April 23, 2008
Associate nursing professor named NLN Ambassador to PC Department of Nursing
ABERDEEN, S.D. --Presentation College Department of Nursing is pleased to announce that Margie B. Washnok APRN, MS, DNP, Associate Professor, has been appointed by the National League for Nursing to serve as an NLN Ambassador. As a participant in this elite corps, Dr. Washnok will help keep faculty and administration informed about the NLN’s initiatives, grant opportunities, conferences, publications, workshops, and other benefits available to NLN members.
"We created this selective program to make it as easy as possible for nurse faculty and nursing programs at all levels of academia to understand what the NLN has to offer to enhance professional development and status," explained NLN CEO Dr. Beverly Malone. "At the same time, we expect the Ambassadors to communicate to NLN professional staff and the board what issues and challenges are of greatest concern to nurse educators in the field so that we can maximize the effectiveness of our programming and services. The Ambassadors are, in effect, the NLN’s ‘eyes and ears’ on campus."
Dr. Washnok received a bachelor’s degree in nursing from Jamestown College. She earned a master’s degree in nursing from Texas Woman’s University and a doctorate of nursing practice from the Frances Payne Bolton School of Nursing at Case Western Reserve University. She has been an associate professor in the nursing department at Presentation College since 1990.
According to the NLN, it is anticipated that, as do all NLN Ambassadors, Dr. Washnok will encourage colleagues at the Presentation College Department of Nursing to participate in NLN professional development programs, apply for research grants, submit abstracts for the annual Education Summit and manuscripts to the NLN’s peer-reviewed journal, Nursing Education Perspectives, volunteer for task groups and special committees, run for elected office, nominate colleagues for awards and complete research surveys. She will be prepared to answer any questions other faculty or administrators have about the NLN and, when necessary, refer them to the appropriate NLN staff person.
The NLN Ambassador Program was established in the fall of 2006 with an initial cadre of 126 members who teach in all types of nursing programs – practical nurse, associate degree, diploma, baccalaureate, master’s and doctoral. Today there are 689 ambassadors representing schools of nursing in 48 states. New ambassadors are appointed periodically to meet the goal of having at least one NLN Ambassador in every school of nursing.
Observed Dr. Malone, "We are confident that the insights gained through this valuable relationship will help make the NLN more responsive to the needs of our dedicated nurse educators."
For more information about the NLN Ambassador Program, please contact NLN Senior Manager, Membership, Tish Hess, at 212-812-0374 or thess@nln.org.
Dedicated to excellence in nursing education, the National League for Nursing is the premier organization for nurse faculty and leaders in nursing education offering faculty development, networking opportunities, testing and assessment, nursing research grants, and public policy initiatives to its 25,000 individual and over 1100 institutional members.
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About Presentation College
Presentation College is an independent Catholic educational institution, sponsored by the Sisters of the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Founded in 1922, Presentation College is a specialty Health Science Baccalaureate Institution located in Aberdeen, SD, with branch campuses in Eagle Butte, SD and Fairmont, MN. Students at Presentation College are presented with unlimited opportunities to grow intellectually, personally, professionally, and spiritually. For more information visit our website at www.presentation.edu.
Media Contact:
Tarah Jahnig
Coordinator of Friends and College Relations
Presentation College
605.229.8378