Nurse Educators in Texas Establish NLN-Affiliated League for Nursing
Bringing to 24 the number of active constituent leagues around the US, the Texas League for Nursing is the latest group of state-based nurse educators to join forces to support the mission of the National League for Nursing. The new league will strengthen the relationship of Texas nurse educators to the NLN, and provide an avenue for collaboration among the members, the state's nurses, and other professional groups and associations to promote excellence in nursing and nursing education at the local and national levels.
New York, NY (PRWEB) June 22, 2010
Bringing to 24 the number of active constituent leagues around the US, the Texas League for Nursing (TxLN) is the latest group of state-based nurse educators to join forces to support the mission of the National League for Nursing.
"We are delighted to welcome this new league into the NLN fold and look forward to raising our profile in the state of Texas. And we thank the visionary nurse educators there who have taken the lead in organizing the group and demonstrating their commitment to the NLN's mission and core values of caring, integrity, diversity, and excellence," noted NLN president Dr. Cathleen Shultz. Added CEO Dr. Beverly Malone, "The League looks forward to working with our colleagues in Texas to create programs and services to strengthen their community of nurse educators."
Debbie Mercer, MSN, RN, ACNP-BC, assistant professor, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, School of Nursing at Permian Basin in Odessa, will serve as the first president of the TxLN board. The other members of the inaugural executive team are: president-elect/vice president, Donna Hedges, MBA, MSN, RN, Faculty II, Baptist School of Health Professions, San Antonio, TX; secretary; Brenda Johnson, MSN, RN, BC, associate professor; clinical simulation coordinator and nursing practice liaison, Austin Community College; and treasurer, Raina Lively, RN, VN instructor/site coordinator, Hill College (Glen Rose Campus), Hillsboro.
The impetus for the new constituent league came from nurse educators in Texas who want to further the NLN mission at the state level. In addition to strengthening the relationship of Texas nurse educators to the NLN, a key goal of the TxLN is to provide an avenue for collaboration with one another and with the state's nurses and other professional groups and associations to promote excellence in nursing and nursing education at the local and national levels.
Members of the TxLN also hope to:
Facilitate transfer from LPN to master's degree programs Raise the profile of nursing and nurse educators in legislative circles in the state Establish mentoring programs for clinicians who transition to academic roles and conduct research on faculty mentoring Increase recruitment of advanced degree nurses for faculty positions Create scholarship opportunities for PhD candidates Create opportunities for retiring faculty to teach online Create better support systems for faculty Coordinate needs of nurses in urban and rural settings Devise and implement evidence-based teaching strategies Develop a vision of nursing as a lifelong commitment to learning and education
Constituent leagues operate under the umbrella of the NLN's Constituent Organization Advisory Council, promoting excellence in nursing education to create a strong and diverse nursing workforce through statewide, regional, and local conferences, advocacy, and other professional activities that address issues of particular interest to nurse educators in their respective geographic locales.
Nurse educators: If there is no constituent league in your area and you have an interested group of nurse educators, please contact Tish Hess, director, membership and excellence initiatives at 212-812-0374.
Dedicated to excellence in nursing, the National League for Nursing is the premier organization for nurse faculty and leaders in nursing education offering faculty development, networking opportunities, testing services, nursing research grants, and public policy initiatives to its 31,000 individual and 1,200 institutional members.
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