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American
Association of Colleges of Nursing Awarded a Grant to
Address the Shortage of Nursing School Deans
Helene Fuld Health Trust Supports This Ground-Breaking
Effort
WASHINGTON,
D.C., June 1, 2001 - The American Association of Colleges
of Nursing (AACN) has received a grant from the Helene Fuld
Health Trust that will directly address the shortage of deans
and directors of nursing programs at our nation's colleges
and universities.
This
unique award will allow AACN to create an executive leadership
institute tailored specifically to meet the needs of nursing
school deans, a role that is growing more complex in the face
of falling enrollments nationwide and the projected nursing
shortage.
Currently
almost 10% of all top positions at nursing schools are not
permanently filled and less then 4% of all deans/directors
are younger than 45 years old. Designed for new and aspiring
deans, this professional development experience will prepare
a larger, more diverse, and younger pool of educators to assume
leadership positions at nursing schools.
"Deans
must possess strong leadership skills in order to nourish
a dynamic culture of learning," explains Dr. Carolyn
A. Willams, AACN President and Dean of the University of Kentucky's
School of Nursing. "We are grateful to our colleagues
at Helene Fuld for their vision and support that will help
to prepare the next wave of educational leaders whose work
will have a direct impact on the success of students in nursing
programs."
The executive leadership institute is designed to equip the
"nurse leader" for the challenging new role as chief
executive, mentor, collaborator, change agent, and role model.
This professional development experience will encompass an
assessment and evaluation of leadership skills, opportunities
for strategic networking and case study development, consultation
to achieve long-term goals, and identification of key partnerships.
This
competitive fellowship grant will fund up to 60 participants
with the institute scheduled to be offered in spring 2002.
The American Association of
Colleges of Nursing is the national voice for university and
four-year-college education programs in nursing. Representing
more than 570 member schools of nursing at public and private
institutions nationwide, AACN's educational, research, governmental
advocacy, data collection, publications, and other programs
work to establish quality standards for bachelor's- and graduate-degree
nursing education, assist deans and directors to implement
those standards, influence the nursing profession to improve
health care, and promote public support of baccalaureate and
graduate nursing education, research, and practice. See http://www.aacn.nche.edu.
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CONTACT:
Robert Rosseter
(202) 463-6930, x231
rrosseter@aacn.nche.edu
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