Published December 19, 2018 
Weekly Digest
In the November-December 2018 issue of the Journal of Professional Nursing, three academic nursing leaders—Dr. Jean McSweeney from the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Dr. Lisa Weglicki from the Medical University of South Carolina, and Dr. Rick Garcia from AACN – consider the question: "Are Nursing Scientists an Endangered Species?" In this guest editorial, the authors discuss the recent decline in enrollments in PhD programs, challenges to expanding the research enterprise at schools of nursing, and what is being done at the national level by AACN and other stakeholders to generate new excitement around the research doctorate and careers in nursing science.
On December 11, the National Science Foundation released a new report on Doctorate Recipients from U.S. Universities, which found a slight decrease in the number of research-focused doctoral degrees offered across fields from 2016 to 2017. Beyond graduation trends, this report also looks at what influences the path to the doctorate, post-graduation trends, and patterns of interstate mobility among those earning a terminal degree.
AACN Updates
Dr. Ted Mitchell, President of the American Council on Education, to Address Changing Educational Landscape at Doctoral Education Conference >>
Save the Date for the 2019 GNSA Career Fair >>
Don't Miss AACN's January Webinars >>
The Social Pulse
Webinar Series on Adolescent Screening, Intervention, and Referral Treatment Coming in 2019
AACN members are encouraged to participate in a new webinar series to help address adolescent substance use issues and provide resources on screening, intervention, and referral to treatment. The webinar series, hosted by NORC at the University of Chicago, the Adolescent SBIRT Project, and The BIG Initiative, with funding from the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation, will be hosted through May of 2019. Learn more and register here.
Opportunities & Resources to Consider
- The Commission on Nurse Certification (CNC) is now accepting applications for four available positions on the CNC Board of Commissioners (CNCBOC), one position on the Marketing Committee, and eight positions on the Item Writers Committee. CNCBOC and Item Writer positions require a three-year commitment. Marketing Committee positions require a two-year commitment. To learn more about the requirements and to download the applications, visit CNC's Get Involved Webpage.
- The Arnold P. Gold Foundation's Pearl Birnbaum Hurwitz Humanism in Healthcare Award is presented annually to a woman who exemplifies humanism and has advanced—through her scholarship, advocacy, leadership or work—the well-being of vulnerable or underserved populations in the healthcare arena. Nominations for the 2019 award are due December 21, 2018.