NCSBN Kicks off Yearlong 40th Anniversary Celebration

CHICAGO, Jan. 04, 2018 -- The National Council of State Boards of Nursing, Inc. (NCSBN^®), www.ncsbn.org, marks reaching its 40th anniversary milestone in 2018 with the inspiring theme of “Regulatory Excellence Surging Toward the Future.” Founded March 15, 1978, as an independent not-for-profit organization, NCSBN was initially created to lessen the burdens of state governments and bring together boards of nursing (BONs) to act and counsel together on matters of common interest. It has evolved into one of the leading voices of regulation across the world.

“This year we celebrate 40 years of regulatory excellence and anticipate a future of transforming nursing regulation and embracing innovations to further our mission of public protection,” comments NCSBN Board of Directors President Katherine Thomas, MN, RN, FAAN, executive director, Texas Board of Nursing.

Throughout its 40-year history, NCSBN has been a groundbreaker. Some of its many accomplishments include:

• Being the first organization to implement computerized adaptive testing (CAT) for nationwide licensure examination in 1994. Since then, more than 5 million candidates for nurse licensure have taken the NCLEX® exam via CAT.
   
• In 2014, NCLEX-RN® Examination became the licensure/registration exam for Canadian nurses (for all provinces except for Quebec), marking the first time that the test was utilized for the purpose of licensure in another country.
   
• Conducting the landmark, award-winning, multisite National Simulation Study examining the use of simulation in prelicensure nursing programs.
   
• BONs were the first health care provider regulatory bodies to develop a model for interstate practice with the original adoption of the Nurse Licensure Compact (NLC) in 1997 and its implementation in 2000. The enhanced NLC will be implemented Jan. 19, 2018, with a membership of 27 states*.

NCSBN CEO David Benton, RGN, PhD, FFNF, FRCN, FAAN, remarked, “Forty years is a major milestone. It is a time to reflect, a time to celebrate but also a time to look to the future. 2018 will be a year where we look to build on our successes, learn from our failures and recommit to advancing public safety and regulatory excellence as we move forward.”

In the coming year, NCSBN will unveil a seminal Global Regulatory Atlas; publish, in cooperation with The National Forum of State Nursing Workforce Centers, the 2017 National Nursing Workforce Survey; reveal a new logo; launch a new website; and distribute a booklet for new nurses with the goal of providing one to every newly licensed nurse in the U.S.    

About NCSBN
NCSBN’s membership is comprised of the boards of nursing (BONs) 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 30 associate members that are either nursing regulatory bodies or empowered regulatory authorities from other countries or territories.

NCSBN Member Boards protect the public by ensuring that safe and competent nursing care is provided by licensed nurses. These BONs regulate more than 4.5 million licensed nurses.

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.

*eNLC states include: Arizona, Arkansas, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Iowa, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, North Carolina, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, West Virginia, Wisconsin and Wyoming.

Contact: Dawn M. Kappel
Director, Marketing and Communications
312.525.3667 direct
312.279.1034 fax
[email protected]