National League for Nursing Announces Re-launch of Affiliated Constituent League in California

New York, NY (PRWEB) June 11, 2008 -- The National League for Nursing is set to once again have a strong presence in America's most populous state, with the reorganization of the California League for Nursing, under the leadership of a new board of directors. With the addition of the California league, the NLN currently has 21 state-affiliated constituent leagues that support and implement the NLN mission to promote excellence in nursing education in order to build a strong and diverse nursing workforce.

"We are delighted to welcome the California League for Nursing back into the NLN family of constituent leagues," said NLN CEO Dr. Beverly Malone, PhD, RN, FAAN. "We're confident we will be able to count on our colleagues there to create programs and services specific to the needs of nurse educators in California and help bring the voice for nursing education to the West Coast."

"I want to encourage all NLN members to join their state constituent league and get involved at the local level to advance the NLN mission," said Dr. Elaine Tagliareni, EdD, RN, president of the NLN, adding, "If you don't have a league in your state, the NLN can help you establish one."

Impetus for the re-formation of the CALN came from NLN members throughout the state dismayed by their league's inactivity over the past three years. The appointed leadership team will be headed by Liana Hain, MS, RN, CCRN at the City College of San Francisco, who will serve as CALN president. She is joined on the Executive Committee by president-elect Eric Williams, DNP, RN, professor, Santa Monica Community College; treasurer Linda Gleason, MSN, RN, FNP, CRN, Saddleback College; and secretary Colleen O'Leary-Kelly, PhD, RN, associate professor, San Jose State University.

All regions within California, as well as all types of nursing programs, are represented on the new 15-member CALN board, giving the league a broad mandate to address issues pertinent to nursing education in California and nationally, as part of the NLN division of constituent leagues. The California leadership intends, said Ms. Hain, to develop a strategic plan to dovetail with NLN strategic goals.

"The Executive Committee and I have high hopes that, together with you, we will make a significant contribution to improving the quality of nursing education here and across the country," wrote Ms. Hain in a letter to board members. Nurse educators in California who wish to join the California League for Nursing are urged to contact her at liana.hain@ucsf.edu.

For more information on NLN constituent leagues, visit www.nln.org/stateleagues. To learn how to establish a constituent league, contact Tish Hess, the NLN's senior membership manager, at thess@nln.org.

Dedicated to excellence in nursing, the National League for Nursing is the premier organization for nurse faculty and leaders in nursing education. The NLN offers faculty development, networking opportunities, testing services, nursing research grants, and public policy initiatives to its 27,000 individual and 1,200 institutional members who represent all types of nursing education programs.

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