NLN Publishes New Vision Statement on Academic Progression in Nursing Education

NLN Publishes New Vision Statement on Academic Progression in Nursing Education

Renews Call for Multiple & Flexible Pathways to Support the Seamless Progression Along the Academic Spectrum in Higher Education

Washington, DC — The National League for Nursing, the nation’s first nursing association, has just issued a new NLN Vision Statement on the Academic Progression in Nursing Education, charting a strategic course of bold action for nursing leaders in academia and clinical practice, faculty, students; and other stakeholders in today’s complex health care environment.

The new statement updates the very first Vision Statement issued by the National League for Nursing in January 2011 about this topic and follows the landmark report, The Future of Nursing 2020-2030: Charting A Path to Achieve Health Equity, published by the National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine. That report brought heightened attention to the call for strengthening the nursing workforce through education, supportive workplaces, and increased autonomy to address health disparities and achieve health equity by 2030.

At its core, the new NLN Vision Statement strongly advocates for the expansion of new and flexible pathways and articulation models that are intentionally designed to propel students, through academic efficiency and the least economic burden, from the completion of one degree to the next. It presents a vision of seamless academic progression from PN/VN certification through the awarding of doctoral degrees, advancing competencies, and lifelong learning to effectively navigate the evolving complexities of health care.

“Nursing graduates must increasingly be prepared for advanced clinical practice in a variety of sophisticated and demanding modalities of health care delivery, as well as for leadership roles in nursing administration, education, technology, research, and health care policy. With this new Vision Statement, the National League for Nursing takes the lead in addressing both the challenges and opportunities inherent in promoting academic progression in nursing education for the nursing profession today and in the future,” said NLN Chair Yolanda VanRiel, PhD, RN, MEDSURG-BC, OCN, CNE, ANEF, FAAN, chair of the Department of Nursing, North Carolina Central University and patient placement coordinator at First Health of the Carolinas-Moore Regional Hospital.

“Successful academic progression depends on the alignment between educational pathways and real-world nursing roles, competencies, and employer expectations. Throughout the new Vision Statement, Academic Progression in Nursing Education, there is a timely emphasis on creating innovative approaches, strategies, models, and avenues to effectively engage students across the spectrum of higher education, from PN/VN candidates through those pursuing advanced and terminal degrees,” said NLN President and CEO Beverly Malone, PhD, RN, FAAN.

To read the complete text of Academic Progression in Nursing Education, visit NLN.org. 

#####