201 - Crisis and Opportunity: Leading an ACEN-Accredited Program Through 2020 & Beyond

The Year 2020 will be remembered by everyone as a time of crisis, but also great opportunity! In nursing education, leaders made decisions quickly in response to the disruptions of the pandemic and to confront the concerns of social justice, all while balancing the personal and professional challenges brought on by these experiences. Now, as the world begins to reach a new normal, faculty, course leaders, coordinators, chairs, deans, and directors in ACEN-accredited programs must cultivate their leadership skills to face these continuing issues and make the most of new opportunities. Nurse educators are moving beyond 2020 and identifying whether to retain the use of distance education and simulation, including virtual simulation and other new digital resources, as well as how to incorporate diversity, equity, and inclusion in nursing curriculum and in assessment practices. While being a leader in nursing education during times of uncertainty brings new challenges, it also brings new opportunities to maintain acrreditation.

The purpose of this workshop is to explore the impact of 2020 on nursing education and help identify how nursing education leaders at all levels can maximize the opportunities for curriculum development and outcomes assessment. Content for this workshop includes competencies for nursing education leaders and alignment of the competencies with role expectations in ACEN-accredited programs or programs seeking accreditation, especially during times of crisis. The workshop will provide the participant an opportunity to review the lessons learned so far and how to continue to ensure program quality as well as the achievement and maintenance of accreditation status even during times of uncertainty.