October 16, 2019 | NLN CEO Summit 2019 Recap

We planned and worked and planned some more and then poof — it was over. The NLN Education Summit 2019 is in the past and plans are under way for NLN Education Summit 2020: Master of Teaching | Art of Leadership. We have released the call for abstracts and the cycle begins once again. With nurses and nurse educators from all around the world, I am thrilled about the possibilities for 2020, designated by the World Health Organization as the International Year of the Nurse and Midwife, "the first time in history [that] the nations of the world will unite in celebration of the benefits that nursing and midwifery bring to the health of the global population." What a celebratory Summit we will have in Orlando, September 23–25, 2020.

NLN Summit Recap

And what a celebration we had to conclude Summit 2019. The NLN Honors Convocation saw the induction of 17 new fellows in the NLN Academy of Nursing Education; the designation (or re-designation) of 10 outstanding schools of nursing as Centers of Excellence in Nursing Education; and the presentation of awards named for three champions of nursing education to Drs. Barbara Alice Anderson, Nancy Elaine Sabol Edwards, and Daniel B. Oerther. And, then we danced. It was a great evening, following a highly substantive Summit.

Photos from the final evening and other highlights of the Summit are online and available for download. Soon I'll be able to announce that videos of the plenary sessions are online as well. If you were at the Summit, I hope you will share these with your colleagues. If you were not there, let me tell you about some of the highlights, and hopefully you will want to view and share the videos. There were some truly fascinating and inspiring moments.

First, I want to call your attention to the keynote address by Dr. George Thibault, who with Dr. Marilyn Oermann was a President's Award honoree. Centering his remarks in the context of humanism, Dr. Thibault reminded us of the importance of reason in solving human problems and our essential role in countering the denial of science. I imagine that some of you will listen to his thoughtful presentation more than once — it is very wise and to the point. You will also want to listen to the presentation at the National Faculty Meeting by Dr. Philip Dickison of the NCSBN who clarified misconceptions about Next Generation NCLEX. And, you won't want to miss KT Waxman's Spunt Lecture. Thanks to Laerdal Medical, we once again had the opportunity to hear from an important leader in this emerging pedagogy. Dr. Waxman, president of the Society in Simulation in Healthcare, spoke about the need to train faculty and noted that with simulation, we have more learning moments with our students than teaching moments.

Aside from these important presentations, there were singular moments centered around the NLN core values that we will never forgot. Nine NLN staff members delivered Charles Bennafield's poem "I Am Diversity, Please Include Me" in their native languages. And rather than presenting a conventional inaugural address, our new NLN president, Dr. Patricia Yoder-Wise, shared the stage with members and officers of the NLN Board of Governors as they offered their own thoughts about the meaning of our core values: Caring, Integrity, Excellence, and yes, Diversity. It is quite clear that these individuals — members of our highly diverse staff and the NLN leadership — all feel deeply about the mission of the NLN and the values that permeate everything that we do.

New Board of Governors

That brings me to our leadership team. I am looking forward to an amazing two years with our new president at the helm. Patricia Yoder-Wise, EdD, RN, NEA-BC, FAONL, FAAN, ANEF, wears many hats and has a wealth of teaching experience in every type of nursing education program, as well as leadership experience with a number of highly respected nursing associations. She has served the NLN since 2017 as president-elect after serving as NLN treasurer and is president of the Wise Group, a Lubbock, Texas-based private consulting practice in nursing and nursing education that she established. While dean emerita of Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center and a professor, she is also editor of The Journal of Continuing Education in Nursing and Nursing Forum. What an amazing wealth of experience she brings to her new role as NLN president.

I am also thrilled to announce that Kathleen Poindexter, PhD, RN, CNE, ANEF, assistant dean of undergraduate program and associate professor at Michigan State University College of Nursing, has been installed as president-elect — and inducted at this Summit as a fellow in the NLN Academy of Nursing Education. Kathleen's contributions focus on supporting and challenging current and future nurse educators in their efforts to develop and expand competencies that help them achieve excellence in nursing education. Also new to the leadership team are secretary Cheryl Killion, PhD, RN, FAAN, associate professor in the Frances Payne Bolton School of Nursing at Case Western Reserve University, and Mark Hand, PhD, RN, CNE, clinical associate professor at East Carolina University College of Nursing. Please read about our entire team and plan to put your name forward the next time the Nominations Committee issues a call.

Each time we install a new NLN Board of Governors there is a certain amount of sadness, for that is when we must thank former board members for their contributions and say goodbye. I cannot say enough about our immediate past president, Dr. G. Rumay Alexander, and all she has done for the NLN — and is about to do. I'll tell you about that now as I'm not sure we'll be around to talk about it later. It all started with a dare at a reception for top donors to the NLN Foundation for Nursing Education — if Rumay and I would ride the Capital Wheel at National Harbor, which soars 180 feet above the Potomac River, contributions will flow to the foundation. So, colleagues, how do you suppose we responded? The dare is on, and we will ride this enormous wheel, with its breathtaking views, as a fundraiser for the NLN foundation on Monday October 28. It's not too late to send your dollars to increase the "daring pot." Will you consider joining us?

NLN Foundation Support

And yes, our calls for contributions for the NLN Foundation for Nursing Education were highly successful at the Summit. Please make a gift now and/or fulfill your pledge. The scholarships and grants we announced at the Summit are all results of your generous contributions. You can make a donation right here.

I hope this short recap of Summit 2019 has inspired you to submit an abstract for Summit 2020 and join us in this Year of the Nurse and Midwife journey of learning, making meaning, and exploring the joy of nursing. See you next year in Orlando.