A New Role in Accreditation Activities Offers Expanded Horizons for Registered Nurses

At a time when nurses identify educational opportunities as an essential element of the health-care work environment, becoming an on-site evaluator for the accreditation process of the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE) offers unique opportunities for professional development. Nurses who are on-site evaluators bring first-hand practice experience as well as knowledge of evolving health-care and organizational trends to the accreditation process. In return, they find positive learning experiences, acquire insight into academic nursing education, and develop enthusiasm for academic teaching-a winning combination in this era of national nursing faculty shortage. This article describes the CCNE's process for incorporating nurses from clinical practice into accreditation activities and discusses the potential benefit of the process to the CCNE, nurses, and academic nursing programs.