Learning Objective #1: Describe a minimum of four incremental changes driving innovation in nursing education

Learning Objective #2: Identify three exemplary leadership traits applicable to innovation for 21st century nursing education

---

Nursing practice and education are in the midst of a major upheaval contributed to by a shortage of personnel. Increasing numbers of retiring faculty do not have replacements. Solutions such as extensive advertisements, recruitment campaigns, and funding remedies can not fill vacant positions in sufficient time and numbers to allow retention of the traditional academic structure. A labor-intensive industry without sufficient labor presents the opportunity for change and redesign.

At the time of projections of the labor shortage, technology began to infiltrate the market. Initially, the technology explosion was met with skepticism by the public in general and nursing in specific. Over time, user-friendly computer systems evolved into mobile electronics that permeate day-to-day activities around much of the world. Nurses found that as technological innovation accelerated, abandoning the highly successful traditional way of doing business in order to escape from its eventual obsolescence was an extremely difficult yet essential task. Despite initial reluctance, nurses now use mobile devices and software in the healthcare and learning environments.

According to Drucker (1999), in a period of rapid structural change the only ones who survive are the change leaders. A change leader sees change as opportunity. Nursing has the exciting opportunity for fundamental change in product and service innovation. The Forecast of 10 for 2010 will describe 10 incremental changes in practice and alternative futures for the following categories: technology, universal access, edutainment, e-teaching, educator/mentor/coach roles, core curriculum, outcomes, competencies, process of education, and human attention. Examples to be discussed include virtual schools, a curriculum for one, learner case manager, portable knowledge, value-enhanced products, and rewarding risk taking. Questions will be raised about traditional teaching methods in nursing education, such as clinical supervision.