Diversity Key Theme at NLN Summit

The Power of Diversity in Nursing Education: Embracing Differences in Heritage & Thought

New York, NY – August 29, 2008 – The National League for Nursing will open its 2008 Education Summit next month, inviting members to reflect on how to nurture diversity in classrooms, clinical settings, scholarship, and curriculum. The Power of Diversity in Nursing Education: Embracing Differences in Heritage & Thought, the theme of this years four-day gathering in San Antonio, will begin on Wednesday, September 17 with remarks by keynote speaker Gloria L. Smith, PhD, MPH, RN, FAAN, FRCN, retired vice president of the W.K. Kellogg Foundation and American Academy of Nursing Living Legend.

"Our much anticipated annual Summit will, as always, allow those in advanced practice educator roles, responsible for preparing a nursing workforce to care for diverse populations, to explore new frontiers, inspire one another and exchange a wealth of ideas and information," said NLN CEO Beverly Malone, PhD, RN, FAAN. "Through presentations by leaders in nursing education, workshops, and seminars, the Summit will offer an avenue to fulfill the NLNs strategic goal to promote diversity across the entire spectrum of nursing education programs."

A sell-out event, the Summit is a time for nurse educators — who represent all types of nursing education programs, from doctoral to licensed practical nursing — to network and collaborate in a supportive, professional context. Elaborated NLN president, Elaine Tagliareni, EdD, RN, "Summit 2008 registrants hailing from nearly 500 schools of nursing representing most every state, and Japan and Mexico will attend panel discussions, workshops, and seminars that explore nursing education issues related to leadership, research, excellence, faculty and student mentoring, the impact of technology on the educational environment, and public policy."

Thursday mornings plenary session, moderated by Sr. Rosemary Donley, SC, PhD, C-NAP, RN, FAAN, will feature a panel of thought leaders on diversity who will challenge everyone present to reflect on the systems and policy-level changes needed to expand diversity in the nurse educator workforce to meet the needs of diverse learners.

Friday, September 19 features Dr. Malones CEO Summit address, Promoting Excellence in Nursing Education: Building a Diverse Nursing Workforce, which will focus on the NLNs commitment to diversity, how the voice for nursing education celebrates, embraces, and engages diversitys power as a 21st-century resource.

Saturday morning, September 20 is dedicated to several exciting general sessions: "Evaluating the Effectiveness of Learning by Simulation: How Far Have We Come and Where Do We Need to Go?," the second annual Debra L. Spunt Lecture, endowed by Laerdal Medical in recognition of the contributions to the advancement of simulation education by the late Ms. Spunt, the director of clinical simulation laboratories at the University of Maryland, will be delivered by Janet Grady, DrPH, RN, director of the nursing program at the University of Pittsburgh, Johnstown, and principal investigator of a project of the Office of Naval Research.

The ceremony announcing the NLNs 2008-2011 Centers of Excellence and research awards recipients takes place just prior to the NLN Business and Town Hall Meetings, presided over by Dr. Tagliareni.

The NLN Awards and Academy of Nursing Education Fellows Induction Ceremony at the annual banquet provide a perfect capstone to an invigorating conference. Three awards are to be presented this year: Outstanding Leadership in Nursing Education to Colleen Conway-Welch, PhD, RN, CNM, FAAN, FACNM; Outstanding Leadership to the NLN to NLN Foundation chair Kathryn M. Mershon, MSN, RN, CNAA, FAAN; and the NLN Isabel Hampton Robb Award for Lifetime Achievement to May Wykle, PhD, RN, FAAN, FGSA.

Twenty-four new fellows will be inducted into the Academy of Nursing Education, established by the NLN in 2007 to foster excellence in nursing education through the recognition of outstanding nurse educators. Fellows play a critical role in fostering excellence in nursing education by supporting the vision and mission of the NLN. They help promote standards of excellence to increase the number of graduates from all types of nursing programs, and they serve as resources for new educators, as well as colleagues in clinical practice.

For more information on the 2008 Education Summit, visit www.nln.org/Summit/index.htm.

Editors and reporters: For interview opportunities, if you would like to receive a complete Summit schedule, a program book containing all abstracts, or a copy of Dr. Malones address; or if you would like to attend, please contact NLN chief communications officer Karen R. Klestzick at 212-812-0376, kklestzick@nln.org.

Dedicated to excellence in nursing, the National League for Nursing is the premier organization for nurse faculty and leaders in nursing education offering faculty development, networking opportunities, testing services, nursing research grants, and public policy initiatives to its
27,000 individual and 1,200 institutional members.