December 9 - 2015 Recap

Recent statistics released by the NLN show that the nurse faculty shortage continues to be a key obstacle to expanding the capacity of nursing programs, especially doctoral programs. Fifty-three percent of doctoral programs reported that the lack of faculty continues to impede their growth. And that, colleagues, leads to the proverbial vicious circle: there are simply too few faculty to educate future faculty, and on and on and on.

On Giving Tuesday, we asked you to help remedy this situation with a gift to the NLN Foundation for Nursing Education and we had a generous response. Your support allows us to deliver professional development programs that inspire and educate and offer scholarships that enable experienced and ethnically diverse nurses prepare for full-time positions as nurse educators.

Recently, at the NLN Education Summit in Las Vegas, we announced five scholarship awards for a wonderful group of faculty. If you missed #GivingTuesday, there is still time to help the NLN Foundation support our future colleagues by sending your gift today. All gifts, small and large, will be put to the best possible use for nursing education.

We tend to think a lot about giving in December. The end of the year is also a good time to reflect on the NLN, our mission and core values, our vision, and the contributions of our members to the thoughtful work of the the NLN Centers for Nursing Education. In 2015, the NLN centers were highly productive. Here are some examples:

	In addition to three important Vision Statements developed by the NLN Center for Innovation in Simulation and Technology (on the changing role of faculty, on teaching with simulation, and on debriefing across the curriculum), we published The NLN Jeffries Simulation Theory, edited by Dr. Pamela Jeffries. The NLN Jeffries Simulation Model was developed more than 10 years ago. Now, based on significant scholarship, we have developed a midrange nursing theory that will have a broad impact on the science of nursing education.
	The NLN | Chamberlain College of Nursing Center for the Advancement of the Science of Nursing Education dedicated two issues of Nursing Education Perspectives to clinical simulation. We are so proud of the valuable research we published. Thanks once again to the busy Dean Pam Jeffries, who served as guest editor. I recommend her September-October editorial as an overview of how far we have come in simulation, and her November-December editorial on signs of maturity, particularly in specialty areas.
	Simulation Education Solutions for Nursing (SESN), recently launched by the National League for Nursing’s Center for Innovation in Simulation and Technology and Laerdal Medical, helps schools and programs successfully implement highly effective simulation training for nursing students.
	The NLN Center for Academic and Clinical Transitions, sponsored by Laerdal Medical and Wolters Kluwer, is moving forward with A2P, the Accelerating to Practice initiative. We have aligned A2P competencies with product resources and with new and complex simulation scenarios and piloting is planned for 2016.
	The NLN Center for Excellence in the Care of Vulnerable Populations has updated all Advancing Care Excellence (ACE) unfolding cases and added more teaching strategies for ACE.S (Seniors), ACE.V (Veterans), and ACE.Z (Alzheimer patients). ACE.D (People with Disabilities) will arrive in 2016 through a collaborative project with Villanova University and an ACE program geared to caregivers will follow.
	Right now, the NLN Center for Transformational Leadership is busy planning the 2016 NLN Leadership Conference focusing on interprofessional education (IPE) and Practice (IPP), February 4-6 in Atlanta. And while we’re on the topic of IPE, watch for the upcoming NLN Vision for Interprofessional Collaboration in Education and Practice, due out in January.

Our mission is your mission – to build a strong and diverse nursing workforce to advance the health of our nation and the global community through the promotion of excellence in nursing education. With your support we will continue on that path.

In closing, I must mention the devastating violence that occurred recently in California. Our hearts and prayers go out to those victims who are recovering and to the families, friends, and co-workers who lost loved ones in this tragedy. We know that the first responders – nurses, physicians, the entire health care team, as well as police officers – have been involved in reaffirming the value of life by the care delivered in hospitals and the community. One of the things I love most about nursing is the constant reaffirmation of life manifest through our hands, our voice, and in that indomitable spirit that believes that caring makes a difference. We are privileged to be nurses and to take part in healing the world. Good health and good cheer for the holidays. Merry Christmas, happy Hanukkah, and happy Kwanzaa. The new year, 2016, will be here quickly, so please slow down and be good to yourself. Be creative and innovative and find ways to make you and your loved ones smile. All the best,


Beverly Malone, PhD, RN, FAAN
Chief Executive Officer

PS. This exciting news came in just as we were "going to press.” Dr. Judith Shamian, the president of the International Council of Nurses (ICN) announced the appointment of Dr. Frances Hughes as ICN’s new chief executive officer. Dr. Hughes will take up the post in February. Congratulations Dr. Hughes.