May 16, 2018 | NLN CEO Update on NLN Awards | Summit Keynote Speaker

Did you know, colleagues, that the term public health nursing was coined by Lillian Wald, founder and first president of the National Organization for Public Health Nursing? Wald was an 1891 graduate of the New York Hospital Training School for Nurses and took courses at the Woman's Medical College before she began caring for the sick in New York as a visiting nurse. This year, at the NLN 125^th Anniversary Summit, we will remember Lillian Wald and two other nursing greats with the NLN Lillian Wald Humanitarian Award, the NLN Isabel Hampton Robb Award for Outstanding Leadership in Clinical Practice, and the NLN Mary Adelaide Nutting Award for Outstanding Teaching or Leadership in Nursing Education. The nomination period for these awards closes on May 31, which happens to be the closing date for early-bird registration for the Summit. As time has the unpleasant habit of slipping away, I encourage you to register today and give serious thought, as well as action, to nominating a colleague for one of these prestigious awards.

The history of the NLN is inextricably linked with public health nursing and Lillian Wald. Let me share some more with you. In 1952, the National League for Nursing as we know it today was formed from a merger of three organizations: the National League of Nursing Education, the Association for Collegiate Schools of Nursing, and the National Organization for Public Health Nursing. That same year, the US Department of Education included our new-old organization on the initial list of recognized accrediting agencies, allowing us to assume responsibility for the accreditation of nursing schools in the United States. As you can see, accreditation is part of NLN's bloodline. We are so proud of our new CNEA (Commission for Nursing Education Accreditation).

So colleagues, don't wait another year to nominate someone for an NLN award. Summit 2018, when we celebrate 125 Years of Nursing Leadership in Chicago, promises to be an historic moment for nursing education. Aside from exploring secrets of our 125 years as a leader in nursing education, we will use our time at the Summit — September 12 to 14 — to build on the work of our founders, explore innovative strategies to advance excellence in nursing education, strengthen networks and partnerships, and celebrate collective and individual accomplishments.

And today I am excited to announce that we have the perfect public health nurse to keynote our opening ceremony at Summit 2018. Our speaker, US Deputy Surgeon General, Rear Admiral Sylvia Trent-Adams, PhD, RN, FAAN, will highlight the power of nursing education over the years and the role of nurse leaders in the current transformation of health care delivery. From April until September 2017, she served as acting US Surgeon General, the first time a nurse was named to that prestigious post, and she has had a long career in the US Public Health Service (USPHS) Commissioned Corps, where she served as chief nurse officer. As a clinician and administrator, she has had a direct impact on building systems of care to improve public health for marginalized populations, domestically and internationally.

I am especially looking forward to hearing her words of wisdom and insights. In the spirit of our founders, Rear Admiral Trent-Adams will no doubt provide invaluable guidance for nurse educators as we prepare future clinicians and scholars to meet the demands of the century’s dynamic, sophisticated health care environment. More information about her is available online.

Recently, the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) requested feedback to their draft vision statement "Vision for Nursing Education." I was a bit surprised to read that the statement does not mention the advanced practice role of academic nurse educators. At the NLN, we have developed core competencies that promote excellence in the advanced specialty role of the academic nurse educator. These competencies establish nursing education as a specialty area of practice and create channels for faculty to fully demonstrate the amplitude of the faculty role. As a leader in nursing education excellence, the NLN is also dedicated to advocating for multiple points of entry to practice — whether entry is in the form of a two-year degree or four-year university nursing program.

I'd like to congratulate two people important to the NLN: Dr. Joyce Fitzpatrick, editor of the NLN research journal, Nursing Education Perspectives, and Dr. Cheryl Taylor, NLN consultant to the National Student Nurses' Association. ANA has announced that Joyce is the recipient of the 2018 Jessie M. Scott Award. Jessie M. Scott served as Assistant Surgeon General, and this award in her honor recognizes nurses whose accomplishments have made significant improvement within nursing and health care. Cheryl will be presented with a 2018 National Black Nurses Association Trailblazer Award for extraordinary contributions in academia, research, practice, and administration at the NBNA conference in August. Congratulations, Joyce and Cheryl.

Now let me remind you that it is time to vote in the NLN elections. Members were emailed login information and instructions on how to vote, but if you need your election passcode resent, please click here.

And a final word. The New York Times reported on May 6 — the first day of Nurses Week — that Lillian Wald's Henry Street Settlement has received a bequest of $6.24 million to endow the settlement's Expanded Horizons College Success Program, which helps disadvantaged students prepare for and complete college. Read the story of the former legal secretary who made the bequest — it will warm your heart. And let's hope that some of the beneficiaries of the College Success Program study nursing and become trailblazing nurse leaders and educators. That is something to think about, is it not?

Stay connected with us through the articles, images, and stories we share. The NLN now has an Instagram presence! Find us @NLNursing. Also, we have officially changed our Twitter handle to @NLN — be sure to follow, comment, like, and tag us.

The Summit is getting closer and closer. The days seem to be melting away as my staff and our wonderful Board of Governors put everything in place to warmly welcome you to the most spectacular Summit you may have seen in 125 years. See you at the Summit!

Applications are now open to apply for the NLN-Home Instead Senior Care® Scholarship, Apply Today. #NLNFoundation Why affordable child care is essential to keeping women in tech, Learn More. #NLNTeq Join and Share the conversation of the 2018 NLN Education Summit, 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, May 30, 2018. View previous issues of NLN Member Update »