New Dean Resources

New Dean Dialogue and Orientation

During the Academic Nursing Leadership Conference and AACN Deans Annual Meeting, there is an Orientation for New Deans and New Members. Those new to their role are encouraged to attend this very informative session for an overview of membership benefits and opportunities to engage with AACN. In addition, AACN schedules a New Dean Dialogue at many of our conferences where new deans can connect with a Board or Membership Committee member in a small informal setting. View AACN's conference page for future event dates.

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New Deans Program

This leadership development program, titled Advancing Academic Leadership for Deans, is for new and transitioning deans and provides an intensive 12-month experience led by the Center for Creative Leadership. This comprehensive program includes four- face-to-face meetings (three of which occur at AACN annual meetings). The expectation is that participants will develop and implement a leadership project at their home institutions utilizing the principles they are learning.

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Peer-to-Peer
AACN Dean Mentoring Program

Geared toward new, early career, and transitioning deans, matches made each year between experienced deans and early career deans to provide guidance, insight, and experience informed tips and tactics for leading academic nursing.

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Executive Development Series (EDS) for Deans

Join us on March 28-29, 2025 for a 1.5-day pre-conference session, connected to AACN’s Deans Annual Meeting. Designed for academic leaders who want to polish their executive-level skills. Explore mutual challenges and share winning solutions in a collegial, interactive environment. This program is exclusively for the Chief Academic Nursing Officer (Dean/Director).

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On-Demand Webinars

AACN members have access to over 200 archived webinars free of charge. A sampling of topics is listed below.

Academic-Practice Partnerships
CCNE Accreditation
Executive Leadership Development in Nursing Academia
Government Affairs and Advocacy
Incivility
Interprofessional Education
Quality and Safety Education in Nursing
Sustainability in Nursing Education

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The Essentials: Core Competencies for Professional Nursing Education

The AACN Essentials

Used to define quality in nursing education, the AACN Essentials outline the necessary curriculum content and expected competencies of graduates from baccalaureate, master’s, and Doctor of Nursing Practice programs. With the endorsement of the new AACN Essentials by the membership in April 2021, academic nursing is moving toward a new model and framework for nursing education using a competency-based approach. AACN is committed to providing resources, education, and facilitate this transformation.

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