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December 9, 2020 | XXIV, Issue Number 23
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In recent years, colleagues, I have used my last Member Update of the year to reflect on NLN accomplishments of the previous 12 months and provide a preview of what to expect in the year to come. Last year I pointed to the beginning of the new decade with pride and excitement, noting that 2020, the 200th anniversary of the birth of Florence Nightingale, was designated the Year of the Nurse and the Midwife by the World Health Organization.
Now I ask myself, what is the best way to recap the reality of this past year? Let me begin with two projections: 1) January 2021 will see the start of the distribution of safe and effective vaccines for COVID-19, and thankfully, nurses and other clinicians on the front lines will be among the first to be immunized; 2) Throughout winter and spring 2021, nurses will play a key leadership role in the distribution of vaccines and in educating the public about the importance of being vaccinated.
We are trusted, and we have the communication skills that are so needed during this time. Educating a wary public about the importance of the vaccine and the continued need for the safety measures we know so well – mask wearing, social distancing, and handwashing – will be challenging. Nurses will step up to the plate.
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In addition, for the first time ever, we co-hosted a webinar with the American Association of Colleges of Nursing: Strategic Diversity Leadership & Culturally Relevant Decision-Making During COVID-19. All webinars are online for your continued use.
And thanks to contributions from NLN Simulation Leaders, we continue to compile virtual resources on COVID-19 and virtual simulation options for prelicensure students and NP students. Documents are updated every month.
Then there is vSim for Nursing, developed in collaboration with Laerdal Medical and Wolters Kluwer Health to help students build confidence and preparedness for practice. When we began to develop these teaching resources, we did not anticipate how vital they would become in just one semester. Fortunately, we offer solutions for a range of content areas: virtual simulation scenarios with integrated curriculum resources that allow students to interact with patients in a safe, realistic environment, anytime, anywhere. We invite you to download the free vSim for Nursing Integration Guide, which offers strategies for use in all types of nursing programs.
NLN Testing Services also responded immediately to the disruptions brought about by the pandemic. Just as you began to ponder how to safely evaluate students who were suddenly dispersed and taking classes online from their homes, we enhanced our services with user-friendly features for test administrators, proctors, and exam candidates. In NLN Testing Talk, Dr. Leanne Furby, Testing Services director, uses the term fluid and flexible to describe what spring 2020 was like for her and her team as they worked from their own homes to ensure that you would have new products and uninterrupted services during the months ahead – whether your students were on campus or remote. Note our new telephone number, 800-732-8656. |
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Important Upcoming Deadlines
We cannot talk about 2020 without mentioning how well we managed all our events online, from small, discreet offerings such as our Scholarly Writing Retreat to our all-encompassing virtual NLN Education Summit in September. We are now planning Summit 2021 with the very appropriate theme “Leading and Teaching Beyond Resilience,” focused on the synergy generated when educators come together within the context of teaching, learning, and leadership.
Abstracts for Summit 2021 are due soon: December 23. |
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A number of other deadlines will come up early in 2021, and you will not want to miss them.
Addressing Our Challenges
Before I close with best wishes for the holidays, let me talk briefly about some of the challenges we will face in 2021 and beyond. As many have pointed out, the COVID-19 pandemic highlighted weaknesses in our society: inequities in education and our health care system, issues of racism, problems of disinformation and communication, among other concerns. These are issues that require all of us to work together. They will not be easily resolved.
The NLN is one of five member organizations representing education, practice, and regulation through the Tri-Council for Nursing. Recently, the Tri-Council conducted a survey of stakeholders to identify challenges faced by nursing during the pandemic and some of the innovative solutions that have already been implemented. To explore these issues further and identify an agenda for future action, the Tri-Council hosted the Covid-19 Virtual Summit on December 3, supported by the ANA Foundation. The Summit was a highly interactive, collaborative forum involving educators, policymakers, and health care experts from all levels and a broad cross-section of settings.
The day was remarkable. We broke into small groups to discuss 22 topics representing six major themes: Equity and Health Equity; Ethics; Innovation; Interprofessional Emergency Planning and Response; Mental Health and Well-being; and Workforce issues. Following a discussion guide, each group identified challenges, failures and successes, implications and opportunities, and eventually and importantly, team assignments. A report with recommendations and action items will be developed and distributed among key stakeholders. Our overarching goal was to address long-term strategies as well as immediate issues.
The NLN was well represented among the core team of leaders, discussion leaders, and panelists. I am confident that going forward, our discussions with broad segments of the nursing profession will better inform our work at the NLN. I will keep you informed as well.
The Tri-Council also issued an important statement about the status of the US health care workforce during the pandemic. The statement discusses the nursing shortage, workforce staffing shortages, which are particularly acute in rural areas, and the overall strain the pandemic is putting on hospitals. We also discuss how important it is to follow guidance from the Centers for Disease and Prevention, as well as state and local authorities, and the need to continue the prevention measures we know so well. That means, colleagues, it is important for all of us to stay home during the upcoming holiday and minimize our contacts with persons outside our household.
Season of Giving
Finally, let me remind you that the NLN Foundation for Nursing Education continues to welcome your support. Help us build a bigger and brighter future for nursing education by supporting scholarships for nurse educators and research to advance the science of nursing education. Help us make a difference by giving during this #NLNSeasonofGiving.
Happy holidays, colleagues, with best wishes for a festive holiday season. May you keep your loved ones close, albeit by video, and stay safe, healthy, and energized for the challenges we face and the work we will do together in the New Year. |
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