July 11, 2018 | NLN CEO Update on Global Heath | Simulation | Leadership

In February 2017, the NLN issued our "Vision for Expanding US Nursing Education for Global Health Engagement" in which we state that being "a global citizen [is] part of the contemporary professional role." The NLN vision, we note, "is to act as a catalyst to strengthen nursing education's capacity to prepare nurses for the development of viable, comprehensive and culturally appropriate care in a global context." If you study the NLN mission and strategic plan — and I hope you will — you will see that among our objectives is the promotion of "a global community of nurse educators to identify and influence issues related to excellence in nursing education." For these reasons, you can imagine how excited I am about our current activities in China.

I know you're not surprised that the NLN is working in the area of nursing education in China. Let me tell you about what we are doing, our objectives, and those involved in this three-year project. First, it is important to note that our current work builds on the partnership the NLN has enjoyed with Laerdal Medical for more than a decade, both within the United States and globally, to advance nursing education and clinical practice through use of simulation. Laerdal's mission, to help save lives, strongly aligns with the NLN mission to promote excellence in nursing education to build a strong and diverse nursing workforce to advance the health of our nation and the global community.

Our shared goal in China is to leverage the resources of the China National Center for Schooling Development Programme (CDSP), Peking University School of Nursing, and associated Chinese nursing programs to begin the transformation of nursing education through leadership training and faculty development in the use of simulation in teaching and learning. We have two main objectives: 1) Develop a standardized, high quality nursing education simulation/debriefing curriculum for use in Chinese schools of nursing. 2) Establish a China NLN Nursing Education Leader Program, chaired by Peking University, to advance the skills of faculty in the use of simulation and theory-based debriefing while helping to develop their leadership skills. Founding member schools, with their practice partners, include Fudan University, Wuhan University, and Southern Medical University in Guangdong Province.

The NLN and Laerdal Medical are working in consultative roles to the program. Dr. Susan Forneris, director of the NLN Center for Innovation in Simulation and Technology and staff members Amy Kline and Molly Kellgren have already facilitated onsite workshops during three visits to China, with plans to travel between the US and China one to two times per year through 2020. You will have a chance to meet the nine core Chinese faculty involved with the program, and their deans, at the NLN 125^th Anniversary Summit, which is coming up in two months in Chicago. They will participate in faculty development activities just prior to the Summit with the support of alumni from the NLN Leadership Institute Simulation Leader track, who will help facilitate the workshops and ensure that best practices in teaching and learning are used. As a reminder, applications for the 2019 Leadership Institute — all three tracks — are open now through October 5. And note, there will be two pre-Summit workshops that are open to all: "The ABC's of Developing Program Systematic Evaluation Plans for NLN CNEA Accreditation," presented by Dr. Laurie Peters, and "Preparing Your Program for NLN CNEA Accreditation: Beginning the Journey," presented by NLN CNEA executive director Dr. Judith Halstead.

I hope you will have a chance to meet Sue Forneris — and the other members of our amazing staff — at the Summit and ask about NLN faculty development programs that may be of special interest to you. Sue will be very visible as she is delivering this year's annual Debra L. Spunt Lecture, sponsored by Laerdal Medical to honor the memory of one of the early leaders in this amazing field. The title of Sue's talk is "On the Shoulders of Giants: Building Innovation in Teaching Excellence," and the giants will be present — previous Spunt lecturers, leaders in simulation. Sue will take us on a journey celebrating these leaders and the future role the NLN will take to transform teaching and learning. We will grow wise together and collectively explore ways to co-create innovation in teaching excellence.

Before the Summit, at any time, be sure to familiarize yourself with other offerings from the NLN Center for Innovation in Simulation and Technology. The center develops simulation scenarios for use across curricula and offers a number of faculty resources, including online simulation courses and the Institute for Simulation Educators (coming up later this month in Baltimore and then in South Carolina), not to mention the engaging NLN TEQ Blog, which you really should follow. Plus, I've been told, the center is in the process of preparing for the launch of our first series of TEQ Blog podcasts — look for the announcement soon. When you think about where nursing education was 20 years ago, at the dawn of the 21^st century, and where we are now, it's clear we've been on a remarkable journey.

The journey toward excellence and innovation began for the NLN 125 years ago in Chicago. When we added four words to our mission statement — "and the global community" — we acknowledged how we are intertwined and we intentionally began to look outward. Help us celebrate all that at the NLN Summit 2018, September 12–14 in Chicago, and be part of our Black Tie 125^th Anniversary Gala, hosted by NLN president Dr. Rumay Alexander.

And if there is any doubt about how interconnected we all are in this world, think about the global response to the plight of 12 young boys and their soccer coach, trapped in a cave in Thailand rapidly filling with water. We watched the gripping global rescue effort with fascination and fear — how wonderful we all felt as each boy emerged from the cave. And how sad we felt when an experienced Thai diver died while bringing oxygen into the cave. I was uplifted by the prospect of the excellent nursing care awaiting each victim as first responders sped them away to a hospital dedicated to giving the best service possible to these young children, who now belong to all of us.

I am proud of the NLN mission and our efforts to promote excellence in nursing education here in the United States and throughout the world. We will continue to build bridges of caring, integrity, diversity, and excellence. We will build bridges of hope in every corner of our beloved country and our global community. It is who we are. Join us at the Summit to celebrate the best of nursing education, the best of nursing, and the best of all we have to give. Come see what the NLN has been doing for 125 years.

Nursing students at Ivy Tech got a very special introduction to a different part of the nursing career Learn More. Schools have integrated a few different forms of new technology into curriculum, including a digital stethoscope, portable ultrasound machines, and an ophthalmoscope attachment for smartphones, Learn More. Liberty University cuts costs with free textbooks, expected to save full-time online students up to $975 a year, Read More. Celebrate 125 years of NLN leadership in nursing education at #NLNSummit18 — Registration is Open Register Today.

Next Issue of the NLN Member Update: Wednesday, July 25, 2018. View previous issues of NLN Member Update »