From Dawn Mueller-Burke, PhD, CRNP, NNP-BC
Assistant Professor and AACN Essentials Champion
In the role of the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) Essentials Champion, I serve as the School’s resident contact and communication liaison between UMSON, AACN, and peers from across the nation who are engaged in Essentials implementation. We meet quarterly with AACN leadership to discuss progress and address challenges. View the Q&A transcript from the August 2025 meeting.
Please share any questions you may have for AACN leadership with me prior to our next meeting in December. Be sure to also check the Frequently Asked Questions page to see if your question has already been answered.
AACN will be in Philadelphia this month to host the Advancing Curricular Transformation Through Coaching and Competency-Based Assessment Strategies workshop. We hope you can join us Sept. 30 for a full day dedicated to developing competency-based assessment strategies and using artificial intelligence tools to streamline rubric creation.
Upcoming Workshops
Advancing Curricular Transformation Through Coaching and Competency-Based Assessment Strategies
Sept. 30, in Philadelphia at Drexel University
Dec. 3 in Anaheim, California at the Transform 2025 Pre-Conference
The Power of Coaching: Transforming Faculty Feedback for Competency-Based Success
Nov. 10, virtual
Essentializing Your Curriculum: Moving Forward with Competency-Based Education
Nov. 17 - 18, virtual
Recent Webinars (available on demand for free)
Nurses as Co-Designers: Shaping AI to Transform Nursing Education
Presented by Miranda Hawks, PhD; Rosa Arriaga, PhD; Patti E. Landerfelt, DNP; Roy L. Simpson, DNP
Advancing a Competency-Based Approach: Threading Policy Through Nursing Curriculum and Practice
Presented by Shannon K. Idzik, DNP; Carolyn Rutledge, PhD; Joseph W. Tacy, PhD; George Zangaro, PhD
Progression Indicator Update
- Validation process and data analysis complete
- Final progression indicators will be released in early fall 2025
- Accompanying resources, such as assessment scenarios, will be released in late fall 2025