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Message from the CEO – April 2021

Donna MeyerDear OADN Members:

A few weeks ago, a communication was distributed for nominations to the Academy for Associate Degree Nursing.  The Academy began in 2015 and was developed to recognize those individuals who model exemplary dedication to associate degree nursing education and practice, and who have worked as change agents to advance health and education through associate degree nursing.  When I review this statement, I think of many of you who have made a significant impact on associate degree nursing.  This past year emphasized the importance of leadership, innovation, and perseverance that prospective and current Academy members embody.

Nurses often possess a high degree of humility and do not always celebrate their strengths and talents to a fault. We readily do the work and serve others but do not necessarily look for accolades.  While that altruism is admirable, it often can translate to not thinking of ourselves as leaders, innovators, or experts. It is important to recognize that you are leading every day and your sphere of influence is broad. Your steadfast dedication during these challenging times deserves recognition.  This application period provides a perfect opportunity to highlight your many accomplishments and see yourself the way others do, as an exemplary leader in associate degree nursing.

I am also pleased to announce that Libby Mahaffey PhD RN FAADN, who was the inaugural chair of the Academy was bestowed the honor of Chair Emeritus by the OADN Board of Directors on March 2. The OADN Board of Directors believes this honor is representative of Dr. Mahaffey’s enduring commitment and leadership of associate degree nursing.

Not only has Dr. Mahaffey contributed to the Academy, but her tenure and advocacy for OADN over the years has been remarkable.  Over the course of her career and work with OADN, her efforts to strengthen the workforce and build bridges within nursing and other professions have both advanced the profession and patient care across the nation.  As OADN’s President from 2000 -2002 she worked tirelessly to ensure OADN’s voice was represented at numerous national meetings.  Additionally, Dr. Mahaffey is responsible for the initial plans for the OADN Journal and submitted the journal name, Teaching and Learning in Nursing that continues today.  This truly is a celebration of Dr. Mahaffey’s legacy and a career with so many accomplishments.

Please review this application and submit it by the deadline of May 15, 2021.   As a reminder, applicants may self-nominate or be nominated by another.  I do hope you will consider applying for this prestigious opportunity as a Fellow of the Academy of Associate Degree Nursing (FAADN) and be recognized for your contributions to associate degree nursing.

Please take care.

 

 

Donna Meyer, MSN, RN, ANEF, FAADN, FAAN
CEO, OADN

The National Commission to Address Racism in Nursing Responds to the Atlanta Spa Shootings

As a member of the National Commission to Address Racism in Nursing, OADN has joined in the development and issuing of the below statement abhorring the murder of Asian, Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) individuals.  We join the Commission in calling for an immediate halt to all acts of violence being committed against the AAPI community.

 

(March 24, 2021) On Tuesday, March 16, a white man embarked on a shooting spree across three spas in Atlanta, Ga, resulting in the murder of eight people, including six Asian women. The National Commission to Address Racism in Nursing (the Commission) strongly condemns this senseless, deplorable, and appalling act of violence and racism. The Commission members extend our deepest condolences to the family and friends of the victims and all loved ones left behind to grieve this unfathomable tragedy.

Xenophobia, discrimination, racism, violence, sexism, and the stigma against Asian, Asian American and the Pacific Islander (AAPI) communities must stop. Harmful rhetoric and disinformation have contributed to the rise of hate crimes and acts of violence targeting AAPI communities over the past year. Racism creates a health crisis that impacts a person’s mental, spiritual, and physical health as well as overall quality of life. The Code of Ethics for Nurses with Interpretive Statements obligates all nurses to be allies and to advocate for and speak up against racism, discrimination, and injustice. As nurses, we respect the human dignity of all people.

Racism, violence, discrimination, and injustice are major social determinants of health and have absolutely no place in a civil, humane society. The Commission stands in solidarity with AAPI communities to vehemently denounce and #StopAsianHate.

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About the National Commission to Address Racism in Nursing

The National Commission to Address Racism in Nursing (the Commission) examines the persistent problem of racism within nursing and describes the impact on nurses, patients, communities, and health care systems to motivate all nurses to confront systemic racism. The work is urgent to create safe and liberating environments for all nurses as well as profession that exemplifies inclusivity, diversity, and equity. The Commission is comprised of leading nursing organizations that represent a broad continuum of nursing practice, ethnically diverse groups, nationally and in regions across the country and who have for years raised their individual voices to condemn all forms of racism within our society.

OADN Delivers Virtual Simulation Reviews On The Unbound Medicine Platform

Updated March 10, 2021 — Virtual Simulation Reviews – ATI Update

A new product has been added to the Virtual Simulation Reviews from Unbound Medicine®. The OADN Simulation Task Force has just complete a comprehensive review of ATI’s Real Life 3.0. Visit the OADN VSR website to read the review.

ATI Real Life 3.0 is a screen-based simulation covering topics in the area of Adult Med-Surg, Maternal Newborn, Nursing Care of Children, and Mental Health. The detailed simulation review compares the product to INACSL Standards and provides faculty and simulationists with information such as cost, required equipment, and faculty and student support for using the product.

We’re looking for more volunteers to participate in the Task Force. If you have a high degree of familiarity with the INACSL Standards and are an OADN member, please send an email indicating your interest to oadn@oadn.org. The time commitment is roughly three hours per week, but can be more depending on your expertise and level of interest.

About Unbound Medicine
Unbound Medicine builds digital products that educate students and answer clinical questions at the point of need. With expertise in medical informatics, health technology, and medical publishing, our team has delivered innovative mobile and web solutions to healthcare institutions and individual clinicians for more than 20 years. Additional information is available at www.unboundmedicine.com.

About Organization of Associate Degree Nursing
OADN is the national voice and a pivotal resource for community college nursing education and the associate degree pathway. We work to expand networks that promote leadership, collaboration, and advocacy to further enrich nursing education and the communities we serve. Online at www.oadn.org

Announcing the First-Ever Virtual Nurse in Washington Internship (NIWI)!

NIWI 2021 LogoDue to COVID-19 the 2021 NIWI will be held in a virtual format. Mark your calendars for April 19-22, 2021!

NIWI is open to nurses, nursing students, and nursing organization staff leaders that are interested in an orientation to the legislative process. At NIWI, you develop the tools and confidence to approach legislators at the local and national level to advocate for change in nursing, health care and education. There is no application or acceptance process to attend NIWI, anyone may register.

OADN Members qualify for the member rate! Registration for the virtual Nurse in Washington Internship (NIWI) is now open! Register by April 1 to take advantage of the early bird rate.

Learn more: https://bit.ly/3kqCGuk

 

Writing for Publication 101: March 16th

Event Date: March 16th – 4pm ET-5:30pm ET / 1pm PT-2:30pm PT

This webinar will explain how to write a manuscript for publication. Strategies for successful submission and acceptance of a manuscript will be discussed, including resources to aid novice and experienced authors. Differences between writing for academic assignments and writing for publication will be explored.

Register Here

Have you been thinking about submitting a manuscript for publication and do not know where to start or feel overwhelmed by the process? In this webinar the presenters will discuss reasons why it is important to publish in nursing, types of publications, strategies for writing a successful manuscript, the differences between academic papers and published articles, the peer review process, editorial decisions including revise and resubmit, and what happens after your paper is accepted. An overview of how to prepare your manuscript, including how to utilize author guidelines and other reporting standards, will be discussed.

Upon completion of this presentation, the participant will be able to:

  • Describe how to prepare a manuscript for publication using author guidelines, reporting standards, and best practice guidance.
  • Explain the differences between writing a paper for school, including doctoral projects and dissertations, and writing for publication.
  • Identify resources available to support authors, including the Elsevier Researcher Academy.

Presenters:

Dr. Anna Valdez has over 28 years of experience in clinical practice and nursing education.  She has taught nursing at all levels and in a variety of settings.  She current serves as a Professor and Chair of Nursing at Sonoma State University, and as a contributing senior faculty member at Walden University.  Dr. Valdez is nationally certified in emergency nursing, flight nursing, and nursing education. Her current research interests focus primarily on emergency nursing, social determinants of health, health inequity, social justice, and nursing education.  Dr. Valdez has presented at several conferences and served on a variety of health-related advisory boards. She has published numerous peer reviewed articles and contributed as an author in two current emergency nursing books. Dr. Valdez has served as an Associate Editor, Section Editor and member of the Executive Editorial Board for the Journal of Emergency Nursing. She is currently serving as the Editor in Chief for the Teaching and Learning in Nursing journal.

 

Dr. David Woodruff, a Faculty Development Specialist with Chamberlain University, was previously the Dean of Academic Affairs at the Cleveland, Ohio Campus. Dr. Woodruff has 30 years of experience in the nursing profession including practicing in Intensive Care and teaching in ADN, BSN, and MSN programs. Prior to coming to Chamberlain, Dr. Woodruff was the founder and president of a business that specialized in personalized continuing education and coaching to increase the number of certified nurses in the workforce.  Dr. Woodruff earned his BSN and MSN from Kent State University, and a PhD in Nursing Education from Capella University. Dr. Woodruff is a National Academies of Practice fellow, Certified Nurse Educator, and is certified in Professional Staff Development, Critical Care nursing and Progressive Care nursing. His dissertation and research interests include the transition to practice and professional development of nurses and faculty. Dr. Woodruff serves as the Associate Editor for the Teaching and Learning in Nursing journal.

 

Nursing Community Monthly Roundup – February 2021

NCC Sends Letter to Congress Outlining Shared COVID-19 Priorities
On February 25, fifty-nine members of the Nursing Community Coalition (NCC) sent a letter to Congressional Leadership and key Committee Members, urging them to include shared legislative priorities in the COVID-19 relief package.

OADN Responds to NH Representative’s Inaccurate Statement on ADN graduates

OADN has responded in the media and through formal communications to the offensive comments made by New Hampshire State Representative Linda Tanner regarding associate degree nurses. OADN takes seriously our responsibility to correct any misstatements in the public record that do accurately reflect the excellent patient care that associate degree nurses deliver. Such comments can also be dangerous as they misinform the public on the qualifications and safety of the nurses who provide them care, a concern only heightened amidst the global pandemic.

Download OADN’s full response to the NH legislature

Read OADN’s media response

 

 

OADN & AACN Secure No-Cost Access To COVID-19 Screening Solution Until Vaccines Become Widely Available

(July 13, 2020) – Two of the nation’s most influential nursing education associations, the Organization for Associate Degree Nursing (OADN), and the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN), have negotiated no-cost access to CastleBranch’s T.E.A.M. CB COVID-19 Compliance solution for healthcare education programs, students and associated facilities.

While the T.E.A.M. toolset within CB COVID-19 Compliance was previously available at no cost through December 2020, OADN and AACN advocated to ensure these programs, facilities and students maintained no-cost access until a vaccine for COVID-19 is made widely available. Access to the tool will help to ensure student safety in the clinical environment.

“It’s crucial we do everything possible to help nursing students return to clinical experiences, empowering them to graduate and join the nursing workforce. These programs and students are under incredible pressure, and we must not place them in a position where they have to choose between their safety and their financial wellbeing,” said Donna Meyer, CEO of OADN. “It’s why we advocated on behalf of all nursing programs and students to give them no-cost access to T.E.A.M. until we have a vaccine.”

Concerns over COVID-19 shuttered the doors to clinical sites throughout the country, keeping students from continuing their education and threatening to cause a shortage in frontline healthcare workers. Following Centers for Disease Control (CDC) guidelines, CastleBranch’s CB COVID-19 Compliance solution enables administrators at healthcare education programs to screen students for common COVID-19 symptoms and high-risk indicators, all while complying with strict federal privacy guidelines. This toolset, Temperature, Education, Attestation, and Monitoring (T.E.A.M.), helps ensure students are healthy and safe before returning to clinical environments.

“COVID-19 is an unprecedented challenge to our entire healthcare system, including our nursing educators, students and programs,” said Dr. Deborah Trautman, president and CEO of AACN. “This partnership with CastleBranch is a prime example of the good that can come from private businesses, educational institutions, and government health agencies uniting with clarity and purpose to serve the public good.”

CB COVID-19 Compliance is built upon CastleBranch’s existing enterprise-level solution, CB Bridges, which has the proven ability to support millions of users. The platform is designed to remain compliant with all relevant regulations governing the collection and usage of private data, including FERPA, FCRA, CCPA and more.

The decision to expand the no-cost access through the availability of a COVID-19 vaccine came after OADN and AACN leadership approached CastleBranch, who negotiated access not just to their members, but the entire nursing education industry.

“Healthcare educators train the next generation of healthcare professionals to protect us from infectious disease,” said Brett Martin, CEO of CastleBranch. “We stand with this community, and are happy to lend our support to OADN, AACN and all of nursing education.”

To learn more about how CastleBranch can help, visit discover.castlebranch.com/covid-19-resources/ or call or email us at 888.723.4263 ext. 1066, covid19@castlebranch.com

Message from the CEO – March 2021

Donna MeyerDear OADN Members:

It is hard to believe that approximately one year ago we were confronting the onset of the COVID-19 Pandemic. For most of us, we probably did not imagine that the pandemic would forever be a changing moment in our personal and professional lives, as well as the world at large. The loss of over 500,000 lives in the United States is devastating, and with each one of those lives, there are family and friends that have suffered immensely. Even with this loss, the human spirit has a strength when confronted with tragedy to persevere. Nowhere is this more evident than in the nursing profession.

This past year, as nurse educators you have demonstrated your willingness to adapt and be flexible to ensure the future nursing students are obtaining the best education possible. I have heard from many of you about the constant change in the clinical environment. One day there is clinical, and the next there is not. The transition to online teaching and learning was a steep mountain to climb, but each of you reached the summit and achieved amazing results. You should be proud of your accomplishments. With your tenacity, you have managed to educate the next generation of nurses. You have impacted their lives and stood by them as they too struggled during the events of this past year.

So, what is next? The 2021 OADN Convention’s theme is fitting: The Power of Nursing Education to Move Beyond 2020. We have learned so much and it is imperative to share these experiences and support each other as we restore our lives with all we have encountered. Most likely, nursing education is forever changed, and this is a positive outcome of the pandemic. Many creative and alternative teaching methodologies have been realized. I hope that you will consider sharing what you have learned by submitting a poster or podium abstract for the Convention. We are powerful as is evident in the transitions we have experienced. I am looking forward to the OADN 2021 Convention as a time we come together, remember all that we have learned, and continue in our shared passion as educators and nurses.

In closing, remember to take some time for yourself. COVID fatigue is real, and we must acknowledge this disruption to our normal routine of life. As nurses, it is not uncommon to place others first before our own needs. This pandemic has shown that we must take care of ourselves and there should be no more excuses. Life is too precious. I am just as guilty of this as I say to myself, “just one more email.” However, I have made a commitment that every day I must do something for myself, no matter how small. I encourage you to do the same. We will only be able to continue if we take care of ourselves, and then each other.

 

 

Donna Meyer, MSN, RN, ANEF, FAADN, FAAN
CEO, OADN

OADN And ACEN Coordinate Efforts To Support Nursing Education’s Role In Vaccine Strategy

(Feb. 3, 2021) – The Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN) and the Organization for Associate Degree Nursing (OADN) are strategically collaborating to assist the nationwide COVID-19 vaccination effort. Together, the organizations will advocate for an increased role for nursing education programs in the vaccine rollout to help meet the goals set forth by the Biden Administration. Through this collaboration, the ACEN and OADN will disseminate information and approaches that can assist nursing programs in identifying how students and nursing faculty can safely and effectively support vaccination education and efforts in their communities. ACEN accredited programs and OADN member schools can be found in every state, as well as U.S. territories and abroad, and these programs are poised to assist in the scaling of vaccine delivery.

The ACEN and OADN strongly encourage nursing programs to actively identify how they can support vaccine delivery in their communities. For full engagement in the vaccine effort, our organizations urge nursing students and faculty to receive the COVID-19 vaccine as soon as it is available to them.

“OADN believes that nursing education programs have an important role to play in the unprecedented effort to vaccinate the entire population. Nursing students and faculty have expertise and skills that should be engaged to safely accelerate the vaccine rollout,” said Donna Meyer, Chief Executive Officer of OADN. “The Biden Administration’s National Strategy for the COVID-19 Response and Pandemic Preparedness encourages states leveraging practical and registered nursing students to surge their vaccinator workforce. OADN and the ACEN believe that this one important strategy towards achieving the Administration’s vaccination goals and ensuring vaccine equity.”

“The ACEN is dedicated to ensuring the highest standards in nursing education. Our broad community of over 1200 accredited nursing education programs is well-prepared to help the nation meet the herculean task of wide-scale vaccination, while simultaneously continuing to prepare the nursing workforce for the future. The ACEN supports students participating in the COVID immunization efforts, as these efforts could be considered Clinical/Practicum Learning Experiences as defined in the ACEN Glossary. Nursing program engagement in the vaccination effort can take many forms, including vaccine administration, patient education, community outreach, and contact tracing, among others,” said Marsal Stoll, Chief Executive Officer for the ACEN. “In a letter to the nursing administrators of ACEN accredited programs on February 1, 2021, the ACEN shared how the Georgia Department of Health is engaging nursing students and faculty to support mass vaccination sites in the state. We encourage all stakeholders to consider this strategy, which includes just in time training and memoranda of understanding, when developing an approach in your state or area.”

“The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has stipulated that clinical trainees, including nursing students, can be trained and utilized as vaccinators at VA vaccine administration sites. Local nursing program deans and directors are encouraged to reach out to local VA nursing leadership to identify the best way to get involved. We will also continue to closely monitor the Biden Administration’s vaccination policies and regulations. This includes any amendments made by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to the Declaration under the Public Readiness and Emergency Preparedness Act (PREP Act),” continued Stoll.

“Additionally, the National Student Response Network (NSRN), an interprofessional collaborative of health professions students, is seeking nursing student volunteers for various roles in mass vaccination. Students interested in volunteering are encouraged to contact their regional or state coordinator,” noted Meyer.

“On the vaccine education front, the American Nurses Association is developing a coordinated vaccination messaging campaign which will provide COVID-19 vaccine information, encourage all nurses to be vaccinated, and promote vaccine education and uptake by consumers,” added Meyer. “OADN is participating in the development of this messaging campaign and will be sharing the communication tools and related resources once they are completed.”

The ACEN and OADN have joined the COVID-19 Vaccine Education and Equity Project which aims to promote equitable access to authorized and approved vaccines through equitable access to information and dialogue. The Project will foster dialogues to address and reduce vaccine skepticism, with the goal to promote equitable vaccine distribution and improved health outcomes for communities hit hardest by COVID-19.

Nursing education programs are encouraged to share how they are supporting the mass vaccination effort; please, share your stories here. Continue to follow the ACEN’s COVID-19 News and Announcements and OADN’s COVID-19 Resources for more information and further developments.

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About the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN)

ACEN supports the interests of nursing education, nursing practice, and the public by the functions of accreditation. Accreditation is a peer-review, self-regulatory process by which non-governmental associations recognize educational institutions or programs that have been found to meet or exceed standards and criteria for educational quality for all levels of nursing education and transition-to-practice programs located in the United States, U.S. Territories, and internationally. Online at www.acenursing.org

About the Organization of Associate Degree Nursing (OADN)

OADN is the national voice and a pivotal resource for community college nursing education and the associate degree pathway. We work to expand networks that promote leadership, collaboration, and advocacy to further enrich nursing education and the communities we serve. Online at www.oadn.org