February 21, 2018 | NLN CEO Update on NCLEX Testing | Education Summit

Did you know that the chair of the meeting that spawned the American Society of Superintendents of Training Schools for Nurses in 1893 was 34-year-old Isabel Hampton, superintendent of nurses and principal of the training school at the new Johns Hopkins School of Nursing? Prior to joining Johns Hopkins, Hampton was superintendent of the Illinois Training School for Nurses at the Cook County Hospital, where she implemented reforms including a grading policy for nursing students, who would now need to prove their competency to be qualified as nurses. We will learn more about Isabel Hampton Robb (Robb was her married name) next fall in Chicago at the NLN Education Summit 2018, "Celebrating 125 Years of Leadership in Nursing Education." You can register today.

It's quite amazing to think that there was a day when proving competence as a nurse was not required. Now, competence is practically our middle name, which reminds me: I have an important message from the National Council of State Boards of Nursing (NCSBN) about potential changes to the NCLEX examinations. The council produces a new quarterly publication, The Next Generation NCLEX, which provides information about the research being done to bring context to the exam and develop innovative item types that can validly and reliably measure clinical judgment and decision-making in nursing practice. To keep up to date, subscribe to their newsletter by visiting the NCSBN subscription page and selecting Next Generation NCLEX. You'll also find other valuable NCSBN resources to select.

And better yet...chief officer of operations and examinations for NCSBN, Phil Dickison, PhD, who heads the research division and manages NCLEX, will speak at our Summit about the updates. Be sure to be there and take advantage of this special opportunity.

The twists and turns of nursing education are inevitable in an ever-changing health care environment. The NLN has made some recent changes that I want to tell you about. You will recall that when we moved our headquarters to Washington, DC, just about five years ago (August 2013), we reorganized NLN programming into seven virtual centers. This past fall, in efforts to work toward long-term sustainability, we initiated a new mission-aligned business model. The excellent products and services we provide will remain the same but how they are managed may change. Let me provide some details.

First, we now have four centers under the direction of one chief program officer, Dr. Janice Brewington: Center for Transformational Leadership, Center for Innovation in Simulation and Technology (Dr. Susan Forneris, director), NLN | Chamberlain University College of Nursing Center for the Advancement of the Science of Nursing Education (Dr. Barbara Patterson, distinguished scholar), and Center for Excellence in the Care of Vulnerable Populations. Dr. Elaine Tagliareni, who served as NLN president before joining the NLN staff, retired this winter from her chief program officer position. We are fortunate that she is staying on as a consultant and will head our publishing program and remain project administrator on all ACE grants under the Center for Excellence in the Care of Vulnerable Populations. A number of programs and education opportunities are housed under the four centers but various initiatives, including testing services, Clinical Transitions, and our Certified Nurse Educator program, reside elsewhere on our organization chart.

Most likely you will not notice a difference as you interact with the NLN. Our staff is as committed as ever to offer excellent service using transformative strategies with, as I like to say, daring ingenuity. In the coming weeks I will say more about the changes we are instituting and introduce you to some of the outstanding individuals who are helping on our path toward long-term growth and sustainability. You will be impressed by the talent we have on staff. Since the days of Isabel Hampton Robb, we have had huge shoes to fill — we never forget that as we strive each day to promote excellence in nursing education to build a strong and diverse nursing workforce for all the years to come.

One more thing, colleagues, before I close. One week ago today, we experienced a horrific school shooting in Florida. The first responders, nurses, and other providers were magnificent. They saved many lives and deserve our gratitude. But my heart breaks for the families that have lost children, the teachers who lost students and colleagues, and the children who lost so many friends. I also feel shame that we are the only developed country where gun violence is an epidemic. The NLN is a nonpartisan organization that values diversity and inclusion. We stand and fight for all and with all, but the epidemic of gun violence demands action. The NLN must demand comprehensive background checks and an improved system of preventive mental health services. We must learn from other countries, like Australia, that effectively and forthrightly addressed the issues of gun violence, preventing the spread of this public health issue. We must speak up now. We must stand up now.

Diverse nursing workforce needed to serve diverse population Learn More. A new project being led by Western Michigan University's (WMU) Bronson School of Nursing is working to draw more minority students into its nursing program. Read More. Lung cancer drug resistance explained by computer simulations, Learn More. 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, March 7, 2018. View previous issues of NLN Member Update »