August 18 - The NLN and Global Health

This summer has seen the spread of Ebola across four countries in West Africa. At least 80 health care workers have died from the disease, and two American workers have been brought to the United States for treatment. Along with the enormous public health concerns there are many ethical concerns to consider. This epidemic is of worldwide significance for nursing education and will be studied in schools of nursing for years to come.

When the NLN Board of Governors expanded our mission statement this year to encompass the advancement of health in the global community, we were not thinking of Ebola virus disease. But as a key player in creating a worldwide community of nurse educators to address and influence issues related to excellence in nursing education, we have long been aware of how interconnected we are with our global colleagues. Working with the ICNEN - the International Council of Nurses Education Network – we have developed a network of educators who share our vision for the promotion of excellence in nursing education. And that means preparing our students to respond to public health emergencies of all kinds.

Nurses are key to providing care at the bedside for patients affected with Ebola, educating the public about this communicable disease, and helping to establish a public health infrastructure that will lead to prevention. My heart goes out to all caregivers on the front lines, as well as to patients and their families. We truly live in a small and interconnected world.

August 29 NLN Elections Close August 31 Education Summit: Second Early Bird Rates End September 17-20 NLN Education Summit September 30 Leadership Institute Applications Due October 15 Centers of Excellence Initial Applications Due October 24-26 9th Annual NLN/Elsevier Technology Conference November 1 NLN/North Carolina League for Nursing CNE Prep Course November 14 NLN/Sacred Heart University CNE Prep Course Alzheimer’s Disease Has Been Reversed in Mice. Six Schools of Nursing Named National League for Nursing Centers of Excellence in Nursing Education for 2014-18 Apply to the 2015 #NLN LEAD Program. 10 Signs and Symptoms of Nurse Fatigue

The NLN Center for Diversity and Global Initiatives, under the leadership of Dr. Virginia Adams, launched upon our move to Washington, has been seeking collaborative opportunities here and abroad to advance global health through the education of nurses. The League has members worldwide who share our vision. Watch for the forthcoming NLN vision statement on global health education to be introduced at the 2015 NLN Leadership Conference, "Co-Creating a Collaborative Culture" (San Antonio, February 5-7).

It's hard to believe that a year has passed since the NLN moved to our beautiful headquarters in the historic Watergate building overlooking the Potomac. Our goal, then and now, is to build on our mission and core values in the Centers for Excellence in Nursing Education that constitute the NLN Home for Transformative Excellence.

I will be talking more about the vision for all our centers during my keynote address next month at the NLN Education Summit in Phoenix (September 17-20). The context will be the NLN vision for transformation, and the initiatives we are taking and envision for meaningful change. I have no doubt you will be interested in learning about the scope of all that entails and how our actions can have an impact on your practice as an educator. For those who learn best through the written word, I recommend an article in the summer issue of the NLN Report that outlines our initiatives in detail. The newsletter is in the mail and is available online now.

Naturally, all this did not happen in a single year. But you can imagine how inspirational our new home has been. Be sure to put the eighth floor of the Watergate on your list of sites to visit when you come to town. We love company, and we love to share our new space with our colleagues.

Now a comment on something else in the news, the tragic death of the beloved comedian and actor Robin Williams. I like to remember the times Robin Williams made me laugh - or cry - in many of his more poignant roles in film. Naturally, the nature of his death has led to much discussion about depression and suicide. With my background in psychiatric nursing, this discussion is not new to me. But I thought it might help to provide a link to the Suicide Prevention Resource Center. Clearly this is another topic of importance for the nursing classroom.

Finally, have you registered for our updated mobile site for Nursing Education Perspectives? The NLN research journal has been online and open to NLN members for ages. In fact, the site was developed for the personal computer, well before we all had smartphones and tablets. Now, after you register and create a password, you will be able to read articles configured for your device, any time, anywhere. The articles in Nursing Education Perspectives touch on important areas of nursing education research. Plus there are research briefs, articles on innovative teaching strategies, and the latest on emerging technologies by Dr. Diane Skiba.

If writing an article for Nursing Education Perspectives is one of your goals, plan to meet the editors - Drs. Joyce Fitzpatrick, Barbara Patterson, and Linda Caputi - at a special session at the Summit, Friday September 19 at 3:30 pm. That is just one of several amazing special sessions planned for this Summit. The time to register is now; prices go up August 31.

See you at the Summit. September will be here before we know it.

All best wishes,


Beverly Malone, PhD, RN, FAAN
Chief Executive Officer

Next Issue of the NLN Member Update: September 15, 2014. View previous issues of NLN Member Update »