October 3, 2023
Patricia A. Sharpnack DNP, RN, CNE, NEA-BC, ANEF, FAAN, Dean and Strawbridge Professor of Ursuline College’s Breen School of Nursing and Health Professions was named chair of the National League for Nursing (NLN) during the organization’s annual conference in Baltimore, Maryland last weekend.
“I’m proud to represent an organization dedicated to ensuring that nurses have access to the best education and tools to meet the growing health care needs of our nation,” states Dr. Sharpnack, who will continue to serve as dean during her two-year tenure in this volunteer position.
“Nurses and nursing care are only as good as the people who educated them,” she continues. “As this country’s premier professional organization for nurse faculty and leaders in nursing education, the NLN offers professional development, networking opportunities, testing services, nursing research grants, and public policy initiatives to its nearly 45,000 faculty, deans, directors, and senior administrators in nursing programs across the spectrum of higher education.”
The NLN has approximately 1,100 organizational members, including colleges and universities, health and hospital systems, and nonprofit health care organizations and corporate stakeholders in the health care sector.
“This role highlights Dean Sharpnack’s vision and leadership on a national level,” states Ursuline President Sister Christine De Vinne, PhD, OSU. “With her as dean, the College has been named an NLN Center of Excellence in nursing education. Our pass rate for the Next Generation NCLEX is 93%. We have a 100% post licensure employment rate. Our rankings are also on the rise with our MSN program named 34th in the nation by US News Best Graduate Schools –up over 25 spots from last year--while our undergraduate nursing is ranked 6thin the state.”
Sister Chris continues, “We’re looking forward to her sharing her ideas and energy with the country in this new position while casting the spotlight on Ursuline and Cleveland as an epicenter for the best health care in the land.”
Check out this video of local nurse leaders offering their congratulations to Dr. Sharpnack and a special request for scholarships in her honor.
