August 25, 2014
Denver, CO. — The National Board for the Certification of School Nurses (NBCSN) today announced a
change to the eligibility for the national credential for school nurses.
Effective January 2020, candidates taking the examination for national school nurse certification will be
required to have earned a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) or Master of Science in Nursing (MSN).
This change reflects the Institute of Medicine’s Future of Nursing: Leading Change, Advancing Health
(2010) goal to increase the proportion of nurses with a baccalaureate degree by 2020.
The National Association of School Nurses asserts that the bachelor degree in nursing is necessary for
this specialty practice because school nursing requires advanced knowledge and skills to address the
complex health needs of students within a school community setting (2012).
Reflecting research on the beneficial effect of a nurse’s education level on client outcomes (Aiken, Clarke,
Cheung, Sloane, & Silber, 2003; Aiken, Clarke, Sloane, Lake, & Cheney, 2008; Curtin, 2003; Estabrooks,
Midodzi, Cummings, Ricker, & Giovannetti, 2005; Tourangeau et al., 2007), the House of Delegates of
the American Nurses Association (ANA) resolved to support initiatives that require associate degree or
diploma-prepared registered nurses to obtain a BSN within 10 years after initial licensure (2008). The
resolution, BSN in Ten, recognizes the contributions of nurses who begin their initial nursing preparation
at the Associate Degree level and endorses a seamless progression to the BSN degree.
The Tri-Council for Nursing (2010), comprised of ANA, American Organization of Nurse Executives
(AONE), National League for Nursing (NLN) and American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN),
subsequently issued a consensus statement calling for all registered nurses to advance their education to
enhance quality and safety across healthcare settings.
The NBCSN requirement for a BSN or MSN by 2020 advances the standard for school nurse certification
in keeping with the above recommendations, the expectations of stakeholders, and the demands that
school nurses face in the evolving health care system. The NBCSN credential, Nationally Certified
School Nurse (NCSN®), signifies that school nurses are prepared to collaborate with families, educators
and communities to improve the health and education of school age children.
About the National Board for the Certification of School Nurses
The National Board for Certification of School Nurses, Inc. (NBCSN) develops and implements the
process for voluntary certification of school nurses. The NCSN® program is accredited by the
Accreditation Board for Specialty Nursing Certification. NBCSN envisions that a nationally certified school
nurse will safeguard the health of every student so as to optimize learning and promote healthy
communities.
References
Aiken, L. H., Clarke, S.P., Chueng, R.B., Sloane, D.M. & Silber, J.H. (2003). Educational levels of of
hospital nurses and surgical patient mortality, JAMA, 290, 1617-1623
Aiken, L. H., Clarke, S.P., Sloane, D.M., Lake, E.T. &Cheney, T. (2008). Effects of hospital care
environments on patient mortality and nurse outcomes. Journal of Nursing Administration, 38, 223-229.
Curtin, L.L, (2003). An integrated analysis of nurse staffing and related variables: Effects on patient
outcomes. Online Journal of Issues in Nursing, 8(3. Retrieved from
http://www.nursingworld.org/MainMenuCategories/ANAMarketplace/ANAPeriodicals/OJIN/Columns/Keyn
otesofNote/StaffingandVariablesAnalysis.html
Estabrooks, , C.E., Midodzi, J.K. Cummings, G.G., Ricker, K.L., Giovannetti, P. (2005). The impact of
hops petal nursing care on 30-day mortality of medical patients. Nursing Research, 54, 74-84.
Institute of Medicine. (2010). Future of nursing: Leading change, advancing health. Washington, DC:
National Academies Press. Retrieved from
http://books.nap.edu/openbook.php?record_id=12956&page=R1
National Association of School Nurses. (2012). Education, licensure, and certification of school
nurses. Silver Spring, MD:
NASN.http://www.nasn.org/PolicyAdvocacy/PositionPapersandReports/NASNPositionStatementsArticleVi
ew/tabid/462/ArticleId/26/Education-Licensure-and-Certification-of-School-Nurses-Adopted-2002
Tri-Council for Nursing. (2010). Tri-Council for nursing issues new consensus policy statement on the
educational advancement of registered nurses. Retrieved
fromhttp://tricouncilfornursing.org/documents/TricouncilEdStatement.pdf.
Tourangeau, A.E., Doran, D.M., McGillis Hall, L. (2007). The impact of hospital nursing care on a 30 day
mortality for acute medical patients. Journal of Advanced Nursing, 57, 32-44.