How to prepare for becoming a center of excellence: one school of nursing's story.

Abstract

IN 2005, THE UNIVERSITY OF NORTH CAROLINA AT GREENSBORO SCHOOL OF NURSING WAS DESIGNATED A NATIONAL LEAGUE FOR NURSING CENTER OF EXCELLENCE, RECOGNIZED FOR EXCELLENCE IN FACULTY DEVELOPMENT. In 2008, we applied for a second three-year term. This time, we were recognized for creating environments that promote the pedagogical expertise of faculty. Since the COE award was first established by the NLN in 2004, the categories and criteria have changed slightly. Currently, awards given are for creating environments that enhance student learning and professional development, promote the pedagogical expertise of faculty, and advance the science of nursing education. By sharing our experiences, we hope to help other schools apply for recognition as a COE. (The Intent to Apply for 2011 is due October 15, 2010. Visit www. nln.org/excellence/coe/index.htm.) Study Criteria and Process The first step in preparing your application is to study the criteria and processes carefully. Since there are three categories of awards, it is important to assess your school's areas of strength to determine the most appropriate category. Being aware of the process allows you to plan for the time and resources needed to complete the application. Buy-in from your dean or director is important to the process. Both in 2004 and 2008, our dean was committed and willing to commit faculty time and resources as needed. In both years, once we selected a category and made the decision to apply, a COE champion was appointed to lead a committee to develop the application. This leader was responsible for nominating faculty to serve on the committee, planning meetings, and establishing a strategy to collect the necessary data to complete the application. Deciding which data are needed and actually collecting the data can be a long process. Plan for a full academic year to accomplish this task. Choosing the Committee This is an important step. Our committee consisted of eight people. Each was assigned to a specific criterion, with the chairperson coordinating the process and editing the final document. The makeup of the committee should reflect the makeup of the faculty. Ours included both tenured and nontenured faculty, with some faculty on the clinical track. Having both long-term and relatively new faculty on the committee allowed our history to come through and provided the perspective of individuals who were new to the school. It is critical that all committee members are convinced that your school is already a center of excellence. You just need an opportunity to tell your story. Beginning the Application Process The first step in the process is preparation of the Intent to Apply document. It is important to allow ample time for this first step. After deciding which category to pursue, all members of the committee can start to consider what data are needed. After our committee made this decision, the chair prepared the document and then asked for feedback from the committee and the dean prior to submission. When preparing the Intent to Apply document, you must indicate whether you plan to use an NLN consultant to work with the COE committee in preparing the application. While the consultants we used in 2005 and 2008 were very different, both were exceptionally helpful. They concentrated on the process, giving little input on content, which must come from the faculty themselves. They helped us consider how to tell our story and how to document that what we did made a difference in student learning. The school must pay the expenses of the consultant (travel, lodging, and food), but there is no fee for the consultation. Creating a Timetable For any large task that will be done by a committee, a timetable is essential. It is important to allow ample time for data gathering, writing, and editing. Our committee chair drafted a timetable, and the committee approved it. Since much of our data were gathered from faculty, it was important to coordinate our efforts. …