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NLN Member Update

Posted about 4 years ago

October 28, 2020  |  XXIV, Issue Number 20

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One highlight of each NLN Summit is the opportunity to meet in person with the authors of the new books published by NLN Press. As we could not make that happen at our Virtual Summit last month, let me take this opportunity to introduce you to two new books and their authors.

Our first author is the simulation scholar Dr. Pamela Jeffries, and her book is the third edition of the very first book she published with the NLN: Simulation in Nursing Education: From Conceptualization to Evaluation. There is a lot of fresh content in this edition, on prebriefing and debriefing, virtual simulations, the use of standardized patients in Objective Structured Clinical Examinations (OSCEs), and the latest content on evaluation and assessment of simulations. Pam’s research over the years led to the development of the NLN Jeffries Simulation Theory.  This newest edition of her seminal work will bring you to the next level in your use of clinical simulation in your sim lab and nursing classroom.

Our second book builds on Critical Conversations: A Guide for Faculty, introduced by Drs. Susan Gross Forneris and Mary Kohl Fey in 2017. With Critical Conversations (Volume 2): Moving from Monologue to Dialogue, Sue and Mary take readers through a neuroscience journey to explore key strategies from the education discipline that enhance critical thinking. With dialogue the foundational thread, they weave together the latest in neuroscience teaching and learning strategies that will enable you to instill curiosity in your learners and help them connect concepts and apply knowledge to future situations. 
Tomorrow Sue and Mary are offering a webinar in the Lippincott Nursing Education Speaker Series titled “From Bedside to Brain: Science and Art of Good Teaching.” I recommend it. You still have time to register. By the way, Mary is senior director for teaching and learning at the Center for Medical Simulation, and Sue is director of the NLN Center for Innovation in Education Excellence. Let me remind you that this NLN Center offers a new and illuminating blog, NLN Nursing EDge, to promote and provide resources that foster faculty excellence. Two recent posts by Dr. Pamela Jeffries and Drs. Sue Forneris and Mary Fey will tell you more about their new books than I can here. Be sure to sign up and receive NLN Nursing EDge posts as they are published. 

DATES & DEADLINES
Empower Yourself

And don’t forget. The NLN Leadership Institute is offering an important webinar on November 10: “Mentorship: Empower Yourself as a Leader!” Dr. Mary Lynn Engelmann will explore the relationship between mentoring and leadership and offer practical suggestions for forming mentor-mentee relationships. I talk about it a lot – I consider my mentors as vital to my progression as a leader, and I feel strongly that all faculty can be empowered through mentorship and can empower others. This webinar will be very stimulating – I encourage you to take part.

Another important date is coming up this week for nursing education programs and health care organizations. October 30 is the deadline to show intent to pursue designation or continuing designation as an NLN Center of Excellence in Nursing Education. Read the Applicant Handbook for details. All I can say is – if you are on the fence, I hope you will take this first step to joining the elite but very diverse group of NLN Centers of Excellence. If you are not ready this year, take the time now to explore the process and start setting goals going forward. This now venerable NLN program is important for setting the highest standards for nursing education and honoring excellence.
Make Plans to Vote

Colleagues, let me switch gears and talk about some of the things that are on my mind this last week of October as we face Election Day next Tuesday and the beginning of the holiday season. First, if you have not voted early, make plans to vote now. If you have a mail-in ballot, get it in today – you will not want to learn that your vote has not counted. If you anticipate long lines on Election Day, get there early, bring snacks and maybe a folding chair – and vote.

RECENT NEWS
Second, the news about COVID is very discouraging, with several states showing record numbers of cases. We are all looking forward to the development of a safe and effective vaccine, but our nurses and other clinicians are working in the here and now in intensive care units that are reaching capacity. We are cautioned that even family gatherings over the Thanksgiving holiday will spread the disease. As you know, there is a great deal of mis(dis)information going around, but people will listen to us as nurse educators and leaders. Let us model and promote safe behavior – wear a mask, practice social distancing, wash hands carefully and frequently, and get a flu shot  – and do what we can to educate ourselves, our students, and the public at large.

Support Nursing Education

And here is something else we can do. For several years now the Thanksgiving holiday has been followed by Giving Tuesday, when we are asked to share our bounty with others. There is great need in this country and globally, with many people struggling in the wake of the pandemic. Give generously to those in need, but consider also giving back to our profession via a gift to the NLN Foundation for Nursing Education.

Your gift will translate into research into nursing education and to scholarships for future educators. It will have a lasting impact on the future of our profession and will ultimately promote the NLN mission, to advance the health of our nation and the global community. There are many ways to give and people to honor through your gift – perhaps your mentor or a colleague. You can consider leaving a legacy or just make a donation for its own sake. This is truly the season to give.

Be well and stay safe!
All the best,