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IU SCHOOL OF NURSING AND NATIONAL LEAGUE FOR NURSING TEAM UP TO BETTER PREPARE NURSING FACULTY

INDIANAPOLIS - The Indiana University School of Nursing (IUSON) and the National League for Nursing (NLN) are optimistic that a new strategic alliance will help better prepare nursing faculty.

The organizations are offering a series of online courses and professional certificate programs to increase the knowledge, experience and teaching skills of current or future nursing educators.

"With the shortage of teaching faculty and fewer prepared in doctoral programs in nursing, there is a great need for faculty development," said Diane Billings, associate dean for teaching, learning and information resources for IUSON and a key facilitator of the alliance.

Since both organizations share a common vision of ongoing faculty development, the partnership was a natural one, said Janice Ward, director of lifelong learning at IUSON. "NLN encourages nurse educators to participate in learning activities throughout their life, as does the IU School of Nursing through its Center for Teaching and Lifelong Learning," she said.

"The online courses available through the NLN/IUSON alliance will help nurse educators develop the understanding and skills needed to facilitate student learning in the ever-changing, high-tech, uncertain worlds of today and tomorrow," said Terry Valiga, director of research and professional development for NLN. "And they allow faculty to learn from experts in the convenience of their own homes or offices."

The groups hope the convenience of online classes, plus a discount for members of the NLN, will encourage enrollment. The programs are a combination of courses developed at both IUSON and the NLN and cover such topics as teaching web-based courses, teaching strategies, using audio-visual resources, evaluation strategies, and the use of educational theories and more. New courses will be continually added.

The courses will count towards academic credit at IUSON and possibly at other institutions if students choose to pursue a graduate degree. Classes are currently ongoing and those interested may log on to the web sites of each organization - http://nursing.iupui.edu or www.nln.org -- for more information or to enroll.

The NLN is the nation's leading nursing organization, serving nursing faculty and practicing nurses at all levels of education and practice. For more than 100 years, the NLN has been dedicated to the advancement of quality nursing education.

IUSON is a state-wide, multi-campus nursing school offering the full range of undergraduate, graduate, and articulation programs. The core campus is Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI), which is nationally-ranked and committed to interactive learning that makes creative use of information technology.

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