Academic-practice partnerships yield results

The AONL and the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) have collaborated since 2010 to explore using academic-practice partnerships to advance the profession by preparing a well-educated workforce. Their work is explored in the December issue of the Journal of Nursing Administration. Early accomplishments included development of a matrix to assist with goal setting and a Day of Dialogue focused on joint strategic planning. In 2017, the AACN-AONL Advisory Committee formed to address two priorities: encouraging academic-practice partnerships to address workforce shortages and facilitating the identification of challenges to effective partnerships. In response, two meetings occurred between chief nursing officers and deans of nursing schools and a five-pronged national call for action was issued. The call yielded results such as the implementation of a 12-month transition into practice residency in Maryland.