Newsletter. President s Message. Fall 2013 BOARD MEMBERS

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1 National Board for Certification of School Nurses Newsletter BOARD MEMBERS Sue Nokleby MS, RN, LSN, NCSN President Nadine Schwab MPH, BSN, RN, NCSN, FNASN Executive Director Carol Costante MA, BSN, RN, NCSN, FNASN Vice President Mary Gelfman JD, MA Treasurer Nancy Crutchfield MPH, BSN, RN, NCSN Secretary Martha Bergren DNS, RN, NCSN, FNASN, FASHA Joyce Ells MN, RN, NCSN Mary Ann Gapinski MSN, RN, NCSN Susan Praeger EdD, RN, SNP-BC, CNE, NCSN, FNASN Tia Campbell MSN, RN, NCSN NASN Liaison President s Message As the new school year begins, school nurses are busy organizing offices, meeting new students and developing health plans. It is also a good time to set goals for the year. What would you like to accomplish this year? How are you going to promote national certification to other school nurses? Where can you highlight and identify your national certification? Is your school district aware that you are nationally certified in school nursing? Fall 2013 The National Board for Professional Teaching Standards believes that All students deserve accomplished teachers who are equipped to prepare them for success in today s world ( Couldn t we exchange school nurses for teachers in this sentence? Don t all students deserve school nurses who are nationally certified? As school nurses, we want to help prepare students to be successful. NBCSN and the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards have much in common, including beginning from each profession a needs assessment in the early 1980s to the board development in the mid-1980s. National Board Certified Teachers (NBCT) represent only a small portion of the total numbers of teachers, just as NCSNs account for a small percentage of all the school nurses. A voluntary, rigorous credentialing process is key for both professions. Their focus on excellence in education and leadership in their profession is consistent with our vision of certification being the standard of excellence for school health service ( index.htm) and leadership in school nursing.. NBCSN has set several goals to improve services for NCSNs and other school nurses who are interested in being certified through NBCSN. Several major events have occurred during the last six months. Our reapplication for the American Board of Specialty Nursing Certification (ABSNC) is nearing completion. We have responded to every question ABSNC has had about our application, except for a final piece which will be submitted soon. Have a great school year! Promote national certification to your colleagues! Sue Nokleby, NBCSN President 1

2 SPRING ITEM REVIEW Deborah Sasser Anxious, intimidated, and under-qualified is how I felt as I approached the weekend! I had been invited to participate in an Item Review for NBCSN with a team of School Nurses from North Carolina. I knew that this would be a unique opportunity. However, I questioned my ability to adequately contribute. I had been encouraged by several school nurses who were familiar with the process and knew members of the board. They assured me that this would be a mind-expanding experience and that I would feel at ease with the professionals leading the weekend. So, I got into my car on Friday afternoon and began my travel to our appointed meeting place. I met a few of the team on Friday evening and we started our work in earnest at 8 am on Saturday morning. After receiving instructions about the process, we set out to review the first 50 questions that could possibly be included in a future school nurse certification exam. I was with five other nurses from North Carolina as we sat around the table. We were told that we were the experts in the room. We researched submitted test questions using reference books and on-line references. What a challenging and rewarding experience! I left the weekend feeling very energized by the work. It was also a great inspiration to reflect on the knowledge school nurses have. I would encourage each of you to participate in an Item Review if you have the opportunity. I went expecting to be under-qualified for the task and ended up being called an expert! Also, please consider taking advantage of the Item Writing sessions when they are offered. I will definitely plan to participate in that workshop in the future! Seated left to right - Sallyann Henry and Carol Costante Back row left to right - Sue Nokleby, Deborah Sasser, Nancy Crutchfield, Elizabeth Cockrell, Pam Anderson, Lisa Barnes, Claudia Bunch, and Cathy Lineberger RECERTIFICATION When recertifying, we suggest you use a letter from your employer as proof of employment because this also alerts the employer that you are recertifying. Because recertification requires proof of at least 2000 hours of practice in five years, the letter also serves that purpose. If using pay stubs or other similar employment proof, please blackout your social security number when submitting these items to NBCSN. Make NBCSN a safe sender to continue receiving NBCSN s. STATE CONFERENCES NBCSN has made a commitment to personally support certification at state conferences. If you would find it beneficial for a Board member to make a presentation about national certification at your conference, contact the NBCSN President. The number that we can do is limited by our budget, so put in your request as soon as possible. 2

3 WELCOME, MARTHA Martha Dewey Bergren, Returning Board Member I am honored to be returning to the NBCSN Board of Directors. I previously served on the board from I left the board to join the National Association of School Nurses as the Director of Research. My career has been spent almost exclusively in child health at four acute tertiary children s medical centers and as a school nurse in four states. I earned a BS in Nursing at Penn State University and a master s and doctorate in Nursing at the University at Buffalo, SUNY. I am a fellow in both NASN and ASHA and will be inducted as a fellow into the American Academy of Nursing in October. I was on the faculty at the University of Minnesota and am currently the Director of Advanced Community Health Programs at the University of Illinois-Chicago College of Nursing. In that role I am responsible for the School Nurse, Advanced Community Health Nurse, and the MS/MPH degrees. I am also the lead faculty for the Johnson & Johnson School Health Leadership Program. In my doctoral program, I was fortunate to have advanced coursework in instrument design and item writing. Over my career I have worked as a nurse and in school nursing in multiple environments, private and public, rural and urban. I hope that my experiences will complement those who are currently on the board. I believe strongly in the national certification of nurses in all subspecialty areas. National certification demonstrates to the public, our employers and clients that we are highly qualified and has invested consistently and deliberately in ANCC approved continuing education to maintain our practice knowledge. I look forward to adding my efforts to those on the board and all NCSNs to increase the visibility of the certification among our nursing and education colleagues and to increase the number of certified school nurses serving our nation s children. MISSION STATEMENT The mission of NBCSN is to advance the quality of school health services (school health practice) by providing a rigorous, national, credentialing process to validate competence based on professional standards. VISION STATEMENT Certification by NBCSN is widely recognized and highly valued by providers, employers, and the public as the standard of excellence for school health services. 3

4 NBCSN Board Meeting Highlights June 24 and 25, 2013 Nancy Crutchfield Sue Nokleby, President, welcomed board members with a special welcome to Martha Bergren returning to the board after a few years absence. Sue reported on NBCSN s activities for the past six months, highlighting the reaccreditation application and the Memorandum of Collaboration that the board has entered into with NASN. More information about these endeavors and others is addressed in other newsletter articles. Here are other items from the board meeting: *Carol Costante, Vice President, reported that she concentrated on increasing the numbers of liaisons. Since January, Nebraska, Kansas, Tennessee, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, District of Columbia and the Overseas School Health Nurses Association have added liaisons. Carol Costante also announced that the Liaison of the Year would be Karolyn Towne from Vermont. *Carol Costante, representing NBCSN, attended NASN s winter board meeting and reported on the meeting. *Nadine Schwab announced the Memorandum of Collaboration (MOC) contract with NASN that was recently negotiated and signed. The contract is good from 6/1/13 until 12/31/14. Nadine reported that NASN is currently searching for funding to support further analysis of the Role Delineation Study (RDS) data. NBCSN still owns the data while NASN is using it. *Motions that were made and passed: 1. NBCSN voted to support presentations by a Board member explaining the importance and benefits of national certification at 3 or more state conferences a year. NBCSN will look at states without state liaisons first. The most cost effective and financially prudent way will be used to decide who presents the programs and where. 2. NBCSN will use a Consent Agenda process for board meetings in the future. This will require board members to come to meetings having read all materials forwarded to them for consideration. Any request for discussion of an item in the consent agenda will be pulled out for discussion. All consent agenda items will be voted on with one motion and one vote. 3. NBCSN made a change in board members term of office. The term of office for board members shall begin on January 1 and shall be for two (2) years. A board member completing an unexpired term shall complete the term and is eligible to apply for a full term of office. A board member is eligible for an additional term of four (4) years. No board member shall serve more than two (2) consecutive full terms. Board members in 2011 serving in the second of a three (3) year term will continue to be eligible to serve out their term for a total of six (6) years. No board member will serve for more than six and a half (6½) years. 4. In our mission statement the word competency was changed to competence. The mission of the National Board for Certification of School Nurses, Inc. (NBCSN) is to advance the quality of school health services (school nurse practice) by providing a rigorous national, credentialing process to validate competence based on professional standards. 5. NBCSN changed the word National to Nationally in our credential title. It now reads, Provide recognition to those individuals who meet the eligibility requirements of NBCSN and pass the National Certification Examination for School Nurses by awarding the credential of Nationally Certified School Nurse (NCSN). 6. NBCSN made changes to the recertification process. These changes are: It is the responsibility of the NCSN to maintain active/current address, and telephone contact information with the NBCSN 4

5 NBCSN Board Meeting Highlights continued from pg.4 administrator. Certified School Nurses are notified one (1) year by letter, and six (6) months by , prior to the expiration date of their certification. Candidates for recertification must meet current eligibility requirements and submit their application materials two months prior to their certification expiration date. 7. NBCSN will add these responsibilities to the Finance Committee Chairman Send a monthly financial report to the President and Executive Director for review, plus a quarterly financial report to all board members for review. Please read other articles in the newsletter for additional information about the June meeting. In front from left: Nancy Crutchfield, Mary Gelfman and Joyce Ells Second row from left: Sue Nokleby, Martha Bergren, Carol Costante, Mary Ann Gapinski, Susan Praeger, and Nadine Schwab NEW ADDRESS? NCSNs, send us any changes to your address by ing [email protected] Please be sure to include your full name and your new address. Make NBCSN a safe sender to ensure that s from NBCSN are not sent to your SPAM folder. You can also register on the online member section by using the weblink that is included in the body of the that this newsletter came in. Once you are registered online, you can update your information. ONLINE PRACTICE EXAM Practice test available for $75. For more information, please visit: UPCOMING EXAM DATES February 15, March 1, 2014 Application Deadline December 31,

6 ITEM WRITING WORKSHOP On June 26 th 16 NCSNs gathered at the Dolphin Hotel in beautiful Orland Florida to write questions that could be used on future NCSN certification examinations. The participants who were all NCSNs hailed from the US and Europe and represented a wide range of school nursing practice environments. In preparation for the all-day workshop, NCSNs who submitted applications and were selected for the activity along with NBCSN Board members, read materials on how to write quality questions that can help determine if the school nurse is ready to be recognized as a nationally certified school nurse. The first part of the morning was a brief review of test writing principles and the importance of this activity for the integrity of the certification process. Everyone in attendance signed confidentiality statements attesting to their commitment to this policy. Then the work began. Based on the examination content outline, individuals wrote questions that emphasized quality school nursing practice. Once a question was drafted, it was shared with other NCSNs at the workshop for feedback and then revised. Writing items for an examination is not easy. It requires us to be experts in the practice of school nursing, focus on what is important to school nursing practice, and make sure that the question clearly asks what is intended and what needs to be measured. The participants were incredibly supportive of each other, giving valuable professional feedback to each other, and working hard through the day. Their expertise as experienced and certified school nurses assured us that the questions were relevant and deemed important for quality school nursing practice. Every two years, NBCSN hosts an item-writing workshop at the national meeting in June. NCSNs are invited to apply to attend this workshop. This year, participants received a $500 stipend upon submission of 15 questions to NBCSN. In addition, they also received a certificate for 5 contact hours that could be used for their NCSN recertification application. It was an opportunity for NBCSN Board Members and NCSNs to make a significant contribution to the evolution of the certification examination while sharing in the enthusiasm and commitment for national certification. Once the questions are submitted to NBCSN, psychometricians (experts in test construction and evaluation) review the questions, edit them for testing purposes, and then prepare them for the next step: item review. Almost annually, NBCSN hosts an item-review workshop at a different location around the country to review the items submitted during the past year and determine if they are appropriate for use in the national certifying examination. Once this occurs, they are ready for eventually being included on a certification examination. A quality examination for certification of school nurses could not happen without the commitment and energy of already certified school nurses. We encourage you to consider submitting questions for future examinations, especially if you have already attended an item-writing workshop. If you want to write questions but feel that you need some guidance in writing questions, please contact the NBCSN office for item-writing materials. And, if you have already written questions, write some more, or consider participating in the next item-review workshop when it comes to an area near you. Congratulations and many thanks to the participants of the 2013 item-writing workshop for a job well done. Susan Praeger, NCSN 6

7 THANK YOU TO OUR CURRENT LIAISONS: Liaisons are NCSNs who promote certification and facilitate communication between school nurses in their state/jursidiction and NBCSN. Each jurisdiction can have one or two liaisons; more than one is especially helpful in large geographic areas. Eleven jurisdictions have two liaisons. Currently, forty-two jurisdictions have liaisons: Catherine W. Davis (AL) Sharon K. Guthrie (IA) Dina Ward (NM) Dianne J. Swanson (AK) Christine M. Tuck (KS) Mary Bacharach (NY) Terry Clark (AZ) Karen E. Utgard (ME) Clementine Buford (NC) Carla J. Kelley (AR) Donna K. Lyman (MD) Cynthia Abbott (OH) Candace D. Hilvers (CA) Jeanne H. McDuffie (MD) Mary Norton (OH) Teresa E. Ross (CO) Patricia C. Hoban (MA) Aniko Maher (OSHNA) Patricia Krin (CT) Jane N. Borr (MD) Michelle Ulishney (PA) Sharon-Rose R. Gargula (DE) Julia Lectenberg (MD) Rita Kinniburgh (RI) Nancy V. Nadel (DE) Cynthia M. Hiltz (MN) Jessica Porter (SC) Cathleen Raisher (DC) Jeanne Sedgwick (MN) Michelle Keith (TN) Dianne Mennitt (FL) Donnis Harris (MS) Carol Taylor (TX) Carolyn L. Seifert (FL) Jodi Sullivan (MS) Rae Ann White (UT) Sally E. Vandenbos (GA) Connie Caudle (MO) Karolyn Towne (VT) Julieann Horras (ID) Susan Rothman (MO) Mary Spare (VA) Ginger L. Barnes (IL) Dorothy Warner (MT) Samara Hoag (WA) Wendy A. Kaplan-Smith (IL) Julie Frederick (NE) Denise Koster (WV) Lindsey W. Minchella (IN) Arlene Heitt (NV) Sharon Richardson (WV) Diane Nelson (WI) If your state is not listed above and you are interested in becoming a liaison, please visit the NBCSN website for more information and an application. Most liaisons find it is professionally rewarding to promote national certification in their states. the Board s State Liaison Coordinator, Carol Costante, RN, BSN, MA, NCSN, FNASN at [email protected] for more questions. 7

8 NCSN RECEPTION Jenny Gormley, Sally Roepe, Rachel Gallagher, Susan Malone, Donna Mazyck, Kathleen H. Johnson Aniko Maher, Susan Prindall, Kathleen Garvin, Terry Clark, Sally Kauffman, Teresa Rose, Candi Hendershot, Mary Norton Louise Wilson, Catherine Sparks, Virginia Wilkinson, Donna Lyman, Aleta Jarrett, Jennifer Finley, Leigh Pelletier Carolyn Duff, Kathy Patrick, Jenny Gormley, Kathleen Garvin, and Louise Mongeon Patty Barthle, Lisa Kern, Lynn Goettel, Mary Davis, and Claire Molner 8

9 NEWS FROM NASN Tia Campbell It has been a very busy summer at NASN. The 45 th Annual Conference in Orlando, Florida was a huge success. The conference planner and programs strategic committee are already working on our program for the 46th Annual Conference to be held in San Antonia, Texas, June 28-July 1, We hope you will mark your calendars and plan to attend! Abstracts for conference sessions are being accepted online at through October 7, The abstract process has changed this year, so be sure to read the directions carefully and start the process early. NASN reached a huge milestone while in Disney for our annual conference. After 13 years of saving, we reached the million dollar mark for our Endowment Fund! What a wonderful accomplishment. Research shows that individual members, making small donations over time, made a huge impact on the growth of the fund. Efforts to continue to raise funds will continue as we need to maintain our balance in order to use the interest for nursing research and education. Work continues to update and revise the NASN position documents. This is on ongoing process as all documents need to be reviewed every five years or less to ensure they are still pertinent to our practice and reflect our current strategic plan. Please visit the web page often and utilize these valuable resources. The following have recently been approved: Coordinated School Health; Drug Testing in Schools; Individualized Healthcare Plans- The Role of the School Nurse; Marijuana: Risk to Students; Mental Health of Students; Overweight and Obesity in Youth in Schools- The Role of the School Nurse; Reimbursement for School Nursing Healthcare Services; School Violence- Role of the School Nurse in Prevention; School Sponsored Trips- Role of the School Nurse; and Supervision and Evaluation of the School Nurse. NASN is constantly seeking ways to partner with other organizations, agencies, and officials to move our strategic plan forward and significantly impact children s health care outcomes. We are a membership driven organization and we need all school nurses to join. NASN began a membership incentive in August. Current members will receive a $10 credit for each new member they recruit. Credit may be used for membership renewal and online, credit based transactions, such as book store purchases. Invite a colleague! Please feel free to contact me if you have questions about NASN. It is my pleasure to serve as the NASN liaison to the NBCSN Board. You can reach me at [email protected]. NCSN ACHIEVEMENTS Linda Gibbons, MSN, RN, IL/NCSN, was honored by the Illinois School Health Association with their Distinguished Service Award at their conference in April, Ms. Gibbons writes the school nurse column for the state newsletter and represents the Illinois School Health Association on the Illinois Department of Public Health Immunization Advisory Committee. This committee makes recommendations for changes in immunization requirements. Ms. Gibbons is the Director of the School Nurse Certification program and the Health Education program at National Louis University. 9

10 NCSN Liaison of the Year, Karolyn Towne With Vice President, Carol Costante President Sue Nokleby with NCSN Nurse Administrator of the Year Kathleen H. Johnson 10

11 New Opportunities to Serve on NBCSN: Board and Committee Membership Board Membership Opportunity now The National Board for Certification of School Nurses (NBCSN) is seeking qualified individuals to serve as volunteer Board members. Our public member position opens on January 1, 2013, and NBCSN is seeking a qualified individual who is not a nurse and who will bring to the Board views of the broader community served by school nurses, leadership and related expertise. Please consider the non-nurse leaders you know who might be interested in serving on NBCSN, and give them the information below where they can obtain additional information. The Board also seeks Nationally Certified School Nurses (NCSNs) for Board positions opening in January. Qualifications and special skill sets considered include the following: Currently certified as a NCSN (except public member) Currently employed in school health (except public member) Member of NASN (except public member) Leadership, collaboration, and management skills Experience on community or professional boards Diversity of practice specialties and geographic representation Knowledge related to examination development and evaluation Applications for the public member position are due by November 7, 2013 and for NCSN positions by December 1, For additional information, please contact [email protected] or call toll-free at If you are interested in serving, or wish to share this opportunity with a colleague, please see the additional information at then select Leadership from the left column. Further information and application forms are on the website. If you or a colleague is interested in serving and has a question about the qualifications or process, please contact NBCSN s Executive Director, Nadine Schwab, at [email protected]. Committee Membership - Opportunity coming soon In keeping with the goals of NBCSN and the standards for accreditation of nursing specialty certification programs, NBCSN will be discussing at it November Board meeting the establishment of one or more Committees to conduct some of the work of NBCSN. The dual purpose is (1) to enhance the quality of its services and programs by increasing representation of NCSNs across the country in the multi-step process of examination development and (2) to promote the development of future leaders for the Board. The Committee(s) will need NCSNs who represent the diversity of practice in school nursing, including those who are relatively new NCSNs and those with more extensive experience. Look for more information in the first few months of Keep your address up-to-date so that you will not miss the opportunity! 11

12 A VIEW TO THE FUTURE NBCSN has been incorporated since 1991 and has diligently worked over the past 22 years to achieve excellence in its certification program for NCSNs. In order to position NBCSN to best meet the needs of its stakeholders over the next quarter century, the Board voted in 2013 to pursue two major assessments. These assessments include: (1) a review of NBCSN s current status and development needs through a program evaluation conducted by experts in the field of certification and certification program accreditation; and (2) a request for proposals from an array of companies that provide examination and management services for professional certification boards like NBCSN. The program evaluation assesses current operations and programs of the Board and provides prioritized recommendations for actions to improve those operations and programs. NBCSN contracted with the SeaCrest Company in the spring of this year to perform the program evaluation. SeaCrest completed the evaluation this summer and has provided a report to the Board. The Board will be review the evaluation findings at its November meeting and will use the recommendations to develop an action plan for the next two to three years. The purpose of the request for proposals (RFP) is to assist the Board in learning about testing and management services for certification organizations that are available on the market today. It will enable the Board to learn about how various companies deliver testing, recertification and management services, what types of technology and marketing support are available, and the costs associated with various services provided by different vendors. While NBCSN may not make changes to its current partnerships for testing and management services, it must do its due diligence in looking at the marketplace from time to time to ensure that it is using its resources in the most cost effective manner to achieve its mission and goals. These are both major undertakings for the Board, and are critical to the Board s ability to continue to enhance the value of the NCSN credential nationwide and meet the future credentialing needs of the school health community. Together, these assessments will inform NBCSN s decision making and provide a road map for its future directions and endeavors. A summary of the SeaCrest evaluation will be published in the spring Newsletter and the outcome of the RFP will be announced on its website after final decisions are made, which will should be in early Nadine Schwab, NBCSN Executive Director LIAISON LINK The liaison link is up and running. It is a listserv to be used for state liaisons to connect with each other and share information and ideas to promote national certification in their state. If you are a state liaison, please post your questions, comments, ideas and feedback to [email protected] 12