By Hunter Carter
University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Nursing Associate Professor Natalie Baker DNP, CRNP, GNP-BC, ANP-BC, CNE, GS-C, FAANP (BSN 1985, MSN 1990, DNP 2010), has been elected president of the Gerontological Advanced Practice Nurses Association (GAPNA).
GAPNA is the only nursing organization exclusively devoted to advanced practice registered nurses providing health care to older adults and represents the interests of APRNs who work with older adults in various practice settings. GAPNA has more than 2,700 members who are actively engaged in policy initiatives, research and education related to multifaceted issues confronting this vulnerable patient population. GAPNA also serves as the go-to organization for advanced practice registered nurses pursuing continuing education in gerontological care and who seek peer support from experienced clinicians.
“It was a humbling experience to be elected,” said Baker. “I am appreciative of the support and mentoring I have received at the UAB SON. As GAPNA's President, I will oversee the seven-member board of directors, work closely with our national office and represent GAPNA at various national conferences. I will continue to foster partnerships with national organizations with mutual goals of supporting advanced practice registered nurses and improving the lives of all older adults.”
Baker added that while she is president, she will progress the future of GAPNA by leading the development of new strategic goals for the next five years, continue to be an active stakeholder in numerous national coalitions and seek new opportunities for dissemination of their work.
Baker has been a member of the GAPNA since 2011, where she has served on the board of directors, co-authored articles and received funding for a pilot study. During the COVID-19 pandemic, she co-authored the “Addressing Nursing Home Safety During the COVID-19 Pandemic and Beyond” position statement, and recently she co-authored an article in the Journal of Nursing Education that emphasized the need for adult gerontological nurse practitioners and family nurse practitioners to have clinical experience in the long-term care setting during their educational training.
Other UABSON faculty and alumni will also be active at GAPNA’s annual conference, held in a hybrid format, Sept. 30-Oct. 2, 2021 in San Diego. Assistant Dean for Clinical and Community Programs and Associate Professor Michele Talley, PhD, CRNP, ACNP-BC, FAANP (MSN 2005, PhD 2015), is the conference planning chair and giving a poster presentation. Co-Coordinator for the Adult-Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner Specialty Track and Instructor Rebecca Suttle, DNP, RN, AGACNP-BC (BSN 2010, MSN 2014, DNP 2018), Somali Nguyen, DNP, MSN, AGACNP-BC, and Patricia Speck, DNSc, CRNP-FACULTY, FNP-BC, DF-IAFN, DF-AFN, FAAFS, FAAN, both will be giving poster presentations.