NAQ's 40th Birthday Nursing: Predictions From the Past; Predictions for the Future, Parts I & II.

The following two articles relate to Nursing's past and future, described through a series of predictions made by one of Nursing's great leaders Margaret L. McClure (Maggie McClure). It is reprinted from NAQ Fall 2000, Volume 25, Issue 1. The second article, by another great leader, Joyce Batcheller, DNP, RN, NEA-BC, FAAN, is a follow up on those predictions, reflecting on Nursing today and tommorow.

One hundred years and still counting: the story of NEF--yesterday, today, and tomorrow.

Nurses Educational Funds, Inc (NEF) is the oldest and largest professionally endorsed source of funds for advanced study in nursing, which celebrated its Centennial in 2012. This philanthropic nonprofit organization is notable for its roots; NEF was organized by nurses specifically for nurses. Its history dates back to 1912, when it began in memory of Isabel Hampton Robb at Teacher's College, where the first graduate nursing education programs began. The initial Robb Memorial Fund was incorporated as a nonprofit organization in 1941 and officially became Nursing Educational Funds, Inc, in 1954. The NEF's sole mission is to raise money and give it for graduate-level scholarships in nursing education, service, practice, and research. Since its origin, more than 1000 doctoral and master's students from a broad array of schools across the nation have been recipients of awards. The NEF Board is a totally volunteer, highly dedicated group of nursing, business, and other professional leaders, who are steadfastly committed to this critical effort. Scholarships for graduate nursing education are imperative to meet the need to grow the pipeline of faculty. As charged by the 2010 Institute of Medicine report, the goal to increase the number of baccalaureate nurses to 80% of the workforce and to double the number of nurses with doctoral degrees both by 2020 speak to the heart of NEF. Funds raised currently are largely from Board members, individual donors, modest foundational support, and a number of bequests. As the nursing population grows older, the potential for bequests or planned giving becomes a realistic goal. Former NEF scholars have not unfortunately been a financial source, although pay back is an expectation. Nurses are the best ones to tell this compelling story to corporations and foundations as NEF continues to persist in the commitment to support graduate nursing education.

Expanding the capacity of nursing education.

Assuring a nurse workforce that is large enough and possesses the right competencies for the changing demographic and health reform scenarios of the early twenty-first century is nothing short of an imperative. Getting there will involve continual recruitment of a talented and diverse group of people and increasing nurses' progression to a more highly educated workforce, no matter where they enter the profession. These actions will enable the United States to fill vacant nursing faculty positions as we simultaneously re-create how nursing education is delivered in this country. The nation's health is dependent on the actions we now take.

Magnet hospitals: insights and issues.

This article explores some of the major lessons that have been learned over more than 2 decades of experience with the Magnet Hospital recognition program. Both the background for the work and some of the issues related to the effort are discussed.