At the start of 2019, we were anticipating great progress and big news on many fronts. Thanks to you, the last 12 months have lived up to those hopes.

Even as we continue advancing on our mission to strengthen our profession, we are growing to embrace a more all-encompassing view of health and health care. That perspective is one that understands that people’s health is affected by multiple factors outside of the health care setting. As nurses, we need to meet those needs where they are, and increasingly, we are creating, leading, and joining with other community leaders to do just that.

For examples, let’s take a look at back, then ahead. In addition, we have highlighted some 2020 funding opportunities for you below, including another round of Innovations funding from the Campaign. 

Future of nursing 2020-2030

That, of course, is the focus of the report due out in 2020 from the National Academy of Medicine (NAM), and a description of what you are helping create: the role that nursing will play in building a Culture of Health for the coming decade and beyond.

When the NAM announced its new study, it asked for your expertise and ideas. You spoke up. Thank you! Action Coalition members coast to coast gathered to watch, ask questions, or attend one or all of the three public meetings held to lay the foundation for the next report.

Nurses Leading Through Policy

Your efforts over the past decade have primed us as a profession to lead the way in shaping policy. In October, representatives from more than 20 Action Coalitions came together in New Jersey for “Pathway to Policy: Nurses Driving Change for a Healthier America.” We covered ground on how nurses are leading change in and outside of acute care settings, and forging partnerships to improve all the causes that affect well-being– those social determinants of health such as education, housing, and employment.

Nurses and Diversity

The Campaign is proud of a new project built on partnerships that promises to increase the number of nurses from underrepresented populations. By working with the Office of Minority Health at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services; the White House Initiative on Historically Black Colleges and Universities; nursing organizations; and a number of historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs), the Campaign has over two years piloted a mentor training project. Our goal is to help schools retain nursing students, and help those students graduate, and then pass the NCLEX. As our work with HBCUs grows, we’re expanding the project, too. In 2020, we will work with the National Association of Hispanic Nurses and the National Alaska Native American Indian Nurses Association to train mentors at Hispanic-serving institutions’ schools of nursing and those that serve Native Americans. These trainings will also involve Action Coalitions in the mentoring work.

School Nurses and Wellness

Nurses can and do lead wherever they are, and schools—which are bridges to the community as a whole—are important places to start. In October, the Campaign hosted “Better Schools, Better Communities,” a two-day meeting to examine and expand ways in which school nurses are improving the health of individuals, families, and communities. Action Coalitions explored models and partnerships that make the most of school-based health.

Population Health in Nursing

Nursing Education and the Path to Population Health Improvement, the Campaign’s stage-setting look at education models that are succeeding in preparing nurses for population health practice, was released in 2018. The same researchers have spent 2019 digging more deeply into those successful models, and plan to release phase 2 of their study in 2020.

Access to Care

Four states: Arizona, Montana, Texas and Utah passed incremental laws that improve consumer access to care by advanced practice registered nurses, and the Campaign looks forward to working with more states in 2020 on this issue.

Those are just some of the highlights of 2019. Here are just a few highlights we have to look forward to:

Innovations Funds

They’re back! Last year saw 12 Action Coalitions earn Innovations Fund awards for initiatives that had nurses collaborating with a diversity of stakeholders. Next year, Action Coalitions will have another opportunity. We will publicize the specifics in the new year.

Here is also a list of organizations/funding opportunities to watch in 2020.

• American Nurses Association Innovation Award;
• AARP Foundation Grants;
• RWJF Grants;
• Hillman Foundation;
• The United Way;
• Grants.gov;
• Kresge Foundation; and
• Johnson & Johnson Nurses Innovate QuickFire Challenge Series.

Check-Ins With Action Coalitions

Starting in 2020, the Campaign will shift its quarterly liaison calls with Action Coalitions to one date for all. That means that representatives from all Action Coalitions will dial in to be on the same call, hearing and sharing information and ideas together.

The biggest news is you.

Your work is more important than ever. Because you’re the future of nursing, and you are helping us define how we as a profession can create health equity. Next year’s Campaign summit, December 3-4 in Washington, D.C., will see the unveiling of the NAM 2020-2030 report. You’ve laid the groundwork for it over the years; you have helped the research committee already. Look for more information early next year about the summit.

Even as seeds planted over the last decade continue to bear fruit, this year our Campaign has planted anew many efforts we know will blossom in the coming months. Thank you for the bountiful year, and for creating a bright horizon!