From committee to commission: the history of the NLN's Academic Certified Nurse Educator Program.
OBJECTIVE
To describe the historical events surrounding the development of the National League for Nursing (NLN) Academic Nurse Educator Certification Program (ANECP) and document its transition from a committee to a commission.


BACKGROUND
During the latter half of the 20th century, certification became a demonstrated standard of excellence in nursing. A few visionaries suggested that nursing education itself was a specialty, but the timing for certification was not right.


METHODS
The events have been studied through three primary sources: archived minutes, oral interviews, and the authors' eyewitness accounts.


RESULTS
Growing pains, personnel changes and the rapid growth from committee to commission occurred during a few short years. While the NLN made sound decisions during the change process by seeking evidence and the guidance of experts and consultants, unexpected challenges occurred.


CONCLUSIONS
The tremendous growth of the ANECP in its first years demonstrated that change was clearly desired so long as it was anchored in an evidence-based process focused on quality.
Loma Linda University, School of Nursing, Loma Linda, California, USA. jnick@llu.edu
Jan M
JM
Nick
Nancy C
NC
Sharts-Hopko
Debra Woodard
DW
Leners
D002568:Certification / Q000266:history*; D005181:Faculty, Nursing / Q000266:history* / Q000592:standards; D049673:History, 20th Century; D049674:History, 21st Century; D006801:Humans; D015402:Nursing Education Research / Q000266:history*; D012956:Societies, Nursing / Q000266:history*