This is an exciting time for the National Board for Certification of School Nurses (NBCSN) and as we look forward to opportunities in 2019, it is a good time to reflect on the accomplishments of the past year.

  • Probably the most visible is our new website. It has a clean, up-to-date look that we hope is easy for you to navigate. It is a work in progress that we will continue to refine and update.
  • We had a successful transition to AH, our new association management company. AH specializes in working with non-profit organizations and we are in good hands. TC Field-Bobroski, of AH, proficiently assists us with many of the day-to-day management needs of our organization.
  • In 2018 the Accreditation Board for Specialty Nursing Certification (ABSNC) reaccredited NBCSN for 5 years. The ABSNC is the accrediting body specifically for nursing certification. The accreditation is a rigorous peer-review process that allows nursing certification organizations like NBCSN to obtain accreditation by demonstrating compliance with high-quality standards. This ensures that your NCSN designation continues to be a public testament of the highest quality in school nursing.
  • Finally, NBCSN started a strategic planning process last year to set priorities, focus energy and resources, and ensure the board and other stakeholders are working toward a common goal.

Many individuals were involved in these accomplishments. Pat Krin, our Executive Director, and Shirley Gordon, our past president, were both instrumental in guiding and providing leadership on all of the initiatives. The Transition Committee, Deb Pontius and Cyndy Gilchrest, oversaw a smooth move to the new management company. The Reaccreditation Committee, Sandi Delak and Pat Krin, led the efforts for the reaccreditation process. These were the big accomplishments, but we have many who are involved in our mission of nationally certifying school nurses. Our board leadership also included Amy Quesinberry and Brenna Quinn. Lynnette J Ondeck and Laurie Combe represented NASN on the Board. We said good-bye and thanked Robin Wallin for her 3-years of service to the board and we recently welcomed another Robin, Robin Cogan, as the newest member of the NBCSN board of directors.

We recognized several NCSNs with awards at the June meeting in Baltimore. Cynthia Less was presented with the President’s Award for 2018 for her work as the NASN National Director of the Overseas School Health Nurses Association. Robin Cogan was awarded the NCSN of the Year for 2018 for her work as a liaison and on increasing communication with potential exam applicants through the NCSN Candidates Forum on NASN’s School Nurse Net. A big thank you to all of our volunteer leaders, liaisons, committee members, and those who worked on test development for their work to make 2018 a success.

Our organization is healthy, the number of applicants taking the exam is up, and we have an excellent strategic plan to implement. My priorities for 2019 include implementation of the strategic plan, strengthening our existing committee structure and engaging more stakeholders in the work, and continuing to explore growth opportunities. I look forward to working with you as we focus on fulfilling our mission: To advance the health and learning of students, and wellness of the school community, through a rigorous national certification process for school nurses.

Lori Anderson, PhD, RN, CPNP-PC, NCSN
President, National Board for Certification of School Nurses