Member News

AACN Members and related stakeholders are invited to submit articles, research awards and opportunities, member school announcements, new partnerships, grant-funded initiatives, and relevant resources for inclusion on the AACN website and in the AACN News Watch weekly newsletter.

News Watch Features:
Member news submission is published on the first, second, and third Wednesdays of each month:

1st Wednesday: Member News & Announcements
2nd Wednesday: New Partnerships & Grant-Funded Initiatives
3rd Wednesday: Resources (Note: School events will not be included.)

Submission Deadline:
Submissions must be received by 12:00 pm (ET) on the Monday prior to each issue to be included in that week’s edition.

Submit News

View Positions

  • The International Academy of Nursing Editors (INANE) announced Dr. Patricia Morton as the 14th recipient of the Margaret Comerford Freda Award for Editorial Leadership in Nursing Publication. The award will be presented at the annual meeting of INANE. Dr. Morton is Dean Emeritus, University of Utah College of Nursing and Editor Emeritus of AACN's Journal of Professional Nursing. Read more >>
     
  • The Hunter College School of Nursing has appointed Dr. Daniel D. Cline as associate dean for undergraduate programs, effective June 1, 2026. Dr. Cline joins Hunter from Pacific Lutheran University in Tacoma, Washington, where he served as an associate dean of undergraduate programs and associate professor. An AACN-Wharton Executive Nurse Leadership Fellow, Dr. Cline has led initiatives in curriculum reform, accreditation, and academic-practice partnerships that expand clinical learning opportunities and strengthen nursing workforce pathways. Read more >>
     
  • The University of South Florida College of Nursing welcomed Dr. Ranjita Misra, Principal Investigator, as its new Senior Associate Dean for Research. Dr. Misra came from the West Virginia University School of Public Health, where she served as a tenured full professor and PhD program director. Her scholarship and leadership focus on behavioral interventions for chronic disease prevention and management, particularly in rural and underserved populations. Read more >>
     
  • Washington State University (WSU) College of Nursing has partnered with “Empowered Hosted by Meg Ryan” on a program highlighting the challenges and solutions to the national nursing shortage. The Public Television documentary highlights WSU nursing leadership, students, and practicing alumni, and examines how students and educators who make nursing programs possible are helping address this critical workforce gap. Read more >>
     
  • The Marian K. Shaughnessy Nurse Leadership Academy at Case Western Reserve University has been designated an International Council of Nurses Accredited Centre for Research and Development placing it among just 17 institutions worldwide and only two in the United States to receive this distinction. This recognition centers on advancing the International Classification for Nursing Practice, a standardized nursing language designed to make nursing care more visible, measurable, and comparable across healthcare systems globally. Read more >>

  • Marymount University has partnered with pediatric respite care facility Jill’s House for a unique pediatric clinical rotation. This partnership provides nursing students with hands-on experience and knowledge in caring for children and adolescents with profound intellectual and developmental disabilities. Through this collaboration, students are exposed to complex care needs beyond typical clinical experiences, management of complex diagnoses, and mobility, learning, communication, and behavior challenges. Alongside experienced pediatric nurses and direct service providers, students provide individualized, family and patient-centered care, compassion, and adaptability.
     
  • Cal State Monterey Bay has received a $15 million gift commitment from Montage Health to expand nursing education and address critical healthcare workforce shortages in the tri-county region. This investment will establish the Montage Health Helen Baszucki School of Nursing and support the development of two new programs: a four-year pre-licensure Bachelor of Science in Nursing and Master of Science in Nursing. The CSU Board of Trustees approved the school’s naming on March 11, 2026, and a public celebration is planned at CSUMB on April 9. Read more >>
     
  • Recently, the American Nurses Association (ANA) in collaboration with the American Association for Men in Nursing (AAMN) announced that it is recognizing Men’s Health Nursing as a specialty within the nursing profession. ANA has officially adopted the Men’s Health Nursing Scope and Standards of Practice developed by AAMN. This recognition is a historic turning point in embedding men's health in nursing education and clinical practice. Read more >>
     
  • Texas Christian University appointed Dr. Bernard Rousseau as the Marilyn and Morgan Davies Dean of the Harris College of Nursing & Health Sciences. Dr. Rousseau previously served as dean of the Doisy College of Health Sciences at Saint Louis University, associate dean and department chair in the School of Rehabilitation Sciences at the University of Pittsburgh, associate vice chair for research in the Department of Otolaryngology at Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, and Chancellor Faculty Fellow at Vanderbilt University. Read more >>
     
  • The University of South Dakota appointed Dr. Betsy Becker as the next dean of the School of Health Sciences. A distinguished clinician, educator, and administrator, Dr. Becker returns to her alma mater to lead the school as its fourth dean since its establishment in 2008. She most recently served as chair of the Department of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences in the College of Allied Health Professions at the University of Nebraska Medical Center, a post she held since 2020. Read more >>
     
  • The University of Texas at Tyler appointed Dr. Jenifer Chilton as the dean of the School of Nursing. Dr. Chilton has served as interim dean since 2025. She first served as a preceptor for UT Tyler community health students in 2004 and became a clinical instructor in 2007. Starting in 2021, Dr. Chilton served as the associate dean for academic affairs, playing a key role in advancing the school’s academic mission, improving student outcomes, and fostering a collaborative environment for faculty and staff. Read more >>

  • Drexel University College of Nursing and Health Professions and Cooper University Health Care announced a strategic workforce collaboration to expand access to nursing education and create clearer pathways from learning to professional practice. Through the partnership, Cooper team members who are interested in nursing careers can access Drexel’s nursing certificate and degree programs at an increased discounted rate, and Drexel nursing students can participate in enhanced co-op and clinical practice opportunities. Read more >>
     
  • Southeastern Louisiana University has partnered with Our Lady of the Lake (OLOL) Regional Medical Center to give nursing students hands-on experience with Epic, an electronic medical record platform. Through the Epic Community Extension Academic-Use Program, OLOL provides students remote access to its Epic training environment, allowing them to practice clinical documentation and workflows before entering the workforce. Read more >>
     
  • Frontier Nursing University received a $20 million scholarship investment from its Board of Directors to provide high-quality education that prepares nurses to become competent, entrepreneurial, ethical, and compassionate nurse-midwives and nurse practitioners, with an emphasis on rural and underserved communities. Read more >>
     
  • The University of Michigan appointed Dr. Allison Renee Webel as the next dean of the School of Nursing, effective July 1, 2026. A nationally recognized nurse scientist and academic leader, Dr. Webel’s five-year appointment was approved by the university’s Board of Regents and will run through June 2031. She currently serves as associate dean for research and innovation at the University of Washington School of Nursing, where she oversees a research portfolio exceeding $30 million annually and leads units responsible for research infrastructure, intramural funding, communications, and scholarly advancement. Read more >>
     
  • The University of Vermont appointed Dr. Dain LaRoche as dean of its College of Nursing and Health Sciences, effective July 1, 2026. Dr. LaRoche currently serves as Associate Dean for Research and Professor of Exercise Science at the University of New Hampshire, where he oversees a $30 million research portfolio and leads work focused on mobility, aging, and technologies that support independent living. Read more >>
     
  • Western University of Health Sciences received approval to launch a Master of Science in Nursing-Entry program on its Oregon campus, designed for students from non-nursing backgrounds to enter the profession with a foundation in clinical excellence, collaborative leadership, and humanistic care. The program is expected to welcome its inaugural class in Fall 2027 to help address regional nursing shortages and prepare nurses to serve rural and medically underserved communities. Read more >>

  • The George Washington University School of Nursing received a $2.9 million federal grant aimed at expanding the number of nurses trained and deployed to underserved rural communities in Maryland, Virginia, and West Virginia. This initiative focused on increasing enrollment in accelerated and veterans nursing programs and providing financial support, specialized rural clinical training, and scholarships. Read more >>
     
  • The State University of New York (SUNY) system announced that multiple campuses with nursing programs have received millions in funding from the SUNY High Needs Nursing Fund to expand and modernize simulation-based education, enabling the purchase of advanced manikins, simulators, medical and audiovisual equipment, virtual and augmented reality tools, and faculty training to improve hands-on clinical instruction as part of efforts to strengthen the healthcare workforce in New York State. Read more >>
     
  • Women & Infants Hospital in Providence, Rhode Island launched a new initiative that provides up to $45,000 in student loan repayment to enrolled nursing students who commit to working at the hospital after graduation, part of a broader effort to strengthen the local nursing workforce and improve retention amid ongoing shortages. Read more >>
  • The Frontier Nursing University Board of Directors has approved the use of $20 million from the university’s unrestricted endowment to fund scholarships, demonstrating the continued commitment to providing a high-quality education that prepares nurses to become competent, entrepreneurial, ethical, and compassionate nurse-midwives and nurse practitioners, with an emphasis on rural and underserved communities. Read more >>
     
  • Dr. Deborah J. Jones, Chief Integration Officer, Senior Vice President, and School of Nursing Dean for The University of Texas Medical Branch, has been appointed president of the MGH Institute of Health Professions. Dr. Jones succeeds President Paula Milone-Nuzzo, who is retiring after eight years at the helm. Dr. Jones assumed the role of MGH Institute's seventh President on January 18. Read more >>
     
  • Dr. Mary A. Nies, Professor Tenured in the School of Nursing at the College of Health at Idaho State University, will be inducted into the Western Academy of Nurses (WAN) at the Western Institute of Nursing (WIN) Research Conference being held in San Francisco, CA on April 22, 2026. WAN is an honorary sector of WIN, comprised of leaders recognized for superior accomplishments in nursing and health education, research, and clinical practice in the Western United States. Read more >>
     
  • Dr. Diane Santa Maria, dean of Cizik School of Nursing at UTHealth Houston, has been named one of 60 scholars who will form the Presidential Leadership Scholars’ (PLS) 11th annual class. Over the past decade, PLS has brought together nearly 600 established, purpose-driven leaders to collaborate and make a difference in the world as they learn about leadership through the lens of the presidential experiences of George W. Bush, William J. Clinton, George H.W. Bush, and Lyndon B. Johnson. Read more >>

  • The Frontier Nursing University Board of Directors has approved the use of $20 million from the university’s unrestricted endowment to fund scholarships, demonstrating the continued commitment to providing a high-quality education that prepares nurses to become competent, entrepreneurial, ethical, and compassionate nurse-midwives and nurse practitioners, with an emphasis on rural and underserved communities. Read more >>
     
  • Dr. Deborah J. Jones, Chief Integration Officer, Senior Vice President, and School of Nursing Dean for The University of Texas Medical Branch, has been appointed president of the MGH Institute of Health Professions. Dr. Jones succeeds President Paula Milone-Nuzzo, who is retiring after eight years at the helm. Dr. Jones assumed the role of MGH Institute's seventh President on January 18. Read more >>
     
  • Dr. Mary A. Nies, Professor Tenured in the School of Nursing at the College of Health at Idaho State University, will be inducted into the Western Academy of Nurses (WAN) at the Western Institute of Nursing (WIN) Research Conference being held in San Francisco, CA on April 22, 2026. WAN is an honorary sector of WIN, comprised of leaders recognized for superior accomplishments in nursing and health education, research, and clinical practice in the Western United States. Read more >>
     
  • Dr. Diane Santa Maria, dean of Cizik School of Nursing at UTHealth Houston, has been named one of 60 scholars who will form the Presidential Leadership Scholars’ (PLS) 11th annual class. Over the past decade, PLS has brought together nearly 600 established, purpose-driven leaders to collaborate and make a difference in the world as they learn about leadership through the lens of the presidential experiences of George W. Bush, William J. Clinton, George H.W. Bush, and Lyndon B. Johnson. Read more >>
     
  • Samford University’s Moffett & Sanders School of Nursing receives $2.97 million federal grant from the Workforce Expansion Program within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Health Resources and Services Administration. The award supports training more registered nurses and preparing them to serve patients in rural and underserved communities. Read more >>
  • Concordia University Chicago (CUC) reached a historic milestone in December by honoring the first graduates of its new four-year nursing program. This achievement reflects the growing demand for well-educated healthcare professionals and CUC’s commitment to preparing highly competent and compassionate nurses. The program combines state-of-the-art facilities with personalized education to equip nurses for leadership and service. Read more >>
  • The University of Illinois Chicago College of Nursing was awarded the Healthcare Simulation Standards Endorsement™ from the International Nursing Association for Clinical Simulation and Learning, making it the only nursing program in the state of Illinois to receive the recognition. This three-year endorsement highlights the dedication to excellence in healthcare simulation practices in the M. Christine Schwartz Experiential Learning & Simulation Laboratory. Read more >>