July 8, 2015 - In Korea with ICN

There has been a lot of important news these past few weeks and there's a lot to discuss. Before steering the conversation specifically to the NLN, I just want to say how glad I am about the Supreme Court ruling in King v. Burwell on June 25. The 6-3 decision, authored by Chief Justice John Roberts, upholds the Affordable Care Act and ensures that eligible consumers who purchase health insurance through healthcare.gov will continue to receive subsidies. That's good news for advancing the health of our nation.

You are likely aware of another news story concerning the NLN and ACEN (formerly NLNAC). The National Advisory Committee on Institutional Quality and Integrity (NACIQI), an advisory committee of the US Department of Education, has upheld the NLN position that ACEN can remain a subsidiary of the NLN.

I am happy to report that since this ruling was announced in late June, the NLN and ACEN have been actively working to resolve all issues and seek common ground. With our core values in mind — caring, diversity, excellence, and integrity — our goal is to ensure that ACEN meets DOE regulations and will continue to function as an accrediting organization for the benefit of the nursing education community. The NLN remains focused on supporting our nursing programs.

Last month, the NLN's commitment to meeting the needs of nursing education and the nursing profession was evident on the world stage at the International Council of Nurses (ICN) Congress in Seoul, Republic of Korea. Korea, as you may be aware, had been confronting aggressively an outbreak of MERS (Middle East Respiratory Syndrome), and some people were under quarantine or observation in hospital settings. With basic prevention guidelines announced at the beginning of each major session at ICN, there could be no more concrete way to illustrate the global scope of health care today and the value of a worldwide community of nurses. The theme of the congress, "Global Citizen, Global Nursing," was apt. As Dr. Margaret Chan, director general of the World Health Organization stated in her keynote address, diseases do not need visas.

Although 10 of us were there from the NLN — among 7,000 nurses from 119 countries plus 800 volunteers — we were quite visible, literally. After the parade of nations at the opening ceremony in the Olympic Gymnastics Arena, the official newspaper for the conference, Nursing News, had a photo under the headline "Big Day for Nurses" with four of our beaming delegates: our president Dr. Marsha Adams, chief program office Dr. Elaine Tagliareni, simulation scholar-in-residence Dr. Susan Forneris, and Accelerating to Practice manager Dr. Mary Fey.

With the support of Laerdal Medical, the NLN hosted a welcome reception for delegates attended by ICN president Dr. Judith Shamian and CEO David Benton. Marsha and I were joined in our welcoming remarks by T. H. Park, managing director of Laerdal Medical Korea, and Leif Henriksen, Laerdal business development director–Asia Pacific, as we spoke about the value of partnership and the exciting outcomes we have accomplished together.

NLN Delegates to ICN

Partnership was also the theme of the session Sue, Mary, and Elaine offered with a faculty member from Denmark. They told of the innovative resources related to simulation that we have developed with partners from corporations, foundations, and other nonprofit organizations. Following the session, faculty from the Philippines, Europe, and Japan asked to take pictures with the NLN presenters and expressed thanks for simulation scenarios and other resources available on the SIRC (Simulation Innovation Resource Center), which they value highly. Then, following the conference, Mary and Sue spoke at a faculty development seminar at Teagu Science University and at the annual conference of the Korean Society for Simulation, held at Ewha Women's University.

Dr. Virginia Adams, director of the NLN Center for Diversity and Global Initiatives, spoke at the first main ICN session, "No Health Without Mental Health," and Dr. Judith Halstead, director of the NLN Commission for Nursing Education Accreditation (CNEA), presented on "Enhancing the Quality of Nursing Education Globally." Virginia and Dr. Anne Bavier, NLN president-elect, took part in the ICN-Burdett Global Nurse Leadership Institute Colloquium on the "Future Work of Nurses."

Did you know that Virginia is chair of the ICN Education Network (ICNEN) Core Steering Group? She facilitated a meeting at which ICNEN members shared how educators around the world are preparing students and nurses to be global citizens and global nurses, and she seemed to be everywhere. I joined her whenever I could, along with Dr. Betty Dennis, director of the NLN/Chamberlain College of Nursing Center for the Advancement of the Science of Nursing Education. The entire experience, as you can imagine, was remarkable. And wait a minute, I haven't even told you about the fantastic food. One of our meals, extended graciously by our host, had approximately 30 dishes. I think we stopped counting at 25.

We know that the borders that separate us — whether seas, oceans, or languages — are doorways rather than barriers. Colleagues, we came home with a good understanding of the issues facing nurses throughout the world and a heightened commitment to the NLN mission, to build a strong and diverse nursing workforce to advance the health of our nation and the global community.

By the way, I want to remind you that you can join the ICNEN at no charge, without leaving your home or office, and meet nurses from the entire planet. Membership is free to all nurse faculty.

Before I close — a final word. Nursing has lost another great leader. Dr. Kathryn E. Barnard, University of Washington School of Nursing professor emeritus and founder of the UW Barnard Center for Infant Mental Health and Development, died on June 27. Dr. Azita Emami, dean of the UW School of Nursing, described her as a "visionary nurse scientist who believed deeply that every child not only has the right to early nurturing relationships [and] that those relationships are the foundation for lifelong healthy development." Her research provided the foundation for Nursing Child Assessment Satellite Training, or NCAST, which helps professionals and parents provide nurturing environments for young children. I am grateful to Dr. Barnard for her life's work — she is missed.

Colleagues, I hope you had a wonderful 4th of July and are enjoying your summer.