AACN - Conferences

Conference Highlights

The popular Executive Development Series is designed for new and aspiring deans as well as for faculty members who want to improve their leadership skills for a variety of positions within the nursing academic unit. This year’s theme emphasizes practical approaches to strategic planning, an essential skill for academic leaders that leads to enhanced organizational outcomes as well as improved personal priority setting and time management. The interactive nature of the conference offers opportunities for academic leaders to think about challenges in new ways and seek solutions with colleagues. The EDS and Baccalaureate Education Conference are held consecutively to enable educators to participate in both events.

The Baccalaureate Education Conference offers undergraduate faculty a forum to explore issues of particular interest and share ideas and successful strategies with colleagues. This year’s program is designed to offer participants opportunities to think deliberately about quality – high quality nursing education that prepares graduates to provide high quality nursing care. Teams of faculty are encouraged to attend together. Instructional Leadership Network members and non-members are invited to register for the special meeting and program for this group.

Please note that the Baccalaureate Conference is limited to 380 attendees.

See the AACN Website for the Call for Abstracts:
http://www.aacn.nche.edu/Conferences/pdf/07BECCallforAbs.pdf
Abstracts are due September 24, 2007.

Executive Development Series

Wednesday, November 28

7:30-8:30 a.m.
Registration
Light Continental Breakfast

8:30-10:00 a.m.
Welcome
Opening Program Session
Strategic Planning: Systematic Approaches for Shaping the Future
As most academic leaders realize, ‘business as usual’ is no longer usual in nursing education.   Strategic planning is an essential leadership skill to move the organization forward in times of increasing uncertainty and complexity. Join an experienced dean to identify the characteristics and steps of strategic planning, identify key stakeholders, plan around organizational strengths and weaknesses; and pinpoint issues and challenges such as competitive or static clinical sites, increasing numbers of students, and decreasing faculty resources. Begin to identify strategic issues of most personal concern and create an action plan.
Speaker: Peggy Hewlett, PhD, RN, FAAN, Dean and Professor, College of Nursing, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC

10:00-10:30 a.m.
Break

10:30 a.m.-12:00 p.m.
Program Session
Building a Budget Around Your Strategic Goals
So you have a strategic plan with specific goals. How do you translate these into financial terms? Academic leaders increasingly are called upon to justify their educational operations in terms of the bottom line – often daunting to the uninitiated, but a skill that can be learned and mastered. Join a dean who is skilled at and enjoys working with budgets to gain practical insights that will help you back on the job.
Speaker: Gloria Ferraro Donnelly, PhD, RN, FAAN, Dean and Professor, College of Nursing and Health Professions, Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA

12:00-1:30 p.m.
Lunch (on your own)

1:30-3:00 p.m.
Program Session
Looking a Gift Horse in the Mouth: Strategic Management of External Funds
Academic leaders eagerly seek and are grateful for many sources of external funds, but may have questions about the logistics surrounding managing the various sources of funding. What are the types of external funding most frequently secured by nursing programs? Who gets the funds and for what can they be used? What staff resources are required to manage and report funding, including shared resources? What happens to projects when funding goes away? Examine issues and examples with a dean experienced in managing external funds, and share strategies with colleagues.
Speaker: Kathleen Ann Long, PhD, APRN, FAAN, Dean and Professor, College of Nursing, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL and past president, AACN

3:00-3:30 p.m.
Break

3:30-5:00 p.m.
Program Session
Proactive Management of Student Support Services
Many nurse academics have anecdotally noted that the student body is changing in characteristics and behavior. Learn more about the work done by our student services colleagues outside of the classroom, their important observations about the changing nature of students, and how these impact nursing educators. Topics include changing student demographics, the increase in student grievances and behavior issues, services available to support students and the educational process, and how faculty can understand and meet expectations of today’s students.
Speakers: Evette Castillo Clark, EdD, Executive Administrator for Initiatives & Divisional Planning, Office of the Vice President for Student Affairs and Adine Stoulig, MPH, BSN, RN-C, Nurse Manager, Student Health Center, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA

Thursday, November 29

7:30-8:00 a.m.
Light Continental Breakfast

8:00-9:30 a.m.
Program Session
Looking Strategically at Faculty Workload
Examination of workload is one of the most pressing issues for faculty and academic leaders in nursing, particularly as resources decrease and students and work responsibilities seem to increase. With the help of an experienced dean, consider the differing views of workload held by faculty and deans, the issues and variables embedded in the notion of workload, and the different types of work in nursing education. Begin to identify your own concerns about faculty workload that can be addressed in group discussion and your own strategic plan.
Speaker: Jean E. Bartels, PhD, RN, Chair and Professor, School of Nursing, Georgia Southern University, Statesboro, GA and past president, AACN

9:30-10:00 a.m.
Break

10:00 - 11:30 a.m.
Closing Program Session
Maximizing Faculty Resources: Strategic Decision Making v. Maintaining the ‘Stagnant’ Quo
As the faculty shortage increasingly affects schools, faculty must do more than teach class and clinical. How can nursing academic leaders maximize the effectiveness of their faculty resources? What creative strategies are useful to extend faculty and maximize student learning? What are the ways that faculty serve as representatives of the school and how can they be helped to succeed as teachers, academic leaders, and important ambassadors for the school? Consider these and related issues with seasoned deans and colleagues, and identify pragmatic ideas to add to your strategic plan.
Speakers: Eleanor Howell, PhD, RN, Dean, School of Nursing, Creighton University, Omaha, NE and Pamela G. Watson, ScD, RN, Dean and Professor, School of Nursing, and Chief Academic Officer, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX

11:30 a.m. -12:00 p.m.
Concluding Remarks
From Strategic Planning to Strategic Leadership
Utilizing issues identified throughout the conference, begin to create an action plan to guide priorities back at work.
Speaker: Peggy Hewlett, PhD, RN, FAAN, Dean and Professor, College of Nursing, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC

Instructional Leadership Network
Thursday, November 29, 2007
8:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.

8:00-8:30 a.m.
Registration and Light Continental Breakfast

8:30-10:15 a.m.
Welcome and Opening Remarks
Patricia Suplee, PhD, RNC, Assistant Dean of Special Projects, College of Nursing and Health Professions, Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA and Chair, Instructional Leadership Network (ILN) Steering Committee

Program Session
Engaging Students Through Online Learning
Explore ways to integrate on-line technologies into nursing curriculum to actively engage students using creative teaching methods, meaningful assignments, and effective evaluation methods.
Speaker: Diane Skiba, PhD, FAAN, FACMI, Professor and Director, I-Collaboratory: Partnerships in Learning, School of Nursing University of Colorado at Denver & Health Sciences Center, Denver, CO

10:15 - 10:30 a.m.
Break

10:30 - 11:15 a.m.
Table Topic Discussions
(Topics will be shared via the ILN listserve)

11:15 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.
Business Meeting
Open business meeting for ILN members and guests
ILN Steering Committee: Patricia Suplee, Chair, Drexel University; Lori Candela, Chair Elect, University of Nevada, Anita Stineman, Secretary, The University of Iowa; Catherine Coverston, Communications Chair, Brigham Young University; Diane Wieland, Conference Planning Chair, LaSalle University; and Barbara White, Past Chair, Arizona State University

Friday, November 30, 6:00 pm
Network Dinner at Brennan’s Restaurant
(Information will be shared via the ILN listserve)
A culinary phenomenon since 1946, Brennan’s restaurant in New Orleans has created some of the world's most famous and imaginative dishes, which continue to give great pleasure to millions of discerning customers and visitors to New Orleans.

Baccalaureate Education Conference

Thursday, November 29

10:00 a.m.-2:00 p.m.
Registration

1:00-2:15 p.m.
Welcome and Introductions
Opening Program Session
The Carnegie Foundation National Study of Nursing Education: Implications for the Future
Learn highlights and outcomes of this three-year study examining teaching and learning in nursing funded by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching as part of a larger project studying preparation for the professions in several disciplines. Engage in discussion about the study and its implications for high quality nursing education.
Speaker: Patricia Benner, PhD, RN, FAAN, Senior Scholar, Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching, Stanford, CA, and Professor and Thelma Shobe Endowed Chair in Ethics and Spirituality in Nursing, School of Nursing, University of California-San Francisco, San Francisco, CA

2:15-2:45 p.m.
Break

2:45-4:00 p.m.
Program Session
Quality and Safety Education in Nursing
The Quality and Safety Education in Nursing (QSEN) project has generated much interest in the past two years. The project has defined quality and safety competencies for nurses; identified targets for knowledge, skills, and attitudes important for nursing students; surveyed nursing schools to determine current emphasis on quality and safety; shared resources for nursing faculty; and involved a dozen nursing schools in pilot activities. Learn more about the project, lessons learned from participating schools, and how quality is central to nursing education.
Speakers: Gwen Sherwood, PhD, RN, FAAN, Professor and Associate Dean for Academic Affairs, School of Nursing, University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC and Co-Investigator, Quality and Safety Education in Nursing project; Tommie L. Norris, DNS, RN, Director of BSN (Professional Entry) Program, College of Nursing, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, TN; and Louise M. LaFramboise, PhD, RN, Director, Undergraduate Program, College of Nursing, University of Nebraska, Omaha, NE.

4:00-4:30 p.m.
Break

4:30-6:00 p.m.
Program Session
Evidence of Quality in Baccalaureate Nursing Education

Revision of the Essentials for Baccalaureate Nursing Education
The 1998 version of the Essentials, a strong and useful document,is in the process of major revision based on regional meetings and input from member schools across the county. Learn more about the direction the new document is taking and provide input to the process.
Speaker: Patricia Martin, PhD, RN, Dean, College of Nursing and Health, Wright State University, Dayton, OH and Chair, AACN Task Force on the Revision of the Essentials for Baccalaureate Nursing Education

Changes in CCNE Accreditation Standards
Learn about the changes that are being considered to the accreditation standards and how they directly impact nursing education program nationally.
Speaker: Jennifer Butlin, EdD, Director, Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education, Washington, DC; and Heidi Taylor, PhD, Interim Dean College of Nursing and Health Sciences, West Texas A&M University, and member of the CCNE Standards Committee.

6:00-7:30 p.m.
Reception, Poster Presentations, and Exhibits

Friday, November 30

7:15-8:30 a.m.
Light Continental Breakfast

7:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m.
Exhibits Open

7:30-8:20 a.m.
Informal Interest Forums
Bring your breakfast to one of the five discussions on aspects of baccalaureate education:

Maintaining Program Quality and Stability With More Students
Orienting and Including Adjunct Faculty
Admissions Processes and Concerns in Nursing
Using Standardized Exit Tests
Faculty Workload Issues

8:30 a.m.-12:00 p.m.
Concurrent Sessions
Concurrent Sessions are held 8:30-10:00 a.m. and 10:30 a.m.-12:00 p.m., separated by a 30-minute break. Topics 1-3 repeat and you may select two. Or you may select topic 4, which lasts the entire morning.

Thinking Outside the Instructional Box
Most faculty are aware that “Net generation” students learn differently but may be hard pressed to identify with the electronic options and preferences of this group of students. Join an expert who translates needs of younger students into understandable and manageable approaches for faculty of a different generation.
Speaker: Diane J. Skiba, PhD, FAAN, FACMI, Professor and Project Director,
I-Collaboratory: Partnerships in Learning, School of Nursing, University of Colorado at Denver and Health Sciences Center, Denver, CO
Power Up! Using Technology for Teaching
Many students take technology for granted and expect nursing faculty to be savvy in this area, whether in the classroom or online. Join a seasoned educator to learn ways to add interest and keep learners engaged, including course development software to teach and evaluate learners; products that enable students to incorporate electronic resources in their learning approaches; "clickers" that facilitate active student participation throughout a class; and other applications that help teachers make learning more effective for today's (and tomorrow's) nursing students.
Speaker: Barbara G. White, MS, RN, CNE, Clinical Associate Professor, College of Nursing and Healthcare Innovation, Arizona State University, Phoenix, AZ
Engaging Students in Larger Classes
Nurse educators often observe that their classes are increasing in size, offering challenges for keeping learners involved and participating. With the help of a skilled educator, review research that shows the benefits of engaging students in active learning; learn more about how to establish a culture of engagement; and both discuss and participate in activities that can be incorporated into your courses to encourage learner involvement.
Speaker: Anita Stineman, PhD, RN, Director, RN-BSN Program, College of Nursing, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA
Teaching Genetics and Genomics
Healthcare is benefiting from unprecedented progress through the ongoing work elucidating the genetic/genomic basis of health, illness, disease risk, and treatment response. This session introduces established competencies and guidelines for teaching genetics and genomics; offers approaches to integrate genetics and genomics into existing curricula; provides resources to educate nurses in this field; and describes the status of national initiatives to improve education in genetics and genomics.
Speakers: Jean F. Jenkins, PhD, RN, FAAN, Senior Clinical Advisor, National Human Genome Research Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD and Kathleen A. Calzone, MSN, RN, APNG, FAAN, Senior Nurse Specialist (Research), National Cancer Institute, Center for Cancer Research, Genetics Branch, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD

12:00-1:30 p.m.
Lunch (on your own) - Visit Exhibits

1:30-4:45 p.m.
Abstract Presentations (see separate booklet)

Saturday, December 1

7:30-8:30 a.m.
Light Continental Breakfast and Posters

8:30-10:00 a.m.
Program Session
The Scholarship of Teaching
As a discipline, nursing education has a history of being responsive to changes in the educational environment and particularly values evidence to support teaching practice. Where is the best evidence coming from and what is it showing? What inquiry methods can nurse educators use to evaluate their teaching and student learning? Explore these and other topics as we determine how to increase quality in the teaching and learning of nursing.
Speaker: Mary E. Burman, PhD, RN, FNP, BC, Interim Dean, Fay W. Whitney School of Nursing, University of Wyoming, and 2000-2001Carnegie Scholar, The Carnegie Academy for the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning, The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching

10:00-10:30 a.m.
Break

10:30 a.m.-12:00 p.m.
Closing Program Session
Using the IOM Reports for Quality Nursing Education
Since 1999, the Institute of Medicine has released a number of reports that speak to improving quality in health care. These reports have generated much discussion and interest in nursing education, with many educators calling for pragmatic ideas about how to turn the recommendations into educational realities. The book Teaching IOM: Implications of IOM Reports for Nursing Education (Finkelman, Anita & Kenner, Carole, 2007)offers precisely this guidance. Based on a synthesis of 12 IOM reports, the book suggests how to use report results in nursing curricula and their impact on nursing education programs and faculty issues. Join one of the book’s authors to explore ways to advance quality in nursing education and practice.
Speaker: Anita Finkelman, MSN, RN, Assistant Professor, the University of Oklahoma College of Nursing and co-author of Teaching IOM: Implications of IOM Reports for Nursing Education

General Information

Join AACN in New Orleans, Louisiana for the opportunity to participate in a variety of enriching sessions and events. The Executive Development Series is once again offered in conjunction with the Baccalaureate Education Conference to allow faculty to take advantage of this excellent leadership opportunity. Attendees will receive a significant savings in registration fees for attending both events.

Registration
The registration fee for each conference is $389 for members and $489 for non-members. The deadline for early registration is November 8. The registration fee after November 8 is $459 for members and $559 for non-members. For AACN member schools, there is a $30 discount for each additional registrant from the same school. Graduate students who are preparing for faculty roles are encouraged to attend and may register for the Baccalaureate Education Conference at the reduced rate of $339. Please note that those registrants attending both the Executive Development Series and the Baccalaureate Education conference will receive a savings of $80 on the total cost of registration. Email messages confirming registration will be sent to all participants.

Hotel Information
A block of rooms has been reserved at Royal Sonesta Hotel New Orleans, 300 Bourbon Street, New Orleans, LA 70130: (504) 586-0300 or 800/SONESTA. The special conference room rate is $185 single/double. To make reservations, please call the hotel directly and request the group rate for the American Association of Colleges of Nursing or AACN. The cutoff date for reservations at the group rate is October 28, 2007. For more information about the hotel, visit www.sonesta.com/RoyalNewOrleans.

NOTE: The AACN block of rooms at The Royal Sonesta has been SOLD OUT. A block of rooms has been reserved for AACN at the Chateau Sonesta. Please contact the hotel directly at: 504.586.0800.

Transportation
Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport (MSY) is located approximately fifteen miles from the Royal Sonesta Hotel New Orleans. A cab ride costs $29.00 from the airport to the Central Business District (CBD) for one or two persons and $12.00 (per passenger) for three or more passengers. Pick-up is on the lower level, outside the baggage claim area. Shuttle service is available from the airport to the hotels in the CBD for $13.00 (per person, one-way) or $26.00 (per person, round-trip). Call 866/596-2699 or 504/522-3500 for more details or to make a reservation. Please visit the Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport website at www.flymsy.com for additional information.

Continuing Education Credit
Continuing education contact hours will be provided by the American Association of Colleges of Nursing to all conference participants at no additional cost. CE Certificates will be provided in your conference packet.

Refund and Cancellation Policy
Registrations that are cancelled up to one week before the meeting will be refunded minus a $50 administrative fee. Cancellations received with less than one week’s notice will be refunded minus a $150 administrative fee. There will be no refunds for no-shows.

AACN reserves the right to cancel this conference and any group activity that does not meet minimal group requirements. Non-refundable airline tickets are the responsibility of the registrant.

Additional Information
For more information, contact AACN, One Dupont Circle, Suite 530, Washington, DC 20036; (202) 463-6930. If you require any special access in order to take part in this meeting, please contact Meghan DeFord at AACN or by email at mdeford@aacn.nche.edu. The Royal Sonesta Hotel New Orleans is in compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act.