NLN Announces Alliance to Strengthen Local Focus on Nursing Education

NLN Announces Alliance to Strengthen Local Focus on Nursing Education

Alliance of Leagues for Nursing Will Support State, Local & Regional Initiatives & Advocacy

Washington, DC — In a move to provide State Leagues of Nursing with decision-making control over how best to meet the needs of local constituents, the National League for Nursing announces the creation of the Alliance of Leagues for Nursing. Effective January 1, 2025, this new group will replace the NLN Constituent Leagues for Nursing.

Although the Alliance will operate independently, it is committed to a clear mission closely aligned with that of the National League for Nursing—to promote excellence in nursing education to build a strong and diverse nursing workforce to advance the health of our nation and global community by focusing on nursing education at the local, state, and regional levels.

The inaugural Alliance leadership team includes Steadman McPeters of Alabama as chair, Lisa Thomas of Massachusetts/Rhode Island as vice chair, and Susan Chandler of New Jersey as secretary. All three were members of the NLN Alliance Committee that created the framework and timetable for implementing the transition from Constituent Leagues to the Alliance. During this process, the National League for Nursing consulted with Constituent Leagues of every size and representing the full scope of their geographic diversity. 

“As networking tools and digital communications have become widely accessible, it was time to provide the state and local affiliates with greater independence so they can focus on the positive changes and improvements in nursing education most needed within their individual geographic areas,” said NLN Chair Patricia Sharpnack, DNP, RN, CNE, NEA-BC, ANEF, FAAN, Dean and Strawbridge Professor at the Breen School of Nursing and Health Professions at Ursuline College in Ohio.

“The new Alliance of League of Nursing presents an opportunity for the local organizations to redesign their operations to benefit their communities of nurse educators and at the same time, maintain their connection to one another and to the National League for Nursing as we all engage in the common goal to advance nursing education,” said NLN President and CEO Beverly Malone, PhD, RN, FAAN. 

Among the advantages of joining the Alliance are opportunities to collaborate on best practices and participate in joint programming initiatives and partnerships for professional development that generate evidence for the scholarship of teaching at the state and local level.

Participation in virtual and in-person gatherings held throughout the year to exchange ideas and support the Alliance is also a key requirement of Alliance membership. Although National League for Nursing membership is not mandated to join the Alliance, those Alliance members who do maintain League membership will have access to a dedicated Alliance community on NLN Connect, a members-only online resource for community building, engagement and collaboration.

More information about the Alliance of Leagues for Nursing will be shared on NLN.org.

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