November 14, 2018 | NLN CEO Update on #NLNGivingTuesday for the Present and Future of Nursing Education

Colleagues, the elections have passed with a remarkable number of women elected to Congress and high interest in strengthening health care protection for persons with preexisting medical conditions. We can choose to be hopeful or not, and I choose to be hopeful, recognizing that progress is made when we work together, making sure that our voices are heard. Hope is also part of the NLN definition for caring: promoting health, healing, and hope...

It's also important that we have the funds needed to build our future. This month you will receive numerous calls from worthy philanthropic organizations to participate in Giving Tuesday on November 27. Today I use this space to make the case for supporting the NLN Foundation for Nursing Education with #NLNGivingTuesday — for this and every November to come.

First, think about the NLN Scholarship Awards Program, which supports seasoned and ethnically diverse nurses pursuing advanced degrees who are committed to careers in academic nursing education. This past September at the 2018 NLN Education Summit we presented 7 scholarship awards plus 9 NLN-Home Instead Scholarships in Geriatric Nursing Education. (The application period for 2019 scholarships will open in February 2019.)

Second, think about our grants program for nursing education research — no other organization funds such research, which is critical to the fulfillment of our mission to promote excellence in nursing education. At the Summit we presented 7 awards, including 2 awards in association with the Southern Nursing Research Society and Sigma Theta Tau International.

And third, think about our 2018 Preserving Our Past/Building Our Future campaign. In February 2016, we formally initiated a four-year process of identifying and preserving NLN archives with the generous support of the Independence Foundation in the form of a $25,000 matching grant. Those funds are being used to develop and implement a full archival repository of NLN holdings, including video digitizing and the digitization of paper records. We are continuing to raise funds to preserve our past as a resource for scholars investigating the history of nursing, nursing education, and nursing accreditation in the United States.

You may be thinking of how you can get involved. Well, let me intrude on your thinking and offer some ideas about how you can help. One way is to take part in #NLNGivingTuesday and spread the word. Giving Tuesday is a social media campaign. You can make a contribution, take an #unselfie using our special frame, and share that you support nursing education on your favorite social media channel.

You can text the keyword "NurseEd18" to the shortcode 41444 to donate. And, of course, you can quietly, without fanfare, mail a check to the Foundation or go online and make your contribution. A contribution can be made to the campaign at any time — there is no need to wait until the end of the month.

I hope you will take a few minutes to browse the Foundation website and the Ways to Give page. There you will find a list of endowment funds for scholarships and research grants, as well as moving tributes from some of our most generous donors. I invite you to check out the NLNFNE Advisory Council, which was established in 2016 by individuals from all sectors who provide expertise, guidance, and development insight to the Foundation and support us in achieving our mission. If you would like information about joining the Advisory Council or making a planned gift as a member of the Isabel Hampton Robb Society, development specialist Tatiana Nin will be happy to speak with you — contact her at tnin@nln.org. And look for my #NLNGivingTuesday greeting to you, which will be ready in a few days.

I am proud to extend my congratulations to our colleague Dr. James "Cole" Edmondson, chair of the NLN Foundation for Nursing Education Board of Trustees. Cole has been appointed to the Board of the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC), starting in January. Chief nursing officer at Texas Health Dallas Presbyterian Hospital, a three-time Magnet-designated hospital, Cole will be an excellent addition to the ANCC Board.

Now, colleagues, a change of focus. You have two more days to submit an abstract for the NLN/University of Central Florida Simulation Conference, which takes place March 7–8 at the College of Nursing Academic Health Sciences Center in Orlando. And you have approximately one month to submit an abstract for Summit 2019, which takes place September 26–28, 2019 at the National Harbor — abstracts are due December 12. The theme for next year's Summit is NLN North Star: Purpose, Power & Passion, which integrates how our exceptional past provides the foundation for our innovative present and our transformative future. We are especially interested in teaching innovations used in undergraduate and graduate programs, and of course, all abstracts must reflect the NLN core values — caring, integrity, diversity, and excellence.

A couple of other deadlines are worth noting. February 15 is the deadline to submit your application for the 2019 Academy of Nursing Education. Please read the Academy of Nursing Education Handbook to start preparing your application materials. And note that applications for the June 8–9, 2019 Scholarly Writing Retreat are also due on February 15. Although NLN Scholarly Writing Retreats take place during the course of a weekend, this is a remarkable yearlong experience that involves one-on-one telephone consultation, videoconferencing, and mentorship. Your mentor for the June retreat will once again be the outstanding Dr. Marilyn Oermann, who started this program in 2008.

I have recently learned that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Division for Heart Disease and Stroke Prevention is working with TTi Health Research and Economics to identify and evaluate evidence-based lifestyle interventions for controlling high blood pressure and the prevention of cardiovascular disease. This is an interesting opportunity for NLN members. I invite you to learn more about the nominations process and email any questions to Ashlea Zimmerman or call her at 800-580-2990. Please note that the deadline has been extended to November 16.

It is with great sadness that I note the passing of our colleague Veronica "Ronnie" McGreevey, who died on November 7 after serving many years as a member of the New Jersey League for Nursing's Board of Directors. John Lanier, president of NJNLN, has said of Mrs. Greevey: "By her actions throughout her life, Mrs. McGreevey sets an example for us all within the profession of nursing."

Next week is Thanksgiving. Can you believe it, colleagues? I hope you enjoy your time with family and friends. And, as I said earlier, when you respond to the many requests for support you are sure to receive this November, I hope with your gift to the NLN Foundation you will be generous and help us transform nursing education, now and for the future.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has granted $2.66 million to The Texas Department of State Health Services to combat the #Opioid epidemic, Read More. Nurse practitioner plans worry doctors, Learn More. The Uphill Battles Facing Asia's Education Technology Startups, Read More. Virtual reality experience puts doctors in a dying man's shoes, Learn More.

Next Issue of the NLN Member Update: Wednesday, December 12, 2018. View previous issues of NLN Member Update »