designed to give nursing and nurses a more influential role across many sectors of the economy. Fellows in this program represent the expertise and leadership of today and the leadership of the future. These briefs include background on the needs, evidence-based innovations and most important, recommendations for healthcare in 21st century.

The briefs include the following areas in health care and health care education:

• Transformational Partnerships in Nursing Education

• Innovative Nursing Education Curriculum

• Acute Care

• Chronic Care

• Palliative and End-of-Life Care

• Community Health

• School Health

A number of common themes emerge from the briefs. In order to meet the challenges of the future we must embrace technology, foster partnerships, encourage collaboration across disciplines and settings, ensure continuity of care and promote nurse-lead/nurse managed health care.

• Technology. Advances in technology open a new world in the provision of health care. The use of technology includes electronic health records, telehealth, remote monitoring, education through simulation, and a host of as yet undiscovered innovations.

• Partnerships and Collaboration. The importance of partnering and collaborating extends beyond interdisciplinary care at the bedside to nursing education-community partnerships, community and business partnerships, and public and private partnerships.

• Continuity of Care Across Settings. Our current “siloed” system leaves significant gaps in care. Smooth transition of patients from setting to setting is especially needed with the elderly and chronically ill populations.

• Nurse-lead and Nurse Managed Health Care. From the developing model of primary care community based programs to retail-based nurse practitioner clinics, nurses are filling in the primary care gap.

Each brief includes an important set of recommendations specific to the area addressed. However, a number of universal recommendations emerge that direct the future of nursing and health care.