The NLN responds to emerging trends in nursing education

Throughout 2013, the NLN convened a series of think tanks and roundtables to address significant issues that currently influence nursing education nationally and inter- nationally. The work is ongoing. The NLN is grateful to the participants, nursing and health care leaders who contribute their time and expertise to the NLN mission: to promote ex- cellence in nursing education to build a strong and diverse nursing workforce to advance the nation's health.Doctoral Preparation for the Educator Role (March 2013)This invitational think tank was designed to promote a gen- erative dialogue to consider an inclusive way forward for educator role preparation within PhD and DNP programs nationally. Outcomes of the gathering offer a conceptual approach to link educational preparation to health care re- form. Participants are working with the NLN to strengthen the advocacy of evidence-based teaching and nurse edu- cator preparation at the doctoral level in ways that embody the League's core values of caring, integrity, diversity, and excellence. Led by Dr. Judith Halstead, NLN president, the group is developing an NLN vision statement to:* Identify why doctoral preparation for the educator role is essential to educate nursing students to achieve better health outcomes through improved patient care and en- hanced quality and safety.* Explore ways to reframe the current dialogue, away from thinking in solos (education vs. practice) to promoting the practice of expert clinicians translating their knowl- edge and skills for nursing students at all levels through evidence-based teaching.* Make recommendations to position nurse educator preparation as essential for educational reform to ad- vance the nation's health.Members: Marsha Howell Adams, president-elect, NLN; Teresa Shellenbarger, governor-at-large, NLN; Diane M. Billings, Jan Boller, W. Richard Cowling III, Cheryl Woods Giscombe, Versie Johnson-Mallard, Karen H. Morin, Bar- bara J. Patterson, Nancy C. Sharts-Hopko.NLN Invitational Think Tank to Develop a National LPN/LVN Curriculum (April 2013)While the United States moves toward the redesign of both nursing education and clinical practice, the NLN deter- mined that it is necessary to more fully support the LPN/ LVN workforce to secure a vital role within a reformed health care system. This invitational think tank was de- signed to explore and define an inclusive approach to position LPN/LVN nurse graduates to play a vital role in providing quality, patient-centered, evidence-based care. Participants began the work of structuring a transformative curriculum model that is informed by current health care trends and creates a foundation for academic progression to RN and APRN roles, building on the diversity of the LPN/LVN workforce and its commitment to quality care for older adults in both acute and long-term care settings. …