Hallmarks of Excellence in Nursing Education (Headlines from the NLN‪)‬

IN 2001, the NLN Nursing Education Advisory Council (NEAC) formed the Task Group on Nursing Education Standards, whose purpose was to develop a set of nursing education standards and prepare those standards for publication and dissemination. In addition, in April 2003, the NLN sponsored a Think Tank on Nursing Education that included representatives from 15 professional associations and the NLN. The Think Tank was instituted to provide guidance and advice as the NLN moved forward with formulating, disseminating, and continually reviewing standards of excellence toward which all nursing education programs should strive. Members of the Task Group and Think Tank reviewed literature related to the concept of standards, the relevance of standard setting to education, the relationship between educational standards and accreditation criteria, and the impact of standards on educational practices. This comprehensive literature review informed discussions and led to a recommendation that the NLN consider developing statements other than "standards." While some conceptualize "standards" as presenting a high level of achievement, many discussions refer to minimal expectations, which would be inconsistent with the NLN's mission. Thus was born the notion of Hallmarks of Excellence in Nursing Education, a concept that has been sustained.