May 3, 2017 | NLN CEO Update on Nurses Week

I must say, I really like the theme for Nurses Week this year – Nursing: The Balance of Mind, Body, and Spirit. I’m sure you will agree that nurses are usually not indifferent to the demand to care for others. To be able to manage our role as providers of care, we must also focus on our own well-being and co-create a safe place to heal.

This is an important message to keep in mind as we approach the challenges before us this Nurses Week 2017. I believe we can extrapolate this message to our profession as a whole. Let us embrace our obligation to care for nursing, nurses, and especially nursing education.

We have a means in place to do this through the NLN Foundation for Nursing Education. With Dr. Cole Edmundson coming on board as chair this past winter, and the formation of the new NLN Foundation for Nursing Education Advisory Council, we are well situated to play a vital role in nurturing our profession.

First, let me tell me tell you about Cole. Chief nursing officer at Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital in Dallas, Cole has held all positions, from direct care nurse to chief nursing officer, and led two organizations to Magnet and Magnet re-designation. He was a Robert Wood Johnson Foundation executive nurse fellow and brings great vitality to the NLN Foundation. Cole is working with the foundation board and the Advisory Council – individuals who make a four-year commitment to the foundation – to empower nurse educators through support for the mission of the NLN along with scholarships, research grants, and faculty development programs. As the only member organization providing scholarship support to nurse educators, we are accepting applications through May 31 for scholarships of up to $8,000 for nurses pursuing advanced degrees in preparation for careers as full-time educators. We are also taking applications, through August 7, for a second Scholarly Writing Retreat for 2017 – a vital NLN Foundation-supported faculty development program.

Help us grow our scholarship program and our faculty development efforts by contributing to the foundation this Nurses Week. Help us expand our support for nursing education research. And by all means, help us “Preserve the Past and Build the Future of Nursing Education.” Last year your contributions enabled us to initiate the first of five phases of an NLN archive at the Barbara Bates Center for the Study of the History of Nursing at the University of Pennsylvania. With a generous matching grant from the Independence Foundation of Philadelphia, this project is moving forward. We are 124 years old, the oldest nursing organization in the United States, and as such we are keenly aware of our role as stewards of history – as well as our continued commitment to moving toward a vital and healthy future.

Donate today. Or contact Tatiana Nin, development specialist for the foundation, who will be happy to talk with you about how to best direct your contribution.

And now to some news that makes nursing proud. Rear Admiral Sylvia Trent-Adams, PhD, RN, FAAN, has been appointed to the position of acting US surgeon general. I know Sylvia and her predecessor, Dr. Vivek Murthy. From my conversations with him, Dr. Murthy seems to be someone who cares deeply about interprofessional team care for patients, and it is a missed opportunity that he is gone. I admire him and respect him. But to have Dr. Trent-Adams, whom I know as an outstanding nurse and colleague, in this role is a great opportunity for nursing. A humble and gracious person, Sylvia worked her way through the ranks and helped lead the US Public Health Service’s response to the Ebola crisis in Liberia in 2014. Dr. Richard Carmona, who served as surgeon general under President George W. Bush, was the first nurse to serve as surgeon general but he was also a physician. With Dr. Trent-Adams serving as acting surgeon general, I could not be more excited for our profession.

A note before I close: NLN elections open May 8. You will be notified with email from the company that manages our elections: Survey & Ballot Systems (SBS). To ensure that your election-specific broadcast email arrives safely in your inbox on May 8, add noreply@directvote.net as an approved sender. Look for the subject line From: NLN Election Coordinator. Your vote is needed this Nurses Week (and through June 30) to help the NLN continue to thrive.

Speaking of voting, I want to thank those of you who nominated NLN president Dr. Anne Bavier and me for Modern Healthcare’s 100 Most Influential People in Healthcare recognition. Having nurses on this ballot of 300 names is important for our profession. During the voting period (May 22–June 23), take a few minutes and cast your vote. As you do so, I hope you will give some thought to Florence Nightingale and Mary Seacole as inspirational nurses who built with integrity, diversity, and excellence the caring pathway for us to follow.

Enjoy your special week, colleagues, and don't forget: Balance your body, mind, and spirit and stay connected with the NLN on our journey. And a final word – my partner in writing these Member Updates just had a beautiful baby granddaughter. Join me in welcoming, with wonder and appreciation, little Miriam Elaine to this world.

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Next Issue of the NLN Member Update: Wednesday, May 17, 2017. View previous issues of NLN Member Update »