Colorado Center for Nursing Excellence

Colorado Center for Nursing Excellence Transforming healthcare through workforce innovation Based on this reality, several of the Center’s programs focus on this key nursing leadership group.

In response to the disconnected nature of Colorado’s healthcare continuum as well as the fragmented nursing and healthcare workforce pipeline, a core principle is an intense focus on collaboration, networking and building cross-sector solutions. The Center has used its system-wide perspective and consensus-building credibility to create innovative, high-leverage interventions that help improve the

volume, quality and operations of Colorado's nursing workforce. Realizing that health care is a ‘team sport’, the Center is moving into dialogues, research, and activities that go beyond nursing to include Colorado's entire healthcare workforce pipeline. The Center’s activities focus in several ways on creating a systemic, high-leverage impact on the nursing and healthcare workforce. Quality healthcare outcomes are very often achieved at the point of care, through patient-nurse interaction. With respect to this interaction, nursing researchers nationwide have identified the front-line nurse leader as the key link in organizing and deploying the staff and the necessary resources to achieve quality outcomes.

With the success of Preceptor 101 the team knew this program could be taken to the next level - and participants were as...
06/08/2026

With the success of Preceptor 101 the team knew this program could be taken to the next level - and participants were asking for more!

Preceptor 201course is designed to expand on foundational skills gained in Preceptor 101, advancing preceptors’ expertise and leadership. This competency-based curriculum focuses on generational precepting, promoting civility, strengthening communication and conflict resolution, building caring communities, and developing the preceptor’s voice as a leader.

This week thirty-five learners completed the blended learning experience to elevate the roles as preceptors. These learners represented professionals from Region 8, including North Dakota, South Dakota, Wyoming, Montana, Utah, and Colorado. Here are some comments from the preceptors:

"This was an amazing experience I think everyone should have a chance to experience this class.”

“I loved that the topics were incorporated using a believable scenario. It made everything so much more applicable and made it possible to hear examples of what other people thought and how they would use those tools.

“The most worthwhile part of this course was the reminder that communication in precepting isn’t just about getting someone to do the thing correctly—it’s about shaping how they ‘think’ about the thing in the first place.”

Learn more and register on our website: https://www.coloradonursingcenter.org/preceptor-training-101

Eminence in Nursing AwardMost people cannot boast of a career that spans more than 60 years, but Lola Fehr has served as...
05/29/2026

Eminence in Nursing Award

Most people cannot boast of a career that spans more than 60 years, but Lola Fehr has served as a visionary leader, innovator, and tireless advocate for nurses and the people they serve for her entire adult life. She has influenced the profession of nursing through leadership as the Executive Director of the Colorado Nurses Association, Executive Director of the Association of periOperative Registered Nurses, Executive Director of the New York State Nurses Association, Interim President and CEO of the Colorado Center for Nursing Excellence, and Interim CEO of the American Academy of Nursing (AAN).

Throughout her career and into retirement, she has modeled the power of mentorship and lifelong learning. Even today, as a Certified Gallup Coach, she continues to mentor and coach nurses and students. She serves as a parliamentarian for the National Student Nurses Association, the American Academy of Nursing, and Colorado State University Faculty. Lola has also served as Lead Nurse Planner for several years for the Colorado Center for Nursing Excellence and continues as the lead nurse planner for the annual Nurse Educator Conference in the Rockies. As described by Elizabeth Pace, former Executive Director of Peer Assistance Services, she is “a nurse’s nurse…a mentor for many in our profession…a hero exemplified by her courage, wisdom, and unwavering advocacy.” We are so happy to thank her for her service to nursing and celebrate her sustained influence which exemplifies true nursing eminence. Thank you, Lola, for all you have done and continue to do for nursing! Congratulations on this well-deserved award!.

The Center's Clinical Scholar Program was created to support the professional development of experienced nurses focused ...
05/12/2026

The Center's Clinical Scholar Program was created to support the professional development of experienced nurses focused on supporting nursing students in the clinical setting. The Center has been offering this program for over 20 years resulting in over 2,300 trained clinical scholars working with schools of nursing to instruct nursing students in a clinical setting. The Power of Nurses!
Learn more about this program here: https://www.coloradonursingcenter.org/clinical-scholar-program/

A Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner is a specialized registered nurse with advanced training to provide holistic care for su...
05/11/2026

A Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner is a specialized registered nurse with advanced training to provide holistic care for survivors of sexual assault, conduct detailed medical-forensic exams to collect evidence, document injuries, and serve as expert witnesses in court, empowering patients by offering choices and restoring control during a traumatic process. Sexual Assault Nurse Examiners provide highly specialized, compassionate care for survivors — reflecting an exceptional commitment to patient advocacy and trauma-informed support. The Power of Nurses!

Learn more about this program here: https://www.coloradonursingcenter.org/sexual-assault-nurse-examiner-fellowship/

A preceptor is an experienced clinical practitioner, who has completed preceptor training, to take on the role of guidin...
05/11/2026

A preceptor is an experienced clinical practitioner, who has completed preceptor training, to take on the role of guiding new employees, graduates, and students through the onboarding and competency validation process of unique clinical environments. These nurses, in many cases, take on this additional role in addition to "regular" nursing duties to help new nurses bridge the gap between what a student learns in school and the real clinical world. These are nurses helping nurses. The Power of Nurses!
Learn more about this program here: https://www.coloradonursingcenter.org/rural-nurse-practitioner-behavioral-health-program/

The Center’s annual Leadership Development Conference is stepping into a new chapter. Introducing the Care, Culture & Le...
05/09/2026

The Center’s annual Leadership Development Conference is stepping into a new chapter. Introducing the Care, Culture & Leadership Conference, happening September 18, 2026.

This year’s theme, From Bedside & Beyond: Creating Leadership Pathways, Strengthening Voices, & Shaping the Future of Care, puts the spotlight right where it belongs—on the people driving change across healthcare.

We’re looking for leaders, nurses, educators, innovators, and changemakers from every care setting to be part of the conversation.

✨ Got ideas around psychological safety?
✨ Working on ways to support today’s workforce while preparing the next generation?
✨ Creating healthier work environments or elevating voices in your organization?

If you’re doing meaningful work that’s shaping the future of care—this is your opportunity to share it.

Submit a presentation or poster that inspires, challenges, and moves the industry forward. This is your chance to help define what’s next.

It all starts with us—our leadership, our ideas, and our commitment to building a stronger, more equitable future.

⏰ Don’t wait—the abstract deadline is May 15 and it’ll be here before you know it.

Submit your abstract here:
https://redcap.coloradonursingcenter.org/surveys/?s=R8T3ARRC8D8JXTME

Rural and underserved communities struggle with access to care across the board. One of The Center’s successful “Grow Yo...
05/08/2026

Rural and underserved communities struggle with access to care across the board. One of The Center’s successful “Grow Your Own” models identify nurses already living in a rural and/or underserved community and return to school to become a Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner. Each of these new PHMNPs have shown to provide an average of over 1,300 new mental health appointments per year. This is a clear indicator of how one Nurse Practitioner can impact a community. The Power of Nurses!
Learn more about this program here: https://www.coloradonursingcenter.org/rural-nurse-practitioner-behavioral-health-program/

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7535 East Hampden, Suite 110
Denver, CO
80231

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