A 12-Year Look Back: The University of Pennsylvania Nursing Academic-Practice Partnership

More than 20 years ago, the American Association of the Colleges of Nursing (AACN) released a position statement endorsing academic-practice partnerships.1 Since then, many leading nursing organizations including the National League for Nursing2 and the American Organization of Nurse Executives (AONE)3 have echoed the sentiments put forth by the AACN. These organizations describe the need for formal shared leadership models of respectful partner/colleague relationships as a means to strengthen the nursing profession amidst chaotic growth and change in the healthcare industry.1, 4 and 5