May 30, 2018 | NLN CEO Update on DNP | #NLNSummit18 Early Bird Pricing Ends 5/31

Did you know that the first doctoral programs to specifically target nurses were in New York City, at Columbia University and New York University in the 1920s and 1930s? These were in education departments and tailored to prepare faculty for nursing education programs. Little coursework, if any, was in the discipline of nursing. The evolution to doctoral programs in nursing took place slowly in the 1950s and the 1960s. Things have changed considerably over the years, and we now have a range of programs available for nurses who wish to pursue a terminal degree. But along with these opportunities we have seen confusion and, in academia, a blurring of roles among clinical and research doctorally prepared faculty, as well as instances of insecurity and competition. It is now time to create greater understanding of and respect for the differing perspectives of graduates and faculty with research-focused and practice-focused doctoral degrees.

As advocates for evidence-based teaching and the advancement of the science of nursing education, the NLN called together, in 2017, a group of nationwide leaders in DNP education to explore ways to support doctoral faculty to work collaboratively to advance nursing science and provide answers to a pivotal question: How can the nursing profession instill the belief that the roles and scholarship of the practice and research doctorate are different and that within academia there is a place for both degrees? The result of this work — and responses to a national survey of DNP educators — led to a thoughtful and insightful Vision Statement from the NLN released in April and available online: Doctoral Faculty Collaboration in Nursing Education.

All NLN Vision Statements offer background, context, and a call to action. In this case we call specifically for co-creating a national dialogue to build a transformative community of doctorally prepared faculty and offer specific recommendations for faculty, for nursing leadership, and for us at the NLN. One program on the horizon, part of our Summer Series of faculty development programs, is designed for faculty who are involved with facilitating DNP project design, implementation, and evaluation (Facilitating the DNP Scholarly Project: From Idea to Dissemination, July 13–July 14). Led by Drs. Joyce Zurmehly and Janice Agazio, this two-day interactive workshop will help faculty differentiate between DNP projects and PhD dissertations and between quality improvement and research. This workshop has been very well received and is very much needed — it is already sold out.

Also on the horizon is the publication of a special themed issue of the NLN research journal Nursing Education Perspectives. Co-editors Barbara Patterson, PhD, and Celeste M. Alfes, DNP, have culled from many submissions to put together a fascinating group of research articles on relationships among DNP and PhD students, issues unique to DNP students, experiences of DNP-prepared nurses enrolled in a DNP-to-PhD pathway program, examples of innovative PhD-DNP faculty collaboration, among many other important topics that reflect collaboration between the practice and research doctorates. A print copy of this special issue of the journal will be given to all participants at our upcoming Summit: 125 Years of Nursing Leadership, September 12–14 in Chicago. Note: tomorrow, May 31, is the early-bird deadline. Register today to take advantage of early-bird pricing and other benefits!

And note also that Nursing Education Perspectives has two other themed issues scheduled: Research in Global Education (Sept–Oct 2019, with guest editors Drs. Angela McNelis and Tamara McKinnon) and Research on the Future of Nursing Report: Successes and Challenges (Sept–Oct 2020, with guest editors Drs. Susan Hassmiller, Audrey Beauvais, and Teresa Shellenbarger). Links for details are on the journal homepage at neponline.net, where you can subscribe to an eTOC to receive alerts and information. We hope that all faculty and students in DNP and PhD programs, whose career trajectory is teaching practice, keep up-to-date with the research and innovation published in our excellent journal. Remember, as an NLN member you have automatic access to NEP online.

By the way, Dr. Ann Marie P. Mauro, a member of the NLN Board of Governors and president-elect of the Eastern Nursing Research Society (who happens to have an article in the 2018 special issue of NEP) has been promoted to associate dean and professor at the Rutgers University School of Nursing where she is founding director of the Center for Educational Research and Innovation (CERI). Congratulations, Ann Marie! Which reminds me — you have two more days to make your voice count for the NLN Elections of 2018. We count on you to help assemble a robust leadership team to plan and execute strategies that will ensure and protect access to quality health care for all. If you need your NLN member ID and election passcode call 202.909.2519 or make an online request. If you have misplaced your election passcode, please visit the 2018 election page. Questions? Call 202.909.2490 or email oceo@nln.org. Please don't miss the deadline.

And one more thought about nursing scholarship. Many graduates of doctoral programs — PhD, EdD, and DNP — fail to publish their scholarship. All too often new faculty are overwhelmed with the myriad demands of the faculty role and fail to set aside the time necessary to focus on crafting a manuscript suitable for publication in a peer-reviewed journal. In many cases these scholars need help navigating the publication process. We have found that the NLN Scholarly Writing Retreat is an excellent opportunity for nurse faculty who wish to publish. Our results, since we first offered the retreat in 2008, have been outstanding. When we published results of a survey of participants in 2014, we found that 76 percent had their work published in their first or second choice of journals. Applications are open through August 10 for a retreat scheduled for November 10–11, 2018 in our Washington office. It is important to note that this is a yearlong mentorship program. You will start working with Dr. Leslie Nicoll, editor of Nurse Author & Editor, immediately upon acceptance and will finalize your draft manuscript onsite with expert copyediting. The work you do through this outstanding NLN program will serve as a foundation for scholarship for your entire academic career.

Colleagues, the next Member Update will be sent to you on June 27.

Two more things before I close: Don't forget to register for Summit 2018 and Vote. See you at the Summit.

University of Toronto's master of biotechnology program has approved a graduate field of specialization in digital health technologies, Read More. Resources for teaching about prejudice and discrimination, Learn More. #NLNDiversity 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, June 27, 2018. View previous issues of NLN Member Update »