Registration Opens for National League for Nursing 2015 Education Summit Bridging Practice and Education: A New World of Innovation & Technology

Washington, DC, April 9, 2015—The Entertainment Capital of the World will feature a different kind of entertainment for three days this fall, as the National League for Nursing brings its 2015 Education Summit to Las Vegas, Wednesday, September 30 through Friday, October 2. In this case, what happens in Vegas will, without a doubt, leave Vegas, as Summit participants return energized and enlightened to their schools of nursing across the spectrum of higher education, and to clinics, hospitals, and allied health care organizations.

Summit attendees – faculty, deans, and administrators of nursing schools, other health care professionals – glean wisdom from thought leaders and participate in the exchange of information and ideas. The gathering is also an occasion to celebrate professional achievement, an opportunity for formal and informal networking and mentoring; and just plain fun. Early bird registration is advised; capacity attendance is anticipated.

“A little bit of magic always happens at the Summit,” said NLN CEO Beverly Malone, PhD, RN, FAAN. “It’s hard to predict what those moments will be, and they differ for everyone, but suffice to say, that I will be excited to welcome my esteemed colleagues to Las Vegas on behalf of the NLN and do my part to facilitate what is bound to be another amazing Summit experience.”

Added Marsha Howell Adams, PhD, RN, CNE, FAAN, ANEF, NLN president and dean of the College of Nursing at the University of Alabama-Huntsville: “There is truly no better way for nurse educators to recharge than to participate in the Summit. This yearly must-attend event embodies the NLN’s multi-faceted mission to promote excellence in nursing education to build a strong and diverse nursing workforce to advance the health of our nation and the global community. Two words of advice: register today.”

Wednesday evening’s keynote speaker is Molly K. McCarthy, MBA, RN, chief nursing strategist for US Health & Life Sciences at Microsoft. An expert on the intersecting roles of technology, business development, clinical productivity, and patient outcomes in health care, Ms. McCarthy will present “Transforming Care Through Data and Technology.”

“Faculty is the linchpin to cultivating a nursing workforce prepared to embrace the development, implementation, and evaluation of technology in health care settings,” Ms. McCarthy writes. Her talk will cover the importance of technology in enabling nurses to care for patients across the care continuum. Specifically, she will spotlight increased clinical productivity and patient engagement and describe how these elements relate to nursing education and the preparation of future nurses.

The Debra L. Spunt Lecture, funded by Laerdal Medical, is another Summit highlight. On Thursday morning, this year’s speaker, Bonnie Driggers, MS, MPA, RN, professor emeritus in the Oregon Health and Science University School of Nursing in Portland, will present “Thinking Ahead: Strategic Planning and Collaboration – Keys to Successful Simulation Programs.”  The NCSBN Simulation Study has shown that simulation-based education is working, supporting this methodology in nursing education. “We all know stories of organizations that bought simulation equipment and built facilities without a plan in place for the use of simulation-based education strategies,” said Ms. Driggers. “My presentation will discuss the keys to successful implementation.”

Abstracts are available online for participants to select which sessions to attend, based on individual needs and interests. First-time Summit attendees are urged to take advantage of “Navigating the Summit,” a special welcoming and orientation session on Wednesday afternoon, just before the official Opening Session and Keynote Address.

In addition to the Summit’s full schedule of outstanding presentations, workshops, symposia, and posters, participants will not want to miss the other exciting activities in store:

• Thursday afternoon’s annual CEO Summit Address, delivered by Dr. Malone
• Friday morning’s National Faculty Meeting, our “town hall,” which offers a chance to discuss issues of common concern with the NLN Board of Governors
• The President’s Reception and NLN Banquet on Friday evening, a celebration of the induction of the new fellows into the NLN Academy of Nursing Education, the newly designated NLN Centers of Excellence, and the recipients of the NLN Awards.
• Pre-Summit Workshops on a variety of professional development topics, eligible for CEU credit

For complete information about the 2015 Education Summit, including online registration, visit www.nln.org/Summit.

Dedicated to excellence in nursing, the National League for Nursing is the premier organization for nurse faculty and leaders in nursing education. The NLN offers faculty development, networking opportunities, testing services, nursing research grants, and public policy initiatives to its more than 40,000 individual and more than 1,200 institutional members, comprising nursing education programs across the spectrum of higher education and health care organizations.