The CNE® Workshops (for nominated nurse faculty only) led by Dr. Diane Billings (see bio below) provide an intensive, comprehensive review of the major content areas of the test blueprints for the CNE® & CNE®n certification exams. The Workshops are designed to help potential candidates assess their level of readiness and identify practice domains where further study may be needed.
Value of Certification
Certification in any field is a mark of professionalism. For academic nurse educators, it establishes nursing education as a specialty area of practice and creates a means for faculty to demonstrate their expertise in this role. It communicates to students, peers and the academic and health care communities that the highest standards of excellence are being met. By becoming credentialed as a certified nurse educator, you serve as a leader and a role model. Certification is the mark of distinction for nursing faculty.
CNE® versus CNE®n
The structure of the certification program for the CNE®n has some differences when compared to the other two nurse educator certifications available. The CNE®n is valid for a three-year period only based on the literature review indicating that the novice period is about three years.
The certification is non-renewable with the hope that the novice nurse educator certification will provide the opening of the door for novice educators to focus on professional development and be interested in pursuing one or both of the other NLN certifications.
A comparison of the CNE® and CNE®n exams: 
CNE® & CNE®n comparison
Biography: Diane Billings, EdD, RN, FAAN, ANEF
Dr. Diane Billings is Chancellors' Professor Emeritus at Nursing at Indiana University School of Nursing, Indianapolis, IN where she was the Associate Dean for Teaching, Learning and Information Resources and developed and taught the masters/doctoral level Teacher Education Certificate courses. She is currently a consultant in nursing education and the co-editor of the award winning Teaching in Nursing, and the co-editor of the Lippincott's Q and A Review for NCLEX-RN. She is the recipient of the Sigma Theta Tau International Founders Award for Excellence in Teaching, the Award for Outstanding Leadership in Nursing Education from the National League for Nursing, and is a Living Legend in the American Academy of Nursing. She serves on boards and tasks forces for several schools of nursing and nursing organizations and has been a mentor in three Sigma Mentored Leadership Academies.
CNE® Workshops (For Academic Nurse Educators)
The CNE® #18 is tentatively planned for February 2025. A completed CNE® #18 Nomination Form must be signed and submitted by the nominating Dean or Director. Please note that attendance is limited and all decisions regarding who is selected to attend are made after the nomination deadline. If selected, a virtual meeting invite will be sent to the nominee no earlier than 1 day prior to the scheduled workshop. The link cannot be forwarded to anyone else. *There are no CEUs associated with this Workshop and the Workshop will not be recorded.
This workshop addresses the following: CNE® certification
CNE® Eligibility You should make attaining the Certified Nurse Educator® designation your goal if, after carefully reviewing the test blueprint and the eligibility requirements, you determine that your educational and experiential qualifications have provided you with sufficient opportunity to participate meaningfully in the full scope of the faculty role.
Option A: Must meet criteria 1 & 2
1. Licensure
-A currently active, unencumbered, registered nurse designation in the country where currently practicing as a nurse educator.
2. Education
-A master's or doctoral degree in nursing with a major emphasis in nursing education or
-A master's or doctoral degree in nursing plus a post-master's certificate in nursing education or
-A master's or doctoral degree in nursing and nine or more credit hours of graduate-level education courses*
*Examples of acceptable courses include: Curriculum Development and Evaluation; Instructional Design; Principles of Adult Learning; Assessment/Measurement & Evaluation; Principles of Teaching and Learning, Instructional Technology
Note: Graduate-level research or statistics courses do not count toward this requirement
Option B: Must meet criteria 1, 2 & 3
1. Licensure
-A currently active, unencumbered registered nurse designation in the country where currently practicing as a nurse educator.
2. Education
-A master's or doctoral degree in nursing (with a major emphasis in a role other than nursing education).
3. Experience
-Two years or more employment in a nursing program in an academic institution within the past five years.
All eligibility criteria for initial certification must be met at the time of application.
Disclaimer: The Certified Nurse Educator® exam was developed to measure competence in the full scope of the academic nurse educator practice role. Even though the CNE® eligibility criteria have been expanded to include new graduates of master's and doctoral programs focused in nursing education, the test itself was not developed as a measure of graduate program outcomes.
CNE®n Workshops (for Academic Novice Nurse Educators)
The CNE®n #1 is planned for Monday, November 4, 2024, 8:30 am - 3:30 pm. A completed 
CNE®n #1 Nomination Form must be signed by the nominating Dean or Director. After the nomination deadline and if selected, a virtual meeting invite will be sent. The link cannot be forwarded to anyone else. *There are no CEUs associated with this Workshop and the Workshop will not be recorded.
This workshop addresses the following: CNE®n certification
CNE® Novice Eligibility: You should make attaining the Certified Nurse Educator Novice designation your goal if, after carefully reviewing the test blueprint and the eligibility requirements, you determine that your educational and experiential qualifications have provided you with sufficient opportunity to validate your knowledge of the role of the novice nurse educator.
CNE Novice Eligibility Criteria:
Must meet criteria 1, 2, and 3
1. Licensure:
-A currently active, unencumbered, registered nurse designation in the country of residence
2. Education:
-A graduate degree in nursing with a major emphasis in nursing education or
-A graduate degree in nursing plus a post-master's certificate in nursing education or
-A graduate degree in nursing and nine or more credit hours of graduate-level education courses* or
-A post baccalaureate certificate in nursing education
3. Currently within the first three years of practice as an academic nurse educator.
*Examples of acceptable courses include: Curriculum Development and Evaluation; Instructional Design; Principles of Adult Learning; Assessment/Measurement & Evaluation; Principles of Teaching and Learning, Instructional Technology
Note: Graduate-level research or statistics courses do not count toward requirements
All eligibility criteria for certification must be met at the time of application.
Disclaimer: The Certified Nurse Educator Novice exam was developed to measure competence in the novice academic nurse educator practice role. Even though the CNE®n eligibility criteria have been expanded to include new graduates of master's and doctoral programs focused in nursing education, the test itself was not developed as a measure of graduate program outcomes.
CNE®cl Opportunities (For Academic Clinical Nurse Educators)
There are two other NSP II programs that both allow stipends for the CNE®cl exam completion.
- The Faculty Academy and Mentoring Initiative of Maryland (FAMI-MD) (formerly ES-FAMI) is a 30 contact-hour program beginning with a face-to-face introductory session followed by two-weeks of intensive online instruction, followed by expectations to be part of a data base of eligible clinical instructors for the partner schools.
- The Preparing Clinical Faculty program, developed by the University of Maryland School of Nursing Institute for Educators, is designed to build Maryland's vital clinical nursing faculty competencies and capacity.
- For more information on the CNE®cl certified academic clinical nurse educator credential visit: CNE®cl
Resources
Certification for Nurse Educators
Professional Development Activities related to the competencies in the academic nurse educator role
National League for Nursing Press offers three new CNE® books
NLN Certification Board of Commissioner's Recognition
NLN Certification Sentinel Newletter
