Join us in congratulating Emory University Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing's Dean Linda A. McCauley,PhD, RN, FAAN, FRCN on being named the Atlanta Business Chronicle Healthcare Heroes Lifetime Achievement Award winner for her outstanding contributions to the nursing profession!

The intersection of business, nursing, science and teaching is where Dean McCauley said her passion lies. “For the last 10 years, I’ve really had a lot of coaching around setting high goals and moving an organization [forward],” she said. “At the same time, I’m never forgetting our why: why nursing exists and how critical it is to help health care systems.”

The GNLC would like to highlight Eliesha DelMastro, Augusta University College of Nursing Graduate. Eliesha DelMastro has always had a passion for nursing, but “life happened” and her dream of becoming a nurse took a backseat.

Almost 20 years later, DelMastro has graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Augusta University’s College of Nursing. The long road to graduation hit many speed bumps, but she has been proud to pass along life’s lessons learned along the way to her three children, Anthony, 18, Savannah, 15, and Parker, 12.

“Going back to college, I wanted to encourage them to either go to college or find something you are passionate about and pursue that,” she said. “I also wanted to show them that you can make mistakes and bad things can happen in life, but, if you’re consistent and there’s something that you really want to do, you can accomplish that.”

The nation's leading experts in pediatric health, including the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), have named the mental health crisis among children a national emergency. Shortages of qualified mental health professionals are at crisis levels locally, statewide, nationally, and globally. This shortage disproportionately affects the pediatric and adolescent populations, and this crisis is compounded for children of color.

To address this shortage, Emory University’s Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing is partnering with the Liz Blake Giving Fund and Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta (Children’s) to develop a scholarship program to expand and equip the workforce of mental health professionals.

The Blake Scholars Program will provide full tuition for nurse practitioners with an interest in child and adolescent behavioral and mental health to pursue a post-graduate certificate in psychiatric mental health nursing from Emory’s School of Nursing. Graduates of the Blake Scholars Program will be considered for pediatric psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner positions at Children’s, including the new Zalik Behavioral and Mental Health Center. 

Every year, the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) reports the most current statistics on student enrollment and graduations in baccalaureate and graduate nursing programs. This new data shows enrollment declines in Schools of Nursing, raising concerns about the nation’s nursing workforce. AACN is leading the charge to advocate for more federal support for nursing education, including funding for students interested in a nursing career and for schools of nursing to support faculty development and the infrastructure needed to accommodate more students.

Emory University's Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing has received the APRN enrollment and graduation data from AACN to analyze the number of APRN students and graduates last year in Georgia. This customized report is of the student enrollment data and graduation data for all schools in Georgia, offering APRN programs and DNP programs.

As you review the enclosed report, please note the following:
1. Additional trend data will be produced as it becomes available.
2. Analysis of how GA compares to other states in the SE will be provided in the future.
3. This report has been purchased for the GNLC, and it is based on information each school provided to the AACN.
4. Georgia Deans of each school, who have submitted data, are welcome to contact the GNLC at ganursingcoalition@gmail.com to request to receive additional, raw data. 

The Center to Champion Nursing in America (CCNA) has provided the latest stats about the nation's percentage of Registered Nurses with a Bachelor's in Nursing (BSN). Georgia is at 61% BSN prepared workforce according to their calculations. 

Click below to view the three maps that detail how the percentage of registered nurses with a bachelor’s in nursing or higher degree increased from 49 percent in 2010 to 59 percent in 2020. “Advancing the health of patients, families and communities depends on increasing levels of nursing education,” said Antonia M. Villarruel PhD, RN, FAAN, Professor and the Margaret Bond Simon Dean of Nursing University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing and chair of the Campaign for Action Strategic Advisory Committee. “Nursing schools — at all levels, nursing organizations and state governments have been working together for years to make it easier for aspiring nurses to get a bachelor’s degree and it’s finally paying off.”

The Senate Certificate Of Need Reform Study Committee will hold their first meeting on June 13, 2023 at 9AM. GNLC Lobbyist, Julianna McConnell has provided a copy of the Study Committee language. Stay tuned for more updates as this study committee will be monitored.

The Georgia Supreme Court has ruled unanimously that a state law requiring lactation consultants to be licensed is unconstitutional.

The court found that the 2016 law violated the rights of lactation consultants to practice their profession without “unreasonable government restriction.”

Under the law, lactation consultants in Georgia were required to earn a certificate from the International Board Certified Lactation Consultants, a process that included training courses and hundreds of hours of experience.

“Certainly, there is nothing inherently harmful in the practice of lactation care, and there is no evidence of harm to the public from the provision of lactation care and services by individuals who lack an IBCLC license,” Chief Justice Michael Boggs wrote in the Wednesday decision.

On Wednesday, May 24, 2023, Lt. Governor Burt Jones announced legislative and citizen appointments to the Senate Study Committee on Expanding Georgia's Workforce. “During the 2023 session, reducing barriers for Georgia’s workforce was a top priority,” said Lt. Governor Burt Jones. “Senate led initiatives, like Senate Bill 3 and Senate Bill 157, were a starting point. Experts on this study committee, along with other stakeholders, are going to review current best practices and programs focused on expanding Georgia’s workforce across all industries. They will also identify workforce shortages along with barriers preventing willing and able Georgians to gain employment. I am confident this committee’s work will lead to recommendations on how to best expand opportunities for Georgia’s workforce.”

GNLC Lobbyist, Julianna McConnell will be monitoring this study committee closely and will keep you informed as meeting dates are announced. We will also keep you updated by providing summaries of these meeting.

"We will certainly be reaching out to Chairman John Albers to offer to provide expert testimony for this committee relative to nursing workforce shortages," says McConnell.