitating training of interprofessional team members caring for older adults.
- Supporting caregivers.
Jennifer Kim, DNP, GNP-BC, GS-C, FNAP, FAANP
jennifer.kim@vanderbilt.edu