​Addiction to and misuse of opioids is a national public health crisis that affects not only patients, but also their families and communities and our health system as a whole. Articles in this issue offer examples of how faculty integrated content on substance use in their programs. Recognizing the need for nursing students to be competent in screening, brief intervention, and referral to treatment (SBIRT), Knopf-Amelung et al evaluated 3 instructional methods for integrating this content in the curriculum and developing students' competencies. Students had instruction on SBIRT (via these 3 methods); they also engaged in role play and practiced with standardized patients, or completed other interactive activities. Students gained similar levels of knowledge of SBIRT and competencies regardless of the method. Teaching strategies that provided active learning, though, were most effective in changing students' attitudes about their role in screening and intervening for substance use. This article by Knopf-Amelung et al is Open Access so share it with others. Finnell et al provide a step-by-step approach to integrate substance use-related content into prelicensure and master's programs. Their approach is adaptable to all program levels and types of curricula. The authors also identify strategies to prepare faculty for this integration and share tools you can use in your own programs. Issues with substance use are not only patient problems – this is a problem among nurses and other health care professionals. Be sure to read the article by Stewart and Mueller on their modules to improve nursing students' understanding of substance use disorder among nurses. This issue has many other articles that you can use in your teaching, eg, interventions to improve students' self-care and using therapy pets to reduce students' stress. For those of you teaching in clinical settings, don't miss the article by Shafer et al who present their new (and innovative) model for clinical education. This issue marks the beginning of a new Department to share teaching strategies and ideas on integrating Quality and Safety Education for Nurses (QSEN) in your programs and developing students' competencies: Altmiller shares tips for teaching medication reconciliation. This issue is packed with new ideas for your nursing program and your own teaching:  read from cover to cover and share with your colleagues.​

Marilyn H. Oermann, Editor-in-Chief

	Developing valid and reliable test items is a critical skill for nursing faculty. This research analyzed the test item writing practices of 674 nursing faculty. Findings revealed variability in practices and a gap in implementation of evidence-based standards when developing and evaluating teacher-made examinations. Dr Bristol describes this important study in this video and accompanying article.
	Most academic-clinical partnerships are formal agreements between schools of nursing at research-intensive universities and large teaching hospitals. In this video and article learn about a less formal version of an academic-clinical partnership between a school of nursing in a small, private liberal arts university and 2 regional clinical agencies. Students, faculty, and staff contributed to evidence-based practice projects. The authors explain how all schools of nursing can develop right-size academic-clinical partnerships that benefit everyone involved.
	Are you concerned about grade inflation in your nursing program? If you are, be sure to watch this video and read the article. The authors conducted a retrospective, comparative study on the effects of increasing objectivity of evaluation methods on grade inflation in a graduate nursing research course. Multiple-choice testing and increased precision in grading rubrics were added to the course. Outcome measures of student grade distributions for the course were measured pre/post course revision. Statistically significant reductions in grade distributions were observed after evaluation methods in the course were revised (U = 4575.0, P < .001).
	How should schools of nursing transition clinicians to nursing faculty? Learn how this school did it through a Junior Faculty Teaching Fellowship. In the video and article, the authors describe an innovative, collaborative program for supporting transition and development of critical skills for novice faculty. They share the format they used in the Fellowship for nursing faculty. Here is your chance to learn about the Junior Faculty Teaching Fellowship and the value of this experience to new nursing faculty.
	Researchers who study nursing education often encounter difficulties when trying to recruit and retain nurse educator participants. In this video, Dr. Raymond-Seniuk discusses effective and ineffective sampling strategies and methods to increase the efficiency of the research process. Also read the article, which outlines the struggles and successes encountered with a mixed methods study that examined nurse educators’ critical thinking. The author shares insights and future recommendations for researchers in nursing education. The article is OPEN ACCESS so share it with other nurse educators.
	​As nurses provide more services in clients’ homes, nurse educators face challenges in preparing students for transitioning to the home setting. This video and article describe an innovative home visit simulation designed to prepare prelicensure nursing students for making home visits. Students apply nursing knowledge and critical thinking as they demonstrate skills related to assessment, communication, safety, and health education when caring for clients in their homes. Concepts from medical-surgical, pediatrics, maternity, psychiatric mental health, and public health nursing courses are integrated into the simulation.

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Browse our Topical Article Collections. 

Nursing Education Organizations:

• American Association of Colleges of Nursing
• National League for Nursing
• National Organization for Associate ​Degree Nursing
• Association for Nursing Professional Development
• Interprofessional Education Collaborative 
• National Center for Interprofessional Practice and Education 
• Quality and Safety Education for Nurses
• Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality TeamSTEPPS​