It is with deep sorrow that the Association of Rehabilitation Nurses (ARN) share news of the passing of our esteemed and beloved 2023-2024 Board President, Mary Ellen Hatch, MSN RN CRRN FARN, on Sunday, November 12, 2023, following an unexpected medical emergency.  Let's take a moment to reflect on her outstanding achievements within ARN and the rehabilitation nursing world.

The Association of Rehabilitation Nurses (ARN) and the Association Management Center (AMC) are regretful to announce the passing of ARN and AMC co-founder Dagny Engle, RN CAE, on January 2, 2023.  

The Association of Rehabilitation Nurses (ARN) membership voted to approve new members to their leadership board, who were installed during ARN's 2022 Rehabilitation Nursing Conference on September 23, 2022 in San Diego, CA.

Thank you to all our 2022 Abstract Reviewers who volunteered their time! Your hard work and dedication will help make ARN's 2022 Annual Rehabilitation Nursing Conference a success. Over 100 submissions were reviewed and scored by our incredible group of dedicated volunteer Abstract Reviewers.

The relationships rehabilitation nurses form with their patients is key to helping patients get back to what matters most after a life-altering injury or illness. There's a reason many patients return to the hospital to thank their nurses after discharge. Encompass Health's Vice President of Nursing Operations and ARN board member Mary Ellen Hatch shares how the Company provides opportunities and support to nurses so they can continue providing the best care possible. Learn more

As hospitals across the nation struggle with retaining nurses, one Massachusetts rehabilitation hospital has been able to not only retain nurses but also improve nursing retention rates and trust throughout the pandemic. What's its secret? According to nursing leadership at Encompass Health Rehabilitation Hospital of Western Massachusetts, it's all about communication and keeping staff informed. Learn more >

A recent U.S. News & World Report's Second Opinion blog post has provided an update about key changes introduced in this year's upcoming Best Hospitals for Rehabilitation rankings, in which they plan to debut objective quality measurement of rehabilitation. This post previews the methodology for the rankings that will be published July 28, 2020.

U.S. News and its data contractor, RTI International, invite feedback from hospitals, professional associations, and other stakeholders. As noted in the blog post, stakeholders are welcome to submit comments or recommendations to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. by March 10, 2020. While they may not be able to provide detailed responses, RTI will acknowledge and carefully review with U.S. News all feedback received.

The final methodology and embargoed rankings will be disseminated to hospitals via the U.S. News Dashboard on July 9, 3 weeks before publication of the 2020-21 Best Hospitals rankings on usnews.com. U.S. News & World Report will also share the final methodology via email with key rehabilitation associations at that time. 

Read the full blog post on the U.S. News website.

The National Quality Forum (NQF) was founded with the goal of improving care for every person, and from our founding, transparent measurement has been recognized as a powerful lever to advance patient-centered care and empower consumers. Our mission and vision rely on collaboration to address priorities common to diverse stakeholders. Bringing all voices together at the same time to discuss key issues is central to driving measurable health improvements. 

The American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine (ACRM) awarded Chris MacDonell, CARF International's managing director of medical rehabilitation and international aging services/medical rehabilitation, with the 2019 John Stanley Coulter Award. As the award recipient, Chris will present the award plenary, An Around the World Perspective: Moving the Needle on Rehabilitation Medicine and Research on November 5 during the opening session of the ACRM Annual Conference in Chicago. 

The International Council of Nurses' Board is pleased to announce the appointment of Mr. Howard Catton as the ICN's permanent Chief Executive Officer.

ICN Board President Annette Kennedy, announcing the decision, said, "The Board and I are delighted with Howard's appointment. He has the vision, tenacity and commitment to maximise the opportunities ahead for the ICN, its members and partners, not only in 2020, the Year of the Nurse, but for the years to come. Howard has been a great support for me during my presidency and a wonderful colleague for many years, and with him, ICN will have stability and a really great future."

ARN is partnering with Healthy Nurse, Healthy Nation. Start preparing now to participate in Healthy Nurse, Healthy Nation to lead into lots of fun activities at the ARN annual conference, REACH 2019!

There's more than one way to avoid burnout. One approach to burnout prevention is ensuring that your personal agency never drops to a low level. For the purpose of this blog, personal agency is defined as your ability to get things done. ​Burnout ​is the perception that you cannot change your environment, thus you have no personal agency.

ARN is partnering with Healthy Nurse, Healthy Nation. Start preparing now to participate in Healthy Nurse, Healthy Nation to lead into lots of fun activities at the ARN annual conference, REACH 2019!

You spend so much time caring for others that you put yourself last. Your mind and body deserve some me-time.