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AACN News Watch Weekly Edition

Published February 22, 2023

AACN Weekly News Watch
February 22, 2023
 
AACN Rounds with Leadership - Cynthia McCurren and Deborah TrautmanRounds with Leadership: 
Focusing on the Future of Faculty
 
America is in the midst of a long-standing crisis threatening the supply, education, and training of registered nurses – a severe shortage of nurse faculty and clinical preceptors. Too few nurses are available and willing to serve in these vital but under-appreciated roles, stifling the development of a well-prepared nursing workforce and hindering the preparation of the next generation of the nursing profession.
 
National Advisory Council on Nursing Education and Practice (NACNEP)
 
The opening lines of NACNEP’s 2021 Report to Congress serve as a sobering call to action for leaders in academic nursing. For more than two decades, schools of nursing nationwide have experienced an unrelenting shortage of faculty, which has frustrated efforts to meet nursing workforce needs. AACN has led the effort to document the impact of the shortage and help legislators see the direct connection between faculty supply and having enough nurses to keep patients safe.
 
Though quantifying the faculty shortage is essential to shaping policy, understanding the drivers behind the data holds promise for developing strategies to bridge the gap. Following the Academic Nursing Leadership Conference in Fall 2022, AACN hosted an invitational summit to explore issues related to the recruitment and retention of faculty. Deans from 20 nursing schools joined with AACN Board and staff leaders for a discussion of key challenges related to the faculty shortage and possible solutions to those challenges.
 
 
Weekly Digest
On February 14, 2023, the National Academies of Medicine, Science and Engineering released a new report titled Advancing Antiracism, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in STEMM Organizations. To effectively increase DEI in science, technology, engineering, mathematics, and medicine (STEMM) fields, higher education institutions and organizations must change their cultures. Removing barriers to entry and participation, while also implementing practices that convey belonging, will allow organizations to move from broadening participation by the numbers to fostering a culture of inclusion, thriving, and success. The report identifies policies and practices that can be implemented at both the leadership and individual levels.

On February 16, 2023, Joseph Choi with The Hill newspaper published a story titled Sanders Calls for Expanded Access to Medical Education to Address Worker Shortage. In its first hearing this year, the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee signaled that solving workforce issues, including the nursing shortage, is a top priority for 2023. The committee invited experts from across the health professions to discuss their experiences and propose solutions. In her remarks, Dr. Sarah Szanton, dean of the Johns Hopkins School of Nursing, noted that “nurses are often considered the oxygen of any healthcare setting. So as a country, we need people to become new nurses, and we need to retain current nurses.” Read her testimony here.

AACN Updates

The Essential Update: The Latest on AACN's New Essentials
 
New Essentials Implementation Webinar Focuses on Competency-Based Education (CBE)

On February 27 from 2-3 pm (ET), AACN’s Essentials Implementation Webinar Series continues with a program on Competency-Based Education: Practical Tips to Move Your Work Forward. Join Dr. Nancy O’Neill, Acting Director of the University System of Maryland’s William E. Kirwan Center for Academic Innovation, as she shares helpful ideas and strategies for integrating CBE into your nursing programs. Dr. O’Neill has coached faculty on curriculum mapping, refinement of program- and course-level student learning outcomes, and the use of signature assignments as vehicles for student demonstrations of learning. In this webinar, Dr. O’Neill will further develop the paradigm shift concept introduced by Dr. Robert Englander in the November 2022 webinar Moving the Needle on Meaningful Competency Assessment and offer advice to facilitate your school’s CBE transition. Click here to register.
AACN Gallery of Leadership: The Essentials
To recognize the exciting work underway to implement the 2021 Essentials, AACN launched a new video gallery spotlighting insights and exemplars from member schools whose faculty are leading the drive toward competency-based nursing education.
Saint Louis University's Path to Competency-Based Education
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“The Essentials provides us with a framework for the future of nursing education. It provides clarity for nursing faculty and for our practice partners in terms of what they can expect when any student from a school of nursing graduates whether at the entry level or the advanced nursing practice level. They'll have clarity around what competencies this nurse will come with, what knowledge, skills, and abilities the nurse will have."
-Dr. Danny Willis
Dean and Professor, Saint Louis University Trudy Busch Valentine School of Nursing
 
Visit the Gallery of Leadership to learn more about your colleagues’ work to implement the Essentials. To submit a video to be featured, please complete this form.

Deans Annual Meeting
Graphic - Explore AACN's Career Center

The Social Pulse
Cardiovascular disease continues to be a leading cause of death each year. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Division for Heart Disease and Stroke Prevention developed the Best Practices for Heart Disease and Stroke: A Guide to Effective Approaches and Strategies to provide tools and tips for public health practitioners to prevent heart disease and stroke. Take a look at this guide and more resources for health professionals to use, share, and help make an impact this #HeartMonth at the website here
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What does the path to becoming a nurse anesthetist entail? Hear from Dr. Angela Mund, president of the American Association of Nurse Anesthesiology, on the most recent episode of the Amplify Nursing podcast. In this episode, Dr. Mund shares insights on the career path, the importance of getting involved in professional organizations, and how leaders can cultivate safe environments to help others thrive. Listen to the episode here
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Washington Weekly
Inside this edition of Washington Weekly:
  • Academic Nursing at the Table: Senate HELP Committee Holds First Hearing on Health Care
  • Deadlines Fast Approaching: Sign up for HRSA Grant Opportunities Today!
  • HHS Releases the Public Health Emergency Transition Roadmap
  • AACN’s 2023 Student Policy Summit: Register Students Before the March 3 Deadline
Washington Weekly

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