UC College of Nursing redesignated as NLN Center of Excellence

The designation recognizes leadership in enhancing student learning and professional development

The University of Cincinnati College of Nursing’s commitment to excellence, innovation and collaboration to enhance student learning and professional development has once again earned it the designation as a National League for Nursing (NLN) Center of Excellence in Nursing Education.

The NLN’s Center of Excellence in Nursing Education designation program recognizes schools of nursing, schools within a system and health care organizations that demonstrate sustained, evidence-based and substantive innovation in a specific area; conduct ongoing research to document the effectiveness of such innovation; set high standards for themselves; and are committed to continuous quality improvement. UC College of Nursing was one of 13 organizations to receive the four-year Center of Excellence designation in 2024.

"NLN Centers of Excellence represent the visionary leadership and environments of inclusive excellence that nurture the next generation of a strong and diverse nursing workforce to advance the health of the nation and the global community,” says NLN President and CEO Beverly Malone, PhD, RN, FAAN, UC NURS '70, A&S '82.

NLN Center of Excellence badge

UC College of Nursing was designated an NLN Center of Excellence in Enhancing Student Learning and Professional Development—one of four areas for which the NLN offers the Center of Excellence designation.

“This recognition means so much to us as a college as it validates the very purpose of our existence—to develop faculty and educate our students in the best way possible,” says Dean Alicia Ribar, PhD, APRN, CNE.

The application for NLN Center of Excellence designation required the college to provide evidence and data-driven outcomes of a shared vision to develop students’ values and socialize them to new roles, ongoing professional development and creativity, along with a commitment by faculty to develop dynamic, innovative learning environments and collaborate with each other, students, clinical partners and the community.

“NLN Centers of Excellence reflect the extraordinary team and teamwork required to engage in the transformative work of nursing education—not just during one semester or even a single academic year, but in a sustained way that demands genuine dedication and authentic commitment to producing consistent programmatic excellence,” says NLN Chair Patricia Sharpnack, DNP, CNE, FAAN.

Formal recognition of this prestigious designation will be made at the 2024 NLN Education Summit, which will be held in San Antonio, TX, in September.

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