President's Message

President's Update: Exciting Times and Opportunities Ahead!

By Ann Kriebel-Gasparro

“Beautiful young people are accidents of nature, but beautiful old people are works of art.” - Eleanor Roosevelt

Hello, GAPNA family!

As I continue my year as President of GAPNA, I am excited about many things GAPNA is involved in planning and moving forward in.

Registration for GAPNA’s Annual Conference in San Antonio, Texas, is open. I hope to see many of you there where there will be many exciting programs and networking opportunities! Please share this with your colleagues and students!

Earn Your Gerontological Specialist Certification

The GS-C exam can be scheduled online and has many locations for live test taking. The requirements, application, and test sites can be accessed at https://www.gapna.org/certification. The study materials and webinars are available in the GAPNA Online Library and are very helpful. I highly recommend taking the exam to become a Gerontological Specialist-Certified! Once you pass the exam, you will earn these initials after your last degrees: GS-C

Thank you to GAPNA’s Volunteer Leaders!

I and the board are immensely grateful to all the leaders and members who serve on committees, SIGs, and chapter boards at the state level. Without you, GAPNA would not maintain its status as the premier organization for older adults. Thank you all for your commitment to caring for older adults and for your wonderful ideas! Huge thanks to the members who often work behind the scenes that make GAPNA an awesome and welcoming organization: Michael Brennan - Executive Director; Erin Macartney - Association Service Manager; and Meghan Cash - Membership Coordinator.

Thank you to GAPNA’s Volunteer Leaders!

Last year, GAPNA formed a DEI Task Force, co-chaired by Val Flattes and Sharon Bronner. Their work has been going strong. GAPNA’s DEI Task Force is committed to the inclusion and value of all members and the communities they serve. Read GAPNA’s current Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion statement.

The upcoming year will offer more opportunities and campaigns to increase student member engagement. Numerous chapters, committees, and SIGS exchange ideas during our monthly meetings. Join one of GAPNA’s volunteer groups at any time to advance your practice. - Volunteer Opportunities | Gerontological Advanced Practice Nurses Association (GAPNA)

Now let’s look at climate change and climate health (aka planetary heath) that will be critical to the health of our older adult patients and community members. Many nursing organizations have jumped on the climate and environmental health bandwagon – and I strongly believe GAPNA should be on it as well! We are looking forward to one of the ‘hottest summers on record,’ and preparing is key.

As GAPNA’s liaison to the Alliance of Nurses for Healthy Environments (ANHE), I am committed to sharing with all members education, engagement opportunities, and environmental news to help improve care for our older adults in the interest of serving and protecting our older adult population.

Please feel free to join any of the initiatives and webinars sponsored by ANHE. They are usually free and educational, and you can become as active as you desire as an advocate for climate action. ANHE is a hub of many organizations invested in climate health, inlcuding air quality, particulate matter issues, and much more. There are opportunities for engagement and advocacy in every state. You can explore here: https://envirn.org

I welcome your feedback on anything shared on the Exchange and items you would like to see more of. Your continued membership and service have firmly positioned GAPNA as the leading organization for gerontological APRNs and healthcare professionals. As I continue my presidency, I want to thank all of you for your commitment, leadership, engagement, and compassion in serving the older adult population.

Ann Kriebel-Gasparro, DrNP, FNP-BC, GNP-BC, GS-C, FAANP
President
Ann.kriebel@gmail.com