January 21 - Technology and Changing Faculty Role

As I was visiting Haiti earlier this month for the 10-year celebration of the Faculté des Sciences Infirmières de Léogâne, I was transfixed by the technological sophistication of the nursing students there. At the same time I thought about the potential opening of trade with Cuba, and what it would mean for the young people there who are eagerly awaiting the influx of new technologies. The world is changing rapidly and the NLN continues to step up to the plate. Just keep reading.

To help nurse faculty prepare for today's changing world and shifting health care environment, the NLN in 2014 brought together national leaders in technology from education, practice, and government to identify the key issues that are changing the face of health care delivery and reframing how nursing students are taught. Their lively, far-reaching discussion focused on consumer engagement in health, on-demand access to technological applications and data storage, virtual health care, and the informatics competencies students need to know. The result is the latest in the NLN's ongoing vision series: "The Changing Faculty Role: Preparing Students for the Technological World of Health Care."

Note the title of this vision statement. Your role as an eductor has changed and will continue to evolve as technology evolves. Read this thought-provoking statement and think about the basic knowledge and skills you need to move your students forward. What support do you need from your school of nursing and the nursing education community? The NLN will continue to engage with technology partners and the nursing education community to create faculty development opportunties for you, along with a repository of shared teaching and earning resources focused on the use of technology in nursing programs and practice-driven informatics.

By the way, Dr. Diane Skiba, who was part of the discussion that led to this Vision Statement, writes the bimonthly Emerging Technologies Center for the NLN research journal Nursing Education Perspectives. Her recent columns on the Connected Age will broaden your understanding of this phenomenon and provide numerous ideas about meeting the challenges of technology head on.

I have other exciting news about the NLN. First, next week you will receive receive an email announcing the launch of ACESXPRESS, a new digital series of free ACE.S resources developed to deliver concise implementation strategies and community discussions around challenges and best practices in gerontology. Over the coming months, the ACESXPESS series, which includes videos, Twitter chats, webinars, and starter kit downloads, will aide in fostering a rich, ongoing conversation among a community of educators from various settings who are invested in improving care for this vulnerable population. Hopefully I've told you just enough to encourage you to explore the links you receive. I'll talk more about ACESXPRESS in my next Member Update.

Now a notice specifically for deans, directors, and chairs. On December 9, 2014, you received a survey worksheet and the invitation to participate in the 2014 NLN Biennial Survey of Schools of Nursing. The cumulative results from the NLN survey, from all schools of nursing, are extremely important to public policy planners, who use the NLN's workforce data to design legislation, approve budgets, and formulate long-range educational goals. The survey will be sent to you tomorrow, January 22. Please return your completed survey by March 31and contact Dr. Gideon Mazinga, senior research scientist, if you have questions (research@nln.org/800-669-1656, ext. 2528).

And one more announcement. I am delighted to officially welcome Christine Murphy to the DC office as director for public policy and advocacy. Christine has more than 15 years of government relations experience and a solid understanding of nursing education, practice, health care policy, and advocacy. I am quite sure that you will see her name in many future NLN Member Updates as I tell you about the work the NLN is doing right here on Capitol Hill to advance nursing education and ultimately the health care of our nation and the global community.

Now a bit more about my delightful trip to Haiti. The dean of the FSIL is Hilda Alcindor, who is nothing short of a miracle worker. Among her miracles: she has a 10-year history of producing excellent BSN practitioners who stay in Haiti after graduation. Hilda told how immediately after the earthquake of 2005, her entire campus became a tent city, living quarters for two years for individuals with nowhere else to go. My hats off to the many nurse faculty, like Drs. Jesse Colin, Joanne Pohl, and Tim Bristol, who travel regularly to and from Haiti to teach nursing courses. In fact, we tell of Tim's deep involvement with the FSIL in the spring 2014 NLN Report. If that story touches your heart — and I know it will — consider reaching out with a donation to the Haiti Nursing Foundation. And if you can, reach out in person. You will be amazed, as I was, at the miracles happening there.

Now, here is something for those of you who have already contributed to nursing education in sustained and significant ways: February 15 is the application deadline for the NLN Academy of Nursing Education. Academy fellows provide visionary leadership in nursing education and support the NLN's mission and goals. It is always a joy to welcome the new fellows at our annual Summit, coming up September 30 to October 3 in Las Vegas. And it is instructive to read about the fellows — the individual paths they have taken and the range of experiences they have had.

All best wishes,


Beverly Malone, PhD, RN, FAAN
Chief Executive Officer