Bindon Inducted as National League for Nursing Academy of Nursing Education Fellow

Baltimore, Md. – The University of Maryland School of Nursing (UMSON)’s Susan L. Bindon, DNP ’11, MS ’96, RN, NPD-BC, CNE, FAAN, ANEF, associate professor; associate dean for faculty development; director of the Institute for Educators; and director of the Teaching in Nursing and Health Professions Certificate, has been inducted as a prestigious National League for Nursing (NLN) Academy of Nursing Education Fellow. 

Bindon and 26 other distinguished educators were recognized at the NLN Education Summit in San Antonio.

The NLN Academy of Nursing Education recognizes leaders in nursing education who contribute to advancing excellence in teaching, research, faculty development, academic leadership, and community partnerships.

“Being inducted as a fellow in the Academy of Nursing Education is a special honor,” Bindon said. “Throughout my career, I’ve been privileged to learn from incredible teachers, mentors, and colleagues in academic and practice settings. My professional goals are to support and develop nurse educators and to advance teaching excellence in nursing education at both local and national levels. This recognition is deeply meaningful, and I am grateful to those who have supported me along the way.”

Bindon joined UMSON as an assistant professor in the Institute for Educators in 2011 and was promoted to associate professor in 2019. Prior to becoming the inaugural associate dean for faculty development in 2021, she served as director of the Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) Post-Master’s option, overseeing the core DNP curriculum and providing support to DNP students and faculty. 

As director of UMSON’s Institute for Educators, Bindon bridges academic and clinical education, drawing from her own faculty practice in nursing professional development at the University of Maryland Medical Center. Her work supports the dual mission of the institute: to prepare future nurse educators throughout the state while offering ongoing education and professional development for UMSON’s own faculty and other educators. Her hallmark is utilizing a variety of creative approaches to design and deliver education.

Bindon is also the director of UMSON’s graduate Teaching in Nursing and Health Professions Certificate, which prepares nurses for educator roles, ensuring they have the knowledge and skills to work effectively in academic and practice settings, whether in person or online. She also spearheaded the implementation of a new faculty residence program for new and novice UMSON faculty. 

Bindon has received multiple grant awards through the Nurse Support Program II, funded by the Maryland Health Services Cost Review Commission and administered by the Maryland Higher Education Commission, focused on preparing and developing clinical nursing faculty across the state. Products of these grants have become components of essential faculty development statewide, including workshops that utilize standardized students (professional actors who portray students) to provide simulated experiences for faculty to practice their skills in guiding student learning in a safe environment. 

Bindon’s work addresses ongoing nursing workforce challenges locally, statewide, and nationally; the necessity of increasing enrollments in schools of nursing requires expanding the number of nurse educators well prepared to teach and mentor the next generation of nurses in the classroom and in clinical settings. Bindon has worked to elevate nursing education as a practice specialty in both academic and professional practice settings and has focused on mentoring faculty to improve teaching, with a focus on effective teaching to meet the needs of today’s learners. Bindon has held national leadership positions as past president of the Association for Nursing Professional Development and co-editor of the Journal for Nurses in Professional Development.

Academy of Nursing Education Fellows are selected through a rigorous application process, with the NLN Academy of Nursing Education Review Panel recommending candidates to the NLN Board of Governors. Selection criteria include contributions to innovative teaching strategies, nursing education research, public policy initiatives, and collaboration across educational and practice settings. 

“Fellows proudly serve as mentors and resources for new educators and those in clinical practice who aspire to someday join the ranks of nurse faculty. We are delighted to honor the wisdom, experience and enthusiasm of the Class of 2024 and all the academy fellows who came before them,” said NLN President and CEO Beverly Malone, PhD, RN, FAAN.

UMSON alumnus Stephan Davis, DNP, MHSA, BSN ’07, NEA-BC, CENP, CNE, CPHQ, CDE, FACHE, FNAP, FHFMA, FAAN, ANEF, joins Bindon in the new class of fellows.

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The University of Maryland School of Nursing, founded in 1889, is one of the oldest and largest nursing schools in the nation and is ranked among the top nursing schools nationwide. Enrolling nearly 2,000 students in its baccalaureate, master’s, and doctoral programs, the School develops leaders who shape the profession of nursing and impact the health care environment.