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In December of 2020, I introduced myself to you as the new President of OADN. Today, as I prepare to complete my term, I was reflecting on the last two years. At that time, I shared with you how I was not sure what challenges we would encounter on the horizon. While there were some unexpected challenges, the Board of Directors and Operations Team have accomplished a great deal together.

We started with a yearlong project of developing our strategic priorities. Now we are working on the implementation of activities for these priorities that will move OADN forward through the next 3-5 years. A Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Task Force was formed and wrote the OADN Racial and Social Equity Position Paper which was approved by the Board of Directors in June 2021. In 2022 we saw the launch of the OADN Leadership Institute, a program specifically designed for ADN Deans, Directors, and Faculty. Four cohorts completed the program, and all expressed the incredible benefit the content provided for their leadership journey as ADN educators. We continue to be the only national voice for community college nursing education and the associate degree pathway which is a valuable benefit for our membership. Advocacy on behalf of ADN education is crucial to ensure the ADN voice is included in nursing policy and practice decisions. Lastly, we continue to offer the only national convention exclusively dedicated to the needs of pre-licensure registered nursing education programs. Please come join us in New Orleans for our annual convention from November 18 -20. Our theme this year is Owning Your Influence and will not disappoint.

Looking toward the future, I will follow my passion of academic progression. I believe it is vital for all nurses to have the opportunity to advance their education. Academic progression provides the knowledge, clinical expertise, and confidence to reach dreams that might seem unattainable. Advancing our education helps us develop the wisdom we need to work with our patients, their families and support systems, our students, and coworkers. Reflecting on my journey I have been fortunate to serve in local, state, and national leadership positions, taught ADN students, and advocate for not only students and patients, but for YOU, our OADN membership.

During the convention in New Orleans, I will turn over the gavel to the new President, Karen LaMartina. I know Karen will do an excellent job and be a great resource to our new CEO. In closing, I want to thank the wonderful OADN Operations team for their unfailing service and the extremely supportive Board of Directors. I want to thank YOU, our membership, for trusting me to represent you as your President. And a final note of gratitude to Donna Meyer, who has done an outstanding job leading OADN through the years. She will be greatly missed.

Laura A Schmidt DNP FNP-BC
President
laura.schmidt@oadn.org

In January 2021, the American Nurses Association (ANA) launched the National Commission to Address Racism in Nursing. The commission’s primary goal is to explore racism in nursing and its devastating impacts across the expansive nursing profession. Donna Meyer, the Chief Executive Officer at the Organization of Associate Degree Nursing (OADN), represented associate degree nursing (ADN) as a commission member among a diverse panel of organizations, nurse leaders, and scholars. Dr. Anna Valdez, the Editor in Chief at OADN’s journal Teaching and Learning in Nursing, served as a content expert in nursing education for the commission. In May 2022, the commission released its foundational report entitled Racism in Nursing because of the work of the commission members. You can review the report here.

In June 2022, the ANA’s official voting body at its Membership Assembly voted unanimously to approve a statement on racial reckoning. This historic statement marks the start of a journey that begins with acknowledging the ANA’s own role in limiting the engagement of nurses of color in organizational participation. We encourage all OADN members to read the statement here.

Of significance to nursing education, particularly the associate degree pathway to practice entry, the ANA statement acknowledges the exclusionary harm in its 1965 position paper recommending that the standard for practice entry be the Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) degree (American Nurses Association [ANA], 2022). The ANA also acknowledges that the decision to accept such a position statement was contextual and addressed the growing complexity of nursing care at the time. The ANA recognizes how this impacted the nurses’ ability to enter the profession—namely, historically and intentionally marginalized people. They concede that while the intention was to elevate the profession, they did not ensure equal access to education for all who wish to enter the profession. Further, the ANA calls for exploration of how this position impacted nurses and calls for a commitment to scholarship and action to ensure access to everyone, especially students of color.

As the primary organization advocating, advancing, and representing associate degree nursing programs and community colleges, OADN commends the acknowledgment of ADN preparation in the ANA reckoning statement. The 1965 ANA position paper impacted the associate degree entry to practice. Still, OADN has always supported, advocated, and uplifted the ADN pathway into nursing practice and will continue to do so well into the future! For example, in 2015, OADN released a joint position statement with the ANA to address academic progression. In the position statement, all represented organizations “affirmed the valuable contribution of community colleges in providing opportunities for entry into the nursing workforce by individuals with diverse racial and ethnic backgrounds and socioeconomic statuses” (ANA, 2015, p. 2). As a result, the position paper highlighted several new models for protecting the ADN entry to practice and unique and emerging models to ensure student success in academic progression. Today we see many of these models supporting educational advancement like the RN to BSN, community colleges awarding the BSN degree, and partnerships for concurrent enrollment to progress to the BSN following the conferral of the ADN.

The National Education Progression in Nursing Collaborative (NEPIN) is an initiative supporting the academic progression to the BSN while leveraging the foundation of the ADN pathway. The organization provided a first-ever look at educational advancement, releasing a report entitled Trends in Nursing Academic Progression 2016-2020. During the study period, the data revealed that 65% of new nursing students chose the ADN pathway into the profession (NEPIN, 2020). Additionally, the data showed a 23% increase in ADN graduates enrolled in a BSN program (NEPIN, 2020); and probably the most profound finding; the report states, “ADN graduates subsequently enrolling in BSN programs account for much of the diversity seen in the BSN programs” (NEPIN, 2020, p. 10).

OADN is hopeful that the reckoning statement from the ANA related to ADN education will continue to elevate the discussion, highlighting this pathway’s critical importance in the United States nursing workforce. Now more than ever, specifically in a post-pandemic world, the ADN is vital in addressing ongoing nursing shortages at the bedside and the exigent need for workforce diversity.

* Dr. Justin Fontenot, DNP, RN, NEA-BC, serves as Associate Editor of  Teaching and Learning in Nursing and is a member of the OADN Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion Committee. Dr. Fontenot is nurse faculty at the University of Louisiana of Lafayette and South Louisiana Community College.

References:

American Nurses Association. (2015). Academic progression to meet the needs of the registered nurse, the health care consumer, and the U.S. health care system. https://www.nursingworld.org/practice-policy/nursing-excellence/official-position-statements/id/academic-progression-to-meet-the-needs-of-the-health-care/

American Nurses Association. (2022, June 11). Our racial reckoning statement. https://www.nursingworld.org/practice-policy/workforce/racism-in-nursing/RacialReckoningStatement/

National Education Progression in Nursing Collaborative. (2020). Trends in nursing academic progression. https://nepincollaborative.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/NEPIN_AcademicProgressionTrends_2016-2020_Final.pdf

Dear OADN Members:

In just a few weeks, we will have the opportunity to gather in New Orleans for the 2022 OADN Convention. What a lively city for connecting with colleagues and friends! Add a schedule full of education sessions focused on associate degree nursing education and opportunities for networking and you have a convention that will leave you “Owning your Influence” in new ways.

Knowing I am a more seasoned nurse educator and convention attendee, others have asked why I keep attending each year. Can’t I read an article or watch a webinar about a new trend affecting education? Surely, I must be following influencers on social media and listening to the latest leadership podcasts, right? Well, yes, I am, but none of these activities can replace the annual event of gathering together and I love the OADN Convention experience most of all. Every convention is different, and each has influenced my professional development in a unique way.

When I was a novice faculty, I learned about active learning strategies, simulation, and pedagogy that promotes clinical judgment. I would be texting a peer excitedly, sharing a new idea. At the midpoint in my career, I found myself drawn to more professional development sessions and now, as I transition to administration, I seek sessions about mentoring, curriculum, and accreditation. I already have on my agenda the Saturday morning session about finding one’s voice as a leader and every OADN convention attendee quickly learns that Sunday morning is all about NCLEX. Attending presentations with titles that piqued my interest ultimately made a significant impact by broadening my perspective and helping me to fill in knowledge gaps that I was not even aware of at the time. I encourage you to take a closer look at the schedule and plan to attend those sessions that are important or interesting to you and will help you become your best.

Another key reason for attending convention is meeting others who share your passion. Where else will you find inspirational, enthusiastic leaders and educators whose sole focus for 3 days is associate degree nursing education? OADN conventions have given me the opportunity to talk to with respected peers one-on-one about what they are experiencing and share ideas that have enhanced my practice. When attending a session or poster event, I have the chance to ask the presenter questions about their work, something I cannot do when listening to a podcast or reading an article. Even when presenting my own work, receiving feedback from others has helped me think differently and provided me with new insight.

You may meet someone while sharing a meal or attending a session and make a lasting connection that could dramatically impact your career. It is a connection made at a past convention that inspired me to become more involved with OADN by joining a task force. I hope this year’s convention influences you to become more involved in OADN. Attend a session delivered by the OADN Simulation Committee or leadership presentation. You may be inspired to serve OADN on a committee or task force or apply to be part of the exceptional, new OADN Leadership Institute. The writing-focused session with Anna Valdez may inspire you to submit a manuscript or become a peer reviewer for Teaching and Learning in Nursing.

It should not be overlooked that attending a convention is just fun! In New Orleans you may try new foods (beignets, anyone?) or find time to see a few, local attractions that truly highlight the soul of the city. Traveling with your peers is truly a bonding experience that strengthens relationships and helps ease some of the stress that comes with being a nurse educator. I love the Exhibit Hall (yes, you read that correctly). Where else can you see the latest simulation and testing products, try out new equipment, explore education and professional association opportunities, check out needed services, or my favorite, peruse all the nursing books.

Despite the fatigue from busy days, immersing in convention activities has always left me feeling rejuvenated. I am excited to implement what I learn every year at convention and always inspired to become more involved in OADN. I am already looking forward to who I will see in New Orleans. Hopefully, it will be you!

Mariann Harding, PhD, RN, CNE, FAADN
Chair, OADN Convention Education Planning Committee