June 9 - Technology: New Partnerships, Products, Faculty Development Opportunities

Maya Angelou died on May 28. Her poem, "And Still I Rise," talks to me, just as my grandmother did. It tells me that I can be delayed but not defeated. It reminds me of patients and families who face challenging and daunting odds in fighting for their health. It reminds me of the resilience of nurses. I will miss the voice, the majesty, and the eloquence of Maya Angelou. And I will continue to be grateful to have shared the same time and place with her as she graced the world with her gifts.

Colleagues, at this time of year, as we send our graduates off to their new careers, we hope that they will have the resilience they need to make a successful transition from student to registered nurse. Will these new RNs have the knowledge and skills they need for the real world of patient care? And will they have confidence in their ability to practice successfully?

Because of challenges such as these, the NLN took the lead in developing and testing models for the implementation of simulation in nursing education. Our focus has expanded, with new partnerships, new products, and new opportunities for faculty development.

The best way to understand the products that are now available is to try them out. If you attend the INACSL conference later this month (June 18-21 in Orlando), be sure to visit the NLN booth for an opportunity to go into a SIRC course and see what it is all about. There is a special conference price for courses, plus a raffle. If you're lucky, you can win one of the 10 free SIRC courses we are offering at the conference.

June 13 Voting Closes for Most Influential in Health Care June 20 NLN Awards Nominations Due June 30 Abstracts for NLN/Elsevier Technology Conference Due July 18 NLN Prep Course for Certification as a Nurse Educator July 31 Pre- and Post-Summit Early Bird Prices End August 1 Constituent League Leadership Awards Nominations Due August 8 Fall Scholarly Writing Retreat Applications Due August 28 Taking the Angst Out of Test Construction & Item Analysis Workshop September 17-20 NLN Education Summit September 30 Leadership Institute Applications Due (available soon) October 24-26 9th Annual NLN/Elsevier Technology Conference 16 interesting facts about nursing around the world Elaine Tagliareni, EdD, RN, CNE, FAAN, a chief program officer at the National League for Nursing, is one of just two honorary degree candidates selected by Duquesne University this year. I'm saddened and amazed by the loss and yet the gift of Maya Angelou's life. Changing the way we heal a traumatized mind

Then, stop by the Laerdal Medical and Wolters Kluwer booths for a live demonstration of vSim for Nursing, 10 interactive, virtual patient simulations with integrated curriculum resources that are based on the Complex Care Medical-Surgical Scenarios (Vol. 1) developed by the NLN. At the Laerdal booth, learn all about SimPad, an application designed to increase the efficiency and mobility of all your simulations. All of our ACES unfolding cases are available on SimPad, and you can participate in a live demonstration.

These hands-on demonstrations will, of course, be available at the NLN Education Summit, which takes place this year in Phoenix, September 17-20. And they will be available again, at the 9th Annual NLN/Elsevier Technology Conference, in Nashville, October 24-26. Have you submitted an abstract for the technology conference yet? The call is now open for abstracts for table-top posters, and the deadline is June 30.

When we talk about technology and the NLN, we encourage you to visit SIRC, our Simulation and Innovation Research Center. New on the SIRC site is the Simulation Leadership Directory containing biographical data and areas of expertise of the graduates of the year-long Leadership Development Program for Simulation Educators, directed since 2010 by Dr. Pamela Jeffries. Many of these simulation leaders are available for consultation and collaboration. Take a look at their accomplishments and consider applying for the 2015 cohort.

The Leadership Development Program for Simulation Educators is one part of the NLN's Leadership Institute, along with LEAD and the Senior Deans and Directors Leadership Programs. Applications will be available soon.

Before I close, I want to introduce you to Elizabeth Price, CGMP, our new events programming coordinator. The initials after Liz's name stand for certified government meeting professional. Liz worked for 15 years for the Henry M. Jackson Foundation, planning conferences for military medical staff, including nurses. Now she is engaged in developing webinars and CNE prep courses for the NLN. We are delighted to welcome Liz to the NLN staff.

And a final thought – through the miracle of technology, we can hear Maya Angelou read her poem "And Still I Rise." Come listen. I hope it inspires you as it continues to inspire me.

All best wishes,


Beverly Malone, PhD, RN, FAAN
Chief Executive Officer

Next Issue of the NLN Member Update: June 23, 2014. View previous issues of NLN Member Update »