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.

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.

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 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.

New Data Show Enrollment Declines in Schools of Nursing, Raising Concerns About the Nation’s Nursing Workforce

According to new data released today by the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN), the number of students in entry-level baccalaureate nursing programs decreased by 1.4% last year, ending a 20-year period of enrollment growth in programs designed to prepare new registered nurses (RNs). With declines also recorded in master’s and PhD programs, collective action must be taken to strengthen pathways into nursing to ensure the nation’s healthcare needs are met. Despite the decrease in enrolled students, nursing schools turned away thousands of qualified applicants last year due largely to a shortage of faculty and clinical training sites.

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.

AACN Rounds with Leadership: Making Progress with Advancing DEI

AACN recognizes that advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) is critical to developing a nursing workforce prepared to provide high-quality, equitable, and culturally appropriate health care. Our member schools share a commitment to preparing a community of scholars, clinicians, educators, and leaders who fully value the importance of DEI in eradicating health inequities and disparities in the nation and around the world.

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.

AACN Board Chair Cynthia McCurren Testifies Before House Appropriations Subcommittee to Request Continued Support for Nursing Education and Research

Dr. Cynthia McCurren, Chair of the Board of Directors of the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN), appeared before the House Appropriation Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies to discuss the importance of elevated funding for Title VIII Nursing Workforce Development Programs and the National Institute of Nursing Research (NINR). Her testimony is part of the Subcommittee’s public witness hearing, where members of Congress hear from leaders throughout the nation on the importance of funding various federal programs. Specifically, Dr. McCurren requested at least $530 million for the Title VIII Nursing Workforce Development Programs and at least $210 million for NINR in Fiscal Year (FY) 2023.

AACN Rounds with Leadership – Reimagining Nursing Education

Moving to implement the new Essentials requires intentional action and active engagement among all stakeholders, including faculty, deans, and practice partners. AACN is working on several fronts to identify resources, offer training, and share exemplars to help facilitate the work underway at member schools to adapt learning and assessment strategies.

AACN Accelerates Innovation in Nursing Education through a New Project Funded by the American Nurses Foundation

The American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) was awarded $1.5 million in funding through the American Nurses Foundation’s Reimagining Nursing Initiative to launch a three-year project titled Competency-Based Education for Practice-Ready Nurse Graduates. This project is designed to accelerate transformation in nursing education by supporting innovative approaches to competency development and skills assessment for new nurses.

AACN Rounds with Leadership – Sustaining a Culture of Safety

The joy connected with hosting an in-person AACN Deans Annual Meeting last month was tempered by the news of the criminal conviction of former nurse RaDonda Vaught for making a fatal medication error. Despite numerous system failures contributing to this tragic accident, the individual nurse was held responsible for this terrible outcome, even though she was forthcoming about the unintentional errors made.

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

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.

Rounds with Leadership: Combating Racism and Cultivating Inclusion

At a time when our nation is struggling to address systemic racism and the inequities that have long plagued communities of color, it is truly unsettling to see the recent Executive Order on Combating Race and Sex Stereotyping, which calls for restrictions on diversity training offered at federal agencies.

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).

Blue & You Foundation grants $68k to create continuing education program for healthcare professionals in Arkansas

The Blue & You Foundation for a Healthier Arkansas presented the University of Arkansas at Little Rock with a $68,357 grant to support continuing education for healthcare professionals. The grant will allow UA Little Rock to launch and maintain a nationally approved continuing education program to provide continuing education opportunities for nursing students, healthcare professionals, and emergency response professionals.

U.S. House of Representatives Supports the Health of Our Nation by Passing Title VIII Nursing Workforce Reauthorization

The American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) commends the U.S. House of Representatives for unanimously passing H.R. 728, the Title VIII Nursing Workforce Reauthorization Act of 2019. This overwhelming support represents an important step towards reauthorizing vital programs that bolster nursing education, prepare the next generation of nurses, and support communities across the country.

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.