AACN and QGenda are pleased to announce the launch of a new scholarship program to support the preparation of new nurses and those seeking to advance their education. Open to nursing students pursuing baccalaureate and higher degrees at AACN member institutions, this program will award nearly $50,000 in scholarships through 2025, which will be administered by AACN’s Foundation for Academic Nursing.

According to new data released today by AACN, the number of students in entry-level baccalaureate nursing programs decreased by 1.4% last year, ending a 20-year period of enrollment growth in programs designed to prepare new registered nurses (RNs). With declines also recorded in master’s and PhD programs, collective action must be taken to strengthen pathways into nursing to ensure the nation’s healthcare needs are met. Despite the decrease in enrolled students, nursing schools turned away thousands of qualified applicants last year due largely to a shortage of faculty and clinical training sites.

AACN is pleased to see recommended increases to programs that support nursing education and the workforce in the Administration's proposed budget for Fiscal Year (FY) 2024. Released on March 9, the proposal outlines resources for key programs impacting academic nursing within the Departments of Health and Human Services (HHS) and Education. 

The Foundation for Academic Nursing, the philanthropic arm of AACN, is pleased to announce the 2023 recipients of the Deborah E. Trautman Future Nurse Leader Scholarship. With funding provided by Liaison International, AACN’s partner in NursingCAS, this year's award winners are Nkemdilim "Kelly" Diaz, a Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) student at Winona State University, and Rika Win Kemp, a DNP student at the Medical University of South Carolina.

AACN is pleased to announce the results of its 2023 election to fill seats on the AACN Board of Directors and Nominating Committee. With votes cast by member deans from the nation’s nursing schools with baccalaureate and higher degree programs, those selected to serve as AACN’s top leaders include Judith Karshmer (Treasurer) from Arizona State University; Deborah Jones from the University of Texas Medical Branch; Robin Newhouse from Indiana University; Demetrius Porche from Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center New Orleans; Julie Swann from Emory Saint Joseph’s Hospital; and Lin Zhan from the University of California, Los Angeles. New members of AACN’s Nominating Committee include Mary Anne Krogh from South Dakota State University, Mayola Rowser from Goldfarb School of Nursing at Barnes-Jewish College, and Tanya Sudia from Augusta University.