About NBCSN
Mission
NBCSN’s mission is to advance the health and learning of students, and wellness of the school community, through a rigorous national certification process for school nurses. As the administrator of the Nationally Certified School Nurse® (NCSN) credential, NBCSN establishes and measures, through examination, whether an individual has acquired the level of knowledge required to be granted certification in school nursing. NBCSN is solely responsible for all decisions regarding NCSN certification, including candidate eligibility; acquisition and audit of continuing education hours; and renewal, denial, or revocation of the credential.
Although NBCSN is an independent organization, it works in collaboration with partners in the industry. NBCSN is a member of the American Board of Nursing Specialties (ABNS) and frequently collaborates with the National Association of School Nurses (NASN).
About the NCSN Credential
In May 2008, the Nationally Certified School Nurses (NCSN®) certification program was granted accreditation by the Accreditation Board of Specialty Nursing Certification (ABSNC).
ABSNC was created, in part, to create uniformity in nursing certification and also to increase public awareness of the value of quality certification in health care. ABSNC is the standard-setting body for specialty nursing certification programs and offers a very stringent and comprehensive accreditation process.
NBCSN provided extensive documentation demonstrating that it had met the 18 ABSNC standards of quality. Nursing specialty organizations frequently use the analogy that ABSNC is to nursing certification what JCAHO is to hospitals.
What does ABSNC accreditation mean for those interested in becoming NCSN® certified or for those already certified? It means that a nationally recognized accrediting body has determined that the NCSN® credential is based on a valid and reliable testing process and that the structures in place to administer the examination meet, and even exceed, the standards of the certification industry from a legal, regulatory, and association management perspective. For more information about ABNS/ABSNC and the accreditation process and standards, visit www.nursingcertification.org.
NCSN Credential is Recognized by the American Federation of Teachers (AFT)
Since 2010 the American Federation of Teachers (AFT) has recognized and supports the NCSN credential.