Nursing education stands at a critical crossroads. Healthcare challenges are becoming more complex, with rising rates of chronic illness, growing mental health crises, aging populations, and widening health inequities (NASEM, 2021). To meet these demands, nurses need more than strong clinical and communication skills. They must also understand and address the broader social and structural conditions that shape health outcomes.
“Preparing a resilient nursing workforce means addressing not only skills, but also the conditions that allow students, faculty, and staff to thrive.”
Academic nursing programs are essential to building this workforce. Yet many institutions struggle to unite academic excellence, workforce readiness, and community well-being into a cohesive, sustainable strategy (Sumpter, 2022). Meeting these demands requires innovative approaches that reflect the realities of contemporary practice and the wide diversity of the communities served (Murray & Noone, 2022).
The AACN Ecosystem of Excellence in Academic Nursing was created in direct response to these challenges. Building on the 2021 Inclusive Excellence Ecosystem, the updated framework offers a more unified, actionable model for institutional transformation. It embeds excellence across curriculum, scholarship, operations, well-being, and community partnerships—moving beyond standalone initiatives toward an integrated, system-level approach.
These strategies are not add-ons. They are integrated practices that strengthen teaching, leadership, student support, staff development, and institutional effectiveness in measurable and sustainable ways.
A distinctive feature of the Ecosystem is the Pathway to Excellence Assessment and Scorecard, which help institutions:
Together, the Ecosystem, tool kit, and assessment tools provide a coordinated foundation for growth and innovation. By aligning education, operations, and engagement, nursing programs can: