Deans Meeting Program

11:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m.
Registration Open

11:00 a.m.-6:30 p.m.
Attendee Lounge Open

12:00-5:00 p.m.
Exhibitor Showcase Open
Access high-profile exhibitors and sponsors showcasing innovative and forward-thinking products and services. Take time throughout the day to visit the vendor booths and identify strategic partners to fulfill your institutional needs.

12:15-1:00 p.m.
First-Time Attendee Meet & Greet

1:00-2:00 p.m.
Emerging Solutions
Don’t miss these deep-dive learning opportunities that illustrate practical tips through a fusion of lecture-based instruction, case studies, peer learning, and interaction.

• Guiding Principles for Competency-Based Education and Assessment
  Assessment in competency-based education is critical to ensuring that students are attaining the desired knowledge, skills, and abilities needed to take the next step in their learning. This session will introduce AACN’s newly developed Guiding Principles for Competency-based Education and Assessment, which outlines steps in the assessment process, implications for implementation, and real-world examples for how the principles can be applied.Presenters will discuss how the Guiding Principles document complements AACN’s newly released Vision for Sharing Data and Information Across Nursing Education, Practice, and Regulation. This session will provide fresh insights on moving Essentials implementation forward at your school of nursing.
  Speakers: Jonathan M. Amiel, MD, Senior Associate Dean and Professor, Office of Innovation in Health Professions, Columbia University, New York, NY and Janelle Sokolowich, PhD, RN, Dean, School of Health, Western Governors University, Salt Lake City, UT
   
• What Deans Need to Know about Implementing the AACN Essentials
  As academic nursing transitions to competency-based education (CBE), deans need to have a thorough understanding of what is required to ensure success for faculty, students, and their nursing programs. This presentation will focus on the what, why, and how of CBE implementation with an emphasis on how leaders can help steer this transition, engage with their community of stakeholders, and garner resources needed for curriculum revision.  Presenters will provide tangible advice on collaborating with practice partners, securing support from donors, and raising awareness among faculty, admission officers, recruiters, and staff about the importance of CBE and what this means for nursing.
  Speakers: Shelley Johnson, EdD, RN, Dean and Professor, School of Nursing, Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University (FAMU), Tallahassee, FL; Jacqui McMillian-Bohler, PhD, APRN, Assistant Clinical Professor, School of Nursing, Duke University, Durham, NC; and Julie Zerwic, PhD RN, Dean and Professor, College of Nursing, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA
   
• Fostering Inclusive Excellence: Challenges and Opportunities
  Join your colleagues for an in-depth discussion on establishing a culture of inclusive excellence.  While considering the current and relevant barriers to diversity, equity, and inclusion, hear how some schools are leveraging opportunities to establish academic environments where all faculty, staff, and students are supported and possess a strong sense of belonging.  Learn how the connection to the larger institutional structure can support or hinder academic nursing’s commitment to excellence in diversity, equity, and inclusion.
  Speakers: Lorna Finnegan, PhD, APRN, Dean and Professor, School of Nursing, Loyola University Chicago, Maywood, IL; Safiya George, PhD, APRN, Dean and Professor, College of Nursing, Florida Atlantic University, Boca Raton, FL; Carolyn Montoya, PhD, APRN, Interim Dean and Professor, College of Nursing, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM; and Roberta Waite, EdD, APRN, Dean, School of Nursing, Georgetown University, Washington, DC

2:00-2:30 p.m.
Networking Break & Visit Exhibitor Showcase

2:30-3:30 p.m.
Emerging Solutions
Don’t miss these deep-dive learning opportunities that illustrate practical tips through a fusion of lecture-based instruction, case studies, peer learning, and interaction.

• Guiding Principles for Competency-Based Education and Assessment
  Assessment in competency-based education is critical to ensuring that students are attaining the desired knowledge, skills, and abilities needed to take the next step in their learning. This session will introduce AACN’s newly developed Guiding Principles for Competency-based Education and Assessment, which outlines steps in the assessment process, implications for implementation, and real-world examples for how the principles can be applied.Presenters will discuss how the Guiding Principles document complements AACN’s newly released Vision for Sharing Data and Information Across Nursing Education, Practice, and Regulation. This session will provide fresh insights on moving Essentials implementation forward at your school of nursing.
  Speakers: Jonathan M. Amiel, MD, Senior Associate Dean and Professor, Office of Innovation in Health Professions, Columbia University, New York, NY and Janelle Sokolowich, PhD, RN, Dean, School of Health, Western Governors University, Salt Lake City, UT
   
• What Deans Need to Know about Implementing the AACN Essentials
  As academic nursing transitions to competency-based education (CBE), deans need to have a thorough understanding of what is required to ensure success for faculty, students, and their nursing programs. This presentation will focus on the what, why, and how of CBE implementation with an emphasis on how leaders can help steer this transition, engage with their community of stakeholders, and garner resources needed for curriculum revision.  Presenters will provide tangible advice on collaborating with practice partners, securing support from donors, and raising awareness among faculty, admission officers, recruiters, and staff about the importance of CBE and what this means for nursing.
  Speakers: Shelley Johnson, EdD, RN, Dean and Professor, School of Nursing, Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University (FAMU), Tallahassee, FL; Jacqui McMillian-Bohler, PhD, APRN, Assistant Clinical Professor, School of Nursing, Duke University, Durham, NC; and Julie Zerwic, PhD RN, Dean and Professor, College of Nursing, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA
   
• Revisiting What is Core: IPEC Core Competencies Revisioning Project Updates
  Join your colleagues for a summary and open discussion on the progress of a key initiative, the 2021-2023 Revision of Core Competencies for Collaborative Practice. The IPEC Core Competencies (CC) have helped to frame the national dialogue on the need for interprofessional education (IPE) and collaborative practice (CP) as a catalyst for improving team-based patient care and enhancing population health outcomes. This session, will provide an overview, describe the review and revision process, and outline changes and new elements for participants to comment on and help guide the update.
  Speakers: Jane Kirschling, PhD, RN, Dean, Professor, School of Nursing, and Director, Interprofessional Education, University of Maryland, Baltimore, MD, and American Association of Colleges of Nursing Representative, Interprofessional Education Collaborative (IPEC) Core Competencies Revision Working Group

3:30-4:00 p.m.
Networking Break & Visit Exhibitor Showcase

4:00-5:00 p.m.
Welcome and Here to Serve: Rounds with AACN Leadership
Join us for an interactive forum with AACN’s Board Chair and President/CEO addressing issues, trends, and strategic priorities impacting academic nursing. Come prepared with your questions for AACN Leadership!
Speakers: Cynthia McCurren, PhD, RN, Chair, AACN Board of Directors, and Dean and Professor, School of Nursing, University of Michigan-Flint, Flint, MI, and Deborah Trautman, PhD, RN, President and Chief Executive Officer, American Association of Colleges of Nursing, Washington, DC

5:15-6:15 p.m.
New Member Orientation and Wine & Cheese Social
Hosted by AACN’s Board of Directors and Membership Committee
Learn how AACN membership can benefit you and your organization, and how you can engage to advance academic nursing along with AACN’s mission and strategic priorities. Enjoy a light reception conducive to discussion and networking.

7:00 p.m.
Capital Walk-and-Talk
Meet your daily exercise goal! Join AACN President/CEO Deb Trautman for this optional invigorating walk. The group departs promptly at 7:00 p.m. from the hotel entrance. See you there!

6:30 p.m.
Networking Dinners (Optional)
Meet in Hotel Lobby at 6:15 p.m. Sign up at registration desk.

6:30-7:30 a.m.
Running and Walking Groups
Meet with other early risers at the hotel entrance for a 30-minute run or 60-minute morning walk.

7:00 a.m.-6:00 p.m.
Registration Open

7:30-9:00 a.m.
Continental Breakfast

7:30 a.m.-7:00 p.m.
Exhibitor Showcase Open
Access high-profile exhibitors and sponsors showcasing innovative and forward-thinking products and services. Take time throughout the day to visit the vendor booths and identify strategic partners to fulfill your institutional needs.

8:00-9:00 a.m.
Coffee & Conversations

• Deans of Minority Serving Nursing Schools
  This session explores opportunities and challenges of Deans of nursing schools with high enrollment of students of color.
   
• Dean Leadership Development Showcase
  Join your colleagues for a dynamic session focused on emerging issues and new approaches to executive leadership. Graduates of AACN’s Advancing Academic Leadership for New Deans program will present their final projects, which focus on addressing challenges and opportunities of interest to new and experienced deans. Come for the conversation, the inspiration, and a lively exchange of ideas.

8:00-9:00 a.m.
Solution Circles
Learn from industry experts in a collaborative format by examining current challenges in the field of academic nursing. 
AACN does not endorse products or services being presented during the Solution Circles 

• Preparing Nurse Leaders for 2030
  Solution Circle sponsored and presented by Wolters Kluwer
  The leadership skills required by nurses are increasingly complex and continue to evolve in response to a dynamic healthcare system, an increasingly global society, emerging technologies, and new role expectations.  This presentation will explore 7 competencies nurse leaders must further develop to positively impact the healthcare system and their profession in the future, including: A global perspective or mindset; Balancing the need for and use of emerging technologies with the human element and caring; Genetics and genomics; Understanding and expanding personal and professional power; Media and branding skills; Interprofessional collaborative and team building skills; Change management
  ​Presenter: Carol Huston, MSN, MPA, California State University-Chico State
   
• How to Provide Scalable and Effective Communication Skills Training with Generative Artificial Intelligence (AI)
  Solution Circle sponsored and presented by SimConverse
  "How do I future-proof my teaching?", "Am I providing the best training I can?", "I've seen AI all over the media recently, can it actually be useful?" This session is for everyone. From total tech expert through to complete novice. We'll discuss future-proofing your curriculum with clinical education theory and how to integrate cutting edge generative AI into your institutions. You'll also get the unique opportunity to experience cost-effective and scalable AI communication training first hand! Key topics are; Generative AI, Clinical communication theory, Scalability, future-proofing and active learning. Come see what's now possible! 
  Presenter: Will Pamment, CGO/Co-Founder, SimConverse

9:30 a.m.-12 :00 p.m. (Networking Break 10:30-11:00 a.m.)
Like-Schools Focused Discussions
Join colleagues and collaborate on vital topics important to your institution.

• Small/Liberal Arts Colleges
• Public Colleges/Universities
• Private Colleges/Universities
• Academic Health Centers

12:00-2:00 p.m.
Lunch (on your own) & Visit Exhibitor Showcase

12:30-1:30 p.m.
NursingCAS Luncheon: A Demonstration of AACN’s Student Application and Admissions Management Portal
Learn about AACN’s Nursing Centralized Application Service (NursingCAS). NursingCAS provides colleges a FREE student application and admissions platform to efficiently manage data-driven reviews in a cloud-based software. Learn why 300 colleges of nursing and 115,000 student applicants used NursingCAS to manage their nursing school applications last cycle.
Pre-Registration required here. Limited seating.

2:00-3:00 p.m.
Plenary
Keeping the Humanity in Health Care
Having served as a caregiver to both her husband who suffered a traumatic brain injury after he was hit by a roadside bomb in Iraq, as well as to her father as he battled and ultimately succumbed to Alzheimer’s disease, Lee Woodruff understands the healing powers of compassion and human connection. Her stories of respect and kindness by healthcare professionals are reminders that the human side of health care is just as important to the patient and their families as the medical treatments they receive. Woodruff’s candor, warmth, and humor will provide attendees with a revived sense of motivation and renewal for the extraordinary work that they do.
Speaker: Lee Woodruff, Author, Speaker, Westchester County, NY

3:00-3:30 p.m.
Networking Break & Visit Exhibitor Showcase

3:30-4:30 p.m.
Plenary
Driving Innovation in Medicare: Creating a More Person-Centered and Equitable Healthcare System
The Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation (CMMI) is committed to adapting care delivery models to achieve better care for patients, smarter spending, and healthier communities. Join Dr. Fowler for a stimulating discussion on national efforts to advance value-based care at the federal level and achieve equitable health outcomes through high quality, affordable, and person-centered care. Academic nursing’s role in sustaining healthcare quality and advocating for change will be highlighted.
Speaker: Elizabeth Fowler, PhD, JD, Deputy Administrator and Director, CMS Innovation Center, Baltimore, MD

4:30-5:00 p.m.
Networking Break & Visit Solution Provider Showcase

5:00-6:00 p.m.
Geraldine “Polly” Bednash Lectureship Award
The Struggle for Trust: Infusing Humanism into Health Care
Gold Foundation President and CEO Dr. Richard Levin will discuss the battering of trust in American society and its consequences for nurses and the health professions at large. In an era plagued by health misinformation and diminished regard for science, the value of expertise is under attack. Clinicians are exhausted and despairing from the moral injury of caring for those who deny the truth about what biomedical science brings to caring.  Nurses remain the most trusted profession in the nation but sustaining the nursing workforce and the other healthcare professionals is a challenge of new urgency. We need leaders to guide us out of this crisis, and the solutions must be interprofessional. Dr. Levin will focus on the power of humanism and the human connection to restore trust and pave a brighter future for nurses, physicians, and all patients under our care.
Speaker: Richard I. Levin, MD, President, and CEO of The Arnold P. Gold Foundation

6:00-7:00 p.m.
Deans Networking Reception
Join us for our Networking Reception at the end the day to enjoy light fare and mingling with friends and colleagues.

6:30-7:30 a.m.
Running and Walking Groups
Meet with other early risers at the hotel entrance for a 30-minute run or 60-minute morning walk.

7:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.
Registration Open

6:30-8:00 a.m.
Continental Breakfast

7:00-8:30 a.m.
Tips and Tools for Effective Capitol Hill Visits
Effective messaging is the essence of successful advocacy on Capitol Hill! Join State Grassroots Liaisons and AACN‘s Government Affairs Committee for practical information, insights and guidance in preparation for your Monday afternoon meeting with Members of Congress. Attendees will be seated with their state delegations.
Facilitated by AACN Government Affairs Staff and Prime Advocacy Staff and our partners at Wheat-Shroyer Government Relations and Soapbox.

7:30-8:30 a.m.
Peer-to-Peer Dialogue: Issues of the Day
Join your colleagues to discuss recent hot topics impacting academic nursing. Come share your insights while listening to and learning from your peers.

7:30-8:30 a.m.
Solution Circles
Learn from industry experts in a collaborative format by examining current challenges in the field of academic nursing. 
AACN does not endorse products or services being presented during the Solution Circles. 

• Helping Nurses Choose their Employment Setting Wisely
  Solution Circle sponsored and presented by American Nurses Credentialing Center
  Leaders carefully interview applicants to ensure they are the right fit for the organization.  Nurses should equally invest the time and effort to carefully consider whether the organization is the right fit for them. ANCC-developed resources and evidence-based frameworks to support new nurses or nurses transitioning to other settings will be shared. Find what resources and tools are available to support your new graduates.
  Presenters: Marcela Cámpoli, PhD, MHA , Director, Institute for Credentialing Research and Quality Management, American Nurses Credentialing Center; Tanya Mulvey, MAPP, Senior Research Associate, American Nurses Credentialing Center; Christine Pabico, PhD, RN, Director, Pathway to Excellence Program, American Nurses Credentialing Center
   
• EBP and QI Excellence and Innovation: Supporting Faculty and Students to Improve Outcomes
  Solution Circle sponsored and presented by Wolters Kluwer
  Quality improvement (QI) initiatives are essential in today’s dynamic healthcare environment, and nurses need to be able to identify and apply evidence -based practices to achieve optimum outcomes for patients. Faculty strive to teach QI concepts and processes to students but are often hindered by a shortage of time to complete projects, limited resources, and knowledge gaps regarding the EBP and QI processes. This presentation will discuss the issues involved in teaching and mentoring students in implementing EBP/QI initiatives and showcase a new innovative technology that offers step-by-step guidance in all stages of EBP and QI, from formulating the PICO question to searching and appraising the literature to dissemination of results. 
  Presenters: Jane Barnsteiner, PhD, RN, Editor of Research and QI for the American Journal of Nursing, and Professor Emerita, University of Pennsylvania, School of Nursing and Rachel Dicker, Product Management Associate, Wolters Kluwer Health

9:00-10:00 a.m.
Plenary
Practicing with Intention and Purpose: Redoubling Our Power to Heal
Dr. Awdish, a best-selling author and physician, shares her firsthand account of a harrowing patient care experience and how nurses taught her to approach the practice medicine in a different way.  The lessons she learned were a catalyst to finding a path towards practicing with greater intention and purpose. With a focus on healing health care, the presenter will discuss how to initiate change by giving primacy to patient and provider narratives, building resilience in teams and systems, and investing in our community.
Speaker: Rana Awdish, MD, Author

10:00-10:30 a.m.
Networking Break

10:30-11:30 a.m.
AACN Business Meeting
Presiding: Cynthia McCurren, PhD, RN, Chair, AACN Board of Directors, Dean and Professor, School of Nursing, University of Michigan-Flint, MI
The AACN Business Meeting is only open to member deans/directors, emeritus and honorary members, and invited prospective member deans/directors.
Member deans interested in submitting an issue for discussion or a resolution during the business meeting should contact COO Jennifer Ahearn at jahearn@aacnnursing.org.

1:00-5:00 p.m.
Capitol Hill Visits
Bus service to Capitol Hill begins at 12:00 pm from the Fairmont (M St. Entrance) with continuous loops until 4:30 pm. As a reminder, students attending AACN's Student Policy Summit will be in attendance for Hill Day and are encouraged to travel with their Dean to Capitol Hill. To ensure you are registered for Hill Day and can join your students on these visits, please contact Rachel Stevenson at rstevenson@aacnnursing.org .

1:00-4:30 pm
Caucus and Connect
Location: 902 Hart Senate Office Building
AACN Deans, Directors, and students are invited to  “Caucus and Connect” in-between their Capitol Hill visits to sit and reflect, enjoy light refreshments and snacks, and strategize prior to the next Hill Visit.

5:00-6:30 p.m.
AACN Congressional Reception
Last Bus leaves Hill at 6:45 p.m.
Location- Rayburn Cafe
AACN Deans, Directors and Students will be able to celebrate a productive and impactful day on Capitol Hill with members of Congress and their staff. Heavy Hors d’oeuvres will be served.