There is a new association for Long Term Care Nurses.

The American Association for Long Term Care Nursing (AALTCN) unites all levels nursing staff to advance excellence in the specialty of long term care nursing. It strives to achieve this by providing relevant education and advocating for long term care nursing. As the nations largest network of caregivers, the American Association for Long Term Care Nursing strives to:

Unite
To promote optimal teamwork and achieve common goals, the various nursing caregivers need to work together. Recognizing this, AALTCN provides services and advocates for all nursing staff: nursing administrators, LPNs, RNs, staff development directors, nursing assistants, assessment coordinators, and nurse practitioners. The Association also provides an efficient and effective means for business partners to deliver a consistent message to all levels of long term care staff.

Educate
AALTCN provides relevant educational resources that bridge current best practices with managerial and clinical activities. Educational programs are tailored to meet the unique learning needs and style of various levels of adult learners, enabling the same topics to be presented through different methodology to achieve common outcomes.

Advocate
AALTCN advocates for an improved status and voice for long term care nursing staff. The Association encourages respect for long term care nursing staff by informing colleagues and consumers about the complexities, competencies, and commitment of the special caregivers who commit to this specialty.

More from their web site:

Become an AALTCN member
There are associations that represent specific categories of employees, but the American Association for Long Term Care Nursing is the only one that promotes the importance and advances excellence in practice for the entire nursing department of long-term care facilities. By addressing issues that affect the entire nursing team and promoting measures to foster unity in meeting shared goals, AALTCN removes fragmenting silos to promote working relationships that support a caring culture. Improved resident care, higher levels of staff and consumer satisfaction, and reduced turnover are some of the outcomes of this approach.

AALTCN offers measurable benefits to members by providing education resources and support that will enhance the development of each member of the nursing team. Members will receive educational resources that are designed to meet the unique learning needs and style of different levels of staff. Anticipated results are improved quality of resident care, higher levels of consumer satisfaction, decreased staff turnover, and increased team harmony.

Benefits:

There is a single membership fee that includes the entire nursing department and entitles them to:
# Subscription to The LTC Nurse, AALTCN’s official publication containing current long-term care news and educational modules for the nursing department
# Access to relevant educational materials, including Train the Trainer and Certificate Programs
# Discounts at national and regional conferences, seminars, and other live educational programs
# Opportunities for networking and sharing of resources
# Scholarships: as a 501(c)(3) organization, contributions are sought to support movement up the career ladder for staff committed to long-term care nursing
# Representation on national committees and with national initiatives
# Website job market to find and post job opportunities
# And more.

Mission:

* Unite various categories of long-term care nursing staff
* Provide relevant educational resources that bridge current best practices with bedside practice
* Bring visibility and respect to long-term care nursing caregivers
* Advocate for long-term care nursing caregivers
* Support and promote excellence in care for consumers of long-term care

Sounds great. I am abit saddened that CNA’s are not included, apparently, in this venture. CNA’s afterall, are the back bone of Long Term Care and are the direct care givers. I plan to email the folks who are running this group and ask them about including CNA’s and offering some benefits for them as well.