Dr. Sharts-Hopko elected to educator commission

Villanova, PA, September 28, 2009 — Nancy Sharts-Hopko, PhD, RN, FAAN, professor and director of the doctoral program of the Villanova University College of Nursing, has been elected to the National League for Nursing’s (NLN) Commission on Certification for a full, two-year term. The Commission sets policy related to the NLN's certification process for the designation of certified nurse educator (CNE).

The College’s doctoral program prepares teacher-scholars for careers in academic settings. “It has been important for me personally to be involved in this since I direct a doctoral program that prepares nurse educators. We have ensured that the coursework in this doctoral program is congruent with NLN competencies/ standards for nurse educators that the CNE certification documents,” notes Dr. Sharts-Hopko. Graduates of this program are eligible to take the certification examination once they have fulfilled the full-time teaching requirement, which some have already done as students.

Dr. Sharts-Hopko previously served through an appointment and for those six years worked with the NLN group to create and implement the CNE process, including the exam, and successfully endeavored to have the NLN accredited to offer the CNE designation. The CNE program was created to help direct nurse educators –already experienced clinicians— to develop themselves as educators, and to acknowledge that they have done so, either through graduate programs in nursing education or through continuing education and on-the-job development.

Dr. Sharts-Hopko’s election to the Commission was announced at the NLN’s Education Summit 2009 in Philadelphia on September 26.