The early part of this decade saw the publication of three transformative reports: The Future of Nursing: Leading Change, Advancing Health by the Institute of Medicine; Educating Nurses: A Call for Radical Transformation by Patricia Benner and colleagues; and a report by the Interprofessional Education Collaborative Expert Panel on core competencies for collaborative practice. These publications all call for transformation in nursing education. Indeed, nursing education must be open to the introduction of new approaches and ideas while honoring those long-established models that continue to have relevance. Balance is needed.
Since moving to Washington, DC, in the summer of 2013, the National League for Nursing has made major strides in providing our members with initiatives and tools to transform and reform nursing education. The NLN mission has also undergone revision. The first revision in 2010 addressed the importance of advancing the health of the nation. In 2013 we added the global community to make our focused population of care more explicit. The NLN mission now reads: To promote excellence in nursing education to build a strong and diverse nursing workforce to advance the health of the nation and the global community.
The core values of caring, integrity, diversity, and excellence flow from the mission and provide a foundation for the programs, initiatives, and projects that support our strategic goals. These goals address leadership in nursing education, our commitment to our members, support for the specialized role of the nurse educator, and the advancement of the science of nursing education. All meetings hosted by the NLN begin with an introduction of our mission, our core values, and our strategic goals to remind us who we are and why we are here. Our mission, core values, and goals provide the link between education and practice that is essential if transformation and reform are to be achieved.
In 2013, guiding principles were developed for the seven NLN Centers for Nursing Education that generate the League's work. These centers wdo not work alone. Rather, they collaborate with each other and partner with outside stakeholders that include colleges and universities, corporate entities, and health care organizations. Each center convenes expert faculty and professional teams to move its work forward. And the work of each center is informed by developments and trends within nursing. Dr. Elaine Tagliareni and Dr. Janice Brewington, chief program officers for the NLN, share oversight responsibilities for the seven centers.
As you review the work of the centers as outlined above, think about how you can make 2015 count for nursing education. The NLN is here to provide support, guidance, educational and leadership initiatives, data, and products that will promote your success as a nurse educator. I challenge all nurse educators to move beyond your comfort zone and engage in critical and courageous dialogue with others that encourages questioning, challenging, and the co-creating needed to propel us toward nursing education reform and transformation.
Initiatives of the NLN Home for Transformative Excellence
Center for Academic and Clinical Transitions
* Accelerating to Practice (ATP) Initiative
Center for Assessment and Evaluation
* NLN Testing Packages including Prep U partnership with Wolters Kluwer Health
* Fair Testing Guidelines
* Biennial School of Nursing Survey
* Biennial Faculty Census Survey
Center for Global and Diversity Initiatives
* International Council for Nursing Nurse Education Network
* NLN Ebola Resources
* Diversity Strategic Action Group
Center for Innovation in Simulation and Technology
* V-Sim (Virtual Simulation Scenarios) for medical/surgical, mental health, and fundamentals
* Technology and debriefing think tanks
* Sim Scholar-in-Residence
* SIRC (Simulation Innovation Resource Center)
Center for the Care of Vulnerable Populations
* Advancing Care Excellence for Seniors (ACE.S), Veterans (ACE.V), and patients with Alzheimer's disease (ACE.Z)
* Vision for Recognition of the Role of the LPN/LVN in Advancing the Nation's Health
Center for Transformational Leadership
* Leadership institutes for faculty moving into leadership positions, simulation educators, and senior deans and directors.
* Annual Leadership Conferences
* Public Policy and Advocacy
NLN/Chamberlain Center for the Advancement of the Science of Nursing Education
* Nursing Education Perspectives
* Vision Statement for the Doctoral Preparation of Nurse Educators
* Annual nursing education research awards
* Jonas Scholars
* Scholarly Writing Retreats
References