OADN continues our federal advocacy on your behalf as a member of the Nursing Community Coalition, where we work to ensure that nurses are supported and that nursing education is funded.
NCC Thanks Members of Congress for Support of Legislation that Improves Access to Workers’ Compensation for Injured Federal Workers
On May 4, fifty members of the Nursing Community Coalition (NCC) signed onto a letter supporting the introduction of the Improving Access to Workers’ Compensation for Injured Federal Workers Act (S.131/H.R. 618). This bipartisan legislation would retire outdated barriers in the Federal Employees’ Compensation Act (FECA) that limit the ability of NPs to provide care and treatment for injured or ill federal employees.
NCC Sends Letter to Congress Outlining Top Legislative Priorities During National Nurses Week
On May 8, all sixty-three members of the Nursing Community Coalition (NCC) signed onto a letter urging Congress to take action on top appropriations and legislative priorities that impact nursing education, workforce, and research. This letter comes as we celebrate National Nurses Week 2023.
NCC Thank a Nurse Reception
On May 9, the Nursing Community Coalition (NCC) hosted a “Thank a Nurse” Reception on Capitol Hill. Attendees were joined by congressional staff and six members of Congress. For additional photos and information, see below and visit the NCC’s Events page.
On May 9, OADN CEO Dr. Rick García attended the Nursing Community Coalition (NCC) hosted “Thank a Nurse” Reception on Capitol Hill. This event comes as we celebrate National Nurses Week 2023. The reception was attended by House Nursing Caucus Co-Chair, Rep. Dave Joyce (R-OH-14), House Nursing Caucus Vice Co-Chair and the newest nurse in Congress, Rep. Jen Kiggans (R-VA-02), and Reps. Anthony D’Esposito (R-NY-04), Deborah Ross (D-NC-02), Jan Schakowsky (D-IL-09) and Del. James Moylan (R-Guam-At Large), along with NCC members and nurses from across the country.
OADN CEO Dr. Rick García meeting with Rep. David Joyce of Ohio’s 14th Congressional District and co-chair of the Congressional Nursing Caucus; Dr. García with Rep. Jan Schakowsky of Illinois’s 9th Congressional District; Dr. García with Rep. James Moylan of Guam.
OADN CEO Dr. Rick García with vice chair of the Congressional Nursing Caucus and nurse practitioner Rep. Jen Kiggans of Virginias 2nd Congressional District and with Rep. Anthony D’Esposito of New York’s 4th Congressional District
OADN continues our federal advocacy on your behalf as a member of the Nursing Community Coalition, where we work to ensure that nurses are supported and that nursing education is funded.
NCC Submits Testimony to Senate Appropriations Subcommittee
On April 4, sixty-two members of the Nursing Community Coalition (NCC) signed onto written testimony submitted to the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education, and Related Agencies. The testimony featured the coalition’s funding requests of at least $530 million for the Title VIII Nursing Workforce Development Programs and at least $210 million for the National Institute of Nursing Research for Fiscal Year 2024.
44 Senators Support FY 2024 Funding for Title VIII in Senate Dear Colleague Letter
On April 10, forty-four Senators signed onto a circulated Senate Dear Colleague letter, requesting $530 million for Title VIII Nursing Workforce Development Programs in FY 2024.
Sigma Nursing offers accelerated membership pathway for
Alpha Delta Nu nurses in BSN and graduate programs
INDIANAPOLIS — Sigma Theta Tau International Honor Society of Nursing (Sigma) recently updated its membership guidelines, allowing Alpha Delta Nu Honor Society (Alpha Delta Nu) inductees to be invited to join Sigma at any time during their BSN or graduate nursing program provided they meet all other criteria. The new membership exception guidelines, recently adopted by the Sigma International Board of Directors, may be used at the discretion of each chapter’s governance committee.
This new membership pathway is the latest advancement in an ongoing collaboration between Sigma and the Organization for Associate Degree Nursing (OADN), whose Associate Degree Nursing (ADN) graduates comprise the membership of Alpha Delta Nu. Sigma and OADN previously announced an initiative that provides free resources to Alpha Delta Nu members.
“This Sigma membership pathway recognizes the demonstrated excellence of Alpha Delta Nu members,” said OADN Chief Executive Officer Rick García,PhD, RN, CCM, FAAOHN, FAADN. “I’m delighted to see the continued respect and collaboration between our organizations and among our highly qualified, diverse nursing workforce.”
Sigma CEO Elizabeth Madigan, PhD, RN, FAAN, added, “I am happy to see this accelerated membership pathway reflected in our revised Sigma membership guidelines. This strengthens our collaboration with OADN and Alpha Delta Nu and reflects our mutual commitment to excellence and advancement in nursing.”
To receive an invitation to join Sigma, candidates must meet the following eligibility criteria.*
Undergraduates must:
Be enrolled in a bachelor’s nursing program or equivalent.
Achieve academic excellence based on Sigma criteria; based on a 4.0 GPA scale, the undergraduate minimum is 3.0.*
Be ranked in the highest 35 percent of their nursing class.
Complete more than one-half of the nursing curriculum or, for RN to BSN students, complete 12 credit hours. This requirement may now be waived for Alpha Delta Nu inductees.
Graduate Students must:
Achieve academic excellence based on set criteria; based on a 4.0 GPA scale, the graduate minimum is 3.5 or equivalent.*
Have completed one-fourth of the nursing curriculum. This requirement may now be waived for Alpha Delta Nu inductees.
Alpha Delta Nu nurses currently enrolled in a baccalaureate or graduate program should contact leaders in their local Sigma chapter to inquire about a membership invitation. Sigma chapter leaders with questions may contact member services.
As the national advocate for the over 1,100 associate degree nursing programs across the country, the Organization for Associate Degree Nursing (OADN) works to advance excellence in nursing education and community college pathways into registered nursing careers. OADN is the national voice and a pivotal resource for community college nursing education and the associate degree pathway, with a vision to expand networks that promote leadership, collaboration, and advocacy to further enrich nursing education and the communities we serve.
OADN established the Alpha Delta Nu Honor Society in 2012 to recognize academic achievement for nursing students graduating from community colleges. Alpha Delta Nu encourages the pursuit of advanced degrees in the nursing profession as well as continuing education as a lifelong professional responsibility. Two-thirds of Alpha Delta Nu members enroll in BSN completion programs. Learn more at Honor Society – (oadn.org)
About Sigma
The Sigma Theta Tau International Honor Society of Nursing (Sigma) is a nonprofit organization with the mission of developing nurse leaders anywhere to improve healthcare everywhere. Founded in 1922, Sigma has more than 135,000 members and 550 chapters at institutions of higher education and healthcare partners from Armenia, Australia, and Botswana to Thailand, the United States, and Wales. Sigma members include clinical nurses and administrators, academic nurse educators and researchers, policymakers, entrepreneurs, and others working to fulfill the organization’s vision of connected, empowered nurse leaders transforming global healthcare. Learn more at www.SigmaNursing.org.
It’s time to share your voice! As the only national organization exclusively advocating for community college nursing education and the associate degree pathway, OADN needs your unique talents, perspectives, and expertise to help strengthen our collective voice for associate degree nursing education. OADN membership is one of the most meaningful ways we show our support for one another, create community with each other, promote our continual learning and growth, protect our shared interests and values, and strengthen our professional identity together. Serving at the national level on the OADN Board of Directors or Nominating Committee offers a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to not only enhance your own member experience with OADN but also create a lasting impact for associate degree nursing education.
We currently have three (3) open positions on the OADN Board of Directors: President-Elect, Midwest Regional Director, and Southeast Regional Director. In addition, there are three (3) open positions on the OADN Nominating Committee.
The President-Elect shall serve a one-year term as President-Elect immediately followed by a two-year term as President. The term for Regional Directors is two years. Board positions take effect at the OADN Convention, November 15 – 18, 2023. Board Directors, including all officers, regional directors, public directors, and the at-large director, shall participate in the development and implementation of the strategic plan, serve as Board Liaisons to committees and workgroups, and shall carry out other responsibilities as delegated by the Board of Directors. Regional Directors shall be residents of the designated regions, respectively. Board commitment includes attendance on monthly virtual meetings and 2 face-to-face meetings, funded by OADN, at locations to be determined annually.
The term of service for the (3) Nominating Committee Members is two years. Nominating Committee members review and recommend candidates for offices to the Board of Directors in accordance with OADN Bylaws and an established timeline. The Nominating Committee meets via virtual meetings.
The Annual Call for Nominations process is hosted on Survey Monkey. Click here to complete the required candidate application. If you don’t have a Survey Monkey account, please create a free account, and follow the instructions to complete all components of the online application. The 2023 OADN Call for Nominations Application Submission Deadline is July 15, 2023.
We can always count on OADN to be our staunch champion and most trusted resource during these ever-changing, demanding times. Now more than ever, OADN needs your help to continue our important advocacy work for associate degree nursing. I encourage you to consider running for one of the open 2023 OADN Board of Director or Nominating Committee positions and help us advance community college nursing education and the associate degree pathway. I would like to personally share that serving on this committee with OADN has been one of the greatest blessings of my career thus far. Joining with other colleges around the nation to help promote the field of nursing is something I know will benefit our profession. Together, we can support OADN’s vision of expanding networks that promote leadership, collaboration and advocacy that further enrich associate degree nursing education and the communities we serve.
OADN is excited to announce three new advocacy training webinars. Each of these three webinars are open to all OADN members at no cost through our collaboration with the Nursing Organizations Alliance, or NOA.
NOA has recognized the importance of advocacy and the role nursing associations and their individual members in leading change at the local, state, and national levels. While there is a hunger in our community to make a difference, common obstacles can block our focus or hold us back from achieving this goal. Have you found yourself asking these questions:
Where do I start? What is my civic duty as a nurse? Who is my state representative/ how do I find out who this is? With my position/role at my organization, whose opinions do I promote? What is the difference between advocacy and lobbying? I’m just one person, can I make a difference?
Please join us for this series of webinars to hear from two nationally recognized nurse advocates on the steps you can take to embark on your own advocacy journey!
Session Dates and Topics:
Finding & Using Your Voice for Civic Good – Part 1 – A Foundation for Legislative Involvement
Wednesday, May 10th – 3:00 pm-4:15 pm Eastern Time
with Gladys M. Campbell, MSN, RN, NC-BC, FAAN Click Here to Register
Finding & Using Your Voice for Civic Good – Part 2 – Policy, Advocacy Lobbying, and Testimony
Thursday, May 11th – 3:00 pm- 4:15 pm Eastern Time
with Gladys M. Campbell, MSN, RN, NC-BC, FAAN Click Here to Register
Seizing Opportunities to Advance Advocacy and Political Activism at the Local Level
Monday, May 15th – 3:00 pm – 4 pm Eastern Time
with Janice Phillips, Ph.D., RN, CENP, FAAN Click Here to Register
SPEAKERS
Gladys M. Campbell MSN, RN, NC-BC, FAAN
Gladys Campbell is the principal of Campbell Coaching and Consulting, a business focused on advancing leadership skills and outcomes in today’s complex healthcare arena. Beginning her career as an acute care clinician, she has held a variety of progressively complex leadership and executive roles within health care and has also served on a number of nonprofit boards. She currently works with individuals at all leadership levels, and with organizations, to assist leaders to optimize their leadership skills, advance their personal resiliency, build strong and effective teams, manage conflict, and optimize effectiveness and the achievement of outcomes.
Prior to building her own coaching and consulting business, Gladys worked in a number of large acute care, research, and academic facilities across the nation, as a senior clinical leader and strategist.
Janice Phillips Ph.D., RN, CENP, FAAN
Dr. Janice Phillips is an experienced clinician, researcher, educator, nurse regulator, author, and public policy advocate in the healthcare arena. As the Director of Nursing Research and Health Equity at Rush University Medical Center, Dr. Phillips serves as a system-wide leader in supporting health equity as a shared goal and integrating health equity across the Rush Health system’s training, research, and clinical endeavors. She is the author of over one hundred publications and five edited textbooks. Her co-edited book “Health Equity and Nursing: Achieving Health Equity through Policy, Population Health, and Interprofessional Collaboration”, received a five-star review from Doody’s Review Service and is in ninety-one libraries worldwide. Her OpEds on health disparity and equity issues have appeared in Scientific American, the Hill, and U.S. News and World Report, to name a few.
Janice is the recipient of many awards including the Martin Luther King Jr. Humanitarian Award, the University of Illinois SAGE Award, The National Black Nurses’ Association Lifetime Achievement Award, and four distinguished alumni awards. In 2000, Janice was inducted into the American Academy of Nursing for her distinguished contributions to addressing breast cancer disparities nationally and internationally. Dr. Phillips holds a BSN from North Park College, an MS in Community Health from St. Xavier School of Nursing, and a PhD in Nursing from the University of Illinois, College of Nursing.
Invest Today in the OADN Convention and Reap the Rewards for a Lifetime
As your OADN Treasurer and the budget manager for the associate degree nursing program at my college, I am sending this timely reminder to plan today for the upcoming 2023 OADN Convention, November 15th– 18th in San Diego, California. The convention’s theme, Turning the Tide of Nursing Education, is focused on innovations and solutions for nurse educators. You do not want to miss it!
Now is the time to request it, plan for it in your budget, and prioritize this investment for you and your faculty to attend. The early bird registration is $695 and, as always, OADN has negotiated the best rates for accommodations at the Manchester Grand Hyatt, perfectly situated on the waterfront in beautiful downtown San Diego. As you plan for attendance and consider nurse educators who could benefit from this essential educational experience, be prepared to make the case of why it is imperative to have contemporary, creative, and inspiring strategies to enhance student success. Do not be timid in asking your budget manager or your president to support the nursing program through an investment for nurse educators to attend the OADN Convention. Asking early will allow the college to earmark necessary funds for this enriching opportunity. We’ve prepared this template letter for you that you can customize in making your travel request and budget justification.
The Return on Investment (ROI) can be immeasurable. Attendees receive exclusive information that is specific, timely, and vital to the success of programs of nursing and their graduates. The relationships established at convention can lead to ideas, support systems, and solutions from other programs experiencing the same issues and concerns that you experience as well as those having great triumphs. OADN is the most comprehensive resource for ADN faculty, directors, and deans. OADN is also far ahead in addressing Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion and has been a key leader in the national ANA Commission to Address Racism in Nursing. Consider sharing this summary of the convention’s educational offerings and networking opportunities in your travel request.
We are arranging an exceptional lineup of speakers this year including: Jason A. Schwartz, Dr. Ali R. Tayyeb, Dr. Dan Weberg and Dr. Eric Williams. They will touch on key issues related to associate degree nursing education such as the newly launched Next Generation National Licensing Exam (NCLEX) as well as pertinent topics to expand your thinking on leadership, innovation, and advocacy. All of this information will be essential for nurse educators to learn as it has implications on the future success of our students and nursing programs. More details including speaker bios can be found on the convention website Convention – OADN
Watch for upcoming emails regarding convention and note that we took your feedback into account in creating this year’s schedule. The program will still include pertinent educational sessions you have come to appreciate for acquiring CEUs but it will also provide attendees time to enjoy what the city of San Diego has to offer. Based on our schedule of events you will be able to put together a varied and exciting program of educational activities and make plans to enjoy meaningful connections with your colleagues, networking opportunities with our industry partners, delicious dining options, time for personal reflection and beautiful outdoor space with miles of walking paths just steps from the hotel.
There is no other comparable continuing education opportunity specifically designed for community college nursing faculty. Put it in the budget, request funding, invest in yourself and your faculty and plan to attend the 2023 OADN Convention this November 15th – 18th in San Diego. It will truly be a rewarding experience for you and your faculty. I hope to see you there!
Cynthia Maskey, PhD, RN, CNE OADN Treasurer & Board Liaison, Convention Education Planning Committee Dean of Health Professions Lincoln Land Community College Springfield, Illinois
OADN has named Rick García, Ph.D., RN, CCM, FAAOHN, FAADN as its new chief executive officer, effective January 3, 2023. In his first video message to the OADN membership, Dr. García shares how the associate degree pathway paved the way for his career in nursing and invites OADN Members to join him for Coffee and Conversations with the CEO, where he will field questions from you about issues and trends in nursing education and the future of OADN. Please register and join us for one of these upcoming conversations.
OADN continues our federal advocacy on your behalf as a member of the Nursing Community Coalition, where we work to ensure that nurses are supported and that nursing education is funded.
NCC Sends Fiscal Year (FY) 2024 Appropriations Requests to House and Senate LHHS-ED Appropriations Subcommittees
On March 6, fifty-nine members of the Nursing Community Coalition (NCC) signed onto a letter to the House and Senate Appropriations Subcommittees on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies outlining the funding requests of at least $530 million for Title VIII Nursing Workforce Development Programs and at least $210 million for the National Institute of Nursing Research for FY 2024.
NCC Sends Letter to Congress on PHE Waivers
On March 9, fifty-two members of the Nursing Community Coalition (NCC) signed onto a letter urging Congress to take action to make waivers permanent beyond this Public Health Emergency (PHE).
NCC Statement on the President’s FY 2024 Budget
On March 15, the Nursing Community Coalition (NCC) issued a statement supporting increased funding for key domestic and health care programs, such as Title VIII Nursing Workforce Development Programs and the National Institute of Nursing Research, in the Administration’s FY 2024 Budget.
NCC Sends Health Workforce RFI Response to Senate HELP Committee
On March 20, sixty-three members of the Nursing Community Coalition (NCC) signed onto a response to the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee’s Health Workforce Request for Information (RFI).
NCC Submits Testimony to House Appropriations Subcommittee
On March 23, sixty-one members of the Nursing Community Coalition (NCC) signed onto written testimony for the record, which was submitted to the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education. The testimony featured the coalition’s funding requests of at least $530 million for the Title VIII Nursing Workforce Development Programs and at least $210 million for the National Institute of Nursing Research for FY 2024.
88 Representatives Support FY 2024 Funding for Title VIII in House Dear Colleague Letter
Eighty-eight Representatives signed onto a bipartisan House Dear Colleague letter, requesting $530 million for Title VIII Nursing Workforce Development Programs in FY 2024.
OADN continues our federal advocacy on your behalf as a member of the Nursing Community Coalition, where we work to ensure that nurses are supported and that nursing education is funded.
NCC and the Future of Nursing: Campaign for Action Welcome the 118th Congress
On February 8, the Nursing Community Coalition (NCC) and the Future of Nursing: Campaign for Action at the Center to Champion Nursing in America held a reception welcoming the 118th Congress. Attendees were joined by congressional staff and four members of Congress, including Reps. Lauren Underwood (D-IL-14), Deborah Ross (D-NC-02), Mariannette Miller-Meeks (R-IA-01), and Sheila Jackson Lee (D-TX-18).
OADN CEO Dr. Rick García meeting with Reps. Underwood, Ross, and Jackson Lee (left to right) at the Feb. 8, 2023 event on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC.
Sigma Theta Tau International Honor Society of Nursing (Sigma) recently updated its membership guidelines, allowing Alpha Delta Nu Honor Society (Alpha Delta Nu) inductees to be invited to join Sigma at any time during their BSN or graduate nursing program provided they meet all other criteria. The new membership exception guidelines, recently adopted by the Sigma International Board of Directors, may be used at the discretion of each chapter’s governance committee.
Gladys M. Campbell MSN, RN, NC-BC, FAAN
Janice Phillips Ph.D., RN, CENP, FAAN
