News

Beebe School of Nursing Faculty Members Earn Designations

01/18/10

Karen Pickard, MSN, APRN, BC, and Tracy K. Bell, MS, BSN, CMSRN, faculty members at Beebe School of Nursing, have earned the designation Certified Nurse Educator (CNE) after meeting strict eligibility criteria and successfully completing a rigorous certification examination developed and administered by the National League for Nursing.
Tracy Bell has been a faculty member since 1992. She completed her RN education at Beebe School of Nursing, and earned her BSN from University of Maryland and her MS and Clinical Nurse Specialist degree from Salisbury State University. She also is certified in Medical-Surgical Nursing.
Karen Pickard has been a faculty member since 2004. She earned a BA degree from Gettysburg College, completed her RN education at Beebe School of Nursing, and earned a MSN degree from Wesley College. She is also certified as a Clinical Nurse Specialist in Community / Public Health Nursing.

The mission of the Academic Nurse Educator Certification Program is to recognize excellence in the advanced specialty role of the academic nurse educator and to distinguish academic nursing education as a specialty area of practice and an advanced practice role within professional nursing
The NLN's Academic Nurse Educator Certification (ANEC) Program has conferred new visibility and stature upon the academic nursing community, long overdue, said Dr. Beverly Malone, CEO of the NLN. Through the certification program, we have made clear to the ranks of higher education that the role of nurse educator is an advanced professional practice discipline with a defined practice setting and demonstrable standards of excellence, she commented. In years to come, she added, it is hoped that certified nurse educators will command higher salaries and be first in line for promotions and tenure.
With nearly half of nurse faculty projected to retire within the next decade and nearly three-quarters within 15 years, replacing them is of grave concern, noted NLN president Dr. Elaine Tagliareni. We must encourage more nurse faculty to prepare for certification as nurse educators so that our nursing schools can be staffed by academicians of the highest caliber. Only in this way can excellence in nursing education be ensured for another generation.
Since the unveiling of the program in fall 2005 through September 30, 2009, 1,888 nurse educators representing all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and the U.S. Virgin Islands have become CNEs.
The Beebe School of Nursing, based at Beebe Medical Center, is the only hospital-based nursing program in Delaware, and is accredited by the National League for Nursing Accrediting Commission (NLNAC). The diploma in Nursing is awarded at the completion of the curriculum, qualifying Beebe graduates to be eligible for National Council of State Boards of Nursing NCLEX examination, leading to licensure. Beebe graduates have one of the highest NCLEX pass rates in the state.


Caption: Karen Pickard, MSN, APRN, BC, and Tracy K. Bell, MS, BSN, CMSRN, faculty members at Beebe School of Nursing, are seen here in the school's library.

Beebe Medical Center is a not-for-profit community medical center with a charitable mission to encourage healthy living, prevent illness, and restore optimal health with the people residing, working, or visiting in the communities we serve. For more information, please visit us online at www.beebemed.org