Join us at the 2025 Magnet & Pathway Conference™ to learn, network, and be inspired!

Experience a celebration of nursing excellence, innovation, and leadership at the 2025 Magnet & Pathway Conference™, October 8–10 in Atlanta. Known for its energetic atmosphere, the conference provides the opportunity to enhance your professional growth, explore transformational practice strategies, and gain actionable skills that you can bring back to your organization.

The event’s 140+ high-impact concurrent sessions cover a range of topics relevant to nurses across settings and specialties. This provides an extraordinary opportunity for attendees to connect directly with nursing experts, sharing ideas and real world experiences. Highlights include:

• Shaping the Future of Nursing Research: Evaluating Priorities and Exploring What’s Next
• Use of AI in the Development of Meaningful Performance Reviews
• Nurses Belong Where Decisions are Made: Nursing Advocacy 101

Keynote speakers

This year’s conference features three dynamic keynotes:

• The Art of Self-Leadership: The Key to Inspiring Team Performance by Taking Ownership – Heather Younger
• Disrupt Yourself: Driving Change to Create Growth and Opportunity – Morris Morrison
• It Only Takes One: Rediscovering the Power of Individuals to Drive Meaningful Change – Kyle Scheele

Posters

Discover the latest nurse-led innovations in more than 160 conference poster presentations. Attendees can speak with presenters about their ideas. A sample of posters include:

• AI to Detect Deterioration
• Bedside Mobility Assessment Tool (BMAT): Impacting Patient Outcomes in a Medical–Surgical Unit
• Wellness First: Fostering Resilience in Nurse Residency Programs

Pre-conference

Pre-conference events offer nurses and organizations opportunities to learn more about the Magnet Recognition Program® and the Pathway to Excellence Program®. The American Nurses Enterprise Research Symposium takes place October 6, offering workshops, concurrent sessions, and a closing plenary.

Networking and celebration

You’ll also have time to enjoy the company of friends and colleagues at the conference’s designation and redesignation celebrations, the welcome party held across three different venues, and the awards presentations.

See full details and register at magnetpathwaycon.nursingworld.org. American Nurses Association members receive discounted rates. Those attending the in-person conference may earn up to 24 CNE credits.

Support nurses affected by flooding

From July 2–6, Central Texas was ravaged by sudden and catastrophic flash flooding, leaving 21 counties reeling from unprecedented destruction. Kerr County bore the brunt of the disaster, with homes, infrastructure, and lives upended in mere hours. As emergency crews mobilized, nurses emerged as vital responders—offering care, stability, and compassion in the chaos.

Yet many of these same nurses also are victims of the flooding, facing displacement, property loss, and emotional trauma. Recognizing nurses’ dual role as caregivers and survivors, the Texas Nurses Foundation (TNF) has launched a Disaster Relief Fund to support nurses affected by the crisis. The fund will provide direct financial assistance to nurses residing in disaster-declared counties. Contribute at texasnurses.org/page/ReliefFund.
The Tri-Council for Nursing, an alliance of nursing organizations that includes the American Nurses Association, issued a statement about the flood.

“Our thoughts are with those who have suffered loss or displacement, as well as with the nurses, first responders, and healthcare professionals who are working tirelessly under extraordinarily difficult conditions.”

As communities begin the long road to recovery, the Tri-Council urges those who can to donate. Even small contributions can make a meaningful difference.

Nurses affected by the flooding who live in one of the counties declared a disaster area by the Texas Governor can apply for assistance at texasnurses.org/page/DisasterReliefApp.

Snapshot of nursing pipeline

Enrollment in schools of nursing indicates strong interest in nursing careers

The American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) reported a significant rise in student enrollment across most undergraduate and graduate nursing programs in the United States based on data from its annual survey, 2024-2025 Enrollment and Graduations in Baccalaureate and Graduate Programs in Nursing, released in June. This increase marks a reversal of recent downward trends and reflects a strong and growing interest in nursing careers. However, enrollment in research-focused PhD programs continues to decline, raising concerns about the future pipeline of nurse scientists, educators, and academic leaders.

“Sustaining robust pathways into programs preparing professional nurses is critical to ensuring access to high-quality, patient-centered care,” said AACN President and Chief Executive Officer Deborah Trautman, PhD, RN, FAAN. “Academic nursing leaders are pleased to see enrollment growth in baccalaureate and graduate programs last year, which illustrates significant interest in nursing careers among those entering the field and nurses looking to advance into specialty and leadership roles.”

Enrollment changes by program level

Enrollment in bachelor of science in nursing (BSN) programs increased by 4.9%, adding 12,434 students and bringing the total to 267,889. This marks the second consecutive year of growth following a slight dip in 2022. Additionally, RN-to-BSN degree-completion programs saw a 1.6% boost in enrollment. This is the first rise after 5 years of decline, although the total of 90,369 students in these programs remains significantly below the 2018 peak of 139,587.

Graduate-level programs also experienced growth. Enrollment in master’s programs rose, for the first time since 2021, by 4.8% or 6,308 students. Currently, 136,656 students are enrolled in master’s programs across 655 nursing schools. Enrollment in doctor of nursing practice (DNP) programs grew by 2.0%, continuing a 21-year trend of steady growth. DNP enrollment has expanded from just 70 students in 2003 to 42,767 in 2024, with programs now offered at 439 institutions nationwide.

In contrast, PhD nursing programs experienced a decline in enrollment for the 11th consecutive year, with a 0.5% decrease, amounting to 21 fewer students. Since 2013, enrollment in these programs has dropped by 17.9%, from 5,145 to 4,223 students. This ongoing decline is particularly troubling for academic nursing leaders, as PhD-prepared nurses are essential for advancing research, teaching, and leadership in the profession.

Applications received and turned away

AACN also tracks application trends to assess interest in nursing education. In 2024, total applications to baccalaureate and higher degree programs reached 728,819, more than 46,200 from the previous year. Applications rose across most program levels, including entry-level BSN (up 8.5%), master’s (4.5%), DNP (18.5%), and PhD (7.2%) programs. The only exception was RN-to-BSN programs, which saw a slight decline in applications of 0.7%.

Despite this strong interest, many qualified applicants weren’t admitted due to capacity constraints. In total, 80,162 qualified applicants were turned away in 2024. This included 65,398 from entry-level BSN programs, 1,530 from RN-to-BSN, 7,603 from master’s, 5,366 from DNP, and 265 from PhD programs. The inability to accommodate all qualified applicants is largely due to limited clinical placement sites, faculty shortages, inadequate classroom space, and budgetary limitations.

To address these challenges, nursing associations including the American Nurses Association (ANA) and AACN are advocating for greater federal funding to support nursing education, including financial aid for students and resources for schools to recruit faculty and expand infrastructure. Visit ANA’s advocacy center, RNaction.org, for more information and to take action on these issues.

AACN is an organizational affiliate of ANA. As members of the Tri-Council for Nursing (tricouncilfornursing.org), the associations work collaboratively to address mutual concerns in the nursing profession in the realms of education, practice, and regulation.