April 4, 2018 | NLN CEO Update on Simulation and Technology

Did you know the NLN was an early proponent of the use of technology in nursing education? More than 30 years ago, our tech guru Dr. Diane Skiba co-authored, with Dr. Judith Ronald, a monograph titled Guidelines for Basic Computer Education in Nursing published by the NLN in 1987. I am proud that the NLN has been a leader in this area from the beginning — just one example of the 125 years of leadership in nursing education that will be a highlight of Summit 2018, September 12–14 in Chicago.

I am proud also that as leaders in nursing education we have played a critical role in the advancement of online education, informatics, and simulation. And our role and ambitions continue to expand. As stated in our 2015 Vision Statement "The Changing Faculty Role: Preparing Students for the Technological World of Health Care," the NLN is "committed to faculty excellence in using emerging technologies to advance the health of the nation." In that document we note "the need to reframe how nursing students are taught and how graduates engage with patients and their caregivers in the connected age of health care." We also establish a series of goals for the NLN that involve collaboration and partnerships, faculty development, and the development of shared teaching and learning resources.

To tell you what we are doing and how we are doing it, I must first tell you about the NLN Center for Innovation in Simulation and Technology. This Center, led by Excelsior Director Dr. Susan Forneris, focuses on three areas: How do I enhance my knowledge? How do I reach my students? How do I stay current?

The Center provides a number of different faculty development opportunities. For example, we sponsor three simulation educator institutes (Spring, Summer, Fall), 3.5 days of intensive training for faculty in the use of simulation in keeping with guidelines established by the National Council of State Boards of Nursing (NCSBN). Faculty new to simulation dive into the International Nursing Association for Clinical Simulation and Learning (INACSL) standards; learn how to thoughtfully integrate simulation into the curriculum; and develop foundational skills in debriefing, facilitating simulations, and evaluating student learning outcomes.

For schools looking for a comprehensive faculty development approach, the Center offers SESN (Simulation Education Solutions for Nursing) workshops on your campus to work directly with your faculty. SESN workshops focus broadly on simulation foundations or specifically on debriefing, evaluation, or curriculum integration.

Then there is NLN OnDemand, online continuing education courses taught by experts. Two of the four courses currently available provide individual faculty development in the use of technology. Dr. Jone Tiffany presents "Enhanced Learning through Technology," and Dr. Sue Forneris presents "Teaching Thinking: Enhancing Student Learning." (See Sue's book, Critical Conversations: The NLN Guide for Teaching Thinking, 2017.)

The Center also launched the online Coaching for Excellence in Nursing course, a component of the NLN Laerdal Accelerating to Practice (A2P) program, which is now in the pilot-testing phase. This five-hour asynchronous course immerses a faculty cohort in an active learning experience to develop skills in developing thoughtful teaching and learning conversations with students. The course consists of five tutorials, each followed by a challenge. Faculty videotape their responses as they respond to each challenge using the skills they acquired in the tutorial. An NLN consultant then reviews the videotape and provides online feedback. What a wonderful and creative way to engage in dialogue.

By now, I'm sure, you are familiar with the SIRC, that is, our Simulation Innovation Resource Center. The SIRC is rich in resources, and you will find it helpful to spend some time exploring the site. Key features include 15 online courses that provide foundational content knowledge for faculty, plus a number of free resources: an annotated bibliography of publications related to simulation topics, a list with links to simulation vendors, and links to NLN simulation research tools. The SIRC site also houses Home Grown Solutions — an initiative in partnership with INACSL that features low-cost ideas for educators to enhance the fidelity of simulation scenarios when budgets are tight and time is scarce.

And that brings me to something for which I am most proud. Along with all its many programs and initiatives, the Center for Innovation and Technology has been influential in developing simulation leaders through the NLN Leadership Institute. Alumni of the Leadership Program for Simulation Educators come from all parts of the country and are educating nursing students in all types of nursing education programs. Some alumni contribute to the NLN TEQ blog, a lively resource designed to keep you up-to-date with the latest innovations. Ideas for blog topics are pitched to an editorial advisory board, and all blogs go through a peer review process before being posted, with NLN staff managing the process. You can follow the blog and pick a delivery schedule that suits you. Don't miss out on these wonderful posts. You will learn about the latest in e-learning and the world of telehealth along with blogs covering managing standardized patients, HomeGrown Solutions, and much more. As a TEQ blog subscriber, you will be inspired and engaged — and that is our greatest wish.

Finally, let me encourage you once more to register now for Summit 2018. A highlight of all NLN Summits is the Deborah L. Spunt Lecture, sponsored by Laerdal Medical in memory of Dr. Spunt, the first president of INACSL and a leader in the NLN's early efforts to transform nursing education through the use of simulation. This year Dr. Sue Forneris will deliver the address, "On the Shoulders of Giants: Building Innovation in Teaching Excellence." She will guide us in celebration of previous Spunt lecturers, leaders in simulation who will join her on the stage. And she will begin a dialogue about the future role the NLN will take to transform teaching and learning, building on the extraordinary work of simulation's pathfinders. We will grow wise together and collectively explore ways to co-create innovation in teaching excellence.

The Spunt lecture is just one special part of an exciting lineup of events and presentations at this anniversary Summit. I'll talk more about the program in my next Member Update. In the meantime take a look at the schedule and register now. You will definitely want to part of Summit 2018. I look forward to seeing you in Chicago at the NLN's 125th Anniversary Celebration.

Survey finds nurses not getting exercise they need for their health, Learn More. Legislation to Address Colorado's Nursing Shortage Signed Into Law, Read More. National Public Health Week 2018 is April 2–6, Support Today. Celebrate 125 years of NLN leadership in nursing education at #NLNSummit18 — Early Bird Registration is Open Register Today.

Next Issue of the NLN Member Update: Wednesday, April 18, 2018. View previous issues of NLN Member Update »