Dr. Jean Giddens from Virginia Commonwealth University Appointed Chair of the AACN Board of Directors

AACN is pleased to announce that Jean Giddens, PhD, RN, FAAN, ANEF, dean and professor of nursing at the Virginia Commonwealth University, has been appointed Chair of the AACN Board of Directors. Dr. Giddens officially began her two-year term as Board Chair at noon today following AACN’s Spring 2024 Business Meeting in Washington, DC.

American Association of Critical-Care Nurses Honors 18 Acute and Critical Care Nurses With Circle of Excellence Award

AACN recognizes 18 exceptional nurses — each nominated by colleagues — with the 2024 Circle of Excellence award. They will be honored during AACN’s 50th National Teaching Institute, to be held in Denver, May 20-22.

New Assessment Tool Supports Onboarding ICU Nurses

AACN Knowledge Assessment Tool helps hospitals better identify knowledge gaps and educational needs of critical care and progressive care nurses during orientation and onboarding. The online assessment randomly generates validated questions in over 10 areas and aligns with AACN’s Essentials of Critical Care Orientation course used by 1,000+ healthcare facilities.

AACN Applauds the Reintroduction of the Future Advancement of Academic Nursing (FAAN) Act in Congress

AACN applauds the introduction of the Future Advancement of Academic Nursing (FAAN) Act (H.R.7266/S.3770) by our Senate Nursing Caucus Co-Chair, Senator Jeff Merkley (D-OR) and House Nursing Caucus Vice Co-Chair, and nurse Congresswoman Lauren Underwood (D-IL-14). This legislation calls for historic investments to address immediate nursing education needs, while providing proactive measures to meet future workforce demands.

Registration Opens for NTI 2024, AACN’s 50th Conference

Next year, the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses will celebrate its 50th National Teaching Institute & Critical Care Exposition, May 20-22, in Denver. NTI has become the premier conference for critical and progressive care nursing education. Registration is open, and media credentials are available.

Rounds with Leadership: Practice Ready or Not?

AACN has played a central role in linking level of education to practice outcomes. Our advocacy around preparing a more highly educated nursing workforce stems from a core belief that baccalaureate and higher degree nursing education benefits both the patient and the nurse’s ability to practice at the highest level.

AACN Critical Care Conference Brings Together Thousands of Nurses for Education, Inspiration

The American Association of Critical-Care Nurses brings together thousands of nurses and other healthcare professionals who care for acutely and critically ill patients and their families during its National Teaching Institute & Critical Care Exposition (NTI, #NTI2023).
AACN presents NTI this year in-person May 22-24

MEDIA ADVISORY: AACN’s Critical Care Exposition Showcases Latest Equipment, Devices and More

The American Association of Critical-Care Nurses hosts its annual National Teaching Institute & Critical Care Exposition (NTI) May 22-24 in Philadelphia. NTI — the world’s largest conference for nurses who care for acutely and critically ill patients — includes the Critical Care Exposition, the largest and most comprehensive trade show specifically for progressive care and critical care nurses.

AACN and QGenda Launch New Scholarship to Support Nursing Students in Baccalaureate and Graduate Programs

AACN nd QGenda are pleased to announce the launch of a new scholarship program to support the preparation of new nurses and those seeking to advance their education. Open to nursing students pursuing baccalaureate and higher degrees at AACN member institutions, this program will award nearly $50,000 in scholarships through 2025, which will be administered by AACN’s Foundation for Academic Nursing.

Program Leads to Sustained Improvements in Nurses’ Moral Resilience

An experiential educational program led to sustained improvements in nurses’ skills in mindfulness, resilience and competence in confronting ethical challenges. In the study, more than 95% of the 245 participating nurses reported confronting ethical challenges in their workplace, but only 15% had previously received formal ethics training.

AACN Selects 10 Nursing Schools to Pilot Learning Strategies to Build Leadership and Resilience Skills in New Nurses

The American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) is pleased to announce that 10 schools of nursing have been selected to participate in a national initiative designed to prepare the next generation of nurses with strong skills in the areas of leadership, resilience, self-care, and well-being.

AACN Announces 10 Nursing Schools to Receive Funding to Accelerate Innovation in Nursing Education

AACN is pleased to announce that 10 schools of nursing have been selected to participate in a national initiative designed to transform nursing education and practice. With funding through the American Nurses Foundation’s Reimagining Nursing Initiative, AACN launched a three-year initiative earlier this year, titled Competency-Based Education for Practice-Ready Nurse Graduates, to accelerate the move to competency-based education and the rapid adoption of The Essentials: Core Competencies for Professional Nursing Education.

Registration Opens for Premier Critical Care Nursing Conference

Registration is now open for AACN’s National Teaching Institute & Critical Care Exposition (NTI), to be held in Philadelphia, May 22-24, 2023. The NTI experience will address nearly 50 clinical and professional development topics and include the largest and most comprehensive trade show expressly for progressive and critical care nurses.

AACN Rounds with Leadership: Moving Beyond the Pandemic

Responding to COVID-19 has had a transformative impact on what we teach, how we teach, and how we practice. Nursing programs moved quickly to adapt curriculum to ensure that graduating nurses at all levels are better prepared to respond to current and future public health emergencies.

Transition to ENFit Connectors Presents Opportunity to Review Feeding Tube Protocols

Variations in practice and outdated protocols related to nasogastric feeding tubes can impact patient safety and lead to complications. U.S. healthcare organizations are currently transitioning to a new type of connectors, which provides an opportune time to review feeding tube insertion and care processes.

AACN Critical Care Conference Brings Together Thousands of Nurses for Education, Inspiration

The American Association of Critical-Care Nurses (AACN) brings together thousands of progressive and critical care nurses and other healthcare professionals who care for acutely and critically ill patients and their families during its National Teaching Institute & Critical Care Exposition (NTI, #NTI2022), with the theme “Rooted in Strength.”

Toolkit: Immediate Strategies to Improve Nurse Staffing

A specially convened Think Tank of a diverse group of front-line nurses, nursing leaders and other key stakeholders has published a set of priorities and recommendations that provide immediate strategies that can be feasibly implemented in the short term (12-18 months) to help address the nurse staffing crisis.

AACN Releases Innovative Teaching Tool Designed to Inspire Nurses to Practice with Moral Courage and Compassion

AACN, in collaboration with Johnson & Johnson Services, Inc., is pleased to announce the release of the Trailblazing Innovation Faculty Tool Kit, developed to help prepare future nurses to serve as leaders, advocates, problem-solvers, and risk-takers throughout the healthcare system. This teaching resource centers on the themes highlighted in the award-winning documentary 5B, which provides a powerful look at the tremendous impact nurses can have on responding to public health threats, providing care to patients and communities at risk, and implementing new standards of care

Recursos sobre COVID-19, SDRA y Ventilación Ahora disponible en español

Un esfuerzo conjunto entre la Asociación Americana de Enfermeras de Cuidados Críticos (AACN) y los proyectos financiados por la Agencia de los Estados Unidos para el Desarrollo Internacional (USAID) ha hecho posible que el curso en línea gratuito de la AACN “Recursos sobre COVID-19, SDRA y Ventilación” esté disponible en español.

AACN Rounds with Leadership – Accelerating Momentum for Change

The American Association of Colleges of Nursing recognizes diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) as critical to nursing education and fundamental to developing a nursing workforce able to provide high quality, culturally appropriate, and congruent health care.

Johnson & Johnson and AACN Announce New Initiative Focused on Embedding Innovation in Nursing Curriculum

To spotlight the impact nurses have on leading innovation and advancing new models of care the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) is creating new teaching tools designed to inspire the next generation of nurses to serve with courage, ingenuity, and compassion.

AACN Announces 2021 Election Results for Board of Directors and Nominating Committee

AACN s pleased to announce the results of its 2021 election to fill seats on the AACN Board of Directors and Nominating Committee. With votes cast by member deans from the nation’s nursing schools with baccalaureate and higher degree programs, those selected to serve as AACN’s top leaders include Lin Zhan (Treasurer) from the University of Memphis; Pier Broadnax from the University of the District of Columbia; Jean Giddens from Virginia Commonwealth University; Deborah Jones from the University of Texas Medical Branch; Susan Mullaney from UnitedHealth Group (practice representative); and Demetrius Porche from Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center New Orleans. New members of AACN’s Nominating Committee include Nancy Fahrenwald from Texas A&M University, Shirleatha Lee from the University of South Carolina Upstate, and Linda Thompson from the University of Massachusetts Boston.

Dr. Damon A. Williams to Speak at AACN’s Diversity Symposium

Dr. Damon A. Williams, a visionary and inspirational leader, and one of the nation’s most recognized experts in strategic diversity leadership, youth development, corporate responsibility, and organizational change, will be the featured speaker at AACN’s Inaugural Diversity Symposium. This virtual event will be held on December 2-3, 2020. Dr. Williams will speak on “Understanding Inclusive Excellence”, addressing nursing school’s diversity and inclusion efforts at the core of institutional functioning.

ELNEC Project Reaches Historic Milestone with One Million Nurses and Other Providers Trained in End-of-Life Care

The End-of-Life Nursing Education Consortium (ELNEC) project is ending 2020 by surpassing a goal established 20 years ago with the project reporting that more than 1 million nurses and other professionals have been trained using the ELNEC curriculum. Administered through a partnership between the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) and City of Hope (Duarte, CA), ELNEC achieves this significant milestone in November, which has been designated as National Hospice and Palliative Care Month.

Foundation for Academic Nursing Announces AACN Faculty Scholars Grant Program

The Foundation for Academic Nursing, the new philanthropic arm of the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN), is pleased to announce the creation of a new program designed to spark innovation and excellence in academic nursing. The AACN Faculty Scholars Grant Program will provide funding support to nurse educators whose scholarly activities reflect current issues in nursing education or practice and support AACN’s strategic priorities.

AACN Partners with CastleBranch to Fight Back Against COVID-19

CastleBranch has launched a new digital solution, CB COVID-19 Compliance, to enable AACN members to screen students for a fever – a common COVID-19 symptom, collect information on a student’s travel and exposure to COVID-19, and provide educational training on preventing the spread of infectious diseases.

Rounds with Leadership: The Year of the Nurse Educator

The World Health Organization has designated 2020 as the International Year of the Nurse and the Midwife to celebrate the more than 22 million nurses and 2 million midwives who make up half of the global health workforce (WHO, 2020). These providers are vital to sustaining health and well-being in all communities in which they serve. Beyond raising awareness about nursing’s contribution to society, WHO also wants to use this designation to highlight the need for greater investments in the nursing workforce with the goal of ending the ongoing shortage of registered nurses (RNs).

Foundation for Academic Nursing Announced by the American Association of Colleges of Nursing

The American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) is moving forward with plans to launch a new philanthropic enterprise in 2020, the Foundation for Academic Nursing. Though the association has been a reliable source for grant-funding to schools of nursing over the years, AACN is formalizing this work and leveraging its influence to raise funds to benefit its members and advance the organization’s mission. The plans for the new foundation were announced earlier today by AACN Board Chair Dr. Ann Cary at the association’s annual Academic Nursing Leadership Conference in Washington, DC.