NCSBN Holds Successful World Café Education Meeting

CHICAGO, IL--(Marketwire - Jan 24, 2012) - The National Council of State Boards of Nursing (NCSBN®) www.ncsbn.org hosted "Shaping the Future of Nursing Education: A New Vision for Approval & Accreditation" which brought together more than 200 nursing educators, regulators and accreditors from across the country. Held December 8-9, 2011, in Chicago, this first of its kind meeting was designed to serve as a dialogue between these stakeholders about the future alignment of prelicensure nursing education, board of nursing approval and national nursing accreditation.

"This meeting brought together thought leaders in nursing to begin a dialogue about how to work together for the future of prelicensure nursing education approval," said Nancy Spector, PhD, RN, director, Regulatory Innovations, NCSBN. "It served as a beginning dialogue between regulators, educators and accreditors to promote a more collaborative and seamless approval of nursing programs. Better collaboration between nursing regulators, educators and accreditors will promote quality and innovative nursing programs."

Using the World Café format, which encourages attendees to actively engage and converse with one another, attendees discussed the redundancy that exists between approval (of programs by boards of nursing) and accreditation (by national nursing accreditors), and what nursing could be when education, approval and accreditation are fully aligned. Participants also talked about indicators of successful nursing education programs and by meeting in small groups organized geographically, planned for the future at the state/jurisdiction level.

The information acquired and discussed during the NCSBN World Café Education Meeting will be used by the NCSBN Nursing Education Committee as they provide recommendations to NCSBN's Board of Directors and the boards of nursing on the future of nursing program approval.

The National Council of State Boards of Nursing (NCSBN) is a not-for-profit organization whose members include the boards of nursing in the 50 states, the District of Columbia and four U.S. territories -- American Samoa, Guam, Northern Mariana Islands and the Virgin Islands. There are also nine associate members. Mission: NCSBN provides education, service and research through collaborative leadership to promote evidence-based regulatory excellence for patient safety and public protection.

The statements and opinions expressed are those of NCSBN and not the individual member state or territorial boards of nursing.

National Council of State Boards of Nursing, Inc.
111 E. Wacker Drive, Suite 2900
Chicago, IL 60601-4277