The Power of Rural: AONL Chapters Reaching Every Community

November is National Rural Health Month, and Congress took notice. Members of the bipartisan Rural Health Caucus marked the occasion on the House floor, and National Rural Health Day will be celebrated Thursday, November 19, the 15th year honoring this year's theme, the "Power of Rural." For AONL, this month is a fitting moment to recognize rural AONL chapters and rural nurse leaders who often work far from the spotlight yet carry enormous responsibility for keeping care accessible in their communities.

 Rural nurse leaders face distinct pressures: thinner staffing margins, longer distances to specialty care and fewer nearby peers and colleagues who understand those exact challenges. Our chapters close that distance, creating a place where a rural CNO can sit alongside system and academic colleagues, learn what is working elsewhere and bring it home.  

Kim Landers, AONL Region 5 Director, is spending much of her time doing that work. In September, she spoke to the Wisconsin Organization of Nurse Leaders' board and the Illinois Organization for Nursing Leadership, sharing AONL updates and the work of the Workforce Model Learning Group, with a deliberate focus on rural care models. That groundwork will culminate November 16 to 18, when Region 5 will host its first regional AONL event, drawing nearly 50 CNOs and directors from across Illinois, Indiana, Wisconsin, Michigan and Ohio for sessions on retention, workforce, nursing leadership, wellness and AI, many directly relevant to rural settings.

The Power of Rural serves as a reminder that rural health depends on rural nurse leaders having a seat at the table, and chapters willing to bring that table to them.

As we reflect on Rural Health Month, we honor and celebrate every chapter and nurse leader who is extending AONL's reach into every corner of the country. I invite all AONL members to recognize our rural health colleagues and the essential role they play in advancing healthier communities. Download AONL resources for National Rural Health Day. 

Stuart Downs, DNP, RN, CENP, FAONL, FAAN

President-Elect, American Organization for Nursing Leadership