Professor One of First Designated as Certified Nurse Educator

Northeastern Professor One of First Designated as Certified Nurse Educator by National League for Nursing

TAHLEQUAH - Dr. Joyce A.Van Nostrand, associate professor at Northeastern State University, was recently awarded one of the first designations as Certified Nurse Educator (CNE) by the National League for Nursing. Dr. Van Nostrand was one of 174 out of 206 candidates who took and passed this first certification examination on September 28, 2005. Dr. Van Nostrand is currently the chair of the Department of Health Professions and chair of the Nursing Program (RN to BSN) at Northeastern State University. She has taught upper-division nursing at NSU since 1986.

Dr. Van Nostrand's certification shows her commitment to professional development, lifelong learning, and nursing education.

"We are very proud of Dr. Van Nostrand's accomplishment," said Dr. Tim McElroy, dean of NSU Muskogee. "She is truly an outstanding health care professional and we are fortunate to have her leadership in our nursing program here in Muskogee."

Certification is a sign of professionalism and distinction for nursing faculty. It offers a means to demonstrate expertise and standards of excellence in the academic nurse educator role. Eligibility requirements for the CNE examination include current RN licensure, a master's or doctoral degree in nursing, and two to four years or more of full-time employment in the academic faculty role within the past five years. The examination covered six major role areas: facilitate learning, facilitate learner development and socialization, use assessment and evaluation strategies, participate in curriculum design and evaluation of program outcomes, pursue continuous quality improvement in the academic nurse educator role, and engage in scholarship, service, and leadership.

"I am proud to be one of the first and few in the nation designated as a certified nurse educator (CNE). Certification validates the knowledge and skills required to be an academic nurse educator. I continually strive for excellence in teaching and the four scholarship areas; certification is a mark of excellence," said Dr. Van Nostrand. "Our RN to BSN degree program is known for its excellence. Students ultimately benefit from any certifications attained by faculty; it means that they are being taught by some of the best."

1/24/2006

Published: 2006-01-24 00:00:00