NLN & Walden University Launch National Institute for Artificial Intelligence to Advance AI Leadership in Nursing Education

NLN & Walden University Launch National Institute for Artificial Intelligence to Advance AI Leadership in Nursing Education

New Institute Opens AI Leadership, Curriculum Integration & Research Resources to Nurse Educators Nationwide as 73% of Healthcare Leaders Say AI Will Transform Care Delivery

Washington, DC — The National League for Nursing and Walden University College of Nursing today announced the NLN and Walden University College of Nursing Institute for Artificial Intelligence, a new institute dedicated to preparing nurse educators and healthcare practitioners for a clinical landscape being rapidly reshaped by AI. According to the Covista Care Capacity Monitor[1], 73% of healthcare leaders say AI will transform both education and care delivery, yet most nurses entering the workforce today were never trained for it. [2]

The announcement marks the second institute the two organizations have built together. Their first, the NLN and Walden University College of Nursing Institute for Social Determinants of Health and Social Change, established a proven model for developing nurse leaders prepared to address some of healthcare's most pressing challenges. This new institute applies that same approach to the defining challenge of this moment: ensuring that nursing education keeps pace and continues to lead with a rapidly evolving and technologically advanced clinical landscape.

The National League for Nursing brings its standing as the nation's leading voice in nursing education and faculty development. Walden brings its position as one of the largest providers of nursing education in the U.S. Together, they bring the academic credibility and educational rigor and reach needed to advance AI preparedness across nursing.

Housed within the NLN Center for Transformational Leadership under the direction of Dr. Sandra Davis, the institute will support nurse educators and healthcare practitioners in:

• Developing AI leadership competencies and integrating emerging technologies into nursing curricula
• Preparing nurse educators to become institutional leaders in the responsible application of AI
• Advancing scholarly work and research on AI's role in well-being, nursing education and practice
  

"This bold initiative represents the National League for Nursing's and Walden University's commitment to promoting the use of artificial intelligence as key to our vision of leadership that addresses societal challenges and brings about positive, equitable and sustainable change for the long-term health of our nation and global community," 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.

Walden arrives at this partnership with momentum. The university recently launched an AI for Nursing Professionals certificate in collaboration with Google Cloud — equipping students with applied skills in clinical documentation, patient data analysis, and ethical AI use — as part of Covista's enterprise-wide commitment to graduating AI-ready healthcare professionals across all five of its institutions. The NLN and Walden University College of Nursing Institute for Artificial Intelligence extends that commitment well beyond the Walden community, opening its resources, research, and leadership development programming to nurse educators and faculty from institutions across the country.

"Healthcare systems are changing fast, and our graduates need to be ready for the environments they're walking into. At Walden University and across Covista, we've made a deliberate commitment to ensuring the healthcare professionals we educate, across every institution, graduate ready to practice in AI-enabled environments. This institute is how we bring that work into nursing education at a scale that goes well beyond our own walls. Partnering with the National League for Nursing means we're not just preparing our students. We're helping shape what AI readiness looks like for the profession,” Sue Subocz, Chief Academic Officer, Walden University.

It is a collaboration with a proven track record and a shared conviction that nursing education must lead, not follow, the innovations, challenges and opportunities reshaping healthcare.

"As the leader in nursing education, the National League for Nursing has championed AI as an invaluable resource for faculty development and for use in the preparation of practice-ready nursing graduates who are expected to seamlessly and safely transition their skills into an evolving healthcare environment. We are most grateful to Walden University for its generous support in making possible the creation of this institute that is poised to deliver leadership and innovation in AI, the most significant technological achievement of our time," said NLN President and CEO Beverly Malone, PhD, RN, FAAN.

For more information about the NLN and Walden University College of Nursing Institute for Artificial Intelligence, visit NLN.org.

[2] Covista Care Capacity Monitor, fielded by Gallup, November 2025.

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