University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Nursing Associate Professor Lynn Nichols, PhD, RN-BC (BSN 1989, MSN 1993, PhD 2000) has been elected to the position of chair of the Faculty Leadership Network of the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN). She assumed the position at the AACN Transform Conference in December 2021.
The AACN Faculty Leadership Network is a community of experienced mentors dedicated to developing nursing educators by facilitating networking and teaching opportunities for faculty members around the country through webinars, conferences and communications.
"I became involved in the AACN FLN because I wanted to make an impact in nursing education and mentor new faculty to develop in the role of nurse educator," Nichols said. "As chair of the Faculty Leadership Network steering committee, I am given the opportunity to apply the UAB School of Nursing's core values of innovation, excellence and collaboration through the work of the AACN."
As chair, Nichols is responsible for overseeing the FLN program planning committees, communication and webinars, which map programs that support undergraduate and masters faculty nationwide. A current focus of the AACN is assisting faculty comprehension and application of the revised AACN Essentials. The AACN FLN offers faculty the opportunity to gain insight into how to implement the revised Essentials while incorporating competency-based education.
"The work of the FLN Steering Committee allows me to meet other nurse educators from across the nation, collaborate with them and network to meet the needs of our faculty members through the development of creative solutions," Nichols said. "Through my involvement with FLN, I have learned about new topics in nursing education, which enriches my work as a nurse educator at UAB SON."