The Certification Board of Commissioners is responsible for overseeing the development and maintenance of the CNE®, CNE®cl, CNE®n, and CNE®pv certification examinations. It is a distinct pleasure and honor to bring you this message on behalf of the Certification Board of Commissioners—and to do so for the first time as the incoming chair. I extend my sincere appreciation to Dr. Brenda Morris, our retiring board chair, for her dedicated and exemplary leadership over the past two years. 

I am pleased to share the successful launch of the Academic Practical/Vocational Nurse Educator (CNE®pv) Certification Exam, a significant milestone in nurse educator certification. The CNE®pv Certification Exam was developed for academic practical/vocational nurse educators who provide high-quality education to students enrolled in practical or vocational nursing programs. This role may include both classroom and clinical instruction across a wide range of practice settings. The role is further grounded in NLN-defined competencies and task statements to ensure rigor and relevance of the certification. Eligibility for the examination requires a baccalaureate degree in nursing; some state regulatory statutes may also require a master’s degree in nursing. 

Looking ahead, I encourage you to mark your calendars for the NLN Education Summit, taking place Wednesday, September 23, through Friday, September 25, at the Washington Hilton in Washington, DC. The Summit brings together nurse educators from around the globe to explore emerging trends, share innovative strategies, and address the day-to-day challenges facing nursing education. The 2026 theme, Beyond the Storm: Reshaping Resilience and Recovery, promises timely and meaningful dialogue. I hope you will join us.

Finally, a quick reminder for those whose certification is up for renewal this year: the deadline is October 1. Please remember to log your renewal activities in the Certelligence system. To streamline the process, I recommend organizing your supporting documentation in advance so it is readily available when you enter your information.

Thank you for your continued commitment to excellence in nursing education. Best regards,

Dr. Frank Hicks, PhD, RN, CNE, ANEF

Hello, I would like to introduce myself as the new director of credentialing for the NLN. 

Previously, I was a full-time nursing faculty member with 18 years of experience teaching in higher education. I taught prelicensure, masters, and doctoral nursing students. My scholarship focuses have been student and program evaluation, research instrument development and validation, and simulation-based education. 

While I am new to the role of director, I am not new to NLN Certification. I began my involvement with NLN Certification as a volunteer in 2015 on the Clinical Nurse Educator Competency Development Workgroup. The work from that group led to the creation of the CNE®cl competencies and the CNE®cl certification examination. And to be honest, after that experience I was hooked. 

Over the past 10 years, I continued to be an active volunteer with NLN Certification:

After all this time, I can still say that I am “hooked” when it comes to the vision and work of NLN Certification. I love collaborating with other nursing education experts across the country to enhance the visibility and expertise of the nurse educator. 

I look forward to working with all the amazing NLN Certification volunteers through the item writing groups, test development groups, and the NLN Certification Board of Commissioners.

Housekeeping Reminders

Best regards,

Dr. Erin Killingsworth

Director of Credentialing

Farewell to Larry Simmons

By Linda Christensen, NLN Chief Legal Officer